February's wind swept through their hair with its last trace of chill. When they looked up again, March's rain was already pattering down, veiling the entire street in a haze. On that rainy morning, Chen Shi'an hadn't ridden his bike as usual. After all, the monthly exam results were coming out today. If he lost their bet, he might have to carry the girl home on his back after school...
Heaven's will!
He opened his broad black umbrella and walked slowly into Yinghao's spring rain.
The spring chill had yet to fade, and the rain rustled against his umbrella.
When he reached the intersection, he spotted that familiar figure.
Wen Zhixia stood there with a little powder-blue umbrella resting on her shoulder and a bulging breakfast bag in her hand. Bored, she was puffing breaths toward the sky, the white mist curling away.
The moment she saw him, the girl became a cheerful little bird, nimbly tiptoeing around the puddles as she bounded over to him. "Taoist! You didn't ride your bike today. Did you already plan to carry me home this afternoon?"
"So confident, Little Cicada?"
"Heehee, why don't you carry me right now?"
"Hey, hey, it's raining..."
In the end, he didn't carry her, but Wen Zhixia settled for the next best thing. Seeing how big Chen Shi'an's umbrella was and how light the rain was, she stopped using her own. She simply folded her little umbrella and, taking advantage of her small size, slipped beneath his...
The breakfast in her hand naturally ended up in Chen Shi'an's, while her newly freed little hand tucked itself into his school uniform pocket. "Are you getting wet over there, Little Cicada?" Chen Shi'an tilted the umbrella toward her.
"No, no." Wen Zhixia squeezed closer against him. "Just keep yourself covered,