Old Mr. Lu was growing older with each passing year, and the power he held in his hands needed to be passed on to someone.
Unfortunately, both his son and daughter were disappointments—the former foolish, the latter greedy—neither of whom he felt confident entrusting with his authority. The only candidate he was truly satisfied with was his grandson, Lu Xixiao.
"Grandfather," Lu Xixiao said as he entered the old mansion and saw him in the living room.
"You're back," Old Mr. Lu greeted him with a wave. "Sit."
Lu Xixiao took a seat on the nearby sofa.
By now, his emotional ties to the Lu family were pitifully few.
Truth be told, ever since Shen Lan's passing, Lu Xixiao had distanced himself from the Lu family. However, being young at the time and still living in Pingchuan City, he couldn't completely avoid entanglement.
"Did you need something from me?"
Old Mr. Lu had someone pour tea for him and asked, "How have you been lately?"
He smiled faintly. "Fine."
"I caught wind of some of the commotion you and that girl stirred up online before."
Lu Xixiao raised an eyebrow but said nothing.
He was no longer dependent on the Lu family in any way, so he felt no need to explain Zhou Wan to anyone, nor did he care whether they accepted her.
"Do you really like her that much?" Old Mr. Lu asked.
Lu Xixiao chuckled, answering candidly, "Yes. It has to be her."
Old Mr. Lu paused. "Bring her along for a meal before you return to B City."
Lu Xixiao looked up.
He knew exactly what kind of person Old Mr. Lu was. After a moment, he took a sip of tea and smiled, laying his cards on the table: "Grandfather, this sudden change of heart—are you trying to negotiate terms with me?"
"What terms could I possibly set with you now?"
Lu Xixiao smirked lazily.
"However, there is something I need to ask of you."
Lu Xixiao said, "Go ahead."
Old Mr. Lu looked at him and sighed. "I'm getting old, and there are many things I can no longer manage. But when it comes to the Lu family's business, you're the only one I trust to take over. A Xiao, come back."
Lu Xixiao hadn't expected this.
"I don't want to get entangled in the Lu family's trivial matters again."
Lu Zhongyue and Lu Qilan were both watching closely. If the family business were truly handed over to Lu Xixiao, who knew how much trouble would ensue? He didn't want to take any risks that might harm Zhou Wan.
"When I agreed to go abroad after the college entrance exams, it was because I had already decided to use that opportunity to break free from the Lu family's control."
Old Mr. Lu had seen through his intentions but still allowed him to leave.
He simply hadn't anticipated that Lu Xixiao would be willing to give up such a vast inheritance for one person, nor had he expected him to achieve what he had today entirely on his own.
"But you still carry the blood of the Lu family..." Old Mr. Lu said.
"Half of my blood is my mother's. How can I return to the Lu family as if nothing happened when Lu Zhongyue's despicable actions drove her to such a state?"
Lu Xixiao looked at him calmly, his voice quiet. "Grandfather, none of you know what I went through back then, but Zhou Wan does."
"You didn't know I used to have severe acrophobia, did you? It was a shadow left from those days. For the first two years abroad, every time I got off a plane, my heart would race for a long time. None of you knew, and none of you cared."
"I used to feel so lonely, wishing for a real family. But now, I truly don't care whether you understand or not.""Some things can't be mended just because you want to mend them. What's past is past, and can never be recovered."
Old Mr. Lu looked at him, momentarily speechless.
"Don't worry, I'm well aware that I've enjoyed many resources provided by the Lu family while growing up. I'll definitely help if the Lu family needs it, and I'll take care of you in your old age, but that's all. Beyond that, I'll live my own life."
Lu Xixiao's voice was calm, without deliberate distance, just steady and devoid of fluctuation.
Only then did Old Mr. Lu truly believe that Lu Xixiao had indeed grown up.
And this kind of growth made it even clearer that he would indeed never return.
...
After leaving the old residence, Lu Xixiao sent a message to Zhou Wan.
[6: Still at Grandma's?]
[Zhou Wan: Yes.]
[6: I'm coming over now.]
He drove there, walking into the neighborhood with familiar ease. When he stepped onto the concrete floor of the stairwell again, he suddenly remembered things from the past, including those report cards that had been slipped under the door.
