Chapter 10: What the Meteor Shower Drenched

The peak of the Leonid Meteor Shower was around 10:00 PM.

The sky was very dark, there was no moon, and the Milky Way rose from the east like a glowing river.

The stars were dense and packed together, so numerous they made one’s head spin.

When the first meteor streaked across the sky, Song Tao cried out, “Eek!!”

“Did you see it? Did you see it?”

“I saw it!”

Li Li’s voice was quite calm in contrast, but I saw her looking up with a faint smile at the corner of her mouth.

The meteors became more frequent.

One, two, three—some were very bright, trailing long tails behind them, while others were very short and vanished in a flash, as if someone had struck a match in the sky and immediately blown it out.

I sat on the moisture-proof mat with my head tilted back until my neck felt a little sore.

Xiao Yan sat beside me, also watching.

She was wrapped in a blanket with only her face exposed, her white glasses frames glinting faintly under the starlight.

“President, how many have you counted?” she asked.

“Huh?”

I blinked, momentarily stunned.

“I haven’t been counting.”

“I counted for you.”

She smiled and pulled the blanket toward me, moving a little closer until our shoulders touched.

“Including the few fireballs just now, that makes seventeen.”

“There are so many this year!”

“Mhm.”

She shared half the blanket by draping it over my legs.

“The President was probably too busy daydreaming.”

‘It really seemed that way.’

“Are you cold?”

She asked, reaching out to touch the back of my hand.

“Wow, your hands are freezing.”

“I’m fine, really—”

“How is that fine?”

She frowned, pulled off her own gloves, and took my hand to put them on me.

“No, it’s okay!”

“Don’t move.”

She held my hand firmly and eased the glove on bit by bit.

Her fingers passed through each finger slot slowly, as if she were confirming something.

Once she finished with my left hand, she reached for my right.

“I can do it myself—”

“President, stay still.”

She lowered her head, her eyelashes casting shadows.

She pinched my fingertips and tucked them into the gloves one by one.

After they were all on, she squeezed my fingertips to make sure they were tucked in properly before letting go.

“There.”

She looked up at me and smiled.

“Now you won’t be cold.”

“What about you?”

“I’m not cold,” she said, tucking her hands into her sleeves and rubbing them together.

“I’m wearing a lot of layers.”

The temperature was dropping steadily.

A wind blew from across the mountain, carrying the cold scent of grass and wood, sending a chilly draft down my collar.

Song Tao was already starting to shiver, huddling inside her blanket like a frozen little hamster with her lips turning a bit pale.

“Everyone, get in the tent,” I said.

“I’ll keep an eye on the equipment out here.”

“I’ll stay out here too,” Xiao Yan said, as if it were the most natural thing in the world.

Song Tao looked at me, then at Xiao Yan.

The corners of her mouth curled up as she pulled a hesitating Li Li to her feet.

“Then we’ll head in first!”

She took a few steps, then turned back with a grin.

Soon, only Xiao Yan and I were left outside.

And Senior Lin Ming.

She walked over from the tent area with her hands in her trench coat pockets.

Her scarf had been blown askew by the wind, hanging off her shoulder, but she didn’t bother to fix it.

She just walked over with her head tilted, looking quite cool.

“Han Hanhan.”

I turned to look at her.

“Come over here for a second.”

“Oh… okay.”

I stood up.

Xiao Yan also moved to stand, but Lin Ming glanced at her.

“Just for a second. Let me have her for a few minutes.”

Xiao Yan sat back down, wrapped the blanket tighter, and looked up at me.

“Don’t be gone too long, President. It’s cold out.”

“Mhm,” I nodded.

“Don’t sneak your hands out,” she added.

“Keep the gloves on.”

“I know.”

Lin Ming didn’t say anything and simply turned to walk away.

I followed behind her.

After walking a short distance, I realized she was heading behind the large rock next to the observation point.

The wind was much weaker here, with only the occasional gust swirling over the top of the rock to blow hair into my face.

She leaned against the rock with her arms crossed, looking up at the sky.

The hem of her trench coat fluttered in the wind, and the toes of her Doc Martens reflected the moonlight.

“Have you been busy lately?”

