After Breaking the Ice-Beauty's Heart - Chapter 6

Chapter 6: “Song Yuli, your umbrella still tilts toward my side.”

Zhou Nianzhi sat in front of her stall, looking at the still-full table and sighing softly. She knew it was true: earning a five-figure weekly income from a street stall was not something an ordinary person could do.

It wasn’t enough that she hadn’t made any money; she had to run into Song Yuli again… and the woman beside her. A feeling of inexplicable irritation welled up in Zhou Nianzhi. What was the nature of Song Yuli’s relationship with that person? A friend? A colleague? Or a lover?

Zhou Nianzhi was fuming, her rationality completely overwhelmed. She felt as though Song Yuli had betrayed her, even though she knew very well that they had broken up a long time ago and were both free to choose new partners.

But Zhou Nianzhi was just so angry.

She was angry that Song Yuli had moved on so quickly with someone else.

Even more, she was angry that she didn’t even have the right to complain.

You see, Zhou Nianzhi was so angry that she was crying.

Wait, no, that wasn’t right. Zhou Nianzhi wiped her face and touched her eyes. She wasn’t crying. She pushed her hair back and didn’t feel any sweat. So where was the water on her face coming from?

Soon, someone nearby told her.

“Hey, girl, it’s raining. Aren’t you going to pack up?” A kind-hearted auntie, busy with her own stall, couldn’t help but ask the bewildered newcomer.

Oh.

So it was raining.

Zhou Nianzhi wiped the water from her face without changing her expression.

What?!

Why was it raining?! Ahhh!

Zhou Nianzhi sprang to her feet as if jolted awake from a dream. Her small stool was kicked over behind her, but in her frantic state, she didn’t care. All she wanted was to pack up quickly and go home.

Although she was selling merchandise and didn’t need to rush as much as someone selling food, the sight of even one person panicking made her feel unsteady. She, too, wanted to pack up and get home before the rain got even heavier.

But as everyone knows, when you panic, you’re prone to making mistakes.

For example, Zhou Nianzhi right now.

The more she wanted to quickly pack her things, her table, and her stool, the more things went wrong. The small hair clips and accessories, which were tiny to begin with, seemed to grow legs and jump off the table, falling into places that were difficult to find.

It was as if they were saying to Zhou Nianzhi, “Come play hide-and-seek with us!”

The rain was getting heavier, and the raindrops fell one after another, blurring Zhou Nianzhi’s vision. As she frantically searched, she also had to raise her hand to wipe the rain from her face with the back of her hand.

When the hand that had wiped her face went to search for a hair clip, it touched someone else’s hand.

Zhou Nianzhi quickly pulled her hand back and apologized repeatedly in the heavy rain, “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to.”

“It’s me.”

Again, she recognized the voice first.

Zhou Nianzhi wiped the rainwater from her eyes again, confirming that the person standing in front of her, soaked to the bone, was Song Yuli.

The sight of her immediately filled Zhou Nianzhi with anger.

“What are you doing here?! I don’t need your help!” Zhou Nianzhi blurted out. The words were as sharp as knives, yet she didn’t truly want to hurt anyone, especially not Song Yuli.

She, who could be polite and gentle with everyone, and who had endless patience, now had nothing but a cold expression for Song Yuli, who had come to help her.

But in this moment, Zhou Nianzhi simply didn’t want to show her a good face.

Zhou Nianzhi didn’t even want to bother picking up the small hair clips and bracelets anymore; she hadn’t found any after a long search anyway.

She stood up, shouldered the table and stool, and cradled her boxes as she headed straight for home, completely ignoring Song Yuli behind her.

Yet, Zhou Nianzhi could still feel it—

Song Yuli was following her.

Just like so many times before, she would walk ahead and talk about her day, and Song Yuli would follow behind, listening quietly. She would run ahead to embrace the evening breeze, and Song Yuli would follow behind, telling her to be careful. She would walk ahead to find new fun, and Song Yuli would follow behind, joining in her mischief.

The only difference was that before, the distance between them grew shorter and shorter.

Now, it was getting farther and farther.

Zhou Nianzhi walked on, braving the wind and rain. The raindrops pelted down, making it hard for her to keep her eyes open. Her footing was unsteady, and the items in her arms were unruly, bouncing and jumping into the rain.

The thought of Song Yuli still being behind her filled Zhou Nianzhi with a strange anger. So, no matter how tired she was, and even when she saw her little accessories fall, she didn’t stop or wait. She gritted her teeth and kept walking.

She felt like she must look really cool right now, like a tough little weed growing stubbornly. At this moment, she really wanted to write a poem or an entire song lyric for herself.

Neither the poem nor the lyrics were finished.

Her alarm rang first.

Poetry and a distant future could wait. Practical matters had arrived ahead of them.

The alarm was ringing in her bag.

“Beep, it’s time—it’s time—”

It was the alarm she had set to remind her to get to her supermarket job.

Ugh—

Zhou Nianzhi was frustrated, unable to spare a hand to turn off the alarm and also worried that the heavy rain and her slow pace would make her late for work.

She had thought she was fully prepared before leaving, so why hadn’t she brought an umbrella? In the past, she carried an umbrella every day and it never rained. The first time she went out without one, it poured.

But she couldn’t complain. She could only grit her teeth and keep walking.

At this very moment, she really wanted to play a song for herself.

