277. Here We Go Again【9/122】
Spring weather really has a mind of its own.
Just a moment ago, the sky was as clear as a whistle, but within half an hour, dark clouds rolled in like they were on a mission to rob the sun of its glory.
Thick, ominous clouds swept in from who-knows-where, eclipsing the warm midday rays. Before long, the atmosphere was graced by the gentle tap dance of light rain.
The teenagers hiding under the trees along the rural path looked as worried as kittens caught in a rainstorm, glancing up at the sky, which was playing a conductor for a thunderous symphony.
Those trees by the roadside probably just got planted recently, with branches so sparse they couldn’t even manage to block out the drizzly intrusion, and before they knew it, both were draped in raindrops.
A brief breeze had turned into a chilly breeze, sending the girl scuttling behind the boy without a second thought.
This guy’s skin is like a rhino’s—he can’t even feel a whiff of wind. “It’s fine,” he reassured.
“Did you bring an umbrella? Or a raincoat?” Lin Nan, with a frown carved deep on her face, peered from behind Chen Yao.
Looking up at the sky, Chen Yao shook his head. “Why would I bring a raincoat when the sun was blasting just before? This ride isn’t used often, so I didn’t prep anything.”
The sudden drop in temperature nearly plummeted from a comfy twenty degrees to something that felt like the North Pole. Add rain sneaking down his collar, and Chen Yao was starting to resemble a popsicle.
“Today is absolutely not a good day to be out. This rain’s going to ramp up soon. Let me hurry and get you back,” he cursed under his breath, shivering at the realization that Lin Nan was curled up behind him like a little turtle avoiding the storm. He quirked an eyebrow, “Aren’t you cold? You’re only wearing two layers!”
For a split second, Lin Nan froze before putting on a theatrical shivering act, baring her teeth like she was auditioning for a horror movie. “I’m freezing to d*ath!”
“Here.” Chen Yao shrugged off his leather jacket and handed it over, revealing a thin long-sleeve shirt underneath. He hopped on the bike, shaking his chilled hands and patting the back seat. “Get on, helmet on, let’s get you home pronto.”
“But you don’t have a raincoat…” Lin Nan took the helmet and was about to put it on when she noticed a raincoat had mysteriously appeared in her other hand.
She blinked at the disappearing figure beside her with confusion.
“I brought it,” Chen Yao said nonchalantly, like a magician pulling a rabbit out of a hat.
Lin Nan, clearly flabbergasted, handed the raincoat back to him.
Now it was Chen Yao’s turn to be dazed. When she left the house, she was practically bare-boned—how on earth did this become a magic show?
But as a clap of thunder roared overhead, he didn’t have time to ponder life’s mysteries and hastily put on his raincoat. “You crawl in here, don’t get drenched or you’ll catch a cold!”
“Got it, got it.”
Rushing, she donned the helmet and slid onto the back of the bike, then unceremoniously flung open the raincoat and dove inside.
This was a standard motorcycle raincoat, thick enough to feel like a mini fortress. But the second Lin Nan nestled in, she noticed Chen Yao trembling like a leaf.
Unlike her with her climate-controlled magic, all he had on was a thin long-sleeve shirt, and feeling cold wasn’t a surprise.
“All settled?”
Hesitantly, she wrapped her arms around Chen Yao’s waist, resting her helmet against his shoulder, their bodies snuggled together like two peas in a pod.
Chen Yao’s shivers eased a bit; he felt waves of warmth slowly cascading over him.
“Why aren’t you shy right about now?” he teased, revving up the bike.
“It’s not like we haven’t hugged before…” Lin Nan muttered, then questioned, “And why is this start so smooth? You weren’t pretending last time, were you?”
Oops, the cat was out of the bag! Chen Yao felt a blush creep up; he quickly averted his gaze and focused on navigating through the rain.
The rain was really showing no mercy—it escalated from a pitter-patter to a torrential downpour, the sound drowning out even the bike’s engine.
