Zhou Wan had indeed thought about proposing to Lu Xixiao long ago.
Because she wanted to firmly choose Lu Xixiao for once, to tell him: I really love you, and I'm willing to rush toward you without hesitation.
But she never imagined proposing to him on stage.
In her original plan, she would use the competition prize money to buy a pair of rings, pick a good day, decorate the room, prepare her confession, and then propose to him.
It was just that in that moment, her emotions completely overwhelmed her rationality, and she couldn't consider anything else.
When the words "Will you marry me?" left her lips, she suddenly seemed to snap back to reality. Looking at the sea of audience members below, her face flushed red all the way to her neck.
But she still endured the embarrassment, continuing to gaze straight at Lu Xixiao.
After his initial shock, he first smiled, then slightly bent forward, elbows resting on his knees, lowering his neck, and raising a hand to press hard against his eyes.
When he straightened up again, his eyes were red, the corners wet.
Zhou Wan was momentarily stunned.
Lu Xixiao stood up, moving through the crowd toward the stage.
Reaching the steps, he couldn't help but quicken his pace. Walking onto the stage, he ran over, bringing a gust of wind with him, and opened his arms to embrace Zhou Wan.
His entire back curved down as he buried himself deeply into the crook of her shoulder. His scorching breath carried tremors as he repeatedly whispered in her ear:
"I do, Wanwan, I do."
Zhou Wan smiled, tilting her head back, holding him tightly in return.
And right at that moment, suddenly a drop of something burning fell, landing on her shoulder.
Zhou Wan froze.
Realizing belatedly what it was.
Lu Xixiao was crying.
"What's wrong?" Zhou Wan asked softly, gently patting his shoulder.
"Thank you."
Lu Xixiao's voice was hoarse, his tone trembling, "Thank you, Wanwan."
These words of thanks contained too much.
Thank you for loving me.
Thank you for coming back.
Thank you for your changes and efforts.
Thank you for finally running toward me.
Lu Xixiao knew very well everything Zhou Wan had been through, and thus understood even more profoundly how much she had changed and how hard she had worked.
He had witnessed all her timidity, and also all her solitary courage.
...
After the competition ended, Zhou Wan and Lu Xixiao returned to the car together.
The car drove onto the elevated highway, bright streetlights stretching straight ahead along the road, with towering buildings on either side brightly lit.
Lu Xixiao glanced distractedly at Zhou Wan.
He saw her looking out the window, the corners of her mouth lifted, endless laughter sparkling in her eyes.
He couldn't help but smile too: "What are you laughing about?"
"Ah."
Zhou Wan snapped back to reality, looked at him, then pressed her lips together, "Because you agreed to my proposal."
"Your proposal was quite sudden," Lu Xixiao said with a smirk, his demeanor somewhat roguish, lazily adding, "You scared me."
"Since you agreed—"
Zhou Wan paused, carefully considering her words, "When are you free? We can go look at rings?"
"You're buying me a ring?"
"Mm."
Lu Xixiao: "Isn't that usually the guy's job?"
"I proposed to you, of course I should buy it for you," Zhou Wan said matter-of-factly. "Besides, I got the competition prize money. It should be enough to buy a men's ring."
Zhou Wan had specifically looked into it before.
Men's rings don't have large diamonds, only design costs and brand markups. That prize money should definitely be enough.
"You can look online first, see what style you like," Zhou Wan said."Alright." Lu Xixiao was in an excellent mood. "Then I'll pick something expensive."
"Mm."
Zhou Wan felt this was only reasonable.
"When are you free? We can go choose together."
"In a while, during the New Year break." Lu Xixiao said.
There were still half a month until the New Year.
"Have you been very busy lately?" Zhou Wan asked.
"Not exactly busy, but for such an important matter, let's wait until New Year when we go back to Pingchuan together to tell your father and grandma."
Zhou Wan was taken aback, not expecting him to have considered this aspect.
"Mm." She said softly, "Then let's also visit your mother together and tell her."
"Alright."
The car stopped at the residential complex, and they went upstairs.
As soon as the door opened, Lu Xixiao pressed down on her, his aggressive aura enveloping her completely. He lowered his head, brushed his lips against Zhou Wan's, and said hoarsely, "Wanwan."
Zhou Wan's eyelashes fluttered rapidly, feeling every place he touched burning hot. Her voice was very soft: "Mm?"
His fingertips rubbed against her collarbone, trying to wipe away all the concealer covering the tattoo. The pressure was somewhat heavy, making that area of skin turn red.
Zhou Wan shrank back, but he pulled her back again.
After who knows how long, he bent down and gently bit that patch of skin, his teeth licking and grinding against it.
"It hurts." Zhou Wan frowned slightly. "...Lu Xixiao."
