Rainy, Isolated Island

"Ah..." Yue Zhishi looked down at the still-dripping umbrella. It was indeed transparent.

'He's so stupid, to actually use a transparent umbrella as a cover.'

"Didn't you say six o'clock?" Song Yu asked.

Yue Zhishi pursed his lips and finally confessed his failed surprise plan to him. Song Yu didn't seem too surprised, just nodded and asked him if he had eaten.

"No." Yue Zhishi shook his head, explaining that he came here right after getting home. But then he stood up, ready to leave with his bag on his back. "Can you get takeout from your cafeteria? I don't want to eat here. You're soaked, you should go back and take a shower first."

Song Yu tacitly agreed to his proposal. He stood up, very naturally grabbed the strap of Yue Zhishi's backpack, took the bag to carry it himself, then picked up the bag with the thermal container, and finally just said, "Hold your umbrella."

"Oh." Yue Zhishi took the umbrella and flowers and followed behind his brother. Song Yu asked him if there was anything he wanted to eat, but Yue Zhishi just said he wasn't hungry, solely focused on wanting him to go up and shower soon, afraid he would catch a cold.

But Song Yu seemed to have already had a destination in mind. Without much thought, he walked straight to a window with a long queue. He stopped and squinted at the line ahead.

Yue Zhishi really liked this little mannerism of his, squinting slightly, giving him the feeling of a big cat, which felt very cute. Although a word like 'cute' was absolutely incompatible with Song Yu, at certain times, such a description would unconsciously pop into Yue Zhishi's mind.

There were many people in line. Yue Zhishi wanted to help Song Yu carry the bag, but he was refused. His fingertips were still dripping. Yue Zhishi extended a fingertip and caught a drop of water as it fell.

"Where's your umbrella?" he asked Song Yu.

Song Yu quickly replied, "I lent it to someone."

Yue Zhishi thought of the scene he had witnessed downstairs. "Did you lend it to that girl? You only have one umbrella, and you still lent it to her."

'If I had known, I would have gone to pick you up.'

"I don't like sharing an umbrella." The line moved forward a little. Song Yu added, "She's a classmate from my group. There was a problem with the data collection, so she came to discuss it with me."

I see. Yue Zhishi nodded. "Then you shouldn't lend your umbrella out next time. That's not good either." He himself felt this wasn't very gentlemanly, so he rephrased it. "If you had just called out to me, I would have stopped, and you wouldn't have gotten rained on."

Song Yu wanted to say something. His lips moved, but he ultimately gave up. He felt that Yue Zhishi probably didn't even understand himself, so there was no need to confuse him further.

They queued up and bought two servings of pineapple fried rice, then went to other windows to buy steamed Wuchang Fish, garlic water spinach, and sweet and sour pork, finally getting it all to-go for Song Yu's dormitory.

Using the excuse of being soaked, Song Yu told Yue Zhishi to hold the umbrella by himself, but Yue Zhishi was completely unwilling, insisting on sticking close to Song Yu. So, Song Yu, who claimed he didn't want to share an umbrella, proactively took the handle, but tilted almost the entire transparent canopy towards Yue Zhishi.

When Yue Zhishi noticed, he would push at his wrist, but it was no use. It wouldn't last for long. After a while, the umbrella would naturally tilt over again, like some kind of irrational, fixed program.

The puddles outside were getting deeper, rising past their ankles. Yue Zhishi's pants were already wet to his knees, and he joked that it was capillary action. A girl with quick footsteps walked past them up ahead, holding an umbrella in one hand and a large bag of fruit in the other. She was holding a bowl of beef noodle soup with just her ring and pinky fingers, which looked precarious, but she held it steadily.

Humans become very interesting on rainy days. After meandering for a bit, Yue Zhishi complained to Song Yu about almost getting lost on his way over. "I shouldn't have come in through that main gate. I walked for so long, I got all turned around. Later, I found a girl near the Old Science Building, and she gave me directions."

Just as he was speaking, a car sped past. Seeing it was about to splash water, Yue Zhishi had no time to dodge. He only felt an arm wrap around his waist, and his whole body was pulled aside, avoiding the water.

