Fall / Falling in Love - Chapter 2

As Zhou Wan rushed home, the rain had ceased, but she was already drenched. 

Several neighbors were gathered under a tree in the community garden, chatting away. Spotting her soaked appearance, they quickly exclaimed, "Wan Wan, did you fall in the river?!"

With a smile, Zhou Wan replied, "I forgot to bring an umbrella."

"Just wait until the rain stops," one woman grumbled about the weather before handing her a brown paper bag from the table. "Take this home and share it with your grandma."

Inside the bag were still-warm mung bean cakes. Zhou Wan attempted to decline, but the woman insisted, pushing the food into her hands. "They're still hot; hurry home and eat them before they cool down!"

This community had been around for nearly thirty years, filled with ordinary folks who all knew one another. They greeted each other in passing. 

Naturally, they were all aware of Zhou Wan's family situation. Her father, Zhou Jun, had been a warm-hearted and helpful man during his lifetime, and now the neighbors felt a duty to support his daughter as best they could in his absence.

Zhou Wan expressed her gratitude to the woman before heading inside.

Behind her, she could hear the women sighing and chatting... 

"This child has such a tough life. I heard she's doing really well in school. If Old Zhou were still here, she'd have no worries at all."

"Who can blame her mother, though? What a selfish person!" someone scoffed, "Urgh!"

"There's no point in criticizing her now. She's managed to rise to the top; at nearly forty, she’s entangled with a wealthy man," a neighbor replied.

"Do you really think all rich people are that naive? It’s just for show. I doubt any wealthy man is foolish enough to marry someone like her." The woman spoke with contempt. "And the son from the Lu family? You definitely don’t want to mess with him."

"What’s going on?"

"Don't you get it? The Lu family has only one son, so all the inheritance goes to him. Only a fool would let his father marry a woman from a poor background."

...

The hallway lights were off.

Zhou Wan climbed the stairs in the dark, fumbling with the key in the lock until it finally turned.

"Grandma."

"Yes?"

The elderly woman with white hair was in the kitchen, beaming as she said, "You're home."

Zhou Wan placed her schoolbag on the table and dashed into the kitchen. "Grandma, I told you to go to bed early."

"I’ll prepare you a bowl of wontons," Grandma replied, patting the back of Zhou Wan's hand with a smile. "Here it is, all done. They’ve risen to the top."

"I'll serve it."

Zhou Wan grabbed a bowl and placed the wontons on the table outside. She then pulled out some medicine from her schoolbag and poured a cup of warm water. "First, take your medicine."

"Okay."

As Zhou Wan sat down to enjoy her wontons, she watched her grandmother take her medicine while continuously scratching her skin.

"Is it itchy again?" Zhou Wan inquired.

Her grandmother suffered from uremia, which caused dry and itchy skin, particularly noticeable on her arms. They were parched, with white flakes and red spots from constant scratching.

Finishing her last wonton quickly, Zhou Wan reached for the ointment.

"I can put it on myself," Grandma insisted. "You should go rest; school is tomorrow."

"I'll apply it for you, then head to bed." Zhou Wan gently spread the cool ointment on her grandmother's arm, bending down to ensure it was well applied, then blew on it lightly. "Is it still itchy?"

"Not anymore," Grandma chuckled. "Go wash your hands and get some sleep."

Zhou Wan understood that if the ointment were truly effective, her grandmother wouldn't have gone nights without sleep, scratching at her arms so often.

Only one light was on in the bedroom.

Zhou Wan pulled out her homework. 

She was occupied with her work and trips to the hospital on weekends, while also needing to finish up some papers.

As she wrote, the scene from earlier on the street replayed in her mind.

She could hear her grandmother coughing in the next room, a deep, heavy sound that felt as if every cough could overwhelm her.

Surrounded by the distinctive dampness of the rainy day, she continued to work on her papers.

A sudden, troubling thought crossed Zhou Wan's mind...

What if Guo Xiang Ling was unable to marry?

No, it was more than that—she would have to leave the Lu family, missing out on all its wealth and luxury. She had betrayed her father, turned her back on herself, and watched helplessly as her grandmother suffered.

How could she enjoy herself with a clear conscience?