"Wanwan." His voice was somewhat hoarse and trembling.
Lu Xixiao wasn't good at revealing his inner feelings to outsiders. Earlier, in front of everyone, aside from that single tear only Zhou Wan had noticed, no one could see any emotions beyond happiness.
But at that time, happiness was actually only a small part of it.
More overwhelming were the feelings of hardship finally giving way to sweetness, of persistence being rewarded - moved and relieved, all kinds of complex emotions intertwined together, finally pouring out at this moment.
"Thank you." Lu Xixiao said in a low voice.
Zhou Wan gently patted his back and said softly, "You've already said that."
Lu Xixiao buried his head deeper into the crook of her neck: "Wanwan, I finally have a home."
Zhou Wan was stunned.
A sudden bitterness welled up in her nose.
"Mm." She also hugged Lu Xixiao tightly. "We have a home."
In the blink of an eye, year-end arrived.
The two returned to Pingchuan City together.
Their flight arrived in the evening, and early the next morning they set off for the cemetery.
A light rain was falling from the sky. Lu Xixiao held an umbrella as he accompanied Zhou Wan inside.
When Grandma passed away, Zhou Wan had buried her and her father in the same cemetery, spending almost all the money she had at the time. Fortunately, this cemetery was nestled against mountains and water, with a uniquely good environment and dedicated staff responsible for cleaning.
In the past years, she had been busy making a living, occupied from morning till night with no time to visit; but more importantly, she didn't dare to return. She was stuck in the past, unable to forgive herself, and felt she had no face to see her father and grandma.
Only now did she finally dare to stand here openly.
Zhou Wan looked at the familiar faces on the tombstones, her eyes moist.
"Dad, Grandma, I'm here." The corners of her eyes were deeply red as she gazed at their features in the photos. "I'm sorry... for making you worry all these years."
Lu Xixiao tightly grasped her hand.
"I'm doing very well now, please rest assured. I've found work I enjoy, and I'm gradually becoming the person I want to be. I've made peace with my past self." Zhou Wan said softly. "And... I've also found someone I love."
Someone I'm certain I want to spend my life with."I won't let you down anymore," Zhou Wan said. "I'll live well, do what I believe is right, and make you proud of me."
As these words left her lips, Zhou Wan suddenly remembered the past, when her father was still alive.
Back then, her grades were excellent—she consistently scored perfect marks on exams and received numerous awards every year. Her father would neatly paste all those certificates on the wall.
He would always hold her and say, "Wanwan is Daddy's pride."
"Uncle, Grandma," Lu Xixiao spoke softly.
Zhou Wan paused and turned her head.
The man gazed intently at the photograph on the tombstone, his profile sharp and defined, yet calm and gentle. "I am Zhou Wan's boyfriend, my name is Lu Xixiao. We will be married next year. Please rest assured—as long as I am here, Wanwan will never suffer any grievances again."
He always kept his promises.
The younger Lu Xixiao might not have been confident in such words, but now he finally had the conviction to say them, even his expression carrying a trace of that youthful audacity.
"I will always be by her side."
In his youth, Lu Xixiao had witnessed too many partings and covert struggles, and he rarely used "forever" to define any relationship.
Only twice had he mentioned "forever."
Once was on that snowy night, when he first thought that having Zhou Wan by his side every day in the future might not be so bad. So he said, "Spend every New Year with me from now on."
The second time was now.
I will always be by her side.
From my reckless youth to our old age, I will always be with you.
Until death do us part.
...
After leaving, Zhou Wan accompanied Lu Xixiao to visit his mother.
She had seen photos of his mother back when they were students, at Lu Xixiao's home—a gentle, elegant beauty whose features resembled his.
But after all these years, the memory of his mother's face had gradually faded and blurred in her mind.
Until this moment.
Zhou Wan saw her photograph again, saw her face.
Memories from the past came flooding back.
She recalled the first time she went to Lu Xixiao's home and saw the photo of his mother.
Lu Xixiao bent down and placed a bouquet of lilies he had just bought before the tombstone, saying quietly, "Your favorite flowers."
He didn't really know what to say to Shen Lan. She had left too early, and his memories of those days had grown hazy. His recollection of her appearance was limited to what he saw in photographs.
Perhaps it also had to do with how boys, as they grow older, often struggle to find words to share with their parents.
"Lu Xixiao," Zhou Wan broke the silence, asking softly, "Did your aunt really like lilies?"
"Yes."
This was one of the few things Lu Xixiao still remembered. "Our home used to be filled with lilies, but later my younger sister developed a pollen allergy. After she was born, we never had lilies in the house again."
"After we return to B City, let's plant some lilies too."
Lu Xixiao paused briefly.
