Zhou Wan was treated roughly, her shoulder bone nearly shattered from the impact, the pain making her frown deeply. Yet at the same time, she suddenly felt an overwhelming sense of relief and exhaustion.
Like a weary bird returning to the forest, a lone boat returning to harbor.
Her tumultuous, wandering life seemed to have finally reached a moment where she could pause and rest.
But it lasted only a few seconds before Zhou Wan sobered up from her drunken state.
She blinked, looking at Lu Xixiao before her, as memories came flooding back into her mind.
The young man’s laughter, his radiance, his pride, the time he knelt on bent knees, his blood, his dignity and humility.
She was wrong.
She had long ago promised Old Mr. Lu, and promised herself, that she would never appear before Lu Xixiao again.
A scar should be left to heal quietly, not constantly reopened, or it would never truly mend.
But that moment had been too sudden.
So sudden that her mind went blank, leaving no time to think—she only wanted to confirm whether the person before her was the young man she hadn’t seen in six years.
Who would have thought that in this vast, seemingly endless city, on these bustling streets, she would actually run into Lu Xixiao.
She shuddered, and after a moment of stunned silence, her instinct was to flee.
But trapped within the narrow space Lu Xixiao had confined her to, where could she possibly go?
In their last phone call, he had said, "Don’t ever appear in front of me again."
Zhou Wan looked into his bloodshot eyes—filled with anger, resentment, and hatred—and wanted to say something, but no words came out.
The alcohol trapped in her chest began to stir again, churning inside her like a storm. Her dizziness intensified, her limbs grew weak, and her heart rate steadily climbed.
In the moment her vision darkened, she only felt a pair of strong hands firmly supporting her waist.
…
Zhou Wan was light, almost weightless as she fell into his arms, like a drifting piece of paper, so insubstantial that holding her felt unreal.
Lu Xixiao held her, belatedly noticing the scent of alcohol on her.
Of course, he remembered—she was allergic to alcohol and couldn’t drink.
Drinking used to cause red rashes on her skin, but now there were none.
After all these years, even her allergic reactions had changed.
The people behind them saw, for the first time, a look of urgency on Lu Xixiao’s face as he ordered someone to call an ambulance.
When she woke again, it wasn’t in a hospital.
Before starting university, Zhou Wan had spent so much time in hospitals that she could recognize the smell of disinfectant even with her eyes closed. But now, the air carried a faint scent of aromatherapy, mixed with the incongruous smell of tobacco.
Zhou Wan opened her eyes and sat up in bed, her head still slightly dizzy.
She pressed her temples and lifted her gaze to survey her surroundings—a large, sparsely furnished bedroom, tidy but devoid of any personal touch.
Zhou Wan went to the bathroom to wash her face, then pushed the door open and stepped out of the bedroom.
Just then, the sound of the front door opening reached her ears. She froze mid-step and quickly turned her head.
A woman walked in, dressed in a white blouse and a pencil skirt—a professional outfit.
Zhou Wan was taken aback.
The woman, however, seemed perfectly at ease and smiled at her. "Miss Zhou, you’re awake. Are you feeling unwell anywhere?"
Zhou Wan shook her head. "Where am I…?"
"You had an allergic reaction to alcohol yesterday, which caused your heart rate to spike, and you fainted. Fortunately, it wasn’t too serious. Since we didn’t know where you’re currently staying, President Lu brought you here temporarily."
President Lu.
So he was President Lu now.
That was good.
It seemed he had been doing well all these years, step by step.Zhou Wan recalled his appearance from yesterday. Though his roguish aura remained unchanged, dressed in a suit and leather shoes, his demeanor and laughter were no longer that of the Lu Xixiao from before. He had matured and grown stronger.
Over the years, everyone had changed.
Without exception.
Zhou Wan lowered her gaze and said softly, "Please convey my thanks to President Lu."
The secretary smiled politely. "You're too kind."
