Zhou Wan's words made Lu Xixiao's heart soften to the point of dripping.
He couldn't stand it when she was like this—serious and earnest, unconsciously acting coquettish with him.
He wished he could fly back immediately, grab her into his arms, and give her a tight squeeze.
"Is that how you talk?" Lu Xixiao chuckled lightly. "Of course I'll come back as soon as I'm done with work. Why would you even need to ask 'is that okay'?"
Zhou Wan watched his smiling face on the screen and smiled along. "Mm."
"Why are you suddenly saying you miss me? Did someone bully you?"
"No." Zhou Wan blinked. "With you around, who would dare bully me?"
Lu Xixiao thought no one would actually bully her anyway, and besides, Zhou Wan wasn't the type to turn the other cheek. He'd only been gone for three days—it wasn't like she could have suffered any real grievances.
"If you're tired, go to bed early. I'll come back as soon as possible."
"Mm."
After a pause, Zhou Wan remembered that the 18th was Lu Xixiao's birthday. If he came back early, she wouldn't have time to prepare. So she added, "Don't change your flight. Just come back after you finish your work."
Lu Xixiao raised an eyebrow, his tone somewhat smug. "I was just afraid some little girl might cry from not seeing me for three days."
Zhou Wan thought for a moment and said, "I'll be quite busy with work and competitions over the next two days. Just come back at the originally scheduled time."
"Alright."
Lu Xixiao had already packed his schedule full anyway—it would indeed be difficult to free up extra time to rearrange things.
"Then you should go to sleep now."
"Mm." Zhou Wan buried her face deeper into the blanket. "Goodnight, Lu Xixiao."
"Goodnight, baby."
The next day brought another round of competition.
As the competition progressed, the remaining contestants grew stronger, and Zhou Wan felt considerable pressure. However, she had always been a quick learner since childhood. With each stage of the competition, her improvement was leaps and bounds. Combined with her suitable image and exceptional vocal talent, she became increasingly confident in her chances of success.
This round concluded with Zhou Wan successfully advancing to the top five.
Moreover, she achieved first place in the impromptu interview segment—the first time she had earned top marks in any segment throughout the competition.
Her performance was particularly outstanding, with scores far surpassing the second-place contestant. Soon, clips of her interview were cut and shared online, sparking heated discussions once again.
Many former classmates saw the videos and sent messages to congratulate her.
When she went to work the next day, colleagues also showered her with praise—especially Ji Jie, who exaggeratedly praised her to the extreme.
"How much is the prize money for the top five?" Ji Jie asked.
"Fifth place gets fifty thousand, first place gets one hundred thousand. Each higher placement adds ten thousand."
"That's great. I wish I could win prize money too."
"Isn't there a photography competition coming up soon?" Zhou Wan said. "You could enter that."
Ji Jie: "With my amateur skills? No way I'd win any awards."
"How would you know if you don't try? I never thought I'd make it this far in the beginning either."
"You're totally a natural talent. I realized back in high school—getting into Huaqing University isn't just about hard work. You've gotta have innate talent." Ji Jie asked, "Wanwan, did you get tutoring back then?"
"Me? Get tutoring?"
"Yeah."
"No." Zhou Wan laughed. "I actually tutored others, but never had tutoring myself."
"See? That's what I call natural talent. When I was studying, my mom sent me to tutoring classes every day—even one-on-one sessions—and still couldn't get me into a prestigious university."At this point, Ji Jie suddenly remembered something. "By the way, Wanwan, was that auntie waiting for you downstairs last time your mother?"
Zhou Wan paused, then slowly replied, "Hmm... you could say that. But my parents are divorced, and I haven't been in contact with her for a long time."
Her relationship with Guo Xiangling couldn't be explained in just a few words.
Zhou Wan used the simplest and most straightforward way to describe the situation.
Ji Jie nodded. "Oh."
Though she was naturally straightforward, she knew better than to pry into others' private matters. She didn't continue with the topic. "Wanwan, are a lot of places trying to poach you now? Are you about to change jobs?"
"There are a few, but I don't have any plans to leave at the moment. It's pretty good here."
"That's true. I also think the atmosphere here is really harmonious. After all, we're all just working people wherever we go. Being a happy worker is the most worthwhile."
Just then, Zhou Wan's phone vibrated.
[6: Boarding now.]
[Zhou Wan: Okay, stay safe.]
[6: It's cold today. No need to pick me up tonight. I'm going to the office first, then heading straight home.]
Zhou Wan calculated the timing. If she went directly to the cake shop in the afternoon and then decorated the house, time would indeed be tight. She replied: [Alright, send me a message when you land.]
[6: Okay.]
The afternoon was quite free with no interview assignments.
