The rain lashed down, a relentless drumbeat against the pavement. Shu Yao lay sprawled on the slick asphalt, his lips a bruised blue against the pallor of his skin.
Every breath a fresh spike of agony, the lingering echo of Lu Zeyan's brutal punch. His gaze, distant and unfocused, fixed on the man who now stood over him, a dark silhouette against the storm-wracked sky.
A glint of cold steel caught the flickering streetlight.
Lu Zeyan's hand emerged from his coat, a pistol materializing in his grip. Thunder ripped through the air, a deafening crack that illuminated Lu Zeyan's face, twisting it into a grotesque mask of fury.
"Today," Lu Zeyan's voice cut through the downpour, sharp and unforgiving. "I'll vanish the last trace of your disgusting face. So you won't remain in my boss's eyes again."
Shu Yao's breath hitched. A shiver, colder than the rain, wracked his body. His lips, trembling, parted.
"Do it."
Lu Zeyan recoiled, his eyes blazing with a mixture of rage and a venomous jealousy. "You think I won't shoot, huh?" He lunged forward, the cold muzzle of the gun pressing against Shu Yao's temple.
Shu Yao didn't flinch. Instead, he lifted his head, offering his skull to the weapon. A faint, almost imperceptible tilt.
"Do it,"
he repeated, his voice barely a whisper against the roaring wind.
"It will make the pain finally go away."
A low, guttural sound rumbled in Lu Zeyan's chest.
"How amusing. I was expecting you to beg. To grovel." His grip on the pistol tightened, knuckles white. The fury in his eyes swelled, convinced Shu Yao mocked him.
"Who the hell are you to mock me?"
A faint, bitter smile touched Shu Yao's lips. A smile that held the weight of a thousand unspoken heartbreaks, enough to shatter any observer.
Lu Zeyan snarled, pressing the gun harder against Shu Yao's skin. "You little—"
Shu Yao's eyes drifted shut.
"I am not afraid of pain."
Lu Zeyan's patience snapped. He saw only defiance, a mocking challenge. His finger curled around the trigger.
Inside Shu Yao's chest, his heart thrummed a desperate plea. Not for mercy, but for one last glimpse of Bai Qi. He found a strange solace in knowing he'd seen him today.
Nothing else remained to wish for. This ending, he thought, would also end the pain. Fragments of Bai Qi's childhood smile flickered behind his eyelids, the way Bai Qi had looked at him, unaware, his gaze always fixed on Qing Yue. Never Shu Yao.
A single tear escaped, tracing a path through the rain on his cheek. His hand, cold and numb, reached up, pressing against the gun.
"Please," he whispered, his voice cracking. "End it all."
Lu Zeyan remained frozen, his face a mask of conflicted rage.
Then, a voice pierced the din of the storm.
"Gege!"
Shu Yao's eyes snapped open. No. He didn't want to hear it. He wanted the pain to end. But the voice came again, closer this time, desperate.
"Gege!"
His heart hammered against his ribs, a frantic bird trapped in a cage.
"Gege"
Qing Yue's voice. Always sweet, soft, laced with laughter. But this one… this one was heavy, a raw cry of desperation.
He turned his head, straining to see past the curtain of rain. A silhouette emerged at the end of the street, a small umbrella a fragile shield against the downpour. Qing Yue.
His heart didn't stop racing. It couldn't be. It was too dangerous. How had she come out in this storm? Another thunderclap boomed, and for a split second, lightning illuminated her face, stark with terror.
"No," Shu Yao breathed, barely audible. "She… she can't be here."
He glanced at Lu Zeyan, who had, inexplicably, paused. His gaze fixed on the girl, who continued to call out, her voice a fragile thread in the storm.
"Tch. Now who the hell is she?" Lu Zeyan's voice was laced with irritation, his hand lowering slightly.
Qing Yue, her face a canvas of raw worry, a story of untold suffering for her brother, now trapped in this nightmare.
