Chapter 21: The Battlefield in the Rain

"Jiang Yi," Wen Ran’s voice was gentle as ever, yet it carried a trace of masculine protectiveness that could not be ignored. "I think she might need a little space."

The black umbrella acted as a sudden, sharp boundary, slicing the chaotic confrontation in the pouring rain into three isolated worlds. Under the umbrella was Wen Ran, his face as refined as jade and filled with concern. Outside the umbrella was Jiang Yi, his face cold and biting, looking wretched from anger, humiliation, and the driving rain. Xu Yuan was caught in the middle of this boundary, half in the light, half in the darkness.

Jiang Yi’s gaze shifted slowly from Wen Ran’s knuckles, white as he gripped the umbrella handle, to his clean, dry face. Then, his eyes fell back upon Xu Yuan, who was trapped tightly in his arms, her face already streaming with tears. That look was like the sharpest blade of ice, scraping across her face inch by inch.

With his eyes, he was asking her:
Is this what you wanted?
Is this the real reason you racked your brains to drag me out of that room?

"No... that’s not it..." Xu Yuan looked into his bloodshot eyes, which were filled with misunderstanding and pain. Her heart felt as if it had been ripped open, the agony making it impossible for her to breathe. She wanted to explain, to tell him she was just terrified of that godforsaken fire. But how could she say it? In front of Wen Ran, an "outsider," any explanation would only seem more absurd, more ridiculous.

"Jiang Yi," Wen Ran’s voice sounded again, breaking the suffocating standoff. He looked at Jiang Yi’s hand, still tightly gripping Xu Yuan’s arm, and his brows furrowed imperceptibly. "Classmates should be able to talk things through. You’re hurting her."

His words were like a needle, precise and merciless, piercing the fragile balloon of Jiang Yi’s self-esteem.

Yes.
He only knew how to hurt her.
He only knew how to drag her into his own muddy, dark world in the most brutal way possible.
Yet Wen Ran could stand under the umbrella, basking in the sunlight, offering her a way out with the utmost gentleness and decorum.

Jiang Yi suddenly laughed. The smile was silent, desolate, and full of self-mockery. He slowly, slowly released his grip. Then, to Xu Yuan’s astonishment, he snatched the notebook she had been clutching—already half-soaked by the rain—from her arms. He used his thumb to gently, almost cherishingly, wipe the blurred ink on the cover, as if he were wiping clean his own shattered world that he allowed no one to touch.

"As you wish."

He looked at her, and in his dark, heavy eyes, all the anger, humiliation, and hurt faded away at that moment, leaving only a dead, icy calm.

"I’ll give you space."

With that, he didn’t even glance at Wen Ran again. Clutching the soaked notebook, he turned and walked into the boundless, cold curtain of rain without looking back. His silhouette was proud and resolute, like a reef sinking into the deep sea, having abandoned all struggle.

"Jiang Yi!" Xu Yuan screamed, instinctively wanting to chase after him. But she had only taken a step when a warm hand gently held her back.

"Don't go," Wen Ran’s voice sounded by her ear, gentle yet carrying an irresistible force. "He needs to calm down right now. And so do you."

The black umbrella enveloped her entirely, shielding her from the cold rain and blocking out the back she had tried so hard to chase. Xu Yuan’s legs gave way; she could no longer hold herself up. She slowly crouched down, burying her face deep into her knees, and let out a desperate, whimpering sob like a trapped animal.

She had ruined it.
Once again, she had ruined it completely. Not only had she failed to stop him from returning to that dangerous place, but she had personally pushed him even further away.

...

"Xu Yuan! Have you lost your mind?"

A familiar voice, mixed with rage and concern, approached from afar. Lin Feifei, holding a pink cartoon umbrella that clashed with the gloomy, rainy scenery, rushed over like a little cannonball. She spotted Xu Yuan, who was shivering on the ground, and Wen Ran, standing nearby with his umbrella, looking troubled.

"Senior Wen Ran?" Lin Feifei froze for a moment, then immediately turned her hostility toward him. "Why are you here? What’s wrong with Xu Yuan? Did that bastard Jiang Yi bully her again?!"

"I..." Wen Ran looked at the girl who was bristling like a mother hen protecting her chick, unsure of how to explain.

