Yingqu Liuzi was pampered by her wealthy daddy.

It rained in London for a whole week.

Shen Yu'an had lost count of how many days she had been hiding from Xize.

Every day, I leave early and return late, taking a detour through the back door to avoid the black Rolls-Royce that always appears downstairs on time.

Xize would only reply "okay" each time, without asking any further questions or making any phone calls, remaining as quiet as if he never existed.

This silence made Shen Yu'an even more uncomfortable.

There were no classes on Saturday, and it rained harder than usual.

Shen Yu'an stayed in her apartment painting all day. Looking out the window, the sky was gray and the rain was streaming down the glass, blurring the street scene outside.

He painted with unease, always stopping after a few strokes to listen to the sound of rain outside, as if waiting for something, yet afraid that it would actually happen.

In the evening, he went to the kitchen to cook noodles. As he ate by the window with his bowl in hand, he caught a glimpse of something downstairs out of the corner of his eye.

The streetlights were already on, their dim yellow glow spreading through the rain and mist. At the edge of that glow stood a tall figure.

A dark gray overcoat and a black long-handled umbrella.

Nishizawa.

Shen Yu'an's chopsticks fell into the bowl, and the noodle soup splashed out and scalded the back of his hand, but he didn't even feel it.

Xize stood downstairs at the apartment building, not on the side where he usually parked, but directly facing Shen Yu'an's window.

He held up the black umbrella, facing the direction of the apartment, his gray-blue eyes slightly raised, as if looking at a window.

Shen Yu'an subconsciously took a step back to avoid the view from the window.

He didn't know if Caesar had seen him.

The curtains were drawn, and the lights were on in the room. If he stood in that spot and looked up, he should be able to see someone standing by the window.

Shen Yu'an leaned against the wall, her heart pounding like a drum.

Why are you here, sir? Didn't we agree that you didn't need a ride?

He had been hiding for so many days, and Xize hadn't come looking for him at all, so why did he suddenly appear today?

He peeked out and took another look.

Caesar is still there.

The rain was heavier than before, and the wind, carrying the raindrops, lashed at it at an angle. Xize held his umbrella against the wind, leaning his weight slightly forward to keep it from being blown over.

The hem of the coat was already wet from the rain, clinging to my legs, and the color was much darker than when it was dry.

He just stood there.

Shen Yu'an retreated to the kitchen, put the bowl in the sink, rested his hands on the countertop, and lowered his head.

There are two voices fighting in my head.

One said, "Go downstairs. He braved this heavy rain to wait for you; you can't let him stand outside."

Another said: You can't go. You're trying to avoid him. If you go now, what about all your previous persistence? You're just an ordinary student, he's a duke. You're not from the same world. Breaking off this sooner is better for both of you.

Shen Yu'an closed his eyes and took three deep breaths.

Then he opened his eyes, picked up the key to the front door, and went out.

The elevator went down to the first floor and the doors opened.

Shen Yu'an stood in front of the glass door in the apartment lobby and saw Xize outside through the rain-soaked glass.

Separated by a door, the man stood in the rain, holding an umbrella, facing this direction. The moment Shen Yu'an appeared behind the glass door, his gray-blue eyes became focused.

He was waiting for Shen Yu'an to see him.

Shen Yu'an took a deep breath and pushed open the glass door.

A cold wind, carrying raindrops, swept over him. He was wearing a thin sweatshirt and was instantly chilled to the bone. But he couldn't care less, because he saw Xize move.

Xize strode over and was in front of Shen Yu'an almost two seconds after he stepped out the door. The black umbrella was immediately placed over Shen Yu'an's head, blocking all the rain.

Then Shen Yu'an saw that half of the shoulder.

Xize's umbrella was tilted completely to his side. The umbrella was tilted to the side, completely covering Shen Yu'an from head to toe, while Xize's entire right side was exposed to the rain.

Rainwater streamed down his shoulders, soaking his dark gray coat from shoulder to cuff, the fabric clinging tightly to his body.

Water droplets dripped from the ends of his hair, sliding down his temples and across his cheekbones.

He seemed completely oblivious.

He simply looked down at the boy who had been avoiding him for many days.

There was only a very quiet and deep gaze.

"Sir..." Shen Yu'an's throat seemed to be blocked by something, his voice was soft and hoarse, "How come..."

