Fall / Falling in Love - Chapter 1

The stuffy summer was like a wild beast in a cage. A thunderstorm had just ended, the ground was still wet, and the air was already filled with an irritating and oppressive feeling.

Zhou Wan walked to the entrance of the hospital to get some fresh air.

She was wearing a comfortable and clean cotton dress, with her hair tied up casually, a few strands falling around her fair neck, and her clean, clear eyes drooping.

She didn't have time to eat lunch, and her stomach felt a little uncomfortable.

Zhou Wan slowly squatted down by the side of the road, hugging her knees.

At this moment, Zhou Wan saw Lu Xi Xiao across the street.

The boy was tall with long legs. He was wearing a white short-sleeved shirt and jeans. His outfit was very casual, but it made him look even more youthful.

He leaned casually against the wall at the entrance of the Internet cafe, with neat hair, deep and frivolous eyes, a cigarette between his fingertips, no expression, and a temperament of indulgence and playfulness.

Then, a girl with a slim waist and long legs walked out of the Internet cafe.

She was wearing a suspender top with two thin burgundy straps on her snow-white shoulders. She walked to Lu Xi Xiao, leaned towards him, and stood on tiptoe to speak in his ear.

Lu Xi Xiao cooperated by bending over and leaning closer to listen.

Very thoughtful.

The girl whispered something in his ear; he smiled, and his calm, indifferent eyes began to ripple.

He also turned sideways, half leaning against the girl, so close that he almost touched her ear, and replied.

He smiled a little wickedly.

Sure enough, the girl blushed and raised her hand coquettishly to punch him in the chest.

Zhou Wan looked at the scene in front of her and blinked slowly.

Of course, she knew Lu Xi Xiao. Everyone at Yangming Middle School knew him.

He was born with a good-looking appearance and a free-spirited personality. He was particularly eye-catching among the boys and girls of sixteen or seventeen and attracted a lot of love and admiration.

He had many girlfriends. He seemed fickle and affectionate, but in fact, he was cold, heartless, and never paid any attention to anyone.

Actually, Zhou Wan and he had met once before—

It was early autumn of her freshman year in high school when she ran into Lu Xi Xiao and his friends at a breakfast restaurant.

A group of boys were chatting without restraint. They talked about his ex-girlfriend, who was from another school and had a great figure. They started to make a fuss and said a few words all at once.

Zhou Wan was sitting nearby at the time and caught a few words of the conversation, feeling uncomfortable.

She subconsciously looked at the protagonist of their talk.

The protagonist remained calm and composed, drinking his porridge with his head down.

The table in the breakfast shop was very low, and he was too tall, which made him feel a little unwell sitting there. His skin was very white, and his hair was half wet, with strands hanging down in front of his forehead. His elbows rested on his knees, and his eyes were drooping.

"Master Xiao, please tell me something," the boy next to him asked with a smile. "What happened?"

He raised his eyes, his gaze filled with a faint smile, casual and unconcerned: "What's up?"

"You're still pretending. Don't you know what we’re asking?"

He laughed and joked, "I really don’t know."

His friend didn’t waste time talking to him and just winked: "How does it feel?"

Hearing this, Zhou Wan frowned.

After finishing his breakfast, Lu Xi Xiao tore off a piece of tissue and slowly wiped his mouth, then leaned back in the plastic chair with his arms folded.

At this moment, Lu Xi Xiao saw Zhou Wan, who was frowning at the table behind him.

The girl was very delicate, with a small nose, a small mouth, and big deer-like eyes that people could see through at a glance. They were the kind of eyes that made people feel innocent and pure at first glance.

The two looked at each other for a few seconds, and Zhou Wan looked away first.

Lu Xi Xiao laughed from the bottom of his throat, tapped his fingers on the table, and said nonchalantly, "Come on, there is a little girl here."

…

At that time, she didn't even know his name, and only found out his name later when her friends mentioned it.

Lu Xi Xiao.

Sure enough, after that, girls of all kinds were often seen standing next to him.

However, someone who liked Lu Xi Xiao would naturally not remember her just by looking at her for three seconds.

...

Across the street, the girl hugged Lu Xi Xiao's arm and acted coquettishly for a while, then half-pulled and half-dragged him into the Internet cafe.

Zhou Wan's stomachache eased a little, and she was just about to get up to buy something to fill her stomach when her cell phone rang.

"Hello?" She picked up. "Doctor Chen."

Doctor Chen: "Wan Wan, your grandmother's medical report is out. Please come over when you are free to get her medicine for the next half month."

"Okay, I'm at the hospital entrance now, and I'll come in right away."

Zhou Wan's grandmother had uremia and renal failure for several years and survived on weekly dialysis.

In the doctor's office, Doctor Chen placed the examination and test reports in front of Zhou Wan.

