HomeFalling In LoveZhui Luo - Chapter 77

Zhui Luo – Chapter 77

Zhou Wan’s words made Lu Xixiao’s heart melt like water. He was most vulnerable to her being like this – earnest while unconsciously acting cute. He wanted nothing more than to fly back immediately and pull her into his arms for a tight squeeze.

“Listen to you,” Lu Xixiao chuckled softly. “Of course, I’ll come back once I’m done with work. Do you even need to ask ‘okay?'”

Looking at his smiling face on the screen, Zhou Wan smiled too. “Mm.”

“Why suddenly say you miss me? Did someone bully you?”

“No,” Zhou Wan blinked. “With you around, who would dare bully me?”

Lu Xixiao figured no one would bully her anyway, and Zhou Wan wasn’t the type to repay evil with kindness. He’d only been gone three days – she couldn’t have faced any real hardship.

“If you’re tired, get to bed early. I’ll be back as soon as I can.”

“Mm.”

After a pause, Zhou Wan remembered the 18th was Lu Xixiao’s birthday. If he came back early she wouldn’t have time to prepare, so she added, “Don’t change your flight. Just come back after you’re done with work.”

Lu Xixiao raised an eyebrow, his tone a bit smug: “I just worried some little girl might cry after not seeing me for three days.”

Zhou Wan thought for a moment, then said, “I’ll be pretty busy with work and the competition the next two days, so just come back at the original time.”

“Alright.”

Lu Xixiao had already packed his schedule full, and it would indeed be difficult to free up time for new arrangements.

“Go to sleep then.”

“Mm.” Zhou Wan buried her face deeper in the blanket. “Good night, Lu Xixiao.”

“Good night, baby.”

*

The next day brought another round of competition.

As the competition progressed to later stages, the remaining contestants grew stronger, putting considerable pressure on Zhou Wan. However, her advantage lay in her strong learning ability since childhood. As the competition went on, her improvement was exponential. Combined with her fitting image and superior vocal conditions, she became increasingly certain of victory.

After this round of competition, Zhou Wan successfully entered the top five.

In one impromptu interview question, Zhou Wan even scored first place among all contestants.

This was her first time getting first place in so many rounds of competition.

Her performance was particularly eye-catching, scoring far above second place. Soon, the clip of her interview was extracted and posted online, sparking another round of discussion.

Many former classmates who saw it sent congratulatory messages.

The next day at work, colleagues showered her with praise, especially Ji Jie, who was particularly effusive and dramatic.

“How much is the prize money for the top five?” Ji Jie asked.

“Fifth place is about fifty thousand, first place is a hundred thousand, with ten thousand more for each rank up.”

“That’s great, I want prize money too.”

“Isn’t there a photography competition coming up?” Zhou Wan said. “You could join that.”

Ji Jie: “My amateur skills couldn’t win anything.”

“You won’t know unless you try. I didn’t think I’d make it this far at first either.”

“You’re a natural talent. I noticed back in high school – that getting into Huaqing isn’t just about effort, you need to be gifted.”

Ji Jie asked, “Wan Wan, did you have tutoring back then?”

“Me, tutoring?”

“Yeah.”

“No,” Zhou Wan smiled. “Though I did tutor others, never got tutored myself.”

“See, that’s what I mean by gifted. When I was in school, my mom sent me to tutoring centers every day, even one-on-one sessions, and still couldn’t get me into a top school.”

Speaking of this, Ji Jie suddenly remembered something. “Oh right, Wan Wan, was that auntie waiting for you downstairs last time your mom?”

Zhou Wan paused, then slowly mumbled an “Mm.” “Sort of, but my parents are divorced, and I haven’t been in contact with her for a long time.”

Her relationship with Guo Xiangling couldn’t be explained in just a few words.

Zhou Wan explained the situation in the simplest, most straightforward way.

Ji Jie nodded. “Oh.”

Though outgoing by nature, she wouldn’t pry into others’ private matters they didn’t want to discuss, so she didn’t continue this topic. “Wan Wan, are a lot of places trying to poach you now? Are you planning to switch jobs?”

“There are a few offers, but I don’t plan to leave right now. I quite like it here.”

“True, I also think our workplace atmosphere is especially harmonious. We’re all working people anyway, might as well be happy working people – that’s most worthwhile.”

Zhou Wan’s phone vibrated at this moment.

[6: Boarding the plane now.]

[Zhou Wan: Okay, travel safe.]

[6: It’s cold today, no need to pick me up tonight. I’ll stop by the company first then head straight home.]

Zhou Wan calculated the time – going to pick up the cake in the afternoon, then decorating the house, it would indeed be tight. She replied: [Okay, send me a message when you land.]

