On a deep night after the rain, the roadside was littered with fallen osmanthus blossoms, a golden-yellow expanse trampled into the mud. Under the moonlight, they emitted their last faint fragrance.
This time, they weren’t walking one behind the other but side by side.
The street was quiet, bathed in the dim glow of streetlights. Overhead, tangled wires cast dark shadows.
Lu Xixiao’s phone rang, and he answered.
“Hello?”
…
“Not coming.”
…
“Too lazy to come over.”
After saying this, he hung up.
His voice was pleasant—magnetic, husky, with a nasal tone and a lazy hint of laughter. It wasn’t as low as it had been right after school.
Zhou Wan turned her head to look at him.
He was exceptionally tall, and she had to tilt her head back to see him.
He was looking in another direction. Following his gaze, Zhou Wan saw an old-style hot pot restaurant. Though old-fashioned, it was known for its authentic flavor, attracting many visitors. During dinner hours, it was often packed.
“Want to eat?” Lu Xixiao suddenly asked.
“What?”
Only after asking did Zhou Wan realize what he had just said. She blinked.
She recalled the two names she had written on her draft paper a few days earlier.
Pressing her lips together, she wondered—should she really go through with this?
She knew that once she made this decision, there would be no turning back.
Perhaps her once peaceful school life would be shattered.
And she would become the kind of person she despised.
Before she could answer, Lu Xixiao stopped asking and headed straight toward the restaurant.
“Wait—” Zhou Wan called out, stopping him.
In the end, she couldn’t resist the darkness within her.
Lu Xixiao halted and turned around. Under the glow of the streetlights and moonlight, he raised an eyebrow, silently questioning.
Zhou Wan took a breath and said softly, “It’s so late. Let’s not have hot pot. There’s a noodle shop nearby.”
That hot pot place was too expensive.
Zhou Wan had found an excuse.
Lu Xixiao had no objections to what they ate and followed Zhou Wan into the nearby noodle shop.
The shop was shabby, with plastic tables and stools that gleamed greasily under the cold white fluorescent light. Because it was cheap, most of its business came from takeout, and few people ate in.
Zhou Wan had been here a few times and recognized the owner.
“Uncle Kang, I’ll have a bowl of Three Treasure Noodles.” Zhou Wan turned to Lu Xixiao beside her. “What do you want?”
He glanced over the menu, uninterested, and replied flatly, “The same.”
Uncle Kang responded cheerfully, “Alright! Two bowls of Three Treasure Noodles!”
When they reached the table, Zhou Wan stopped Lu Xixiao and pulled out a tissue to carefully wipe down the seat on his side—after all, she was the one who had suggested eating here.
The girl kept her eyes lowered, her face plain except for her thick eyelashes and large eyes, which gave her a clean yet inexplicably captivating look.
She was slender and petite, with fair skin, appearing so fragile that a single tease might make her cry. Yet her deer-like eyes held a stubborn, unyielding determination, creating a strangely harmonious contradiction.
No wonder she had attracted the attention of troublemakers like Ma Shao.
Lu Xixiao curled his lips slightly. “Hey.”
Zhou Wan looked up. “Hmm?”
“If you run into people like the ones this afternoon again, just say my name.”
Zhou Wan was taken aback, not expecting him to say such a thing. She nodded. “Okay.”
“Okay what? Do you even know my name?”
“I do.” After wiping down the seats and table on his side, Zhou Wan moved to clean the opposite side.
“What is it?”
“Lu Xixiao,” she said.
That was the first time Zhou Wan had spoken his name.Many years later, whenever Lu Xixiao recalled Zhou Wan, he would always remember this moment—the first time she called his name.
Her voice was clear and sweet, yet unlike some girls who tended to drawl affectionately, hers was crisp and straightforward.
But that was all in the future.
At that moment, when Zhou Wan called his name, she lifted her head and met his gaze. The girl's frank, limpid eyes crashed into his pupils, making that single address seem inexplicably solemn.
He heard her say: "Lu Xixiao."
Serious. Weighted.
Lu Xixiao knew many people and had heard his name called with all kinds of emotions—happiness, sorrow, anger, coquettishness.
He was inherently unrestrained and rakish by nature, and those around him naturally gravitated toward similar dispositions. This was the first time he had ever heard "Lu Xixiao" spoken with such gravity.
So much so that it swallowed all his habitual reactions, sending a spasm-like sensation up his spine—subtle yet overwhelming.
Finally, he chuckled lazily: "Alright, if you run into those hooligans again, just keeping your mouth shut would work better."
Zhou Wan had no idea about the storm her single address had stirred in his heart, so she naturally didn't understand his meaning: "What?"
Lu Xixiao couldn't be bothered to explain, and Zhou Wan didn't press further.
Uncle Kang brought over two bowls of Three Treasure Noodles.
Zhou Wan had ordered a small portion. She lowered her head to eat, noticing from her peripheral vision that Lu Xixiao barely touched his noodles and soon stopped eating altogether.
Perhaps his privileged upbringing had made him picky about food.
When Zhou Wan set down her chopsticks,
Lu Xixiao asked, "Leaving?"
"Wait a moment."
Zhou Wan went to order a serving of Plain Vegetable Noodles to take away.
This was her habit. Uncle Kang had already boiled the noodles and said, "Oh, I'm out of takeout boxes. There are some by the door—could you grab one for me?"
