Raining? I’ll Pick You Up

Prism truly lived up to its reputation as a veteran set-construction company; the scenery it built was impeccable.

After the adaptation, the script for *Seal the Heart* placed greater emphasis on Yu Qing’s early story at Beizhou Dock. Prism’s sets happened to be perfectly suited to that section.

Ke Wei was on site, phone in hand, snapping photos from every angle as she murmured to herself.

“This angle catches the light nicely; that one isn’t bad either..."

Now that the set was in place and the cast had been confirmed, all that remained was to lock in the official start date.

Li Xingqing didn’t receive the relevant notice until Thursday night. Filming was set for Sunday; they only needed to arrive on location Saturday.

The message had been sent in a group chat, brief and to the point. Li Xingqing had only glanced down a little more carefully and noticed that the place arranged for the crew to stay didn’t seem to be a hotel, but rather... a nearby rental house?

This was Li Xingqing’s first time participating in something like this. Although she had always aspired to this path, family and school had kept her from truly experiencing much of it; she mostly knew about it without ever really feeling it.

Seeing this, she temporarily set aside her doubts and opened the app to book a ticket.

The filming location was in a relatively remote district of D City; it was roughly a hundred or two hundred kilometers from the hotel where they were staying during prep. A high-speed train should have gotten her there in half an hour.

Unfortunately, after tapping through the ticketing app and scrolling up and down over and over, she had to admit defeat.

The already limited number of trains was entirely waitlisted at this hour; there was simply no suitable ticket to buy.

She was hesitating over whether to just take a taxi straight there when she suddenly heard a kitten meowing. The sound came from the direction of the door, thin and soft, with a coaxing little tail on the end. She looked up and saw a black shadow squeeze through a gap nearby; it trotted familiarly to her side, sat down, and tilted its head to stare at her.

“Xiao Hei?”

She tucked her phone back into her pocket and bent down to stroke the little black cat that had somehow appeared from nowhere; only then did she realize that she was really about to part with Xiao Hei.

[If separation is destined, then it’s better not to begin.]

Xi Zhen’s words from yesterday suddenly echoed in her mind. Li Xingqing couldn’t help but think that, yes, she and Xiao Hei were indeed going to say goodbye; but would she regret this friendship with Xiao Hei, this stretch of days?

Of course not!

Li Xingqing immediately gave herself a negative answer in her heart. No matter what, she would never regret it, whether it was Xiao Hei or anything else. She wasn’t afraid of beginning, wasn’t afraid of investing herself, and wasn’t afraid that one day she might lose it.

Xiao Hei seemed to sense that it was about to part from its good friend. Today, it was even more affectionate than usual, circling Li Xingqing’s hand again and again with its tail held straight up, occasionally rubbing the tip of its head against her fingers.

At first Li Xingqing thought it was starving, but when she bought food for it, Xiao Hei only lowered its head to sniff, then looked back up at her without taking a single bite. It still lingered around her, rubbing against her calves and looping its tail around her ankles, wordlessly expressing its reluctance to let go.

If only she could take it with her!

That thought flashed through Li Xingqing’s mind.

But it was quickly dismissed. She couldn’t make a decision like that for her own sake alone.

Besides, even if she really adopted Xiao Hei, she couldn’t guarantee that she would be able to give it the companionship it deserved. After all, she didn’t even know where she would be going next, didn’t even know where she’d be tomorrow; what right did she have to promise a cat a whole lifetime?

Li Xingqing suddenly felt powerless, like a drowning person who couldn’t reach the lifeline no matter what.

She didn’t have much time left. It wouldn’t be long before Madam Yin probably discovered her deception.

By then, she might not even be able to make decisions about herself, let alone about Xiao Hei.

Her mood turned irritable all at once, perhaps because she couldn’t bear leaving this place, perhaps because of the uncertainty of the future.

As she stroked Xiao Hei, the urge to confide rose in her.

D City had been overcast and rainy for several days; even the treetops seemed to be heavy with moisture.

Amid the damp air, Li Xingqing stroked Xiao Hei and spoke word by word; what she said was probably not all that coherent, things even she might not fully understand.

“Sorry. I can’t keep you by my side.”

“I’m leaving; it might be somewhere very far away, or it might be somewhere close.”

“Xiao Hei, will I ever get the chance to see you again?”

She laughed after asking, but Xiao Hei seemed to understand. It lifted its head and glanced at her; its golden eyes were round and bright, and then it blinked slowly, as if making some sort of promise. Looking into those eyes, Li Xingqing suddenly felt her nose turn a little sour.

Maybe Li Xingqing was just naturally sentimental. Even with a face that looked almost cold, the softness in her heart would spill out from her eyes and tell others what a tender person she was.

Right now she was sitting on the steps; the wind passed by and tangled around the roots of her hair.

She had said too much. Xiao Hei was very well-behaved, quietly crouching there, occasionally licking its paw and keeping her company in silence.

The moon was hidden behind the clouds, and even the stars had stopped shining.