Lu Xixiao paused mid-step, then quickly walked over.
The door was slightly ajar.
He pushed it open. Zhou Wan had her back to him, holding a bag in her arms. Hearing the sound, she turned around: "You're here."
"Yeah." Lu Xixiao walked forward and took the bag from her. "What's this?"
"Some of my grandma's things that I didn't take with me before. I was just organizing them."
"I see."
"And also—" Zhou Wan paused, pursed her lips, and said softly, "Your report cards from senior year of high school."
Lu Xixiao raised an eyebrow: "So you saw them."
"They were right at the entrance, I saw them as soon as I came in." Zhou Wan couldn't help but lower her head, looking at the tips of her shoes. "You should have hated me back then. Why did you still slip the report cards under the door?"
"I was quite annoyed with you back then."
He smiled casually, "But I promised you, I'll always be by your side."
He said it as if it were the most natural thing.
As if those years had passed in just a blink.
Lu Xixiao held Zhou Wan's hand as they walked out of the dilapidated neighborhood. The sun was setting, casting golden rays across the sky, painting it orange-red.
"Lu Xixiao."
"Hmm?"
"Guo Xiangling is gone."
Lu Xixiao paused briefly, saying nothing.
Belatedly realizing what the word "gone" meant.
"The last person connected to me by blood is no longer here." Zhou Wan said quietly.
"Let's get married."
He said it quickly, extremely naturally, as if casually mentioning it in conversation.
Zhou Wan slowly turned her head to look at him.
The man's dark eyes were illuminated by the sunset, appearing lighter as he looked down at her: "I'll be your family. I'll always be with you."
I'll always be with you.
Just like what was written on the back of that paper:
Zhou Wan, I don't break my promises.
Since I promised I'd stay with you, I will definitely stay with you.
See you in City B.
...
"What if I never went to City B at all? What would you do if you couldn't find me?" Zhou Wan suddenly asked.
"I never considered that you might not go to City B." Lu Xixiao squeezed her fingers and said with a smile, "After all, my Wanwan is so outstanding, she was bound to get into Huaqing University."
During those years when even she didn't believe in herself.
Lu Xixiao had always believed in her.
"Wanwan, I don't like saying 'forever.' I always feel like no one can decide what 'forever' means. Saying it too easily feels frivolous, weightless."
He said seriously, "But the 'forever' I promised you—I will do everything in my power to make it happen."I will always stay by your side, whether it's the aimless 18-year-old Lu Xixiao, the 27-year-old Lu Xixiao who has now found his purpose, or the white-haired 80-year-old Lu Xixiao.
I will never break this promise.
...
They moved forward under the sunset glow.
Instead of heading straight home, Lu Xixiao took her out for dinner. On their way back, they passed by Yangming Middle School.
The school had undergone renovations in recent years. The refurbished entrance looked quite impressive, with four golden characters gleaming brightly.
"Want to take a look?" Lu Xixiao turned his head to ask.
Zhou Wan gazed at the large characters above the gate and nodded. "Mm."
She couldn't remember how long it had been since she last returned.
It was winter break now, and the school was completely empty with the main gate closed.
"How do we get in?" Zhou Wan asked.
Lu Xixiao held her hand and led her to the side wall. He took a few steps back, suddenly accelerated, pushed off with his leg and vaulted over the wall, then reached out his hand to Zhou Wan.
Zhou Wan froze for a moment, looking up at him.
The cool moonlight spilled over him, casting a soft glow around his figure, making the scene overlap with a memory from the past.
Zhou Wan couldn't help but curve her lips. "I've seen you climb walls before."
Lu Xixiao raised an eyebrow, neither confirming nor denying.
He'd scaled this wall numerous times during his school days.
Zhou Wan said, "Back then, you even gave me an ice-cold drink."
This he had no recollection of at all.
"When?"
"During military training."
Military training.
Before their formal high school entrance.
Lu Xixiao chuckled. "That was when you had a crush on me?"
"Mm."
"Your crush was really well hidden—no one could tell at all."