The singer Ji Jie liked was coming to City B for a concert, and ticket sales were about to begin. Afraid she wouldn't be able to get one, she asked their colleagues to help try to secure tickets.
She set an alarm for one minute before the sale started.
This was Zhou Wan's first time trying to buy tickets this way. Staring at the standard time stopwatch on her computer screen, she clicked in right at the exact moment.
"Ah! I didn't get one!" Ji Jie exclaimed loudly in the office. "Did anyone manage to get tickets?"
"Nope."
"That was so fast! They sold out in less than a second."
"Is this band that popular?"
...
Zhou Wan watched the spinning circle in the upper left corner of her screen. It kept rotating, then turned into a checkmark, showing that the payment was successful.
She was stunned, not having expected this. "I think... I got one?"
Ji Jie rushed over immediately, then hugged Zhou Wan's neck and shook her excitedly. "Ahhh! Wanwan, I love you so much!!!"
Zhou Wan laughed. "It's my first time trying. I don't even know how I managed to get it."
"That's what they call the beginner's luck."
Zhou Wan filled in the ticket information with Ji Jie's details, and Ji Jie transferred the ticket money to her.
The singer Ji Jie liked was extremely popular. Soon, news of the concert tickets selling out in seconds trended on social media, with countless fans in the comments lamenting that they hadn't been able to get tickets.
"Thank goodness for you, Wanwan." Ji Jie showed Zhou Wan her phone. "Look, I heard lots of fans failed to get tickets this time."
Zhou Wan leaned over to look.
Just then, a notification suddenly popped up at the top of the screen.
— Exclusive! "Golden Microphone" Host Competition's Popular Contestant Zhou Wan Suspected of Abandoning Her Mother!
Zhou Wan's fingers froze, then clenched tightly.
"What garbage gossip accounts making up stories again." Ji Jie was taken aback at first, then immediately fumed. "Aren't they afraid of getting sued?!"
She didn't believe the content at all and quickly clicked on it, wanting to see what kind of clickbait it was.
But as soon as she opened it, the first photo that caught her eye was of Zhou Wan and the woman they saw yesterday sitting face-to-face in a café.The woman wept in a pitiful, disheveled state. Zhou Wan watched her quietly, but in such contrast, she appeared exceptionally cold and detached. The difference in their attire made her seem even more aloof.
Ji Jie opened her mouth but found herself at a loss for words in that moment.
Zhou Wan remained silent as well.
She didn’t know how to explain any of it—there was simply no way to begin.
“What news are you talking about?”
Others in the office, having overheard Ji Jie’s earlier outburst but missing the follow-up, turned to inquire.
Ji Jie glanced at Zhou Wan but said nothing.
Zhou Wan stood up and said softly, “I’m not feeling well. I’d like to go back early.”
Ji Jie immediately replied, “Alright, I’ll explain it to the editor-in-chief for you later.”
“Mm.” Zhou Wan nodded distractedly. “Thank you.”
She picked up her bag and left quickly.
As fellow journalists, it wouldn’t be long before everyone saw that piece of news.
Although she had a clear conscience regarding Guo Xiangling, trapped in such a situation, she had no way to defend herself. She could almost imagine how people around her would gossip about it.
It wasn’t until she boarded the subway that Zhou Wan finally took out her phone.
The news had already gained significant traction, and the comments below were unbearable to read.
[How can she remain unmoved when her own mother is crying like that? Even animals have more heart.]
[I used to like her, but I never expected her to be this kind of person.]
[Does no one else think her recent competition performance improved way too much compared to before? Maybe she has a sugar daddy leaking answers?]
[Does everyone not know she was one of the people who exposed Huang Hui for sexual harassment? And then suddenly, Huang Hui and the entire Shengxing Group collapsed. Doesn’t anyone find that suspicious?]
...
Every word and sentence transformed into sharp arrows, turning back to pierce Zhou Wan.
She stared at the comments, blinked slowly, and turned off her phone.
The subway stopped at a station, and Zhou Wan got off. Following the navigation on her phone, she found the cake shop she had ordered from.
She showed her order to the staff and asked if the cake was ready.
The shop assistant glanced at her a few extra times before retrieving the cake from the fridge and handing it over.
As she turned to leave, she overheard whispers from behind her.
Zhou Wan didn’t look back, didn’t stop to explain, and left in silence.
The news had spread faster than she had anticipated. It was rush hour, and she didn’t dare take the crowded subway back home, which was still quite a distance away.
She wandered aimlessly along the street.
The cold wind chilled her slender ankles.
Before long, it began to rain—large, heavy drops pattering down noisily.
Zhou Wan had no choice but to take shelter under the eaves of a shop. She picked up her phone again, her fingers gripping it so tightly her knuckles turned white.
