I didn't see him again today.
Shuyao closed her diary, blew out the candle, and wished that he would see her during next month's visit.
Her wish did not come true. When she returned, rain pattered outside the window, and in the middle of the night, its sound took her back to that day.
After the teachers' banquet, she carried a battered umbrella and all her bright hopes for the future as she walked into that dark alley on the way home, again and again.
She would meet that drunk, struggle and scream, with nowhere to run.
No, she did have somewhere to run. Just as she walked into the alley again and again, Shi Mingzhou would come to save her, time after time.
A flash of lightning split the sky with a clap of thunder. She saw Shi Mingzhou's ruthless resolve once more, and the flower branches scattered across the ground.
He rushed over and pulled her away, but killed someone while defending her, going too far. He had condemned himself to an abyss with no way out.
Once again, Shuyao woke up crying. Through tear-blurred eyes, she looked at the photograph standing on her bedside table.
It was the only photo of her and Shi Mingzhou, who had shared a desk for three years. Both wore the red sashes awarded to the top ten students in their grade, standing side by side at the entrance to Classroom One of Senior Year Three.
In the photo, He Shuyao was smiling at the camera. Shi Mingzhou was smiling too, one hand resting lightly on her shoulder. Just as the photographer pressed the shutter, he had secretly flashed a peace sign.
Everyone told her: How many seven-year stretches could a person have in a lifetime? With such a bright future ahead, why wait for a prisoner?
But they didn't know that she was a prisoner too, trapped in a long rainy season, waiting for a sunny day.
Some school-life scenes are included, mostly through the female lead's memories, and are touched on rather than the focus.
Blurb written on June 23, 2025. [Working hard to build up a backlog ^~^ The story will start soon]
Theme: May you and I both have a bright future.