"I'll be going now." Zhou Wan picked up her bag and changed her shoes at the entrance. Before leaving, she paused and took one last look at the cold, marble-tiled apartment. Looking up, she asked, "Is this President Lu's home?"
"No, President Lu doesn’t usually live here. It’s just one of his properties."
Zhou Wan nodded, thanked the woman before her, said goodbye, and turned to leave.
...
Fortunately, it was Saturday, so she didn’t have to work and could rest properly for a while.
Zhou Wan returned to her rented studio apartment, took a shower, and lay down on the bed.
As soon as she closed her eyes, she remembered Lu Xixiao’s appearance from the night before.
Raising her arm to cover her eyes, her voice trembled slightly as she let out a soft sigh.
Back then, she had left too decisively, and in that final phone call, she had been too harsh.
She was too young at the time, thinking that the quicker she cut ties, the easier it would be for Lu Xixiao to let go of her, let go of everything, and live his own life. But she never expected that sometimes, cutting things off too decisively could turn into an obsession.
It wasn’t that he still liked her.
He just couldn’t forget the setbacks and deception he had suffered because of her.
All these years of being unable to forget had turned into an obsession.
He hated her, but he couldn’t forget her.
He had once said that whoever betrayed him, he would destroy them.
Lu Xixiao always kept his word.
Zhou Wan turned over, burying her face in the blanket.
Was she going to have to leave this place again?
...
She had another dream.
She dreamed of the past, when she had recklessly and arrogantly gone to see Lu Zhongyue, promising him that from then on, she would disappear from Lu Xixiao’s world.
Then she stayed in City B for four or five years, only to encounter him again and have to buy a train ticket to leave once more.
It seemed as though her entire life was destined to be one of constant upheaval.
When she woke up, it was already dark.
Zhou Wan got out of bed barefoot and walked to the window to close it tightly.
Another winter had arrived, and the weather had turned cold again.
Back in bed, Zhou Wan’s phone vibrated. Director Huang was calling.
Zhou Wan frowned.
She didn’t answer the first call, nor the second. By the third, she finally picked up, worried that it might be about work.
But as soon as she answered, she pressed the record button.
"Hello, Director Huang," she said. "What can I do for you?"
"Xiao Zhou, I’m in the underground parking garage of your apartment building right now. Come down for a moment."
Zhou Wan paused and said, "I’m sorry, Director Huang, I’m not home right now. If there’s anything, you can tell me over the phone."
Director Huang laughed. "Xiao Zhou, I saw the lights on in your room when I came in just now. It’s not right for someone so young to lie."
Zhou Wan fell silent, her fingertips digging into her palms.
After he finished laughing, his voice deepened. "Alright, come down. There’s a document I need to give you, and I need you to work on it over the weekend."
Zhou Wan had no choice. Though she knew full well he had ulterior motives, she still had to go down.
She changed out of her dress and put on a loose sweater and jeans. Before heading downstairs, she casually picked up a small screwdriver from the toolbox by the entrance and put it in her pocket.
The elevator descended to the first basement level. Before stepping out, Zhou Wan set her phone to record.Over the years, she had encountered all kinds of people and knew how to endure hardship as well as how to protect herself.
As soon as she entered the parking lot, she spotted the Porsche parked nearby.
Director Huang rolled down the window and waved at her. "Xiao Zhou."
Zhou Wan walked over. "Director Huang, where are the documents?"
"What's the rush? Get in the car, I'll explain first."
At this point, Zhou Wan understood perfectly well—there were no documents. She stood rooted to the spot beside the car, unable to even maintain a perfunctory smile on her face.
Director Huang showed no concern about the matter being laid bare. He stepped out of the car confidently, retrieved a gaudy bouquet of fiery red flowers from the back seat, and shoved them into Zhou Wan's arms.
"Xiao Zhou," he said, placing a hand on her shoulder. "You've come all this way and must be thirsty. Won't you invite me up for a drink?"
Zhou Wan stepped back, evading his touch, and replied calmly, "Director Huang, you're already married."
