That day was pure chaos. At the very end, police sirens wailed against the darkening sky, finally separating the two groups of brawling people.
Zhou Wan witnessed firsthand what Lu Xixiao looked like in a fight.
She finally understood why even someone like Luo He feared him.
He wouldn’t listen to any reasoning, his eyes bloodshot, reckless, and completely irrational, seemingly unaware of his injuries.
The police car took away a group of people, finally dispersing this chaotic scene.
Zhou Wan was among them, as a witness who understood the situation.
She sat next to Lu Xixiao, carefully studying him from the side. His brow bone was bleeding, his tall beautiful nose had a cut across it, and the knuckles of his hand were scraped raw.
Zhou Wan reached out, trying to hold his hand.
But Lu Xixiao quickly pulled away, turning his head to look out the window, his face cold, not saying a word.
Zhou Wan pressed her lips together and asked softly, “Does it hurt?”
He remained silent.
Zhou Wan bit her lip, and wordlessly, stubbornly reached for his hand again. Lu Xixiao dodged again but finally turned to look at her, though his eyes still carried unspent anger.
“Zhou Wan, you’re something else.”
She lowered her head, not knowing what to say, her eyes growing hot as a bitter feeling rose in her nose.
She inexplicably felt like crying but didn’t want to shed tears in this situation.
She sniffled.
“What the hell are you crying for?” Lu Xixiao said coldly.
Zhou Wan clenched her jaw, forcing back the sob in her throat.
Lu Xixiao: “Cat got your tongue? When people bully you, you don’t come find me, and you even try to cover up for them. You’re something – why don’t you just go with them?”
Zhou Wan’s head drooped lower.
“I just didn’t want you to fight with them,” she mumbled.
“Then why didn’t you run? What good are those legs of yours? Didn’t I tell you to stay away from them?”
“You did,” she said quietly, then couldn’t help but defend herself, “There were too many of them, I couldn’t run. Later they pushed me, and I twisted my ankle. It hurts a bit.”
Lu Xixiao paused, then reached out and pulled up her uniform pant leg.
His movement was rough, yanking the uniform up to her knee, revealing her slender white calf. Her ankle was purple and badly swollen.
Lu Xixiao stared at it for a while, finally unable to hold back a curse under his breath.
Jiang Fan sat in the front seat, watching the two through the rearview mirror.
If Ah Xiao hadn’t been so angry that no one dared to try persuading him, who wouldn’t soften at Zhou Wan’s pitiful appearance? Only Ah Xiao could look at such a face and not only fail to comfort her but continue to scold her.
More importantly, Jiang Fan had never seen Lu Xixiao like this before.
He’d had many girlfriends, and whenever Luo He bullied any of his previous ones, Lu Xixiao would seek revenge.
So Lu Xixiao fighting for Zhou Wan wasn’t particularly shocking. What was shocking was that he was willing to spend so much effort scolding a girl.
After seeing Zhou Wan’s injury, Lu Xixiao grew even more furious, but he couldn’t express this anger anymore.
It just crashed around inside his chest, burning his internal organs with pain.
*
At the police station.
The police asked them to explain the fighting process. Lu Xixiao couldn’t be bothered to speak, and Luo He, with his bruised face, was holding onto his grudge and wouldn’t talk either. Both sides were stubborn, so the police could only turn to Zhou Wan: “You tell us.”
Zhou Wan paused, then related everything that had happened after the second half ended.
Including the unspeakable things those people from No. 18 High School had said.
Anyone who heard would be angry, especially given how the young girl before them spoke so softly, was so thin and weak, with red-rimmed eyes, appearing both delicate and wronged.
The police officers grew increasingly convinced that Luo He’s group was worthless as they listened.
And these were all things Lu Xixiao hadn’t known about.
He had fought Luo He just because he saw Zhou Wan’s injury to her temple, and now he learned about her twisted ankle and how she had been humiliated.
