Love Twines Around the Parasol Tree, Dreams Bind Us for a Lifetime

Fine threads of rain fell in a steady shower, shrouding the entire city in a hazy curtain. On a quiet street, a tall plane tree stood motionless, its lush branches and leaves swaying gently in the rain.

She had no umbrella. The rain had dampened her hair, which clung to her fair cheeks. She tilted her head slightly and watched raindrops slide from the plane tree’s leaves, a trace of confusion and sorrow in her eyes.

He happened to be passing by and saw her beneath the tree. He stopped and gazed at her in silence, as if time had come to a standstill. Raindrops slid from the tips of his hair and fell onto his shoulders.

He walked toward her without thinking, his footsteps making a faint sound on the damp ground. Hearing him, she turned, and the moment their eyes met, it was as if a current passed between them. He smiled warmly and said softly, “This rain is beautiful.” She paused, then smiled faintly in return. “Yes, it really is.” Beneath the plane tree, their story began quietly, like the ceaseless fall of the rain...