Deep Fog Kiss

Late at night, the North Mountain Villa was brightly lit.

The wind howled outside the window, making Jiang Li feel uneasy.

She quickly drew the curtains, shutting out the dark sky outside.

A weather notification popped up on my phone on the sofa, warning of heavy rain tonight.

Jiang Li was startled and quickly closed her laptop. Before the heavy rain started, she rushed to the bathroom to take a shower.

......

Black luxury cars weave through the bustling traffic at night.

The man looked out the car window at the starless sky. A strong wind had picked up outside, bending the branches of the trees on both sides of the road.

He glanced down at the weather on his phone.

Heavy rain tonight.

He then turned off his phone, closed his eyes, and leaned back in his chair.

Suddenly, a flash of white light appeared outside the window, followed by a thunderclap that illuminated the sky.

The man suddenly opened his dark eyes, and two seconds later, the white light disappeared, and the sky fell into darkness again.

In the darkness, he parted his thin lips slightly, "Back to Beishan Villa."

......

"ah--"

A scream that went out of control, mixed with the sound of rushing water and a thunderclap that shook the sky, disappeared into the steamy bathroom.

Jiang Li froze abruptly, her face turning deathly pale.

The thunder and lightning outside seemed to have struck her, leaving her frozen in place, unable to move.

The moment the thunder roared, tears welled up uncontrollably in her eyes, her breathing became heavy, and her whole body trembled.

After a brief moment of surprise, she came to her senses, hurriedly wiped the moisture off her body, grabbed a bathrobe and wrapped it around herself, then ran barefoot out of the bathroom and into the bedroom. She then threw off the covers and crawled inside, wrapping herself tightly in the blankets as if building herself a safe haven.

Outside the window, there was a faint rumble of thunder.

In the pitch-black blanket, Jiang Li tightly hugged her uncontrollably trembling body.

Her eyes were tightly closed, her hands gripping the sheets tightly, her heart pounding.

Every thunderous, rainy day brings her back to that nightmarish rainy night fourteen years ago, as vivid as if it were yesterday.

Fourteen years ago, on a night when...

The rain poured down, accompanied by thunder.

The inky sky was ripped apart by the fierce wind, and large raindrops pounded on the wide asphalt road, splashing up a dense spray of water.

Eight-year-old Jiang Li, holding a light yellow umbrella, stood at the bus stop waiting for her father to come home from his night shift.

Waiting for her father to come home is something she enjoys doing every day.

Whenever her father finished his night shift, she would stand at the bus stop not far from home and wait for him before getting into his car to go home together.

That rainy night, she stood obediently under the bus stop sign, just like always.

Suddenly, a pale bolt of lightning tore through the sky, instantly illuminating the wet, reflective surface of the road. At the same time, a deafening clap of thunder exploded in the clouds, the booming sound drowning out the splashing of wheels over the puddles.

There were very few vehicles on the road at that time, and she saw a black sedan coming through the rain.

That's Dad's car.

"dad!"

Just as she was about to raise her hand to her father, suddenly, an out-of-control truck came out of the intersection, its headlights like two scarlet will-o'-the-wisps, piercing through the rain and fog and crashing straight into the black sedan.

"boom--"

A deafening roar shook the rainy night, the booming sound mixed with the shattering of glass, exploding amidst the thunder.

The yellow umbrella fell to the ground and was swept several meters away by the strong wind.

Jiang Li stood in the rain, her eyes widening in shock, her pupils turning crimson.

She watched helplessly as the black sedan was hit and spun halfway around, shards of broken glass splashing with rainwater, the car body scraping the road and leaving long sparks, before finally crashing heavily into the roadside guardrail.

"Tick-tock—tick-tock—"

It was the sound of blood dripping.

Crimson, viscous blood dripped from the shattered car onto the dark ground, only to be washed away by the rain.

"dad--"

"dad--"

Thunder, a car accident, and her desperate screams all blended into that despairing rainy night.

For Jiang Li, every night with thunder and heavy rain is like a huge nightmare.

She could never forget the despair and fear that night, as if an invisible hand gripped her throat, making it hard for her to breathe.

Jiang Li hid under the covers, her eyes tightly closed, tears streaming down her face, soaking the pillow as they slid down her nose.

