A Short Story After the Rain

The rain intensified, turning into a downpour.

The two were trapped in the dimly lit abandoned factory and could only wait for the rain to stop before they could leave.

Jiang Ling lifted the "King of Bronze and Fire" with one hand and carefully placed it on the high shelf of the factory. Then he took out his phone and turned on the flashlight.

"Ugh, it's all your fault... If you hadn't stopped the car, we would have left... Ah-choo~"

Li Meiyu pouted and sat down next to him, dissatisfied.

Suddenly, a draft rushed into the warehouse.

The cold, stimulating sensation made her sneeze, and she clung to Jiang Ling, shivering.

"Ugh, it's so cold >_<"

Jiang Ling sighed, took off her coat and tossed it to her, "Here you go."

"Hmm... Hmph~ You're quite sweet-hearted~", Li Meiyu's heart inexplicably raced, and she hummed softly as she prepared to put it on.

"Um?"

"Liuliu, why did you give Miyu your wet jacket?!"

"I didn't ask you to wear it, I just asked you to hold it."

Li Meiyu:......

"Idiot~ Can't you be a little more considerate? She's a girl..."

"cannot."

Li Meiyu:......

Hoohoo! Miu's angry! Get ready for Miu's "Miu Scrambled Egg Fist"!

In her mind, Li Meiyu fantasized about beating up the stinky blond guy until he knelt down and cried, "Meiyu Mommy~ I know I was wrong..."

Inside the factory and warehouse, many shrubs and weeds grew, and quite a few died.

In less than ten minutes, he had brought back a large handful.

"You're collecting these to start a fire... Did you bring a lighter?" Miyu asked curiously.

"without."

Jiang Ling placed a large piece of wood on the floor, squatted down, picked up a small stick, and slowly rubbed a small hole while finding the right angle.

Seeing this, Li Meiyu couldn't help but laugh, "Idiot~ You think starting a fire by rubbing sticks together is that simple?"

"You need to put very fine sawdust in the next step..."

bass--

He lunged forward, and flames immediately shot up. Seeing this, he quickly added dry grass, twigs, and large pieces of rotten wood...

Li Meiyu:?

Okay, you're strong...you're awesome.

As the fire gradually stabilized, Jiang Ling took off her clothes and placed them aside to warm herself. Turning her head, she asked:

"Aren't you going to dry your clothes? Be careful not to catch a cold."

"I..." Li Meiyu hesitated, then whispered, "You...you're not allowed to look at Meiyu..."

"Don't worry, I'm not a lolicon..." Jiang Ling said guiltily.

"Tch~ Nobody would believe that!" Li Meiyu scoffed.

Her delicate white hands slowly unbuttoned her shirt, then took off her wet chiffon skirt and draped it beside the fire.

She also took off her wet, white silk stockings and handed them to Jiang Ling.

Jiang Ling: ……

What are you doing?

"Hmph... You were staring at Miu's feet the whole time... You must have been thinking about something lewd, weren't you?"

"So I'll lend you my socks."

"But if I use socks, I can't use Meiyu, right..." Li Meiyu smiled mischievously, deliberately teasing Jiang Ling.

Hey, you're already halfway down, yet you're still so arrogant!

Besides, if a beautiful woman is taking off her shoes next to you, wouldn't a normal person be able to resist taking a look?

Appreciate ✓

Sigh... too!

Whoosh—whoosh—the tin roof rattled loudly as it was blown.

A cold wind blew in again, making Miyu shiver and instinctively move closer to him.

[Beep! A normal event point has been detected. Options are now available!]

Option 1: A heartless man

[Synopsis: He kicked Miyu out and left her soaked in the torrential rain, causing her to catch a high fever and catch a cold the next day, ultimately leading to her death.]

[Reward: Stand - Rainbow Catcher]

Option Two: A Passionate Man

[Synopsis: They treated Miyu like a human gift, throwing her into the fire and burning her.]

[Reward: Miyu Soap (a soap with Miyu's scent molecules, the kind you can't finish)]

Option 3: A warm-hearted man

[Synopsis: He holds Miyu in his arms to warm her, exchanging body heat.]