[6: Mm.]

There were no interview tasks in the afternoon, so it was quite free.

Ji Jie’s favorite singer was coming to B City for a concert, and tickets would go on sale soon. Worried about not getting tickets, she asked colleagues to help buy them together.

She set an alarm for one minute before.

This was Zhou Wan’s first time trying to buy concert tickets. She stared at the standard time stopwatch on the computer screen, waiting for the exact moment to quickly click in.

“Ah! Couldn’t get any!” Ji Jie shouted in the office. “Did anyone get tickets?”

“No.”

“That was too fast, everything sold out in less than a second.”

“Is this band that popular?”

Zhou Wan watched the circle in the upper left corner of her screen rotate and rotate, and then a check mark appeared, showing the payment was successful.

She was stunned, unexpected: “I think I got one?”

Ji Jie quickly came over, then hugged Zhou Wan’s neck, and shook her frantically: “Ahhhhh! Wan Wan, I love you!!!”

Zhou Wan laughed: “It’s my first time trying, I don’t know how I managed to get it.”

“That’s called beginner’s luck.”

Zhou Wan filled in Ji Jie’s ID information for the ticket, and Ji Jie transferred the money to her.

This singer Ji Jie liked was extremely popular. Soon, news about concert tickets selling out in one second hit the trending topics, with many fans in the comments crying about not getting tickets.

“Lucky I had you, Wan Wan.” Ji Jie showed her phone to Zhou Wan. “Look, they say lots of fans failed to get tickets this time.”

Zhou Wan leaned in to look.

Just then, a notification suddenly popped up at the top of the screen.

—Exclusive! “Golden Microphone” Contest Popular Contestant Zhou Wan Allegedly Abandoned Mother!

Zhou Wan’s fingertips froze, clenching tight.

“What garbage clickbait is making up stories again.” Ji Jie was startled at first, then immediately cursed angrily, “Aren’t they afraid of getting sued!”

She didn’t believe the content at all and quickly clicked to see what kind of clickbait headline it was.

But upon opening it, the first photo showed Zhou Wan and that woman from yesterday sitting face to face in the cafe.

The woman was crying pathetically, while Zhou Wan watched her silently, appearing particularly cold in contrast. Add to that the contrast in their clothing, she seemed even more aloof.

Ji Jie opened her mouth, momentarily at a loss for words.

Zhou Wan didn’t speak either.

She didn’t know how to explain any of this and had no way to begin.

“What news?”

Others in the office who had heard Ji Jie’s cursing earlier turned to ask when they heard no follow-up.

Ji Jie glanced at Zhou Wan, saying nothing.

Zhou Wan stood up, saying softly: “I’m not feeling well, I want to go home first.”

Ji Jie immediately said: “Okay, I’ll explain to the chief editor later.”

“Mm.” Zhou Wan nodded somewhat absently. “Thanks.”

She picked up her bag and quickly left.

Everyone there worked in news – it wouldn’t take long for them all to see that piece of news.

Although she had a clear conscience regarding Guo Xiangling, being in this situation left her unable to defend herself. She could almost imagine how people around her would gossip.

Only after getting on the subway did Zhou Wan take out her phone.

That news had already gained high visibility, with unbearable comments below.

[She can stay unmoved while her birth mother cries like that, worse than an animal?]

[I used to like her, never thought she was this kind of person.]

[Doesn’t anyone think she did much better in the latest competition round than before? Maybe there’s a sugar daddy behind it, leaked the questions?]

[Does everyone not know she was one of those who exposed Huang Hui’s sexual harassment? Later Huang Hui and the whole Shengxing Group suddenly fell – doesn’t anyone find that suspicious?]

Every word, every sentence transformed into swords, turning around to shoot at Zhou Wan.

She looked at those comments, slowly blinked, and turned off her phone.

The subway stopped at one station, Zhou Wan got off and walked following navigation to find the cake shop she had ordered from.

She showed the order to the shop assistant, asking if the cake was ready.

The shop assistant gave her several extra looks while taking the cake from the refrigerator and handing it over.

As she turned to leave, she heard whispered discussions from behind.

Zhou Wan didn’t look back, didn’t stop to explain, just silently left.

That news spread faster than she had imagined. It was rush hour, and she didn’t dare take the crowded subway back. It was quite a distance home from here.

She walked aimlessly on the street.

The cold wind chilled her slender ankles.

Soon after, it started raining – heavy drops pounding down.

Zhou Wan had to take shelter under a shop’s eaves. She took out her phone again, fingers clenching tight until her knuckles turned white.