Xize didn't let him finish speaking.

"I'm waiting for you, Xiao An."

The sound wasn't loud; the sound of the rain almost drowned it out.

But Shen Yu'an heard it clearly; every word felt like it was gently hitting the softest spot in his heart.

I’m waiting for you.

It's not "Why are you avoiding me?"

It's me waiting for you.

Shen Yu'an's eyes reddened instantly.

He looked up at Xize, at that face that was still too handsome even though it was wet with rain.

He lowered his head, and tears fell.

Xize saw it.

He looked at Shen Yu'an's lowered head, at the boy's slightly trembling shoulders, and at the rain dripping from the edge of the umbrella onto Shen Yu'an's canvas shoes.

He paused for two seconds, then tilted the umbrella slightly more towards Shen Yu'an to ensure the boy was completely protected by the umbrella, before speaking, his voice even softer than before.

"Are you cold?"

Shen Yu'an shook his head, then nodded.

He didn't know what he wanted to express; he just felt a tightness in his chest. All the grievances, fears, inferiority complexes, and longings that had been bottled up for days were stuck in his throat, unable to be spoken or swallowed.

Xize didn't say anything more. He just stood there, holding his umbrella, waiting quietly.

After Shen Yu'an finished crying.

The sound of rain pattering down shut out everything around us.

In the dry, small space created by the black umbrella, there was only Shen Yu'an's suppressed sobs and the intertwined breaths of the two people.

After an unknown amount of time, Shen Yu'an finally raised his head.

Her eyes were red, and water droplets clung to her eyelashes; it was hard to tell if they were rain or tears.

He looked disheveled and pitiful, like a kitten that had gotten lost in the rain and was finally found.

"Sir," he sniffed, his voice still hoarse, "your clothes are all wet."

Xize glanced down at his soaked right shoulder, as if he was only just noticing it now.

He casually shifted his shoulder, and water droplets slid off the fabric of his coat.

"It's okay."

"You'll catch a cold." Shen Yu'an's voice was trembling with tears, filled with guilt, heartache, and a mix of other emotions, making the last syllable sound broken and fragmented.

Xize looked at him, a faint smile flashing in his gray-blue eyes.

"You worry about me catching a cold?"

Shen Yu'an was speechless for a moment, opened his mouth, and his face turned red instantly.

He lowered his head, staring at the tips of his wet shoes, his fingers clenching and unclenching at his sides.

There was silence for a few seconds.

"I'm sorry." Shen Yu'an's voice was very soft, almost drowned out by the sound of the rain. "I shouldn't have avoided you."

Nishizawa didn't say "It's okay" or "I forgive you".

"It's cold outside, come inside," he said.

Shen Yu'an looked up and saw Xize's right side, which was soaked through. His coat was dripping water, and the collar of his shirt was also wet, sticking to his neck.

He himself stood directly under the umbrella, completely dry from head to toe.

The contrast was too glaring; it stung his heart.

"Sir, would you like to go upstairs... and dry your clothes?" Shen Yu'an's ears were so red they could bleed, and his voice was barely audible. "You're soaking wet; you'll definitely catch a cold if you go back like this."

Xize looked at him. The boy's ears were bright red, his eyes were lowered and he didn't dare to look at him, his eyelashes were still wet, and his fingers unconsciously gripped the drawstring of his hoodie, he was extremely nervous.

He was silent for two seconds.

Is it convenient?

Shen Yu'an nodded, nodding very forcefully.

Xize handed the umbrella to his left hand, still tilting it towards Shen Yu'an's side, and naturally put his right arm around Shen Yu'an's shoulder, leading him to turn and walk towards the apartment lobby.

The hand only lingered on Shen Yu'an's shoulder for two seconds, and then withdrew it after confirming that he had entered the eaves.

The glass door closed behind me, and the sound of rain suddenly subsided.

The hall was quiet, and warm yellow light shone on the two of them.

Shen Yu'an glanced back at Xize and found that he was completely soaked from his right shoulder to his right sleeve, with water droplets dripping from the corner of his clothes and forming a small puddle on the tiled floor of the hall.

He himself was completely clean, without getting a single drop of rain on him.

Shen Yu'an bit her lip, and that sour feeling welled up in her throat again.

"The elevator is this way," he said, his head down, his voice muffled.

