The first peach blossoms of spring always arrived quietly.

One morning, the branches outside the Lin family home would still be bare. The next, soft pink petals would appear like tiny whispers against the blue sky.

For fifteen-year-old Lin Xiaoran, spring had always been her favorite season.

She loved the gentle breeze that carried the scent of flowers through the streets of Hangzhou. She loved sitting by her bedroom window with a sketchbook in hand, drawing the blooming trees outside.

Most of all, she loved how spring made everything feel possible.

On a warm Saturday morning, Xiaoran sat cross-legged on her bed, carefully shading the petals of a peach blossom she had drawn.

Her long black hair fell over her shoulders as she focused on the page.

A sudden knock interrupted her concentration.

“Xiaoran!”

Her older brother’s voice echoed through the room.

The girl sighed.

“Come in.”

The door swung open immediately.

Lin Haoyu grinned.

“Mom wants you downstairs.”

Xiaoran frowned.

“Why?”

“Guests are coming.”

She groaned dramatically.

“Do I have to be there?”

“Yes.”

“Why?”

Haoyu shrugged.

“Because Mom said so.”

“That’s not a reason.”

“It’s the only reason that matters.”

Xiaoran threw a pillow at him.

Haoyu caught it effortlessly and laughed.

“Five minutes.”

With that, he disappeared.

Xiaoran rolled her eyes.

Her brother was twenty years old and a university student, yet he still acted like a child whenever he came home.

Reluctantly, she put away her sketchbook and headed downstairs.

The smell of freshly brewed tea greeted her.

The living room looked unusually tidy.

Her mother adjusted a vase of flowers while her father arranged snacks on the coffee table.

“You’re finally here,” her mother said.

Xiaoran sat beside her.

“Who is visiting?”

“One of your brother’s closest friends.”

“Oh.”

That didn’t sound particularly exciting.

A few minutes later, the doorbell rang.

Haoyu immediately stood.

“I’ll get it.”

The sound of the front door opening echoed through the house.

Then came unfamiliar footsteps.

Xiaoran glanced toward the entrance.

And froze.

A tall young man stepped inside.

For a moment, sunlight streamed through the doorway behind him.

His black hair moved slightly in the spring breeze.

He wore a simple white shirt beneath a dark jacket.

There was nothing flashy about him.

Yet somehow, he immediately drew attention.

He looked calm.

Confident.

Comfortable in his own skin.

The kind of person who didn’t need to try to stand out.

“Uncle Lin, Aunt Lin.”

His voice was warm and polite.

“Thank you for inviting me.”

Xiaoran blinked.

Why was he so handsome?

The thought appeared before she could stop it.

Embarrassed, she quickly looked away.

“Yuze!”

Her mother smiled.

“It’s been so long.”

The young man returned the smile.

“Yes, Auntie.”

Haoyu walked over and slapped his shoulder.

“You finally made it.”

“Traffic was terrible.”

“You always blame traffic.”

“Because it’s always traffic.”

The two laughed.

Watching them, Xiaoran realized they must be very close.

“Xiaoran.”

Her mother’s voice startled her.

She looked up.

“Come say hello.”

Suddenly, everyone’s attention shifted toward her.

Her face immediately warmed.

The young man looked at her.

Not in a strange way.

Just curious.

Friendly.

“Hello.”

His smile was gentle.

“You must be Xiaoran.”

She nodded quickly.

“Y-Yes.”

Great.

Now she sounded nervous.

“Nice to meet you.”

“I’m Chen Yuze.”

His voice was calm enough to ease some of her embarrassment.

“Nice to meet you too.”

For some reason, her heart skipped once.

Just once.

But it was enough to make her confused.

The adults continued talking while everyone settled into the living room.

Xiaoran quietly listened.

She learned that Chen Yuze was twenty years old.

He was studying architecture at a prestigious university in Beijing.

Apparently, he and Haoyu had become friends years ago during a school competition.