He suddenly stood up and threw another punch at Luo He, both sides erupting again, and it took several police officers to barely drag Lu Xixiao back to his seat. He rarely showed anger so openly, his chest heaving, his gaze cold enough to kill: “Luo He, this isn’t over. Watch me kill you or not.”
The police officer slammed the table hard: “This is a police station! Try making trouble again, and you’ll all be detained!”
Zhou Wan quickly tugged at Lu Xixiao’s sleeve, shaking it to signal him not to be rash.
Lu Xixiao gave her an irritated look and shook off her hand, but at least he didn’t continue making trouble. He pressed his brow, leaning back in his chair, frustrated and weary.
Half an hour later, Zhou Wan finished explaining the whole process, the police finished their warnings, everyone signed statements, and it was finally over.
As soon as Lu Xixiao walked out of the police station, he lit a cigarette.
His nicotine craving had hit.
He took a hard drag of the cigarette, then exhaled, and the cold night wind finally cleared his stuffiness.
“Ah Xiao, still want to go eat?” Jiang Fan asked.
“Eat what?” Lu Xixiao said impatiently, paused for a few seconds, then nodded towards Zhou Wan, “I’ll take her home first.”
Jiang Fan’s group left first, and Lu Xixiao called a taxi.
The taxi arrived quickly and stopped outside. Zhou Wan silently endured the increasingly unbearable pain in her ankle, limping as she followed Lu Xixiao into the car.
She didn’t know where they were going,
And didn’t dare ask.
Until the surrounding buildings became more familiar, and the car stopped at the noodle shop next to the arcade.
Lu Xixiao opened the car door and got out first.
Zhou Wan’s leg was hurting more and more. She struggled, bending over, using her hands to push hard against the seat back.
Lu Xixiao stood to the side, watching her for a while. He originally didn’t want to help her, but the more he watched, the more annoyed he became. He clicked his tongue, threw away his cigarette, quickly stepped to her side, leaned half his body into the car, and lifted her out directly.
After lifting her out, he didn’t put Zhou Wan down, but carried her straight into the noodle shop and set her on a chair.
Throughout it all, his expression was blank, his face frighteningly cold.
Uncle Kang, who had been cooking noodles, exclaimed, “Oh my! What happened?”
Zhou Wan gave him a slight smile: “Twisted my ankle.”
“Is it serious?”
“It’s nothing.”
“What would you like to eat?”
Lu Xixiao said: “Two bowls of three-delicacies noodles.”
The noodles came quickly. Zhou Wan lowered her head and concentrated on eating when suddenly Lu Xixiao put down his chopsticks and walked out of the noodle shop without a word.
Zhou Wan froze.
Uncle Kang asked with a smile: “Having a lovers’ quarrel?”
“I don’t know either.”
Zhou Wan said quietly. She didn’t even know what exactly Lu Xixiao was angry about – he’d been angry for so long now.
“Young men are hot-blooded, with quite a temper. Shouldn’t treat a young lady like this though,” Uncle Kang said with a smile.
Shortly after, Lu Xixiao returned with a bag in his hand.
He extended his leg, hooked Zhou Wan’s chair to turn her towards him, crouched down, and pulled up her pant leg.
Zhou Wan pulled her leg back slightly, but after one look from Lu Xixiao, she didn’t dare move again. Her ankle was cradled in his palm.
Seeing her injury again, Lu Xixiao’s brows furrowed tightly. He bit open the antiseptic bottle cap, spat it aside, and poured it directly onto her ankle.
The stinging pain seeped in from the open wound, spreading through her nerves to her whole body.
Zhou Wan’s whole body trembled, and she bit down hard on her lower lip, not making a sound.
Lu Xixiao efficiently finished disinfecting, placed the ice pack against her ankle, and secured it with gauze.
He looked up and saw that Zhou Wan had bitten a deep mark into her lower lip, her eyes bright red as she held back tears.
“When people bully you, you don’t say anything, when you’re in pain, you don’t say anything?” Lu Xixiao said flatly.