She asked casually, as if just making small talk.

“It’s been alright. Just the handover stuff and some documents to transfer.”

“Mhm.” She nodded.

“Now that Xiao Yan has taken over, you must be a lot more relaxed.”

“It is quite a relief. She’s much more meticulous than I am.”

Lin Ming’s mouth twitched, as if she were smiling.

“You’ve always been like that. Carrying everything on your own, refusing to ask for help.”

“Have I?”

I scratched my head.

“Yes.”

She glanced at me.

“Back at the Cultural Festival during our first year of high school, you spent an entire day setting up the display boards by yourself. I asked if you needed help, and you said no.”

“…You still remember that, Senior?”

“Of course. I stood there and watched you for ten minutes that day, and you didn’t even notice.”

I fell silent.

I really didn’t remember that.

I probably had been very busy—moving boards, posting posters, and adjusting telescopes…

“Later, Bai Lu told me to go help you,” Lin Ming said.

“She said, ‘If you don’t go help her, she’s going to die.'”

“And then?”

“And then I went.”

She spoke flatly, as if recounting a very ordinary event.

“Senior Bai Lu has always been like that,” I said.

“She’s very good at taking care of people.”

“Mhm,” Lin Ming grunted, not following up.

Silence fell for a moment.

The wind wrapped around the rock, blowing hair across my face.

I tried to brush it away, but it immediately blew back.

“Right,” Lin Ming said suddenly.

“How was recruitment this year?”

“Not bad. A few new members joined. You’ve met Song Tao, and there’s another one named Li Li.”

“Li Li?” Lin Ming thought for a moment.

“That name sounds familiar.”

“She seems to know Senior Bai Lu. She mentioned they were schoolmates in middle school.”

“Oh?” Lin Ming seemed interested and pulled out her phone to type.

The moonlight shone on her phone screen and her fingers.

Her knuckles were well-defined, and on her right ring finger sat a silver band that matched the one Senior Bai Lu wore.

I stole a glance at the ring.

I had wanted to ask about it before, but I never dared.

After finishing her message, Lin Ming looked up and caught my gaze.

She looked down at her own hand.

“What is it?”

“Nothing, nothing.”

I quickly looked away.

She didn’t press the issue.

She put her phone back in her pocket and continued to watch the sky.

“Senior, back when you were the President, did you ever feel like… you had to do everything yourself?”

I asked.

“I did.”

“Then how did you handle it?”

She thought it over.

“I asked for help.”

“Didn’t you say you wouldn’t ask for help?”

“I learned that later.”

She looked at me.

“Bai Lu taught me.”

“How did she teach you?”

Lin Ming was silent for a moment.

“There was a time when I hadn’t slept well for several days in a row, and she noticed. She didn’t ask what was wrong; she just stepped in and took over the club’s affairs.”

She paused.

“I told her ‘I can do it.’ She said, ‘I know you can, but that doesn’t mean you have to do it alone.'”

She stopped there.

I waited for her to continue.

“That’s it,” she said.

“That’s all?”

“That’s all. She only said that one sentence.”

Lin Ming looked at the sky, her fingers twitching inside her trench coat pocket.

“And I remembered it.”

The wind died down for a moment.

“Senior,” I said, “do you think I should be asking for help?”

She glanced at me.

“What do you think?”

“…I don’t know.”

“Then think about it slowly,” she said, her tone level.

“There’s no rush, anyway.”

She didn’t say anything else after that, simply continuing to watch the sky.

Another meteor streaked past.

“Senior, why did you choose me to be the President back then?”

I asked.

Lin Ming took a moment to consider.

“Because you’re reliable.”

“…Just that?”

“Is that not enough?”

Her tone was serious.

“The Astronomy Club doesn’t need a superstar for a President; it needs someone reliable. You prepare for everything in advance, you don’t panic when problems arise, and you’re patient with the juniors.”

She paused.

“Besides, you really love astronomy.”

She said that last part very softly.

“That’s the most important thing,” she said.

I didn’t say anything.

“Xiao Yan is the same,” Lin Ming continued.

“She’s just like you. She works hard and cares about the club. You were right to choose her as the President.”

