Proactively Attracted chapter 6

Stormy Weather Turns Clear

The weather in summer was always unpredictable. One moment it was bright and sunny, the next it became overcast.

In the afternoon, it was so hot and humid that you couldn’t help but want to jump into the artificial lake downstairs to cool off. But by the end of evening self-study, huge raindrops relentlessly hammered down on the earth.

Strong winds shook the tree branches, creating a rustling sound, and the air was filled with the deep rumble of thunder. The heavy scent of earth lingered in the air.

Qiu Ruifeng, comfortably shaking his legs, lifted his white vest slightly. “This damn weather, it’s finally raining. This afternoon felt like being in a sauna.”

Outside the window, the rain was pouring heavily, and the students in the classroom became restless, whispering about how they would get home.

The sounds of wind, rain, and voices filled the air. Lu Xingjia’s right eyelid twitched for no reason.

He remembered this rain.

So many stories had happened on dark, cold rainy nights. In his past life, during the summer break in his first year of high school, he had also experienced a violent storm.

At that time, the class Lu Xingjia was in hadn’t started yet, but once school began, the bulletin board displayed a notice about a fight between Qin Mudong and a boy named Miao Haonan.

The notice said that the two had fought, and during the storm, Qin Mudong accidentally pushed Miao Haonan down the stairs. Miao Haonan hit his head on the edge of the steps, tearing his scalp, and needed seven stitches.

Afterward, depending on the severity of the injury, Miao Haonan was given a demerit, and Qin Mudong received a severe warning.

From then on, there were many rumors about Qin Mudong at school. High school students, still in their youthful ignorance, would attach new terms to anything. They said he lacked emotional connection, was cold-hearted, and some even claimed he had antisocial tendencies.

Although the rumors were later stopped by the teachers, and Miao Haonan himself came out to explain that it was an accident, it didn’t stop Qin Mudong from becoming increasingly isolated and indifferent.

Lu Xingjia, of course, felt heartbroken. But at that time, he had already been frightened by Qin Mudong’s coldness and had lost all hope. Even though he had privately tried to clarify things countless times, he never mustered the courage to get closer to him, and in the end, they lost contact completely after high school.

A fierce lightning bolt struck down, and Lu Xingjia snapped back to reality, subconsciously glancing at the person next to him.

Qin Mudong continued to quietly work on his problems, the flash of lightning lighting up the sky as bright as day, also illuminating his cold, composed face clearly.

Even though the surroundings were as noisy as a busy market, he remained unmoved.

Lu Xingjia’s previously irritated emotions miraculously calmed down.

After all, in his previous life, he had already endured the worst situation. Now, he had been fortunate enough to be reborn, and no matter what happened, it couldn’t be worse than the time he had nothing.

He decided to nip this all in the bud and prevent the tragedy from happening.

The crisp bell signaling the end of class rang, bringing a fresh breath to this stuffy rainy night.

Qiu Ruifeng turned around and patted Lu Xingjia’s desk. “The rain is too heavy. My mom said she would pick me up. You can ride in our car.”

Qiu Ruifeng’s family was well-off. In 2010, private cars were still uncommon, but his family had been among the first users. Not only that, while others were still using basic mobile phones or little smart phones, he had already been using one of the first batch of smartphones—a Nokia touch-screen phone that could flip open to reveal a small keyboard.

“No thanks,” Lu Xingjia shook his head, his gaze fixed on Qin Mudong, sitting nearby. “I have some things to do today, I won’t go with you.”

As his words fell, Qin Mudong packed up his things, and Lu Xingjia quickly grabbed his bag and jogged out of the classroom to follow his steps.

“Hey! Why are you running so fast?” Qiu Ruifeng, surrounded by a few classmates who wanted to hitch a ride, wanted to say something else, but Lu Xingjia had already disappeared around the corner of the stairs.

“Forget it, forget it,” Qiu Ruifeng shrugged helplessly, turning to the others. “This kid, who knows what he’s up to. Let’s go.”

…….

Lu Xingjia followed Qin Mudong down the stairs. Luckily, the rain was still pouring heavily, and the sound of the raindrops drowned out the hurried footsteps.

Qin Mudong glanced up the staircase and saw nothing but emptiness. He didn’t suspect anything further and continued down. Soon, they reached the end of the stairs.

