Ever since Lu Xixiao said he wanted to pursue her, he had been returning more and more to his former self. In several moments, Zhou Wan seemed to see glimpses of the young man from before.
When he unexpectedly brought up what happened that day, certain intimate scenes floated up in Zhou Wan’s mind.
Her face reddened as she abruptly stood up. “I’m going to bed.”
Lu Xixiao started laughing again.
Zhou Wan’s face grew increasingly hot. Pretending not to hear him, she walked straight toward the bedroom without a sideways glance, nearly walking with the same limbs in her awkwardness.
As she pushed open the door, Lu Xixiao called out to her: “Wan Wan.”
She looked back.
“Do whatever you want to do, as long as it’s what you like,” Lu Xixiao said.
*
The next day, Zhou Wan scheduled a time with the newspaper’s HR and took transportation there at noon.
The newspaper office wasn’t far from Lu Xixiao’s residence, with convenient transportation – both bus and subway could take her there directly.
Following the signs upstairs, the traditional print media’s décor wasn’t as fashionable as new media companies, but it gave people a warm and solid feeling.
Zhou Wan walked to the front desk to state her purpose and then was led to a small office.
Inside was a messy desk piled high with various newspapers and magazines, barely leaving any clean space.
Zhou Wan was taken aback.
Then a head emerged from the pile of newspapers, pushing up his glasses: “Zhou Wan?”
“Yes.” She nodded, “Hello, teacher. Is the interview here?”
“No interview needed, unnecessary. With your resume, who needs an interview?”
“…”
This was too casual.
“Have a seat, let’s just chat briefly.” The man with thick glasses said, “Oh, let me introduce myself first, I’m the Deputy Editor-in-Chief. The Chief Editor is away on business these days, you’ll see her when she returns in a few days.”
Zhou Wan nodded.
Then, the Deputy Editor discussed salary matters with her in an extremely casual manner. Though it couldn’t compare to her previous salary, it was already very good for a newcomer.
When Zhou Wan asked when she should start work, the Deputy Editor said: “Do you have anything else to do today? If not, just start today. I’ll have someone prepare a workstation for you.”
“…Alright.”
Zhou Wan first went to the General Affairs Department to get some office supplies.
The department head was a gentle-looking sister in her forties, who chatted with her for quite a while, asking why someone with such high qualifications would want to work here, where she was from, and how old she was.
When she returned, her workstation was already prepared.
As Zhou Wan was new, she would start as an intern reporter, then help out in the editorial department before being formally assigned to a position.
Sitting to her right was a very cute girl who had also just graduated last year. She turned her face and waved: “Hello, I’m Ji Jie, ‘Jie’ as in pristine.”
Zhou Wan smiled back: “I’m Zhou Wan.”
She paused slightly and said: “‘Wan’ as in ‘will draw the bow like a full moon.'”
“Wow—” Ji Jie opened her mouth wide, “You are a scholar, even your self-introduction is different. I should change mine too… um, what poems use ‘Jie’?”
Zhou Wan thought for a moment: “‘Pristine white in autumn’s radiance,’ by Liu Yuxi.”
“Good, I’m Ji Jie, ‘Jie’ as in ‘pristine white in autumn’s radiance.'” She introduced herself again.
Zhou Wan laughed at her: “It’s still actually ‘pristine,’ no difference.”
“No, this one sounds much more sophisticated.”
“…”
Ji Jie was quite chatty, turning back shortly after: “Oh right, we’ll probably be going on field assignment together in a while.”
“What for?”
“Tomorrow is Lei Feng Day, so we’re going to visit poor households, help out, take some photos, and such.”
Zhou Wan nodded.
Sure enough, after a short while, a man in his thirties came to call for people. His skin was dark, probably from frequent outdoor work. Ji Jie picked up two equipment bags, and Zhou Wan helped her with one.
A group of people got into a business van and set off.
The destination was quite far, in a rural village on the outskirts. The car drove for a long time, and the road became bumpy. Zhou Wan felt uncomfortable, and car sick. The team leader opened a box of mineral water and distributed a bottle to each of them: “We’ll be there in another half hour.”
