《How can a girl who likes rain have bad thoughts?》

Pluviophile: A person who loves rain is called a "pluviophile," referring to someone whose mood calms when it rains, or someone who enjoys being in the rain. — This year’s weather has been extremely odd, with the stifling heat persisting into the school season despite heavy rains. Returning students typically start earlier than freshmen, so at four in the afternoon, Lin Yuyan arrived at the office to draft her interview article about the new students. She had long hair, and when she lowered her gaze, it blocked her view, so she casually pinned it up. Loose strands tucked behind her ears revealed the clean and neat lines of her neck. Her slender, fair fingers held the pen skillfully, and even when writing on a blank page, her elegant calligraphy stood out. There was a knock on the door. She set down her pen and called out, "Come in," then stood up and spoke quietly, "Teacher Li, is there something you need?" The University Media Center, which was supervised by the Party’s propaganda department, was a student-led publicity organization. This office was where students handled their work. Since it was located close to the Party office, teachers would often ask for help with errands, but today, Teacher Li wasn’t there for that. Teacher Li’s gaze focused on Lin Yuyan. With her full head of hair and delicate bone structure, she was a perfect candidate for being on camera. Li explained the reason for her visit, "Lin Yuyan, the other teachers and I have discussed it, and this year, you’ll be interviewing the new students. The entire event will be livestreamed, so make sure to coordinate with the video department." Lin Yuyan nodded in agreement. Seeing this, Teacher Li was satisfied and turned to leave, but as the door opened, someone standing outside lost their balance and nearly stumbled into Teacher Li. Su Wanman, with an awkward expression, greeted Teacher Li. But the moment she stepped inside, that expression vanished. "Looks really do get you places." She dropped her bag and sneered, throwing her pen onto the desk with a sharp clatter. Though the words were meant as a compliment, the tone made the meaning drastically different. Lin Yuyan knew what she meant. Ever since Lin Yuyan became the head of the journalism department, Su Wanman often clashed with her. But recently, Lin suspected there might be another reason for their rivalry. Su Wanman saw them as romantic rivals. Lin Yuyan remained calm and silent as she zipped up her bag. Before leaving, she left a parting remark, "You should focus on improving your Mandarin first." The teachers weren’t fools; matters concerning the school’s image couldn’t be simplified with mere praise about someone’s looks. As she stepped out, she saw Chen Li waiting for her by the elevator. Earlier, Chen had messaged her about a basketball game being held by the School of Computer Science, and Zhuo Yike was participating. In fact, Lin had hurriedly packed up with the intention of seeing him. From afar, Chen Li waved enthusiastically and pointed to her phone as if she had found something exciting. Lin Yuyan quickened her pace and walked over. The hallway was quite long, with the afternoon sun streaming in through the windows, casting a warm glow on her flowing hair. The thought of the term "rival" made her smile faintly. How could she like Cheng Yan? She clearly liked... Zhuo Yike. — Chen Li's phone displayed the school forum. Beijing University was one of the top schools in the country, a standard-bearer in the industry. Its actions were closely watched, and it naturally attracted many prospective students. Lin Yuyan was familiar with the school forum. As a member of the publicity department, her role included monitoring public opinion, and over the summer, she had spent a lot of time answering incoming students' questions about the university. However, she didn’t understand why Chen Li was focused on this, so she asked, "What’s going on?" Tall and slender, Lin stood quietly in the corner of the elevator, her presence like that of a proud little swan. Chen handed her the phone. "Take a good look; it’s about a poll." "A poll?" she murmured, focusing her gaze on the screen. It was a post about an anonymous poll featuring the two most popular figures on campus, Zhuo Yike and Cheng Yan. Who is your ideal campus heartthrob? The post was accompanied by a perfectly edited photo of Zhuo Yike and a blurry candid shot of Cheng Yan. It was obvious who would come out on top. Naturally, no one on campus would misinterpret this, but the new students, having never been to the school, were swayed by appearances. The thread was filled with comments like, "Ahhh, this senior Zhuo Yike is so handsome! Does anyone have his contact info? Does he have a girlfriend?" Lin Yuyan looked away from the phone, and Chen Li teased, "Yanyan, aren’t you going to cast a vote for your beloved Keke?" In an instant, Lin’s pale cheeks flushed with a soft pink. She lowered her gaze, responding playfully yet shyly, "What do you mean by ‘beloved’?" There were so many people who liked him that he wasn’t even aware of her feelings. She didn’t want to use this poll to express her affection. If possible, she preferred to tell him directly. Besides, his "opponent" was someone she knew well—Cheng Yan, the boy who had grown up next door. — By the time they reached the basketball court, the place was already packed with people, and the atmosphere was electric. Even so, Lin Yuyan easily spotted him