Thick, heavy clouds pressed down over the city. Torrential rain poured like the Milky Way collapsing. Though it was noon, the small town was pitch black. Even hastily lit streetlights couldn’t dispel much darkness.

Yue Feather walked alone on a suburban path. It was so dark he couldn’t see his hand before his face. In the distance, a dense forest loomed, casting an eerie atmosphere.

Yet Yue Feather smiled. He held an umbrella, but not over himself. Instead, he shielded a patch of empty air beside him, as if someone stood there. He let the torrential rain soak him.

“Look how beautiful the rain is,” Yue Feather said with a smile.

Beneath the umbrella, Silver Bell’s faint figure smiled at him. With concern, she said, “Come under too, or you’ll catch a cold.”

“It’s fine. As long as you don’t,” Yue Feather laughed heartily. He took Silver Bell’s hand and walked down the path, deep into the forest.

Beyond the forest lay a deserted beach. It was his world alone, a place where he’d never be disturbed.

No… not just his alone. It should belong to Silver Bell too.

Yes, their world together.

The beach wasn’t large. At most, it was the size of two city blocks. Compared to the endless beaches in his novels, it paled in comparison. Precisely because it was so small in reality, he exaggerated it in his stories. But now, this small beach was enough to satisfy Yue Feather.

Simply because… she was with him.

She was so beautiful. Jet-black hair framed her face. Her slightly upturned phoenix eyes and monolid gave her a profound aura. A black mole, shaped like a tear drop, was the perfect finishing touch, making her seem alive.

No, that wasn’t right. She was alive. Yue Feather told himself that in his heart.

“Look, Bell,” Yue Feather said. Sometime recently, their nicknames had grown affectionate. “That house, the little cottage by the sea.”

Yes, that was the seaside villa from his stories. In reality, it was just a dilapidated fisherman’s hut. Nowhere near as grand or luxurious as in his tales. Though long abandoned, it still reeked of fish. Moldy, rotten wood covered everything, making it look ready to collapse.

He remembered this place from childhood. It was his secret base, known only to him. Inside was pitch black. But in the corner lay a few scattered candles, barely usable. After lighting one, he took Silver Bell’s soft little hand and led her to a wall. Pointing at crayon scribbles, he smiled. “Look, Bell. I wrote these when I played here as a kid.”

“Hmm… secret… base?” Silver Bell bit her finger, squinting at the crooked words. She murmured softly.

“Yeah, that’s right,” Yue Feather chuckled. “This place has a secret passage too.” He led her to a corner and opened a half-rotten cellar hatch. Down the stairs lay a storage cellar, reeking of fish and alcohol. Probably used for drying salted fish and brewing wine long ago. The air was stale and dusty. Yue Feather only showed her around briefly before returning upstairs.

“Let’s go! To the beach! I brought a tent~” Yue Feather patted his bulging backpack, grinning happily.

“The rain is heavy. Shouldn’t we stay here?”

“No problem. My tent is waterproof! And Bell, don’t you think it’d be romantic to sleep in it during this downpour, listening to the pitter-patter of rain?”

“Mm~ Let’s go then.” Silver Bell smiled radiantly at him, leaving him spellbound.

“Ah… let’s… let’s go.”

Suddenly, Yue Feather didn’t want to go to the beach anymore. Though the candlelight was dim, he wanted to keep gazing at Silver Bell’s face. Forever.

How far is forever? Perhaps that brief moment was forever in its own way.

The rain outside was heavy. Yue Feather still held the umbrella over Silver Bell. He dashed out of the old cottage into the downpour. The torrential rain washed the world clean, as if purging all its filth. The cold raindrops didn’t clear Yue Feather’s mind. Instead, they made him dizzy. Silver Bell’s figure grew clearer.

“You’re so beautiful,” Yue Feather said tenderly, standing by the sea and gazing at her face.

Silver Bell blushed and lowered her head. But Yue Feather cupped her face and kissed her deeply.

“Mmm~” She gave a soft moan. She offered token resistance, but soon let his tongue explore her mouth. Her tongue felt cool, tasting of rain. Yue Feather grew fonder of her. Each time he tasted her, it was different. He grew more passionate, almost reaching for her clothes. But he controlled himself.