Zhou Wan offered her hand to him. Lu Xixiao grasped it and, with a firm pull of his arm, easily lifted her up.
They used to climb a shorter wall, but after the renovations it had become much higher. Lu Xixiao intended to jump down first and then help Zhou Wan down to prevent her from getting hurt or twisting an ankle.
But before he could voice this, she nimbly leaped down.
Lu Xixiao immediately followed, grabbing her arm. "Did it hurt?"
Zhou Wan shook her head.
There was thick grass below, cushioning her fall.
Only then did she respond to his earlier comment. "At that time, I didn't even realize it was called having a crush. I was just drawn to you. Sometimes when you appeared at school, I couldn't help but watch you."
Back then, Zhou Wan felt she didn't even have the right to like someone, let alone confess.
Lu Xixiao raised an eyebrow. "Liked my face?"
Because of his words, Zhou Wan instinctively turned to study his face. "Mm."
Zhou Wan really didn't seem like someone who would fall for someone just because of their looks.
"Alright then." Lu Xixiao laughed, joking lightly, "I'll have to take good care of this face from now on. Relying on it to win favor with my looks."
Zhou Wan's eyes curved as she let him lead her into the campus, playing along. "Mm, you must never grow old."
Even though he had started this topic, now he wasn't pleased. He pinched Zhou Wan's cheek and pulled it outward, threatening lazily, "Say that again and see what happens."
Zhou Wan fell silent.
Lu Xixiao was someone who responded better to softness than toughness. He scoffed lightly and released her cheek.
Zhou Wan proactively took his hand, smoothing his ruffled feathers in the process.
"Lu Xixiao, do you know what attracted me most about you back then?"
Zhou Wan tilted her head slightly, looking up at the moon in the sky. "It was because you were so unrestrained."
She understood the recklessness Lu Xixiao had back then, and she was well aware of his untamable wild nature.But when I look at you, everything around me blurs, leaving only you—carrying the world's most crisp wind, blowing into my dim hiding place.
...
They walked through the school building's corridors, past the vast playground and basketball courts, through groves and ponds.
Every past memory came flooding back.
If not for Lu Xixiao, Zhou Wan might have died in that gas-leaking room.
If not for Zhou Wan, Lu Xixiao might have died in some unknown deep night.
Sometimes it's hard to distinguish when exactly I began to love you.
But whenever it was, from the day I fell in love with you, I never stopped.
They never had the chance to properly stroll through the school together before. Today, they walked hand in hand, circling the campus again and again.
Zhou Wan often heard people lament how they never appreciated their school days until after graduation—how their most beautiful dream was waking up back in a buzzing fan-filled classroom, lifting their eyes to familiar faces.
"Lu Xixiao, do you wish you could return to high school?" Zhou Wan asked.
"No," he said.
Zhou Wan was surprised, then reconsidered and amended, "What if it was just returning to the first semester of eleventh grade?"
"Still no."
Lu Xixiao smiled. "I wasn't capable of protecting you back then. I don't want to see you struggle like that again."
Zhou Wan froze.
She lowered her head, pressed her lips together, and whispered, "I'd actually like to go back to that time."
Lu Xixiao turned to look at her.
Zhou Wan met his gaze: "If we could do it over, I could accompany you through twelfth grade, and you could personally hand me every exam report card."
Then you wouldn't have to go alone to that empty room, slipping report cards under the door crack—like sending letters destined never to be received.
If we could return to the past, our names would appear together on the academic honor roll. We wouldn't have to endure those difficult times alone. We'd have no regrets left.
"Wanwan."
Lu Xixiao's voice was soft. "Those report cards did eventually reach you."
That's enough for me.
As long as the ending is still you, any path is acceptable.
And those regrets can no longer be called "regrets"—they're just thorns we hacked through on our way to each other.
They're our medals of honor.
It was very late when they left the school.
Though the city had implemented fireworks restrictions in recent years, enforcement was lax during Spring Festival. Now, countless people were setting off fireworks.
Brilliant fireworks rose consecutively, illuminating the entire sky.
The car window rolled halfway down, wind tousling her hair as Zhou Wan watched the fireworks reflected against the night sky.
Another new year was coming soon.
They were about to step into it—together.