[My aunt works at the same newspaper as her, heard her boyfriend is really powerful, called Lu Xixiao, you can search and find basic info.]

[Then that Huang Hui thing before must have been her boyfriend working behind the scenes.]

[Terrifying when you think about it, maybe Huang Hui was falsely accused?]

[The Lu family is powerful, to begin with, one of the top in Pingchuan City.]

[Damn, someone interviewed Zhou Wan’s mom and said she was with Lu Xixiao’s dad before, but later Zhou Wan deliberately seduced his son and ruined the marriage. Her mom could have lived happily otherwise.]

[How can there be such a daughter?!]

[Seducing mom’s boyfriend’s son??? Is this even human???]

[This is too disgusting]

[How dare they still be together… aren’t they afraid of karma?]

This was the terrifying nature of the internet, the terrifying nature of rumors.

Zhou Wan suddenly recalled what Old Master Lu had said to her long ago—

What would people say if they knew about your relationship?

Disgusting, perverted, immoral, filthy…

These things won’t be erased just because your mother left.

You should know what kind of condemnation he’ll face from now on, and what he’ll lose.

At that age, no matter how reluctant she was, she still gave in to these words and surrendered to them.

Under the eaves, the rain curtain poured down, raindrops hitting the ground and creating tiny splashes, dirtying Zhou Wan’s white shoes.

She looked out through the rain curtain.

A shop’s lights lit up across the street, particularly eye-catching in the gloomy evening, neon lights spelling out letters—TATTOO.

*

It was nine o’clock at night when Lu Xixiao’s plane landed.

He retrieved his luggage and turned on his phone while walking out. His secretary was already waiting outside, hurrying over when he saw him: “Mr. Lu, there’s something…”

Lu Xixiao had never seen him so hesitant, and paused: “What is it?”

The secretary showed him the news online.

After several hours, the matter had blown up completely.

Besides the unbearable insults, even various details about him and Zhou Wan had been dug up thoroughly.

Many photos of them together from school days posted on campus forums had been unearthed, becoming targets for pointing fingers.

Lu Xixiao frowned.

His phone turned on, but there wasn’t a single message or missed call.

With something like this happening, Zhou Wan couldn’t possibly not know.

He wasn’t bothered by those comments at all, but he worried all this would affect Zhou Wan.

Worried she would start blaming herself again, thinking she had caused him to suffer these unfounded accusations.

Lu Xixiao’s Adam’s apple bobbed as he immediately dialed Zhou Wan’s number without saying anything. After several rings, it showed temporarily unavailable, please try again later.

“Mr. Lu, what should we do now?” the secretary asked.

They had just signed the contract when this happened and were about to launch a new project.

The Xingsheng Group matter had been handled too thoroughly, offending many people openly and secretly. Who knew how those with ulterior motives would exploit this situation?

“Go to the police station first and find Chief Zheng, ask him to help find Zhou Wan no matter what.”

The secretary was stunned for a moment, then nodded: “Yes.”

Nothing mattered more than Zhou Wan.

Lu Xixiao drove straight home, running all the way, and pushed open the door to find the house completely dark.

“Zhou Wan.” He called from the entrance.

No response.

Even the echo was swallowed by darkness.

Lu Xixiao’s jaw tightened, his jawline sharp.

He seemed to merge with this darkness, his black lashes lowered, concealing a hint of obscure light.

He recalled video chatting with Zhou Wan the day before yesterday, the little girl nestled in her blanket, her long dense eyelashes slowly fluttering, looking tired and listless.

Her voice was soft and gentle as she told him:

I just, miss you a little.

Come back quickly after you’re done with work, okay?

Had she encountered those troubles since then?

But now he was back, and she was gone.

Was she trying to escape somewhere he couldn’t find her again, unilaterally trying to be good to him in her way?

This apartment, without Zhou Wan, was just a place to stay.

With her there, it could be called “home.”

Lu Xixiao could almost feel the suffocating darkness in the room slowly devouring him, dragging him back to his former solitary state.

Just then, his phone suddenly rang without warning.

It was Zhou Wan calling.

Lu Xixiao froze for a moment, and immediately answered, his voice still trembling from not having recovered: “…Zhou Wan.”

“Did you land? My phone was on silent and I forgot to turn it off, I didn’t hear that call earlier.” Zhou Wan’s voice sounded very calm. “Lu Xixiao, I have something to tell you.”

Lu Xixiao’s brow twitched, his Adam’s apple bobbed as he spoke in a hoarse voice: “Where are you? I’ll come over.”

Zhou Wan paused.

She stood in front of a shop, looking at the high-rises before her, and told Lu Xixiao about a nearby landmark building.