Because of the design limitations of the connection between the teaching building and the garage, after exiting the teaching building, they still had to walk a short distance on an open-air staircase to reach the garage. The heavy rain had soaked the ground, and when new raindrops fell, they created ripples on the surface.

Qin Mudong opened his umbrella, about to step into the thick curtain of rain, when a tall figure suddenly flashed out from somewhere.

“Are you Qin Mudong?” The tall boy had a dark expression and a sharp tone.

Qin Mudong glanced at him indifferently, quietly planning to bypass him, but the boy stepped right in front of him, his tall figure blocking the narrow stairs completely. “Are you mute? Can’t speak?”

With no way to move forward, Qin Mudong stopped and looked at him coldly. “What do you want?”

Miao Haonan grabbed Qin Mudong by the collar. “I’ve had enough of you for a long time. What’s with your attitude in school every day? You think just because you’re good at studying, everyone treats you like a treasure?”

Qin Mudong calmly raised his eyes to assess the boy in front of him. “What does that have to do with you?”

Miao Haonan cleared his throat, his voice rising. “Isn’t it all because of you? You made my sister so upset. Who are you acting all cold for?”

Qin Mudong furrowed his brows slightly. “Who’s your sister?”

Miao Haonan puffed out his chest. “She’s Miao Qianxue from your class!”

High school was the age when hearts started to stir. Qin Mudong was handsome and outstanding, the object of secret admiration from many girls in his class, including Miao Qianxue.

However, Qin Mudong had always been aloof and never reciprocated anyone’s feelings. Miao Qianxue, being a young girl, got her first rejection when she liked someone, and she went to her brother, crying about it.

Miao Haonan, being an impulsive and protective older brother, couldn’t stand seeing anyone hurt his sister, so he decided to confront Qin Mudong and “teach him a lesson.”

Lu Xingjia, following behind, heard this reason and couldn’t help but laugh.

So the much-discussed fight that shocked the whole school was actually just a childish and clumsy act of revenge.

But then, thinking about all the rumors Qin Mudong faced afterward, Lu Xingjia couldn’t laugh anymore.

This world was indeed unfair. Some people had it easy, while others had to bear punishments and criticisms they didn’t deserve.

“I don’t know her…”

Qin Mudong spoke quietly, but before he could finish, Miao Haonan shoved him hard. “Stop pretending! You don’t like her, huh? Well, I think you’re not even worthy of her!!!”

Suddenly, Qin Mudong’s umbrella slipped from his hand, and his back slammed into the metal railing behind the stairs.

The metal railing shook and buzzed, the sound blending with the rain, making it painful to watch.

Lu Xingjia’s breath caught.

Qin Mudong’s expression grew colder as he grabbed Miao Haonan’s wrist, his fingers tightening.

He didn’t pick fights with others, but if someone came at him, he would retaliate without hesitation, never swallowing his anger.

Just as it seemed the two were about to fight, Lu Xingjia quickly jumped out from the stairs. “No fighting!!!”

Miao Haonan paused for a moment, and Qin Mudong’s punch missed.

Fighting wasn’t a good thing. Miao Haonan hadn’t intended to make things escalate, He just wanted to “teach” Qin Mudong a lesson. Upon hearing Lu Xingjia’s shout, he was clearly startled.

When he saw that Lu Xingjia was a small, slender figure with almost no muscle, he tried to intimidate him, “Go play somewhere else, little brat.”

Lu Xingjia walked up to the two of them fearlessly, holding the flip phone that He Xi had bought for him when he was in his first year of high school: “I just called the teacher. The teacher said he’ll be here soon!”

Miao Haonan panicked a little, subconsciously loosening his grip on Qin Mudong’s arm, muttering, “How old are you and still snitching to the teachers…”

Lu Xingjia glared at him fiercely and, fuming, said, “So what if I told the teacher? You’re the one hitting people! It’s none of your business whether he likes your sister or not! High school students should focus on studying, not getting into relationships and fighting! How did your parents raise you?”

Though still young, Lu Xingjia spoke with the authority of someone in their twenties from his past life, which gave his words an undeniable weight. His stature may not have been imposing, but his demeanor exuded the presence of an adult.

High school students were still quite naive, and Miao Haonan, driven by impulse, was left speechless by Lu Xingjia’s words.

Lu Xingjia, pretending to be even more imposing, threatened, “I’ve recorded everything you said earlier. If you ever bother Qin Mudong again, I’ll tell the teacher.”

