"The physics competition is coming up soon. You two are the only ones from our class participating, so you must get your act together and prepare. The school has high expectations for you two to make it to the nationals this time."

The physics teacher said, "This is the test paper from the last competition class. You both did well, the top two in the competition class."

Zhou Wan took it. She had 104 points.

"Go back and review the questions you got wrong. If you still don't understand them, come and ask me," the physics teacher said.

Walking out of the office, the sunlight outside was beautiful.

It was the break between classes, and everyone was standing in the corridor, chatting and joking around.

"Zhou Wan, what did you score?" Jiang Yan.

"104," Zhou Wan said. "And you?"

Jiang Yan paused for a moment, his tone dejected. "103."

Zhou Wan smiled. "It's about the same."

"Can I see your paper?"

"Mhm." Zhou Wan handed him the paper.

Jiang Yan looked over her wrong answers.

The two of them were the best in the physics competition class. The problems they couldn't solve were mostly the same, except for one small question where Zhou Wan had calculated one more step than he had.

In every midterm and final exam, Jiang Yan was first in the grade, while Zhou Wan was second.

But Jiang Yan knew that Zhou Wan was much smarter than him. If there was truly such a thing as a 'genius' in this world, then Zhou Wan was obviously more deserving of that title than he was.

He dug out all his time to study, to work on difficult problems and the ones he got wrong.

But Zhou Wan had plenty of time to work part-time jobs to earn money.

But even so, the gap between them never widened. In fact, this time, Zhou Wan had even surpassed him.

Jiang Yan felt unwilling to accept it, which sparked a greater sense of crisis in him. But he didn't dislike Zhou Wan; on the contrary, Zhou Wan was one of his few good friends.

She was a rival in his heart, but even more so, a respected teammate.

"Zhou Wan, how did you think of this step?" Jiang Yan asked.

At this moment, they were walking past the entrance of Class 7.

Lu Xixiao's classroom.

Zhou Wan saw him from a distance.

His elbow was on the corridor windowsill, leaning lazily. His hair was a little long, tousled by the wind. Backlit by the light, his silhouette and features were cast in a hazy glow, like a watercolor painting blurred by water.

His friends stood around him, arms slung over shoulders, shooting the breeze. From time to time, a few crude, ear-reddening jokes could be heard.

Lu Xixiao blended in with them, laughing along when they told some indecent jokes, but standing there, he seemed like a detached onlooker.

Playing at life, yet it seemed he could detach himself at any moment.

"Hey, Jiang Fan," Zhou Wan heard one of the boys say. "Isn't that your little goddess over there?"

The group of boys all turned their heads to look over.

Zhou Wan immediately averted her gaze, looking at the ground and walking straight ahead without looking sideways.

In her peripheral vision, she saw Lu Xixiao also turn his head, the line of his profile forming a sharp yet beautiful curve.

Jiang Fan raised a fist, pretending he was going to hit him.

"What, since when did you become such a coward? Weren't you just clamoring last time about falling in love and wanting to get her number?" a friend teased.

Jiang Fan: "I wouldn't dare snatch someone Ah Xiao has his eyes on."

The moment he said that, all hell broke loose. Everyone crowded around Lu Xixiao, asking what was going on.

Lu Xixiao was unhurried. His gaze swept over Zhou Wan, and he raised an eyebrow. "Did I say I have my eyes on her?"

Jiang Fan had known Lu Xixiao for years and understood his personality to some extent.

Although he didn't think he really liked her that much, he was, at the very least, a little interested. Or rather, curious.

Otherwise, he wouldn't have called out to Zhou Wan during the last School Sports Meet.

Jiang Fan gave him a knowing look. "Oh, then I'll go get her number right now."

Lu Xixiao let out an ambiguous chuckle, neither confirming nor denying.

...

"Zhou Wan?" Jiang Yan called out again.

Zhou Wan came back to her senses. "Ah."

"I was just asking how you thought of this step for this problem?"

Zhou Wan looked at the test paper and explained her thought process to him.

Back in the classroom, Zhou Wan took out her phone. There were no new messages.

This morning, she had sent two messages.

One was to Lu Xixiao, sending him the money for the noodles in a red packet, which he hadn't accepted yet.

The other was to Guo Xiangling, telling her that today was the anniversary of her father's death and asking if she wanted to go. She hadn't replied either.

Zhou Wan asked her teacher for leave today and left school early.

She bought flowers and pastries and took a bus to the suburban cemetery.

Today was the anniversary of Zhou Jun's death.

Zhou Jun had been a liberal arts student, a rare university student for that era. He later became a middle school Chinese teacher, gentle and refined.

Guo Xiangling was Zhou Jun's first blind date. A talented man and a beautiful woman, the two quickly confirmed their relationship. Twenty years ago, they had once been an enviable couple in everyone's eyes.

Guo Xiangling was not highly educated, but in that era when artistic and literary youths were popular, she was one of them.

After giving birth to Zhou Wan, Guo Xiangling quit her job at a clothing store to stay home and raise their child.

Later, because of his strong teaching ability, Zhou Jun was always assigned to graduating classes, so he often worked late before he could come home.

He didn't notice that Guo Xiangling was also often coming home late.

Later still, luxury items she couldn't afford gradually began to appear on her—necklaces, diamond rings.

