When Lu Xixiao returned to the bedroom after finishing his work, he saw Zhou Wan hunched over, head lowered, holding something in her hands and examining it with intense focus.
"What are you looking at?" he asked as he approached.
Zhou Wan looked up, instinctively moving to cover it as if hiding a secret, but it was only a momentary reaction before she withdrew her hand.
"Photos," she said. "Old photos."
A pale pink tin box lay open on the bed, the photos having originally been stored inside it.
Over the years, Zhou Wan had moved from place to place with little baggage, but this tin box had accompanied her through every relocation.
Lu Xixiao sat down beside her and casually glanced at the photos, then froze.
There were several photos.
Among them were the photo stickers they'd taken at the mall before, along with a few others Lu Xixiao had no memory of.
He picked up one of them—both were wearing winter clothes in the picture, with what seemed to be the interior of a bus in the background.
Zhou Wan was looking at the camera, while he leaned against her, fast asleep.
"Was this taken during the New Year before?" Lu Xixiao asked.
"Mm."
That day, after watching the snow, they couldn't get train tickets and had to take a bus back to Pingchuan City.
Lu Xixiao had only slept a few hours the previous night and ended up dozing off against her on the bus.
Zhou Wan had secretly taken this photo with her phone.
After leaving Pingchuan City, she had it developed and kept it in the tin box ever since.
"Wanwan," Lu Xixiao curved his lips into a teasing smile, "since when did you sneak photos of me?"
Another photo was taken on the podium at Yangming High School. Zhou Wan stood at the front, facing the camera, holding a certificate of award, while Lu Xixiao stood behind her, looking lazy, his pupils appearing light in the sunlight, his gaze casually resting on her.
Lu Xixiao had no recollection of this photo at all: "When was this?"
"Second year of high school, after the provincial Physics Competition. I won first prize, and this was taken when I went on stage to receive the award."
Lu Xixiao vaguely recalled—they had only just met back then and weren't very familiar.
"Then why was I there?"
"Detention."
"..."
Lu Xixiao had been quite unruly during his first two years of high school, scolded by various teachers countless times and accumulating numerous disciplinary records. Hearing Zhou Wan's explanation, he still couldn't pinpoint which incident it was.
He smirked roguishly: "These photos are so old, and you've kept them all."
Lu Xixiao then looked at the photo held between Zhou Wan's fingertips—the distinctive Polaroid frame, the film faded with time, turning pale, making the people and scenery appear hazy.
The photo was taken on the school playground during the sports meet.
Zhou Wan smiled faintly at the camera, a light laughter in her eyes, forming a "V" with her fingers beside her cheek, her pink lips and white teeth contrasting, her breeze-tousled fringe slightly messy—beautiful and delicate.
She was the main focus in the photo, standing at the center.
Behind her, a corner of the rubber track and long jump pit was visible, surrounded by many classmates, and Lu Xixiao stood among them, unintentionally looking up, also facing the camera.
The moment was frozen in that frame.
"How did you hide so many photos I never knew about?" Lu Xixiao found it unbelievable and laughed, "The high school sports meet was at the end of September, we must have..."
Zhou Wan glanced at him and replied, "We met in late September.""Oh, that sports meet." Lu Xixiao remembered, "You were your class's banner holder, and Jiang Fan kept praising how pretty you were beside me."
Zhou Wan's fingertips curled unconsciously. She pressed her lips together, then smiled faintly. "Mm."
"This photo was taken quite coincidentally."
"Gu Meng took this photo. Her mom had just bought her a Polaroid camera. Back in school days, this kind of camera was very popular among girls," Zhou Wan said.
Lu Xixiao raised an eyebrow. "This is our first photo together, right?"
Zhou Wan was taken aback.
Lu Xixiao waved the photo paper between his fingers.
He reached for his phone from the bedside table. His phone case was the simplest transparent kind. He slipped the Polaroid photo into the back of the phone case, stared at it for a while longer, then curled his lips. "Mine now."
The days that followed passed quickly.
Both were quite busy with work, rushing about until suddenly it was summer.
That saying had finally come true.
She had finally welcomed midsummer together with Lu Xixiao.
Later, under the chief editor's arrangements, Zhou Wan took charge of several more interviews. Her natural temperament suited this position well, and each time the response was positive, so she gradually settled into this role.
Zhou Wan met many people and experienced many things.
She discovered she genuinely enjoyed this work. Through conversations and interactions with others, she was gradually finding herself.
