Since graduating last June, after Zhou Wan told Jiang Yan not to come looking for her anymore, they had never seen each other again.
Later, on New Year's Eve, Jiang Yan sent her a blessing message, which Zhou Wan didn't reply to.
She could never forget that day when Jiang Yan called saying he needed to see her, which was why she went over. If she hadn't gone, Lu Xixiao wouldn't have been forced to kneel with his dignity trampled, nor would he have gotten hurt.
She couldn't forgive Jiang Yan on Lu Xixiao's behalf.
She always felt that continuing to stay in contact with Jiang Yan would be a betrayal of Lu Xixiao.
Journalists are always particularly sensitive to various news stories, and soon everyone saw the news about Jiang Yan.
Having just interviewed about a campus manslaughter case while seeing such joyful news truly made everyone sigh with mixed emotions.
For a Chinese national to win the Highest Physics Award was extremely rare, especially for someone so young. Uncle Ye immediately started investigating Jiang Yan's information and planned to schedule an interview with him tomorrow.
"From Pingchuan?" Uncle Ye turned his head, "Zhou Wan, you're from Pingchuan too, right?"
"Yeah." Zhou Wan paused briefly before saying, "We were high school classmates."
Uncle Ye: "Really? What a coincidence! Is your Pingchuan some kind of blessed land? All of you are top students!"
"Jiang Yan was always first in class during school. He won first prize in the national physics competition in his second year of high school and got directly admitted to university."
Uncle Ye: "You two were quite close then? Perfect, do you have his contact information? Give him a call and ask if we can interview him tomorrow."
"No, I haven't been in contact with him for a long time either."
Zhou Wan found the message Jiang Yan had sent her during the New Year, copied the phone number, and sent it to Uncle Ye. "This is his number, you can contact him."
Uncle Ye was a man of action.
He immediately called Jiang Yan, who was probably busy and didn't answer.
It wasn't until the car was almost at the newspaper office building that Jiang Yan returned the call.
Uncle Ye put it on speakerphone, and Zhou Wan heard Jiang Yan's voice: "Hello?"
"Hello, hello! I'm Ye Zhuo from the Daily News. We happen to have a colleague who was your high school classmate and had your number, so I'm calling to ask when would be convenient for an interview?"
Jiang Yan: "My high school classmate?"
"Yes, that's right. Her name is Zhou Wan."
Zhou Wan: "..."
Jiang Yan paused briefly, said "Oh," his voice carrying a faint smile: "Sure, but I have many events to attend recently. I might only be available after 7 PM tomorrow. I don't know if that time works for you."
"Works perfectly! We can make any time work. Let's meet at 7 PM tomorrow then." Uncle Ye said.
After hanging up, he laughed: "I didn't expect such a genius to be so easy to talk to. I thought they'd all be eccentric people."
...
The car happened to arrive at the newspaper office building.
Lu Xixiao was already waiting for her, his car parked across the street. Zhou Wan said goodbye to her colleagues and ran over.
She opened the car door and got in: "Have you been waiting long?"
"Not too long." Lu Xixiao leaned over and helped fasten her seatbelt. "Hungry? What do you want to eat?"
Zhou Wan checked the time and realized it was already 7:30 PM.
"Let's eat at home. Eating out all the time isn't very healthy." Zhou Wan said.
A certain word made Lu Xixiao's lips curl into a smile: "Alright.""But it seems there's nothing left in the fridge, let's go to the supermarket first."
This was Zhou Wan's first time shopping at a supermarket with Lu Xixiao. She had previously seen an online question asking what daily activity brought the most happiness, and someone answered: going grocery shopping with someone you love.
The supermarket was lit with warm lighting—crowded and noisy, filled with the vibrant atmosphere of everyday life.
Lu Xixiao was still dressed in his shirt and suit, exuding an aloof, aristocratic air that drew frequent glances from many around them.
Noticing those stares, Zhou Wan couldn't help but turn her head to look at Lu Xixiao.
