Tender as wild

Chapter 2 Collision at the street intersection 2
  Baili was stunned.

Is this umbrella given to her?
  She subconsciously looked up and saw that the corners of the young man's eyes and brows had been wetted by the blowing rain, and half of his face was hidden in the darkness.

His brows were furrowed slightly, with a hint of impatience.

It seemed that he didn't want to continue blowing, so he kept waiting for her to take the umbrella.

Baili really needs an umbrella.

Besides, the umbrella has already been opened, so it’s not easy to refuse.

After hesitating for a second, she took the fan handle with both hands. Faced with the kindness of the stranger, she smiled politely and said, "Thank you."

The young man nodded and without waiting for a moment, turned around and held the door handle.

"Please wait a minute." Bai Li stopped him thoughtfully: "Do you often come to this bar? Or can you give me the address? I will return the umbrella to you tomorrow."

In the cool air of June, the boy turned his back to her and waved his hand carelessly.

"No, it's been raining in Lingjiang for the past two days, so you can keep your umbrella for use."

Bai Li looked up nervously.

In the dim light, the boy sat back to his original position. It seemed that he really didn't want to take the umbrella, and he didn't look at her again.

Because of the comics, she felt very complicated.

But he couldn't help but curl his lips.

How could you not be happy? On the first day of the trip, she met someone who looked like Fang Ye, and he even helped her.

The long-lost goodwill is like a soft quilt, wrapping the body that is chilled by the wind.

The rain was so heavy that the water was up to my ankles.

Bai Li came back to her senses and didn't dare to continue disturbing her. She raised the wide black umbrella and rushed into the night without looking back.

After her figure disappeared at the corner of the street, the boy raised his head.

The inquiry in his eyes seemed thicker than the fog by the lake.

……

After finding a hotel nearby.

Baili dragged her luggage back to the room.

The decoration style of the hotel is good, with comfortable and fluffy large beds, exquisite murals, and a large enough floor-to-ceiling window. Standing slightly close, you can overlook the night view of the entire ancient city.

She took off her soaked shoes, stepped barefoot on the carpet, carefully hung the umbrella at the door, then took off her wet clothes and went into the bathroom to take a shower.

The warm water washed over her waist and relieved her body of fatigue. Only then did she have the mood to think about the young man she met today.

It's a magical feeling when comic book characters come into reality.

But Baili's happiness didn't last long before it subsided.

Because her prototype in the comics...

Long dead.

In order to save her, she was mercilessly washed off the cliff by the river.

The sound of the wind at night was mixed with the sound of rain, constantly hitting the windows.

Bai Li closed her eyes, her heart beating strangely and randomly for a few times, as if she had seen the scene of that year again.

It seems to be such a summer.

In the hottest month, the courtyard is covered with firecrackers, confetti and wedding candies.

She was only three years old that year.

Her mother got married for the second time, to a widowed soldier, but soldiers didn't come home often.

The only change is that there is a brother who is two years older than her in the family.

She didn't understand what it meant.

All she knows is that she has a brother named Fang Ye. Adults say he is very smart and treats her well. Everything is done according to her temperament, whether right or wrong. She never lets her be bullied. Her mother is not often at home. He was the only one taking care of her.

As a result, she was always grateful that there was one more person in her life who loved her, and she secretly vowed to treat her brother best in the world.

Then came another summer.

Holding her brother's hand, she grew to be five years old.

A playmate said that you can catch beautiful goldfish in a small river in the countryside. Children of that age don't know what danger is. As soon as they heard about the goldfish, they clamored to go.

She also made a fuss, and although her brother was worried, he still stayed with her.

It took most of the day to walk from the city to the suburbs. It was rare to see water. Everyone was having so much fun that they didn’t even know the water had risen. When they realized it, their feet could no longer reach the ground.

None of the children present could swim, and she choked several times in panic. The feeling of suffocation strangled her throat. It was the first time she was so close to death.

Just when she thought she was about to die, her brother took her arm and carried her to the shore with difficulty.

Then he turned around and saved other children, one after another...

The friends who came ashore were frightened and cried, and their cries attracted nearby adults.

She also cried, but not because of fear.

It was because her brother, who was the best to her, did not come up from the river, and the adults did not let her go down to look for him.

Suddenly, the police and parents came, and the little friends were beaten up by their parents.

Baili was the only one who was not beaten. Her mother was busy being interrogated by the police.

From day to night.

The police officer said solemnly that her brother was washed away by the water, and there was a cliff downstream. If no one was found today, and no reports were received in the past few days, there would be no hope of reporting the case.

It’s very difficult and obscure to say.

But she understood the meaning.

If my brother doesn't come back today, he will never come back.

She cried so hard that she couldn't stop crying and fainted on the ground. She fell seriously ill when she returned home.

Only later did she find out when the police came to offer condolences.

My brother is really dead, and bad news comes from my uncle who is a soldier.

Fate took them away quietly.

She no longer has a brother.

The spring, summer, autumn and winter passed as usual, and everyone in the compound had a tacit understanding. They kept silent and forgot about him, perhaps out of guilt. Her friends treated her well, but no one thought of Fang Ye.

Her mother remarried the next year and moved out of the compound, and the name was completely forgotten in her memory.

It was said on TV: A person's death is not the real death, but being forgotten is.

She didn't want to and didn't want to, so she started learning to paint in her spare time.

Portraits of characters are born one after another, and the brushwork changes from youthful to mature. The most important person in childhood is the one who is painted the most.

It wasn't until she began to wonder what her brother would be like when he grew up that this comic was born, which can be regarded as a continuation of her brother's short life.

The mist from the showerhead poured on her face. She quickly finished the shower and lay down on the white and comfortable big bed.

That night she couldn't sleep again.

Listening to the patter of rain outside the window, I fell into a peaceful sleep.

Maybe it was because exams and travel made her tired, or maybe she met an incredible person.

As a result, she has been having dreams about the boy delivering the umbrella.

The next day.

After lunch, the sky was still covered with a thick layer of cumulus clouds, and the rain fell intermittently.

It didn't stop until the evening.

Even though I'm here, I still have to go out for a walk.

Borrowed items must be returned even if others do not want them.

With this thought in mind, Bai Li went downstairs and bought an umbrella of her own. She hung the boy's black umbrella in her hand and carefully walked through the stagnant water towards the lake shore.

On rainy days in the south, the roads are slippery and the air you breathe in is filled with a lot of water mist.

She looked around, and all she could see were trees in shopping streets and lakes.

I found the bar from last night. Due to the rain, there were not many customers today, but it was still open.

When she opened the door, the doorbell rang, and the boss greeted her. He was not disappointed when he learned that she was here to return an umbrella, and he warmly invited her to sit and hide from the rain.

Baili smiled and thanked her and then refused.

Before leaving the bar, she thought through the glass window:
  That boy probably won't come.

Even if she returns the umbrella, she will never come again.

(End of this chapter)