Riding the electric scooter to her doorstep, Zhou Wan parked it in an empty space to the side, locked it again, and spent four yuan.

"Thank you for taking me out today."

Zhou Wan stood in front of Lu Xixiao, looking down at the sweatshirt she was wearing. "I'll give this back to you after I wash it."

"Mm."

Lu Xixiao answered casually, then his gaze fell on the gloves she was wearing. He frowned slightly. "Forget it."

"What?"

"Don't wash it," he said tonelessly. "I don't want it anymore."

Zhou Wan froze for a moment, then pursed her lips. It made sense; she had gotten his clothes dirty when she was crying earlier. "...Then I'll buy you a new one."

"No need." Lu Xixiao yawned, looking completely uninterested. He raised his hand and said casually, "Let's trade for this."

On his wrist was the hair tie he had taken from her earlier.

Zhou Wan paused. "Huh?"

The price difference is way too big...

But from the way Lu Xixiao looked, he couldn't be bothered to argue about it.

He wasn't short on money for a sweatshirt, and he'd probably get impatient if she kept talking.

He raised an eyebrow. "Aren't you going in?"

"I'm going."

Zhou Wan turned and ran into the apartment building, escaping the damp chill outside.

She suddenly remembered something, stopped, and looked back.

Lu Xixiao was still standing there. The dim yellow streetlight cast mottled halos of light on him and the ground. He had no expression on his face, looking indifferent and distant.

He had two completely separate auras: one cynical and rebellious, the other otherworldly and distant.

Zhou Wan stood still, then waved at him and said, "Goodbye."

Although her voice wasn't loud, so he probably couldn't hear.

Lu Xixiao looked at her, his hands in his pockets, looking devil-may-care and languid.

Zhou Wan thought he probably wouldn't wave back at her.

But after two seconds, Lu Xixiao took his hand out, gave her a wave, and put it back, his expression unchanging the whole time.

When she got home, Grandma was already asleep. Zhou Wan didn't plan to tell her about what happened today; it would only add to her worries.

Although Lu Xixiao said he didn't want the sweatshirt, Zhou Wan washed it anyway and hung it on the balcony.

The skin on her hands was extremely delicate. It turned red when it touched cold water, broke out in red spots when blown by the cold wind, and developed a rash upon contact with laundry detergent.

Zhou Wan looked at the rash on the back of her hands and put the gloves back on.

She sat on the edge of her bed, Doctor Chen's words from today swirling in her mind again.

That strange yet familiar feeling swept over her once more, like a venomous snake flicking its tongue, coiling around her and submerging her completely, pulling her down into a dark place.

Zhou Wan closed her eyes and took a deep breath.

She couldn't forgive Guo Xiangling.

She had never hated someone so much.

Even if she had to fall into an abyss, she would drag Guo Xiangling down with her.

Dad was going to heaven, but Guo Xiangling couldn't.

And Lu Xixiao—

Zhou Wan remembered how he looked that time she went to his house.

Defeated and lonely, exploding at the mere mention of his mother.

Like a stress reaction from a past trauma.

At his core, he was probably starved for love.

Even though many girls liked him, he didn't need that.

Then what did he need?

Zhou Wan recalled all that had happened, as well as the mixed opinions people had of him.

'He probably doesn't enjoy being alone,' she thought. 'Even if he's cold by nature, loneliness would make him wallow in past pain. That's why he can tolerate noisy crowds and isn't opposed to dating.'

Not because he particularly liked someone, but because he was seeking a temporary refuge to escape and block out the painful memories of being alone.

Then she would stay with him.

Quietly, without making a fuss, just being with him when he needed it, so he wouldn't feel lonely.

She would be as good to him as possible.

This way, she could at least make up for some of the guilt she felt for using him.

Zhou Wan thought that with Lu Xixiao's personality, if they really did get to the point of being together, it wouldn't be long after she used him to get her revenge on Guo Xiangling that he would grow tired of her.

So at least, before that point in time, she could be a little kinder to him.

She secretly made up her mind. With her eyelashes lowered, she opened her phone and saw Lu Xixiao's black profile picture under her Moments—he almost never posted anything.

Zhou Wan paused, then tapped on it.

Suddenly, her eyes widened slightly.

He had posted a picture of her.

In the photo, she was wearing a yellow helmet with an antenna on top.

The surroundings were empty streets, and a red light was counting down.

After staring for a moment, Zhou Wan liked the post.

When Lu Xixiao woke up, the room was pitch black.

He glanced at the clock. Eleven in the morning.

The curtains were drawn. It was raining and gloomy outside.

When he sat up, his head felt a bit heavy, his nose was stuffy, and his throat was dry. He frowned, grabbed the water from his bedside table, and took a sip, but it didn't help.

He probably caught a cold last night.

He gave a muffled cough, slipped on his slippers, and went into the bathroom to shower and wash his face.

He came out with a bath towel tied around his waist, his upper body bare. The lines of his muscles were smooth and defined, his V-line distinct, with broad shoulders and a narrow waist—a standard good figure, a natural clothes-hanger.

Letting the undried water droplets remain on his body, Lu Xixiao bent over and picked up his phone.

He hadn't looked at the Moments post after he sent it yesterday.

He didn't really know why he had posted it himself; he just thought it was interesting, so he did.

Now there were many comments and likes.

The content was nothing but shock and teasing; he had never posted about a girl before.

Lu Xixiao scanned through them roughly, his gaze stopping on one name in the 'likes' section—Zhou Wan.

She had liked it too.

He tugged the corner of his lip, tapped on her name, and sent her a message: What are you doing?

Zhou Wan didn't reply right away. Lu Xixiao tossed his phone aside and went back to sleep.

During the noon self-study session, Zhou Wan finished the homework assigned for the morning's four classes. With a quarter of an hour left, everyone in the classroom was resting on their desks, asleep. It was exceptionally quiet, with only the sound of rain tapping on the window ledges.

Zhou Wan took out her phone and finally saw the message Lu Xixiao had sent an hour and a half ago.

[6: What are you doing?]

Her fingertips paused. She replied: [Doing homework.]

A moment later, she sent another message.

[Zhou Wan: You didn't come to school today?]

Five minutes later, Lu Xixiao replied.

[6: I'm sick.]

[Zhou Wan: What's wrong?]

[6: A cold, probably.]

Zhou Wan thought of the sweatshirt.

She had been in such a bad mood yesterday that she hadn't considered whether Lu Xixiao would catch a cold after giving her his sweatshirt.

[Zhou Wan: Have you taken any medicine?]

[6: No.]

[Zhou Wan: Do you have any at home?]

[6: Don't know.]

Zhou Wan typed: Then order some cold remedy powder via delivery.

She paused, deleted it, and retyped.

[Zhou Wan: Then let me order some medicine for you on my phone and have it delivered to your place.]

[6: Don't.]

[6: Too lazy to get up and open the door.]

"..."

He was just like a willful child who didn't want to take his medicine and refused to cooperate.