By late August, due to some colleagues leaving and retiring, there were significant position shifts. Zhou Wan, who had always been valued by the chief editor, was promoted to deputy director of the news department.
"By the way, Zhou Wan," the chief editor said, "There's a last-minute assignment next week. The location is quite far. If you're available, you should go."
"Okay," Zhou Wan said. "Where is it?"
"The United States."
Zhou Wan was surprised. "The United States?"
"Yes." The chief editor shrugged helplessly. "No choice. The interview subject is there and won't have a chance to return to China soon. We have to go there. But this is a rare opportunity - high-level, and a good learning experience for you."
Zhou Wan smiled. "Alright."
Since Zhou Wan hadn't obtained a US visa before, she first applied for an expedited work visa, which was approved just the day before the interview.
After work, Lu Xixiao was already waiting for her downstairs.
They got in the car and headed home.
Lu Xixiao was concerned about the red spots that often appeared on Zhou Wan's hands, and since both had busy work schedules, they had recently hired a housekeeper to handle dinner and cleaning.
After dinner, Zhou Wan pulled a suitcase from the storage room and began packing.
Lu Xixiao asked, "Your return flight is at 8 PM on Saturday?"
"Mm."
"I'll pick you up then."
Zhou Wan smiled. "Okay."
Their destination was California, where the summer sun was intense. Lu Xixiao found an unused sun umbrella from the cabinet and packed it in the suitcase.
"By the way, Lu Xixiao." Zhou Wan looked up at him from her crouched position on the floor. "Which state did you study in when you were abroad?"
"California."
Zhou Wan was startled. "So I'm going to the city where you spent four years."
He chuckled softly. "Mm."
"I'm suddenly looking forward to this business trip."
"Why?"
"I want to see what the city you lived in was like."
Lu Xixiao leaned over and ruffled her hair casually. "Actually, there's nothing particularly special about it. I had a heavy academic load during that time and couldn't be bothered to meet people. Didn't go out much for fun."
"Just seeing it casually would be nice too."Zhou Wan said with a smile, "Maybe the path I walked was the same one you once took."
They had missed out on too many things before.
Zhou Wan wanted to make up for it as much as possible—to see the scenery he had seen, to walk the paths he had walked, trying in various ways to experience the life Lu Xixiao had lived alone.
The girl looked especially lovely when she smiled.
Since getting back together with Lu Xixiao, she had gradually learned to relax and open up, unlike before when she was closed off. As a result, she had become much softer overall.
Sitting on the floor surrounded by scattered, unpacked clothes, her gentle, clean features curved into a smile. Her bright, deer-like eyes sparkled as she leaned back on her hands, comfortably tilting backward, like a sloth offering its belly for a rub.
Lu Xixiao couldn’t look away, unable to resist staring a little longer.
"If I finish my work here quickly, I’ll fly over to see you."
"It’s fine," Zhou Wan chuckled. "It’s only three days. I’ll adjust to the time difference, finish the interview, and come right back. It’ll be over in no time."
"But I want to see you every day."
Zhou Wan blinked at him.
"This is the first time since we’ve been together that I won’t see you for three whole days."
Lu Xixiao truly didn’t want to part, but his words came out tinged with a hint of mischief. A teasing smile flickered in his eyes as he lowered his voice, "Shouldn’t you compensate me first?"
"..."
Zhou Wan instinctively licked her lips, playing dumb. "Huh?"
Lu Xixiao knew she was pretending. Leaning against the bedside, he said leisurely, "Come here."
"..."
Zhou Wan shuffled closer. The moment she reached the bed, he grabbed her wrist and pulled hard. In a dizzying shift, their positions reversed.
Lu Xixiao leaned over her, gazing down at her closely before kissing her earlobe and gently nibbling it with his teeth.
His usually indifferent dark eyes were now clouded with desire, every breath magnified beside her ear.
Zhou Wan felt a sense of shame about such matters—she couldn’t fully let go. Yet she loved seeing Lu Xixiao lost in the moment, drenched in sweat, his eyes dark and intense, as if dragged into the mortal world.
So no matter how shy she felt, she couldn’t help but keep her eyes fixed on him.
And Lu Xixiao couldn’t stand the sight of her misty, tear-filled eyes. Every time he saw them, his rationality vanished, and all his rougher instincts surged, making him want to make her cry outright—and cry even harder.
…
The room was thick with passion, so intense that even a summer thunderstorm couldn’t have dispersed it.
The next day, Lu Xixiao woke first. He packed the luggage she hadn’t finished organizing the night before, then gently woke her: "Wanwan, it’s time to head to the airport. I’ll take you."