Zhou Wan often accompanied her grandmother to the hospital. The doctors and nurses in the department all knew her and secretly felt sorry for her. She was born well-behaved and pretty, so when they saw her on weekdays, they would greet her and show concern.

"As you can see from the current situation, I suggest increasing the frequency of dialysis to at least twice a week," said Doctor Chen.

Zhou Wan lowered her head and carefully looked at the up and down arrows on the test report, then nodded. "Okay."

The doctor knew her family's difficulties and said, "You also need to prepare for the expenses in advance."

After a pause, he added, "If you need any help, you can come to me."

Doctor Chen had worked in the hospital for more than ten years. He had witnessed too many births, aging, illnesses, and deaths, and had also seen too many elderly people being given up on for treatment.

As the old saying goes, there would be no filial son by the bedside of a long-term patient.

Since it was an old saying, it might have made sense.

Zhou Wan's grandmother had been ill for so many years, and Zhou Wan would come with her to the hospital as long as she could get leave permission from school.

Although she was only sixteen or seventeen years old, she never complained despite all that she had to endure. She was gentle and calm, which made others feel distressed.

Zhou Wan smiled faintly and thanked him but didn't want to bother him: "I'll think of a way."

...

She left the hospital with the test results.

The sun was high overhead, and the air was so stuffy that every breath felt like inhaling a ball of dry cotton.

Zhou Wan had beads of sweat on her forehead. She was standing at the bus stop, holding a bag in one hand, a stack of test reports under her arm, and calling her mother with the other hand.

There was just one beep, and then the call was hung up.

Then the bus was coming.

Zhou Wan was pushed onto the bus by the crowd.

The bus was filled with the sharp shouting of women and the unpleasant smell of cigarettes and alcohol from the men.

Zhou Wan was squeezed into a corner, grabbing the handrail, and her cell phone vibrated.

Her mother texted back.

[Mom: Wan Wan, I'm unavailable to call you right now. What's wrong?]

Zhou Wan hesitated for a moment with her finger on the screen, then replied.

[Zhou Wan: Let’s talk when we meet.]

[Mom: Then let’s do it tonight. I’ll find you then.]

[Zhou Wan: OK.]

That was an era when there were many pickpockets on buses. Zhou Wan didn't dare put her cell phone in her pocket, so she held it tightly in her hand. 

She watched the scenery pass by outside the bus's window. 

The bus was jolting. 

She knew exactly what kind of person her mother was. 

Her mother was different from the mothers in Chinese compositions, who carried their feverish children to the hospital late at night or fanned their children in the midsummer when the electricity was out. 

Her mother left home less than a month after Zhou Wan's father passed away. 

Later, Zhou Wan heard that she was dating a small boss in town. 

Guo Xiang Ling's love life was not smooth, and she had many boyfriends on and off. 

She was really beautiful, but unlike Zhou Wan, she had a bright beauty. Plus, she used to be a salesperson in a brand-name store, and then she was able to act like a celebrity by imitating others. 

Zhou Wan heard that she was really dating a very powerful man recently. 

There were all kinds of mothers in this world. Some were selfless, some were gentle, some were impatient, and some were stubborn. People could see all kinds of women in the Pingchuan vegetable market. 

It was just that Zhou Wan was unlucky to meet a selfish and egoistic mother. 

Zhou Wan knew that if she asked Guo Xiang Ling and borrowed money via text message, Guo Xiang Ling would definitely refuse. 

So, Zhou Wan had to meet her. 

... 

After dinner, Zhou Wan went to a cafe according to the address given by Guo Xiang Ling. 

Guo Xiang Ling had not arrived yet, so Zhou Wan found a seat in the corner and took out a physics competition paper from her schoolbag. 

An hour and a half had passed after finishing the test paper when Guo Xiang Ling finally arrived. 

"Wan Wan," Guo Xiang Ling trotted over in her lambskin high heels. "Have you been waiting for a long time?" 

Zhou Wan put away her papers: "Not long." 

Guo Xiang Ling smiled and pinched her face, called the waiter to order a cup of coffee, and ordered a cup of hot milk for Zhou Wan: "You still have to go to school tomorrow; drink milk; otherwise, you won't be able to sleep." 

Strangely enough, it was she who left the ten-year-old Zhou Wan alone at home, but it was also she who continued to pretend to be gentle and intimate. 

Guo Xiang Ling exchanged a few pleasantries, first saying that Zhou Wan had lost weight, and then asking about her studies in school. 

"I got second place in the last exam." 

"Second in the class?" 

"Yeah." Zhou Wan took a sip of hot milk, a faint sweetness spreading from her mouth. She licked her lips, "I'm also second in the school grade." 

Guo Xiang Ling smiled and rubbed her hair: "My Wan Wan is really promising." 