The surroundings were pitch-black. Li Xingqing realized that she ought to leave.

She got up, straightened her clothes, threw away the trash from the food she’d given it, and after saying goodbye to Xiao Hei again and again, she left.

“Goodbye, Xiao Hei. If we’re meant to meet again, then we probably will.” She stood up, turned, and walked away; after a few steps, she looked back once more.

Filming was scheduled to start on Sunday, so there was no work on Friday.

Quite a few people from the crew had already left the hotel. Li Xingqing rarely got to sleep this well; when she woke up, it was already almost afternoon.

She casually tidied herself up, then gathered the half-grown hair at the back of her head into a small knot.

The curtains were drawn open; outside, rain was pouring down in torrents.

After several continuous days of overcast drizzle, the weather was finally showing the full force of a summer downpour.

Li Xingqing packed her luggage and went downstairs to call a car.

D City wasn’t a particularly developed city; there weren’t many ride-hailing cars to begin with.

On top of that, the rain showed no sign of letting up; in fact, it seemed to be getting heavier.

Li Xingqing waited for more than an hour, and not a single driver accepted the order.

The rain was coming down too hard. Even though it was only afternoon, the sky outside looked like evening.

The darkened sky, the fierce sound of rain; Li Xingqing began to feel uneasy.

If it really didn’t work out, she thought, then she’d just explain the situation to Ke Wei.

“Teacher Xingqing?”

A voice sounded behind her. Hearing her name, Li Xingqing turned around.

It was an acquaintance; Bai Mo.

Li Xingqing returned the greeting. Over this period, she had gotten along with the people on set; if not exactly thick as thieves, then at least to the point where they could greet each other like familiar friends.

Besides, Bai Mo was a good person. Usually he was loose and casual, but when it came to work, he was very serious.

As the male lead, he often communicated with Li Xingqing. Although he would sometimes raise certain requests for revisions, it wasn’t out of a deliberate need to stand out or force his image into place; he was genuinely serving the whole script.

Li Xingqing had a very good impression of him. Even when they didn’t talk about work, they could still chat a bit.

“Teacher Xingqing, you haven’t left yet? The rain’s heavy out there; be careful.” Bai Mo reminded her kindly.

“Mm, okay.” Li Xingqing nodded, not mentioning the miserable fact that she still hadn’t managed to get a car.

Bai Mo clearly still had things to do, so he didn’t linger and chat much. He took a call and hurried off.

“Hello, sis, I’m here, I’m here..."

Xi Zhen was already waiting for him at the entrance. Ke Wei had gone to the crew site first; with the rain this heavy, Xi Zhen drove Ke Wei’s car to pick Bai Mo up.

As soon as he got in the car, Bai Mo started sighing with emotion.

“It’s raining so hard. Who knows when it’ll stop.”

“The forecast says it’ll probably go on all night. Ak told me to come pick you up first; get yourself ready for tomorrow’s start-up shoot.”

“Got it, got it. Lucky I’ve got sis around, or I’d probably be trapped in the hotel, some big-name male lead who can’t even make it to the opening shoot.” Bai Mo exaggerated shamelessly and put on a performance right there and then.

“Enough, stop spouting nonsense. How well have you memorized the script?” Xi Zhen said, one hand on the wheel, still glancing at the rearview mirror. The rain was too heavy; the mirror was covered in water droplets, making it hard to see clearly.

“Backwards and forwards, I know it by heart.” Bai Mo puffed himself up without a trace of modesty and thumped his chest. “Leave it to me; you can relax.”

Seeing his smug little expression, Xi Zhen tugged at the corner of her mouth and left him alone.

But Bai Mo was a chatterbox, unable to keep his mouth still for even a moment; he immediately began rambling about everything under the sun.

From today’s rain to yesterday’s meal, from yesterday’s meal to who forgot their lines at the table read the day before, from the table read the day before to a cold joke he’d seen online. Xi Zhen answered whenever she felt like it; most of the time she just gave a quiet “Mm” to show that she really was listening.

“Today I saw that rain... oh, right, I also just saw Teacher Xingqing in the lobby.” Bai Mo mentioned it casually, as if he were bringing it up by accident.

Xi Zhen’s hand paused on the steering wheel. “Hm?” After listening to him spout nonsense for so long, she suddenly heard a familiar name. “Li Xingqing?” she asked.

“Yeah, who else? But Teacher Xingqing seemed to be trying to get a car; not sure if she managed..."

As if she could!

If she’d managed to get one, would Xi Zhen still need to drive two hours over here to pick Bai Mo up?

That kid really was... Xi Zhen shook her head helplessly.

She suddenly thought of seeing Li Xingqing yesterday, sitting alone on the steps and looking down as she stroked the cat. She was clearly tall when she stood up, yet somehow looked like a small little bundle.

“Screeeech—” Tires scraped hard against the road.

Bai Mo, who had been talking to himself a second ago, was stunned. His body lurched forward, then bounced back. “We’re here? So close?”