He chuckled. "But I genuinely like you. If you stay with me, I'll treat you well."
Zhou Wan lifted her gaze, meeting his eyes without flinching.
Her clean, innocent face was pleasing to behold. After a moment, she smiled softly, her eyes curving like crescent moons, tinged with a hint of unworldly innocence and indignation.
"Director Huang, I may only be 24, but I'm not foolish. No matter how sweet a man's words sound in such moments, they're meaningless. If our affair were exposed, you'd face no consequences, but I would be ruined."
Her response took him by surprise. He had assumed she was the type to panic at the slightest impropriety.
He had misjudged her.
Director Huang's smile deepened. "Don't worry, my wife and I are already preparing to divorce."
Zhou Wan wrinkled her nose almost imperceptibly in disgust and placed the bouquet back in his hands. "Then, Director Huang, you should come find me after the divorce is finalized."
With that, she turned and walked away.
Her words left room for interpretation, carrying a hint of playing hard to get. Director Huang wouldn't force the issue and was willing to wait a little longer.
The moment Zhou Wan turned away, the smile vanished from her face.
She hurried back to the elevator lobby and went upstairs.
Once in her room, she washed her hands with soap, opened her laptop, and typed Director Huang's name—Huang Hui—into the search bar.
The next day.
As Lu Xixiao entered the company, he received a call from Huang Ping.
Over the years, Huang Ping had stayed in Pingchuan City, never leaving, managing his shabby supermarket and motorcycle.
Lu Xixiao answered. "Brother."
In recent years, Lu Xixiao had almost completely severed ties with the Lu family, rarely even returning for the New Year. He only went back last year when Old Mr. Lu fell ill, flying back to B City as soon as the old man recovered.
He had never made a scene about cutting off the Lu family—it just happened gradually, day by day, as he grew more distant.
Now, Huang Ping was the only one who could still elicit a "Brother" from him.
"Busy?" Huang Ping asked.
Lu Xixiao replied, "Just say what you need to. It might save me some time."
Huang Ping cursed and laughed, skipping the preamble. "Luo He is dead."
Lu Xixiao's steps faltered.
Was he shocked? Not really. It felt rather mundane.
Yet, from that mundanity, a ripple of bitterness welled up, as if the past—the good and the bad—was fading away, nearly erased.
Huang Ping continued, "He served five years in prison. After he got out, his health deteriorated. He drowned himself in alcohol every day, couldn't afford treatment for his illness, and died this morning."The elevator doors opened, and Lu Xixiao stepped forward, only curling the corner of his mouth slightly: "Oh."
"Do you know why I'm telling you this?" Huang Ping asked.
"Why?"
He cursed: "Cut down on the damn smoking and drinking, or you'll die young too!"
"..."
Lu Xixiao let out a low laugh. "Hanging up."
"A Xiao," Huang Ping said, his voice deepening. "It's been so many years. Luo He is already dead. Let the past stay in the past."
Lu Xixiao's expression remained unchanged as he replied calmly, "Didn't it end long ago?"
Huang Ping fell silent.
He was just being stubborn, refusing to admit the truth.
After a pause, Lu Xixiao said, "I ran into her yesterday."
Huang Ping was taken aback.
"You still like her?"
Lu Xixiao laughed indifferently. "It's been so many years."
He gazed at the light streaming through the window ahead and said quietly, "I just can't forgive her, so I can't forget her either."
Lu Xixiao believed he had long stopped liking Zhou Wan.
Back then, she had left so heartlessly—why should he remain devoted to her for ten years? He was never the sentimental type.
What he felt for Zhou Wan was more resentment and bitterness. Over the years, it had gnawed at him night after night, making it impossible to forget or break free. The mere mention of her made him lose control; seeing her again drove him mad.
Lu Xixiao thought that to truly forget Zhou Wan, he would have to entangle himself with her one more time.
Entangle until he grew utterly sick of her.
OpenNovel