The car was already far away.

Song Yu's hand didn't immediately let go; it remained on Yue Zhishi's waist. He glanced back at the car, then turned around, his topic still on what Yue Zhishi had just been complaining about. "You can even get lost on Cherry Blossom Avenue."

Perhaps because of his slightly mocking words, Yue Zhishi's ears felt a little hot. He lowered his eyes and said with a lack of confidence, "When the cherry blossoms aren't blooming, I can't tell it's Cherry Blossom Avenue. It's no different from a normal road."

Song Yu found that what he said actually made a bit of sense, so he couldn't be bothered to refute it. He belatedly realized the position of his hand was not quite right and pretended to casually let it drop. "Let's go, we're almost there."

The dormitory building was older than Yue Zhishi had imagined. He used to think that a neat freak like Song Yu probably wouldn't want to live in a dorm, that perhaps he would often go home if he couldn't get used to it, but that thought ultimately came to nothing.

Song Yu greeted the dorm manager auntie and led Yue Zhishi upstairs. The lighting in the corridor wasn't great, but when he opened the dorm room door, the south-facing space was still very bright. There was no one else in the room. Yue Zhishi walked in, looked left and right, and finally stared at their window. He liked it a lot; outside was the lush green, soaked by the rain.

He recognized Song Yu's desk at first glance, with its meticulous style. "Is this your bed?" Yue Zhishi looked up. The bedding was similar to the one at home, a very minimalist smoky grey.

"Mhm." Song Yu put the things down. His clothes were too wet and stuck to his body. He took out two sets of clothes from the wardrobe and gave one to Yue Zhishi. "They're both new, never worn. You can change into them later."

"It's fine even if they've been worn." Yue Zhishi scooped a spoonful of pineapple fried rice into his mouth. The rice was sticky, with nuts and raisins. "This is delicious, a little sweet." He scooped another spoonful and brought it to Song Yu's mouth. "You eat."

Song Yu took a bite but frowned, seemingly not to his liking. Yue Zhishi was puzzled. "You bought it even though you don't like it."

"I've never had it before. This place always has a line, and everyone says it's delicious," Song Yu said casually, then took his clothes and went into the bathroom.

Never had it before.

Yue Zhishi looked down at the pineapple fried rice, poked it twice with his spoon, and something flashed through his mind.

While Song Yu was showering, he sent a WeChat message to Lin Rong, asking if she had gotten on the car yet, but he didn't get a response. However, the other phone on the desk vibrated. The screen lit up; it was Song Yu's. Yue Zhishi accidentally glimpsed the content.

[Daisyyy: Song Yu, I put your umbrella at your workstation. Thanks. I also bought you a cup of milk tea, remember to drink it.]

That uncomfortable feeling surged up again, like endless rain. Yue Zhishi pressed the lock button for him, and the screen went dark. He scanned the desk, looking for something to do. He turned and put the wet hat and umbrella aside for the time being, then opened his backpack, took out the lava yolk pastries and flower cakes that Lin Rong had packed, divided them up, and placed them on Song Yu's roommates' desks.

After finishing the distribution, he also set out the takeout food and used the lid of the thermal container to pour Song Yu a bowl of hot soup. Turning his head, he saw the flowers he bought hanging on the chair. Yue Zhishi took them, shook off the water droplets, and hung them on the wall in front of Song Yu's desk.

It was completely out of place, but it looked very warm and cozy.

He took a photo and sent it to Lin Rong. Staring at his chat screen with Lin Rong, Yue Zhishi thought of the message from just now again, but this time his focus shifted. He just thought Song Yu was amazing for being able to clearly remember who was who without even needing to edit their contact names.

Song Yu came out of the bathroom, still dripping wet but radiating warmth. He had changed into a white shirt, which made him look much softer.

He saw Yue Zhishi sitting at his desk, having unwrapped both pairs of chopsticks and placed them by the bowls. The food on the table was arranged neatly, and snacks were placed on each of his roommates' desks.

This was a scene he had never imagined. A subtle sense of pleasure emerged. Song Yu stood at the bathroom door, lost in thought for a moment.

