When she got home, Grandma was already asleep.
Zhou Wan returned to her room, where a notebook lay open on the desk. On it were the names "Guo Xiangling" and "Lu Xixiao," written yesterday.
She sat at the desk, her gaze lowered, fixed on those two names.
A line connected them.
What if—
She and Lu Xixiao were together?
Then Lu's father would likely be furious and would no longer be with Guo Xiangling.
This thought suddenly surfaced in Zhou Wan's mind.
She knew her place, aware that Lu Xixiao had never taken any of his girlfriends seriously. Even if she could be with him, she wouldn't be the exception.
But maybe that was better.
Just being together would be enough.
Just being together and letting Lu's father know would be enough.
Just briefly taking advantage of Lu Xixiao's recklessness and casualness.
No one would get hurt.
Zhou Wan had never imagined she could harbor such dark thoughts, but at this moment, she couldn't control them.
Like a venomous snake flicking its tongue, they spread through her heart.
She looked up and saw her reflection in the mirror.
The room was dim, the desk lamp casting a soft, fuzzy glow around her. The girl's soft black hair fell over her chest, her skin fair and delicate, with a small face, petite and refined lips and nose, and clear, round deer-like eyes, dark as black grapes.
Zhou Wan was pretty—she had heard compliments since childhood.
But her beauty was more about innocence and purity, unlike the girls around Lu Xixiao, who were mostly bright and bold.
Zhou Wan wasn't sure if she could pull it off.
But at least—
Lu Xixiao already knew her name now.
In September, the fragrance of osmanthus filled the air, enveloping the entire school.
Gu Meng gathered a lot of osmanthus flowers, put them in a bag, and made a sachet for Zhou Wan.
By the time the delicate osmanthus in the sachet had withered completely, the school sports meet arrived.
During the opening ceremony, there was a segment where each class entered the field with a sign bearer, and Zhou Wan was chosen for the task.
The sign bearers had to wear a uniform outfit—a departure from the loose, bulky school uniforms—consisting of a fitted white short-sleeved shirt and a pleated skirt, radiating youthfulness.
As soon as Gu Meng saw her in the outfit, she exclaimed, "Wanwan! The people who designed the school uniforms should be cursed! You look so good in a short skirt like this!"
The pleated skirt had built-in shorts, but it was short, the hem ending just above mid-thigh.
Zhou Wan wasn't comfortable with the length and kept tugging at the skirt, trying to pull it down.
Gu Meng stopped her hand. "Don't pull it; it's supposed to be like this."
"I'm afraid it might ride up when I walk."
Gu Meng laughed. "It won't. Not only are there shorts underneath, so there's no risk of exposure, but the school would never give you a miniskirt. This is just a regular short skirt—it won't ride up."
The sports meet had everyone in high spirits.
The field was bustling early in the morning.
After the principal's speech ended, the classes began entering in formation.
Zhou Wan was in Class 1, holding the "Grade 2, Class 1" sign at the front, next to Class 7.
Lu Xixiao was in Class 7.
Among the ten classes in Grade 2, Class 7 had the worst grades and was the most chaotic. Their formation was disorderly, and the girl assigned to hold their sign hadn't arrived yet.
Zhou Wan glanced back.
Lu Xixiao and his friends stood at the very back, not wearing school uniforms. He held a cigarette, smiling casually.The sunlight cast down, making Lu Xixiao's skin appear even paler. He seemed to have just gotten a haircut—his temples shaved short, revealing clean, sharp contours that exuded a cold, aloof indifference.
Beside him sat a girl on the edge of a flower bed, tilting her head up to initiate conversation with him. Zhou Wan vaguely recognized her as the arts committee member from the humanities class, not from Class 7.
The surroundings buzzed with noise. Summer sunlight sliced through the lush foliage, scattering dappled spots of light over them like faint golden dust.
The girl smiled brightly, stretching out her hand to say something to Lu Xixiao—likely asking for help to stand. Without moving his head, Lu Xixiao glanced down at her condescendingly and quirked his lips. "Can't get up on your own?"
"My legs fell asleep," the girl replied with a laugh.
Lu Xixiao flicked his cigarette ash, still making no move to assist.
Unfazed, the girl raised an eyebrow. "So heartless?"
He remained unmoved, smiling lazily. "Yeah."
She clicked her tongue and smoothly rose to her feet, brushing off her pants.
Just then, Xu Yixuan hurried across the playground toward them—she was Class 7's flag bearer, dressed in a fitted t-shirt and short skirt that accentuated her figure. She stopped before Lu Xixiao, her eyes red-rimmed and voice thick with tears. "Lu Xixiao, who is she?"
Before he could answer, her forced bravado crumbled. Xu Yixuan tugged at his sleeve, her eyelashes fluttering nervously as she softened her tone. "A Xiao, I was wrong. I won't cling to you so much anymore. Can we make up?"
Such a beautiful girl somehow became pitiful and meek in front of Lu Xixiao.
Everyone around watched silently.
"A Xiao, I—"
"Xu Yixuan," Lu Xixiao cut her off coldly. "We're already over."
His usual teasing tone vanished, replaced by an icy, ruthless finality.
Gu Meng, standing behind Zhou Wan, leaned in to whisper with emotion, "I never thought even a beauty like Xu Yixuan couldn't tame Lu Xixiao.""