Lin Nan held onto Chen Yao’s waist tighter, feeling him warm up even more. A smug grin crept onto her face.
Sure, her hands and feet were always cold for a variety of reasons, but under the influence of magic, her body felt like an air conditioner that knew how to keep things cozy year-round.
“Hey, since we’re this close, when are you going to take the initiative a bit more?”
His voice barely made it through the pounding rain.
But Lin Nan caught his words loud and clear, scoffing, “If I wasn’t on your bike, why would I be hugging you?”
“Are you saying I should get ready for some cuddly kisses and lift-offs later?”
“I mean! If your ride wasn’t so bumpy and I wasn’t scared out of my wits, I wouldn’t be holding you!”
“No rush, let’s just find a place where it’s dry and there’s no one around. Can you imagine what the folks would say?”
Lin Nan was gearing up to argue further, but suddenly realized Chen Yao was just teasing her.
Fuming but too frightened to pinch his love handles on the bike—what if he shivered and crashed?—she opted for the silent treatment.
Not even a few minutes crawled by before Lin Nan burst out, “Hey, for next semester, should we rent a place off-campus together?”
“Why?”
“I finally got the dorm permission! It feels pointless staying on campus.”
Plus, she had no clue how to be around other girls. Living in a girls’ dorm would be completely cringe-worthy. Even though she knew she was just like any other gal, she feared someone might spill her secret.
Chen Yao initially thought about giving her some reasoning, but quickly shifted gears. “Right, don’t hang out with those girls! Us living off-campus sounds pretty solid.”
“Why’s that?”
“What if you start picking up bad habits from them? What if you turn into a full-on fangirl, obsessing over beauty products, chatting about fashion all the time? I’d be totally lost with that Lin Nan!”
Lin Nan’s personality was already getting more girlish by the day, but take her to a girls’ dorm similar to that? Heaven knows how she’d shapeshift into a lipstick-loving diva!
“I’ll just stay at the dorm Monday to Friday, and we can crash together on weekends, cool?”
“Let’s see. The class group already pushed an online class app on us, who knows when we’ll be back to school?” Lin Nan puffed her cheeks, visibly frustrated about the delay in starting.
Sure, living at Grandpa’s place meant no rules, and she had her cousins around, but without school, she couldn’t even juggle a part-time job, just eating away the snacks hoarded like a dragon. She couldn’t expect constant red envelopes to drop from the skies, could she?
And Grandma hadn’t been too welcoming lately—though she hadn’t kicked her out, Lin Nan felt like Grandma was just plain annoying now.
Before long, the bike halted right in front of Grandpa’s house.
Lin Nan noticed the sudden stop and peeked out. Yup, they were home.
“Nan Nan!” Mom had been pacing the porch like a worried hen, completely ignoring the rain as she rushed out. “What on earth were you thinking, being out in this downpour? You’re going to catch a cold!”
Chen Yao felt this was a subtle jab directed at him and awkwardly smiled at Lin Nan’s mom.
“Wasn’t it sunny just before I left?” Lin Nan protested as she hopped off the bike, helmet still on, only to be whisked away under the porch by her mom.
Chen Yao, seeing the duo heading indoors, planned to make his exit.
“But why leave when you’re already here? Stay for dinner!” However, her mom noticed his getaway and shot him a pointed glare. “You really took my daughter out to get soaked on the Lantern Festival. Quite the catch you are.”
The duet of glaring from this mother-daughter duo lacked any fierce power—a little soft, to be honest.
Yet, unlike Lin Nan’s glares which just lacked fierceness, Chen Yao felt compelled to cower like a turtle, eager to maintain his hard-earned rapport with his future mother-in-law.
But inside, he was practically dancing with joy!
“Well… ” he pretended to ponder for a moment, spotting Lin Nan’s mom intensifying her glare. He finally capitulated, “Alright, fine.”
