Fall / Falling in Love - Chapter 4

Lu Xi Xiao's sudden shout of 'Zhou Wan' caught not just her off guard, but also surprised Gu Meng and Jiang Fan who were nearby.

With a look of shock on their faces, Zhou Wan quietly thanked him, picked up her school badge that had dropped, and hurried off with Gu Meng.

"Fuck," Jiang Fan said, turning to Lu Xi Xiao, "Do you know her?"

"I know her name."

"Then why didn't you say anything earlier?" Jiang Fan paused, sensing something odd, and asked quietly, "Wait, A Xiao, you don’t have a crush on my goddess, do you?!"

Lu Xi Xiao shot him a sideways glance.

Jiang Fan's heart raced—this wasn't exactly A Xiao's type, right? Still, he patted his chest and reassured, "Don't worry, if you like her, I won’t get in your way. I’ll back off."

"Do I need your permission?" Lu Xi Xiao raised an eyebrow.

Jiang Fan: "..."

Okay, maybe that wasn't necessary.

He glanced at Zhou Wan, who had already walked quite a distance. Her long legs were strikingly white, but he still found it hard to believe: "Do you really have feelings for her?"

"No," Lu Xi Xiao replied.

Meanwhile, Gu Meng was taken aback. How did someone like Zhou Wan know Lu Xi Xiao? She hadn’t noticed any connection between them before.

"Wan Wan..., what's your story with Lu Xi Xiao?" 

Zhou Wan adjusted her school badge, "What do you mean?"

"How does he know your name?"

Zhou Wan hesitated for a moment and replied honestly, "He took Xu Yi Xuan to the gaming hall before, and we bumped into each other."

"Oh, I see," Gu Meng nodded, "I was surprised. I thought you were friends."

Zhou Wan looked down with a smile: "Where else can I know him?"

...

The sports event wrapped up, and with it came a mountain of homework.

As school was ending, there was a chorus of groans in the classroom. Zhou Wan and Jiang Yan had two extra papers to complete because of the physics competition.

Once school let out, Zhou Wan finished up some work before heading out, just as the gaming hall was getting busy.

Her backpack felt heavy on her shoulders, and the rain started falling again.

This time, Zhou Wan had learned her lesson and remembered to grab an umbrella.

She popped it open and kept her head down to dodge the puddles. She had on white shoes today, and they would be a nightmare to clean if they got muddy.

But luck wasn’t on her side. A motorcycle zipped by on the road, splashing water all over Zhou Wan.

She let out a yelp and barely managed to step back in time. Her school uniform was drenched, and a few drops hit her face.

The laughter of the boys who had pulled off the prank echoed around her.

Looking up, Zhou Wan spotted three motorcycles parked in front of her. The leader, a boy with yellow hair, was grinning while the other two whistled at her casually.

"Hey there, little sister, where are you headed?" the boy with yellow hair said with a cigarette in his mouth, "Let me give you a ride."

Zhou Wan gripped her umbrella tight, stepped back, and gave them a wary look: "No thanks, I'm almost there."

"Come on, your clothes are soaked. Aren't you cold out here?" the boy with yellow hair called out, pretending to fuss over her, "Don't catch a chill; it’s going to get colder."

"Seriously, I’m fine," Zhou Wan insisted, hands shoved in her pockets. "My Dad is on his way to pick me up."

Her heart was racing. She’d seen too many unsettling news stories about situations like this and knew what could go wrong.

Taking out her phone, she held it to her ear, trying to sound calm: "Yeah, Dad, are you almost here...?"

Before she could finish her sentence, the three individuals were laughing so hard they were nearly gasping for breath. The boy with yellow hair laughed so intensely that his face took on a shade of red and he coughed a few times. "Hey, little sister, are you 15 years old? How is it that you can't even make a phone call?"

The boy dismounted from the motorcycle and headed straight for Zhou Wan.

Zhou Wan instinctively stepped back, but he caught her wrist firmly.

His grip was rough and strong, causing her wrist to redden almost immediately. Startled by his abrupt action, Zhou Wan let out a frightened scream.

"Don't be so brazen," he said in a lowered voice, leaning closer, his breath laced with cigarette smoke wafting into Zhou Wan's face. "Just be good, and I won't mistreat you."

"Let me go." Zhou Wan struggled fiercely, her voice trembling uncontrollably. "Please, I can give you money; just let me go, okay?"

Her pleading only made them more bold.

The boy with the yellow hair raised his hand and lightly scratched her cheek. "Tsk, so delicate."

Zhou Wan felt her blood run cold, her limbs growing weak, and nausea rising in her stomach. She attempted to shield herself with her umbrella, but he yanked it away and tossed it aside.

The wind caught the umbrella, snapping one of its ribs and exposing a sharp tip.

She trembled, her voice quaking as if she were completely at their mercy.

No one knew what thoughts raced through Zhou Wan's mind at that moment.

She glanced at the broken sharp rib and resolved that if he dared to harm her, she would use it to blind him.

She refused to be humiliated or assaulted.

Yet, with two men positioned behind her, escape seemed impossible, and she knew she couldn't face them alone.

What could she do?

