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033
âStanding in the rain togetherâ
day twenty seven|stand together in the rain
â
Wang Guangning suddenly leapt out of bed and prepared to go and find Zhang Lingyi; however, his phone vibrated again. It was a text from the counsellor:
<b>Guangning, there are still a few more documents that you need to confirm. Send your home address to me so I can mail them to you. </b>
Wang Guangning glanced at the message, then his fingers flew and he responded:
<b>Teacher, I apologise, but I wonât be going to Taiwan anymore.</b>
Then he jumped off his bed and sprinted out of the dorm.
Outside, the sky was overcast and fine drops of rain sprinkled down. The clouds were growing heavier and heavier, as if a fierce storm was currently brewing.
Wang Guangning ignored the weather conditions and ran in one breath to Zhang Lingyiâs dorm which was on the sixth floor. The door was closed, so he knocked on it loudly while shouting, âZhang Lingyi, open the door! Zhang Lingyi, quickly open the door!â
There didnât seem to be any movement within the dorm. Zhang Lingyi had most likely already left.
Wang Guangning promptly dialled his number and called him.
Zhang Lingyi immediately picked up. âGuangning, whatâs the matter?â
âI have something to tell you. Where are you?â
âI just came downstairs, whatâs wrongâ<b>â</b>
Before Zhang Lingyi could finish speaking, Wang Guangning interrupted him. âDonât move, Iâll come and find you.â
Wang Guangning hung up then flew down the stairs.
The sky darkened further and the rain pounded down harder. The world seemed to be enveloped in a blanket of fog.
Wang Guangning had not brought an umbrella since his mind had been entirely filled with thoughts of Zhang Lingyi. He was so preoccupied with the chaos in his heart that he was unable to pay attention to anything else.
By the time Wang Guangning arrived on the ground floor, the rain was already extremely heavy. However, Wang Guangning didnât care about that and rushed into the downpour.
Zhang Lingyi, I want to tell you that I like you!
Zhang Lingyi, I want to tell you that I donât want things to end like this between us. To me, this isnât just a game!
What about you? How will you answer me?
From afar, Wang Guangning caught sight of Zhang Lingyiâs figure. The other man was standing in the rain, an umbrella raised above him as he held onto his suitcase. Zhang Lingyiâs posture was straight and he held himself with a charming grace. Despite the flood of rain, Zhang Lingyiâs imposing and lofty manner was not diminished in the least.
This was Zhang Lingyiâs true dispositionâsvelte and handsome, with an all-consuming aura of grandeur. It was as if Zhang Lingyi was an entirely different person to the one who would shamelessly seek forgiveness from Wang Guangning or wear that mischievous smile while joking around with him.
Wang Guangningâs heart sank slightly, but his feet did not stop moving.
It was only when he had arrived in front of Zhang Lingyi that Wang Guangningâs heart tightened.
Unexpectedly, Luo Zihui was standing next to Zhang Lingyi.
Before, Wang Guangning was quite far away so he didnât notice Luo Zihui since she was blocked by Zhang Lingyiâs figure. Now, he could see her very clearly.
She was holding onto Zhang Lingyiâs arm.
Wang Guangning was suddenly hit by the feeling that maybe, from the very beginning, this entire matter was not what he had thought it was.
Upon seeing Wang Guangning running over with his body half-drenched, Zhang Lingyi frowned. He couldnât give his umbrella to the other man, since Luo Zihui would be caught by the rain if he moved it away. Hence, he spoke in a displeased tone, âGuangning, how can you forget to bring an umbrella with you?â
Wang Guangning didnât answer him, his line of sight still pinned to Luo Zihuiâs hand around Zhang Lingyiâs arm. He said hesitantly, âZhang Lingyi, you twoâŠâŠâ
Naturally, the âyou twoâ was directed towards him and Luo Zihui.