"Fine, it’s none of your business here, you can go," Lin Feifei said bluntly. She pulled Xu Yuan up from the ground, pulled her into her own arms, and used her small pink umbrella to create a sanctuary for her.

Wen Ran looked at them and opened his mouth, as if to say something more, but eventually, it only turned into a soft sigh. He placed his black umbrella on a nearby stone bench. "It’s raining hard, don’t catch a cold."

With that, he turned and walked into the rain.

"Acting like a saint!" Lin Feifei curled her lip at his back with disdain, then looked down at Xu Yuan, who was sobbing uncontrollably in her arms. Her eyes reddened with heartache. "Cry, cry, cry! That’s all you know how to do! Can’t you have some backbone?" She scolded her, but her hands were incredibly gentle as she wiped the rain and tears from Xu Yuan’s face. "What exactly happened? What did that jerk Jiang Yi do to you?"

"I..." Xu Yuan choked out the story, recounting everything that had happened in fragments. Of course, she omitted the absurd dream about the fire. She only said she saw a notice in the group chat and was worried that Jiang Yi’s notes might be lost during maintenance, so she had rushed to help him get them out. Even to her, this excuse sounded full of holes.

"Over a few lousy notebooks?!" Lin Feifei was furious. "Xu Yuan, are you having a saintly breakdown? Doesn't he know how to get his own things? Do you need to go out of your way to be the good person? Look at you now! Scolded by him, shoved by him, and soaked in the rain! What are you even gaining from this?"

Xu Yuan didn’t speak; she only cried harder.
What was she gaining? She didn't know either. She only knew that whenever she closed her eyes, the image that appeared in her mind was that sea of fire, burning and consuming everything.

"Forget it, forget it, I won't scold you anymore." Seeing that Xu Yuan looked like she was about to stop breathing from sobbing, Lin Feifei softened. She sighed and held her tighter. "Let's go, let's head back to the dorm and change into dry clothes, or you'll really catch a cold."

...

Back at the dorm, Xu Yuan took a hot shower and changed into clean pajamas, but she remained listless, as if her soul had been drained away.

Lin Feifei brewed her a cup of hot brown sugar ginger tea and shoved it into her hands. "Drink it, warm yourself up."

Xu Yuan held the steaming tea, sipping it in tiny amounts, her eyes never leaving the gray, rainy sky outside the window. Had he gone back? Was he there now, all alone in that empty, cold, soon-to-be-burning library? The thought made Xu Yuan’s heart feel as if it were being squeezed by an invisible hand, leaving her breathless.

Just then, her phone, which Wen Ran had picked up, vibrated inopportunely. The screen was cracked. She jumped off the bed almost immediately, grabbing the phone with trembling hands.

Was it Jiang Yi? Had he... realized something?
However, the moment she saw the screen, the faint spark of hope that had just ignited in her eyes was extinguished instantly.

It wasn’t Jiang Yi. It was Wen Ran.

[Wen Ran: Are you asleep? Don't take today's events too much to heart. Jiang Yi... he might just be in a bad mood.]

Then, a second message popped up.

[Wen Ran: I’ve spoken with the President of the Photography Club. The promotional photos for the "Starlight Cup" can be just your solo shots. It won't affect your future competition.]

He had even planned her exit strategy. Gentle, thoughtful, and impeccable.
Yet, as Xu Yuan looked at those two messages, she didn't feel a shred of warmth. Her mind was a blank slate. She didn't know how to reply, nor did she know what else she could do.

As she stared blankly at the phone screen, Lin Feifei poked her head over. "Oh? Senior Wen Ran? He moves fast, doesn't he?" Her tone was sour. "What, had your heart broken by that bastard Jiang Yi and ready to throw yourself into the arms of the gentle Senior?"

Xu Yuan ignored her teasing. She kept her eyes fixed on the screen, and suddenly, as if remembering something, she abruptly opened her contacts. She found the number saved as "Jiang Wan."

Then, under Lin Feifei’s stunned and puzzled gaze, she edited a text message, word by word, and sent it.

[Senior Jiang Wan, hello. This is Xu Yuan. Regarding the court hearing next Wednesday, I agree.]

[However, I have one condition.]