Just then, a voice broke through the tension behind her—

"Ma Shao."

The wind stirred the leaves, and Zhou Wan caught the voice drifting through the empty streets.

This time, she didn’t turn around, but she recognized it immediately.

It was Lu Xi Xiao.

He wasn’t holding an umbrella but wore his sweatshirt hood loosely over his head.

Though he also carried the scent of tobacco, it was a pleasant smell intertwined with a faint woodsy aroma, lacking the harshness and spiciness.

Suddenly, Zhou Wan felt a cool grip around her wrist as he pulled her behind him.

She caught a glimpse of Lu Xi Xiao’s profile.

His features were sharp and defined, his bone structure impeccable from every angle, his expression calm and detached.

Zhou Wan hadn’t anticipated anyone coming to her rescue.

Throughout her life, she had faced her struggles alone, with no one stepping in to help her.

What surprised her was that the person who came to her aid was Lu Xi Xiao.

He was the son of the man Guo Xiang Ling intended to marry.

"What do you think you're doing?" Lu Xi Xiao asked in a cold tone.

As soon as Ma Shao saw him, he released Zhou Wan, laughing in a familiar manner: "Oh, a Xiao, is this your girl?"

The crude comment made Zhou Wan frown.

Lu Xi Xiao remained silent, giving no reaction.

"Alright," Ma Shao replied, "If you had mentioned earlier that she was your girl, I wouldn't have taken my brother's woman."

Then, he leaned closer to Zhou Wan and said, without a hint of remorse, "Little sister, I’m sorry for bothering you."

Zhou Wan turned her face away, and Lu Xi Xiao's voice rang out again with a deep firmness: "Ma Shao."

Ma Shao chuckled, saying, "Let’s hang out sometime," before getting back on his motorcycle and driving off.

Zhou Wan's eyelashes fluttered slightly as she watched.

She turned to Lu Xi Xiao, fighting to keep her voice steady. "Thank you."

He briefly glanced at her, said nothing, and continued walking.

She picked up her ruined umbrella, now unusable, and held it tightly.

It was still drizzling, as it typically did every year in Pingchuan City during the shift from summer to autumn. The rain had soaked the ground so thoroughly that everything felt damp and moldy, with the entire city blanketed by the downpour.  

Luckily, it wasn't a heavy rain.

Zhou Wan sighed, clutching her broken umbrella, and followed Lu Xi Xiao through the rain.

They walked in a line, with Zhou Wan trailing behind. He didn’t bother with an umbrella either and just wore a hood.

Zhou Wan glanced at Lu Xi Xiao, feeling a bit puzzled. She wasn’t intentionally following him; they were simply headed the same way.

Was he worried about the thug from earlier and trying to look out for her?

But she quickly brushed off that idea.

She smirked at herself, wondering why someone as impressive as Lu Xi Xiao would bother with her.

Just then, Lu Xi Xiao stopped and turned around: "Where’s your umbrella?" he asked.

Zhou Wan looked up, meeting his gaze.

His eyes were long and narrow, which could be described as intense, but they almost looked like a deep, emotionless pond—indifferent and aloof.

“It’s broken,” she replied.

Lu Xi Xiao glanced at the umbrella she was holding.

“Oh,” was all he said before continuing toward the bus stop. “Wait a minute.”

Zhou Wan was taken aback. “What’s going on?”

He didn’t respond, probably too lazy to explain.

Zhou Wan watched as he pulled out his phone and tapped on the screen a few times. A taxi soon arrived at the bus stop.

Lu Xi Xiao stepped back into the rain, hopped into the front passenger seat, and rolled down the window. “Do you want to get soaked again?”

Zhou Wan was caught off guard, thanked him quickly, and climbed into the back seat.

“Where to?” the driver asked.

Lu Xi Xiao lit up a cigarette and answered, “The arcade up ahead.”

Zhou Wan’s heart fluttered, and she thanked him again.

Lu Xi Xiao chuckled, turning toward her from the front seat. “Is that all you can say as you get older?”  

Zhou Wan remained silent.  

Before she could respond, he leaned down to light his cigarette, rolling the window down further as he exhaled the smoke.  

He half-closed his eyes, his slender form appearing almost vulnerable against the somewhat cramped taxi seat, weariness and irritation evident in his demeanor.  

...  

Due to the earlier incident, when Zhou Wan arrived at the arcade, the brother who had been on early shift had already left. Thankfully, it was a rainy day, so the place wasn’t crowded.  

She slipped into the back room to change into some fresh clothes before emerging.  

For some reason, Lu Xi Xiao appeared to be in the mood to play games that day.  

He was engrossed in a racing game, sitting by himself in one corner, leaning back in his chair with a cool and serious expression.  

Although the game was notoriously difficult—with a highly sensitive steering wheel that could send cars crashing or soaring into the air—Lu Xi Xiao managed to navigate it with ease, securing first place effortlessly with his long, slender hands gripping the steering wheel.  

A bunch of point tickets started pouring out.

Zhou Wan watched for a bit before pulling out her test paper from her bag and getting to work on it.

The rain outside picked up.

The sound of it hitting the metal roof echoed sharply.

