Rain Stops

Bai Yuyou returned from grocery shopping, her arms cradling bags while balancing a stack of items on her head. She fished out her keys and unlocked the door.

The crisp sound of the turning lock echoed as Bai Yuyou slowly pushed the door open. Her first instinct was to glance down, searching for that familiar pair of shoes—but they weren’t there. Clearly, Ye Shuang hadn’t come home yet.

"Ye Shuang…" Bai Yuyou murmured to the empty air, as if speaking to herself, before placing all the groceries on the table.

She walked to the balcony, dragging a small stool with her, and sat gazing beyond the railing.

The girl simply watched the scenery outside, time crawling by. Only a few cars and pedestrians passed through the quiet streets. Bai Yuyou’s gem-like eyes scanned the view, as if every shadow held traces of Ye Shuang—or perhaps none at all.

Dawn breaks, dusk falls, clouds drift—standing, sitting, all I do is think of you.

Bai Yuyou didn’t dislike waiting. The moment Ye Shuang appeared, she would feel happiness. But now, no matter where she looked, that familiar figure was nowhere to be seen.

"Cooking…"

The girl suddenly remembered—yes, if she cooked, Ye Shuang would come back.

She turned and went back inside, emptying the groceries onto the counter before heading to the kitchen, where the clatter of pots and pans soon filled the air.

After days of practice, Bai Yuyou still couldn’t match Ye Shuang’s skill, but at least she could now prepare a complete dish.

About half an hour later, she carried out a large bowl—yes, she had bought too much, so the portion was enormous, even requiring a stainless steel soup pot to hold it all.

She set the dish on the table: a simple stir-fried tomato and egg.

The eggs were slightly burnt, and the tomatoes were unevenly chopped, but this was her best attempt yet.

She stared at the dish, waiting… and waiting…

Before she knew it, night had fallen.

As twilight faded, the hazy moonlight crept through the window, casting a small, palm-sized glow onto the dining table.

The food had long gone cold, the tomato and egg congealing slightly. Under the pale moonlight, the darkened eggs looked almost ghostly.

"Hungry…" The girl remained seated at the table, still waiting obediently.

She hadn’t turned on the lights. In the dim living room, Bai Yuyou’s slender figure seemed even more fragile.

"Ye Shuang…"

Her phone suddenly buzzed beside her. A faint light flickered in her previously dull eyes as she reached for it.

Tang Keke: Happy birthday! Did you eat cake yet?

Seeing it was Tang Keke’s message, Bai Yuyou tapped lightly on the screen.

Bai Yuyou: Not yet.

Tang Keke: Didn’t your brother buy one?

Bai Yuyou: Ye Shuang… hasn’t come back.

Tang Keke: Maybe he’s still busy. Don’t worry, he’ll definitely come back!

Putting the phone down, the living room darkened again. Bai Yuyou stayed where she was, her thoughts still lingering on Ye Shuang.

Another hour passed. Outside, rain began to fall, a chill seeping in through the window.

It was a little cold.

Bai Yuyou looked toward the balcony. Under the night sky, every household had long since turned on their lights. The rain fell in fine, sieve-like threads, soft and steady.

"Right… turn on the lights. If I turn them on, Ye Shuang will come back." She stood up and slowly flipped the switch.

But with the lights on, the apartment only felt emptier.

And colder…

She returned to her seat, still waiting. At some point, worried that Ye Shuang might have forgotten, she sent him a message—but there was no reply.

"Ye Shuang… I miss you…"

The sound of rain outside stretched her longing thin, until it finally burst.

After a while, her gaze fell back on the tomato and egg. "I get it now…" she murmured.

"It must be because I didn’t cook well enough that Ye Shuang isn’t back."

She stood up again and hurried back to the kitchen, rummaging through the fridge. There were still some ingredients left, but she didn’t know how to pair them—ending up with another haphazard dish.

She placed it beside the tomato and egg, staring blankly at the faint steam rising from it.

Perhaps worried that something had happened to Ye Shuang, she hesitated before picking up her phone again and dialing his number.

No answer.

The girl set the phone down, curling into herself. Before she knew it, she had fallen asleep.

She dreamed that Ye Shuang had returned.

"Ye Shuang… you’re back."

But when she opened her eyes again, there was no sign of him. The living room remained empty.

So Bai Yuyou closed her eyes once more.

Because in dreams…

She could still see Ye Shuang.

……

"Yuyou, Yuyou… what are you doing?" Ye Shuang’s voice sounded as if it were right beside her. Bai Yuyou looked at him and said,

"Ye Shuang… I’m dreaming."

"Silly, what dream?" The Ye Shuang beside her reached out and lightly flicked her forehead. He was drenched, his hair clinging to his face.

The sharp pain made Bai Yuyou slowly realize—this Ye Shuang was real.

Ye Shuang tugged at his damp clothes, sighing. "It started pouring so suddenly. I didn’t even have an umbrella, and I forgot my phone too."

"Ye Shuang… hug."

Bai Yuyou suddenly threw herself at him, not caring about his wet clothes, burying her face in his chest.

"Seems like you waited for me like a good girl. I’m just a little late." Ye Shuang instinctively wrapped his arms around her waist, gently stroking the back of her head.

Then he glanced at the dishes on the table. Though they didn’t look perfect, they were clearly made with her whole heart.

"Ye Shuang… where did you go…"

"Well, you’ll find out soon. Let me change first." Ye Shuang let go.

"Ye Shuang, wait for me—"

"Hey, don’t follow me when I’m changing clothes!"

After changing into dry clothes, Ye Shuang packed up the food from the table, then took Bai Yuyou out in the car.

"Ye Shuang…"

"Hm?"

"Ye Shuang… I was thinking about you earlier…"

Holding the steering wheel, Ye Shuang smiled. "Oh? How much?"

Bai Yuyou didn’t know how to answer, clumsily replying, "A lot… a lot."

Then she added, "I waited for you… like a good girl…"

Ye Shuang gave her a long look. "Yeah, I know."

And he had kept his promise, even if the process had been a bit complicated—remembering Uncle Chen’s stunned expression made him wince, but thankfully, everything had been cleared up in the end.

Chen Qin had stepped in to explain, and in the end, Chen's Father had simply crossed his arms and said,

"No need to make it so complicated. Just bring the poor girl you mentioned over for dinner next time."

"Kid, do you really think our Chen family is that heartless?"

……

"Ye Shuang."

"Hm?"

"Where are we going…"

Ye Shuang chuckled but didn’t answer.

Once again driving to Chen Qin's house, he led Bai Yuyou into the villa—a spacious rotating dining table laden with over twenty dishes, while the surrounding guests turned their gazes toward them.

"Come, over here," Chen Hai and Chen Qin called out.

Chen's Father and Chen's Mother also looked at Bai Yuyou, before Chen's Mother spoke warmly, "You must be Yuyou, right? Come, sit here next to me."

Bai Yuyou, however, hid behind Ye Shuang, overwhelmed by everything around her.

The place felt so warm, with light filling every corner of the house—something she had never experienced before.

Ye Shuang smiled faintly, then reached into a bag and pulled out the dish Bai Yuyou had prepared, placing it on the rotating tray.

Though it seemed out of place compared to the lavish spread, not a single person uttered a word about it.

Bai Yuyou took her seat, facing the circle of kind eyes around her, yet her own gaze drifted toward the window—

The rain… had finally stopped.