Love Me, Please Look - Chapter 1
Chapter 1: A Break in the Rain
The rainy season in City B might have ended, but the unpredictable weather still lingered.
One moment the skies were bright, the next they darkened with heavy clouds and distant rolls of thunder.
By the window of the library, Zhang Shixu sat lost in thought, headphones in place, staring blankly at the changing skies. He didn’t even notice Zhou Ying sitting down across from him.
Zhou Ying tapped the table with his long fingers, trying to bring him back to reality.
Zhang Shixu finally turned, slipping off his headphones. “Class over already?”
Zhou Ying gave a subtle nod, glancing at the delicate features across from him, words on the tip of his tongue that he decided not to say in a place as quiet as the library.
“I’ll just pack up,” Zhang Shixu said.
He neatly gathered his papers and books into the familiar black bag slung over his shoulder, then motioned for Zhou Ying to head out with him.
Zhou Ying followed behind, wordless as usual, not bothering to carry Zhang Shixu’s bag like some other couples on campus might have.
Just outside the library, rain had begun to fall.
“Damn, I forgot my umbrella,” Zhang Shixu muttered, sticking out a hand to feel the drizzle. He looked toward Zhou Ying.
Zhou Ying silently opened a black umbrella. “Figured you wouldn’t bring one.”
With a small hop, Zhang Shixu squeezed in under the umbrella. They walked side-by-side toward the dorms, silent except for the patter of rain and distant conversations of students passing by.
“You were going to say something earlier, weren’t you?” Zhang Shixu asked, breaking the silence as his eyes swept over the rain-drenched campus. He’d caught that pause in Zhou Ying’s voice earlier.
Zhou Ying hesitated, glancing down at the shorter boy beside him. “It’s nothing.”
They were both in the student union—Zhou Ying just a regular member, while Zhang Shixu was the student union president. The two of them had started dating only a month ago after a night of drinks during a group gathering.
Zhang Shixu, usually composed and reserved, had flushed red from the alcohol, his lips slightly parted, and something between them had clicked—or at least seemed to.
In the weeks that followed, nothing had really changed, apart from the occasional hug and a new title attached to their relationship.
“Nothing at all?” Zhang Shixu asked, skeptical.
Zhou Ying looked like he was holding back again. Finally, he spoke. “I just think… maybe this isn’t working.”
Zhang Shixu stopped in his tracks, head still down.
Wait. Did he just get dumped?
His thoughts spun—Run.
He blurted out quickly, “Ah, well—I guess if that’s how you feel, then it’s fine! We can just be friends!”
He forced a smile, not bothering to hear Zhou Ying’s reaction, and darted through the rain alone toward the dormitory.
Back at the dorms, Chen Nan looked up from his game just in time to see a soaked Zhang Shixu stumble in, looking like a drowned rat.
“Bro, are you filming a drama or something? Walking in the rain like that?”
The dorm had four people, but it was the weekend—two were out, one had gone home, leaving only Zhang Shixu and Chen Nan.
Zhang Shixu swore silently and stormed into the bathroom without answering.
Chen Nan, trailing behind him, wouldn’t shut up. “Hey! Don’t ignore me like that, Zhang the Great!”
Zhang Shixu snapped. “It wasn’t a drama. I just didn’t bring an umbrella.”
Chen Nan grinned. “What, your precious Zhou Ying didn’t have one either?”
That made Zhang Shixu freeze. He turned, teeth gritted. “I’m starting to think I shouldn’t have brought an umbrella.”
“Huh?” Chen Nan blinked.
“I should’ve just let the rain soak me and the clown who dumped me,” Zhang Shixu muttered, slamming the bathroom door.
By the time he emerged from the shower, a feast was waiting—fried chicken and his favorite chocolate sundae.
“What, feeling guilty?” he asked dryly, digging into the sundae.
Chen Nan chuckled, sitting like a loyal puppy. “Nah, just trying to cheer you up. Good roommates gotta support each other.”
Zhang Shixu narrowed his eyes. “Spit it out. What do you want?”
“Can I borrow your econ homework?”
“Out.”
But he handed it over anyway.
Later, with the room quiet, Zhang Shixu lay in bed staring at the ceiling, his thoughts looping back to the last month.
Everything between him and Zhou Ying had felt… superficial. Like the label of “boyfriends” didn’t actually mean anything.
“So why bother at all?” he muttered, frustrated.
He buried his face in the pillow.
The next morning, he woke at 8 a.m., like clockwork, and found Chen Nan sprawled like a starfish across his own bed.
Zhang Shixu sighed, cleaned up, threw on a crisp white shirt and black pants, grabbed his bag, and headed out.
It had rained again overnight. The ground was slick.
Munching on a dry veggie bun from the cafeteria, he made his way toward the library, still thinking about welcome party plans.
Then he heard something—soft whimpering.
Looking ahead, he spotted a boy sitting on the roadside, clearly having slipped on the wet ground.
Zhang Shixu swallowed the last of his bun and hurried over.
“Hey, are you okay?” he asked, crouching down.
The boy looked up with tear-filled eyes. He was stunning. His long lashes were wet, cheeks flushed, and a few tears trailed down his perfect nose.
Zhang Shixu blinked. Too pretty. Like, unfairly pretty.
The boy nodded and then shook his head, pointing at his ankle.
Zhang Shixu followed his gaze—his ankle was already swelling, clearly sprained.
“Let me help you,” Zhang Shixu said softly.
He gently pushed the boy’s sock down and winced at the sight of the injury. Then, without asking further, he helped him up.
The boy clutched his arm, cheeks red—likely from embarrassment.
Tall, slim, and gentle-looking, the boy gave off Omega vibes. But Zhang Shixu could tell by build alone—he was probably Alpha.
As they stood there, Zhang Shixu realized he barely came up to the boy’s chest.
Still, he thought to himself: I guess being helpful is part of my sparkling personality.