Fresh from the school visit, Zhou Wan's heart still rippled with emotion.
Places like schools always stir endless associations, summoning reflections on youth.
As if life's first half could be reviewed in fleeting seconds.
And the most memorable part of her youth was always the portion with Lu Xixiao.
The car suddenly stopped. Zhou Wan looked out the window—they weren't home yet.
"What's wrong?" she asked.
Lu Xixiao glanced at her: "Don't recognize this place?"
Zhou Wan looked out again, then curved her lips: "Why are you so nostalgic tonight?"
The arcade.
Where they officially met.
"Let's go take a look."
Zhou Wan followed Lu Xixiao into the arcade.Perhaps because it was New Year's Eve, the arcade was empty.
"Welcome." A girl stood behind the counter, looking no older than twenty, smiling. "Would you like to register a membership card?"
Lu Xixiao had registered a card years ago and had never changed his phone number all this time.
The two played games for a while, earning quite a few arcade tickets, all of which were stored in the card.
Zhou Wan asked, "What's the highest-point prize available here now?"
"A bicycle." The girl tilted her chin toward the display window behind her. "That one."
Zhou Wan looked over.
So many years had passed, and while the outside world had changed rapidly, this place remained largely unchanged.
It was still the same bicycle as before, the one Lu Xixiao had won for her.
"Miss, would you like to redeem your points?" the girl asked.
Zhou Wan turned her head to look at Lu Xixiao, letting him make the decision.
"Let's redeem them," he said. "Who knows when we'll be back next time."
With the number of points they had, there weren't many options to choose from.
Zhou Wan looked around and selected a pink, fluffy keychain.
She remembered Lu Xixiao had once redeemed a blue one.
Hooking the keychain with her index finger and lifting it, her eyes curved into a smile. "Is it pretty?"
Lu Xixiao curled his lips. "Yeah."
The girl added, "Miss, we have a New Year's event going on. You can also participate in a lucky draw."
"You have New Year's events now?" Zhou Wan laughed. "I never encountered one before."
A large bunch of red balloons hung nearby.
"Just pick any balloon here. Inside, there's a slip of paper indicating whether you've won a prize," the girl explained.
Zhou Wan tugged at Lu Xixiao's wrist. "You do it."
"You pick."
Zhou Wan glanced at him. "I have bad luck."
He smiled. "Maybe this time will be different."
They had participated in lucky draws and golden egg smashing events together before, and Zhou Wan had always had poor luck, ending up with "Thank you for your patronage" every time.
But she never took the draws too seriously, treating them as just a bit of fun. Without further hesitation, she pulled out one of the balloons. "This one."
The girl helped her pop the balloon.
Pop.
A red slip of paper fluttered to the ground.
Zhou Wan bent down to pick it up and unfolded it—
Grand Prize.
She froze.
She had never been this lucky before.
It was completely unexpected.
The girl also saw the words on the paper and said with a smile, "Congratulations, miss. Wishing you a happy New Year, constant good luck, and everything going your way."
"Thank you." Zhou Wan clutched the slip tightly, still finding it hard to believe. She looked at Lu Xixiao and smiled. "It seems my luck has really improved since I've been with you."
She then asked the girl, "What's the grand prize?"
The girl bent down and pulled out a square black velvet box from behind the counter.
Zhou Wan was taken aback, and then she saw Lu Xixiao reach out and take the box.
A box like that easily sparked certain associations.
Zhou Wan's heartbeat stilled as she looked up at Lu Xixiao.
Then, she watched as he knelt down on one knee.
Her gaze followed him downward, watching him slowly lower himself until he was half-kneeling on the ground, his back straight. He opened the box, revealing a diamond ring inside.
The diamond sparkled brilliantly, shining brightly even in the dimly lit arcade.
She was completely stunned. The entire moment had lasted only a couple of seconds, yet every frame seemed to play out in slow motion.
Inappropriately, a few fragments flashed through her mind.
A dilapidated, abandoned bus station, a downpour, a young man rushing over alone, his eyes bloodshot, silent, his knees bending as he knelt directly before everyone.His trousers were stained with dust, like a fallen deity.