Lu Xixiao immediately drove over.

It had just rained, his tires splashing through puddles.

He thought about many things on the way.

Zhou Wan’s voice earlier had been unnaturally calm.

He thought, if Zhou Wan wanted to break up with him, he definitely wouldn’t agree. He wouldn’t let her leave again no matter what methods he had to use.

Once was enough.

If she left again, it would be the end of him.

At a traffic light, Lu Xixiao saw Zhou Wan standing at the corner across the street.

The little girl was dressed rather thinly, her exposed slender ankles reddened from the cold, her nose also red from the cold, looking a bit dazed as she stared fixedly at a spot on the ground, lost in thought.

Lu Xixiao turned around and parked by the roadside, quickly walking over.

When he closed the car door, Zhou Wan looked up.

The headlights were still on, piercing her eyes, so she couldn’t see Lu Xixiao’s face clearly, only vaguely saw a tall figure walking towards her against the light with big strides.

Then he stopped in front of her, gripping her wrist, particularly forcefully, somewhat painful.

But upon feeling how cold her wrist was, his grip immediately loosened a bit.

Zhou Wan seemed to see the stormy aura around him gradually recede, leaving only restraint and forbearance. His voice was low and hoarse when he spoke: “What are you doing out here so late? Your hands are so cold, get in the car first.”

Zhou Wan was pulled forward a few steps by him, then stopped, gently tugging her arm back.

Lu Xixiao’s movement paused as he turned back.

Zhou Wan withdrew her hand, crouched down to pick up the cake box on the ground, and got in the car with Lu Xixiao.

The sensor light above lit up.

Lu Xixiao turned the air conditioning to maximum, holding Zhou Wan’s hand up to the vent to warm it.

Finally, it started to warm up again.

Zhou Wan looked at him, asking softly: “Lu Xixiao, are you angry?”

Lu Xixiao glanced sideways, not speaking.

“Is it because of what they’re saying online?” Zhou Wan lowered her eyes, speaking quietly, “I’m sorry, it’s my fault, tomorrow I’ll…”

“Besides sorry, what else do you want to say?”

Lu Xixiao interrupted her, his voice low and obscure, “So you want to break up with me again, is that it?”

Zhou Wan was stunned: “No, I wanted to say…”

Not expecting Lu Xixiao would think this way, she didn’t know where to begin with all her heartfelt words.

Her index finger was still hooked around the thin ribbon of the cake box, her fingertip unconsciously curling as she said abruptly: “I wanted to say, happy birthday, Lu Xixiao.”

Lu Xixiao was stunned.

He hadn’t expected this response at all.

He had been so busy lately, that he completely forgot today was his birthday.

He had prepared himself all the way here, imagined many scenarios of Zhou Wan breaking up with him, thinking he would tie her up and take her back if he had to, but never expected to receive a “happy birthday” like this.

“Lu Xixiao, happy 27th birthday.” Zhou Wan looked at him, saying seriously, “I’ll be with you for all your birthdays from now on.”

The little girl’s black hair fell over her chest.

She hadn’t cut her hair in a long time, the long hair past her chest was smooth and shiny, her eyes bright, looking gentle yet determined.

Lu Xixiao’s Adam’s apple bobbed.

It all came too suddenly and too perfectly, leaving him at a loss for words.

Only then did he notice large patches of red spreading from Zhou Wan’s collar across her fair neck.

“What happened here?” Lu Xixiao reached out, his finger hooking her collar, pulling down, “An allergic reaction…”

His words cut off abruptly halfway.

Her skin was red around her collarbone, and beneath that thin skin was carved a bright red tattoo—

Lu Xixiao.

Clearly in Zhou Wan’s handwriting.

Serious and elegant.

The final stroke of “Xiao” was drawn long, just like how he wrote the character “Wan.”

Below that was a “6.”

Lu Xixiao stared at the tattoo silently for a long time, then asked in a low voice: “Why did you get this tattoo?”

“Because you got one too,” Zhou Wan said softly.

Because I also wanted to know how much it hurt you back then.

Lu Xixiao heard her, but still stubbornly asked the same question.

“Why did you get this tattoo?”

He kept his eyes lowered, his voice also low, but more emotions were crushed within it, his breathing entangled, as if persistently wanting to hear that specific answer.

Zhou Wan paused, reaching out to intertwine her fingers with his: “Because I love you.”

Because I love you.

So, I also want to carve you into my blood and bones.

“I won’t back away anymore, Lu Xixiao.”

Zhou Wan looked at him and said, “When you rush towards me, I’ll also run flying towards you.”

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