Since then, they had remained close.

“Architecture sounds difficult,” Xiaoran suddenly said.

The words escaped before she could stop them.

Everyone looked at her.

She instantly regretted speaking.

But Yuze simply nodded.

“It can be.”

“Then why did you choose it?”

He thought for a moment.

“Because I like creating things.”

His answer surprised her.

“You mean drawing buildings?”

“Not just drawing.”

A faint smile appeared.

“I like creating places where people can make memories.”

For some reason, she liked that answer.

A lot.

She imagined beautiful buildings filled with sunlight and laughter.

Buildings that told stories.

Maybe architecture wasn’t boring after all.

As the afternoon continued, conversation flowed easily around her.

Mostly between Yuze and her family.

Yet she noticed small things.

The way he thanked her mother every time she served food.

The way he listened when others spoke.

The way he smiled with his eyes.

Little things.

Unimportant things.

At least, they should have been unimportant.

But somehow, she noticed every single one.

Later that afternoon, Haoyu convinced Yuze to help carry boxes from the garage.

The two disappeared outside.

Curious, Xiaoran wandered into the garden.

Spring flowers bloomed along the stone pathway.

The air smelled sweet and fresh.

As she reached the peach tree near the fence, a sudden gust of wind scattered petals everywhere.

Pink blossoms danced through the sunlight.

Beautiful.

Without thinking, she reached for her sketchbook.

Only to realize she had left it upstairs.

A familiar voice spoke behind her.

“Do you like drawing?”

She turned.

Chen Yuze stood nearby.

A cardboard box rested in his arms.

“Oh.”

Her heart jumped unexpectedly.

“A little.”

His gaze shifted toward the peach blossoms.

“I saw your sketchbook earlier.”

She immediately became embarrassed.

“You looked at it?”

“Only by accident.”

His expression remained calm.

“The drawings were good.”

Xiaoran stared.

Nobody outside her family had ever complimented her art before.

“Really?”

“Really.”

The sincerity in his voice made her smile.

A genuine smile.

One that appeared before she could hide it.

For a brief second, Yuze seemed surprised.

Then he smiled too.

At that moment, another gust of wind swept through the garden.

Petals drifted around them like pink snow.

Neither spoke.

The scene felt strangely peaceful.

Like something from one of the romance novels hidden beneath Xiaoran’s bed.

Not that she would ever admit that.

A few minutes later, Haoyu’s voice interrupted them.

“Yuze!”

“I’m coming.”

Yuze adjusted the box.

Before leaving, he glanced back.

“Keep drawing, Xiaoran.”

She blinked.

“What?”

His smile returned.

“You’re talented.”

Then he walked away.

Just like that.

Simple words.

Nothing special.

Yet Xiaoran remained standing beneath the peach tree long after he disappeared.

Her fingers lightly touched the petals resting in her palm.

For some reason, her chest felt warm.

Strange.

Very strange.

She didn’t understand it yet.

She didn’t know that years later she would still remember this afternoon.

The sunlight.

The drifting blossoms.

The boy who encouraged her art.

The boy who arrived with spring.

And the beginning of a story that would quietly change her life forever.

Spring lingered in Hangzhou long after Chen Yuze’s visit.

The peach blossoms continued to bloom, painting the city in shades of soft pink. Every afternoon, Lin Xiaoran sat by her bedroom window with her sketchbook, trying to focus on her drawings.

Trying.

Because lately, her thoughts kept wandering.

More specifically, they kept wandering to one person.

Chen Yuze.

The realization made her bury her face in her pillow.

“This is ridiculous,” she mumbled.

It had been nearly two weeks since he visited her house.

Two weeks.

And yet she still remembered every detail of that afternoon.

His smile.

His voice.

The way he had said, “Keep drawing. You’re talented.”

No matter how many times she replayed the memory, it never lost its warmth.

A knock sounded at her door.

