Chapter 7
Once Yu Le passed through the rain curtain, he realized that the intensity of the rain was much greater than he had initially perceived. The raindrops came down with a forceful impact, creating bubbles in the accumulating water on the ground.
In his haste, he hadn’t noticed that he was using an oiled paper umbrella until he opened it. His impression of oiled paper umbrellas was tainted by a previous experience during a trip to a coastal ancient town, where such umbrellas were more decorative than functional. Just a little water would ruin them. Seeing this umbrella now, he felt a pang of unease.
Fortunately, this umbrella was different from the flimsy one he remembered. The ribs were sturdy, and the oiled paper held up well, effectively shielding him from the heavy rain. It performed better than a more expensive umbrella he had bought.
Could this be a local specialty?
Yu Le wondered if he should consider buying one to take home.
With no one around on the street, Yu Le couldn’t ask for directions. He had to rely on his phone and clumsily search for a place under the eaves. After some stops and checks, he finally found the second guesthouse in town amidst the downpour.
He dashed under the eaves, and his pants got wet around the hem.
The umbrella was dripping, and to avoid dirtying the floor, he left it propped up against the doorpost.
The owner of this guesthouse was also a young man. He wore thin-framed glasses and was sitting behind the counter with his head lowered. Upon hearing the noise, he looked up. His face was handsome, with a cold, otherworldly aura that resembled the purity of plum blossoms and snow.
This mountain truly nurtures unique individuals.
Yu Le approached and was about to speak when—
“Ah! Welcome!”
The young owner stood up, his mouth curving into a smile and his eyes brightening. The cold, ethereal aura vanished, replaced by a lively and slightly playful demeanor.
“Are you here for accommodation?”
Yu Le: “…”
Strange people.
“Yes,” Yu Le said as he reached the counter.
“Do you have any rooms available?”
Wen Yuan smiled broadly, “Yes, of course. How many rooms do you need?”
Yu Le privately sighed in relief, “Just one.”
“Great!”
Wen Yuan quickly typed on the keyboard, then asked, “May I have your ID card, please? How many days will you be staying?”
Yu Le handed over his ID card, “Two months.”
The sound of typing stopped abruptly.
Wen Yuan looked up, adjusted his glasses, and did not take the ID card, “Two months?”
Yu Le’s heart sank, “Yes.”
Wen Yuan blinked, “I’m sorry, but during the summer, we have many reservations, and we don’t have any rooms available for such a long duration. I recommend you try Mr. Lu’s place at the end of the street. They’ve just reopened, so they should still have rooms.”
Yu Le knew there were vacant rooms there, but if he could stay there, he wouldn’t have needed to come out in this heavy rain.
He took back his ID card, still holding a glimmer of hope, “Besides your place and Mr. Lu’s at the end of the street, are there any other guesthouses in town?”
Wen Yuan said seriously, “Yes.”
Yu Le’s eyes lit up.
Wen Yuan continued, “But none can accommodate a two-month stay. The longest would be three to five days.”
Yu Le was left speechless, staring blankly at the owner. He muttered a thank you in disappointment and left.
As soon as Yu Le left, Wen Yuan immediately sat back down and dialed the earlier number. “Brother Lu, the task is complete. The pretty boy is on his way back!”
Lu Yao did not correct the nickname, “No slip-ups?”
Wen Yuan: “Perfectly seamless! By the way, does he have a cold? I noticed his voice was hoarse. If he’s sick, it’s best not to let him be out in this weather.”
Lu Yao: “Not a cold.”
Wen Yuan: “What then? Born sick?”
Lu Yao: “Hoarse from crying.”
Wen Yuan: “?”
Just after hanging up, the door creaked open.
As Lu Yao looked up, he saw not Yu Le but a young man with a backpack, who was completely soaked, likely having forgotten his umbrella when leaving.
When Yu Le returned to the guesthouse, Lu Yao was busy checking in a new guest. The new guest’s backpack looked familiar; Yu Le recognized him as the young man who had helped him with his luggage when he boarded the bus.
The young man also recognized Yu Le, his eyes widening in surprise, “What a coincidence, you’re staying here too?”
Yu Le nodded and quickly averted his gaze when Lu Yao looked over, straightening his back and walking toward the backyard without looking sideways.
“Classmate?” Lu Yao asked casually.
“No,” the young man replied, wiping the rain off his face with a tissue from the counter, “We were on the same bus when we came, just recognized each other.”