Zhou Wan noticed them at the time, but she only thought they were pretty and didn't realize what it meant.

It wasn't until Zhou Jun fell ill and passed away that Guo Xiangling moved out within a month.

Only then did Zhou Wan understand the truth of the matter.

And at that time, she was only ten years old.

Zhou Wan placed the flowers in front of the grave.

The man in the photograph on the tombstone had a gentle smile. He looked modest and polite, a faint smile in his eyes.

Compared to Guo Xiangling, Zhou Wan looked more like Zhou Jun.

"Dad." She knelt before the tombstone and placed the newly bought pastries on a small plate. "Grandma hasn't been feeling well recently, so she couldn't come see you this year."

"She... didn't come either."

The 'she' referred to Guo Xiangling.

Zhou Jun had loved Guo Xiangling.

He had never been in a relationship before. He met Guo Xiangling on a blind date, so she was his first love. After getting married, he cherished and doted on her.

He would buy her flowers on their wedding anniversary, write her a love letter on her birthday, and run across half the city late at night to buy the fruit she was craving.

"It's been so many years, do you still think of her?" Zhou Wan looked at the photo and asked softly.

"But I can't forgive her for betraying you," Zhou Wan said. "I can understand her abandoning me, this burden, for a better life, but I can't forgive her for betraying you, and I can't forgive her for refusing to help Grandma when she was in mortal danger."

"Dad, I'm about to do something wrong."

Zhou Wan lowered her lashes. "Will you forgive me?"

After leaving the cemetery, Zhou Wan went to the hospital to pick up her grandma's medicine.

As she was getting off the bus, Guo Xiangling called.

"Hello?" Zhou Wan answered.

"Wanwan, I'm so sorry, Mom just saw your message now," Guo Xiangling said apologetically.

She was always like this, doing all the evil deeds yet insisting on creating the illusion of a good person.

But sometimes, Zhou Wan felt that she was actually quite like Guo Xiangling.

The crosswalk light turned green. She crossed the road unhurriedly and said calmly, "It's fine."

"Mom has been too busy recently and really didn't have time to go with you. How about this, I'll transfer you some money in a bit. You can buy some more offerings to give to your dad."

Zhou Wan suddenly felt disgusted and repulsed, but she still didn't show it, nor did she tell her that she had already been.

"Okay."

After hanging up, Guo Xiangling quickly transferred the money to her.

One hundred yuan.

Zhou Wan went into the hospital to find Doctor Chen and get her grandma's medicine.

"Oh, right, Wanwan," Doctor Chen said. "Remember to have your grandma come to the hospital in a couple of days. It's time for dialysis again."

"Okay," Zhou Wan replied. "Thank you, Doctor Chen."

Walking out of the office, Zhou Wan took the elevator downstairs.

It was at this moment that she suddenly heard a voice behind her.

Roguish, with a hint of a careless smile, but filled more with coldness. "So what."

She turned her head and saw Lu Xixiao.

He was standing not far away. Opposite him was a middle-aged man in a suit, serious and somber, exuding an air of authority without being angry. And standing behind him was Guo Xiangling.

The man flew into a rage. "Lu Xixiao! What kind of attitude is that!"

Guo Xiangling took the man's arm and said gently, "Alright, Old Lu, the kid is still young. Why are you getting so angry with him."

"Still young?" This only made the man even angrier. "I've provided him with the best food and drink for over a decade, given him whatever he wanted, and look at him! He embarrasses me at every turn. If I'd known you'd turn out to be such a bastard, I never should have... with your mom..."

Before he could finish, Lu Xixiao suddenly erupted in anger.

He grabbed the man by the collar and, with a thud, shoved him against the wall.

Zhou Wan was used to seeing him witty and charming, carefree and unrestrained, but this was the first time she had seen him so angry, veins popping on his forehead, his chest heaving violently.

"Lu Zhongyue, you'd better not say another word to me," Lu Xixiao forced out, word by word, from his throat. "You have no right to mention my mom."

After speaking, he turned and left, his strides swift as the wind.

He didn't see Zhou Wan and brushed past her.

But Guo Xiangling's gaze followed and she saw Zhou Wan.

In that moment, a flash of panic crossed her eyes—she didn't want Zhou Wan to go over right now.

Zhou Wan did as she wished, turning and running down the stairs.

The hospital was crowded, the throng of people pushing and shoving amidst the clamor. Zhou Wan couldn't catch up to Lu Xixiao, chasing him all the way outside the hospital.

"Lu Xixiao!" she yelled.

He didn't hear her and continued to stride away, his face frighteningly dark.

Zhou Wan was panting from the run. She reached out to pull his sleeve but was pulled along by his forward momentum, stumbling a step forward and barely managing to steady herself.

Lu Xixiao turned his head and looked down.

The girl's two fingers were tightly clutching his clothes. Her hands were small, and her knuckles were white from the force.

Her cheeks were flushed from running, and she was panting. Her ponytail had come loose, and a few stray strands of hair were being messed up by the wind.

"Lu Xixiao," she called his name again, still panting.

Lu Xixiao looked at her without speaking.

Zhou Wan tilted her head up to look at him. Behind him was the setting sun, her eyes limpid and utterly clear.

"Do you want to get some noodles?"