Zhou Wan went to the door, picked up a stack of takeout boxes, and brought them over. By the time she returned to the counter, Lu Xixiao was already standing there.
Uncle Kang swiftly packed the plain noodles.
"How much, Uncle Kang?" Zhou Wan asked.
Uncle Kang smiled. "This handsome guy just paid."
Zhou Wan paused, then took the noodles from him.
The street outside had grown quieter. One of the streetlamps by the entrance was broken, and a stray cat let out a sharp cry.
"Those noodles earlier," Zhou Wan asked, "how much were they?"
Lu Xixiao glanced down at her. "No need to pay me back."
"That won't do." Zhou Wan insisted, "How about I transfer the money to you directly?"
The noodles only cost a little over twenty yuan. Lu Xixiao couldn't be bothered to haggle over such a small amount.
If she wanted to repay him, so be it—it didn't matter.
But as soon as he took out his phone, it died and shut off automatically.
Zhou Wan said, "Then give me your number. I'll add you and transfer the money."
Lu Xixiao recited his phone number.
Zhou Wan entered the number and tapped the "Search" button. What appeared was—
His profile picture was a solid black square, and his display name was simply "Lu Xixiao."
At an age when everyone else used creative online aliases, Lu Xixiao used his real name. But then, he had the presence to pull it off. Zhou Wan had seen him surrounded by countless friends—his name truly carried weight.
Zhou Wan stared at his profile picture for a moment, then selected "Add to Contacts."
It was very late by the time she got home.
But these days, her grandmother's skin condition had flared up again, leaving her unable to sleep through the nights.
Zhou Wan tiptoed into her room and, as expected, found her still awake. She handed over the noodles: "Grandma, I'm sure you didn't eat much for dinner. Have something before you sleep.""Oh dear, why are you spending money on me again?" Grandma said this, but she smiled. "I've told you before, you should save that money. Grandma is useless, just a burden. We can't let your future college tuition be spent like this."
Zhou Wan brought a small table to the bed and opened the still steaming noodles: "Grandma, eat quickly."
She then took a tube of ointment from the drawer and applied it to Grandma's reddened skin. Scratching with fingernails easily broke the skin and caused infections. As she applied the ointment, she massaged in circles with her fingertips to alleviate the torment of the illness.
While massaging, she lowered her eyes and said, "Grandma, don't worry about my school expenses. I've already thought it through—our school has a reward system. As long as I get into a good university through the college entrance exam, there will be corresponding bonuses, quite substantial ones, enough to cover four years of tuition."
Grandma patted the back of her hand: "Grandma knows you're sensible and smart, but it pains me to see you, so young, not only studying hard but also worrying about so many things."
Zhou Wan shook her head silently.
"I just hope our Wanwan, after enduring so much hardship, will finally taste sweetness. May your future days be smooth and successful, with achievements and accomplishments."
At this, Grandma paused, then continued, "No, no, actually my Wanwan doesn't need to become someone successful in everyone's eyes. Grandma only wishes for you to be happy and free, to become a kind person."
Zhou Wan's fingers stilled.
Become a kind person.
The girl's deep brown pupils darkened, swallowing many shadowy thoughts and unspeakable ideas.
"Grandma," Zhou Wan asked softly, "what does it mean to be a kind person?"
Grandma smiled: "Wanwan already is one."
Zhou Wan said nothing more and continued applying the ointment.
With her obedient appearance and good grades, she was best at playing the obedient and humble role. Probably everyone who knew her would agree—she was a kind person.
Only Zhou Wan knew she was not kind.
Her hatred for Guo Xiangling had sprouted long ago. Sometimes she yearned for her mother's love, sometimes she loathed her affectations, wanting to take revenge, to make her pay for her actions.
Her friends were all sunny and warm, wearing their likes and dislikes on their sleeves. Even that jerk named "Ma Shao" she encountered today was at least purely and openly bad.
But she hid all her own badness inside.
She had been accustomed to pretending since childhood.
She was quietly approaching Lu Xixiao, using such despicable methods, all to take revenge on Guo Xiangling.
In the dim room, Zhou Wan's eyes gradually reddened.
She mocked herself inwardly—she truly was rotten to the core. Clearly, all of this was her own decision, yet at this moment she was still blaming others and fate for forcing her into this state, while she played the victim, wallowing in self-pity.
Just this once.
Zhou Wan silently told herself, just this once.
She would only be bad this one time.
Once she vented years of pent-up resentment, she would truly become a kind person.
"By the way," Grandma interrupted her chaotic thoughts, "tomorrow is your father's death anniversary. If you have time, remember to visit him."
"Mm, I remember."
Grandma patted her head: "Alright, go to sleep now."
Zhou Wan returned to her bedroom and, after showering, washed all the school uniform that had been dirtied today.
Her hands were fair and tender, with sensitive skin. After washing the clothes, her hands turned red from the detergent and broke out in small rashes.It was always like this, and Zhou Wan had grown accustomed to it. The rash would fade after a night's sleep.
She didn't dwell on it and lay down on the bed.
The entire day had left her feeling unusually exhausted. Only when she caught the scent of sunshine lingering in the quilt did she finally let her entire body relax.
With her eyes closed, she curled up in the excessively dark and silent night.
It was at that moment that her phone by the bedside suddenly lit up.
She opened it—
[Lu Xixiao] has accepted your friend request.
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