“Xiaoran?”

Her best friend Su Nian poked her head inside.

“What are you doing?”

“Nothing.”

“You’re smiling at a blank page.”

“I am not.”

“You are.”

Su Nian immediately sat beside her.

Then she narrowed her eyes suspiciously.

“Wait.”

Xiaoran felt a sudden sense of danger.

“What?”

“You like someone.”

Her heart nearly stopped.

“W-What?”

“You do!”

“I don’t!”

“You stuttered.”

“I always stutter.”

“Not like that.”

Xiaoran groaned dramatically.

Su Nian laughed.

“I knew it.”

“There isn’t anyone.”

“Liar.”

“There isn’t.”

“Then why are your ears red?”

Xiaoran immediately covered them.

Which only made her friend laugh harder.

By the time Su Nian finally left, Xiaoran’s face was burning.

She collapsed onto her desk.

Could everyone tell?

Was she really that obvious?

The thought was horrifying.

Fortunately, there was one comforting fact.

The person she liked lived in Beijing.

Far away.

There was no chance of anything happening.

Which meant nobody needed to know.

Especially not her brother.

The next few weeks passed quietly.

School became busier as exams approached.

Assignments piled up.

Teachers seemed determined to destroy everyone’s free time.

Yet somehow, thoughts of Chen Yuze kept appearing in unexpected moments.

When she passed an architecture exhibit at the library.

When she saw someone carrying drafting tools.

When spring rain tapped against classroom windows.

Every little thing reminded her of him.

One afternoon, Xiaoran returned home exhausted after school.

As she stepped inside, she heard familiar laughter from the living room.

A voice she recognized immediately.

Her heart skipped.

No way.

She hurried toward the room.

And there he was.

Chen Yuze.

Sitting on the sofa beside Haoyu.

For a second, she forgot how to breathe.

“Xiaoran.”

Her mother noticed her first.

“You’re home.”

Everyone looked up.

Including Yuze.

His expression brightened slightly.

“Hello.”

The simple greeting somehow made her nervous.

“H-Hi.”

Great.

She was stuttering again.

Haoyu smirked.

“Why do you look shocked?”

“I wasn’t shocked.”

“You looked shocked.”

“I didn’t.”

“You did.”

“Stop talking.”

The boys laughed.

Xiaoran wanted the floor to swallow her whole.

Later, after dinner, everyone gathered around the table.

Conversation flowed naturally.

Mostly between the adults and Yuze.

Xiaoran listened quietly while pretending not to pay attention.

Unfortunately, she paid attention to everything.

Every smile.

Every laugh.

Every word.

At one point, Yuze mentioned a difficult university project.

“You sound tired,” Xiaoran said without thinking.

The words slipped out before she could stop them.

Yuze looked surprised.

Then he smiled.

“A little.”

“You should sleep more.”

The adults laughed.

Her father nodded.

“She’s right.”

“See?” Xiaoran said.

For the first time all evening, she relaxed.

Maybe talking to him wasn’t so difficult after all.

After dinner, Yuze prepared to leave.

The sky outside had already darkened.

Everyone walked him to the front door.

“Take care,” Aunt Lin said.

“I will.”

“Visit again soon.”

“I’ll try.”

Then his gaze shifted toward Xiaoran.

“Good luck with school.”

The unexpected encouragement caught her off guard.

“You too.”

He chuckled.

“University isn’t school.”

“It still counts.”

“Fair enough.”

For a moment, neither spoke.

Then Yuze reached into his bag.

“I almost forgot.”

He handed her a small notebook.

Xiaoran blinked.

“For me?”

“You mentioned needing a new sketchbook.”

Her eyes widened.

He remembered?

Slowly, she accepted it.

The cover was decorated with tiny peach blossoms.

Beautiful peach blossoms.

“Thank you.”

Her voice was barely above a whisper.

“You’re welcome.”

Then he ruffled her hair lightly.