Yu Le wasn’t good at remembering people, usually needing to see someone in the same outfit several times before he could remember their face. But this young man was an exception—his distinct looks made him hard to forget.
Lu Yao finished entering the information, handed over the key and ID card, and said, “Your room is on the third floor of the backyard, the first one.”
“Okay, thanks,” the young man said.
Yu Le was even more exhausted after going out—physically and mentally drained. He lay on the bed, contemplating whether to stay or leave, but couldn’t decide.
The noise from the rain outside made it hard for him to think clearly, and he inadvertently fell asleep.
When he woke up, it was already dark, and the rain had significantly reduced, no longer overpowering the sound of the eaves.
His stomach growled with hunger, but he had no appetite. The nap had left him feeling weak, with a heavy head and shoulders.
He wanted to take a shower but had to sit up for a while before he could slowly move to the door to retrieve his suitcase.
Before he even opened it, he noticed something was wrong.
His luggage, which contained valuable items like a tablet and a small sewing machine, had always been locked. However, this suitcase was unlocked.
A bad premonition arose. When Yu Le opened the suitcase, he found it was packed with women’s clothes in disarray, with a large, deformed bra on top.
Yu Le was instantly overwhelmed.
He had taken the wrong suitcase!
This wasn’t his at all!
Upon closer inspection, aside from the color, this suitcase was completely different from his. He was dazed to have made such a mistake.
What now?
The tablet contained many of his design drafts, and besides his ID, all his important documents and cards were in it. Losing them would be disastrous.
Yu Le, feeling lost, heard footsteps in the corridor outside and, desperate, rushed out to find Lu Yao.
Lu Yao’s room was around the corner from the corridor towards the yard, very close to Yu Le’s room. As Yu Le opened the door, his clothing was suddenly grabbed, and he turned to see the young man looking flustered.
Lu Yao asked, “What’s wrong?”
Yu Le spoke hurriedly, “I, I took the wrong suitcase. It’s the one from the bus I came on. Can it be retrieved?”
Lu Yao thought for a moment and gave a reassuring answer, “Yes, wait a moment.”
He remembered the name of the bus company and quickly found their contact information online. Since this route had infrequent services, it was easy to pinpoint which bus had left today.
Lu Yao called the bus company, calmly explaining the situation to the operator.
Yu Le stood by, his eyes fixed on Lu Yao, anxious and silent, putting all his hope in him.
Seeing Yu Le like this, Lu Yao was reminded of his younger sister, Lu Xingxing.
When Lu Xingxing got into trouble at school, she had to contact the teacher, but out of fear, she came to him instead.
While Lu Yao was on the phone with the teacher, Lu Xingxing had stared at him with the same expression Yu Le had now.
The difference was that Lu Xingxing had made him want to scold her, whereas Yu Le didn’t warrant that.
He had to comfort and soothe him.
“How is it?” Yu Le asked as Lu Yao hung up, “Can it really be found?”
Lu Yao replied, “Yes. A passenger from your bus contacted the bus company this afternoon about the luggage mix-up. However, that passenger is too far away, so the bus company arranged for the next bus to return the luggage.”
“Great,” Yu Le said, relieved, “When is the next bus?”
Lu Yao answered, “In eight days.”
“…Eight days?!” Yu Le was stunned.
Eight days meant he would be without his belongings for that long.
No, the immediate concern was his clothes. What would he wear tomorrow? Were there any clothing stores in town?
Feeling disheartened, he didn’t notice Lu Yao returning to his room and coming back with a neatly folded set of pajamas.
Lu Yao said, “Wear these for now. They’re clean, just a bit old. We’ll find something better for you tomorrow.”
Yu Le took the clothes. The cotton fabric felt soft and comfortable against his palms.
Holding the clothes, he awkwardly said, “Thank you.”
Lu Yao replied, “No problem.”
He felt there should be more to say, but Yu Le couldn’t think of anything appropriate.
His back grew stiff again. Just as he was contemplating whether to go back, a calm and soothing voice came from above:
“Yu Le.”
This was the first time Yu Le heard his name spoken by Lu Yao, with a tone as natural as if it had been used countless times before.
In the quiet night of the small mountain town, with only the ticking sound of the rain, Lu Yao’s voice had a strangely calming effect on Yu Le.
Yu Le looked up to see Lu Yao standing under the eaves, looking at him calmly. His eyes, dark and tranquil, seemed to blend with the smoky night.
“I hadn’t it tell you before, but my name is Lu Yao.”