"Your mother loved lilies so much. If we keep some in our room, perhaps she'll visit your dreams more often to see you." Zhou Wan turned her head, lifting her face, and murmured softly, "Our A Xiao must miss his mother very much too."
Lu Xixiao's throat moved.
Zhou Wan had almost never called him that—A Xiao.
And now her voice was low and gentle, like a soft hand soothing the emotions he had been suppressing deep in his heart."She just couldn't find you for a moment, just like she didn't know how to love you when she was sick before."
Zhou Wan said softly, "When we finish planting the lilies and they bloom next spring, your mother will smell their fragrance and come visit you in your dreams."
Then you'll be able to see your mother again.
This time she'll definitely tell you she loves you.
Just like I do.
...
After leaving the cemetery, Lu Xixiao's phone rang as soon as they got back in the car.
It was Old Mr. Lu calling.
Lu Xixiao raised an eyebrow - they hadn't been in contact for a long time.
Zhou Wan saw it too, her fingers unconsciously tightening, but the next moment Lu Xixiao took her hand, as if offering silent comfort.
"Hello?" Lu Xixiao answered the phone.
Zhou Wan couldn't hear exactly what was said on the call. Lu Xixiao's voice was calm, he just responded a few times before saying: "Alright, I'll come back in a while."
Then he hung up.
"Do you need to go home?"
"Going back to the old residence, there's something I need to handle." Lu Xixiao said briefly. "I can go alone. Should I take you home first?"
Zhou Wan paused before saying: "I'd like to visit Grandma's house."
"Alright." Lu Xixiao ruffled her hair.
"Don't argue with your grandfather when you get back."
Lu Xixiao chuckled: "I'm not a kid anymore, don't worry, I won't."
Lu Xixiao dropped Zhou Wan off outside the old apartment building.
This area had always been an old neighborhood, and after all these years it had become even more dilapidated. Many surrounding areas had been included in demolition projects, but this particular area remained.
Zhou Wan hadn't been back here in a long time.
The park still had osmanthus trees, and the exercise equipment had become old and rusty, no longer used by anyone.
Zhou Wan stood outside for a while, finally letting out a soft sigh before walking in.
As she pushed open the stairwell door, a woman came out facing her.
Zhou Wan stepped aside to make way, but the woman didn't move. Zhou Wan looked up curiously and heard the woman exclaim in surprise: "Wanwan, is that you?"
Zhou Wan was taken aback, studying her for a moment before finally matching the face with a memory.
"Auntie Zhang, what a coincidence." Zhou Wan smiled. "Do you still live here?"
Auntie Zhang was their former neighbor. When Grandma passed away, she took pity on Zhou Wan being just a young girl and helped her a lot, being very kind-hearted.
"Yes, it really is you? When I saw you just now I didn't dare recognize you. You've changed so much, if I hadn't seen you on TV before I wouldn't have recognized you."
She kept patting the back of Zhou Wan's hand, genuinely happy for her. "Wanwan has really made something of herself. Your grandmother would be so happy to see this from heaven."
"Yeah." Zhou Wan's eyes curved. "I hope so."
"You've finally made it through the hard times. Good deeds bring good rewards, bad deeds bring retribution. That woman finally got what she deserved."
Zhou Wan realized who she was referring to and froze: "What happened to her?"
"You don't know?" Auntie Zhang was surprised.
Zhou Wan shook her head.
"She's dead."
Zhou Wan's heart suddenly tightened, then began racing.
Although Auntie Zhang utterly despised Guo Xiangling, matters of life and death still made her sigh: "After all the terrible things she did before, she got what she deserved. She won't be able to harm you anymore."
Zhou Wan's throat felt strangely tight: "Was she...?"The online news had previously spread like wildfire throughout the neighborhood, and Aunt Zhang had heard all about it. Knowing what Zhou Wan was thinking, she quickly said, "What are you thinking? Even if she really got beaten to death by those debt collectors, it has nothing to do with you. How could there be such a thing as a mother harming her own daughter?"
"Then how did she..."
"She lived quite frugally later on, constantly looking for jobs but never staying long—changing every few months. She was born without a wealthy fate but couldn't shake off her extravagant habits, so she had to borrow money. Thankfully, you didn't soften and let her cling to you back then, or you'd be saddled with a lot of debt—all high-interest loans, hounded by debt collectors every day."
Zhou Wan's eyelashes trembled slightly.
"It happened about half a month ago. She was running away from debt collectors, slipped on the stairs, and fell. By the time someone found her, she was already dead."
"..."
Zhou Wan didn't know what to say for a moment.
Aunt Zhang: "Look at me, talking about this during the New Year. Anyway, just live your life well. Since she's gone, you can finally live in peace without any worries."
"Mm." Zhou Wan pressed her lips together. "Thank you, Aunt Zhang."
