The Storm Is Coming

Chapter 46: The Storm Approaches

July 8th.

The sky was a bit gloomy this morning, the early dawn resembling dusk. The streets were filled with a wild wind; it looked like the annual great storm was about to arrive.

Cheng Yun hurried upstairs to the rooftop to collect the laundry. Including the sheets and duvet covers he'd hung out yesterday, he made several trips before finishing.

After collecting the clothes, he returned to the rooftop to enjoy the breeze. The rooftop was now completely different from how it had been a few days prior.

The flowers and plants the Old Mage had planted just last night had already bloomed by today!

He saw that the four flowerbeds in the corner were all blooming with delicate, vibrant flowers. Each flowerbed had several varieties, arranged neatly. Between the flowers grew beautiful and unique ornamental plants; some resembled succulents, others ancient pines, and some were like miniature trees. Still others were bizarre shapes Cheng Yun had never seen before.

The small, dead tree in the center flowerbed had been dug up by Cheng Yun and replaced with another tree less than a meter tall. The tree's branches were ink-black, its leaves a blood-red, forming a canopy. The tree bore many small, strawberry-sized fruits, equally crimson. The ground beneath the tree was covered in saplings; he didn't know what kind of fruit they would bear.

Even the small fish pond had been refilled with water by Cheng Yun. A few aquatic plants grew in the water, and the rockery was covered in a layer of green, moss-like vegetation. Scattered among them were small trees resembling Asparagus Ferns. Beside the pond sat two miniature bonsai, looking like a real mountain.

Just looking at this scene made Cheng Yun feel refreshed and invigorated!

Suddenly, as if sensing something, he turned around. He saw the Old Mage standing behind him, leaning on his staff.

"Are you leaving?" he asked.

"No, I'm leaving at ten," the Old Mage shook his head, glancing up at the sky. "The storm is coming soon, and many of the flowers you chose yesterday are quite fragile. I'm afraid they'll be destroyed by the storm today, just after I planted them yesterday."

"So you've come up to cast spells on them?"

"No, I've come up to remind you to build a shelter for them to protect them from the wind and rain."

"Alright." Cheng Yun shrugged, not feeling disappointed. He had already been considering how he would protect these precious and delicate plants.

The Old Mage walked over to the flowerbeds and inspected the growth of the plants. Finally, he nodded and said, "They've all grown quite well. Only the Four Seasons Tree has prematurely taken on its autumn form in midsummer. This is likely due to the sudden drop in temperature last night and the growth acceleration spell I used."

"Four Seasons Tree." Cheng Yun walked over to the Four Seasons Tree and picked off a fruit. "Can this be eaten?"

"They are all edible," the Old Mage smiled faintly. "I wouldn't dare give you anything poisonous."

"What are the effects of eating this?" Cheng Yun brought the small fruit closer to his nose and sniffed gently. A soft, rich fragrance wafted towards him. It was a bit like a mix of strawberry and pineapple, but superior. Smelling it in the early morning felt like it set a good mood for the entire day.

"Effects?"

"Yes, what it does."

"It tastes good," the Old Mage said.

"Uh, anything else?" Cheng Yun felt a little awkward.

"It's very juicy and can quench your thirst," the Old Mage paused, then continued, "Eating a lot can also stave off hunger, though this one tree is probably only enough for one meal for you."

"That's not what I meant. I mean... aren't these plants from a magical world? Don't the fruits from magical world plants have any...?" Cheng Yun hesitated, tugging at the corner of his mouth. "Like, improving aptitude, quickly replenishing stamina or mana, or perhaps special functions like being thrown as bombs in battle?"

"No!" the Old Mage said indifferently. "It can only replenish stamina because it contains a lot of sugar. It can also supplement many trace elements, but you wouldn't be able to feel it."

"What about the other fruit-bearing plants?" Cheng Yun pressed, still unwilling to give up.

"They're all the same, with only differences in taste, juiciness, and nutritional value," the Old Mage said, somewhat exasperated. "The other flowers are the same. Their medicinal value is almost non-existent for you. Their only other use is their strong ornamental value, their fragrance, and their special ability to bloom continuously."

"..." Cheng Yun felt immensely disappointed.

"This storm will last for four days. You'd best be careful for the next three days," the Old Mage said, then turned to walk downstairs. "I'll go down and prepare some things first."

"Are you sure it will last four days?" Cheng Yun asked subconsciously, but as soon as he asked, he realized it was a silly question. How powerful was the Old Mage? If he said it would last four days, it definitely wouldn't be wrong!

He had planned to go out for a big meal in a few days; he had already agreed with Yu Dian a few days ago! Even though the little girl Yu Dian might not have taken it seriously, he couldn't just go back on his word after saying it!

However, the Old Mage shook his head and looked up at the sky. "Probably. The weather forecast says so, anyway."

"Weather forecast..."

The Old Mage slowly walked downstairs, leaving Cheng Yun alone on the rooftop. He stood there for a while, then, feeling tempted, picked and ate two more fruits before quickly running downstairs.

Coincidentally, Cheng Yan had just woken up.

"Did you collect the clothes?" Cheng Yan asked, having clearly seen the weather today.

"Collected them," Cheng Yun said. Just as he was about to leave, he stopped and said to Cheng Yan, "Go to the front desk and hold my spot for me. I'm going out to buy something. Do you want anything for breakfast? I'll bring it back if I see it."

"What are you going out to buy?" Cheng Yan frowned.

"Plastic sheeting."

"I want Guokui, from the one by the North Gate," Cheng Yan said. "Bring an umbrella."

"It won't rain for a while yet!"

Cheng Yun then bustled out the door and ran off.