I'm terrified, so terrified!

She was afraid of every night without lights, and of nights with thunder.

It's like hell.

There was nothing to grasp, only endless darkness.

But she also clearly remembers that in the past years, her fears had been healed.

Two years after her father passed away, the person who would normally stay by her side and watch over her every step of the way at this time was her maternal grandmother.

Later, it was Gu Zhishen.

......

As night deepened and the rain showed no signs of letting up, a black luxury car sped through the downpour, kicking up layers of white mist.

Seeing the man's impatient expression in the rearview mirror, Yin Ming sped up again.

The man in the back seat looked out the window at the increasingly heavy rain, his face tense and his brows slightly furrowed.

It seems obvious that someone in Beishan Villa is probably crying right now.

Just like when she first entered the Gu family, she secretly hid away and cried her eyes out.

It was the second spring after she entered the Gu family. In Jingzhou, where it rarely rains, thunder rumbled as spring arrived.

At night, as he passed by her bedroom, he heard faint sobs through the crack in the half-open door.

Like a wounded little animal, fearful yet enduring.

Gu Zhishen was puzzled. He paused at the door for two seconds, and after confirming that it was crying, he gently knocked on the door.

"Jiang Li, it's me."

Soon, a trembling reply came from inside the door, "...Uncle?"

Gu Zhishen frowned slightly, turned on the light, and entered the room.

The white light instantly illuminated every corner of the room, and also a tender, pale face streaked with tears.

She sat on the edge of the bed, her hands gripping the sheets tightly in a fist, her fingertips turning white.

Her small body trembled slightly, her eyes were red, and she looked at him pitifully.

Gu Zhishen paused for a second, then asked her, "Having a nightmare?"

Jiang Li gently shook her head, her small mouth pouting, and large tears fell down her cheeks.

Gu Zhishen took a few steps forward and stood by the bed, looking down at her. "Were you abused?"

Just as Jiang Li was about to say no, a sudden clap of thunder outside the window startled her. She screamed and scrambled to the bedside, instinctively hugging the boy beside her.

At that time, ten-year-old Jiang Li hugged eighteen-year-old Gu Zhishen tightly, ignoring his usual disdain for her. It was as if she had grabbed a lifeline, clenching her little hands tightly and refusing to let go.

Gu Zhishen saw her actions and then understood.

She's afraid of thunder.

He chuckled, "Promising."

As the thunder subsided, two slender hands grabbed the back of her pajamas and pulled them back. "Jiang Li, you've snot on my clothes."

Jiang Li hugged the boy's slender waist and listened to his disdainful voice. Suddenly, she felt less afraid.

"I'm sorry, Uncle... I'll help you wash it tomorrow..."

She spoke timidly, still holding on tightly, and asked in a trembling voice, "Is it okay?"

Gu Zhishen lowered his eyes, staring at her fluffy head, and said very leniently, "I'll give you one minute."

Suddenly, those tearful eyes looked up at him, looking pitiful.

Gu Zhishen looked down at her, "The lightning won't strike you, what are you afraid of?"

Jiang Li pursed her lips and didn't say anything, but large tears fell like raindrops.

"Time's up," Gu Zhishen reminded her to let go.

Jiang Li was very sensible. She knew that at this moment, the boy in front of her had no obligation to stay with her like a grandmother.

For him to stay for even a minute was the greatest blessing.

She slowly released her grip, and large tears streamed down her face.

Gu Zhishen glanced at her, then gently raised his chin towards the blanket behind her. "Go to sleep."

He turned to leave, when suddenly a bolt of lightning tore through the night, followed by a deafening clap of thunder—

"Uncle!"

Along with the thunder, her trembling yet desperately pleading voice reached my ears.

Gu Zhishen turned around, and Jiang Li's face was streaked with tears. Her lips trembled as she looked at him pitifully.

"I'm scared..."

"Please don't go..."

......

Inside the villa in Beishan, sobs could be heard coming from under the thin blanket.

Jiang Li huddled under the covers, unable to hold back her soft sobs, calling out a name in a trembling voice, "Gu Zhishen..."

"...I'm scared."

Just then, a knock came from the door.

"Knock knock knock—"

It overlapped with Jiang Li's heartbeat.