The gesture lasted only a second.

A casual, older-brother-like gesture.

But it was enough to send her heart racing.

Meanwhile, Haoyu immediately laughed.

“She looks frozen.”

“I am not frozen.”

“You absolutely are.”

“I’m going inside.”

Without waiting for another comment, Xiaoran escaped.

The moment she reached her room, she closed the door and leaned against it.

Her heart was beating far too fast.

Carefully, she opened the sketchbook.

The pages were smooth and perfect.

Inside the first page was a small note.

For future masterpieces.

— Yuze

Xiaoran stared at the words.

Then smiled.

A secret smile nobody else could see.

For the first time, she admitted something to herself.

The feelings she carried weren’t simple admiration.

They weren’t curiosity.

And they definitely weren’t going away.

She liked Chen Yuze.

Really liked him.

The realization was terrifying.

And wonderful.

Outside her window, peach blossoms swayed gently beneath the moonlight.

Inside her room, a fifteen-year-old girl held a sketchbook close to her chest and protected a precious secret.

A secret she would tell no one.

Not yet.

Because some feelings began quietly.

Like spring arriving after winter.

Like peach blossoms opening one petal at a time.

Like first love.

Spring rain arrived without warning.

One moment, the sky above Hangzhou was bright and clear. The next, dark clouds rolled in, and heavy raindrops began falling against the classroom windows.

The students groaned.

“Not again!”

“I forgot my umbrella!”

“Our PE class is ruined!”

Xiaoran glanced outside.

The rain fell steadily, blurring the city beyond the glass.

Normally, she loved rainy days.

But today was different.

She had forgotten her umbrella.

When the final bell rang, students rushed toward the school gates.

Some shared umbrellas with friends.

Others called their parents.

Xiaoran stood beneath the school entrance, watching the rain pour down.

“You’re still here?” Su Nian asked.

“I forgot my umbrella.”

“Ouch.”

“My thoughts exactly.”

Su Nian opened her bright yellow umbrella.

“My mom’s waiting for me. Want me to call someone?”

Xiaoran shook her head.

“It’s okay. I’ll wait.”

After a few minutes, Su Nian left.

Soon, only a handful of students remained.

The rain showed no signs of stopping.

Xiaoran sighed.

At this rate, she’d be stuck here forever.

Then a familiar voice spoke behind her.

“Still waiting?”

She froze.

Slowly, she turned around.

Chen Yuze stood there.

Holding a black umbrella.

For a moment, Xiaoran wondered if she was imagining things.

“What are you doing here?”

The question escaped before she could stop it.

Yuze smiled.

“Hello to you too.”

Her cheeks warmed.

“Sorry.”

“It’s okay.”

He glanced at the rain.

“Haoyu asked me to pick up some documents from your school.”

“Oh.”

That explained it.

At least her heart had a logical reason to be racing.

Probably.

“Did your brother leave already?” Yuze asked.

“He had basketball practice.”

“So you’re stranded.”

“I’m not stranded.”

“You’ve been standing here for twenty minutes.”

“…Maybe a little stranded.”

Yuze laughed softly.

The sound somehow made the gloomy afternoon brighter.

For a moment, neither spoke.

Rain drummed against the roof above them.

Then Yuze opened his umbrella.

“Come on.”

Xiaoran blinked.

“Where?”

“I’ll walk you home.”

Immediately, she shook her head.

“No, it’s okay.”

“It’s raining.”

“I noticed.”

“You’ll get soaked.”

“I can run.”

“You’ll still get soaked.”

Xiaoran stared at him.

Unfortunately, he was right.

And he clearly knew it.

After a few seconds, she finally sighed.

“Fine.”

Together, they stepped into the rain.

The umbrella wasn’t particularly large.

To avoid getting wet, Xiaoran had to stand closer than she expected.

Very close.

Close enough to hear the rhythm of his footsteps.

