Xue Yang nodded. "Yes, I want to know why Teacher Gong is helping ."
Gong Lee sat back down and began her story. "You remind of a student I once ntored. He was bold, just like you. Back in his freshman year, he received an offer from the Lin Corporation, but he turned it down to start his own business. The result, as you can imagine, was disastrous. He ended up owing the bank millions and, unable to bear the burden, jumped from the 33rd floor."
Xue Yang listened quietly. Although she spoke calmly about that senior, he could feel the profound sadness behind her serene tone. To see a student she had personally guided et such an end... her heart must have been broken.
At the sa ti, he felt a pang of pity for the senior. In business, profits and losses are normal. If you lose money, you just start over. But you only get one life; once it’s gone, it’s gone for good.
"Teacher Gong, rest assured, I won’t follow in that senior’s footsteps."
"Xue Yang, I believe in you," she said. "I’ll go find the principal. Also, if you really can’t resolve this with the Trendy Apparel Company, just give it up."
As a teacher, persuading a student to give up wasn’t sothing she should do, but Gong Lee truly didn’t want to see Xue Yang lose everything, including his confidence.
"Teacher Gong, don’t worry. I know what I’m doing."
After leaving Teacher Gong’s office, Xue Yang took a deep breath. He glanced up at the gloomy sky, which looked like it was about to rain, and started walking toward his car. Before he had gone far, the rain began to fall. Xue Yang quickened his pace, getting into his car just before it turned into a downpour. As the door shut, rain cascaded from the sky in torrents.
This was the heaviest rain he had seen since arriving in Yancheng last September. Before, it had only been light showers; the heaviest had been a moderate rain on the day he t Lin Xi. This ti, however, it was as if the heavens were trying to make up for all the missed rain at once. The sound of it was deafening.
Xue Yang sat in the car, waiting for it to stop. Many students who hadn’t found shelter in ti were sprinting wildly through the downpour. Even those fortunate enough to have umbrellas struggled against the deluge, trudging to find the nearest place to take cover. It was like an ant colony on the move—an orderly procession suddenly shattered by a storm, sending them all scattering like headless chickens.
Watching the chaotic scene, Xue Yang felt an inexplicable urge to smoke—a feeling he had never experienced before. It was as if a flood was damd up inside him; if he couldn’t find a way to release it, the consequences would be dire. But for now, he was trapped, unable to go anywhere.
Xue Yang gripped the steering wheel, trying hard to contain the turmoil inside him. This was undoubtedly the greatest difficulty he had faced in his conscious life. He was only human, and he had his low monts too. In the past, whenever he felt down, he would go back to his rented room and let his mind go blank. Now, sitting alone in his car, even solitude offered no relief.
He felt like he was going to lose his mind.
DING-DONG!
His phone chid. He had no desire to look, but he picked it up anyway. It was from Xiao Naimao. There were two ssages.
The first read: "Xue Yang, it’s raining so hard! Look!"
The second was a picture: a delicate, jade-like hand reaching out into the rain. On the wrist was one of the couple’s bracelets he had given Lin Xi. The matching key was still hanging from his own neck. Xue Yang subconsciously touched the key pendant.
In that mont, it felt as if his soul was being saved. An endless stream of strength seed to flow from the pendant, through his hand, and into his entire body.
He replied, "It’s beautiful. I an your hand, it’s beautiful."
"I told you to look at the rain. Why are you looking at my hand?"
"Xiao Xi, I miss you."
Lin Xi, who still had her hand stretched out in the rain, jumped in surprise at his ssage. She quickly rushed back to her private dorm to video call him. In all the ti they had been together, he had never sent her a ssage like that. Her intuition told her sothing must have happened, so she didn’t dare delay for a second.
Xue Yang was still waiting for her reply when, to his surprise, a video call ca through. That little kitten must have sensed I was in a bad mood and called right away. He took a deep breath, composed himself to look as normal as possible, and answered.
Lin Xi’s stunning face imdiately filled the screen.
"Xue Yang, I’m here."
She didn’t ask him what was wrong. Instead, she simply told him she was there. At that mont, Xue Yang felt his frustrations lt away. Compared to this, what do those setbacks even matter?
"What a coincidence," he said, a smile returning to his face. "I was just thinking of you, and here you are."
"Is it raining heavily where you are, too?"
"Yeah, I’m trapped in the car. I can’t go anywhere."
"The rain is too heavy; you shouldn’t go anywhere. I’ll keep you company."
"You can’t stick your hand out in the rain again," he chided gently.
"But it’s fun!"
"It’s still cold, and the rain makes it colder. What if you get sick?"
"If I get sick, I can take ti off from school."
Xue Yang’s expression darkened slightly as he feigned anger. "Don’t joke about your health. Otherwise, I’ll spank you when you’re on break."
"I’m too cute for that. Would you really have the heart to spank ?"
"If you’re disobedient, I would."
"But what if I cry?"
"I’ll spank you even if you cry."
Lin Xi seed to be genuinely pondering this. After a mont, she asked, "So if I go out and play in the water right now, would you co over and spank imdiately?"
Xue Yang chuckled, completely defeated by this little kitten. After all that talk, she just wanted to co over and see her.
"Don’t be ridiculous. Focus on your studies. It’s already March, and your college entrance exams are getting closer. Your health is the most important thing."
"Okay, then. I won’t play in the water anymore." She sounded disappointed, as if she truly regretted failing to get her spanking.
"Have you eaten?" he asked.
"I have. I was about to go to class, but it was raining too hard, so I skipped it. What about you?"
"I was going to get sothing to eat, but the rain trapped , so I haven’t."
"The rain started after alti. So, if you haven’t eaten yet, it ans you didn’t eat on ti. Xue Yang, you’ve been naughty. When I get back, I’m going to spank you."
This little kitten learns as fast as ever.
"Alright," he said, playing along. "When you co back for your break, I’ll let you spank ."
Lin Xi waved her little fists at the cara. "I’m telling you, I hit really hard, so don’t you dare cry!"
"You bit so hard last ti, and I didn’t even flinch. A little hit from you certainly isn’t going to make cry." As he spoke, he held up his three fingers, where the bite marks had already faded.
But a certain soone, with her guilty conscience, could imagine it all too well.
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