After finishing her driving lesson, it was already ten o'clock at night. Xia Kelan was giving Su Wanwan a ride home. Su Wanwan looked up from her phone and glanced at the intersection ahead. "Just drop me off there. I'll stop by to grab a cake to take home. No need to send me all the way; it's very close." Xia Kelan nodded, casually handing her the canvas bag from the backseat. "Look at you—your man's overthinking things. It's stuffy enough, who needs a coat?" Su Wanwan smiled lightly as she got out of the car, looking up at the hazy, gray sky, and waved at Xia Kelan. "I'm heading off now."
"Bye!"
In the cake shop, Su Wanwan bought a few small cakes. Just as she finished paying, a sudden rumble of thunder echoed outside. The sky, which had been quiet just moments ago, suddenly lit up with flashes of lightning, followed by gusts of wind and rising sand. In just a few minutes, a torrential downpour began. The clerk muttered anxiously, "Why did it suddenly start raining…"
Su Wanwan comforted her, "The rain will pass as quickly as it came. It'll probably stop in half an hour." As she spoke, she pulled a jacket and a foldable umbrella from the canvas bag. As soon as she opened the door, the wind howled, making the umbrella rattle in her hands. The coat she wore shielded her from the chill, leaving her feeling comfortably warm. Su Wanwan checked the direction and headed home.
On the other hand, things weren't going so smoothly for Xia Kelan. She could never have predicted that the decent weather would change so rapidly. "What the hell… Did Fu Liangmu predict this? He was actually right?" Xia Kelan muttered in shock as she quickly turned on the wipers and headlights, speeding up to get home as quickly as possible. But the car suddenly slid, and before she knew it, it was stuck. With a loud thud, another car collided into hers. The blaring honks filled the air.
"What's going on? What's wrong with this car?" Xia Kelan was stunned, and no matter what she did, the car wouldn't start again. Suddenly, a loud knock sounded on her window. She turned and saw a rain-soaked face pressed against the glass.
"Jesus, it's late at night and you're trying to scare someone to death!" Xia Kelan cursed, murmuring under her breath.
"Get out! Get out!" The man outside yelled angrily. Xia Kelan, knowing she was at fault, opened the door. As soon as she stepped out, the heavy rain drenched her to the bone.
"What the hell, why did you suddenly brake! You've caused a chain collision!" The man wiped his face, then pointed behind him. This stretch of road was usually a busy area, and despite the late hour, cars were still abundant. Xia Kelan glanced back and saw four or five cars piled up.
"Sorry, sorry, my car had some issues."
"Don't worry, I'll cover any damages. I won't shortchange anyone."
The man looked at her with obvious disdain. "You're a woman, what are you doing driving a car? A road killer, huh? If I hadn't reacted in time, someone could have died today!"
Xia Kelan's tone, which had been apologetic, quickly shifted. "Hey, hey, hey, don't overstep. Yes, it's my fault the car broke down, but what does that have to do with being a woman? Are you being sexist?"
"Damn right, I'm talking about you women!" The man jabbed a finger into Xia Kelan's shoulder, his forceful movements accentuating his height as he mocked her.
Just as Xia Kelan was about to respond, the man was suddenly kicked and flew back, crashing onto the curb with a thud, gritting his teeth in pain, unable to get up. Xia Kelan turned her head in confusion.
Xie Cheng stood holding an umbrella, slowly retracting his leg. He tossed a business card onto the man's face. "Medical bills and repair costs, I'll cover everything."
He then extended his hand to Xia Kelan. "Aren't you leaving?"
Xia Kelan pointed at her car, "But about this…"
"I've already called the traffic police. They'll be here soon. I'll have someone tow your car to the 4S shop. Don't worry."
Relieved, Xia Kelan took his hand. The next moment, she was pulled into Xie Cheng's embrace. Just as she was about to break free, a low voice sounded from above her. "Don't move, you're soaking wet."
"But if I stay so close to you, won't I get your clothes wet too?"
"Good point. Here, take the umbrella."
"Why?"
Xie Cheng handed her the umbrella, took off his coat, and wrapped it around her. "Let's go."
The warmth of the coat and his faint scent lingered as she was enveloped.
"Hold the umbrella properly."
"Oh." Xia Kelan raised the umbrella as best as she could, but her arms were sore from the effort. Still, the umbrella was barely effective. Xie Cheng had to bend down slightly as they walked.
"Forget it, I'll take it from here. You're hopeless, can't even hold an umbrella properly," Xie Cheng said, raising the umbrella high.
The wind howled, and Xia Kelan wiped the rain off her face, silently glancing upward. What was the point of this umbrella? The rain kept hitting her face without any escape.
"What's wrong?" Xie Cheng asked, noticing her discomfort.
Xia Kelan forced a smile, her lips curling. "Nothing, nothing, just hurry up…"
A low chuckle escaped from Xie Cheng's throat. His hand gently brushed through her wet hair. "Little shorty."
"You're the shorty!" Xia Kelan shot back, her pride ignited as she glared up at him… or rather, at his chin. Her height was always a sore spot, especially when arguing with others; it made her feel powerless.
Xie Cheng squatted down slowly, wrapping his arms around her legs, and effortlessly lifted her up. The sudden elevation made Xia Kelan feel flustered, and she quickly grabbed onto his shoulders, her nails digging into his shirt from the force.
"What are you doing?!"
The umbrella was handed back to her. Xie Cheng, his eyes sparkling, smiled warmly. "This way, neither of us will get soaked."
Xia Kelan blinked, her face flushing. She clung to his neck, holding the umbrella in one hand, her other arm wrapped around his head. Inside, she felt secretly pleased, though she muttered, "What a waste of effort…"
Pedestrians hurried along the sidewalk, drenched and miserable, but still sneaking glances at them. Xia Kelan puffed her cheeks, sagging against his head, and muttered in a small voice, "This is so embarrassing… we look so weird."
The warmth in Xie Cheng's arms made him smile. He thought she was shy and teased her in a cheerful tone. "What's weird about this? Doesn't it feel nice?"
Xia Kelan swallowed, her throat tight. "I feel like I'm a child being carried by my dad…"
At the mention of "dad," Xie Cheng's expression shattered instantly. Why was it that no matter when or where, he couldn't escape being associated with the word "old"?
Xie Cheng: "..."