Silver Bell, eyes closed, sensed his pause. She opened her eyes, puzzled. “What’s wrong?”

“Nothing…” Yue Feather shook his head with a smile. “I want to wait until we’re married for those things.”

“Mm… mm~” She leaned shyly against his shoulder, swaying gently. “I love you…”

“Me too.”

“Let’s set up the tent. The rain is heavy.”

“Mm.”

Yue Feather had Silver Bell stand aside. He told her to hold the umbrella, but she refused. Instead, she wanted to get wet with him.

“Getting wet in the rain is romantic too.”

The tent was set up quickly. Before coming out, Yue Feather had practiced countless times. Now, he was an expert.

“Hurry in!” Silver Bell whispered from inside.

“Coming,” Yue Feather replied, crawling in after her.

Though small, the tent wasn’t cramped for two. They leaned against each other, listening to the crisp sound of raindrops pattering on the fabric. For a moment, the atmosphere felt awkward.

“My clothes are soaked. It’s uncomfortable…” Silver Bell shifted slightly, murmuring softly.

“Uh… then… let’s change clothes.”

“Mm… um… you can’t look back.”

“I promise not to look,” Yue Feather covered his eyes. “Hurry up and change.”

“Mm…”

Silver Bell opened her backpack. Inside was a brand-new sailor uniform. Carefully, she peeled off her soaked clothes and set them aside. As she undressed, she kept glancing back at him. Only when sure he wasn’t peeking did she slowly remove each piece. Then she wrung out her wet clothes, used them to wipe her body, and put on the dry ones. Yue Feather heard rustling sounds behind him. He itched to turn around but kept his promise. This was the most agonizing moment. If he’d just turned sneakily, he could have seen. A true man resists temptation. He told himself that and finally held on.

“D… done,” Silver Bell’s voice sounded like heavenly music.

Yue Feather turned around. Seeing her in the sailor uniform, his eyes widened.

“Do I look good?” She asked shyly, head down.

“Beautiful!” He replied without hesitation.

“Mm… I’m a bit hungry…”

“Let’s eat.”

Outside, the rain continued. Inside the small tent, they heated up canned food. It was just ordinary canned food, nowhere near as tasty as fresh dishes. But they ate it with relish. The downpour lasted all night. It cleared up the next day.

Yue Feather slowly woke from sleep. Beside him, Silver Bell’s face was flushed an unnatural red. Her lips were tinged purple, and her body trembled slightly. She looked ill.

“Silver Bell, Silver Bell, what’s wrong?” He shook her gently, worry in his voice.

“Mmm…?” She struggled to open her eyes. “So thirsty…”

“Water… I have water. Here, drink…” He tried pouring water into her mouth, but it spilled. Desperate, he took water in his own mouth and passed it to hers. He didn’t care about tasting her tongue now. Her illness was more urgent.

“It hurts…” After drinking, she regained some strength but still frowned in discomfort. “My head… it aches…”

“You must have a fever from yesterday’s rain!” Yue Feather scratched his head worriedly. He scooped her up in his arms. “I’m taking you to the hospital now!”

“Mm…” She responded unconsciously, closing her eyes again. She looked seriously feverish.

Yue Feather ran with her in his arms. Though exhausted, he didn’t stop. His potential surged, giving him endless energy. Back in the city, he boarded a bus, then rushed into the hospital.

"Silver Bell, hold on..." Yue Feather brushed his fingers against her forehead. It was scorching hot—likely a fever of 41 degrees Celsius already.

41 degrees. That was dangerously high.

"Hold on... hold on..." Yue Feather gritted his teeth and rushed into the emergency department. Seeing a nurse approach, he collapsed to the ground, relief washing over him.

"Finally... made it... please... save her..." Utterly exhausted, Yue Feather's last thought was for Silver Bell before his consciousness sank completely into darkness.

"This morning, a man dressed in women's clothing rushed into the hospital and collapsed. He sought help for a severe fever that had reached 42 degrees Celsius. His condition is now stable, but he remains in critical condition..."