[My aunt works at the same newspaper as her. I heard her boyfriend is incredibly powerful—his name is Lu Xixiao. You can look up his basic info easily.]
[Then the whole Huang Hui incident must have been orchestrated by her boyfriend behind the scenes.]
[The more you think about it, the scarier it gets. Could it be that Huang Hui was actually framed?]
[The Lu family is already influential—they’re one of the top families in Pingchuan City.]
[Oh my god, someone went to interview Zhou Wan’s mother. She said she was previously with Lu Xixiao’s father, but then Zhou Wan deliberately seduced his son and ruined the marriage. Her mother could have lived a happy life otherwise.]
[What kind of daughter does something like that?!]
[Seducing her mother’s boyfriend’s son??? Is that even human behavior???]
[That’s just disgusting.]
[How can they still be together now… Aren’t they afraid of karma?]
...This is the terrifying power of the internet, the terrifying nature of rumors.
Zhou Wan suddenly remembered the words Old Mr. Lu had said to her long ago—
If everyone knew about your relationship, what would they say?
Disgusting, perverted, immoral, filthy...
These things won't disappear just because your mother is gone.
You should know what kind of reputation he'll suffer from now on, and what he'll lose.
At that age, no matter how reluctant or heartbroken she was, she had ultimately been defeated by those words, yielding to them.
Outside, rain poured down from the eaves, droplets hitting the ground and splashing into tiny puddles, staining Zhou Wan's white shoes.
She gazed through the curtain of rain.
Across the street, a shop's lights flickered on, standing out starkly in the dim evening. Colored bulbs spelled out English letters—TATTOO.
Lu Xixiao landed at 9 p.m.
He collected his luggage and turned on his phone as he walked out. His secretary was already waiting for him and hurried over upon seeing him. "President Lu, there's something..."
It was the first time Lu Xixiao had seen him so hesitant. He paused. "What is it?"
The secretary showed him the news online.
In just a few hours, the matter had blown up.
Aside from the unspeakably vile insults, even his and Zhou Wan's personal information had been dug up and exposed.
Even old photos of the two of them, posted on their school's forum during their student days, had been unearthed, with people pointing fingers and criticizing them behind their backs.
Lu Xixiao frowned.
His phone had powered on, but there were no messages or missed calls.
With something like this happening, Zhou Wan couldn't possibly be unaware.
He himself was completely unaffected by the comments, but he was afraid all of this would impact Zhou Wan.
He worried she would start blaming herself again, thinking it was her fault he was suffering these baseless accusations.
Lu Xixiao's Adam's apple bobbed. Without a word, he immediately dialed Zhou Wan's number. After a few rings, the call failed—temporarily unavailable, please try again later.
"President Lu, what should we do now?" the secretary asked.
They had just signed the contract, and now this happened. A new project was about to launch.
The incident with Xing Sheng Group had been handled too ruthlessly, offending many people both openly and covertly. It was hard to say how this situation might be exploited by those with ulterior motives.
"Go to the police station and find Director Zheng. Ask him to help locate Zhou Wan, no matter what."
The secretary was taken aback but quickly nodded. "Yes."
Nothing mattered more than Zhou Wan.
Lu Xixiao drove straight home, running all the way. He pushed open the door to find the house pitch dark.
"Zhou Wan," he called out from the entryway.
No response.
Even the echo was swallowed by the darkness.
Lu Xixiao clenched his jaw, the line of his jaw sharp and tense.
He seemed to merge into the darkness, his dark lashes lowering, veiling a hidden light.
He remembered their video call two days ago—the girl curled up under the blankets, her long, thick eyelashes fluttering slowly, looking exhausted and drained.
Her voice was soft and gentle as she said to him:
I just... miss you a little.
Can you come back quickly once you're done?
Had she already encountered these troubles back then?
But now that he was back, she was gone.
Was she trying to run away again, to some place he couldn't find, unilaterally trying to do what she thought was best for him?
This apartment, without Zhou Wan, was just a place to live.
Only with her here could it be called "home."Lu Xixiao could almost feel the suffocating darkness in the room slowly devouring him, dragging him back to the lonely solitude of his past.
At that moment, his phone rang abruptly without warning.
It was Zhou Wan calling.
Lu Xixiao froze for a second before immediately answering, his voice still trembling with lingering disorientation. "...Zhou Wan."
"Did you get off the plane? I forgot to turn off my phone's silent mode earlier and missed your call." Zhou Wan's voice sounded unusually calm. "Lu Xixiao, I have something I want to tell you."
Lu Xixiao's brow twitched, his Adam's apple bobbing as he spoke in a low, hoarse voice. "Where are you? I'll come to you."
Zhou Wan paused.
Standing in front of a shop, gazing at the towering buildings before her, she gave Lu Xixiao the name of a nearby landmark.