“…Fine, you win.”

Miao Haonan, flustered, weighed his options, and after a moment, hurriedly disappeared into the rain, even forgetting to take his umbrella.

Lu Xingjia sighed with relief, putting his phone away and turning his attention to Qin Mudong.

He hadn’t actually called the teacher; fighting was no small matter. Even if there were no severe consequences, the school would at least give a demerit. He didn’t want Qin Mudong to be saddled with such a mark.

A flash of red caught his attention, and he quickly noticed the bloodstain on Qin Mudong’s palm.

“You’re hurt!”

Lu Xingjia became immediately concerned, grabbing Qin Mudong’s arm and lifting it up, only to find that his palm had been scraped by something, blood steadily oozing out and mixing with the rainwater.

It must have been from the rough push earlier when his hand had brushed against something.

Qin Mudong stood to the side, observing the boy before him with cold eyes.

The rain kept pouring down, soaking their hair, and the few dim lights left on in the school after classes only made the surroundings feel emptier. Yet the boy’s eyes still shone brightly, like amber.

Despite being so thin and frail, he had thrown himself in front of Qin Mudong without hesitation, trying to protect him.

The concerned look made Qin Mudong feel an irritability rise in him. He pulled his arm away, coldly saying, “It’s fine.”

“Doesn’t it hurt?” Lu Xingjia anxiously grabbed his arm again. “Come on, let’s go to a nearby clinic and get it bandaged up. Be careful of infection.”

Qin Mudong furrowed his brows, the feeling of irritation becoming even more pronounced.

The yellow light from the streetlamp hit Lu Xingjia’s body, casting a golden edge around his slender frame, so bright that it almost blinded Qin Mudong.

This wasn’t the world he belonged in—endless darkness was his protective color.

“It’s none of your business.”

Qin Mudong impatiently tried to pull away again, his voice cold enough to almost suffocate.

“It is my business! I say it’s my business, and it is!”

For the first time, Lu Xingjia was truly angry with him, his cheeks puffing up in frustration.

Why didn’t he take care of himself? Didn’t he care about his own body?

He picked up the umbrella from the ground and slapped it against the two of them, then tightly gripped Qin Mudong’s arm and started walking forward.

Though Lu Xingjia wasn’t strong, perhaps because of his urgency, he managed to pull Qin Mudong along.

The noise of the rain was overwhelming outside the umbrella, but inside, Lu Xingjia’s heavy breathing and the chaotic sound of their footsteps filled the air.

Lu Xingjia pulled Qin Mudong faster, clutching his arm tightly, afraid he might try to escape, feeling more and more aggrieved as he walked.

Qin Mudong looked down at Lu Xingjia’s wrist, his pale, slender hand—thin, yet it seemed to possess endless strength.

This hand was so warm, it almost felt like it was burning him.

“Lu Xingjia…” He hoarsely called his name.

“Shut up! Just come with me!”

Lu Xingjia’s heart ached terribly, full of helplessness, regret, anger, fear—all the emotions exploded in that moment. “Don’t you care about your own body? Does getting hurt feel good? Does it feel comfortable? Do you know how worried I am?!”

He knew it was just a small wound, but he was so scared. He was scared that no matter how hard he tried, how hard he worked to change Qin Mudong’s fate, he would still be powerless.

His thoughts became more and more muddled. His mind replayed the news from his previous life—Qin Mudong’s suicide, the black-and-white photos, the noisy funeral home… In that instant, despair seemed to swallow him whole.

“I’m so sad, so angry. If you keep doing this, if you keep doing this, I will… I will…”

Lu Xingjia was so angry that he almost said he wouldn’t care about him anymore, but his heart hurt so much that the words wouldn’t come out.

Why did Qin Mudong always push everyone away? Why did he always act so indifferent? Why… did he make him feel so heartbroken?

He really wanted to hug him, to hold him so badly.

Tears welled up in his eyes, his nose ached so much. Suddenly, a cold hand reached out and grabbed Lu Xingjia’s slender wrist.

The hand was cold, but it gripped tightly, like it was trying to embed itself into his bones, making Lu Xingjia shiver involuntarily.

“…I’m sorry.”

Qin Mudong’s voice was hoarse, every word dry and rough. “Don’t be angry.”

In that instant, all the hurt and anger in Lu Xingjia’s heart went silent.