“Even if fate is tossed and turned, Even if fate is twisted and strange, Even if fate threatens you, Making life no fun…”

Zhou Nianzhi’s heart was racing. The rain-slicked road was slippery, and her steps were a bit unsteady. As she went down a step, she lost her footing—

Ahhh! I’m going to fall!

In that suspended moment, a flurry of thoughts flashed through her mind.

Wait, why is there such a big puddle of water ahead? This fall is going to hurt, isn’t it? I hope I don’t break my things.

As she got closer to the ground, only one thought remained in her mind—

Oh, don’t fall on my face.

The cold rain hit her face, slowly dripping down her cheeks, one drop after another, endlessly.

Zhou Nianzhi couldn’t even spare a hand to wipe it away.

“Don’t cry or feel sorrow, And you must not give up.”

Her body completely lost its balance, just like in a dream, falling, falling into a bottomless abyss.

“I wish I could be with you forever.”

Suddenly, someone from behind grabbed Zhou Nianzhi’s waist and held her wrist, stopping her from falling.

Just like in all romantic dramas, in a moment of danger, a partner always manages to be quick enough to grab the other. When she was little, Zhou Nanzhi used to scoff at such scenes for half a day. How could anyone react so quickly, appearing like a flash at the critical moment to protect their lover?

They can.

Love makes people brave, transforming them into a knight for their beloved. Love makes people sharp, allowing them to sense danger.

A lump formed in Zhou Nianzhi’s throat, and her eyes welled up. Without turning around, she knew the person behind her was Song Yuli. Years of pent-up emotions surged forward. She choked back a sob and said, “Song Yuli, you…”

Until the person behind her spoke.

“You silly girl, be careful when you’re walking!”

It was the kind auntie who had just told Zhou Nianzhi to pack up early because of the rain.

Zhou Nianzhi froze, the rush of emotions immediately subsiding. She awkwardly turned her head, forcing a smile. “Thank you,” she said to the kind auntie behind her.

The auntie let go and handed Zhou Nianzhi an umbrella. “Here, take this, child. You saw it was raining but didn’t even think to take cover. I just happened to have an extra umbrella… also, your phone’s been ringing the whole time.”

Zhou Nianzhi tried to decline, but the auntie insisted. Not wanting the auntie to keep getting soaked, she finally accepted.

She shifted the items in her arms, holding them under her elbow to free a hand to turn off her alarm. While bowing in thanks, she took the umbrella.

“I’ll hold the umbrella for you.” Song Yuli appeared from out of nowhere, suddenly standing in front of Zhou Nanzhi and the auntie.

Zhou Nianzhi pouted, thinking, “Where were you when I needed you? Now you show up? Too bad, I don’t need you anymore, hmph.” But since the auntie was still there watching, she felt too embarrassed to argue with Song Yuli and just agreed.

“Child, go home and check if you hurt your foot!” the auntie called out to Zhou Nianzhi’s retreating back.

Zhou Nanzhi, moved, turned back and waved with a smile. “I will! Thank you!”

After saying this, she turned her face back to a cold expression. Without looking at Song Yuli, who was holding the umbrella, she said to herself, “You can go back. I can manage on my own.”

Song Yuli didn’t turn her head, either. She looked straight ahead and said, “I don’t have an umbrella either. I’m just walking with you since it’s on my way home.”

That made sense. After all, they were neighbors. Her saying she was holding the umbrella for Zhou Nianzhi and walking her home was just a polite way of saying she was hitching a ride under the umbrella.

Zhou Nianzhi’s heart felt a little cold, but she slowly regained her composure. She actually felt a sense of relief—

Thankfully, Song Yuli no longer had any feelings for her.

The background music in her head came to a screeching halt. Zhou Nianzhi didn’t want to play any sad love songs for herself; it would make her, the heartbreaker, seem innocent.

They walked in silence, not a word between them.

Outside the umbrella, there was the heavy thumping of rain, the wind blowing through the alleyways, and the sound of running footsteps. Under the umbrella, there was only the quiet, slow pace of them.

Zhou Nianzhi kept her head down, watching the road as she walked.

The umbrella shielded her from the wind and rain, creating a new world for her.

Her gaze fell on the rainwater at her feet.

She thought the umbrella was really big.

So big that not a single drop of rain touched her.

Even the rain dripping from the umbrella couldn’t touch her shoulder.

They finally reached the entrance to the apartment building.

Song Yuli stopped and closed the umbrella, shaking the water from it. Zhou Nianzhi, who had been walking with her head down, suddenly paused and subconsciously looked back at Song Yuli.

Song Yuli noticed Zhou Nianzhi’s gaze and casually turned to the side, as if trying to hide something.

But Zhou Nianzhi still saw Song Yuli’s wet hair, still dripping. The right shoulder of her T-shirt clung tightly to her body, and water droplets ceaselessly trickled down her pale, thin arm.

“In the pouring rain, I will walk through the winding paths of life, Since when have I had you, had you by my side?”

The sound of rain played outside the window.

Her secret thoughts seemed to have fallen into the rain.

She really hadn’t changed at all after all these years.

Zhou Nianzhi’s luck—that it would rain whenever she went out without an umbrella—hadn’t changed.

Drip, drip, drop.

This heavy rain in her heart seemed to have been falling from the past all the way to the present.

No matter when, Song Yuli would always stand on Zhou Nianzhi’s right side, silently holding the umbrella for her the entire way.

Zhou Nianzhi stared at the somewhat flustered Song Yuli, and let out a soft sigh. “Song Yuli, your umbrella still tilts toward my side.”

“Bang.”

The umbrella fell to the ground.