“Senior, have you met her?”

“Mhm. I caught a glimpse when we were getting on the bus,” Lin Ming said.

“She was looking at you the whole time.”

“What?”

“When we were getting on the bus, when you were moving equipment, when you were sitting outside the tent.”

Lin Ming’s tone was flat, like she was describing the weather.

“She was watching you the whole time.”

I was stunned.

“You didn’t know?”

Lin Ming looked at me.

“…I didn’t.”

“Oh,” she said, and then went silent.

I waited, but she really didn’t say anything else.

“Senior, all you’re going to say is ‘oh’?”

“What else should I say?”

She looked at me.

“Don’t you feel it yourself?”

I opened my mouth but couldn’t find the words.

Lin Ming looked at me, and her mouth twitched.

“Alright. Let’s head back.”

She straightened up from the rock.

“It’s cold out.”

On the walk back, I kept thinking about what Lin Ming had said.

‘She was watching you the whole time.’

Was she? How had I not noticed?

As we approached the tent, I saw Xiao Yan still sitting in her original spot.

She was wrapped in the blanket, looking up at the sky.

Her profile looked very peaceful under the moonlight.

She wasn’t smiling; she seemed to be daydreaming.

This was the first time I had seen her without a smile.

Usually, she was always smiling—at me, at Song Tao, at everyone.

But now, sitting alone, her face was completely expressionless.

Then she turned and saw me. She immediately smiled and waved.

Her eyes curved into crescents when she smiled, just like always.

But I suddenly remembered how she had looked just a moment ago.

“President? Why are you spacing out?”

Xiao Yan’s voice pulled me back.

“No, I’m not.”

I walked over and sat down beside her.

“I was just thinking about things.”

“What things?”

“Just… club stuff.”

“Oh.”

She nodded and didn’t ask further.

I pulled the blanket back over us.

The wind blowing from the mountain was a bit cold.

“President, are your hands still cold?”

Xiao Yan turned her head to look at me.

“I’m fine, I have the gloves on—”

Before I could finish, she reached out and pulled my hand toward her, feeling it through the glove.

“The gloves aren’t thick enough.”

She said this and then pulled my hand out of the glove, clutching it in her own palm.

“Hey!”

“I’ll warm them for you.”

She enclosed my hand, interlocking our fingers, and looked down at them.

“Your nails are trimmed so neatly, President.”

“Mhm.”

“They’re pretty.”

She looked up at me and smiled, then began to stroke my knuckles.

“Your hands are so small, it’s cute.”

“How is that cute…”

“It just is.”

She squeezed my fingers and traced a circle on the back of my hand with her thumb.

“They’re so much smaller than mine.”

Her hands were indeed a bit larger than mine.

Her palms were warm, completely enveloping my hand.

“President,” she suddenly whispered, lowering her voice.

“What did you talk about with Senior Lin Ming just now?”

“Just some club matters,” I said.

“She also mentioned that you were watching me.”

“What?”

Her fingers stopped moving.

“She said you were watching me when we got on the bus, when I was moving equipment, and while I was sitting outside the tent.”

I tilted my head to look at her.

“Were you?”

Xiao Yan’s ears turned red.

“No… I wasn’t.”

She lowered her head, her voice becoming smaller.

“I was just… looking around.”

“Just looking around?”

“Mhm.”

She squeezed my hand a bit tighter.

“You look quite good in a windbreaker, President.”

“Do I…”

“Mhm.”

She looked up at me, her eyes bright.

“Very good.”

After saying that, she looked back down, her ears still bright red.

I didn’t know what to say, so I just let her hold my hand.

The wind blew past us, but it didn’t seem so cold anymore.

After a while, she let go and helped me put my glove back on.

“Alright, let’s go inside.”

She stood up and patted her pants.

“It’s too cold out here. Your hands are already freezing, President.”

She turned toward the tent.

After two steps, she looked back and reached out her hand.

“President?”

“Huh?”

“Give me your hand.”

“What for?”

“Hold it. It’s dark, you might trip.”

She made a lot of sense.

I reached out, and she grasped my hand, our fingers interlocking.

“Let’s go.”

