Heavy rain poured down on the city of Luocheng, making the usually busy streets quiet. Li Mei sat under the eaves of an old stall, trying to dry her sword with a rag. Her face looked gloomy, something that was rarely seen from a confident warrior like him.

Xiao Rui appeared from the shadows, carrying a large umbrella that was already soaked. Without saying anything, he opened the umbrella over Mei, protecting her from the water droplets that continued to fall.

"What do you want?" Mei asked, looking up with a raised eyebrow, though sounding more tired than sarcastic.

Rui sat there, still holding the umbrella with one hand while the other hand took out a small box of dumplings from his pocket. “I know you haven't eaten all day. You always forget to eat when you're too busy saving the world, right?”

It might be small, but she didn't resist when Rui handed her the dumpling. She took one bite, then looked at Rui with a mixed expression of surprise and emotion. “This…is delicious.”

“Of course,” Rui answered with a gentle smile. “I'm not just good at archery, you know.”

For a few moments, they sat in silence, only the sound of the rain accompanying them. Then Rui said in a lower voice, “You don't always have to be strong, Mei. It's okay to feel tired. It's okay to rely on others once in a while.”

Mei stared, confused and surprised. "Since when did you become wise like this?"

"Since I found out you're more stubborn than a rock," Rui answered with a small smile. “And someone has to take care of that someone.”