Early autumn, the rain poured in torrents.
The gloomy sky seemed about to collapse, and due to the weather, although it was just past five in the afternoon, it had already grown dark.
Xu Qing splashed through the rainwater on the streets, running at full speed, his trouser legs rolled up high, sending sprays of water flying several meters away.
"Xu, didn't bring an umbrella?"
The old man in the security booth had spotted him from afar, running toward him like a wild dog off its leash, and had reached under the desk for an umbrella, waiting for Xu Qing to get close before shaking it to signal him to take it.
"Broke on the way!"
Xu Qing finally reached the large umbrella by the booth, waved to the old man inside without stopping, then looked down at himself, wiping the rain off his face, and said, "Anyway, I'm soaked through, no bother."
Having said that, he adjusted his somewhat loose trouser legs and continued to splish-splash toward the apartment complex.
The old apartment complex was sparsely populated to begin with, and in this kind of weather, no one was to be seen. Sprinting all the way to the entrance of the building, Xu Qing stomped his feet forcefully, bent his head down to squeeze the water from the hem of his clothing, and searched his pockets for his keys as he entered the building.
In the dim stairwell, the sound-activated lights turned on due to the stomping, and the figure by his own door made Xu Qing pause.
It was a girl, leaning against the wall, warily glancing at the light, then coldly looking back at him, her face filled with caution.
Several strands of hair stuck to her cheeks, dripping water at the tips, indicating she too had braved the rain...
What made him stare wasn't the girl herself, but her attire; she was dressed up as an ancient swordsman—wearing a retro-style coarse linen garment, with a sword held vertically in her left hand, her right on the hilt, and straw sandals on her feet... tattered and showing her toes.
Dedicated.
Quite dedicated.
Seeing those shabby straw sandals, Xu Qing couldn't help but silently praise them. Giving them a quick glance, he continued to fish for his keys, ready to open his door.
Seeing his movement, the girl suddenly tensed up, her face even more guarded, her body slightly bent as though ready to spring, and in a strange accent she commanded, "Stop right there!"
"..."
Xu Qing shook the keys in his hand and gestured with his mouth toward the door, "This is my place."
He paused, feeling somewhat helpless.
Did he really look like a bad guy?
Just a few meters away, and he scared her like that...
As he watched the girl slowly back away, Xu Qing felt even more offended, as if his day had gone to the dogs.
"Uh..."
He opened his mouth to speak then shut it, went over to unlock and open his door, then gave her one more glance. The wariness on her small face hadn't diminished in the slightest. Xu Qing had never seen such a look before, filled with extreme caution, like a prickly little hedgehog.
Leaving this bizarre girl outside, he locked the door behind him, quickly stripped off his wet clothes, and headed to the bathroom for a shower.
The water flowed down warmly, refreshing his whole body.
A hot shower after getting drenched, followed by lounging in pajamas with a bottle of soda at hand, hissing as it's opened... Pure bliss.
"Winter Melon, come here."
Drinking his cola, he wasn't idle; he turned on the television with the remote and went to the corner cabinet to fetch cat food, filling Winter Melon's bowl.
Winter Melon was originally a stray cat found skinny and huddled on the wall of the complex two years ago, watched by Xu Qing for several days, then lured down on an auspicious day with a sausage, and brought home to be petted.
...A perfectly normal small wild cat had been fed into an indolent, obese shut-in, scurrying over now to eat its meal.
Outside there was wind, and rain; inside, there was soda, and a cat.
Xu Qing stretched lazily, glanced outside the window, picked up his phone to order a 'Happy Meal' set with a burger, chicken wrap, and cola, completing the ritual.
Two flashes of lightning split the sky, the dull rumble of thunder approaching from afar, the rain growing heavier. He glanced at the time, then at the door of his room, pondering for a moment before fetching an umbrella from within and peering out through the peephole.
He didn't see the hedgehog-like girl.
Creak.
He opened the door and peered out, looking straight into those cold eyes and her defensive stance a few steps away.
"Um..."
Feeling awkward, this was the first time he'd been on the receiving end of such wolf-proof caution.
"It's getting dark, and this rain doesn't look like it's going to stop anytime soon, if your home isn't far..." Xu Qing revealed a self-assured gentle smile, gesturing with the umbrella in his hand.
Seeing the girl unmoved, he cocked his head, continuing, "If it's far, you could call your family to pick you up—I can help you find security. Look at you, all wet, you should hurry home..."
Despite being drenched, the girl still had an air of valiant charm about her, her brows and eyes brimming with spiritedness—it's likely she wasn't from around here, otherwise he would definitely remember her.
"Where is this?" the girl finally spoke, her odd accent ever-present as she gripped the hilt of her battered sword.
Xu Qing, holding the umbrella by the door, looked at her and made a few guesses, "This is Jiahe Community, Beiwang Road."
"..."
"..."
The two of them looked at each other, the girl slightly furrowing her brows and, after pondering for a moment, asked again, "Who are you?"
"..."
This question left Xu Qing at a loss for words.
A kind-hearted neighbor?
Crazy!
"Just call me Handsome," he lifted his eyelids and said, "Do you want the umbrella? If not, I'm taking it back."
"Salt Gang."
The girl looked uncertain, eying the black long umbrella in his hand; finally, she relaxed a bit, loosening her grip on the sword hilt, and greeted with a fist-and-palm salute, "I am a disciple of the Salt Gang. I do not know how I came to be here..."
"..."
"..."
Xu Qing blinked.
Definitely crazy.
"Which school are you from? ...Never mind, I'll just call security to see what can be done."
It was supposed to be the simple act of handing an umbrella; he hadn't expected to encounter a teenage girl caught up in a cosplay that she couldn't snap out of.
He glanced again at the girl in the hallway, dressed in coarse hemp clothes, her hair tied back with a string and standing with her sword in a martial artist's salute, entirely in a wuxia vibe. He shrugged helplessly and retreated back into his room to look for his phone.
Staying outside in the rain all night, or wandering about in the dark rain later, she might end up in tomorrow's news...
Xu Qing picked up the phone from the sofa, found the security uncle's number and dialed, meanwhile waving the girl to come in.
"Hello, hello, Mr. Zhao, can you hear me?"
After two beeps, the call connected. The girl stood at the doorway without coming in, curiously yet warily watching him on the phone.
"Hello? Hello? Mr. Zhao, I..."
"LOOKING FOR A JOB!!! Where to go??? Look for a job..."
The TV suddenly switched to a loud commercial, startling Xu Qing; the girl at the door was similarly frightened, and then...
Bang!
Crack!
Sssss...
The TV on the wall emitted blue smoke, a diamond-shaped Iron Dart embedded in its center.
"Hello, Xu? What's going on?" the security uncle's voice came from the phone.
Clang!
The girl's Longsword left its sheath, a flash of cold light gleaming.
Xu Qing glanced at the TV, then back at the startled girl who had stepped back, sword in hand, watching him, rooted to the spot.
"..."
"..."
"Xu?"
"It's nothing, you go on."