Zhou Wan’s body ached as if it were falling apart.
They had been together for a while now, but she still couldn’t get used to Lu Xixiao’s stamina.
It was truly terrifying.
Dragging her exhausted body up, she washed up, got in the car, and fell asleep again during the ride.
The car stopped outside the airport.
Lu Xixiao said, "Send me a message after you land."
"Mm."
Before she got out, he kissed her for a while longer before finally letting go. "Go on."
Her colleagues gradually arrived, and the group went through security and boarded the plane.
The flight from City B to California took 13 hours. When they arrived, it was still morning in California, with bright sunshine and straight, wide highways.
The interview was scheduled for the next day. Since no one had adjusted to the time difference yet, they decided to head to the booked hotel first to catch up on sleep and sort out work after waking up.A colleague had rented an SUV in advance for transportation during these days. Zhou Wan got into the car, turned on her phone, and sent Lu Xixiao a message to let him know she had arrived safely.
He replied quickly: [What are you doing now?]
Zhou Wan calculated the time difference—it should be past 1 a.m. in City B.
[Zhou Wan: Heading to the hotel first.]
[Zhou Wan: Aren’t you going to sleep yet?]
[6: Soon.]
[Zhou Wan: Don’t neglect your sleep just because I’m not around.]
Lu Xixiao sent a voice message, his tone tinged with a faint smile and a hint of helplessness: "I can’t sleep without you here."
Zhou Wan was taken aback for a moment.
Back when she first met Lu Xixiao in City B, his sleep quality had indeed been poor, and he often relied on medication to fall asleep.
But now, since Zhou Wan went to bed relatively early, Lu Xixiao had adjusted his schedule to match hers, gradually getting used to sleeping earlier. Over time, he no longer needed medication.
Zhou Wan frowned slightly, thought for a while, and replied: [Then once I get to the hotel, I’ll video call you for a bit.]
Lu Xixiao chuckled: "Alright."
Putting down her phone, Zhou Wan looked out the window.
The straight road stretched ahead with a unique symmetrical beauty. Coconut trees lined the roadside, and flocks of birds flew past in formation.
This was the place where Lu Xixiao had once lived.
…
When they arrived at the hotel, Zhou Wan, being one of the colleagues with better English skills among the business trip group, was assigned to handle the check-in.
They had pre-booked several suites online, but were suddenly informed that there were no available rooms.
It was currently the peak summer season, and a sports event was being held in California, attracting a large number of tourists. Rooms were in short supply, and to make matters worse, the hotel had overbooked.
Although overbooking was somewhat of an unspoken rule in industries like hotels and airlines, the group was unfamiliar with the area, and it was peak season. Aimlessly searching for another hotel would be too troublesome.
After about ten minutes of negotiation, no solution was reached.
They had no choice but to accept compensation and look for another place to stay.
The California sun was scorching, and Zhou Wan was already covered in a thin layer of sweat. Getting back into the car, she sent Lu Xixiao a message explaining the situation.
[6: Where are you now?]
Zhou Wan sent him her location.
The next second, Lu Xixiao called: "Have you found another place to stay?"
"Not yet, we just got in the car and are still navigating," Zhou Wan said. "It’s fine, you should go to sleep."
"When I was studying here, I bought a house not far from where you are now," Lu Xixiao said. "With the recent sports event in California, finding a hotel won’t be easy."
Zhou Wan thought about it—since everyone in the group was visiting for the first time, it would indeed be inconvenient. She mentioned the situation to the team leader.
"Really? But wouldn’t that be too much trouble for your boyfriend?" the team leader asked.
Zhou Wan: "It’s fine, he doesn’t live there anymore anyway."
…
The group arrived at Lu Xixiao’s former residence—a two-story house near the sea, with a distinct exotic charm.
The main door had a keypad lock.
Zhou Wan entered the password Lu Xixiao had sent her and unlocked the door. Inside, the furniture was minimal, just the basics, giving the space an open and simple feel. However, there were enough rooms for everyone to stay.
Naturally, Zhou Wan stayed in the master bedroom where Lu Xixiao used to live.
When he returned to China, he had left many things behind.
On the desk were numerous textbooks from his university days, covered in a thin layer of dust. Zhou Wan opened the window to let in fresh air and then dialed Lu Xixiao for a video call.It was already late in City B. Lu Xixiao’s side was dim and quiet as he sat by the head of the bed, staring at Zhou Wan through the video call.
