Gasp! She's a Time Traveler Using Modern Tech to Improve Ancient Life

Chapter 893 - 11: Xiao Chong Extra Story

"Alright, let’s stop here for today." Xiao Chong called a halt to Lin Wanwan, "You can go freshen up."

As soon as he finished speaking, a sudden clap of thunder roared outside, followed by a fierce wind and a torrential downpour.

Looking out the window, Xiao Chong said, "It seems you won’t be able to go back for a while, how about freshening up at my place?"

Lin Wanwan walked over to the French window, observed the storm for a bit, and figured it was so intense that any umbrella would be blown away. She shrugged, "Forget it, I won’t change then."

Xiao Chong said lazily, "You’ll feel uncomfortable if you don’t wash up after sweating. Come on, go to the public bathroom on the second floor, I’ll get you my school uniform."

Lin Wanwan refused, "No need, thank you."

She didn’t want to shower at a boy’s house and wear his clothes, it seemed strange no matter how she thought about it.

This kind of downpour usually doesn’t last long; it’s not like it’ll go on all day.

Seeing Lin Wanwan insist, Xiao Chong gave up and handed her a box of 150 napkins: "Then wipe off your sweat."

Lin Wanwan took the napkins and thanked him. She went to the restroom on the second floor to wipe her sweat, then went up to the attic to sit with Xiao Chong in his study, asking about the difficult problems she’d brought.

After finishing with the problems, the storm hadn’t let up and it was still early.

Lin Wanwan picked a copy of "The Count of Monte Cristo" from the bookshelf, sitting on the armchair under the skylight to read.

The sound of rain hitting the glass was in her ears, with Xiao Chong quietly reading beside her.

Lin Wanwan didn’t have many extracurricular books; the novels she had read before were borrowed from the library.

But since starting high school, her academic pressure increased, and she rarely read extracurricular novels anymore, only reading the required summer readings from school.

She’d heard of "The Count of Monte Cristo" many times but never had the chance to read it. The rain had halted her walking, now was the perfect time to read it.

The rain continued without stopping until around lunchtime.

Lin Wanwan put down the book and stood up, saying, "Does your family have an umbrella? I need to go back, it’s almost lunchtime, my grandpa must be waiting for me."

"There is an umbrella, but the wind is too strong for it to be of use."

"It’s okay, since it’s not far." Lin Wanwan decided that even if she had to get drenched without an umbrella, she’d dash home. Having one was just a bonus.

"Alright, go downstairs." Xiao Chong went to get an umbrella for Lin Wanwan, "Come back in the afternoon? Bring your homework, let’s do it together."

"Weren’t you going to Yongda this afternoon?"

"The rain is too heavy, I’m not going."

"Oh." Lin Wanwan replied, "We’ll see then. If the rain’s too heavy, I don’t want to go out."

In front of the hallway cabinet, Lin Wanwan changed her shoes, and Xiao Chong brought over an umbrella.

She looked up and was amazed; it was actually an elegantly old-fashioned paper umbrella!

"Isn’t this a photo prop umbrella?" Lin Wanwan curiously took the umbrella, "If I use this outside, I’m afraid the wind will break it. Nevermind, I’ll just get wet going back, I can’t afford to damage such a pretty umbrella."

Xiao Chong chuckled, "Don’t underestimate our intangible cultural heritage paper umbrella, it’s much stronger against the wind than mass-produced nylon ones. Just use it, if it breaks it’s a quality issue and you won’t have to pay for it."

Lin Wanwan, somewhat convinced, opened the umbrella, "Really?"

"You’ll see once you try." Xiao Chong opened the door for her, "Leave the problem book here to avoid getting it wet."

"Okay." Lin Wanwan carefully walked into the rain with the umbrella, the "pitter-patter" of the raindrops on the paper umbrella sounded like fairies dancing, especially enchanting, something an ordinary umbrella couldn’t achieve.

Xiao Chong watched Lin Wanwan leave with the paper umbrella, her figure becoming like an ink painting stretching from the doorstep, unconsciously smiling.

Though the paper umbrella was indeed wind-resistant, steady like its owner, it couldn’t quite fend off the swirling mist of rain from all sides.

Within the short walk, by the time Lin Wanwan got home, her pant legs were still mostly soaked by the rain.

Her grandpa had already served the food on the table: "Wanwan, you’re back. Go change and come eat."

"Okay." Lin Wanwan put the umbrella to dry under the eaves, changed her shoes, and headed straight to the second floor to her room, grabbed a set of sportswear, and jumped into the bathroom for a shower.

After eating and washing the dishes, the wind outside had miraculously stopped, leaving only a light mist of rain in the air.

Her grandpa had worked a night shift the previous night and could have rested at home all day today, only needing to go back for a morning shift the following day.

But he couldn’t idle around at home and was called by the hotel lobby manager next door to do a part-time job as a server.