Zhou Wan kept her head down and said softly, “It’s not so bad.”
Lu Xixiao snorted, couldn’t be bothered with her anymore, and sat back down opposite her. But the noodles had gotten soggy and clumped together. Lu Xixiao stirred them a few times, then put down his chopsticks.
Zhou Wan said: “Let’s order another bowl.”
“Let’s go,” he stood up.
Zhou Wan hurriedly followed.
Outside the noodle shop, Lu Xixiao stood at the entrance, heard her footsteps coming out, turned his head to look, and then crouched down: “Get on.”
Zhou Wan’s footsteps halted. Her instincts told her it wasn’t wise to go against Lu Xixiao’s wishes right now.
She slowly shuffled to his back, then slowly, carefully climbed onto it.
Lu Xixiao’s hands wrapped around the backs of her knees, effortlessly lifting her.
Zhou Wan slightly held back her chest, controlling the distance, not completely leaning against his back, but even at this distance it was too close – she could smell the tobacco scent on him.
The wind made the bare tree branches creak loudly.
Lu Xixiao’s shadow stretched long.
“Lu Xixiao.”
Zhou Wan looked at his profile and asked softly, “Are you angry?”
He didn’t respond.
After a pause, Zhou Wan said: “I was wrong.”
“What were you wrong about?”
“…”
Zhou Wan thought for a while, then answered: “I shouldn’t have provoked those people.”
“If they ever say things like that to you again, you better hit back,” Lu Xixiao said flatly, “What else?”
“…”
This time Zhou Wan truly didn’t know what else she had done wrong.
When no answer came, the pressure around Lu Xixiao dropped further.
She needed to coax him again.
Zhou Wan recalled what he had said when he was angry earlier, blinked her eyes, and tentatively said: “I won’t keep things from you anymore.”
Lu Xixiao turned his head to look at her, and tugged the corner of his mouth without expression, his voice finally softening: “Does your leg hurt?”
“It’s–“
Zhou Wan instinctively wanted to say “It’s fine,” but fortunately caught herself in time and changed her answer, “Yes, it hurts.”
After answering, she secretly breathed a sigh of relief.
If she had answered wrong again, Lu Xixiao might have gotten angry again.
“There are injury patches and bruise medicine in the bag, apply them after the ice pack,” Lu Xixiao said, “Don’t move around much, take tomorrow off, and don’t go to school.”
“The lessons have been quite difficult lately, I still need to go to school,” Zhou Wan said while observing Lu Xixiao’s expression, “I’ll take a taxi in the morning.”
Lu Xixiao frowned slightly, but finally said: “Fine.”
He didn’t put her down even when they reached the entrance of the residential complex, walking straight in.
There was no elevator here, only stairs.
“Which floor?” he asked.
Zhou Wan didn’t want him to carry her up but understood his stubbornness.
“Third floor,” she wrapped her arms around Lu Xixiao’s neck, leaning in slightly, saying softly, “Thank you.”
He carried Zhou Wan to the third floor: “Here?”
“Mm.”
Lu Xixiao put Zhou Wan down. She took her keys from her pocket, and just as she was about to open the door, her grandmother suddenly rushed out anxiously from inside.
“Grandma?”
“Wan Wan, are you alright?” Grandma held her hand, “You scared me to death. A boy from your part-time job called the house saying you didn’t show up today, and your phone wasn’t connecting.”
Zhou Wan froze for a moment, only then realizing she had completely forgotten about the arcade, and her phone had died at some point.
Not wanting to worry her grandmother, she just said it was nothing, making up an excuse to cover it up.
Grandma looked at Lu Xixiao behind her.
She had seen this boy before; he had even brought breakfast once when she was in the hospital.
Lu Xixiao took the initiative, calling softly: “Grandma.”
“Ah,” Grandma smiled, “You brought our Wan Wan home?”
“Mm.”
“Thank you,” Grandma said, “Would you like to come in and sit for a while?”