Zhou Wan despised Guo Xiang Ling. During the day, it was manageable, but at night, especially when exhaustion set in, that hatred would creep in like dark vines, suffocating her heart.

Even now, she recalled her father's funeral at the age of 37, with many neighbors coming to pay their respects and offering as much financial help as they could.

Everyone questioned, "Where is your mother?"

Guo Xiang Ling was absent the entire day. It wasn't until late at night that Zhou Wan peered outside to see a man bringing her mother back, both of them laughing and chatting happily.

When Guo Xiang Ling finally returned, she immediately pulled out a suitcase from the closet and packed her clothes.

Zhou Wan opened the door to the bedroom that had once belonged to her parents, standing there in confusion as she asked her mother where she was headed.

Guo Xiang Ling responded, "Wan Wan, I'm going out for a few days."

Zhou Wan's understanding dawned on her, and she clutched her mother’s suitcase, crying and pleading for her not to leave. The ten-year-old girl, still reeling from her father's death, was terrified at the thought of her mother leaving. She broke down, clinging and crying until her voice was hoarse and her legs were sore from rubbing against the floor.

Despite her desperate pleas, Zhou Wan was unable to stop her mother from departing.

With a shaky hand, Zhou Wan wrote 'Guo Xiang Ling' on the paper, almost unconsciously.

How could I take revenge on her?

Then she added 'Lu Xi Xiao' to the page.

...

"Wan Wan..." Gu Meng called from the front desk, "Have you finished the physics paper?"

Zhou Wan replied, "Not yet. Which question are you stuck on?"

"I don't understand any of them." With the homework deadline approaching, Gu Meng was eager to copy as much as she could. She turned to Zhou Wan's deskmate, "Jiang Yan, have you finished?"

Jiang Yan adjusted his glasses and replied, "No, there's a physics competition coming up soon. Teacher Hu said we only need to work on the competition paper."

Gu Meng frowned slightly, "Oh." She then sought out another student for the homework paper.

Jiang Yan turned back to Zhou Wan, "Have you started preparing for the competition?"

Zhou Wan shook her head, "There’s still a month left."

"Time flies, though. It'll be here before we know it." Jiang Yan fiddled with a pen. "I'm a bit anxious. If I do well enough to qualify for the national competition, I might get a chance to attend Huaqing University's summer camp."

Zhou Wan smiled at him, encouragingly responding, "You’ll do great; your grades are excellent."

Jiang Yan looked at her, surprised, "Aren’t you nervous?"

"I’m alright."

"It’s really tough to get into Tsinghua University with your current scores," Jiang Yan commented. "Don't you think about taking the exam one day?"

Zhou Wan smiled softly and said, "I haven't thought it through; I'm just going with the flow."

Jiang Yan shook his head and remarked, "Zhou Wan, Huaqing University in China simply can't be matched by any other institution. If you get into Tsinghua University, you'll have a much brighter future ahead of you."

Zhou Wan remained silent, her gaze drifting out the window.

The sky was a brilliant blue, dotted with fluffy white clouds; it felt vast and deep.

She cherished the thought of such an expansive future. 

But what did her future hold?

Zhou Wan found it difficult to envision. She felt like a young eagle meant to soar high and freely through the skies. Yet now, she was ensnared by an invisible tether, preventing her from reaching great heights.

...

Nearby, there was an old cinema with a game hall at its base. After school, many students would frequent the hall for some fun, and business was booming.

The game hall had been opened by a friend of Zhou Jun's. When his family later relocated from Pingchuan City, they asked Zhou Wan to manage the game hall. Although framed as a favor, it was really a way to support his friend’s daughter while compensating Zhou Wan with a monthly salary.

Every day after school, Zhou Wan would arrive at the game hall to take over.

“Little boss!” A lively and pretty girl dashed over, propping herself on the table and cheerfully asked, “Can I get a hundred game coins?”

Zhou Wan glanced up from her studies: “You can purchase a card for 100 yuan, and it comes with a 5% discount on future currency buys.”

“Alright, let’s do that.” 

As Zhou Wan bent down to create the card, she heard the girl turn and enthusiastically call out, “A Xiao!”

Zhou Wan paused and noticed Lu Xi Xiao heading their place.

The girl affectionately linked her arm with his, playfully saying, “I’ve been waiting for you!”