Before Lu Xixiao could speak, Zhou Wan instinctively stepped forward and grabbed his arm. "Get up, don’t kneel, Lu Xixiao."
He chuckled, not knowing what Zhou Wan was thinking at that moment, and spoke in a casual, matter-of-fact tone. "Isn’t this how proposals are done?"
Zhou Wan paused and looked at him.
The man’s face wore a carefree and audacious smile, no different from his younger days.
Her thoughts quickly followed suit.
"Zhou Wan."
He knelt on one knee, looked up, and said softly, "Will you marry me?"
Zhou Wan’s eyes welled up. "Haven’t I... already proposed to you?"
"Other girls have it, so of course you should too." Lu Xixiao curled his lips. "Zhou Wan, will you marry me? With me?"
Tears blurred her vision.
Lu Xixiao’s image grew hazy.
And she felt as if a force had pushed her into a whirlpool of memories—
"Zhou Wan, the 'Wan' from 'draw a carved bow to the full like the moon.'"
"Lu Xixiao."
"I know."
The man was still the same as before.
Full of spirit, audacious and candid.
Just as he was when she first laid eyes on him at fifteen.
"Okay." Zhou Wan couldn’t tear her gaze away, her voice trembling. "I do."
He smiled, lowered his head, and slid the ring onto Zhou Wan’s ring finger.
The diamond was so dazzling, reflecting a brilliant light that made his eyes sting. Lu Xixiao bent down to kiss her finger, his back slightly curved, a posture of complete surrender.
"Let me reintroduce myself." His voice was magnetic. "I am Zhou Wan’s husband, Lu Xixiao."
Zhou Wan laughed through her tears. "I am Lu Xixiao’s wife, Zhou Wan."
…
The arcade was dimly lit, but the man shone as brightly as ever, forging ahead just like before.
Zhou Wan suddenly recalled a trivial incident from long ago—
It was a day in early autumn.
After school, Zhou Wan went to the hospital to pick up her grandma’s medical report. On her way out, she remembered that her grandma’s skin had been itching frequently, so she went to the pharmacy across the street to buy a jar of mint ointment, thinking it would bring her grandma some relief.
As she stepped out of the pharmacy, it was the peak of rush hour.
The world before her was a bustling stream of people and traffic, everything moving forward rapidly, while she had no choice but to be left behind.
Zhou Wan held the medicine in her hand, trying to suppress the bitterness inside, but it only grew stronger.
She slowly crouched down, hugging her knees, and buried her face in them.
The autumn wind was bleak, chilling her to the bone.
She didn’t know how much time had passed when a deep voice sounded above her—
"Hey."
Zhou Wan looked up, stunned.
Lu Xixiao stood beside her, his head not lowered but his gaze directed downward, looking at her from a height.
In the early autumn, he wore only a white short-sleeved shirt. The wind outlined his tall and sharp figure. He looked lazy. "You okay?"
Zhou Wan shook her head.
Through her tear-blurred vision, she saw Lu Xixiao put the cigarette between his lips, slip his hand into his pocket, and pull out a pack of tissues to hand to her.
Zhou Wan paused, then reached out to take it. "Thank you."
He gave no further response. His friends emerged from the nearby internet cafe, calling his name. Lu Xixiao flicked the ash from his cigarette and walked away, leaving only his back.
The wind lifted his clothes, carrying the unique audacity and candor of youth.
So dazzling, so fervent.
It forcibly pulled Zhou Wan into a world that had never been meant for her.
But do you know?
Back then, when I looked at you, even the wind around me stilled, leaving only you—so fervent that you lit up my eyes.Carrying the world's most crisp wind, it blows into my obscure hiding place.
...
We are all pulled forward by fate, perhaps on a smooth path, perhaps stumbling along the way.
Some come to an abrupt halt, some fall bruised and battered, some take the wrong turn.
None of us remains entirely untainted.
But it's alright to turn bad, for there will always be someone who loves you just as you are.
I love not only your clusters of flowers, but also the mud that covers you.
And in the days to come, let us look forward together and walk toward higher ground.
Let us embark together on a beautiful dream from which we shall never wake.
Together, let us plant flowers in hell.
OpenNovel