"Boss, I'd like a bowl of red date and white fungus porridge." Zhou Wan stood at the counter and said, "Thank you."
Lu Xixiao was injured, so Zhou Wan only dared to buy him light, bland food.
This congee shop was right in front of his home, mainly selling porridge with some small side dishes. The taste was excellent, portions were generous and affordable, and business was booming.
Zhou Wan sat waiting to the side, killing time on her phone.
Opening her social feed, the first post was from Jiang Yan—a photo of him sitting in a car with his father.
Zhou Wan's finger paused, then she tapped the photo to enlarge it.
Her brow furrowed as she studied the picture carefully, becoming even more certain: this was the same man she had seen at the hospital—Lu Xixiao's father.
Though she had been some distance away that time, Lu Xixiao's father wasn't the type of person you'd forget after one glance. He had sharp, stern features, an imposing presence, and a distinct aura.
Actually, he was quite unlike Lu Xixiao's casual personality—Lu Xixiao took more after his mother.
But why would Jiang Yan and Lu Xixiao share the same father?
"Young lady, your porridge is ready." The shop owner called out.
Zhou Wan's thoughts were interrupted. She quickly stood up to take it and thanked him again.
The red date and white fungus porridge came in a hefty, substantial container.
...
When she returned, the door was slightly ajar. Zhou Wan gently pushed it open, changed into slippers, and walked inside.
Hearing the noise, Lu Xixiao glanced over at her indifferently.
Zhou Wan helped him open the takeout container lid and pushed the porridge toward him. "I don't know what you like to eat, but since you're injured, you should have something light today."
Lu Xixiao asked, "What about yours?"
"What?"
"Dinner."
Zhou Wan paused. She had forgotten she hadn't eaten either.
"I'm not hungry. I'll eat later."
Lu Xixiao stood up and went into the kitchen.
Zhou Wan heard the faucet running. Soon, Lu Xixiao came out with a bowl, water dripping onto the carpet since he hadn't dried it properly.
He placed the bowl on the table, chopsticks clenched between his teeth, and silently poured half the porridge into the bowl—steaming hot.
He pushed the bowl toward Zhou Wan and tossed a spoon in front of her.
Lu Xixiao didn't say a word throughout. After doing this, he lowered his head and ate the porridge in large mouthfuls.
Zhou Wan pressed her lips together, cupping the bowl with both hands. "Thank you."
They occupied opposite ends of the coffee table, eating quietly.
Zhou Wan ate slowly and attentively. After Lu Xixiao finished, he turned to stare at her.
Several times, Zhou Wan grew uncomfortable under his gaze and looked back at him repeatedly, but he never averted his eyes. Yet he remained silent. Finally, Zhou Wan couldn't take it anymore and asked, "What's wrong?"
Lu Xixiao said, "You said you weren't hungry."
"..."
Zhou Wan paused, then said softly, "We can't waste it."
He let out a disdainful snort.
Zhou Wan quickly finished her porridge, took the bowls and chopsticks into the kitchen to wash them. Just then, the doorbell suddenly rang.
"I'll get it," Zhou Wan said.
Probably Jiang Fan had come again.
Zhou Wan ran to open the door. The moment she pulled it open, she froze at the sight of the person standing outside.
Not just Zhou Wan—the person outside was equally stunned.
"Zhou Wan?" Jiang Yan's eyes widened. "What are you doing here?"
There are always so many coincidences in this world.
Some things become more beautiful because of coincidence, while others turn worse because of it.
Lu Xixiao had somehow come up behind Zhou Wan without her noticing. He looked calmly and coldly at Jiang Yan, gripping Zhou Wan's slender wrist to pull the girl behind him.
"What are you doing here?" he asked.Jiang Yan finally shifted his gaze away from Zhou Wan. "Dad couldn't get through to you, so he sent me to bring you to dinner. The car's downstairs."
Lu Xixiao remained silent, raising his hand to shut the door.
Jiang Yan blocked it with his elbow, his expression dark and eyes shadowed. "If you have the guts, don't ever come back," he said in a low voice.
Lu Xixiao suddenly laughed, as if he'd heard an exceptionally amusing joke. He tilted his head slightly and asked Jiang Yan, "Do you know why I look down on you?"
"All of this should have been mine from the start!" Jiang Yan raised his voice, a rare occurrence. "Why do you get to have everything so easily, while I have to put in thousands of times more effort!?"
"Fine, then change your surname to Lu as soon as possible. No one's stopping you."
"Lu Xixiao, what gives you the right to talk down to me like that?" Jiang Yan's eyes burned with fury as he glared at him. "Remember this—if we're being technical, you're the illegitimate child."
Illegitimate child.
Zhou Wan's mind went blank with a buzzing sound.
In the next second, Lu Xixiao lunged forward, shoving Jiang Yan to the ground.
He grabbed Jiang Yan by the collar and slammed his fist into his face.
The temple of Jiang Yan's glasses snapped, and his nose bridge immediately swelled red.
"Lu Xixiao!" Zhou Wan snapped out of her daze and rushed over to intervene.
