Drowned in Rain

The main story is complete. Extra chapters will be updated from time to time. This story underwent major revisions, so it differs greatly from pirated versions. If you read pirated copies and leave comments full of misplaced warnings, please don't comment; they'll be deleted. Weibo: Shu Wan- [Please don't repost the complete story on other platforms. Please support the authorized version. If you can't see the latest chapter, your subscription rate isn't high enough. I refuse writing advice.] On the first day back in L bei, Qi An stood outside a shop and met Chen Zeye for the first time. At summer's end, rain fell in endless threads. A boy in a black T-shirt stood in a dim corner, dark hair falling over his forehead, one hand in his pocket as he pinned a bad guy against the wall. His profile was smooth in the light and shadow. He looked unruly and fierce. She held her breath without thinking. Before she could turn around, a motorcycle sped past, splashing mud and water onto her pant leg. A chill enveloped her. In her wretched state, she found the tall figure looming over her. His cool presence washed over her. He held out a packet of tissues, fingers slightly curled around it. Her heart suddenly tightened, but she heard him speak in a flat voice. "Wipe it off." - Everyone said Chen Zeye was the person who fit in least at school. He was distant and aloof, untamed and hard to handle, like a gust of wind no one could ever predict. Qi An was quiet and reserved, his polar opposite. No one thought he would ever get involved with her. That winter was especially long, and even spring felt a little more bitterly cold. On a bleak, damp night of heavy snow, Chen Zeye knocked down the people who had bullied her. Like a cold-blooded snake, his eyes red at the corners, he warned them, "If you don't want to die, don't touch her." Back home, the boy washed the blood from his hands and took a mist-blue scarf from his pocket. He cornered her against the wall, leaned down, and wrapped the scarf around Qi An's neck. His unfathomable eyes reflected the girl's figure, concealing a light no one else knew about. "Still mad?" Qi An shook her head. "No." His rough thumb pressed against her soft lips. Chen Zeye licked his lips and laughed under his breath, looking roguish and wicked. "Then do you want to kiss me?" [Seventeen-year-old Chen Zeye was lonely and indifferent, like a dormant volcano, silent but dangerous. The instant he met her, all things came back to life and lava burst forth, scorching and dazzling. Their racing hearts and budding feelings danced together.] I walked alone through endless thorns, falling into an abyss within the shackles of fate. Until, on that damp, rainy night, beneath an old eave, I caught a glimpse of my god. Together, we lost ourselves in this rainy season of love. Qi An x Chen Zeye Quiet and eccentric x cocky, roguish, and devoted Reading guide: * Mutual salvation * Both virgins and each other's first love. The male lead has a protective, fatherly streak. Reunion after a long separation, reconciling after a breakup. Mostly set at school, with a little city life. Happy ending. * The first chapter contains foreshadowing. Neither lead is perfect. Coming soon: Return to the Mountains. Please add it to your collection: Blurb for Return to the Mountains: "After desolation comes a mountain in spring." After P.E. class one day, Meng Shan returned to class with her friend. At the turn on the east side of the stairs, she ran into Chen Wu again. In the dim light, he wore that black T-shirt, one hand in his pocket, his posture relaxed. The smear of scarlet on his fingertips stood out painfully. A breeze passed, and his gaze turned toward her with it. His eyes were full of menace, like a dangerous beast. Her friend led her away and listed his notorious deeds one by one, warning her not to get involved with someone like him. One was the good student teachers praised, a treasure cherished by everyone. The other was a regular on the disciplinary list, a hopeless case. They were like parallel lines that would never intersect. But that very night, in a narrow alley, Chen Wu had just finished a brawl. He wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth and glanced at the figure a few meters away, looking casual as he raised an eyebrow and teased, "Not scared?" Meng Shan walked up to him, her gaze clear. "I'm not that much of a coward." He chuckled. "Is that so?" But the next moment, his cool presence drew near. He trapped her in the corner, his eyes dark. "Then do you dare to date me?" That winter was long, and even the height of summer felt a little chilly. Rain splattered everywhere, dampness filled the air, and she said her final goodbye to him. Chen Wu leaned against the damp stone wall, half-collapsed. Falling ash from his cigarette burned his pale, cold arm. His voice was hoarse as he said coldly, "Think it over. This is your last chance." In the curtain of rain, the girl's figure was stubborn and resolute. - Years later, on another rainy day, they met again on the street. Their eyes met, but neither spoke first. After some time, Chen Wu walked to the side of the street with an umbrella and looked down at the curled-up figure. His Adam's apple shifted. He seemed both helpless and self-mocking. "Meng Shan." "Give me one more chance." - That night, Chen Wu dreamed again of the night when he was seventeen. Under the dim yellow streetlights, two figures, one tall and one short, stood close together. Blood ran slowly down his brow. A half-lit cigarette rested between his fingers, and a gray-white haze clouded his vision. Only a spot of scarlet stood out in the night. Meng Shan took the cigarette from his hand, pulled a bandage from her pocket, and pressed it to his forehead. But he seized her wrist violently, his eyes bloodshot. "If you don't want to die, stay out of my business." The winter night was cold and quiet. The girl's gaze was clean and pure, unforgettable with just one look. She looked at him and said, "Chen Wu." "Have you ever heard this saying?" Time stood still for several seconds. He suppressed the rage between his brows, his voice hoarse to the point of breaking. "What?" "At the end of the open plain lies a mountain in spring." Later, he told her, "At the end of Chen Wu, there will always be Meng Shan." Chen Wu x Meng Shan Fierce-tempered boy x insecure girl Theme: Embrace youth, grow together, and save each other