Lu Xi Xiao responded with a slight smile, but his disinterest was evident. He pulled out a hundred yuan and placed it on the table.

With one of his arms being held by the girl, he used his other hand to grab a cigarette from a box, placing it in his mouth, and then took out a lighter.

With a soft ‘ding’, the flames flickered to life, although it didn't quite touch the tobacco. His voice had a rough, lingering nasality, suggesting he was still waking up; he seemed relaxed and somewhat detached.

After a moment, he recalled something and asked, "Can we smoke here?"

Realizing he was addressing her, Zhou Wan replied, "It's fine."

As she handed the card to the girl, she said, “It’s all set."

“So we can just swipe the card to play games and don’t need coins anymore, right?” the girl confirmed. 

“Correct,” Zhou Wan replied.

The girl nodded eagerly, her eyes sparkling as she looked at Lu Xi Xiao. “A Xiao, what do you feel like playing?”

He exhaled a cloud of smoke and casually replied, “Anything.”

“Let’s go play basketball then!” 

Dressed in a smart black suit, Lu Xi Xiao effortlessly took hold of the basketball with his long, slender fingers and began shooting. 

His shots were relaxed, not rushed or overly focused, yet every one landed perfectly.

A crowd gradually began to gather behind him.

This display made Lu Xi Xiao’s girlfriend even more proud.

“A Xiao,” she said, almost glued to his side, “Can we play as a couple later?”

“No,” he replied, flicking ash into a nearby trash can.

“Will you at least play and stay with me?”

“Just play on your own.” Lu Xi Xiao took the game card, swiped it, and hit the start button for her.

New couple customers came in, and Zhou Wan began signing them up for games. Suddenly, she overheard a boy say, “Hey, what’s happening over there? Are they fighting?”

Curious, Zhou Wan glanced in that direction.

It seemed Lu Xi Xiao’s attitude had upset his girlfriend. She wore a slight frown, her eyes glistening with tears, looking both pitiful and wronged.

Meanwhile, Lu Xi Xiao stood to the side, his gaze lowered, showing no signs of emotion—or concern.

"Can you pay a bit more attention to me, Lu Xi Xiao?" the girl complained, clearly unhappy. "I'm always seeking you out, and now you won't even play games with me. Is this how you date?" 

"Xu Yi Xuan," he said softly, lowering his gaze.

At the sound of his voice, Xu Yi Xuan understood she couldn't act playfully around Lu Xi Xiao anymore. It was clear he wouldn't tolerate her antics, and perhaps she had pushed things too far. 

He stubbed out his cigarette, showing his disinterest. “Let’s just forget it.”

The girl’s eyes widened in shock. “What?”

“We should break up.”

Zhou Wan watched as Xu Yi Xuan's eyes filled with tears. It was striking how such a vibrant, beautiful girl could appear so broken in front of Lu Xi Xiao. 

A crowd had gathered around them, and unable to keep her composure, Xu Yi Xuan cried out, “You jerk!” before turning and running away.

That’s just how Lu Xi Xiao was.

Everyone at school was aware of his reputation. Despite the line of girls vying for his attention, it never seemed to deter others from approaching him.

Zhou Wan couldn’t quite understand what drew them to him.

After Xu Yi Xuan left, Lu Xi Xiao didn’t go after her. Instead, he headed to the bathroom to wash his face. When he came out, water droplets trickled down his sharply defined features.

He approached Zhou Wan and grabbed a pack of cigarettes from her desk. “How much?” he asked.

"Eighty," she replied.

He scanned the payment code, then paused when he looked up and noticed her, as if he recognized her. “Yangming?” he asked casually.

Zhou Wan met his gaze. “Yeah.”

He opened the cigarette pack, pulled one out, lit it, and raised his eyebrows playfully through the smoke. “What’s your name?”

“Zhou Wan.” After a brief hesitation, she added, “The one who can draw a bow like a full moon.”

Lu Xi Xiao raised an eyebrow and smirked knowingly.

As he chuckled, Zhou Wan felt her cheeks heat up.

“Lu Xi Xiao,” he introduced himself.

“I know,” she replied.

He looked up at her.

Zhou Wan held his gaze, remembering something she had read; if you look someone in the eye twice, they’re likely to remember you.

This was their second exchange.