He raised an eyebrow, silently asking, What's wrong?
"You're still the same as before."
"Hmm?"
"Wherever you go, there are always so many girls looking at you."
Lu Xixiao laughed and shamelessly nodded: "Yeah, the way they look at me feels like they want to strip me naked."
"..."
"But you can hold my arm, then they won't covet me anymore."
His voice was slightly lowered, his back slightly bent as he leaned close to Zhou Wan's ear, his warm breath brushing against her earlobe as he spoke.
Zhou Wan felt a bit ticklish and uncomfortable, quickly stepping aside and rubbing her ear, pretending to be calm as she turned her head: "Do you want to eat strawberries?"
Lu Xixiao smiled: "Sure."
Zhou Wan stood by the freezer with her head lowered, carefully selecting a box of strawberries that looked the freshest.
Lu Xixiao then lifted his hand to rest on her shoulder, leaning lazily against her with half his weight. Zhou Wan had to brace herself to avoid being knocked over.
With this movement, the two were pressed extremely close.
Although they had done things a hundred times more intimate than this, that time Zhou Wan had cried until her head ached and her mind was foggy, her eyes covered. Looking back now, she could only recall the vivid sensations of every touch, but the actual scene remained blurry.
Unlike now—brightly lit and under everyone's watchful eyes.
"Lu Xixiao." Zhou Wan pressed a hand against his waist. "You're too heavy."
"I'm tired." He drawled lazily, "I've worked all day, can't I lean on you for a bit?"
"Then let's finish shopping quickly so we can go back and rest."
Lu Xixiao didn't listen, insisting on leaning against her, his fingers constantly playing with the ends of her hair, clinging to her relentlessly. What should have been a ten-minute grocery trip ended up taking half an hour.
Back home, Lu Xixiao washed the vegetables while Zhou Wan cooked.
After dinner, Zhou Wan took a shower and picked up her phone, just in time to see a message from Uncle Ye in the work group chat about Jiang Yan.
Zhou Wan clicked on it—it contained a list of Jiang Yan's various awards and achievements over the years.
She hadn't deliberately kept up with him over the years. Although she'd often heard him referred to as a "legend" back in school, she never looked into the details.
During those years without Lu Xixiao, she didn't know what she was holding onto, but she felt that siding with him meant that forgiving Jiang Yan would be a betrayal of Lu Xixiao.
Only now did she realize how well Jiang Yan had developed over the years—it seemed he had achieved the dreams he once held.
Back in high school, Zhou Wan had once asked him: What kind of person do you want to become?
Jiang Yan's answer was: Accomplished and famous.
It seemed he had indeed made it happen.
The next day.
Zhou Wan originally had no intention of joining the interview with Jiang Yan, feeling the relationship was too awkward and it would be better to stay out of sight. But Ji Jie was suddenly assigned another task.
Uncle Ye, knowing she and Jiang Yan were classmates, naturally called out to Zhou Wan and asked her to come along.Zhou Wan had no other reason to refuse, so she went.
On the way, she sent Lu Xixiao a message saying she had to work overtime for fieldwork.
[6: Where to?]
Zhou Wan sent him the location from the work group chat—it was at the convention center.
[Zhou Wan: Not sure when it’ll end. No need to pick me up.]
Jiang Yan had some last-minute work to handle, so he changed the interview location to the convention center, planning to do the interview right after finishing his tasks.
When she arrived, Zhou Wan set up the camera and reviewed the interview questions again.
"You know, Jiang Yan really doesn’t look like a physics genius," Uncle Ye remarked. "With that much hair and such good looks, he just seems like a regular handsome guy. The geniuses I’ve seen in photos always have something odd about them."
Zhou Wan didn’t respond. Uncle Ye turned to her and asked, "By the way, Zhou Wan, was he quite popular with girls back in school?"
Zhou Wan thought for a moment and replied, "I think some girls confessed to him, but he never really focused on dating. He didn’t interact much with his classmates either."