Hearing others call him “Uncle Ye,” Zhou Wan took the water and said: “Thank you, Uncle Ye.”
She twisted open the cap and took a sip, finally suppressing the discomfort in her chest.
When she took out her phone, she found that Lu Xixiao had sent her a message: [How was the interview?]
Zhou Wan’s lips curved slightly upward as she told him about the casual interview process, then took a photo of the wild grassland outside the car window.
[Zhou Wan: Now preparing to go on field assignment.]
[Lu Xixiao: Where to?]
Zhou Wan sent him her location, and then put the phone back in her pocket.
After a while, she took it out again and changed Lu Xixiao’s contact name to “6”.
*
The car stopped in front of a dilapidated courtyard. Zhou Wan followed everyone out of the car; the trunk contained daily necessities like rice and oil.
The village head who was coordinating with them had also arrived. Uncle Ye handed over the work to him, asking him to help distribute the rice and oil to the poor and low-income households in the village. Their main purpose this time was to visit one particular grandmother, who was living in the most difficult circumstances in the village.
Zhou Wan had a camera bag on her shoulder and was carrying two bottles of oil.
Uncle Ye glanced at her: “Can you manage? Don’t force yourself.”
Zhou Wan smiled at him: “It’s fine.”
She followed everyone deep into the alley and then into a household. The main gate was wide open, and the inside was empty, with barely any furniture and not a person in sight.
The first thing that caught her eye was a black and white photograph on the wall.
Zhou Wan looked up at it, and Ji Jie leaned close to her ear, saying softly: “It’s the old grandmother’s son, who passed away from a sudden cerebral hemorrhage two years ago. He was only 56.”
Zhou Wan looked up again and saw the old grandmother in the inner room.
The house could hardly be described as merely dirty. The bed couldn’t even be called a bed – it was just a rough bench with bedding on top. The bedding had turned black and was hard as a brick.
As for the grandmother, her legs were very impaired, and severely bent, making it impossible to see where her feet were. She probably had polio when she was younger, making her considerably shorter than normal people.
She used a wooden chair as a crutch, slowly supporting herself as she walked out from the inner room, moving very slowly.
It took her several minutes to cover just three or four meters.
Watching this, Zhou Wan momentarily didn’t know how to help support her, her heart aching terribly.
Uncle Ye helped put the rice, oil, and some vegetables they brought into the kitchen, which had nothing but a steel bowl on top of a coal stove.
The grandmother wanted to express her gratitude. Zhou Wan was standing closest, so she took Zhou Wan’s hand, repeatedly saying thank you and that kind-hearted people like them would surely be blessed in the future.
“Grandmother, how old are you this year?” Zhou Wan asked.
“79 years old.”
If grandmother were still alive, she would be about this age too…
The group worked together to help clean the grandmother’s house, took some photos, and chatted with her for the interview.
During the chat, they learned that the grandmother had a granddaughter.
Not her biological granddaughter – her son had never married, remaining single his whole life. The little girl was one he had found abandoned when he was over fifty years old. Seeing her pitiful state, he had brought her home.
Who would have known life would be so cruel, now leaving only the grandmother and the little girl to depend on each other?
The story was too heavy.
Everyone felt unsettled hearing it.
It was already sunset when they left.
Ji Jie asked: “Uncle Ye, should we include the grandmother’s address when we publish the article? More people might help her that way.”
Uncle Ye shook his head: “No, people’s hearts are too complicated nowadays. We’ve encountered livestreamers before who used such situations to put on a show, disturbing people’s peace day and night.”
“That’s true.” Ji Jie sighed, “Then what can we do? Neither the grandmother nor her granddaughter can earn money. How will they live in the future?”
“The newspaper office keeps in touch with them. It’s okay, we help when we can. We can organize a donation when we get back. I’ll report to the chief editor tomorrow.”
Zhou Wan leaned her head against the car window, staring absently at the scenery outside.
The image of the grandmother and little girl depending on each other for survival kept making her think of herself and her grandmother in the past, though their situation had been much better – even if they didn’t have much money, at least they lived with dignity.
