Rain had a way of making the city look gentler — as if all its chaos was being washed away under sheets of silver light.
But for Lin Xiaoyu, it meant only one thing: her umbrella had disappeared. Again.
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Late Hours and Storm Clouds
It was nearly 8:30 PM, and most of the office had gone quiet. The sound of tapping keyboards had been replaced by the hum of rain outside.
Xiaoyu stared at her computer screen, trying to finish a report that refused to cooperate. Her brain felt like soft tofu.
"Still here?"
She nearly jumped. Li Junhao stood behind her desk, jacket folded over one arm, the faintest hint of amusement in his eyes.
"Director Li! I—uh—yes. Just finishing up the monthly report."
"You've been working since morning. Go home."
"Can't. My umbrella decided to… disappear."
"Disappear?"
"Vanished. Like my motivation."
He chuckled softly, glancing out at the rain pounding the glass.
"Then I suppose I'll have to give you a ride."
"What? Oh no, no, it's fine! I can wait until it slows down."
"At this rate, you'll still be waiting by sunrise."
"Still better than troubling my boss."
He tilted his head slightly, his voice teasing but warm.
"Who said it's trouble?"
---
The Ride
Ten minutes later, Xiaoyu found herself sitting in the backseat of a sleek black car, heart thudding like a guilty drum.
The city lights blurred outside the windows — neon streaks mixing with raindrops, painting everything in soft colors.
Li Junhao sat beside her, scrolling through his phone silently. She could feel the quiet pulse of his presence — calm, composed, and somehow… comforting.
To fill the silence, she blurted,
"Do you always work this late?"
"Often."
"Doesn't it get lonely?"
He looked at her briefly, his expression unreadable.
"Sometimes."
"You sound like someone who needs a hobby."
"I had one."
"Had?"
"I used to play piano."
She blinked. "Wait, really? You? Mr. Serious CEO?"
"I wasn't always serious." His lips curved faintly. "But time changes things."
"Maybe you should play again."
"Maybe." He turned his gaze back to the rain. "If I had a reason to."
Something in his tone — soft, wistful — made her chest tighten.
---
The Secret
The car slowed at a red light. Raindrops traced thin lines down the windows, and for a moment, neither spoke.
Then, quietly, he asked:
"Why did you join this company, Miss Lin?"
"To… make something of myself, I guess."
"And? Are you?"
She smiled lightly. "Working on it."
"You work hard," he said, his voice softer now. "Too hard sometimes. You should know — your creativity saved us in that last campaign."
"Wait—really?"
"Really."
"You never said anything."
"If I praised you too much," he said, glancing sideways, "you might stop being nervous around me. And that would be… unfortunate."
Her breath caught.
He was teasing — but his gaze lingered just a little too long for it to be just a joke.
Before she could respond, the driver turned.
"Sir, should I take the express route or the longer one? There's some traffic ahead."
"The longer one," Junhao said without hesitation.
Xiaoyu's head snapped toward him. "The longer one? But—"
"Consider it compensation for your missing umbrella."
She bit back a smile. "That's a very expensive umbrella, then."
"You're worth the detour."
Her brain short-circuited.
He had said it so casually — eyes on the rain, voice calm — but her pulse went wild anyway.
---
An Unexpected Moment
When they reached her apartment building, she hesitated before opening the door.
"Thank you… for the ride. And the detour."
"Anytime."
"You don't usually give rides to employees, do you?"
"No," he said simply. "Just you."
Her fingers froze on the handle.
He leaned slightly closer, his voice low, almost playful.
"But don't tell the others. I have a reputation to maintain."
"Of course not, Director Li," she said, smiling nervously. "Your secret is safe with me."
"Good."
She stepped out into the rain, half under the building awning. As she turned to wave, he was still watching her — unreadable, yet oddly tender.
Then she realized something.
"Wait!" she called.
He rolled down the window. "Yes?"
"You never told me… why you stopped playing piano."
He smiled faintly, eyes glinting in the rain.
"Maybe," he said, "I was waiting to meet someone worth playing for again."
And with that, the car pulled away — leaving her standing in the rain, heart dancing somewhere between disbelief and pure, uncontrollable happiness.
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