Chapter 49: Under the Pouring Rain

Xie Bingran had changed out of her soaked clothes but still stood barefoot.

Unwilling to put her running shoes back on, she wiped her feet with her wet shirt before slipping into her black canvas sneakers.

Luckily, her sneakers and tracksuit were both dry.

Xu Chen turned to her, a smile on his lips.

“Good girl.”

Xie Bingran brushed a strand of hair from her face.

“But you’re soaked.”

Xu Chen wiped the rain from his brow and just smiled.

He glanced at the downpour outside.

“It’s raining this hard; it won’t last long. When it stops, you’re coming with me.”

“Where to?”

“Back to school—you have the city games trial.”

Xie Bingran’s expression turned icy.

“I’ve been expelled.”

“I know, but I’m still taking you.

This counts as an emergency—won’t change the big picture…

You brought your shoes and tracksuit today, so you planned to go.”

Xie Bingran was silent for a moment before she spoke.

“Xu Chen, stop being nice to me.

My mom always said I’m a curse—that anyone close to me meets disaster.”

Xu Chen said nothing.

His mother had died long ago; Xie Bingran’s mother remarried early and abandoned her.

A mother who calls her daughter a curse—even if she’d stayed—could never have been good…

Xie Bingran’s hair still dripped, raindrops tracing down her cheeks.

Xu Chen couldn’t help lifting a hand to brush them away with his knuckle.

Xie Bingran’s eyes flickered, but she didn’t pull away.

Her features were striking, though cold and brooding.

A faint streak of dried blood marked her brow—probably from yesterday’s fight.

And that fight was to take out a threat against Xu Chen.

“We come from different worlds. Even if I hadn’t been expelled, I wouldn’t go to high school after graduation.”

“I’ve already lined up a job at an electronics factory. In a few days, I’ll head south by train…”

“You ignored me for years, then suddenly started talking to me in senior year—I still want to thank you. It made me happy.”

“And thank you back in middle school for feeding me, helping me so many times.”

…

Xie Bingran spoke in a low voice.

Bing Ge, the strong, silent type, had never said so much.

Xu Chen just listened quietly, offering no reply…

The rain outside still poured.

Having said all she needed, Xie Bingran fell silent again.

Xu Chen found a dry spot on the ground, squatted, and patted the ground beside him.

Xie Bingran hesitated, then sat down next to him.

They sat side by side, gazing at the desolate, rain-drenched athletic field.

“My dad almost hit rock bottom recently—his business collapsed, and he sank into debt.

But somehow he pulled through. Now not only is he not bankrupt, his business is booming again.

You know why?” Xu Chen asked softly.

“Why?”

“Because he listened to advice—especially mine.

Whatever I said, he followed!”

He turned to Xie Bingran, voice earnest:

“You need to listen to advice too.

If you follow me, everything can get better.

You could get into a great university, make money, live well.”

Xu Chen looked back at the rain outside.

“I told you to quit smoking, and you did. You’re not that stubborn—you can listen.

So listen to me one more time.

This time, it’ll be enough.”

Xie Bingran stared at the pouring rain.

“I accepted the shoes and clothes you bought me and came training…

I just thought you finally spoke to me, so I’d play along.

But you want me to try out? It’s a joke.

I’ve wasted three years without studying. If listening to you could get me into a top university…

I’m not as good at school as you, but I’m not dumb.”

Xu Chen sighed in frustration.

He was silent a moment, then said:

“So, noble Bing Ge—is that how you plan to renege?”

“What do you mean?”

“I saved you at the department store, you said you owed me, and you signed a servitude contract.

I paid your debts; you gave me an IOU—for thirty-seven thousand-some yuan.

In middle school, you ate countless meals I paid for…

You owe me.

Now you plan to walk away. You could pay the thirty-seven thousand, but that servitude contract would be void.

A factory worker’s contract is worthless to me.”

Xu Chen’s tone was cold and sharp—he sounded genuinely angry.

Xie Bingran lowered her eyes.

“So?”

Xu Chen turned his head.

“You’ll listen to me. When the rain stops, you’re coming with me!”

Xie Bingran sneered.

“Whether I go with you or not makes no difference—pure waste of time.”

“You got expelled; your time’s worthless. Since it’s worthless, waste some of it on me.

What you owe me, pay back this afternoon.

Half a day this afternoon—you’re mine.

You’ll do whatever I ask.”

Xie Bingran watched the rain and spoke coldly:

“If someone talked to me like that, they’d get punched by now.”

Xu Chen chuckled and looked at her profile.

“Then how do you want me to talk? As long as you come with me, I don’t care how I sound.”

Xie Bingran was silent a moment, then whispered:

“Then you have to take me to dinner.”

At Bing Ge’s words, Xu Chen burst out laughing.

That counted as agreement…

Suddenly, Xu Chen remembered something. He grabbed his soaked backpack, opened it, and rummaged around.

Soon he found the mobile phone he’d bought for Xie Bingran.

The phone was splashed with rain; he wiped it off and tested every function.

“Here—you can have it.”

Xu Chen smiled and held the phone out to Xie Bingran.

“Isn’t this your phone?”

He chuckled and pulled a Nokia N70 from his pocket.

“I got a new phone. This old one would just sit around, so it’s yours.

There’s already a SIM card inside—just use it.”

Xie Bingran hugged her knees, hesitating.

“I can’t…keep taking your stuff.”

“See? You’re not listening again.”

He grabbed her arm and pressed the phone into her hand.

“My number’s saved. Call me if you need anything.”

Xie Bingran clenched the phone, still reluctant.

Xu Chen half-joked:

“If you really go south to that factory, use this phone to call me.”

Xie Bingran pressed her lips together and gripped the phone tighter.

Xu Chen noticed fresh and old scars on her hand.

“Not everything needs a fight to solve.

Especially don’t fight over me.”

Xie Bingran blinked, a flash of discontent in her cold eyes:

“If people threatened you, I can’t just stand by…”

“You could tell me. I’d handle it simpler, safer, and better—

and you wouldn’t get punished or expelled.”

Xie Bingran bowed her head like a scolded child, but still stubborn.

Silent for a moment, she murmured:

“Oh…got it.”

Xu Chen watched the rain and whispered:

“Thanks.”

Not for her ‘got it,’ but for Bing Ge standing up for him.

Xie Bingran kept her head down.

But she secretly smiled…