Lu Xixiao immediately drove over.
It had just rained, and the car tires splashed through puddles, sending arcs of water flying.
He thought about many things along the way.
Zhou Wan's voice had been far too calm—unnervingly so.
He thought, if Zhou Wan wanted to break up with him, he would never agree. No matter what it took, he wouldn't let her leave again.
Once was enough.
If she left again, his life would be utterly wrecked.
At a traffic light, Lu Xixiao spotted Zhou Wan standing on the opposite street corner.
The young woman was dressed too lightly, her exposed slender ankles slightly red from the cold, the tip of her nose also flushed. She looked somewhat dazed, staring fixedly at a spot on the ground, lost in thought.
Lu Xixiao made a U-turn and parked by the roadside, getting out and striding quickly toward her.
As he closed the car door, Zhou Wan looked up.
The headlights were still on, glaring brightly, making it impossible for her to see Lu Xixiao's face clearly. She could only vaguely make out his tall, straight figure walking toward her with long strides against the light.
He stopped in front of her, gripping her wrist with unusual force—enough to hurt.
But sensing how cold her wrist was, his grip immediately loosened slightly.
Zhou Wan seemed to sense the storm brewing around him gradually receding, leaving only restraint and suppressed emotion. His voice was low and hoarse as he spoke, "What are you doing out here so late? Your hands are freezing. Get in the car first."
Zhou Wan let him pull her forward a few steps before stopping and gently tugging her arm back.
Lu Xixiao paused and turned to look at her.
Zhou Wan withdrew her hand, crouched down to pick up a cake box from the ground, and got into the car with Lu Xixiao.
The motion-sensor light above them flickered on.
Lu Xixiao turned the air conditioning to the highest setting, holding Zhou Wan's hands in front of the vent to warm them.
Finally, warmth returned to her hands.
Zhou Wan looked at him and asked softly, "Lu Xixiao, are you angry?"
Lu Xixiao glanced sideways but didn't speak.
"Is it because of what people are saying online?" Zhou Wan lowered her eyes, her voice quiet. "I'm sorry, it's my fault. Tomorrow I'll—"
"Besides 'I'm sorry,' what else do you want to say?"
Lu Xixiao interrupted her, his voice low and strained. "So you want to break up with me again, is that it?"
Zhou Wan was taken aback. "No, I wanted to say—"
She hadn't expected Lu Xixiao to think that, and all the heartfelt words she had prepared suddenly felt difficult to begin.
Her index finger still hooked around the thin ribbon of the cake box, she unconsciously curled her fingertips and said somewhat incoherently, "I wanted to say... happy birthday, Lu Xixiao."
Lu Xixiao froze.
He had never expected such a response.
He had been so busy lately that he had completely forgotten today was his birthday.He had prepared himself thoroughly along the way, envisioning numerous scenarios where Zhou Wan would break up with him, determined to drag her back even if he had to tie her up. Yet he never expected to receive these words: "Happy birthday."
"Lu Xixiao, happy 27th birthday." Zhou Wan looked at him earnestly. "From now on, I'll celebrate every birthday with you."
The girl's black hair cascaded over her chest.
She hadn't cut her hair in a long time - it now flowed past her breastbone, smooth and glossy as obsidian. Her eyes shone brightly, radiating both gentleness and determination.
Lu Xixiao's Adam's apple bobbed.
Everything was too perfect, too sudden, leaving him at a loss for words.
Only then did he notice the extensive redness spreading upward from the collar of Zhou Wan's pale neck.
"What's this?" Lu Xixiao reached out, his fingertips hooking her collar to pull it downward. "An allergy..."
His words cut off abruptly mid-sentence.
The skin over her collarbone was flushed red, and beneath that delicate epidermis lay a fresh tattoo in vivid crimson -
Lu Xixiao.
Unmistakably in Zhou Wan's handwriting.
Precise and elegant.
The final stroke of "Xiao" extended long, just like how he had drawn out the final stroke of "Wan" in his tattoo.
A little further down, there was also a "6".
Lu Xixiao stared fixedly at the tattoo, remaining silent for a long time before murmuring, "Why did you get this?"
"Because you got one too," Zhou Wan said softly.
Because I want to know how much it hurt you back then.
Though he heard her, Lu Xixiao stubbornly pressed the same question.
"Why did you get this?"
His gaze remained lowered, his voice hushed, yet more emotions churned within, their breaths tangling together as if he obstinately sought that specific answer.
Zhou Wan paused, then reached out to entwine her fingers with his. "Because I love you."
Because I love you.
Therefore, I want to carve you into my bones and blood too.
"I won't retreat anymore, Lu Xixiao."
Zhou Wan looked at him and said, "While you're running toward me, I'll be running toward you too."
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