"You're done showering?" Yue Zhishi turned his head first and smiled at him. "Hurry and eat."

Song Yu dried his hair a bit. "Are you going to shower?"

"I'm hungry. I want to eat something before showering." Yue Zhishi asked if he could borrow a roommate's chair. Song Yu nodded, brought over the chair from the opposite side, placed it next to Yue Zhishi, and sat down.

Yue Zhishi pushed the soup in front of his brother. "Hurry and drink it while it's hot, so you won't catch a cold." There was no scientific basis for such a statement, but Song Yu did as he was told. He lowered his head, drank the soup his mother had made, and listened to Yue Zhishi talk about all sorts of things that happened at school.

"Peiya School is about to hold its 70th anniversary celebration. They're all preparing for it now. It's very lively every day. You could go and see it too." Yue Zhishi ate with gusto. The journey over had left him tired and hungry, and his emotions had been on a rollercoaster. Thankfully, there was good food to comfort him.

Song Yu picked up some sweet and sour pork and put it in his bowl. "Are you guys participating too?"

"How could we? We're already in our third year, with only a month left until the college entrance exams." After speaking, Yue Zhishi leaned back in his chair in self-abandonment. "So tired. I feel like it's been ages since I had a break. I don't get enough sleep every day. I almost fell asleep during the liberal arts monthly exam yesterday."

Song Yu could roughly imagine the scene. There might have even been ink blots he had accidentally jabbed onto the exam paper. It must have been amusing, but he still asked seriously, "How did you do?"

Yue Zhishi came back to life. He sat up straight and took a big gulp of soup. "It was okay, not difficult." As one of the few male liberal arts students in his class, Yue Zhishi's grades were still among the top. It was just that even though he was about to graduate, his habit of reciting texts in the long corridor hadn't changed. Sometimes it was during meal times, sometimes after evening self-study. When he didn't want to study, he would also go there to sit for a while.

He no longer sat on the corridor bench reading comics, and no one ran there to pick him up anymore.

"I want to come to W University too," he suddenly said, the statement seemingly coming out of nowhere.

Song Yu glanced up at him, then lowered his eyes again and cleared away his own bowl and chopsticks. "You can look into more schools and majors."

Yue Zhishi didn't really like that response. It was as if in Song Yu's eyes, he was still a child, and the things he said were just whims. But he also understood that no matter what, Song Yu would never say to him, 'Sure, I'd be very happy if you came.'

He saw the screen of Song Yu's phone light up again and tried to change the subject.

"Just now when you were showering, your phone vibrated. It seemed like someone sent you a message." Yue Zhishi pretended he hadn't seen the content at all, simply reminding Song Yu.

Song Yu hummed in acknowledgment but didn't seem to have any intention of checking it.

"Aren't you going to look?" Yue Zhishi frowned.

"Later."

Yue Zhishi didn't know what his motive was, but anyway, he said it. "That girl who borrowed your umbrella, she bought you milk tea and told you to go drink it."

The moment the words left his mouth, he regretted it. First, it exposed that he had seen the message's content, even if unintentionally. Second, his tone was just too strange.

Song Yu's brow furrowed slightly. He stared at Yue Zhishi's face. "What's wrong with you?"

Running away the moment you saw me, and now being so fixated on a WeChat message.

Yue Zhishi was stumped by his question. He blinked, and then suddenly didn't feel like talking anymore.

The rain fell harder and harder.

"I'm full," he stood up. "Can I go take a shower?"

Of course Song Yu wouldn't say no, nor would he press the matter further. He led Yue Zhishi into the bathroom, gave him the slippers he wore for showering, told him which way to turn for hot water, and finally taught him how to use the very finicky hairdryer.

"This is my roommate's. The connection is a bit faulty. When you hold it, wrap the cord at the bottom around once."

Yue Zhishi said he understood, but he hadn't really been listening. The bathroom was very small, a bit cramped for two people to stand in. Yue Zhishi turned to switch on the shower, but the showerhead was aimed slightly off, spraying right onto him. He panicked and took half a step back, grabbing the hem of his shirt and pulling it off.