Many people had left the game room, leaving only Zhou Wan and Lu Xi Xiao in almost complete silence, save for the sound of him gaming and the scratching of her pen against the paper.

He picked up a pile of point tickets from the floor and strolled over, asking, “What’s this for?”

“Point tickets,” Zhou Wan replied. “You can trade them for prizes in the back.”

The glass cabinet behind her displayed a variety of prizes. 

Zhou Wan counted his coupons, estimating, “There must be over 2,000 here. You can swap them for a keychain. If you choose not to, I can keep them on your card for you to use later on better prizes.” 

Considering that Lu Xi Xiao might not return to this place to play again, Zhou Wan inquired, “Do you want to exchange them now?” 

He shrugged casually, responding, “Sure.” 

Zhou Wan opened the glass cabinet, revealing two keychains, one pink and one blue. She turned to him and asked, “Do you want the blue one?” 

“Yep,” he replied. She retrieved it and handed it over: “Here you go.” 

Lu Xi Xiao took it, hooking the blue plush ball keychain onto his finger. 

He tucked it into his pocket and glanced back at Zhou Wan, who had resumed her homework. The physics paper she was working on was filled with neatly written problem-solving steps on her draft paper. 

Suddenly, Lu Xi Xiao recalled what his friends had said earlier: “She’s ranked second.” He smirked slightly. 

Seeing that he was still there, Zhou Wan looked up in confusion, meeting his gaze. 

She blinked. 

“Hey,” Lu Xi Xiao said. 

“Huh?” 

“How do you play that?” He pointed to one of the game machines. 

“Oh, the rules are a bit complicated. Let me explain,” she said. 

They approached the game machine, with Zhou Wan patiently outlining the rules and sharing tips for earning more coupon points. 

Lu Xi Xiao stretched out, pulling a chair over behind Zhou Wan: “Sit down so we can talk.” 

Once Zhou Wan took a seat, he joined her. 

They were close enough that Zhou Wan could catch his scent. She bit her lip, clenched her empty fists, and continued, “If you drop the ball at the right moment, you could win a lottery draw. If luck’s on your side, you could score a ton of point coupons all at once.” 

Lu Xi Xiao kept his hands in his pockets, leaning casually to one side with his chin up: “Why don’t you give it a shot?” 

“Ah?” 

He wouldn’t repeat himself. 

Zhou Wan hesitated but then placed her hand on the button. 

Lu Xi Xiao glanced down at her hand, noticing how small and slender it was, with neatly trimmed nails. 

She focused on the machine, a red light illuminating her face and making her eyes sparkle. Then, she pressed the button, and with a click, a bead fell, rolling around but missing every groove, so she didn’t score any tickets. After observing the arcade for a while, it was clear she had no gaming talent. 

Lu Xi Xiao chuckled without reservation: “I thought you’d be better based on how you held the button.” 

Zhou Wan let out a sigh: “Why don’t you do it then?” 

Without hesitating, Lu Xi Xiao leaned over and pressed the button. The bead dropped right into the hardest groove, causing the game machine to light up and play music. 

A chance at a lottery draw! The screen spun, and soon a hefty stack of point coupons was ejected. 

Zhou Wan felt a bit insulted. 

“Is that all?” he asked. 

“...Yeah.” 

He casually played a few more rounds and racked up a ton of point coupons. It was then that his phone rang from where it rested on the game machine. 

Zhou Wan didn’t mean to look at the caller ID, but she couldn’t help but notice: there were no notes, just a number. 

She recognized that number all too well. 

Guo Xiang Ling. 

After playing another round, Lu Xi Xiao glanced at his phone, sneered, and hung up without answering. 

Zhou Wan now understood why he seemed irritable today. 

Five minutes later, Guo Xiang Ling called again. 

Sitting beside him, Zhou Wan quietly asked, “Aren’t you going to pick it up?” 

Lu Xi Xiao made his intention clear as he dragged Guo Xiang Ling’s number directly to the blacklist.

With a thud, he tossed his phone onto the table beside him. 

It’s kind of ironic how Guo Xiang Ling used to end Zhou Wan's calls over and over because she was 'too busy,' and now she’s dealing with the backlash from Lu Xi Xiao. 

All the affection Guo Xiang Ling pleaded for meant nothing to Lu Xi Xiao. 

Zhou Wan figured that Lu Xi Xiao was just stalling and didn’t really want to head home yet, so he was hanging out with her. 

They played until the game hall closed, and he could barely hang onto the points voucher in his hand. 

"Thinking about redeeming it?" Zhou Wan asked. 

"What’s the best prize you’ve got?" 

“That one.” 

Zhou Wan pointed to a stunning bicycle showcased in a shiny glass cabinet on the other side of the room. 

"Has anyone claimed it yet?" 

"Nope, the points are too high. You’d need to spend thousands to get enough points." 

Lu Xi Xiao tapped on the table: "What do you like the most?" 

He asked so casually that Zhou Wan replied just as casually: "The bike, so I don’t get soaked next time it rains." 

Zhou Wan checked the coupons again—they had over 20,000 points now. She asked, "So, want to redeem it?" 

He grinned casually: "Let’s save it for now."