Zhang Lingyi followed Wang Guangningâs gaze. The expression on his face was slightly odd. Then he laughed, âOh, right. I forgot to tell you; Iâm dating Zihui.â
âIs that so?â There was a distinct sense of premonition in his heart. Wang Guangning didnât lose his self-control right then and there, but his eyes turned empty and even his speech was incomplete. âWhenâŠâŠwhen did this happen?â
âJust a few days ago,â responded Luo Zihui in a natural and relaxed manner. She smiled sweetly. âHowever, Lingyi was busy in the last couple of days so we didnât have time to make it public. He just went travelling two days ago, and I happened to have some matters that needed resolving first. Thatâs why weâve dragged it on until now. Heâs sending me off now.â
It turned out this was the result of the three days consideration Luo Zihui had given Zhang Lingyi. On one hand, Zhang Lingyi hadnât wanted to miss out on a girl who might be most compatible with him. On the other, he realised that his thoughts were developing and heading towards an abnormal direction.
In order to sever these improper thoughts, Zhang Lingyi decided to accept Luo Zihuiâs proposition.
Since it had been near the end of term, they were both busy with their own affairs so they didnât have the chance to make their relationship public.
Or, it could be said that in Zhang Lingyiâs case, he didnât want to make it public so early.
After all, Zhang Lingyi lived in this city. If he wanted to return home, he didnât need to leave so soon. The reason why he had decided to depart now was so he could send off Luo Zihui.
It was only now that Wang Guangning realised he was the only one who had been so absorbed in their agreement.
From beginning to end, Zhang Lingyi had played the role of a conscientious gamer.
From the amount of effort and energy he had invested, it was easy to assume that Zhang Lingyi had fallen in deep.
However, as soon as the game ended, he calmly pulled out and smiled while saying goodbye.
He had even prepared a retreat path.
âZhang Lingyi was together with you for the past few days, right? I didnât expect that you two would have become such good friendsâŠâŠâ Luo Zihui was still speaking.
Yet, Wang Guangning was unable to glean anything she said.
He could only hear the loud pelting of rain as it smashed the ground, and the echoing sounds of ridiculing laughter that seemed to surge up violently from around him.
It was only when Zhang Lingyi patted his shoulder, that Wang Guangning recovered his thoughts. He stared at Zhang Lingyi, his face pale.
The rain was so heavy now that drops of it fell into his eyes before flowing out again, leaving him barely capable of keeping them open.
Zhang Lingyiâs face was blurred, yet it appeared so clearly in his heart.
âDidnât you say you needed to tell me something? What is it?â Zhang Lingyi felt extremely anxious as he watched Wang Guangning standing in the rain. He wanted to just pull the other man under the umbrella as well.
Wang Guangning struggled to open his eyes, then revealed a natural and charming smile bordering on perfection. He grinned, âNothing. I saw that it was raining when I woke up, and thought of how we still havenât completed one task yet. This is a good chance to make up for it.â
Luo Zihui was present, so Wang Guangning didnât explicitly state what exactly the task was. However, Zhang Lingui understood immediately.
Stand together in the rain.
He laughed. âItâs already so late, and youâre mentioning it now?â
âOf course!â Wang Guangning replied, âItâs already too late.â He gave a self-deprecating smile then said, âWell, I donât have much else to say. I wonât stall you both any longer!â
As soon as he finished speaking, Wang Guangning turned around and walked away.
âWhat kind of riddles are you two speaking?â Luo Zihui glanced at Wang Guangningâs back in confusion.
âDonât worry about it.â Zhang Lingyi told her, abruptly pacing the umbrella into Luo Zihuiâs grasp. âGive me a minute.â
Then he ran into the rain.
âGuangning.â Zhang Lingyi caught up to Wang Guangning, and tugged at the otherâs arm.
Wang Guangning stiffened, then moved to face him. He was completely soaked, and cut a sorry figure.
âWhat is it?â Wang Guangning frowned as the droplets of rain splashed over Zhang Lingyi.
âDidnât you say âstand together in the rainâ? Well, in any case, Iâll stand underneath it for a while.â Zhang Lingyi chuckled, his body already half-wet.