Despite his injuries, Lu Xixiao seemed oblivious to the pain as his wounds tore open from the violent movements. Blood soaked through the gauze and trickled down his skin. His eyes were bloodshot as he punched Jiang Yan's face again and again.
Zhou Wan grabbed his arm, but the force threw her backward, and she fell to the side.
Dark clouds swiftly shrouded the cold, clear moon.
Even the last glimmer of light vanished.
Ignoring the bloody scrape on her palm, Zhou Wan scrambled to grab Lu Xixiao's hand again.
"Stop fighting!" She wrapped her arms around his arm with all her strength. "Stop it, Lu Xixiao!"
Lu Xixiao finally halted, his gaze dropping to the blood and dirt on Zhou Wan's pale palm. A sliver of reason returned.
He took a deep breath, forcibly suppressing his rage and hostility, and stood up.
He watched as Zhou Wan helped Jiang Yan, whose face was bruised and swollen. With severe nearsightedness, Jiang Yan's vision was blurred without his glasses. Zhou Wan struggled to help him sit up. "Jiang Yan, are you okay?"
Lu Xixiao's eyes turned icy and menacing.
"Jiang Yan, if you dare spout nonsense again, I'll make sure you regret it," he said, his sharp gaze narrowing dangerously. "Get out."
Lu Xixiao turned and went back inside, grabbing Zhou Wan's backpack and throwing it at her feet. "You too. Get out."
After the heavy rain, a thick fog enveloped the city early in the morning, bringing a biting chill with the damp air.
Each autumn rain brings colder days.
"Wanwan," Gu Meng turned around, leaning over Zhou Wan's desk to whisper, "What happened to Jiang Yan? Did he get into a fight?"
Zhou Wan recalled yesterday's confrontation.
Illegitimate child, and all that.
She shook her head, indicating she didn't know, and said nothing.
Jiang Yan was the school's top student, not just a candidate for Tsinghua or Peking University but also a strong contender for direct admission.
His bruised face attracted immediate attention at school, and the homeroom teacher called him into the office to question him.
He didn't return until just before math class.
The math teacher entered the classroom shortly after, tapping on the desk. "Alright, everyone, take your seats and take out yesterday's test papers."
Zhou Wan pulled out her test paper and leaned over to whisper, "Are you okay?"
"I'm fine," Jiang Yan replied. After a moment, he asked, "Zhou Wan, how do you know Lu Xixiao?""We met when he came to the arcade I was watching."
Jiang Yan wasn't so easily fooled, frowning: "Then why were you at his place? Did you go straight to him as soon as you got back yesterday?"
Zhou Wan paused before saying: "There was one time when my grandma wasn't feeling well at night, and he helped accompany us to the hospital. Yesterday I ran into his friend who said he was injured, so I went to check on him."
"He helped?" Jiang Yan retorted disbelievingly, sneering, "He's doing well enough if he doesn't cause trouble himself."
Jiang Yan's attitude made Zhou Wan inexplicably uncomfortable, and she insisted: "It's true."
"Are you two close?"
Zhou Wan remembered his final words - "You get lost too" - his cold expression and eyes making it clear he detested her.
Zhou Wan shook her head: "No."
"Stay away from him. He's no good."
"Then you and him..." Zhou Wan hesitated before asking, "Jiang Yan, what's your relationship with him?"
Jiang Yan fell silent for a moment.
Just as Zhou Wan thought she had overstepped and was about to apologize, Jiang Yan spoke: "My birthday is in March, his is in November. I'm older than him."
"So what you said yesterday about him being..."
An illegitimate child.
Zhou Wan didn't voice those three words, feeling they were too heavy a label.
Jiang Yan: "Yeah, we're half-brothers. His mother was the other woman who stole everything that should have belonged to me and my mom."
Zhou Wan remained silent.
"That's why I have to work hard, I must succeed, I must crush him under my feet," Jiang Yan said.
Lu Xixiao didn't come to school for the next few days, though this was normal and no one found it strange.
Zhou Wan followed the same four-point routine daily: school, hospital, arcade, home.
After Grandma underwent another series of checkups confirming she was fine, Zhou Wan handled her discharge procedures.
The cost of the private hospital room for these past two weeks had all been paid by Lu Xixiao, yet the WeChat conversation between them had stalled ten days ago.
It was when she was away for exams, and Lu Xixiao had asked when she'd be back.
Zhou Wan calculated her remaining funds - she was still several thousand short of repaying Lu Xixiao. She sighed, planning to gather the full amount and send it to him as soon as possible.
On Friday evening after school, Zhou Wan ran into Jiang Fan on her way to the bus stop.
"Little classmate!" he shouted from afar.
With many people around, Zhou Wan flushed: "Don't call me that."
"Alright, alright, Zhou Wan," Jiang Fan said. "Thanks for last time. I knew I had to ask for your help."
"How's Lu Xixiao's injury?"
Jiang Fan: "Should be almost healed. He's tough and recovers fast."
Zhou Wan nodded: "That's good."