Uncle Ye nodded. "That makes sense. Geniuses are often like that."
They waited in the room for half an hour before the door finally opened.
Jiang Yan walked in. "Sorry to keep you waiting. Something urgent came up with work, and I couldn’t get away."
Uncle Ye smiled warmly and said, "No problem, Mr. Jiang. Please, have a seat."
He was wearing a gray shirt with dress pants, the shirt tucked in neatly. He looked clean and upright, with a pair of thin-framed glasses, refined features, and an air of quiet intellect, combined with the precise demeanor typical of a serious science student.
He lifted his eyes, looked at Zhou Wan, and smiled naturally. "Zhou Wan, long time no see."
Zhou Wan gave a polite "Mm," and responded, "Long time no see."
"What a coincidence! I had no idea Xiao Zhou was your high school classmate," Uncle Ye said. "Mr. Jiang, what tea would you like?"
"Just water is fine."
Jiang Yan sat down on the sofa. "Zhou Wan and I used to be desk mates. We were both supposed to take part in the Physics Competition back then, but she couldn’t make it due to some personal matters. It’s a shame—with her abilities, she could’ve gotten a direct admission. Maybe today, you’d be interviewing her instead."
Jiang Yan really was different from before.
No longer the bookworm people used to describe him as, he had become much more articulate and socially adept.
"Is that so?" Uncle Ye raised his eyebrows in surprise. "I wouldn’t have guessed. I thought Zhou Wan was more of a humanities student."
Zhou Wan turned on the camera, cutting the topic short. "Uncle Ye, let’s begin."
…
After the interview, Zhou Wan saved the recorded content and sent it to the relevant colleague.
She closed her laptop. "Uncle Ye, I’m going to the restroom."
As she finished washing her hands, footsteps sounded behind her. Zhou Wan looked up and saw Jiang Yan approaching her in the mirror.
"Zhou Wan, how have you been lately?" Jiang Yan asked.
"Pretty good."
"I saw online about what happened at Shengxing Media and knew you left there," Jiang Yan said. "Was it because of that incident? With your abilities, you shouldn’t be working as a follow-up reporter at a small newspaper, being ordered around by anyone."
The comment felt uncomfortable, and Zhou Wan couldn’t help but frown.Jiang Yan: "If you need help, I can assist you. Just tell me which company you're interested in."
"Thank you, but I think my current job is quite good. I really like it," Zhou Wan said.
Jiang Yan thought she was just being stubborn and putting on a brave face. He frowned: "Zhou Wan, it's been so long. Why are you still like this? People need to look forward. At least now I can help you."
"But I really don't need it," Zhou Wan said. "Jiang Yan, I made it very clear to you when we graduated. Because of what happened back then, we can't be friends anymore."
After saying this, Zhou Wan took a tissue to dry her hands and turned to leave.
As she passed by his shoulder, her wrist was suddenly grabbed by him.
Her steps halted.
Jiang Yan gritted his teeth, his voice lowered: "Zhou Wan, but I'm different from before now. I've succeeded, I've already succeeded. No one will look down on me anymore. They all say I have a bright future and great achievements. I will definitely reach the top of the pyramid, and you'll see me."
Zhou Wan frowned tightly, trying hard to pull her hand back: "Jiang Yan, let go of me first."
"Why do you never want to look at me?"
After leaving Pingchuan City, no one looked down on him anymore. Everyone praised him, envied him, and was jealous of him. He had left all those humiliations behind in Pingchuan City. Here, he was Jiang Yan, the physics genius, the most promising young talent with unlimited potential.
Having grown accustomed to those admiring and worshipful gazes, he couldn't stand Zhou Wan's attitude toward him even more.
"Why?!" Jiang Yan stared intently into her eyes. "Zhou Wan, during school, you were the only rival in my heart, and also my teammate standing shoulder to shoulder. We are the ones who belong to the same world!"
As soon as he finished speaking, a disdainful snort came from behind.