Zhou Wan watched them for a moment before slowly blinking and looking away. Softly, she asked, "Mengmeng, why do they keep charging headfirst into heartbreak when they know exactly what kind of person Lu Xixiao is?"
Were they really betting on being the destined one to reform a playboy? Zhou Wan couldn't understand sacrificing dignity and pride for romance.
If she were unfortunate enough to fall for someone like that, she decided, she would never tell him. She wouldn't let him trample her self-respect—she'd guard that affection as a secret no one would ever discover.
Gu Meng gasped in mock surprise. "Wanwan! You're finally getting it! I never thought I'd hear such questions from you!" Then she shook her head with exaggerated solemnity. "Ah, youth! You've gotta meet a few scumbags and have your heart broken a couple times. Otherwise, your memories would just be full of equations and vectors—how boring would that be?"
From the rostrum, the announcer's clear voice rang out—"Now approaching is our sophomore cohort, led by the students of Class 1, Grade 2..."
Zhou Wan collected her thoughts and raised her placard to lead her class formation forward.
On the other side, Xu Yixuan was led away in tears by friends while the other girl, having been snubbed, also departed.
Suddenly, murmurs rose among a group of boys.
"Hey, who's the flag bearer from Class 1? Haven't seen her before.""That top student, always ranked second in the grade, right? When she wore the school uniform, her face already looked super pure—totally the ideal first love type. Never expected her figure to be this good too. Those legs, damn."
"Holy shit, I think I'm in love. She's just too sweet and adorable," Jiang Fan exclaimed loudly. "How come I've never seen her before?"
"You skip class every day, of course you haven't."
"Does she have a boyfriend? What's her name?"
"She's a top student, where would she find time for a boyfriend?" his companion replied. "I've seen her name on the honor roll a few times. Something Wan, suddenly forgot her surname."
"Hey, A Xiao." Jiang Fan nudged Lu Xixiao beside him. "You know her?"
Lu Xixiao looked up from his phone, raising an eyebrow slightly when he saw Zhou Wan.
"First love material or what?" Jiang Fan said. "Now I finally understand what 'first love face' means."
Lu Xixiao didn't respond.
Jiang Fan assumed he wouldn't know this type of girl anyway, clutching his chest dramatically. "No, I can't keep looking. My heart's melting from how sweet she is."
Lu Xixiao raised an eyebrow. "Sweet?"
He remembered that day at the arcade—the girl standing against the dim, noisy backdrop, her silhouette youthful, features clear, with thick dark lashes framing her eyes. Though they were round doe-like eyes, they held a stubborn pride deep within.
She might look sweet, but her personality certainly wasn't.
Jiang Fan thought he just couldn't appreciate his newfound goddess. "How is this not sweet?"
Lu Xixiao let out a derisive laugh.
After the opening ceremony, the first events were various field competitions.
Zhou Wan had signed up for javelin.
Not because she was skilled at it, but because few girls were willing to participate in such events, so simply signing up guaranteed a ranking.
The class athletic committee had begged her, so she registered.
Javelin registration began early. Zhou Wan didn't have time to change clothes, simply tying her school uniform jacket around her waist before rushing to check in. She was quickly led to the competition area.
Due to safety concerns, they never even got to practice javelin normally. This was Zhou Wan's first time holding one—it felt heavier than she expected.
The outcome was predictable. None of her throws even stuck in the ground.
Jiang Fan had signed up for long jump, which took place behind the javelin area. He laughed uproariously watching Zhou Wan throw.
"Isn't this kind of a contrast cuteness?"" Jiang Fan couldn't stop laughing. "Damn, she's just too adorable. I can't handle this."
Lu Xixiao glanced sideways. "Is that all you've got?"
"Haozi just said her name's something Wan. Heard she's ranked second in the grade too. A Xiao, you really never saw her name on the bulletin board? Any impression?"
Lu Xixiao: "Why would I look at that thing?"
"Right." Jiang Fan clicked his tongue. "I'll ask for her name after the games."
Lu Xixiao glanced at him, the corner of his mouth quirking imperceptibly.
Zhou Wan stubbornly pushed through all five rounds. Since none of the girls who signed up knew how to throw properly, she managed to muddle through and surprisingly placed fifth—second to last.
Gu Meng was also laughing nearby. "I should've signed up too."
Zhou Wan removed the safety pin with her number and put it in her pocket.
Though it wasn't intense exercise, the javelin was heavy to hold, leaving Zhou Wan with a light sheen of sweat.
"Let's go," Zhou Wan said. "Mengmeng."
"Can we watch the high jump first?"
"Okay."
At that moment, a voice suddenly came from behind—
"Zhou Wan."
Magnetic, clear, carrying a faint, leisurely amusement.
Her steps faltered. She turned around.Lu Xixiao wore a black short-sleeved shirt. The wind swept past, outlining his broad shoulders and narrow waist in a carefree silhouette. His jawline was clean and defined, his neck slender, with a sharp Adam's apple. His hair was slightly tousled by the wind.
He stared directly at her.
This was the first time he had called her by her name.
Zhou Wan froze for a moment.
He lifted his chin, gesturing ahead. "Your school badge fell."
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