Chapter Six: The Understanding of an Umbrella

  At six o'clock in the morning, it started raining outside, with sparse and scattered raindrops. The sky was not cold, nor was there any wind.

  I still got up early, quietly tidying up the bed, washing and dressing, then walked out of the bedroom.

  "Ah, you're up early for training again!" The old security guard in our dorm building greeted me with a warm smile.

  "Yes, sir."

  Since I went to college, the first person who greets me every morning is this gatekeeper uncle who is over 50 years old. The uncle's smiling face with wrinkles is also the first dynamic picture that enters my eyes every morning.

  I ran past two dormitory buildings and arrived at the football field.

  Maybe because of the drizzle in the sky, there were very few people exercising this morning. Adding to that, I only saw four people: an old man wearing a white uniform practicing Tai Chi, a middle-aged woman with a sword at her waist, and a muscular young man running.

  I admit, I put emphasis on "muscle" and "youth".

  You would think that next comes a magnificent romance, or more artistically put, an encounter.

  But my strong self-awareness tells me: girl, you're just a 162cm tall and 53kg weight petite girl. The kind that doesn't look bad but isn't high-end enough to hang out with, so forget about fantasizing about glass slippers fitting on your feet. Be careful not to dream too much or you might end up with brain hypoxia, which wouldn't be worth it.

  I shook my head, pulling myself out of my daydream and refocusing on the track. But that muscular boy had already disappeared, leaving only Tai Chi Grandpa and Sword Aunt in my field of vision.

  Pushing aside distractions, I did a good warm-up and started my four laps around the field jogging exercise.

  It was just when I had finished running two laps that a torrential downpour suddenly started falling from the top of my head, with raindrops as big as pearls.

  Driven by a strong instinct, I spread my legs and ran in the direction of going back. However, just after taking five steps, I was stopped by a hoarse voice behind me: "Kid, don't run, here's an umbrella!"

  I turned around and saw the Tai Chi grandfather under the umbrella using his right palm, which was full of green silk threads, beckoning me to come over. In an instant, I felt that scene was warm and fuzzy. However, it's for someone like me who hasn't experienced much familial love.

  I ran under grandfather's umbrella, and grandfather handed me another folding umbrella, black, with no pattern.

  "Grandpa, thank you! How can I return the umbrella to you? Are you coming again tomorrow morning? I'm a student at this school, if you come again tomorrow, I'll give it back to you then!"

  "He's not coming tomorrow! Just give it to my grandson directly! It was that boy who just ran past here, but he left already. He's also from this school, named Zhao Jun, from the School of Engineering Management, Accounting Department, Class 6, you can just give it to him!"

  Grandpa spoke while stroking his chin whiskers with his right hand, and the temperament matched perfectly with the white coat on Grandpa's body.

  "Got it! I remember, I'll definitely return the umbrella to your grandson after I'm done using it! Thank you so much!"

  My current mood can't be described with just gratitude. Let's not mention the umbrella thing, but after sending off the umbrella, I even got to send off a handsome guy - this kind of wonderful thing must have been earned from some great merit in my past life!

  Thank you for last life! Thank you for the imperial court! Thank you, old grandpa! Thank you for the heavy rain! Thank you for the umbrella! Thank you for morning exercise! Thank you...

  Back in the dormitory, I opened my umbrella and cooled off in the corridor. Then I looked at my watch, Beijing time 7:00, my sleepy roommates were still in their dreams and refused to wake up.

  I gazed out of the window, and the rainwater was pounding against the ground more and more fiercely. My central nervous system kept processing and integrating those few words: Zhao Jun, School of Engineering Management, Accounting Department Class 6.