[Reward: Skill - Mind Reading (Low chance to hear a woman's thoughts; the more silent the woman, the higher the chance of hearing her thoughts)]

[Attention! "Pure Love Fragments" and "Unlimited Energy Cards" have been distributed to your system space. Please check them promptly...]

Jiang Ling: ……

Enough already, it's not the first or second time, the choice is still the same—three!

……

"Ugh, Miu's so cold >_<, Doraemon, you need to think of something..."

A gust of cold wind blew, and goosebumps rose on her fair forearms.

Even... was so huddled up that it was uncomfortable, so in order not to be seen, it had to hug itself and curl up behind the fire.

Jiang Ling stood up, walked behind Mei Yu, picked her up like a ball, and carried her step by step to a seat in a sheltered spot.

"Ugh, you stinky blondie... what are you doing?" Li Meiyu nudged him with her elbow, muttering, "Don't... touch me! Or I'll bite you to death!"

"You're just plain stupid," Jiang Ling retorted, speechless.

"Didn't you see the fire drifting towards you? No wonder you're cold sitting right by the air vent!"

"I……"

"Okay, don't move, just like this..." Jiang Ling whispered.

The warm breath she exhaled brought a faint blush to her earlobes.

"Ugh... you stinky blondie, still saying you don't like Miyu? Being able to hug Miyu is an honor for you for the rest of your life!"

"Yes, yes, yes, I like Miyuki the most, right?"

Jiang Ling pondered for a moment, thinking about what to say so that her advances wouldn't seem too abrupt.

—Miyu, you seem to have onychomycosis (fungal nail infection). Let me massage your feet…

—Miyu, there's mud on the back of your feet…

—Miyu, do you have a mole on the sole of your foot...?

Miu...

[My favorite... my favorite is Miu? You bastard, you idiot! You stinky blondie! What are you saying all of a sudden... Ugh... I hate it... My heart is beating so fast...]

Li Meiyu's mind nearly went blank. She couldn't help but swallow hard and ask herself:

—Does Miu like him...?

—He's clearly a terrible person; he coerces Miyu and even abuses her…

But why, why can't I bring myself to hate it...?

"You stinky blondie, do you...do you know anything about 'adrenergic rash'?" For some reason, Li Meiyu suddenly asked.

"Adrenal redness?" Jiang Ling asked, puzzled. "Why are you asking that?"

"Uh...it's nothing, I was just saying it offhand," Li Meiyu said, lowering her head.

Ugh, why bother telling that stinky blond guy about this...

No matter how strong he is, he's still just a person; saying anything would only harm him.

"Stinky yellow hair."

"Um?"

"Was what you said about hypnotizing Kexin before a lie?" Li Meiyu asked, hugging her knees.

Actually, after spending these days together, she realized that someone with that stinky blond hair wouldn't force a girl to do that kind of thing!

"But why do you have those photos of Kexin?"

"Or do you have some other identity...?"

These words sent a chill down Jiang Ling's spine. His mind raced, and he said:

"Last time I took your phone, I found a photo of you and Kexin together, and I photoshopped it."

"I just wanted to punish you, who knew..."

"Hmph! I knew it!" Li Meiyu pouted, her frustration dissipating, and couldn't help but let out a soft hum.

"You idiot, you stinky blondie! I just felt that photo looked familiar. And how could such a cute and shy girl like Kexin send you a photo like that!"

Jiang Ling chuckled and said, "Yes, yes, I'm so sorry that the clever and lovely Meiyu noticed..."

"How much do you... like Miyu?" Li Miyu asked softly, her face flushed.

Jiang Ling: ?

Wait a minute, did I sound like I was confessing my feelings when I just said that?

I didn't confess my feelings!

"You... let me touch you, and I'll tell you," Jiang Ling said, resorting to underhanded tactics.

He originally thought that Miyu would curse and swear as usual.

That way he can take advantage of the situation in a "joking" way.

For example, touching someone's hand or face.

However, Li Meiyu nodded gently, her pretty face slightly flushed, and tilted her delicate neck back, whispering:

"Then...then you can touch it. After you're done...tell Miyu that you want to hear the truth."

Jiang Ling: ? ? ?

Wait a minute, visual novels aren't like this...

However, since she's already let me touch her neck, refusing would be considered insensitive.

"Hiss~"

"Hmm... your hands are too hot..."