Fall / Falling in Love - Chapter 3

When Zhou Wan arrived home, her grandmother was already asleep.

She headed to her room and saw a notebook on her desk. It had the names she had written down yesterday: 'Guo Xiang Ling' and 'Lu Xi Xiao'.

As she sat in her chair, she gazed down at the two names, noticing a line connecting them.

A thought crossed her mind: what if she were with Lu Xi Xiao?

Surely, Master Lu would be enraged and never associate with Guo Xiang Ling again.

This idea suddenly emerged in Zhou Wan’s thoughts.

She really understood herself and realized that Lu Xi Xiao never got serious with any of his girlfriends. Even if she ended up with him, she wouldn’t be any different. But honestly, maybe that’s for the best.

Just being together was enough for her. Just being with him and having Master Lu know her was enough.

Just... enjoying Lu Xi Xiao’s carefree nature for a little while wouldn’t hurt anyone.

Zhou Wan never imagined she'd entertain such dark thoughts, yet she found herself unable to suppress them.

It slithered into her heart like a sneaky snake.

She looked up to see her reflection in the mirror. The room was dim, with the desk lamp casting a soft glow around her. Her long, dark hair fell against her chest, her fair skin stood out, and her small face featured a pointed nose, delicate lips, and bright, round eyes, reminiscent of two black grapes.

Zhou Wan was undeniably beautiful; people had been complimenting her since she was little. But her beauty felt more pure and innocent, unlike most of the girls around Lu Xi Xiao, who were usually a bit more flashy.

She was uncertain if she could actually pursue this path. But at least... Lu Xi Xiao already knew her name.

...

In the ninth month, the air was filled with the sweet scent of osmanthus, enveloping the entire school.

Gu Meng gathered a handful of sweet osmanthus, placing them in a bag to make a sachet for Zhou Wan.

By the time the small osmanthus in the sachet dried up, it was time for the school sports meet. 

During the opening ceremony, each class entered with a sign, and Zhou Wan got appointed to hold one. 

All the girls holding signs had to switch from their oversized uniforms to cute, fitted white short-sleeved tops and pleated skirts, which looked super youthful. 

When Gu Meng saw her in the new outfit, she exclaimed, "Wan Wan! Whoever designed those uniforms should be praised! You look amazing in that short skirt!" 

Even though she had safety shorts underneath, the skirt was pretty short, barely reaching the upper middle of her thighs. 

Zhou Wan felt a bit uneasy about the length. She tugged at the hem, trying to pull it down a bit. 

Gu Meng grabbed her hand and said, "Don't pull it! It's supposed to be like that." 

"I'm just worried that when I walk, it might ride up and show too much," Zhou Wan said, feeling a bit self-conscious. 

Gu Meng chuckled, "Nah, you're good! Plus, with the leggings, no chance of it showing. The school wouldn’t give you super short skirts anyway—this is just a normal one." 

The sports meet had everyone buzzing with excitement. The playground was lively from early morning. 

After the principal's speech, each class marched in, forming a square. 

Zhou Wan was in Class 1, leading the way with a sign that read 'Senior 2 Class 1'.

Right next to her was Class 7, where Lu Xi Xiao was. 

Among the 20 classes in Senior 2, Class 7 had the roughest grades and was the wildest. Their formation was all over the place, and the girl holding the sign hadn’t arrived yet. 

Zhou Wan glanced back. 

Lu Xi Xiao and his friends were hanging out at the back, not in their uniforms, casually holding cigarettes and laughing.

The sunlight made Lu Xi Xiao's skin appear even fairer. He looked like he had just gotten a fresh haircut, with his temples shaved short, highlighting his sharp features that radiated a cool and disdainful vibe.

At that moment, there was a girl nearby, sitting at the edge of the garden. She glanced up and made the first move to strike up a conversation with Lu Xi Xiao.

Zhou Wan recognized her as a member of the entertainment committee from another liberal arts class, not from Class 7.

The atmosphere around them was buzzing with noise. The summer sun filtered through the dense leaves, creating sporadic patches of light with a gentle golden hue.

The girl beamed at Lu Xi Xiao, reaching out her hand and likely asking for help to stand up.

Lu Xi Xiao didn't shift his gaze, looking down at her with an air of superiority, and slightly smirked, "Can't you get up on your own?" 

"My legs are numb," the girl replied cheerfully.

He flicked the ash off his cigarette but remained unmoving.

Not at all embarrassed, the girl raised her eyebrows playfully and quipped, "So harsh?"

He remained impassive, smiling slightly, "Yup."

The girl let out a 'tsk', stood up elegantly, and brushed off her pants.

At that moment, Xu Yi Xuan rushed across the playground towards them, serving as the representative for Class 7. She was wearing a snug short-sleeved top and a mini skirt that accentuated her figure.

Approaching Lu Xi Xiao, her eyes looked puffy and her voice wobbled with anxiety, "Lu Xi Xiao, who is she?"

Before Lu Xi Xiao could respond, Xu Yi Xuan's composed demeanor fell apart.

Clutching his shirt, her eyelashes fluttered as she lowered her tone, saying, “A Xiao, I was wrong. I won’t keep bothering you anymore. Let’s be on good terms.”

This stunning girl, in front of Lu Xi Xiao, somehow turned vulnerable and pitiful. 

Everyone around them was watching closely.

"A Xiao, I..." 

"Xu Yi Xuan." Lu Xi Xiao cut her off, "We’re done."

