Lin Zhexia hadn’t yet reacted.
Chi Yao had already used his other hand to reach for hers.
The rain-soaked, wet hand of the young man applied a bit of force, and since Chi Yao was sitting, Lin Zhexia almost fell directly into his arms—
With a “thud” sound.
The umbrella dropped to the ground.
Without shelter, the rain fell directly, cool and icy on their heads, but that coolness was quickly disrupted by the body heat transmitted from the other person.
Lin Zhexia had one hand braced against the edge of the bench, completely dazed. Besides the sound of falling rain, she could hear the faint heartbeat of someone.
It might be hers.
Or it might be Chi Yao’s.
She didn’t know what this “hug” meant.
Normally, she should understand it as Chi Yao having trouble at home, feeling vulnerable, and needing a friend.
But his timing, right after making a wish.
It was as if…
Letting him have a hug was his birthday wish for this year.
Their current distance was a bit too close.
Although they had always been familiar with each other, hugging wasn’t an overly intimate gesture.
A friendly hug between friends… was quite normal.
Lin Zhexia didn’t dare think too much.
“You…” After a while, Lin Zhexia said, “How long are you going to hug me?”
Chi Yao’s head was bowed, his thin chin buried in her neck, his hair and nose tip occasionally brushing against her neck as he spoke somewhat unclearly: “Just a bit longer.”
A bit longer—how much longer was that?
Lin Zhexia’s heart was racing.
Due to her shyness, she hoped this embrace would end quickly, but she also hoped that this embrace could last a little longer.
After a while.
“Has it been a bit longer yet?” she asked.
“Not yet,” Chi Yao answered.
“…”
The end time of this hug was finally at twelve fourteen. The reason Lin Zhexia could remember so precisely was because Lin He called her at that time.
“Xiaxia, what time is it? Is the birthday celebration over?”
“Come home quickly, it’s raining so hard outside,” Lin He said on the other end of the phone, and then couldn’t help but be suspicious, “Why is your rain sound so loud? Are you at Chi Yao’s house?”
“Ah, yes, I’m coming back right away.”
Lin Zhexia picked up the umbrella and said frantically, “Coming back right away.”
Due to Lin He’s urging, Lin Zhexia couldn’t accompany him back home to cut the cake, so before parting at the entrance of the building, she specifically emphasized: “Make sure you eat the cake when you get back, this cake is… I spent a lot of money on it.”
Chi Yao said, “I know.”
After saying that, he added, “You’re caught in the rain, go inside quickly.”
Chi Yao held up his umbrella, watched her enter the building, and then returned home. The first thing he did wasn’t to go to the bathroom to change his soaking wet clothes, but to turn on the lights and walk toward the living room. In the center of the living room, on the coffee table, sat a cake box.
He untied the ribbon and could tell at a glance that the “expensive” cake Lin Zhexia mentioned was made with her own hands.
Where in the market could you find an “expensive” cake with the words “Happy Birthday” written so crookedly?
He carefully cut a slice of cake, then sat on the floor and ate it bite by bite.
Occasionally, rainwater gathered at his jaw, flowing slowly along his jawline and disappearing into his collar.
As he ate, he looked at the card beside it.
Lin Zhexia’s handwriting hadn’t changed since middle school.
The font was round, neat, and delicate—
*Wishing you success in all you desire, and happiness every day. I hope that in the future, whatever you do, you always have inexhaustible courage.*
He remembered once when He Yang mocked her, saying it was “kindergarten” handwriting, which angered her so much that she ordered a set of cursive calligraphy copybooks overnight, saying she wanted to make her writing wild and unrestrained, to show He Yang what maturity meant.
In the end, because she lost five points on her midterm exam for her handwriting, the plan was abandoned.
…
Chi Yao thought about this, reading these lines over and over again.
As if he wanted to very solemnly, properly place these two lines in the deepest part of his memory.
After finishing the entire cake, he slid open his phone and sent a message to Chi Hanshan: I’m coming over tomorrow—