On the path leading to the girls' dormitory.
The heavy rain continued to rage, and under a tiny umbrella, a pair of young boy and girl walked slowly.
Although there was no one else around, their presence made both hearts no longer feel lonely on this rainy night.
A gust of wind lifted the girl's soft black hair, brushing against Su Zelin's neck and face, tickling him and bringing a unique feminine fragrance.
Su Zelin only wished this path could be longer, best if it would never end.
After walking for a while, Qin Shiqing spoke.
"Zelin, do you remember? When we were in elementary school, there was a day when it suddenly rained heavily. After school, we got stuck in the campus. All the other students were picked up by their families, but your parents were out of town for business, and my parents had to work overtime at the factory, so we were the only two left in the whole school!"
Qin Shiqing's beautiful eyes shone like stars in the dark night, with a hint of reminiscence.
"The rain was pouring down hard and for a long time. We waited and waited, it was getting dark, and finally, you rushed back home in the rain to get two umbrellas to fetch me, soaking yourself completely. You even got a high fever that night!"
At this, her gaze became even softer.
"That was ages ago, who even remembers such things!"
Su Zelin snorted.
Actually, he remembered it quite clearly.
That night, he had a high fever. His parents were out of town, and although Granny Qin was there to take care of him, Qin Shiqing stayed by his side all night long, stubbornly refusing to go home, and eventually fell asleep at the bedside.
When dawn broke and Su Zelin's fever subsided, the first thing he saw upon waking was his childhood friend's face.
"Besides, I've been strong as an ox since I was little, perhaps getting caught in the rain and catching a fever was merely an accident and would definitely never happen again!"
He added a few more words.
"So stubborn!"
Qin Shiqing pursed her lips and smiled, not arguing with him.
Under the small umbrella, it suddenly went quiet; neither spoke again, leaving only the "pitter-patter" sound of raindrops hitting the ground.
The two seemed to deliberately slow their pace, savoring this tranquil moment.
Yet, no matter how slowly they walked, they were bound to reach their destination in the end.
In the distance, lights appeared, and the girls' dormitory was already in sight.
At this moment, Qin Shiqing noticed something.
Walking all this way, she had hardly been touched by any raindrops.
The rain was heavy, and the wind was blowing; the space under the umbrella was very limited, not nearly enough to perfectly shield two people.
She quickly figured out the reason.
The umbrella was tilted towards her side, and Su Zelin was subtly positioning himself against the gust of wind.
One side of his body had unknowingly become completely soaked, water flowing from his shoulder to his sleeve, dripping continuously from the fingers of the hand not holding the umbrella.
It was simply due to the angle that Qin Shiqing hadn't noticed until now.
"What're you looking at? I'm a tough guy, not like you, a fragile patient. That time I got caught in the rain and got a fever was just an accident, it will never happen again!"
Su Zelin said coldly.
Qin Shiqing felt touched.
This childhood friend had always taken care of her.
Caught in the campus by a heavy rain, he would rush home to bring her an umbrella, even getting a high fever because of it.
When bullied by other students, he would secretly fight them back, even if it meant getting a public reprimand by the school.
So many similar instances.
They had become the purest emotions deep in the girl's heart, impossible to forget.
Thinking of this, Qin Shiqing instinctively moved closer to Su Zelin, their shadows almost leaning into each other, even able to feel the warmth of the other's body.
"Just now Zhao Mingxuan wanted to walk me back to the dorm, but I turned him down."
Qin Shiqing hesitated, then said.
"Why, are you silly? Your period isn't over, and you caught a cold. What if getting caught in the rain makes it worse, do you know it might affect the college entrance exam!"
Su Zelin was angry.
"It won't, because I knew you would come."
Qin Shiqing murmured softly.
Su Zelin fell silent.
In a past life, perhaps Qin Shiqing was also waiting for him below the teaching building.
But in the end, he didn't show up!
"I'm sorry I came late!"
He sighed deeply.
If I had come that night in my previous life, Qin Shiqing wouldn't have gotten a worse cold, her college entrance exam wouldn't have gone wrong, and we wouldn't have attended different colleges in the same city, giving me the chance to hurt her deeply in the end.
It's all my fault!
Fortunately, there is a chance to make amends in this lifetime!
"You're not late, isn't this just perfect?"
Of course, Qin Shiqing didn't understand his meaning.
Finally, they reached the girls' dormitory, and Qin Shiqing stepped under the eaves.
"Mr. Tough Guy, you go back and change into some dry clothes quickly, don't catch a cold, or else I'd be the culprit!"
Qin Shiqing reminded half-jokingly.
"Got it, so, bye then!"
Su Zelin walked away, waving his hand at her with his back turned.
"Su Zelin!"
Qin Shiqing suddenly called out to him.
"What is it!"
Su Zelin stopped walking.
"Um, it's nothing."
Qin Shiqing hesitated, then stopped herself.
"How strange!"
Su Zelin was at a loss.
"Go upstairs, I'm leaving now!"
Until Su Zelin's figure gradually blurred in the rain.
Only then did Qin Shiqing softly murmur.
"Zelin, don't you understand? I actually want to go to Zhejiang University."
...
In the girls' dormitory, as soon as she saw Qin Shiqing entering, Tang Yan breathed a sigh of relief.
"Shiqing, you're back. I thought you wouldn't be able to catch an umbrella, I was just about to bring one to you!"
"It's okay, I caught one, or rather, someone brought me one."
The girl smiled brightly.
"Shiqing, did someone bring an umbrella just for you?"
Another girl came over, it was Dong Ying, known by the nickname "Little Megaphone."
Tang Yan had shared the secret of Su Zelin winning second prize in a lottery with her and asked her to keep it a secret. But Little Megaphone spread the story to the whole class anyway.