He dropped his usual cheerful demeanor, and his voice turned cold and detached, almost ruthless.

Gu Meng, standing behind Zhou Wan, leaned in and whispered with a sigh, "Can you believe a beauty like Xu Yi Xuan can't get Lu Xi Xiao to budge?"

Zhou Wan glanced over at them, blinked slowly, and then sighed, "Meng Meng, if they know what kind of person he is, why do they all keep chasing after him?"

Did they really think they could be the one to change him?

Zhou Wan just couldn’t wrap her head around why anyone would sacrifice their self-esteem and pride for a guy. 

She mused that if she found herself falling for someone like that, she wouldn't say a word. She wouldn’t let him stomp on her dignity; she would keep her feelings locked away as a personal secret.

Gu Meng was taken aback and exclaimed, "Wan Wan! You’re so insightful! I can’t believe I’m hearing this from you!" Then she feigned deep contemplation, "Youth is like that. You’ve got to deal with some jerks and face a bit of heartbreak. Otherwise, all you'll remember are equations and vectors. How dull."

The host at the podium called out loudly, "Next up is our Senior 2 team, led by the students from Senior 2 Class 1..."

Zhou Wan sorted her thoughts, lifted a sign, and moved forward with the rest of her classmates.

Meanwhile, Xu Yi Xuan was being led away by a friend, tears welling in her eyes, and another girl left the scene, clearly upset.

A bunch of boys suddenly started chatting. "Hey, who's that holding the sign from Class 1? I don't think I've seen her before." 

"That's the top student; I think she’s second in the grade. When she wore the school uniform, she looked super innocent. She seems like the first love type. Didn't see that she had such a nice figure! Wow, those legs..."

"Dude, I think I'm in love. She's adorable," Jiang Fan exclaimed, "How come I haven’t noticed her before?" 

"Of course you haven’t; you skip classes every day," came the reply. 

"Does she have a boyfriend? What's her name?" 

"She’s a top student—no way she has a boyfriend," his friend answered. "I’ve seen her name pop up on the board a bunch of times. I think it’s something like Wan, but I can’t quite recall her last name."

"Hey, A Xiao..." Jiang Fan nudged Lu Xi Xiao, who was next to him. "You know her, right?"

Lu Xi Xiao looked up from his phone, raised an eyebrow as he spotted Zhou Wan. 

"Is she your type for first love?" 

Jiang Fan replied, "I finally get what a first love face looks like." 

Lu Xi Xiao remained silent. 

Jiang Fan realized he probably wouldn’t have a chance with a girl like that and clutched his chest dramatically: "Oh man, I can’t handle it; my heart is melting."

Lu Xi Xiao raised an eyebrow: "Melting?"

He recalled that day in the arcade when she stood amidst the noise and chaos, her silhouette outlined in green, her features sharp, and long dark lashes. She had those big doe eyes, yet there was something stubborn and haughty in her gaze. 

She had a sweet look, but her personality was anything but.

Jiang Fan felt like Lu Xi Xiao couldn't quite appreciate his new crush and said: "Isn’t she cute?" 

Lu Xi Xiao gave a snicker. 

...

After the opening ceremony, the first activity kicked off, which was the various field events. 

Zhou Wan signed up for the javelin—not because she was particularly skilled, but because hardly any girls wanted to participate in that event, so signing up guaranteed her a spot. 

The sports committee member encouraged her to register. 

The javelin sign-up started early, and Zhou Wan didn’t have time to change. Tying her school jacket around her waist, she dashed to register, eventually being taken to the competition area. 

Due to safety reasons, there was no chance to practice javelin. This was Zhou Wan's first time handling one, and it turned out to be heavier than she expected. 

As a result, none of her attempts could even land. Jiang Fan, competing in the long jump behind the javelin area, watched Zhou Wan throw and couldn’t help but laugh. 

"Isn’t this a bit of a mismatch?" Jiang Fan was clearly enjoying himself. "Wow, she’s just too cute; I can't take it."

Lu Xi Xiao tilted his head: "You’re hopeless." 

"Hey, Hao Zi just said that girl’s name is Wan and that she's ranked second in our grade. A Xiao, really, you haven’t seen her name on the board, do you not remember?" 

Lu Xi Xiao responded, "Why would I care about that?" 

"Fair point." Jiang Fan clicked his tongue. "You should ask her name after the competition." 

Lu Xi Xiao shot him a sideways glance and smirked. 

Zhou Wan finally pushed through all five rounds of competition with determination. Meanwhile, the other girls who registered couldn’t throw the javelin, so Zhou Wan ended up snagging fifth place, just shy of last.

Gu Meng chuckled: "If I’d known, I would’ve signed up too." Zhou Wan took off the number clip and stuffed it into her pocket.

Even though her activity level wasn’t high, she was still sweating a bit from holding the heavy javelin. "Let’s go," she said to Gu Meng. "Should we check out the high jump first?"

"Yeah." 

Just then, a voice called out from behind... 

"Zhou Wan." 

It was deep and clear, laced with a hint of a smug smile. 

She stopped and turned around. 

Lu Xi Xiao was standing there in a black short-sleeved shirt. The wind tousled his hair, showcasing his broad shoulders and slim waist. His jawline was sharply defined, his neck elongated, and he had a prominent Adam's apple. 

He fixed his gaze on her.

This was the first time he actually said her name.

Zhou Wan was stunned.

He tilted his head and pointed ahead, saying, "Looks like your school badge dropped off."