The two stepped into the elevator. Shen Yu'an pressed the button for the third floor. The elevator doors closed, and the old elevator creaked and groaned as it slowly ascended.

In the cramped space, Shen Yu'an stood in the corner, with Xize standing beside him.

The two were less than an arm's length apart. Shen Yu'an could smell the familiar scent of cedar, which had become fainter after being wet by the rain, mixed with the damp smell of the wool fabric of the coat.

He secretly glanced at Xize's profile.

Water droplets still clung to his temples, slowly sliding down his jawline. He looked calm, no different from usual, as if he weren't the one who had been waiting in the rain for who knows how long, half-soaked.

The elevator has arrived.

Shen Yu'an opened the apartment door and stepped aside to let Xize go in first.

Xize paused at the door, folded up his soaking wet umbrella, placed it on the umbrella stand outside the door, and then stepped inside.

He stood in the entryway, glancing around the apartment he had actually been to before. The last time he came was late at night when Shen Yu'an had a fever; he carried her in without even having a chance to look at anything else.

This time he looked very carefully.

Just like his arrangement. Everything was in its proper place.

"Sir, please take off your wet clothes first." Shen Yu'an took a clean large bath towel from the bathroom and handed it over in a very soft voice, his eyes unsure of where to look. "I'll go find you some dry clothes... although they might not fit."

He was almost a head shorter than Xize, and his frame was much smaller. His clothes would probably look like children's clothes on Xize.

But we can't let them go back in their soaking wet clothes.

Shen Yu'an rummaged through her drawers and found her largest sweatshirt—a dark gray one. She had deliberately chosen a size larger when she bought it, hoping to achieve a loose fit.

He held it up to himself; the hem was almost thigh-high, but if Xize wore it…

He took his hoodie and walked out of the bedroom, where he saw that Xize had already taken off his wet coat and was hanging it on the rack in the bathroom to dry.

The shirt underneath was also half wet, the light gray fabric clinging to his body, revealing the outline of his muscles underneath.

Shen Yu'an glanced at it once and looked away, his ears burning.

"This might be a little small..." He handed over the hoodie, his voice so soft it was almost inaudible.

Xize took it, unfolded it, and glanced at the hoodie. It was indeed small for him, but not completely unwearable.

"It's okay."

As he bent down to unbutton his shirt, Shen Yu'an quickly turned and disappeared into the kitchen.

"I'll go get you a cup of hot tea!"

In the kitchen, Shen Yu'an stood in front of the stove, his hands trembling so much that he could barely hold the kettle.

He took several deep breaths, his mind filled with the images he had just seen—the way the shirt clung to his body after being soaked through, and the gray-blue eyes in Xize's eyes when he said, "I'm waiting for you."

He boiled the water and took out the dark blue tea canister from the cabinet, which Caesar had placed there before.

His hands were still shaking when he scooped out the tea leaves, and a few spilled onto the table. He gathered them up with his palm and put them back, then wiped the table clean.

The tea was ready. Shen Yu'an carried the cup out of the kitchen and saw that Xize had already changed into that hoodie.

It was indeed very small.

The cuffs reached just to the middle of his forearm, and the hem of his shirt sat just above his waistline, revealing a section of his waist.

The dark gray hoodie was stretched taut by his broad shoulders, making him look both comical and embarrassing.

But his expression remained calm, no different from when he attended a board meeting in a custom-made suit.

Shen Yu'an glanced at it and couldn't help but laugh, but as he laughed, his eyes reddened again.

"What are you laughing at?" Xize asked.

"It's nothing." Shen Yu'an shook his head, handed over the hot tea, and lowered his head. "I just think... it's funny that you're wearing my clothes, sir."

Xize took the cup and looked down at him.

Her eyes were still wet from crying, and when she smiled, her eyes curved upwards, and it seemed as if there were still undried teardrops clinging to her eyelashes.

He held the teacup in his palm, but didn't drink. His grey-blue eyes quietly rested on Shen Yu'an's face.

The rain was still falling outside the window, pattering against the glass.

It's warm inside.

Shen Yu'an stood there, being watched by that gaze, her heart pounding non-stop.

He suddenly felt that all those feelings of fear, inferiority, and the urge to escape seemed less important in this person's eyes.

It hasn't disappeared; it's just been temporarily covered up.

It was covered by those gray-blue eyes.