through the crowd. At 186 cm tall, dressed in a white LeBron jersey, his toned arms showed through, the sweat on his forehead dampening his hair. Yet, he still wore a lazy smile. His peach-blossom eyes were particularly captivating, slightly upturned with a hint of flirtation. Just a glance from him could stir waves of excitement. Chen Li often joked about how flirtatious Zhuo Yike was, claiming he had dated more girls than the amount of rice he'd eaten. Lin Yuyan, however, disagreed. After all, how bad could a guy be if he held an umbrella for her on a rainy day? While she was lost in thought, Zhuo Yike made a clean dunk, revealing his lean waistline as he soared. At the same time, there was a loud thud as someone fell. It was a perfect dunk, and Zhuo’s team added a point, evening the score. Everyone was too stunned to speak, exchanging glances. "Wasn’t it Zhuo Yike who bumped into him?" "Don’t be ridiculous, injuries are part of basketball." Chen Li grabbed Lin Yuyan’s hand, "What happened? Let’s go check." Though Lin disliked the noise of crowds, she agreed to get closer to him, so she nodded and squeezed through the throng. She saw him wipe the sweat from his forehead with the corner of his shirt and apologize, "I knocked over Fang Qi, so it’s my fault. In the spirit of friendship first, competition second, today’s game will end here. I’ll cover all of Fang Qi’s medical expenses." The unfriendly murmurs stopped immediately. Lin overheard a girl next to her whisper, "I knew Keke wasn’t that kind of guy. Did you see those abs when he lifted his shirt? So hot, I’m losing my mind." Lin Yuyan clenched her fingers around the cold water bottle she had taken from the fridge. The chill seeped into her fingertips as she glanced up, her gaze meeting his. Her heart skipped a beat. "Is that water for me?" His eyes didn’t stray, intense as a burning torch. Lin Yuyan was forced to look down, her cheeks flushing. The girl next to her, who was also holding a bottle, looked over at him. The Swarovski swan necklace around her neck sparkled, much like her own graceful presence. A top student, beautiful, and from a prestigious family of scholars—it was no wonder she made others feel inferior. Chen Li tugged at Lin Yuyan’s arm and whispered, "Yanyan, Zhuo Yike is talking to you." Lin Yuyan finally raised her eyes and, in a voice as soft as a whisper, said, "Yes." Even she felt a sense of inferiority when facing someone she liked. Standing beside him, their fingertips almost brushing, Lin watched as he casually opened the water bottle she had given him. His Adam’s apple moved as he drank, and then he smiled at her, "Thanks, Lin Yuyan." He actually remembered her name. Lin’s breath caught, and the eloquent girl who could recite poetry fluently in front of the camera found herself at a loss for words. After a long pause, she managed to stammer, "You’re welcome." — The outdoor basketball court was fenced, but it couldn’t block the view from outside, where people were watching clearly. Someone in the crowd suddenly shouted, "Cheng Yan!" Lin Yuyan’s heart clenched in panic. He wasn’t supposed to be here. His rebellious attitude had led him to buy an off-campus apartment in his first year, and he rarely lingered on campus. It was this fact that had given Lin the courage to attend Zhuo Yike’s game. If he found out, who knew what might happen? She instinctively shifted her body back, using Zhuo Yike’s figure to hide her. Only then did she dare sneak a glance. Cheng Yan was still some distance from the court. Today, he was dressed casually in a black American-style t-shirt, but it couldn’t hide the laid-back swagger that was part of his nature. Because Lin Yuyan had once mentioned that she didn’t like crew cuts, he had secretly started growing out his hair. Now, the tips brushed his brow. Even from his side profile, you could tell his bone structure was impeccable. His fingers casually spun a keychain as he walked, his steps loose and unhurried. Lin knew it was the key to his new Maserati MC20. If it were anyone else, she might have thought they were flaunting their wealth. But with Cheng Yan, it wasn’t like that. Coming from a business family, he had a sharp financial mind. Back in high school, he had borrowed five million from his father to invest, but instead of choosing the safe, conservative options most would pick, he took high-risk ventures that could easily lead to disaster. Even now, while he could live comfortably off those investments, he wasn’t satisfied. He had founded a fund association, reinvesting his money for exponential returns—though he could lose everything, he thrived on the thrill. Lin Yuyan thought he might not be entirely sane. Even though they had grown up together, she found him more and more difficult to understand. The distance between them seemed to grow greater by the day. Zhuo Yike noticed something was wrong and asked, "Do you know Cheng Yan?" Just as Lin was about to respond, she heard Chen Li say, "Isn’t that Su Wanman? What’s she doing here?" In her line of sight, Su Wanman, who hadn’t expected to see Cheng Yan here, looked visibly nervous. She smoothed her hair, and even her grip on her handbag tightened. Cheng Yan, who had been walking, suddenly stopped and tilted his head, seemingly scoffing as his gaze met Su’s. Lin Yuyan pursed her lips and shrank back a bit more, shaking her head as she answered, "Not really." At that moment, her phone lit up in her hand. [Cheng Yan]: If you dare date anyone, I’ll tell your mom.