Didn’t they say it was a hundred or two hundred kilometers? His sister had barely driven half an hour.

“Not yet; just sit tight.” Xi Zhen replied, then turned the wheel in a wide arc and made a U-turn.

“Oh, okay.” Bai Mo, who still didn’t have a driver’s license, obediently shut his mouth and sat properly.

He stared out the window for a while, and the more he looked, the stranger it felt. Why did this road look more and more familiar? Wasn’t this the same road they’d just come down?

Was his sister heading back to the hotel? Did she forget something? He opened his mouth, wanting to ask, but held back.

Sure enough, the car stopped at the hotel entrance; the windshield wipers were still sweeping back and forth with a creaking sound. Xi Zhen said to Bai Mo, “Move to the back.”

Bai Mo was baffled. “Why?” Even if they were putting something away, they could put it in the back seat too.

“Go.”

“Oh.” Bai Mo hurried around to the back seat, opened the door, and climbed in; his movements were neat and brisk, so fast it looked like he was fleeing for his life. He sat down, fastened his seat belt, then pressed against the window, trying to see what his sister was up to.

Xi Zhen opened the car door, unfolded her umbrella, and walked into the rain. As soon as she entered the lobby, a familiar back of the head came into view.

The small knot tied earlier had been rubbed a little messy, but that person’s back was still straight, like a stalk of green bamboo.

“Li Xingqing.” Xi Zhen’s clear voice rang out. So it seemed the magic of a name needed the matching mage to cast it.

Hearing that voice, Li Xingqing’s heart trembled almost instinctively. She turned her head and happened to see Xi Zhen standing behind her, wearing a black thin jacket, her hair loose and dampened by the rain mist, a few strands stuck to the side of her face.

Their eyes met; the sound of the rain gradually seemed to be drowned out by the thump-thump of her heartbeat. Li Xingqing wanted to press a hand to her chest, but her hand froze there, not knowing where to put itself.

Before she could speak, Xi Zhen was already walking over.

“Couldn’t get a car? Come on; I’ll take you.” She reached out and took hold of the handle of Li Xingqing’s suitcase.

“...Thank you, Sister.” Li Xingqing was rarely this obedient, and she thanked her properly and seriously.

Xi Zhen smiled at that; the smile climbed from the corner of her lips all the way to her brows. “Why are you being so good?”

The trunk opened, and Xi Zhen lifted Li Xingqing’s suitcase and put it inside. The suitcase felt so light it was almost empty; it barely seemed to weigh anything. Xi Zhen glanced at it, raised an eyebrow, and said nothing.

“You sit in the front. Bai Mo’s in the back.”

“Okay.” Li Xingqing opened the front passenger door and got in.

The car door shut, cutting off the wind and rain outside.

Bai Mo had already sensed something was off when he saw Li Xingqing through the car window; now he was even harder pressed to keep the corners of his mouth from twitching.

Fortunately, Li Xingqing didn’t have the time to look at him at all.

But quiet was impossible; Bai Mo promptly reverted to his chatterbox nature, his mouth moving nonstop like it had been wound up with a key.

Xi Zhen knew what he was like and usually didn’t bother with him.

But Li Xingqing was riding in someone else’s car right now, and in her own view, Xi Zhen was Bai Mo’s assistant. That meant she’d borrowed Bai Mo’s favor; it wouldn’t be right to ignore him completely, so she could only go along with the conversation.

“Teacher Xingqing, what was your MBTI again?” Bai Mo asked, leaning on the back of the seat and tilting his head.

“...ISTJ.”

“A blue old man; the legendary most qualified corporate drone!” His pitch rose half a note, carrying an excitement that said, I knew it.

“Bai Mo!” Xi Zhen warned coldly from the side. Her voice wasn’t loud, but it was devastating.

Bai Mo immediately sounded like a duck with its neck pinched, his voice catching in his throat with a short, strangled “uh.” He wilted a little, shrinking back into the rear seat, but he still wasn’t willing to give up; his mouth opened and closed, as if preparing the next wave of attack.

Instead, it was Li Xingqing beside him who noticed something was off. This assistant of Xi Zhen’s... didn’t quite look like an assistant.

It was Bai Mo in the back who was astute enough to explain a couple of things. “Teacher Xingqing, don’t be scared; Sister Zhen’s just like this.”

A Li Xingqing who wasn’t scared at all: “......”

A Xi Zhen who heard Bai Mo digging himself deeper: “......” She fought hard to suppress the urge to kick Bai Mo out of the car and began trying to salvage things for herself.

“Bai Mo is new in the industry. The boss told me to keep an eye on him, so I may say a few extra things.”

“Oh, okay.” Li Xingqing replied awkwardly.

Although that explanation sounded perfectly reasonable, she still felt that something about it was off?

Author’s Note:

Li Xingqing: You came specifically to pick me up?

Xi Zhen: I was just passing by

Bai Mo: an all-seeing gaze