Completely forgetting that Song Yu was still behind him.

His back was also very fair and thin, his waist even slenderer than Song Yu had imagined. He seemed a little taller than before, but he still had a boyish frame, with thin wrists and ankles, as if they could snap with a single twist. Realizing he was staring, Song Yu turned his face away. Unexpectedly, in that brief moment, Yue Zhishi slipped on something and his whole body fell backward.

Fortunately, Song Yu just managed to catch him, grabbing his arm.

His heart leaped into his throat.

"I'm okay, I'm okay." Yue Zhishi steadied himself by placing a palm on the wall. "These slippers are a bit slippery."

"Be careful." Song Yu let go, realizing he had gripped too tightly. In that short time, he had left red marks on the back of his arm. He didn't look at Yue Zhishi again and turned around. "I'm leaving. You can shower now."

Although the bathroom environment wasn't great, the water temperature was very comfortable, similar to at home, so Yue Zhishi didn't need to adjust it. He was a bit dazed while showering, his mind constantly replaying the image of Song Yu talking to someone else. He felt he was being a bit ridiculous, as if he didn't want Song Yu to talk to anyone.

But at the same time, he wanted Song Yu to have a better relationship with his roommates and hoped his daily life would go smoothly.

His thoughts were a tangled mess, tied into a dead knot. Yue Zhishi started feeling a bit dizzy from washing, so he quickly rinsed off the suds.

Song Yu had given him a sea-blue T-shirt. There was nothing on the front, and he thought he had put it on backward. He turned it over to look, and the back was printed with a block of cheese, seemingly a collaboration with Tom and Jerry. Yue Zhishi put it on. It was very large and baggy, and if he pulled the collar, half his shoulder would be exposed. He gazed at himself in the mirror; the color made him look even fairer.

But the pants were a bit too big. Yue Zhishi bent down, looked at the baggy pant legs, and rolled up a small cuff. Then he stood up, picked up the hairdryer, and pressed the switch.

Song Yu finished clearing the table and heard the sound of the hairdryer from the bathroom, cutting in and out. He knew his instructions had been for nothing. He stood where he was and didn't go over. He waited for three seconds, and sure enough, the bathroom door opened. Yue Zhishi peeked out with his soaking wet head, an embarrassed expression on his face.

"Brother, I still can't figure out how to use this hairdryer."

In the end, it was Song Yu who dried his hair for him. Yue Zhishi obediently sat in the chair, eyes closed, letting Song Yu run his fingers through his hair. Song Yu's fingers were long, and the feeling of them threading through his hair was very comfortable, giving Yue Zhishi a sense of security he could rely on.

"The color you dyed is fading." Song Yu's fingers twirled a strand of his brown hair. He remembered coming home before and finding that Yue Zhishi had dyed his hair black. It looked a little unlike him, but he hadn't asked much about it at the time, just thinking it was a child's passing whim.

"Mhm." Yue Zhishi hung his head. "Even if the color didn't fade, I would've cut it off. My hair grows too fast."

He thought about it. In his three years of high school up until now, the most rebellious thing he had ever done was dye his hair black that one time.

The reason was even more bizarre. It was just because when Song Yu attended his parent-teacher conference last semester, too many people had said the same thing to him.

You and your brother don't look alike at all.

And that day was his eighteenth birthday.

"Don't dye it anymore. It looks good like this." Song Yu's hand accidentally brushed against the back of Yue Zhishi's long neck, where there was an inconspicuous mole that probably even Yue Zhishi himself didn't know about.

He used to occasionally zone out while looking at this mole. Sometimes, when Yue Zhishi caught him, he would laugh and ask if he had stuck a note on his back, wondering why he was staring.

Song Yu had no penchant for pranks; he just had a strange and complex feeling towards this kind of natural mark.

Something akin to possessiveness.

"You think I don't look good with black hair?"

Just as he finished asking, the phone on Song Yu's desk began to vibrate continuously. Yue Zhishi picked it up for him and passed it back.