Close enough to notice the faint scent of rain and coffee.

Close enough to make her heart behave strangely.

The walk began in silence.

Not awkward silence.

Comfortable silence.

The kind that didn’t need filling.

After a few minutes, Yuze glanced at her.

“How’s the sketchbook?”

Her eyes brightened.

“I already filled half of it.”

“That fast?”

“I draw every day.”

A smile appeared on his face.

“Good.”

They continued walking.

Rainwater flowed along the sidewalks.

Peach blossom petals drifted through puddles like tiny pink boats.

The city looked beautiful.

Almost magical.

“What do you want to do in the future?” Yuze suddenly asked.

Xiaoran thought for a moment.

“I want to draw.”

“Professionally?”

“Maybe.”

“You sound unsure.”

She looked down.

“A lot of people think art isn’t practical.”

“And what do you think?”

His question surprised her.

Nobody had ever asked that before.

After a moment, she answered honestly.

“I think drawing makes me happy.”

Yuze nodded immediately.

“Then that’s important.”

“Really?”

“Of course.”

His answer came so naturally that Xiaoran felt warmth spread through her chest.

Sometimes, he made things sound so simple.

As if dreams weren’t impossible.

As if believing in yourself wasn’t foolish.

They reached a crosswalk and stopped for the light.

Rain continued falling around them.

For a brief moment, Xiaoran glanced up.

Yuze was looking ahead.

Calm.

Steady.

Reliable.

The image quietly settled into her memory.

A memory she knew she would keep forever.

When the traffic light changed, they crossed the street together.

A sudden gust of wind blew rain beneath the umbrella.

A few drops landed on Xiaoran’s shoulder.

Immediately, Yuze adjusted the umbrella toward her side.

“What about you?” she asked.

“Hm?”

“Your dream.”

A faint smile appeared.

“To design buildings people remember.”

“Like famous landmarks?”

“Not necessarily.”

He shook his head.

“Just places that make people happy.”

Xiaoran smiled.

That sounded exactly like him.

The rest of the walk passed quickly.

Far too quickly.

Soon, her house appeared at the end of the street.

The familiar peach tree swayed gently in the rain.

“We’re here,” Yuze said.

For some reason, Xiaoran felt disappointed.

She wished the walk had lasted longer.

Even a little longer.

“Thank you.”

“You’re welcome.”

Neither moved immediately.

Rain continued falling around them.

Then Yuze reached into his bag.

“I have something for you.”

Xiaoran blinked.

Again?

He handed her a folded brochure.

She opened it.

Her eyes widened.

It was information about a summer art exhibition.

“They’re accepting student submissions.”

“You remembered I like drawing?”

The moment the words left her mouth, she realized how silly they sounded.

Yuze looked genuinely surprised.

“Of course I remembered.”

For some reason, those four words stayed with her.

Of course I remembered.

A simple sentence.

Yet it felt precious.

Before she could say anything else, the front door opened.

Haoyu stepped outside.

“There you are!”

His eyes moved between them suspiciously.

“Why are you two standing in the rain?”

“We just arrived,” Xiaoran said quickly.

“Sure.”

His grin immediately returned.

“Mom’s making dumplings.”

Yuze laughed.

“That’s my cue.”

Before leaving, he glanced at Xiaoran.

“Don’t forget the exhibition.”

“I won’t.”

“Good.”

Then he opened his umbrella again and walked away into the rain.

Xiaoran stood beneath the doorway watching him disappear down the street.

The rain softened.

The sky slowly brightened.

And for the first time, she understood something.

A crush wasn’t always dramatic.

Sometimes it was small moments.

A shared umbrella.

A remembered dream.

A simple walk home through the rain.

Tiny moments that quietly settled into your heart.

Moments that made you smile long after they ended.

As she looked down at the exhibition brochure in her hands, Xiaoran couldn’t stop smiling.

Spring rain had come and gone.

But the warmth it left behind remained.