"I’ll take you home" is a very romantic phrase.

There was nothing explicitly romantic about it, but remembering the slight flutter in her heart from earlier, Qin Jiao felt as if something was slowly starting to change.

The moments from her past life that had nearly suffocated her were still etched firmly in her memory.

But the Shen Yi before her now was slowly diverging from the person in her memories. He was becoming more and more dazzling, so full of life.

In the end, Qin Jiao still got on the back of Shen Yi’s bicycle. It wasn’t the first time they had ridden together, but this time, something felt distinctly different.

The rain had lightened considerably. Seeing them dash into the downpour, some students took the opportunity to hurry home. Others, however, stayed put, knowing their families would surely come for them if they were late.

Shen Yi had Qin Jiao cover her head with his jacket, then said, "I have to ride faster. It looks like it’s about to start pouring again. Hold on to me tight!"

Qin Jiao knew a bike with two people wouldn’t be as fast as one with a single rider. The rain had probably only let up for a few minutes and was bound to get heavy again soon.

’It’s only for a dozen minutes or so...’

Qin Jiao pursed her lips. With one hand, she held the jacket over her head; with the other, she reached out and wrapped it tightly around Shen Yi’s waist.

Shen Yi suddenly pedaled faster. The inertia threw Qin Jiao forward against his back. Just like when they had squeezed into the three-wheeled cart, they were now pressed tightly together without a sliver of space between them.

The rain continued to fall. Raindrops pattered against something, creating a TING, TING, TANG that added a unique rhythm to the quiet, rain-swept street.

Even though a summer in the Northeast could be quite cool when it rained, the skin where their bodies were pressed together felt scorching hot.

The dozen-or-so-minute ride wasn’t long, but it wasn’t short either.

Luckily, the rain hadn’t been heavy for most of their journey. Just as they reached her front door, a sudden flash of lightning illuminated the entire night. Qin Jiao looked up and saw that Shen Yi was soaked through. His white tank top clung to his torso, and rainwater collected on his firm jaw before dripping off.

DRIP. It was as if something had just dripped onto her heart.

And his eyes, beautiful and bright, were quietly watching her.

The light lasted for only a few breaths before the world plunged back into darkness. An instant later, thunder boomed, and a child from a nearby house began to wail in fear.

"You should hurry home. Remember to take a hot shower so you don’t catch a cold."

"You too."

Qin Jiao nodded, grabbed her schoolbag, and turned to go inside. She didn’t let out a breath of relief until she was safely in her house.

’This is the end of me!’

’Why does it feel like this old soul of mine is actually starting to fall for him?!’

’That’s Shen Yi! Or no... maybe he’s a stranger who has become Shen Yi.’

Qin Jiao thought back on their time together over the past year. The boy was tall, handsome, smart, and gentle. And in all that time, she was still the only person Shen Yi considered a good friend.

On top of that, there was the sadness he occasionally revealed, making him seem like a wounded cub. At times, you couldn’t help but feel your heart ache for him.

’This isn’t Shen Yi; he’s clearly poison!’

’So, it wasn’t surprising that she’d fall for a Shen Yi like this.’

Qin Jiao silently took off Shen Yi’s jacket that she had been wearing, stood by the door, and wrung it out.

But that was all it could be.

Because he was Shen Yi.

"Oh, Xiao Jiao, you’re home from school early today! I was just about to tell your dad to go pick you up. Hey, where’s that boy, Xiao Yi? Why didn’t he come in for a bite? I made you two some dough drop soup."

Qin Jiao snapped out of her daze and said to her mother, "Yeah, school let out early because of the bad weather. We both got a little wet, so Shen Yi went home to change."