That relationship was like a rainy season that never came.
Hot and humid, hanging over their hearts, yet never falling.
Ai Xue felt that between herself and Ji Chengkai, there would always be a layer of sticky, stifling air called "status."
She was his teacher, and he was her student.
That rule was an invisible wall, blocking every possible storm and trapping every growing feeling.
When she looked at him, her eyes always turned away first;
When he drew near, she could always find the most appropriate reason to step back.
Between them were silences shared by the river, a kiss beneath a shooting star, and countless moments of unspoken understanding.
But it all remained in that ambiguous state of "rain about to fall," restrained and suppressed, as if a downpour were just moments away, while the skies stayed clear.
Until that day, when his eyes held a clarity and resolve she'd never seen before:
"Ai Xue, what exactly are you waiting for this rain to bring?"
A suitable status, or a storm powerful enough to wash away every boundary...?
-- The rainy season never came, and I'd already drowned in the damp silence you left behind.
Reading notes:
1. Teacher-student romance. The protagonists are adults. If that's not for you, please steer clear.
2. Slow burn.
Theme: Live as yourself and cherish each other
