Until My Soul Finds You Again - Chapter 1

The autumn breeze drifted gently across West Lake.

Golden leaves danced in the air as morning mist lingered over the water, blurring the distant horizon. The city of Hangzhou was slowly waking up, bathed in the soft glow of dawn.

Standing before the gates of Hangzhou No. 1 High School, Chen Mo tightened his grip on the strap of his backpack.

His heart was pounding.

A new city.

A new school.

A new beginning.

After graduating from middle school, his family had moved to Hangzhou for work. For most people, changing schools was no big deal.

For Chen Mo, however, it felt like stepping into an entirely different world.

He had never been extraordinary.

His grades were average.

His appearance was ordinary.

And he wasn’t particularly good at making friends.

If there was one thing he was certain of, it was that he was just another face in the crowd.

Taking a deep breath, he stepped into the classroom.

The room was already filled with noise.

Groups of students chatted excitedly while others compared homework or laughed with friends.

Everyone seemed to belong.

Everyone except him.

“New student?”

The homeroom teacher looked up from her desk.

Chen Mo nodded.

“Come introduce yourself.”

Dozens of eyes instantly turned toward him.

His throat tightened.

“My name is Chen Mo,” he said quietly.

“I transferred here recently. I… enjoy reading and playing basketball sometimes.”

The introduction was short.

Almost painfully ordinary.

A few students applauded politely before returning to their conversations.

Chen Mo secretly sighed in relief.

At least it was over.

Then his gaze wandered toward the back of the classroom.

And suddenly—

Everything became quiet.

The sounds around him seemed to disappear.

Time itself appeared to slow down.

Near the window sat a girl.

The morning sunlight filtered through the glass, falling softly across her long black hair.

She was reading a book, completely unaffected by the noise around her.

Calm.

Elegant.

Distant.

Like a painting brought to life.

For a brief moment, Chen Mo forgot to breathe.

His eyes remained fixed on her.

Who is she?

He didn’t know her name.

Didn’t know anything about her.

Yet something stirred within his chest.

A strange feeling.

One he had never experienced before.

As though his heart had suddenly awakened.

At that moment, the girl seemed to sense his gaze.

She slowly lifted her head.

Their eyes met.

Just for a second.

Yet somehow, it felt much longer.

Su Qingyi froze.

The pen in her hand paused above the page.

For reasons she couldn’t explain, her heartbeat quickened.

Who is he?

The boy standing at the front wasn’t particularly handsome.

Nor did he seem confident.

In fact, he looked completely ordinary.

Yet the moment their eyes met, she found herself unable to look away.

Realizing what she was doing, Su Qingyi quickly lowered her gaze back to her book.

But the words on the page suddenly seemed impossible to read.

Strange…

Why am I paying attention to him?

For the rest of the day, neither of them spoke.

Yet both found themselves stealing occasional glances.

Whenever Chen Mo looked toward the window, he would see Su Qingyi quietly taking notes.

Whenever Su Qingyi glanced up from her desk, she would find Chen Mo hurriedly looking away.

Days turned into weeks.

Neither had the courage to break the silence.

Chen Mo thought she was too far above his reach.

Su Qingyi waited for him to take the first step.

And so, an entire month passed.

Two hearts grew closer.

Yet neither dared move forward.

Until one rainy afternoon.

Dark clouds gathered over Hangzhou without warning.

Soon, heavy rain poured from the sky.

Most students had already left campus.

Only a few remained under the bus stop outside the school gates.

Su Qingyi stood there quietly, hugging her bag.

Her umbrella had broken earlier that morning.

She glanced at the rain and sighed softly.

It didn’t look like it would stop anytime soon.

Just then, a shadow appeared beside her.

She looked up.

Chen Mo stood there awkwardly, holding an umbrella.

His expression was nervous.

Almost embarrassed.

“You can stand here,” he said softly.

“If you don’t mind.”

For a moment, Su Qingyi simply stared at him.

Then she stepped beneath the umbrella.

“Thank you.”

Her voice was gentle.

Yet to Chen Mo, those two words sounded more beautiful than the rain itself.

His heart immediately began racing.

This was the first time she had spoken to him.

“I’m Chen Mo,” he blurted out.

The moment the words left his mouth, he wanted to hide.

Of course she already knew his name.

To his surprise, Su Qingyi didn’t laugh.

Instead, she looked at him and said softly,

“I know.”

Then after a brief pause, she added,

“I’m Su Qingyi.”

Chen Mo smiled.

A genuine smile.

Perhaps the first one since arriving in Hangzhou.

“That’s a beautiful name.”

Su Qingyi blinked.

Then, slowly, the corners of her lips curved upward.

A smile as gentle as the rain itself.

Neither of them knew it then.

But beneath that small umbrella, on that rainy autumn evening beside West Lake—

The story of their first love quietly began.