"Qing Yue, go back!" Shu Yao's shout was hoarse, ragged.
She stood there, a small figure, the umbrella trembling in her hands. "No, Gege! It's enough! I won't let you endure this pain silently again!"
Shu Yao's heart wrenched. The man before him was a coiled spring, ready to unleash violence. He was caught between a rock and a hard place.
"Running already? Do you think I'll let you off that easily?" Lu Zeyan's sneer was chilling.
"Do whatever you want with me," Shu Yao pleaded, the words torn from his throat. "But let go of my sister."
A cruel laugh escaped Lu Zeyan. "So, you can beg after all."
"You wanted to kill me? Then do it," Shu Yao said, his voice firm despite the tremor in his body. "But let her go."
Qing Yue was just two meters away now, her face streaked with tears, visible even in the gloom. Her voice, thick with both protectiveness and fierce devotion, rang out. "You let my brother go!"
"What about it?" Lu Zeyan's eyes narrowed.
"He is paying what he owes to me."
"Qing Yue, please, just go!" Shu Yao's desperation was palpable.
Lu Zeyan's hand shot out, seizing Shu Yao's throat.
"Gege!" Qing Yue screamed, a sound that tore through the rain.
Shu Yao clawed at Lu Zeyan's hand, struggling to free himself. Lu Zeyan's grip tightened, his fingers digging into Shu Yao's collar.
"Don't worry about me, Qing Yue! Just go!"
Qing Yue couldn't bear it. Not anymore. From childhood, Gege had always protected her, always cared, always smiled, even when that smile was forced for her sake.
"Gege," she cried, her voice trembling. "You should've hated me for what I did."
Shu Yao thrashed, trying to dislodge Lu Zeyan's suffocating grip. Lu Zeyan,
meanwhile, watched the unfolding drama with a twisted amusement, eager for more of this supposed sibling bond.
"Qing Yue, just go!"
But Qing Yue didn't. She let the umbrella clatter to the ground, its flimsy frame breaking against the concrete. She moved forward, her eyes fixed on the gun in Lu Zeyan's hand. Shu Yao's eyes widened in horror.
Qing Yue lunged, grabbing the metal barrel.
"Quite the boldness, huh?" Lu Zeyan sneered, releasing Shu Yao.
Shu Yao hit the pavement again, the impact jarring his already bruised body. He struggled to push himself up, his limbs screaming in protest.
Qing Yue pulled, trying to wrench the gun free, to protect her brother, no matter the cost. But Lu Zeyan was stronger.
He yanked the weapon back, then, with a swift movement, pointed it directly at Qing Yue.
She didn't flinch. A faint smirk touched her lips as the cold steel aimed at her.
Lu Zeyan's patience evaporated.
Shu Yao had no time to react.
The gunshot ripped through the night, a deafening crack that echoed off the wet buildings.
Shu Yao's eyes widened, a scream trapped in his throat. He looked at his sister, then at the man who had fired. His heart slammed against his ribs, a violent, desperate thud.
"No," he gasped, the word barely formed. "It can't be."
He scrambled to his feet, his gaze fixed on Qing Yue. She clutched her abdomen, a dark stain blossoming on her light shirt. The most horrific scene Shu Yao had ever witnessed.
Tears streamed down his face, hot against the cold rain.
Before Lu Zeyan could retreat, Shu Yao was there, cradling his sister. He spoke, not to Lu Zeyan, but to Qing Yue.
He saw her face, devoid of anger or fear. She had chosen this fate, made her choice. It was the best she could do.
He lowered her gently to the pavement, his hands shaking.
"Qing'er, why did you do that?" He cried, for the first time, openly, in front of her.
A faint smile touched Qing Yue's lips.
"Gege, this is nothing."
Shu Yao broke, his voice raw. "Stop talking!"
She smiled again, her blood-stained hand reaching up to touch his cheek. Shu Yao immediately gripped it, holding it tight.
"Gege," she whispered, her voice fading. "Have you ever noticed how slowly you were killing yourself?"