Her phone vibrated. Lu Xixiao had sent another message.
[6: Off work yet?]
[Zhou Wan: On the way back.]
[6: I’ll come pick you up.]
Zhou Wan glanced at the car’s navigation system, which showed about an hour remaining.
Traffic would be inevitable at this time. She replied: [It’ll be about an hour and a half before we arrive, no need to rush.]
[6: Mm.]
…
It was already dark when the car reached the newspaper office.
Zhou Wan got out with everyone else, her back and waist aching from several hours in the car.
She was massaging her arm and about to send Lu Xixiao a message saying she’d arrived when she heard two horn beeps from across the street.
She turned around to see a car window rolling down, with Lu Xixiao raising his hand in greeting.
“Zhou Wan, is that your boyfriend?” Ji Jie’s mouth fell open again. “Your boyfriend is so handsome!”
Zhou Wan didn’t know how to explain her relationship with Lu Xixiao at the moment. She just smiled, waved goodbye to Ji Jie, and said she’d see her tomorrow.
Ji Jie watched wide-eyed as Zhou Wan got into the car, as the car drove away, and as she caught sight of the logo on the back of the car.
“Uncle Ye.” Her mouth was still hanging open. “Was that a Bentley logo?”
“Yes, that car costs seven figures.”
“…”
Ji Jie, a Beijing drifter, felt her worldview shaken: “There are so many rich people in this world, why couldn’t I be one of them!”
“That’s not just any rich person.”
“You know him?”
Uncle Ye glanced at her: “You don’t know?”
“What?”
“Zhou Wan, that incident with Huang Hui from Shengxing Media, was related to her. I heard Shengxing’s downfall was connected to her. That man just now was Lu Xixiao, CEO Lu, remember? We sent his company an interview request not long ago, but it was declined.”
“…So, Zhou Wan’s boyfriend is CEO Lu?”
“Seems like it.”
“She’s so down-to-earth! If I had a boyfriend like that, I’d at least get a comfortable car for field assignments!”
Uncle Ye snorted: “That’s the extent of your ambition.”
…
In the car, Lu Xixiao turned his head and asked: “How was your first day at work?”
“Pretty good.”
“Tired?”
“A little.” Zhou Wan smiled. “But I found it interesting and meaningful. I like it.”
Zhou Wan told him about the grandmother they met during the field assignment. The hardship was almost unimaginable.
Lu Xixiao knew she must be thinking of her grandmother. He glanced at her and said: “If you can’t stop thinking about it, we can go visit again together on the weekend.”
Zhou Wan was surprised for a moment, then smiled: “That would be nice.”
“What would you like for dinner?”
“Anything is fine,” Zhou Wan said. “Just nothing too expensive.”
Lu Xixiao found a private restaurant. The location was a bit out of the way, but business was very good – normally impossible to get a table without a reservation. However, the server seemed to recognize Lu Xixiao and directly led them to a private room on the second floor without asking about reservations.
“Is this place very expensive?” Zhou Wan leaned over and asked quietly.
Lu Xixiao laughed: “After all these years, you’re still always worried about me spending money on you.”
Zhou Wan blinked: “Because earning money isn’t easy.”
Lu Xixiao raised an eyebrow: “Actually, it’s not that difficult.”
“…”
True, at his level, earning money wasn’t difficult anymore.
“But I feel bad about it,” Zhou Wan lowered her eyes to look at the menu. “I’ve hardly ever treated you to anything.”
“Then how about this – from now on you can deposit your salary directly into my card, and I’ll spend all your money. How’s that?”
Zhou Wan answered almost without hesitation: “Sure, though my salary probably won’t cover your monthly expenses. I have another card with savings from these past few years – you can have all of that too.”
“…”
Lu Xixiao had just said it casually, not expecting her to agree.
“Aren’t you afraid I’ll spend all your money?” Lu Xixiao asked with a smile.
“Well, I’m living at your place now, and my salary couldn’t rent such a nice apartment in B City,” Zhou Wan said. “Spend it however you like, it should be yours anyway.”