"Mom..." Zhou Wan began, "I have something to talk to you about today." 

"Oh, I almost forgot. What is it?" 

"Grandma's test results came out today. She will need a lot of money for medical treatment in the future. The money in grandma's medical insurance has been almost used up. I earn a slow income working part-time after school, so..." She paused and looked at Guo Xiang Ling's expression. 

Guo Xiang Ling was still smiling, but her smile looked a little apologetic. "Wan Wan, I know you have a deep relationship with grandma, but mom is alone now and can't really give much." 

"Well, I know. I don't want your money." Zhou Wan lowered her head and looked at the ripples in the milk. "But didn't Dad have a deposit before? I want to use that money to treat grandma's illness first." 

Guo Xiang Ling's expression froze for a moment, and she sighed: "Wan Wan, you should know that grandma's disease cannot be cured by dialysis." 

Zhou Wan raised her eyes. 

The little girl had big eyes, and her eyes were slightly red. 

Guo Xiang Ling sighed again, as if to compromise: "How much does the doctor say it will cost?" 

"She has to do dialysis twice a week, and it costs about 400 yuan each time.

"Are you trying to rob me?" Guo Xiang Ling opened her eyes wide. "Grandma's condition is quite stable; why do you suddenly need to spend more money? Wan Wan, you are young and look easy to bully, but be careful of being cheated!" 

Zhou Wan frowned. 

"Okay," Guo Xiang Ling waved her hand. "But I can't take out this long-term money. How about this: I'll give you 500 yuan first, and we'll talk about it later." 

Guo Xiang Ling took out five bills from her wallet. 

She accidentally pulled out one extra bill, stuffed it back in, and handed the five bills to Zhou Wan. 

The moment Zhou Wan received the money, she felt like her self-esteem was being trampled on. 

She had no choice but to take it and said thank you. 

Guo Xiang Ling answered another call and immediately laughed happily, saying in a repeated voice: "Yes, yes, I'm back. You're asking for trouble!" 

After hanging up the phone, she immediately stood up with her bag and said, "Wan Wan, Mom has something else to do, and I'll leave first. Drink the milk before you go back." 

"Um." 

Guo Xiang Ling left quickly. 

Zhou Wan put five hundred yuan into the inner layer of her schoolbag, zipped it up, picked up the cup, and drank the milk in one gulp, then stood up. 

When she walked outside, she just saw Guo Xiang Ling getting into a car. 

A shiny black car. 

She sat in the back seat, and the driver was in the front. 

It seemed that the rumors spread by the neighbors were true. This time, her mother had indeed found a very rich man. 

The car had not driven very far when it suddenly slowed down, stopped by the roadside, and rolled down the window. 

Guo Xiang Ling's voice was very penetrating and reached her ears clearly— 

"A Xiao, get in the car; let's go back together." 

Zhou Wan’s gaze paused, and her dark eyelashes drooped downwards. 

Lu Xi Xiao. 

He was standing on the side of the road with dark eyes and droopy eyelids, looking extremely cold and impatient. 

He ignored it. 

It was just that the summer thunderstorms came suddenly and poured down in torrents. 

Zhou Wan had no time to react; she covered her head with her hands and ran towards the bus stop, stepping on the splashes of water. 

Her clothes were completely wet and stuck to her body. Her hair was also wet, with water droplets flowing down her hair and soaking her eyes, making her look misty. 

Zhou Wan wiped off the water droplets on her arms and put her schoolbag on her chest to cover her half-transparent white clothes. 

She looked towards the car again. 

Lu Xi Xiao seemed to make a 'tsk' sound; his eyes looked distant and cold as he opened the passenger door and got in. 

He did not close the car window, leaving it half open and letting the slanting raindrops fall on him. 

He lit a cigarette, held it in his mouth, and rested his elbows on the windowsill, the smoke being blown away by the raindrops. 

Lu Xi Xiao was a person with strong and neat bones. People with such bone structure could easily leave a deep impression on others. 

At this moment, he was very different from when he was outside the Internet cafe during the day. 

Zhou Wan looked at him intently. 

Her mind was as confused as a tangled ball of wool. 

But she suddenly remembered that the neighbors seemed to say this—that Guo Xiang Ling was really amazing; this time, she even hooked up with the big boss named Lu. 

——Surname Lu. 

In the heavy rain, the car sped away, and the water on the roadside formed waves. 

Zhou Wan stood alone in front of the signboard, but the rain never stopped. 

Her grandmother was still waiting to take the medicine. 

She put the prescribed medicine into her schoolbag, held the schoolbag tightly against her chest, and rushed into the rain. 

A girl ran in the rain, and a boy smoked in the car. 

They went in opposite directions. 

But at this moment, they were being pulled by an invisible thread and became entangled.