"I said stop talking!" Shu Yao pleaded, tears blurring his vision.
But Qing Yue continued, her gaze fixed on him. "I hope I could make you happy. To realize sooner how silently you were enduring."
"Please, Qing Yue, stop talking!"
"I hope I could explain everything to Bai Qi… about how you felt about him."
The words hit Shu Yao like a physical blow. His eyes widened, his breath catching. *How? How did she know?*
"Promise me, Gege," Qing Yue's voice was barely audible. "That you will tell Bai Qi about everything."
Shu Yao shook his head frantically. "No. Just stop talking." He fumbled for his phone in his pocket.
Qing Yue's hand, surprisingly strong, stopped him. "Don't. You and I both know very well that nothing can be changed."
Shu Yao sobbed, his shoulders shaking.
"Gege, don't cry, please. It hurts." Her eyes were growing heavy, lids fluttering.
Shu Yao hiccupped, choking on his words. "I… I messed up everything."
"No, Gege, you didn't." A serene smile painted her lips. "It was others' fault. Because they didn't realize how serene you are."
Shu Yao's eyes widened in horror. "No, Qing Yue, don't close your eyes! I'm going to save you, please!"
Her bloodied hand slid from his cheek, falling limp. Her last breath vanished into the stormy night.
"Qing Yue," Shu Yao whispered, then louder, a raw, tormented cry. "Qing Yue! Open your eyes!"
He reached for his phone, but it was shattered, the screen cracked from when he'd been thrown against the wall.
"No, no, it couldn't be."
Lu Zeyan and his subordinate, who still held the umbrella, began to retreat. The scene had been, in a twisted way, entertainment for Lu Zeyan, his anger momentarily appeased by the boy's misery.
"I don't want to see his face," Lu Zeyan muttered to his subordinate.
The subordinate bowed, closing the umbrella. Lu Zeyan slid into the back of his car. The engine roared to life, leaving behind a tragic, desolate scene.
Shu Yao cradled Qing Yue, his body wracked with sobs. "Don't close your eyes," he pleaded, but her eyes were already closed. She was gone. She couldn't bear to see her brother's sadness anymore.
The rain weakened, one drop at a time, until it became nothing but a whisper against the city's breath.
And Shu Yao was still there.
Kneeling on the cracked pavement, his knees soaked through, arms locked around the still body of Qing Yue. His sister. His light. His only reason to keep breathing.
He did not move. Could not.
The air smelled of iron and rainwater. The sirens in the distance had long gone silent, the world outside indifferent. But inside Shu Yao's chest, everything was collapsing — a quiet implosion of grief too heavy to scream.
His fingers trembled against the fabric of her shirt. He brushed a strand of wet hair away from her face, and his heart nearly stopped. She looked peaceful. Too peaceful. Like she might wake if he whispered softly enough.
He buried his face into her hair. The scent of rain and blood tangled together, sinking into him.
"It should've been me," Shu Yao murmured, voice cracking. "Why… why did you choose death?"
His shoulders shook violently. "You know I was fine with dying. I was ready for it… but why—" He broke off, his words swallowed by the night. "Why did you do this to yourself?"
The world blurred. His tears mixed with the fading drizzle, falling onto her cold skin.
The quiet pressed in from all sides, unbearable. A car passed somewhere far away — its tires hissing over water — then vanished again, leaving nothing but the echo of loss.
Shu Yao's breath hitched. His mind kept replaying it — the flash, the sound, her fall. It refused to stop. He dug his nails into the asphalt, his chest heaving, his throat raw.
His thoughts were shards.
First Father.
Now Qing Yue.
Every person he tried to protect ended up dead.
"It's all my fault," he whispered. "Everything. I wished I could die—"
His words broke apart into sobs.
The storm had passed, but inside him, it raged still — black, relentless, devouring.
He stayed like that, lost in a stillness that no longer belonged to time. The city kept moving, unaware that in one small corner of it, a boy world had ended.