Not long after, he returned with several sheets of plastic sheeting, each five to six meters long, and some frames.

Of course, he also brought Cheng Yan's Guokui and breakfast for everyone.

"This is the plastic sheeting you bought?" Cheng Yan stared at the stack of transparent plastic film he was carrying. The sheeting varied in thickness, looking a bit like an enlarged version of cling film. It was wide and folded into plastic bags, typically used by farmers to build greenhouses or start seedlings.

"Yeah."

"What are you using it for?"

Seeing the wind outside growing stronger and cooler, Cheng Yun didn't dare answer. He put down the breakfast and ran upstairs. "Breakfast is on the table; you guys eat first. If I'm not back after you finish, you can cover for me for a bit. I still have some things to do!"

Cheng Yan nodded and picked up a guo kui to gnaw on.

The hotel had received a lot of items in the past few days, leaving behind many cardboard boxes, both large and small. Flattened out, they could serve as makeshift boards. These boards wouldn't withstand continuous days of heavy rain, but the downpours in Jinguan City were only relative; they weren't as exaggerated as the news made them out to be. If a thin layer of plastic film was wrapped around these boards, even if it couldn't completely block the rain for the next few days, it wouldn't leak too much.

Cheng Yun's idea was to first build a frame by the flower bed, using the railings as support. He could use tables and plastic stools if necessary, or build a frame if he had to. Then, he would cover it with thicker film, and use the plastic-wrapped cardboard in necessary areas. This would allow light through while also blocking the rain.

The most troublesome part was securing it! It was extremely troublesome!

The Jinguan Plain rarely experienced heavy rain, but the winds during the summer storm season could be quite strong. If it wasn't secured properly, it would fall apart at the slightest gust of wind!

So, Cheng Yun brought many tools, not just tape and nails, but even a small electric drill.

These flowers weren't just the Old Mage's passion project; they were also unique in this world. Cheng Yun felt that since they had come to this world, they shouldn't just die within a day or two.

About twenty minutes later, a muffled thunderclap sounded overhead, piercing his ears and shaking the ground!

Crack!

A raindrop, the size of a bean, landed on Cheng Yun's head.

At this point, he had only finished building two frames and was working on the third. Even setting aside the flower bed and small fish pond in the middle, he still needed at least another twenty minutes of work.

But after the first raindrop hit him, the rain intensified almost instantly. It fell densely from the sky, hitting the ground with a whoosh, making the air look like it was draped with countless beaded curtains.

The rooftop ground was instantly soaked.

Cheng Yun paused, took off his shirt, and continued working.

Before long, an umbrella appeared from behind him, shielding him from a good portion of the rain.

Cheng Yun looked up and saw a black umbrella. Turning his head, he saw Cheng Yan standing behind him, wearing a white shirt. She held a small floral umbrella in one hand, her pinky finger hooked through a small plastic bag containing a portion of pan-fried dumplings. In her other hand, she held the large black umbrella, shielding him from the rain.

"What are you doing?" Cheng Yan asked, frowning as she looked at him.

"Building a shelter," Cheng Yun replied. Water droplets clung to his eyelashes, impairing his vision. He reached up to wipe the rain from his face, but his hair was already completely soaked, dripping water that quickly wet his face again.

"Where did these flowers come from?"

"I bought them yesterday."

"They're quite pretty," Cheng Yan said, then asked, "What kind of flowers are these? They don't seem common."

"Never mind that, just hold the umbrella for me. I estimate I'll be done in about ten more minutes," Cheng Yun quickly changed the subject. He knew Cheng Yan's curiosity and thirst for knowledge were exceptionally strong, which was also the reason for her far-above-average knowledge reserve. Therefore, if he didn't change the subject and couldn't answer or gave a perfunctory response, Cheng Yan would likely go to great lengths to find out what kind of flowers these were.

A few minutes later, Heroine Yin also came up with an umbrella. She looked at Cheng Yun eagerly and said, "Station Master, let me help you!"

"No need, I'm almost done."

After setting up shelters for the four flower beds in the corner and casually placing some cardboard to block the wind for the small fish pond, Cheng Yun checked the sturdiness of the shelters. He tinkered for a few more minutes before sighing with relief and heading back inside with his tools.

"Aren't you going to build one for the middle one?" Heroine Yin asked.

"That one's fine," Cheng Yun replied. He had already asked the Old Mage; that Four Seasons Tree was very sturdy and wouldn't be easily uprooted or blown away. The other fruit saplings were also short and tough, unlikely to be damaged.

"Oh." Heroine Yin stood inside the building, curiously retracting the umbrella in her hand. Then, she pressed a button on the handle, and the umbrella automatically sprang open with a swish. She then showed an expression of "Wow, so magical, so fun."

A simple automatic umbrella had her completely engrossed.

"You don't grow taller by opening umbrellas indoors," Cheng Yun rolled his eyes. She was making the floor wet.

"I don't need to grow any taller; I'm already tall enough," the one-meter-fifty-five Heroine Yin said subconsciously as she continued playing with the umbrella, without looking up.

"Pfft!" Cheng Yan let out a laugh, involuntarily lowering her head to glance at Heroine Yin.

Heroine Yin's movements immediately stiffened. She clearly felt Cheng Yan's gaze and looked up at her.

Sparks seemed to fly from her eyes in that instant!

Cheng Yan quickly withdrew her gaze, handed the pan-fried dumplings in her hand to Cheng Yun, and said as if she were a parent, "Alright, go back to your room, take a shower, and then put on some clothes for me!"

She paused, then mumbled, "Honestly! What's with being naked! And your body isn't even that good..."