Zhou Wan quickly said: “No need, Grandma, we don’t have anything to serve, and it’s late, he needs to go home and rest.”
Lu Xixiao curved his lips, standing unusually straight: “Yes, I should head back.”
“Alright then, come visit when you have time,” Grandma invited.
“Mm,” Lu Xixiao agreed.
Zhou Wan watched him turn to go downstairs, then suddenly called out urgently: “Lu Xixiao.”
The motion sensor light came on.
He stood on the landing of the next floor down, looking up at her. Zhou Wan pressed her lips together: “Thank you.”
*
Zhou Wan didn’t let her grandmother know about her injury. After returning to her room, she first called the brother who worked the morning shift at the arcade to apologize, saying she would make up for today’s pay separately when this month’s salary came.
“It’s fine, no need to be so formal,” he said with a laugh, “As long as you’re okay.”
After hanging up, Zhou Wan sat quietly on her bed.
Following Lu Xixiao’s instructions, she applied the medicinal wine to her ankle, and then put on the injury patch.
The strong smell of medicinal wine spread through the bedroom.
She thought back to earlier at the noodle shop, when Lu Xixiao crouched in front of her to apply the ice pack, though he had deliberately been rough when disinfecting it, making it hurt.
However Zhou Wan still felt that Lu Xixiao was a good person.
Since Zhou Jun’s death and Guo Xiangling’s departure, Zhou Wan couldn’t remember the last time someone had firmly stood behind her.
Like a mountain to lean on.
When wronged, she could find him, and he would help her get even.
This feeling was truly unfamiliar to Zhou Wan.
She leaned against the headboard, looking at the Butt Peach plush Lu Xixiao had given her on the desk opposite.
After a while, she got up, hopped to the desk on her uninjured leg, brought the Butt Peach plush to her bed, and hugged it.
She tried to sleep but couldn’t fall asleep no matter what.
After a long while, she took out her phone and sent a message to Lu Xixiao.
[Zhou Wan: Are you home?]
She waited for quite a while, but Lu Xixiao didn’t reply, maybe he was already asleep.
[Zhou Wan: Good night.]
She put her phone aside and closed her eyes.
*
Lu Xixiao came out after showering, his body dripping wet, water running down his muscle lines.
The fight had left a few bruises on his body, but nothing serious.
After the cold shower, that inexplicable irritation from earlier had finally eased somewhat.
He didn’t even know why he had been angry.
What did it matter to him if Zhou Wan got hurt, and if she wanted to hide it, that was even less his business, actually saved him trouble, there wasn’t anything to be angry about.
Lu Xixiao couldn’t figure it out, which made him more irritated, and the more irritated he got, the angrier he became.
His whole body felt uncomfortable.
And he had directed all that anger at Zhou Wan.
The little girl was good though, not getting angry at all, not complaining, accepting all his bad temper without question, carefully observing his expressions, wracking her brains to try to appease him.
Lu Xixiao wasn’t an idiot, he could naturally sense all this.
He wiped his dripping wet hair, tossed the towel aside, walked to the bed, and picked up his phone.
[Zhou Wan: Are you home?]
[Zhou Wan: Good night.]
Lu Xixiao raised his eyebrows, looked at these two messages for a while, then checked the time.
They had been sent an hour ago.
He sat on the bed and called her back.
It wasn’t that he had anything to say, he just wanted to call so he did.
It rang for quite a while before connecting, transmitting the girl’s soft, drowsy voice: “Hello?”
Lu Xixiao didn’t know why, but it was as if some electric current crawled up his spine, giving his whole body a shock, his temple throbbing.
Hearing that Zhou Wan had been woken up, Lu Xixiao felt not the slightest guilt.
He lit a cigarette, slowly exhaling smoke.
Not hearing his voice, Zhou Wan patiently asked again: “What’s wrong?”
“Can’t sleep,” Lu Xixiao said, “Let’s talk for a while.”