The rain poured with unrelenting intensity, thunder cracking across the sky like the wrath of a god.
In Jincheng during June, such torrential thunderstorms were commonplace, often lasting more than half a month before relenting.
Zhou Chaochao stepped cautiously onto the uneven pavement, her foot landing squarely in a puddle. Water splashed high, seeping cold and sudden into her shoe. She glanced down—her left foot was now completely submerged.
Just then, her phone buzzed urgently in her pocket. Standing there, still ankle-deep in water, she retrieved the device and glanced at the screen.
The name Zheng Peishan flashed repeatedly.
Peishan had been her close friend since high school, and later, they became university classmates. Peishan studied police canine handling and, after graduation, was assigned to a county precinct near Jincheng. It had been ages since they last saw each other.
Chaochao's lips curled in a delighted smile as she answered the call, stepping forward under her umbrella.
Before she could say a word, a shrill voice pierced through the speaker, nearly shattering her eardrum.
Some things never changed.
Chaochao quickly held the phone away.
"Ahhh! Zhou Chaochao! Guess where I am!"
Even from a distance, Peishan's voice was as sharp and spirited as ever.
"You're back in Jincheng?" Chaochao said lightly, smiling.
Peishan's excitement mellowed somewhat, her tone lowering. "You guessed that too easily! Surprise ruined!"
Chaochao blinked. "Wasn't hard. You were still in Rongqing County yesterday. If you weren't back, you wouldn't sound so excited."
"Stop analyzing me! I know I'm not very subtle, okay?" Peishan huffed. "Where are you? Come to our usual spot—hurry! I already ordered food. Listen, I don't have much time. I have to leave again by 8 a.m. tomorrow."
She paused, then glanced at the time. "I'm giving you twenty minutes."
"Got it," Chaochao replied cheerfully.
After hanging up, she quickened her pace, umbrella shielding her from the deluge. At the intersection, she tried flagging a taxi, but none stopped. Traffic flowed endlessly, yet not a single vacant cab appeared.
Ten minutes passed with no luck.
Just as she reached for her phone to tell Peishan to wait a bit longer, a black car sped by, sending a wave of water splashing all over her. The vehicle stopped about five meters ahead, then slowly backed up.
The window rolled down. Lu Lie, hands on the wheel, glanced at her lazily.
"Zhou Chaochao? That really you? Why aren't you home yet?"
"I—" she hesitated, then explained, "My friend's in town. We made plans to meet. I've been trying to get a taxi, but..." Her voice trailed off.
Lu waved his hand dismissively. "Enough. Get in."
"I'm fine, Captain Lu. Really. You've probably got things to do tonight—"
"Where are you going?" he interrupted.
"Jiu Chi Barbecue, on Qingxing Road."
His face darkened. "That's on my way. Stop dawdling. Get in."
She opened the door and slid in, umbrella now closed. Soaked and dripping, she looked like a drowned kitten. Lu glanced at her—pale skin, wet hair still dripping.
"What happened to you? Fall in a river?"
"No," she replied, eyes on him. "I was waiting by the road. A car sped by and drenched me."
Without looking, Lu reached over, pulled out a few tissues, and handed them to her.
"Dry yourself."
A red light brought the car to a halt. He turned and watched her dab her face, then her hair—like a bedraggled cat licking its fur in solitude.
It was oddly amusing.
A rare smile tugged at the corner of his lips. But the moment she glanced up, he snapped back to indifference.
As the light turned green, Lu drove on. Wanting to break the awkward silence, he tried to offer some sympathy.
"People today really lack civic manners. Driving so recklessly—"
Chaochao stifled a laugh. "Captain Lu, that was your car."
Lu: …
Momentarily speechless, he maintained a stone-faced expression.
"From now on—quiet. Say another word and I'll throw you out."
Chaochao laughed. "Understood, Captain."
Qingxing Road wasn't far—barely ten minutes later, he pulled up in front of Jiu Chi Barbecue.
As she stepped out, just as she opened her mouth to thank him, the car sped away and disappeared into the curtain of rain.
She lingered a moment, watching the vanishing tail lights, then turned and walked inside.
Peishan sat by the window, her long hair tied in a ponytail, waving excitedly.
The meat was already sizzling, its aroma mouthwatering.
Chaochao sat down and devoured several bites before looking up.
"Starving much?" Peishan teased.
"Well, whose idea was it to eat barbecue this late?"
"It's barely 9:50. The night's just beginning, girl!"
Chaochao rolled her eyes. "Aren't you supposed to be on duty? How come you're back?"
"Escorting a detainee."
"I thought you handled dogs, not people?"
"Don't remind me," Peishan groaned. "They said I was the least busy, so I got stuck with the task. Said I should stop by home too—but it's just one night. I didn't even make it home. Came straight to see you. Grateful, right?"
Chaochao nodded solemnly and kept eating. Then she paused.
"Didn't you say you had a blind date recently? How did that go?"
Peishan's eyes lit with fury. "Don't even bring that up!"
"What happened?"
"I told the matchmaker—no meeting unless he's hot. You know what she told me?"
"What?"
"She said, 'Trust Auntie Zhang's judgment. Tall, handsome—absolutely your type!'"
"And?"
"He was tall alright. Dressed in black head to toe. From a distance, I thought he was a licorice stick. Up close? Nearly forty. Divorced. Three times!"
Chaochao burst into laughter.
"He could be my dad, Chaochao! I'm twenty-four!"
She waved the topic away. "Forget it. What about you? How's work going?"
Chaochao nodded. "Busy. New case came in—we're swamped."
"Well, you're in the city's criminal investigation division. Of course you're swamped."
…
After their meal, it was past ten.
They parted ways at the intersection.
When Chaochao arrived home, the living room lights were on, but her mother was nowhere to be seen.
She called out—no answer.
Still drenched and smelling of grilled meat, she headed for the shower. Emerging refreshed, she bumped into her mother at the door.
"Mom, it's so late. Where were you?"
"Counseling a runaway student," her mother replied, shaking rain from her umbrella.
"Oh."
"I'm off to bed, Mom. Got work tomorrow."
"Dry your hair first! Sleeping with it wet will give you migraines when you're older."
"Okay, okay, I know."
Once dry, she collapsed into bed and drifted off instantly.
The next morning, umbrella in hand, she arrived early at Lu Lie's office.
She knocked.
"Come in."
He didn't look up. "What is it?"