By the time the banquet concluded, it was already eleven at night, and a light rain still fell.
“Well, drive safely tonight.”
After saying goodbye to Jiang Lai, Pei Lingchu drove towards the Pei residence.
The Pei estate wasn’t in the city center, requiring about an hour’s drive. Without spare flats in the car, she drove slowly in her heels, eventually leaving the city’s bustle behind, the roads becoming quiet.
If it weren’t already so late, she probably would have driven even slower.
The misty rain created a soothing atmosphere, the car quiet save for the soft drumming of raindrops on the roof and windshield, a gentle white noise. The fleeting glimpses of light and shadow caught her relaxed lips, but no smile touched them.
Pei Lingchu parked the car outside the estate. Through the windshield, her pale eyes, cool and tired, watched the rain cascade down.
Instead of driving in, she got out, unfurling a black umbrella and slowly pushing open the large iron gates.
The humid, heavy rain swirled around her, dampening the hem of her fishtail dress. Droplets traced cool paths down her pale calves, a slightly chilling sensation that offered a brief, soothing touch to the chafed skin on her ankles.
Through the misty veil, the three-story house glowed with warm, yellow light. A fleeting shadow seemed to move within, or perhaps it was just her imagination.
Barely a minute passed before someone emerged from the house, holding… what looked like a bath towel, hurrying towards her.
Pei Lingchu’s steps faltered slightly as she watched the approaching figure. Her cool expression softened instantly, her lips pressed together gently. “Xiao Chi.”
Fu Chi reached her just under the umbrella, immediately draping the bath towel over her bare, pale shoulders. She then took the umbrella from Pei Lingchu’s hand, her voice low. “Didn’t you say you were driving back?” Her gaze flickered almost imperceptibly to Pei Lingchu’s lips before quickly shifting away.
They walked towards the house together.
Pei Lingchu remained silent, her head tilted as she watched Fu Chi’s white shirt, soaked and clinging to her skin. A droplet of water traced a path down her vision, a complex, awkward emotion stirring within her. She gently disengaged the arm around her shoulders and looked up at Fu Chi’s clean, earnest face.
Then, she reached out to brush a raindrop from Fu Chi’s cheek. The moment her fingertip made contact, Fu Chi’s grip on the umbrella subtly tightened, her head tilting back almost imperceptibly.
Pei Lingchu’s outstretched hand paused, then slowly lowered. She turned her gaze to the vibrant roses in the garden, murmuring softly, “Didn’t I tell you to rest? It’s so late.”
Suddenly, a raindrop splashed onto her eyelashes, darkening them like ink, weighing them down.
“Mm, I wanted to wait for you to return.” Fu Chi’s voice was low and shadowed as she tightened her grip on Pei Lingchu’s slender, smooth shoulders, guiding her into the house, closing the door against the damp, heavy air outside.
The umbrella was placed in the stand, droplets of water falling with a distinct clarity in the quiet house. A soft rustling sound filled the air once more.
A soft bath towel brushed against her cheek as Fu Chi gently wrapped it around her hair, her movements tender.
Driving back, she had let her hair down. The wind and slanted rain on her walk back had soaked the lower hem of her dress almost completely.
“Hn-hnn.” A small, muffled cough broke the silence, as if something was lodged in her throat.