Lu Xixiao realized that due to Zhou Wan’s personality, she always calculated everything very precisely.
It wasn’t that she was petty – she was quite warm-hearted with others and generous within her means. But when others showed her even a little kindness, she would take it to heart, and if it was slightly more, she would become uncomfortable, feeling indebted and worried she couldn’t repay it, even if others had no intention of being repaid.
She had been this way since he first knew her at sixteen or seventeen, and it wasn’t something that could change quickly.
“Wan Wan.”
His voice was low as he leaned slightly closer, his breath mingling with the air in the private room.
“You’re still too modest. It’s not good for a man to have too much money – makes it easy to do bad things.”
Zhou Wan looked at him, blinking in confusion.
“You should trick all my money into your pocket, so I can’t do bad things, and can only follow behind you, behaving well to earn some spending money.”
“…”
*
After dinner, they went downstairs to pay.
The server said the restaurant was having a golden egg-smashing activity today. Their bill amount qualified them for two eggs, with a very high winning rate of 90% – almost everyone won something, just different prize levels.
Lu Xixiao turned to her: “Want to try?”
Zhou Wan nodded slightly.
Lu Xixiao picked up the hammer and handed it to Zhou Wan.
“You do it,” Zhou Wan said. “My luck is terrible, I definitely won’t win anything.”
“Maybe your luck will be good today.”
Zhou Wan smiled: “I’ve never won anything in these kinds of activities since I was little, never even got a ‘try again’ bottle cap. It’s like bad luck follows me and won’t let go.”
“Try it, what if?”
Zhou Wan didn’t refuse again. She chose an egg and smashed it.
Inside was a red slip of paper. She picked it up and, sure enough, it read “Thank you for participating.”
She’d managed to hit the one-in-ten chance of losing.
She sighed with a helpless smile: “See?”
There was still one more chance.
Lu Xixiao wanted her to try again, but Zhou Wan didn’t dare waste the chance to win. She said: “You pick one, I’ll smash it.”
Lu Xixiao casually pointed to one.
Zhou Wan smashed that golden egg, and the server picked up the slip of paper, breaking into a bright smile: “Congratulations! It’s the grand prize! There’s only one in the whole restaurant.”
Zhou Wan was stunned. Although Lu Xixiao had picked it, this was the first time in her life she’d encountered such good luck. She couldn’t believe it: “Really?”
“Really!” the server said. “The grand prize is Apple’s new computer model.”
As she spoke, she took out a box from under the table and handed it to Zhou Wan.
Zhou Wan accepted it with thanks.
…
Early spring had arrived, and the night wind wasn’t as cold as before. In a while, the flowers would bloom.
Zhou Wan held the computer box, unable to suppress her smile: “Lu Xixiao, your luck is really good.”
He turned to look at her.
The young woman was smiling with curved eyes, wearing a white cotton jacket, and hugging a big box, looking somewhat clumsy.
“I was going to hit a different one earlier. Good thing I listened to you, otherwise it might have been another ‘thank you for participating,'” Zhou Wan said.
Lu Xixiao chuckled: “Then stay close to me from now on.”
Zhou Wan looked up.
“I have good luck, I’ll give you all the prizes I win in the future.”
The car was across the street. They stood at the crosswalk, and when the light turned green, Lu Xixiao took Zhou Wan’s hand and led her forward.
Greenlight, smooth all the way.
After crossing the zebra crossing, Zhou Wan suddenly realized: “Lu Xixiao, I know why my luck has always been so bad.”
“Why?”
“Maybe I used up all my good luck meeting you.”
It sounded like a cheesy pickup line, but Zhou Wan truly felt this way.
Such a wonderful Lu Xixiao was now standing beside her.
He didn’t hold her past mistakes against her, didn’t mind that she had hurt him so deeply before. He was frank, proud, and brilliant, yet willing to kneel before her and tell her, I will love all of you.
Lu Xixiao looked at her for a while, then smiled too, his expression soaring and arrogant, impossible to look away from.
“Yes, with me, you’ll have everything.”