Wang Guangning gave him a light punch and feigned a casual attitude. âForget it.â
âAlright, then, Iâm going to go now.â Zhang Lingyi hesitated for a moment, then finally turned and walked away.
Wang Guangning stared after him in a daze. Then he tilted his face upwards.
Fortunately, it was raining so Zhang Lingyi wouldnât be able to see his tears.
Zhang Lingyi arrived back at Luo Zihuiâs side. She moved the umbrella over to cover him, then took out a paper towel and wiped his face. With an expression of disapproval, she said, âHow can you just suddenly run into the rain for no reason?â
Zhang Lingyi only smiled, and didnât reply. He stared at Wang Guangningâs figure in the distance, immobile. A tear suddenly escaped the corner of his eye.
Fortunately, Luo Zihui didnât notice.
He didnât know why he suddenly remembered a line from The Love of Siam. Although he had fallen asleep while watching it with Wang Guangning, he had later viewed the film again in his own time. He couldnât remember much of the movie, but there was a sentence which was etched clearly in his mind at this momentââ
Although I canât be your boyfriend, it doesnât mean I do not love you.
â
When Wang Guangning returned back to his dormitory, he felt as if his entire person had been hollowed out. He refused to change his clothes and just sat blankly on a chair.
He was unable to think of anything, and could only stare expressionlessly as his partly cleaned desk (which was usually very messy).
On the surface of the table was Wang Dafa and a small bottle of white vinegar.
The white vinegar had been previously given to him by Zhang Lingyi when they needed to complete day twentyâs taskâeating vinegarÂč for the other person.
<b>[1] </b>ćé: means âto feel jealousâ.
Wang Guangning unconsciously blinked, tears trickling down his face. He wasnât really aware of it when he picked up the bottle of white vinegar, opened it, then threw his head back and gulped the liquid down.
âKekekeâŠâŠâ The heartbreaking sound of his coughs resounded in the empty room.
Wang Guangningâs face was completely flushed as he choked. He pounded at his chest, trying to stop the incessant coughs.
The strong bitter and sour taste invaded all of his senses, irritating his gut and stomach.
His throat felt as if it was burning, and his head was struck violently by vertigo. Tears continued to pour down.
Wang Guangning squatted on the ground, and it took quite a while before he finally managed to recover.
âKekekeâŠâŠâ The sounds of his coughs softened, mingling with a few indistinct sobs. Wang Guangning threw away the bottle of vinegar, then tilted his head up and leaned against his closet.
At this moment, everything had ended.
He didnât know how long after it was when his phone vibrated. It was the counsellor calling him.
The counsellorâs anxious tone could be clearly heard as Wang Guangning accepted the call, âGuangning, what did you mean by that text? You donât want to go to Taiwan anymore?â
Wang Guangningâs voice was hoarse. It took a while until it became normal again. âI apologise, teacher. I accidentally sent you the wrong message.â
âWrong?â The counsellorâs voice relaxed. âSo youâre still going to Taiwan then?â
âEn.â Wang Guangning replied. âTeacher, Iâd like to go a bit earlier and familiarise myself with the environment first.â
âOkay, sure.â The counsellor was excited. As long as Wang Guangning followed the original plan and went to Taiwan, then everything else could be easily discussed. âWhen would you like to go?â
âThe sooner, the better.â
Hanging up the call, Wang Guangning looked at his phone. The wallpaper was still Zhang Lingyiâs photo, and his password was still Zhang Lingyiâs birthday.
Wang Guangning considered for a moment, then changed his wallpaper back to the original picture and chose a new password.
Since it had ended, then everything should just go back to how it was originally.
______________________________
No matter how many times I read this chapter, it still hurts (â„ïčâ„)
I should be revising for my SAT tomorrow, but I didnât want to leave you all waiting on that cliffhanger. The next update should be in about a week or maybe a bit more, since I have several other SATS/SACS that I need to study for (âŻïž”â°,)