She pulled me toward the tent, her steps not too large, perfectly matching my pace.

When the tent flap was lifted, a warm yellow light spilled out, accompanied by the sound of Song Tao’s snoring.

Xiao Yan bent down to crawl inside, looking back at me without letting go of my hand.

“President, you first.”

“Oh, okay.”

I crawled inside.

She followed closely behind and finally let go.

The tent was so warm.

Song Tao had already fallen asleep against Li Li’s shoulder, her mouth slightly open as she emitted small snores.

Li Li’s glasses were crooked, but she didn’t fix them.

She was leaning against a nearby hiking pack with her eyes closed.

Lin Ming and Bai Lu were sitting opposite them.

Bai Lu was scrolling through her phone, the light of the screen casting a soft glow on her face.

Lin Ming was leaning against Bai Lu’s shoulder with her eyes closed, her breathing steady as if she were also asleep.

Bai Lu looked up and smiled when she saw us.

“Cold outside, isn’t it?”

“It’s alright.”

I sat down.

Xiao Yan sat beside me, our shoulders touching.

As she sat, she naturally draped the blanket over my legs and reached out to pull the collar of my windbreaker up.

“Your neck is cold too,” she said, her fingers grazing my collar.

“Ungh! I’m not cold anymore.”

“You are.”

She withdrew her hand, but not completely.

Her fingers lingered on my shoulder for a moment, giving it a gentle pat.

Bai Lu put her phone away and looked down at Lin Ming leaning against her.

She reached out to brush away the stray hairs on Lin Ming’s forehead.

Lin Ming stirred, nuzzling closer into the crook of Bai Lu’s neck, and mumbled something indistinguishable.

Bai Lu smiled and leaned down to press a kiss to the top of her head.

“Go to sleep.”

The tent fell silent.

There was only the sound of the wind and Song Tao’s soft snoring.

I leaned against the equipment box next to me and closed my eyes.

My hands were tucked under the blanket, feeling warm.

Something touched my hand.

It was Xiao Yan’s finger.

She didn’t grab my hand.

She simply rested her finger on the back of my hand and stroked it gently.

It was very light, as if she were petting a small animal.

I didn’t move.

She didn’t pull away.

After a while, her finger slid from the back of my hand to my wrist, paused there for a moment, and then slid back.

She seemed to be drawing circles over my pulse—very slowly, very lightly.

“The President’s hands are so soft,” she whispered, her voice so soft it sounded like she was talking to herself.

I didn’t know if I should respond.

I kept my eyes closed and pretended to be asleep.

Her finger gave the back of my hand another gentle squeeze, and then it stopped moving, simply resting there.

Outside the tent, the wind died down.

I kept my eyes closed, feeling that small point of warmth on the back of my hand.

It was very warm.

Her finger seemed a bit warmer than before.

Or maybe it was just my imagination.

But I didn’t want to open my eyes to check.

This was nice.

The warmth of the tent made me drowsy.

Song Tao was now completely leaning on Li Li, her mouth open and her snoring continuing softly.

Li Li’s glasses were sliding further to the side, but she didn’t fix them, leaning against the tent pole with even, steady breaths.

Lin Ming was asleep on Bai Lu’s shoulder.

Bai Lu continued to flip through her phone, the soft light illuminating her face.

Xiao Yan sat right next to me, shoulder to shoulder.

She shared half the blanket with me, her hands tucked into her sleeves with only her fingertips showing.

“Are you sleepy, President?”

She whispered.

“A little…”

“Liar, you can barely keep your eyes open.”

She chuckled and reached out to adjust the scarf that was slipping down.

The scarf was hers.

She had insisted I wear it when we went out, saying it was cold.

Her fingers brushed against my chin as she adjusted the edge of the scarf.

They felt cool, but I felt warm all over.

“Aren’t you cold?” I asked.

“I’m not.”

She tucked her fingers back into her sleeves and nudged the back of my hand through the fabric.

“Are your hands still cold, President?”

“Not anymore.”

“That’s good.”

She pulled her hand back, but her finger lingered on the back of my hand a moment longer, as if checking the temperature, giving it one last light stroke before finally withdrawing.