Song Yu's train of thought was interrupted. He took the phone; it was a call from his dorm head. He turned off the hairdryer and answered the call.

"He's here. He's in the dorm now. Mhm. I know, I'll have him go back in a little while."

Hearing this, Yue Zhishi, who was sitting in the chair, immediately turned around and shook his head at Song Yu.

The person on the other end of the line seemed to be saying something too. Song Yu walked to the window and looked down.

"Is it flooded already?" Song Yu paused, his voice very low, as if talking to himself. "Then how is he going to leave later..."

Hearing this sentence, Yue Zhishi felt inexplicably happy and also breathed a sigh of relief.

Song Yu didn't say much more before hanging up. Two videos were sent to the roommate group chat: one of a flooded subway station, and the other of rain so heavy you couldn't even hold up an umbrella.

[Chen Fangyuan: The annual sea-viewing has arrived early, comrades. We have ocean-view rooms once again.]

"Is it flooded badly outside?" Yue Zhishi also stood up and ran to the window to take a look. Indeed, the rain was only getting heavier.

"Mhm, there's a red alert today. It might flood completely like last time. It'll be very inconvenient to go out then."

"Then I probably can't go back today." Yue Zhishi's tone was a bit too obvious, completely lacking any regret about not being able to go back, only undisguised delight. But as soon as he turned around, he saw Song Yu picking up his backpack. "What are you doing?"

His tone was like that of a child whose snack had been snatched away right in front of him.

Song Yu unzipped the backpack to check if anything was left inside, but he suddenly noticed, pinned to the inside of this black backpack, was the nameplate he had casually given to Yue Zhishi back then.

The moment he saw his own name, he felt a sense of bewilderment.

"Brother."

Hearing Yue Zhishi's voice, Song Yu snapped back to reality and put down the backpack. "The subway station is flooded now, and it's not safe to travel by car. I don't have a place for you to sleep here. There are a few hotels near the school. I'll see if I can book one."

A blinding white light suddenly flashed outside the window. Yue Zhishi had experienced this many times; his muscle memory made him cover his ears first. Sure enough, in the next instant, a huge clap of thunder cracked down.

Song Yu saw his shoulders tremble, but he still took out his phone to book a hotel.

Seeing him like this, Yue Zhishi felt awful. It was like running around to all sorts of fruit shops, finally finding a crisp peach, and taking a bite full of anticipation, only to find it was soft.

But he was the one who insisted on coming, just like he was the one who bought the peach.

He had to finish it, and every bite was filled with disappointment.

It was currently a holiday period, so hotels around the university were already difficult to book. Coupled with the unusual weather these few days, it was even more inconvenient. Song Yu tapped on a few hotels with good conditions; almost every one was fully booked. He didn't even want to tap on the less desirable ones. Just thinking about their conditions, he didn't want Yue Zhishi to stay in one.

Besides, he had an allergic constitution.

Thinking about the bedsheets in a hotel not being clean enough, and the possible smell of smoke, Song Yu felt that if he let him stay there alone, he himself would probably be the one tossing and turning all night.

Just as he was struggling with the dilemma, his wrist was suddenly grabbed. Yue Zhishi had come to stand in front of him at some point. He was wearing the clothes that Song Yu had bought but never worn, exuding the same scent of shower gel, his hair soft, his eyes innocent.

He called out "Brother" in a very soft voice. "I don't want to stay outside."

The hand gripping his wrist was so fair that its clear blood vessels were visible, pulsing vividly. Song Yu knew very well that such skin would turn red and hot with a single rub. Just like when he was little, the slightest cry would make his face flush, like a fragile peach.

"It's thundering outside. I won't be able to sleep at night." He pleaded with a reason Song Yu found almost impossible to refuse, just like the first time he had barged into his bedroom. It was just that compared to his childhood tears, this method seemed to make it even harder for Song Yu to say no.

It seemed he was even better at guessing Song Yu's thoughts than when he was a child. With one move, he had found his weak spot.

Yue Zhishi looked at him, his large, beautiful eyes filled with pleading, but also with something else, an emotion that could make one's mind play tricks.

"Can I stay here? Just for one night."