"What's there to thank? I've watched you grow up."
Zhou Wan smiled faintly. "Mm, I'll head upstairs now, Aunt Zhang. I'll visit you again next time."
"Alright, alright, you go ahead."
Zhou Wan bid Aunt Zhang farewell. As soon as the elevator doors closed, the smile on her lips vanished completely.
She didn't know how to describe what she was feeling at that moment.
She hated Guo Xiangling and was determined to have nothing to do with her for the rest of her life. Yet, now that she knew this person who shared her blood had passed away, Zhou Wan still felt a pang of sorrow.
After all, that was the only remaining relative she had by blood.
Zhou Wan couldn't accept this fact without any burden.
It felt as if a stone had lodged in her heart, growing heavier and heavier, tugging at her insides until they ached. Her chest felt blocked, making it hard to breathe.
Reaching the third floor, Zhou Wan let out a sigh, collected herself, and stepped out.
After Grandma passed away, Lu Xixiao had taken her away from the gas-leaking apartment and hadn't felt comfortable letting her live alone since. For a while after that, she had stayed at Lu Xixiao's place and rarely returned.
Zhou Wan had heard many people say that as people age, they develop an unpleasant "old person smell."
Grandma had a scent too, but it wasn't unpleasant—it was the clean fragrance of soap.
For a long time, Zhou Wan hadn't dared to open the door to Grandma's bedroom, nor had she aired it out, afraid that the wind would scatter Grandma's scent, leaving her with nothing to hold onto.
She took out her keys, unlocked the door, and entered.
The room, unventilated for so long, carried a musty smell of damp dust.
Zhou Wan waved a hand in front of her nose and stepped inside.
As soon as her foot landed, she heard an odd sound.
She looked down. By the door were several sheets of white paper, seemingly slipped through the crack under the door.
Zhou Wan paused, moved her foot, crouched down, and turned the papers over.
There were five sheets in total, A4-sized, filled with dense tables.
The curtains in the room were drawn tight, and the dim light made it hard to see clearly. She stood up and went to turn on the light.
Fortunately, after all these years, the light still worked.
Under the faint yellow glow, Zhou Wan looked down and suddenly froze.
—They were five report cards.
Report cards for Class 7, Grade 12.
Lu Xixiao's class.Zhou Wan didn't know why these papers appeared here, but instinctively searched through the dense tables for Lu Xixiao's name.
At Yangming High School, student numbers were arranged alphabetically by surname, with "L" falling in the middle.
Number 28.
Five report cards recorded all five exams during their final year of high school.
In all five, Lu Xixiao ranked first in Class 7, with his grade ranking continuously climbing. By the final mock exam before the college entrance examination, he had achieved the top score in the entire school, followed by placing third schoolwide in the actual college entrance exam.
Zhou Wan swallowed dryly.
She flipped over the last paper, where a line of handwriting she knew all too well was written in sharp strokes—
"Zhou Wan, I keep my promises."
"Since I promised to stay with you, I will definitely stay with you."
"See you in City B."
The last three words were scrawled with wild flair. Through these characters, Zhou Wan seemed to see that audacious boy again.
But when had he promised to stay with her?
Zhou Wan dug through her memories until she unearthed a fragment.
Back then, Grandma had just passed away. She stayed alone at home, drifting in a daze.
That memory was too painful—she never dared recall it, to the point where she had nearly forgotten it completely.
She only vaguely remembered, in the midst of that haze, sudden urgent knocking at the door. But she didn't even have the strength to get up, letting the knocking continue until, moments later, the door was kicked open. Blinding light streamed through the doorway.
Silhouetted against the light, Lu Xixiao strode in.
She hadn't cried once since Grandma's death, but at that moment the dam finally broke. She wept nearly to the point of collapse, fragmented, unable to form complete sentences.
And Lu Xixiao knelt before her, gently drawing her into his embrace.
Over and over, with endless patience, he told her:
"Wanwan, I'm here. I'll always be here."
"At the very least, I'll accompany you as you grow up. I'll grow up with you."
No matter what happens in the future.
As long as you look back.
You'll find I've always been by your side.
He kept his promise.
Now, at twenty-five years old, Zhou Wan looked back on her life.
She saw a boy—tall and slender, standing straight, with sharp eyes and brows, radiating youthful audacity and unrestrained confidence.
During their final year of high school, he sheathed his edge and studied diligently.
Every time results were released, he would come alone to this shabby corridor, crouch down, and slip the report card under the door.
He tried desperately to break free from all restraints and shackles, step by step, with all his might, drawing closer to her.
As long as she looked back.
She would see Lu Xixiao, running toward her.
The wind lifted the hem of his clothes, carrying with it the unique radiance of youth.
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