Are you heading towards home? he asked.
I nodded.
"Come inside fast otherwise you'll get sick and catch a cold. Come, come."
"No, thank you Mr. Xu Yuan, I'll manage."
"I am asking you last time—get inside," he said in a little rage.
But I started moving on my way and away from his car, just ignoring his warning. Then he came out of his car, held my wrist, and pulled me inside the car. Then he got inside again, sat on the driver's seat, and locked the doors.
I was still trying to open the doors but couldn't. "Please open the door, open it," I said while pushing the door to get it open.
"Hey, stop behaving like a child," he said while flaunting a mischievous smile on his face.
I took a deep sigh and said, "Mr. Xu Yuan, are you going to kidnap me? Don't you know if you did this then tomorrow morning the whole Shanghai will fill with the news that China's most famous star The Xu Yuan—" I repeated it again just to make him pissed off so that he'd throw me out of the car, and continued, "—the Xu Yuan has kidnapped a student of Shanghai University and also his own lead actress in his upcoming show."
But he didn't reply anything, just busy driving the car.
"Don't you have fear?" I asked him.
"Do you really think that I fear?" he asked, looking at me for 5 seconds. "That's why I call you childish, because only a kid can think this. Tell me, are you sure you are studying in Shanghai University or you are still in kindergarten?" he asked while laughing at me.
"I am not childish, stop calling me that," I said.
"Only a child doesn't like it when somebody calls them childish," he said.
"I am not," I said while making my angry face.
"Yes you are," he said.
"Can you please focus on your driving? It's already terrible. I don't want that we hit some other car and get into an accident," I said.
"My driving is terrible? You are the first one who said this to me," he said while looking at me.
"Of course if you ride a horse well and get on the horse in a single smooth swift, it doesn't mean you have good driving skills," I said while looking outside the window.
"One second," he said looking at me shockingly, "how do you know that I ride horses and get on them in a single swift? Have you seen that video where I was telling this?"
I rolled my eyes because it's like he almost caught me, but I gathered some confidence in me and said, "Of course I did. Why do you always forget that you are The Xu Yuan? Your videos are all over Weibo. Yes, I have seen that. It's nothing special in it."
"But I am not asking anything special about it. Why are you saying there is nothing special? Does it mean it is something special?" he asked.
"Can you please stop the car," I said in a hurry.
"Why?" he asked.
"Just stop it, please," I said, even more in a hurry.
Then he stopped the car and looked in front. "Tell me what," he asked.
"Just open the lock. I wanna go outside the car," I said.
"Why? Is there any celebration going on outside the car? Can't you see how heavy the rain is? The whole Shanghai is at their homes at this hour. Even offices and schools got closed early today. There is a high alert in Shanghai everywhere," he said to me in a scolding tone.
"Yes, I know. That's why I am saying this to you. Please go home safely and reach there. I'll go on my own," I said.
He took a deep sigh and said, "Why are you so stubborn? Have a look at yourself—completely drenched in rain. Your clothes are wet. You'll fall sick."
"It's none of your business. Don't bother about it. It's nothing to do with you so relax. Please open it," I said.
"Listen, I am driving you to your home, so be seated. I am not opening it," he said in an ordering tone.
"No, you listen. See, your whole car is getting wet because of me. It will get spoiled. It's so expensive. If I sit on it more, the seat will get totally wet. Please try to understand," I said in a pleading tone.
"It's not your concern. It's my car, my thing, so none of your business. Stay out of it," he said. And then he started driving again.
"See, I said it, I can manage. And sending me home safely is not your concern either," I said.
In a low voice he said, "Stubborn," but I heard that—my ears are very strong.
"What did you just say?" I asked.
"Nothing," he said casually, focusing on his driving.
"Stubborn. You said stubborn to me," I said.
"So if you already heard what I said, then why are you asking and wasting time?" he said.
The road was empty, the rain was getting heavier and heavier, but I was liking it. I started staring outside the window, seeing how the rain poured its water on the grounds and roads of Shanghai city, making it even more beautiful than before.
He looked at me just for a second and then looked back at the road. "Do you like rain?"
I nodded. "Yes, it's my favourite season more than anything."
"Any specific reason?" he asked.
"Some things don't need a reason. They happen just because they need to happen. But if you are asking me why I like it, then I can answer it like this: the rain makes me forget my pain. It removes it just for a while, but yes, it does. It makes me believe in magic. It makes me feel there is still hope—a ray of hope for me. I want to drench myself in the rain completely so I can feel its presence in me. I like when the sky becomes a little darker during rain. I like the air of rain when it blows everywhere. It makes me feel like I am breathing in a place that doesn't even exist. You know, I don't think I can express how much I like it. If I start expressing, then this night won't be enough."
He smiled a little and said, "I am wondering… what pain does this student have at this young age that rain helps her forget it?"
I went silent. How can I answer that? How can I tell him that he is that pain of mine? I can't. I will never be able to.
These thoughts kept going on in my mind. Then he stopped the car and said, "Here you reached your dorm. But I must say, I haven't listened to such deep thoughts about rain before. Even I didn't see rain in the way you see it. But whatever it is, I must say it sounds very beautiful. Maybe next time I'll also try to feel rain in the way you feel it."
I smiled, and before opening the door I said, "No, you can't," and got out of the car, leaving him confused.
Then he also stepped out of the car and said, "Hey wait. The dorm is closed. How can I forget that? Come, I'll drop you to some hotel."
I smiled and said, "Don't worry. I have my ways to get inside."
He looked a little confused about what I was going to do. Then I put one shoe on the gate, then the other, and started climbing it. I jumped inside. Thankfully the guard wasn't there, he must have gone to the washroom. Before going to my room I turned around and said, "Bye-bye," waving my hand.
He smiled and said, "Bye-bye, monkey."
I got a little amazed and asked, "How many names will you give me? Stubborn, childish, silly, kid, and now monkey?"
"Because I haven't seen in life all these qualities in one person," he said while folding his arms and standing beside his car like he was giving a modelling pose for a photoshoot.
Then I went inside my room. I silently entered so Wang Ruoxi's sleep wouldn't be disturbed. I changed my clothes and lay on my bed. The rain was still doing its work. I don't think it will stop tomorrow also.
I hope Xu Yuan reached home safely and didn't catch a cold because of me. He came outside the car when I was climbing the university gate just to check on me. He also got wet in the rain like me. I really hope he is fine. He just recovered from his flu—now this rain again…
Then, while praying for him, I—as always—fell into deep sleep.