“I bought some toiletries for you all. They’ll be delivered soon.”
“Mm.” Zhou Wan chatted with Lu Xixiao while tidying up the room.
After finishing the cleaning, they ended the call and went to sleep.
By the time she woke up again, it was already evening. Her colleagues gradually stirred awake, and since there were plenty of restaurants by the beach, they found one to have dinner together.
The sky slowly darkened. At sunset, the entire ocean shimmered under the warm orange sunlight, blending seamlessly with the sky as light met darkness.
A colleague played the song “Sunset Boulevard” on their phone, and it matched the scenery perfectly.
Zhou Wan took a photo of the golden sea and light before her and posted it on her social media.
With a view like this, any photo would turn out beautiful.
Soon, many people commented on her post. Just as she was about to head back, Lu Xixiao sent her a message—a photo.
Zhou Wan opened it and froze for a moment.
It was taken from the same angle as hers.
Even the blue swing in the corner of the photo was identical. The only difference was that hers was taken at dusk, while Lu Xixiao’s was at night.
He had been here.
He had stood on the very ground beneath her feet and taken this photo.
Even though hundreds, perhaps thousands, of days and nights separated the two photos, at this moment, Zhou Wan suddenly felt a strange illusion—as if they had never been apart, as if they had truly come here together.
She stood in place, gently tapping her feet twice, the tips of her shoes kicking up a scattering of fine sand.
Her lips curved into a soft smile.
…
Back at the accommodation, Zhou Wan took a shower and sat on the bed to prepare for the next day’s interview.
The interviewee this time was a heavyweight, and the entire newspaper agency took it very seriously.
Zhou Wan had gone through his life story and career history multiple times, committing them to memory. She also reviewed all his previous interviews, whether in video or written form.
She set off early the next morning.
The entire interview process went smoothly. Thanks to Zhou Wan’s thorough preparation, the conversation delved deeper than expected.
Afterward, they all had a meal together. Since it was still early, they went shopping for a while before heading back.
Their flight back to the country was scheduled for noon the next day.
Zhou Wan packed her luggage. Previously occupied with interview preparations, she hadn’t taken the time to properly look around Lu Xixiao’s old bedroom.
Since he had left many things behind when he returned to the country, the room still felt lived-in after Zhou Wan cleaned it. The wind blew in, lifting the curtains and lending the space a touch of warmth and life.
She sent Lu Xixiao a message.
[Zhou Wan: Can I look around your room?]
By the time she finished her shower, Lu Xixiao had already replied—a voice message, tinged with laughter: “Go ahead. Why so polite?”
Zhou Wan smiled and walked over to the desk.
The textbooks on it were all in English, focusing on computer science.
[Zhou Wan: Did you study computer science in university?]
[6: Yeah.]
She had assumed Lu Xixiao’s major would be something like finance or management. She never expected it to be computer science—no wonder his company specialized in intelligent research and development.
Zhou Wan casually flipped open a page, only to find it filled with dizzying lines of code.
When she pulled open the drawer, her eyes landed on numerous award certificates.
Zhou Wan had always found it hard to imagine Lu Xixiao as a serious student, but seeing all this made that image feel a little more real.She carefully placed the certificate back into the drawer as it was, and when she pulled open the one below, she saw a black leather-bound notebook—likely a journal, quite thick.
Zhou Wan took it out and opened it.
In that moment of opening it, she had made no mental preparation whatsoever, so when she saw the words "Psychological Counseling Record Form" clearly printed in black and white, her entire heart sank.
As if reacting to a shock, her fingertips clenched tightly, digging into her palms.
She had wanted to deceive herself into thinking this couldn't possibly be Lu Xixiao's.
But the name field clearly stated his name, leaving no room for denial.
The first consultation date was November 18, 2014.
That year was Lu Xixiao's first year studying abroad, his freshman year of college.
The "voluntary consultation" field was marked "Yes."
Under symptoms, it listed chronic insomnia, severe mood swings, reduced communication, and high mental tension, with a preliminary diagnosis of Bipolar I Disorder.
Bipolar I Disorder.
Zhou Wan's eyelashes fluttered, and suddenly her breath caught, stuck there, neither rising nor falling, nearly suffocating her.
She took out her phone, opened a search app, typed in the term, and clicked search.
Bipolar I Disorder—a form of manic depression.
The heavy diagnostic record fell onto the table with a thud.
Zhou Wan covered her mouth tightly and crouched down, her nerves stung by those words, the pain spreading through her like a spasm.
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