Lu Xixiao stood not far away, his expression unclear.
He had a cigarette in his mouth, the tip glowing red. This area was sparsely populated, empty and quiet, amplifying even the sound of breathing.
"You sure know how to flatter yourself."
He flicked the ash from his cigarette, all his anger hidden beneath a careless surface. "You belong to the same world? With someone like you? Are you even worthy?"
While Jiang Yan was stunned, Zhou Wan finally pulled her hand back and obediently ran to Lu Xixiao's side.
Jiang Yan watched this scene unfold before him.
Images from their school days surfaced in his mind, just like this.
He had thought Zhou Wan and Lu Xixiao had long since broken up and were no longer possible together.
He sneered coldly: "Still better than a playboy like you. If it weren't for your father and grandfather, could you have achieved what you have today?"
Jiang Yan didn't know that Lu Xixiao had long had little contact with the Lu family, nor did he know that his current status was entirely built by himself.
But Lu Xixiao couldn't be bothered to explain these things to him.
All along, Jiang Yan had seen him as a thorn in his side, but Lu Xixiao had never paid him any mind.
Lu Xixiao chuckled lightly: "Back then, it was you who chased after Lu Zhongyue calling him dad, desperately trying to enter the Lu family. How come it's a different story now? Jiang Yan, do I need to remind you—it's not that you didn't want it, but that you couldn't have it."
After saying this, without waiting for Jiang Yan's response, he took Zhou Wan's hand and turned to leave.
His strides were large, and Zhou Wan had to jog slightly to keep up with him.
"Lu Xixiao." She jogged alongside him, looking up to observe his expression. "What are you doing here?"
"Just here to attend a meeting."After getting in the car, Zhou Wan thought for a moment and decided to explain proactively: "Lu Xixiao, I only met him because of an interview assignment. I don’t know why he grabbed me and said all those things. After what happened back then, I almost completely lost contact with him."
Lu Xixiao’s simmering anger was somewhat soothed by her gentle yet earnest tone.
He turned his head and looked at Zhou Wan for a while, then reached out to ruffle her hair. "Afraid I’d be angry?"
"Mm."
"Oh—"
Lu Xixiao drew out the syllable, clasping her wrist. Her skin was thin—it reddened easily from cold water or being tugged. Now, faint finger marks were visible on her wrist. Though faint, they irritated him.
He traced the marks with his thumb, rubbing back and forth, then lifted her hand and pressed his lips to the skin of her wrist.
"I am a little angry," he said, his voice slightly muffled.
Zhou Wan blinked, her wrist tingling and her heartbeat quickening.
Then she saw Lu Xixiao open his mouth and bite a delicate patch of flesh on the inside of her wrist, his teeth grazing gently.
It stung a little.
Then Lu Xixiao bit down harder, and Zhou Wan could feel his teeth sinking into her skin.
She pressed her lips together, enduring it.
Lu Xixiao always had this wicked impulse toward Zhou Wan—an urge to hurt her. He didn’t know what drove it; sometimes he even thought he was twisted, but he couldn’t help it.
He liked seeing marks left by him on Zhou Wan’s body.
Unconsciously, he bit down harder.
When he straightened up, a ring of teeth marks was left on Zhou Wan’s wrist, the skin flushed and burning.
Looking up, he saw the girl’s brows slightly furrowed, her eyes reddened—clearly in pain—but she hadn’t made a sound.
Zhou Wan looked at him, not angry in the slightest, and asked gently, "Are you still angry?"
In that instant, Lu Xixiao felt like an absolute beast.
"Did it hurt?"
Zhou Wan shook her head.
Even though her eyes were red from holding back.
Unfortunately, being a beast was addictive.
"I’m not angry anymore, but I’m jealous."
Lu Xixiao leisurely withdrew his hand. In front of Zhou Wan, he had always been the type to push his luck—or as Huang Ping put it, "acting up."
His expression cooled as he said calmly, "Make it up to me."
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