Chapter 8: Rain Between Us
The morning air smelled like wet asphalt and tension.
Wei Jie stood by the company shuttle van, holding his duffel bag and glancing at the overcast sky. Heavy clouds swirled above the city, thick with the promise of rain.
"Did you hear?" came Gao Li's voice from behind. "The typhoon warning's been upgraded. All outbound flights might be canceled by tonight."
Wei Jie glanced down at his phone. The weather app was red with alerts. "Figures. The one time I leave town."
Xuan Qi arrived just then, dragging a modest black suitcase behind her. She wore a beige trench coat and low heels, her hair tied in a neat bun. Professional. Collected. As always.
Their eyes met for a second too long.
"You're early," she said.
"Habit." He opened the van door for her.
They were being sent to Jianhe City, two hours by plane from the capital. A new client—an international brand wanting to relaunch in China—had requested an in-person concept pitch. Normally, junior staff would handle the legwork, but the client had insisted on "senior creatives only."
That meant just the two of them.
Alone.
In another city.
Possibly stuck, depending on the storm.
At the Airport
The terminal buzzed with movement. Announcements droned overhead, and passengers swarmed the gate like nervous bees. Xuan Qi tapped away on her laptop while Wei Jie sipped his coffee beside her, half-watching the weather updates.
"You okay?" he asked.
She didn't look up. "Working."
"That's not an answer."
She finally glanced at him. "I just want this pitch to go smoothly."
"We'll be fine. You're a pro."
"And you're reckless," she said, half-smiling.
Their eyes locked again. There was something there. Something lingering, just beneath the surface.
The announcement for boarding came over the speaker.
"Flight CZ2807 to Jianhe is now boarding from Gate 36."
They stood. Neither said anything.
But both felt the shift.
Jianhe City – Client Pitch
The meeting went surprisingly well.
Wei Jie led the pitch with quiet confidence, drawing nods from the client's brand director. Xuan Qi presented the campaign visuals—sleek, minimal, emotionally resonant. Her voice was calm, steady. Not a single hesitation.
By the end of the session, the room applauded.
"We've seen three agencies," the client said, shaking their hands. "But this is the first time something felt personal. You two have chemistry."
Xuan Qi flinched slightly. Wei Jie didn't.
"It's a shared history," he said smoothly. "We build from each other's instincts."
That wasn't a lie.
That Evening – Hotel Lobby
Thunder cracked above the city like a whip. Rain slammed against the glass lobby windows, thick as a waterfall. The storm had arrived early.
Xuan Qi was at the check-in counter, brows drawn tightly. The receptionist kept apologizing.
"I'm very sorry, Miss Xuan. Due to the typhoon, our double room reservation system auto-cancelled the second room when the airline delay came through. The hotel is full. We only have one executive suite left—king bed only."
Wei Jie approached from behind. "What's going on?"
"We're stuck," she said flatly.
They both looked at the receptionist.
"I can try to find an extra cot?" she offered weakly.
"No need," Xuan Qi said. "We'll take the room."
Wei Jie raised a brow but said nothing.
Executive Suite – 10:42 p.m.
The room was quiet, save for the constant roar of rain against the balcony. The lights were dimmed, casting soft shadows across the hardwood floor. The king-size bed sat in the middle, pristine, imposing.
Xuan Qi stood by the window, arms folded, her back to him.
Wei Jie watched her from the couch, sipping bottled water.
"We've been here before," he said suddenly.
She turned. "What?"
"Rain. Hotel. One bed. Kind of like prom night. Remember?"
Her expression froze.
"I remember you wore that blue dress," he continued, "and I forgot my tie. You gave me your hair ribbon instead."
She stared at him. "That was a lifetime ago."
He leaned back. "Was it?"
A long silence stretched between them.
"I don't want to do this," she said softly. "Not again."
"Do what?"
"This back-and-forth. The unfinished sentences. The almosts."
Wei Jie stood, walked over slowly.
"I'm not here for an almost," he said. "But I can't pretend I don't care anymore."
She stepped back. "Caring isn't enough"
"Then tell me what is."
"I don't know," she whispered. "But I spent five years convincing myself I was fine without you. If I let you back in—"
"Then let me earn it," he said. "Let me prove I'm not the same boy who walked away without asking why you didn't show up.
She looked up at him. Her eyes were damp—not from tears, but something rawer.
"I waited for you that night," she said. "Every time the door opened, I hoped it was you. And it never was."
Wei Jie's jaw tightened.
"I was scared," he admitted. "I thought I was too late."
A beat passed.
Then she said, "If we cross this line… it can't be undone."
He took a step closer.
"Some lines were never meant to stay uncrossed."
She didn't move. Didn't speak.
He reached out, gently brushing a strand of hair behind her ear.
The electricity between them was unbearable.
But before anything more could happen, a sudden power flicker darkened the room for half a second.
Reality snapped back.
Xuan Qi stepped away.
"I'm going to shower," she said quietly.
Wei Jie exhaled, slow and heavy. "Right."
Midnight – Lights Off
They lay on opposite sides of the bed, back to back, silent.
The storm raged on outside, loud and unforgiving.
Neither could sleep.
And neither wanted to admit that the rain outside sounded a lot like the rain that fell the night everything changed between them.
The night she waited.
And he never came.