"Why don't you ask him yourself?"
Zhou Wan paused: "He probably doesn't want to talk to me."
"Did you two fight?" Jiang Fan asked.
Zhou Wan didn't respond.
Jiang Fan looked understanding: "A Xiao's really stubborn. He's been at odds with his dad for years, but actually he's fine as long as you don't cross his bottom line. Just coax him a little and he'll be okay."
Zhou Wan thought, better not.
She and Lu Xixiao were never meant to be on the same path, never should have met. Now was the time to rein in before the cliff and return to their original courses.
"But one thing - don't mention his mom around A Xiao. That's his sore spot, it'll set him off immediately," Jiang Fan added.
Zhou Wan hesitated: "I saw a photo of his mother at his place that day. She looked very gentle and beautiful.""I've known A Xiao since we were kids. When I was little, I went to his house and met his mother—she was truly exceptionally beautiful." Jiang Fan smiled. "Otherwise, she wouldn't have given birth to someone like A Xiao."
"How did his mother pass away?" Zhou Wan asked softly. "Was she ill?"
"No."
Jiang Fan glanced down at her and sighed quietly. "Suicide. She jumped from a building."
An autumn wind swept past, carrying withered leaves in its wake.
By early November, the results of the provincial Physics Competition were announced.
The physics teacher rushed to the classroom first thing in the morning to summon Zhou Wan and Jiang Yan to his office—Zhou Wan could already tell from the expression on his face that both of them had performed well.
"You two have really made me proud!"
He beamed, wrinkles creasing his face, as he patted their shoulders firmly. "Excellent, just excellent! Both of you won first prize. The school is working overnight to prepare banners in a hurry."
Jiang Yan let out a sigh of relief, as if a weight had been lifted, and revealed a satisfied, relaxed smile. Then he asked, "When will the national competition be held?"
"Next spring, probably around March or April," the physics teacher replied. "Don’t worry, the school will soon arrange the next round of competition coaching for both of you."
After the first two classes in the morning, it was time for the flag-raising ceremony.
Dozens of class formations stood neatly arranged on the sports field.
The principal stood on the podium, beaming with pride and excitement, as he announced the achievements their school had attained in this Physics Competition.
Eight third-place winners, three second-place winners, and two first-place winners.
Groups of students went up to the stage to receive their awards and take photos, with Zhou Wan and Jiang Yan being the last.
The two stood side by side at the base of the flagpole, their school uniforms neat and proper, holding certificate-style awards in their hands.
The sun was bright today, almost glaring.
The crowd below broke into applause.
Zhou Wan squinted slightly, standing straight with her award.
It was at that moment that the iron gate on one side of the sports field creaked open, and Lu Xixiao walked in.
He wasn’t wearing his school uniform—just a simple short-sleeved shirt and black athletic pants. The sides of his hair were shaved short, accentuating his sharp bone structure. His expression was indifferent, and he frowned slightly under the sunlight.
As he walked, his tall frame and long legs stood out.
Zhou Wan’s gaze settled on him.
His appearance immediately drew the attention of many female students.
Some who knew him waved in greeting, while others, more reserved, whispered admiringly.
Of course, he also caught the principal’s attention.
"Lu Xixiao!" the principal barked into the microphone. "What time do you think it is? Only showing up now?!"
Lu Xixiao looked up, his eyes first landing on Zhou Wan before calmly shifting away.
A group of his friends nearby burst into laughter, gleeful at his misfortune.
The principal, who had long been displeased with him, glared furiously. "Get up here to the podium and stand as punishment!"
Lu Xixiao didn’t seem to care. Without offering any excuse, he strode toward the front of the podium.
Zhou Wan lowered her eyes, her lashes trembling slightly. As he passed by, she caught the scent of tobacco on him, sharp and crisp, mingling with the sunlight.
He came to a stop slightly behind and to the side of Zhou Wan, still wearing that careless, indifferent demeanor.
After scolding him a few more times, the principal finally remembered to have someone continue taking the award photos of Zhou Wan and Jiang Yan.
The student responsible for taking the photos was from the publicity department of the student council and also Zhou Wan’s classmate.
At noon, she developed several photos. She picked one to post on the school bulletin board and, with a few extras left, asked Zhou Wan if she wanted to keep them as mementos.
There were three photos in total: a distant shot, a close-up, and a solo portrait.She pointed at the solo close-up photo: "I think this one captured you really well."
Zhou Wan carefully examined each photo and picked up the distant shot: "Can I have this one?"
"This one? Why?"
Zhou Wan smiled and said, "When I look at this photo later, I'll remember what was happening. The close-up is too tight—I might forget the context."
"That makes sense." The girl nodded with a laugh. "Then you can keep this one."
Zhou Wan thanked her.
After the girl left, Zhou Wan lowered her head and looked at the photo again.
The background encompassed the entire podium.
Including Lu Xixiao standing diagonally behind her.
His chin was slightly raised, exuding a carefree and unrestrained demeanor. His pupils appeared lighter under the sunlight, his gaze casually resting on her retreating figure.
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