First, then, love.

The elevator smelled strongly of dust and dampness.

Shu Yao walked out of the building entrance.

A gust of cold wind, carrying raindrops, blew in my face.

Outside the unit entrance, the open space was covered with puddles, and yellow leaves clung to the wet asphalt.

A yellow moving truck was parked a few meters away, its rear door open.

Li Meng and two workers were stacking boxes inside.

He Zheng stood next to the truck, directing them on how to position it to prevent shocks.

Raindrops pelted his black windbreaker, forming beads that dripped down the hem.

He stood in the rain without an umbrella, his posture upright.

"Captain, it's full! We can't fit any more!" Li Meng jumped out of the car. He dusted off his hands. "The last few boxes are just enough to fill it up."

The movers pulled down the roller shutter.

It locked with a "click".

"Boss, this truck is full. We'll drive over and unload the goods first, and then put the rest in your van." The driver wiped the rain off his face.

He Zheng nodded.

"Go ahead, I've sent the address to your phones."

The truck driver got in, started the engine, and a plume of white smoke came out of the exhaust pipe.

Li Meng turned his head and waved to Shu Yao, who was standing under the eaves of the unit entrance.

"Sister-in-law! I'll go ahead with the truck! You take the captain's car and come slowly!"

After saying that, Li Meng strode over to the borrowed van, opened the door, and jumped in.

A yellow truck drove slowly out of the residential area, churning through the floodwaters.

The area downstairs was instantly empty.

Only the patter of rain and the occasional gust of wind remained.

Shu Yao stood under the narrow eaves.

The wind blew obliquely, carrying raindrops that dampened the hem of her khaki trench coat.

She took a step back, her back pressed against the cold, tiled wall.

He was carrying a cat carrier in his right hand and clutching a cello case tightly in his left.

A few drops of rainwater clung to the surface of the violin case, and she carefully wiped them away with her sleeve.

The wood of this instrument is very delicate and cannot tolerate even the slightest dampness.

He Zheng's SUV was parked in the parking space opposite.

It's about ten meters away from the unit entrance.

There was an open space in the middle, but the ground was severely flooded, with puddles of all sizes forming a continuous stretch.

The fire lane was half blocked by a delivery scooter parked haphazardly.

An off-road vehicle simply cannot make it this far.

The rain grew heavier, and raindrops pounded into puddles, splashing up circles of white water.

Shu Yao looked down at the Chelsea boots on her feet.

They're made of genuine leather with thin soles.

That step would definitely be chilling to the bone, especially since she was holding a cello that was afraid of water.

She frowned, looking somewhat worried.

Opposite him, He Zheng stood beside the SUV.

He looked at the woman standing under the eaves, shivering slightly in the wind.

She held the violin case tightly, as if it were a priceless treasure.

The fat cat was meowing impatiently from the box at its feet.

The cold wind ruffled the stray hairs on her forehead, which clung to her fair cheeks, giving her a delicate and pitiful air.

He Zheng's eyes darkened.

He opened the driver's side door and took out a large black umbrella.

He closed the car door, opened the umbrella, and strode towards her.

Black military boots stepped into puddles, splashing water everywhere, yet the steps remained steady and powerful.

Walk under the eaves.

Rainwater flowed down the umbrella ribs like a curtain of water.

He Zheng stopped and stood at the bottom of the steps, one step shorter than Shu Yao, but their eyes were still level.

He folded his umbrella, casually flicked off the water, and rested the tip of the umbrella on the ground.

His dark, deep eyes were fixed on her.

"Cars can't get through, they're blocked by electric bikes." His voice was deep and clear, standing out against the sound of the rain.

Shu Yao bit her lower lip and glanced at the puddle on the ground.

"My violin can't get wet in the rain." She said with a hint of grievance in her voice, hugging the violin case tightly.

He Zheng lowered his eyes, his gaze falling on the huge carbon fiber piano case, and then looking at the cat carrier on the ground.

He extended his right hand.

"Give me the cat."

Shu Yao quickly handed over the airline case.

He Zheng took it with one hand.

The princess smelled the scent of a living person inside, and a person with a very strong aura of menace. She immediately arched her back and, through the plastic mesh, hissed sharply at He Zheng.

"hiss--"

He Zheng glanced at it coldly and flicked his finger on the mesh.

It made a muffled "thud".

The princess was startled and instantly cowered, shrinking back into the corner of the box and turning into a fluffy ball.

They dared not utter a sound.

He Zheng carried the cat carrier in his left hand.

He held the black umbrella in his right hand and handed it to Shu Yao.

"Take it and open it up," he ordered.

Shu Yao paused for a moment, then struggled to hold the violin case with one hand, freeing her right hand to take the umbrella handle.

The warmth of his palm still lingered on the umbrella handle.

She pressed the button.

The black umbrella opened with a "bang".

The umbrella is large enough to cover two people.

But the wind is blowing at an angle now, and the raindrops are being blown around wildly, so an umbrella can't block the rain from the sides at all.

The lower part of the cello will still get wet.

He Zheng looked up at the sky; the wind was getting stronger and stronger.

He suddenly released his grip on the umbrella handle and pulled on the zipper of his windbreaker with both hands.

"Sizzle—"

The zipper is pulled all the way down.

He moved swiftly and decisively, taking off his black windbreaker jacket.

Inside, he was only wearing a pure black, tight-fitting tactical short-sleeved shirt.

The fabric clung tightly to his body, outlining the clear contours of his chest and abdominal muscles, while the strong muscles on his arms were completely exposed to the cold air.

The cold autumn rain instantly soaked his short-sleeved shirt.

He didn't even frown.

Shu Yao exclaimed in surprise.

"He Zheng! What are you doing! You'll catch a cold!"

He Zheng ignored her.

He stepped forward, getting closer to her.

His tall figure instantly enveloped her.

He unfolded the large windbreaker in his hand and, without saying a word, draped it over Shu Yao's head.

The dress was extremely large, with the hem reaching all the way to her knees.

The wide fabric in front completely enveloped the huge cello case in her arms.

Inside the down jacket, there was his burning body heat and the clean scent of soap.

In an instant, it blocked all the cold wind and slanting rain.

Shu Yao was wrapped in his clothes, which still carried his body heat, and her nose was filled with his scent. Her heart suddenly started racing, like she was carrying a rabbit.

He Zheng turned around, his back to her.

His tall, broad back, like a black iron wall, solidly blocked the wind.

The rain relentlessly pelted his back, which was only clad in a short-sleeved shirt, soaking him instantly.

He held the cat carrier in his left hand and put his right hand behind his back, striking a guarding pose.

He tilted his head slightly, his black hair damp with rain and plastered to his forehead. The lines of his profile were cold and resolute in the rain.

"Follow me, and don't step in the puddles."