Chapter 33 Part 1

The moment she heard Lu Xixiao's voice, a chill ran through Zhou Wan from head to toe.

She turned her head to look.

The young man was still frowning, looking at her without a word.

Seeing her motionless, he clicked his tongue impatiently. "Come here."

Zhou Wan didn't know when he had started standing there, nor if he had heard her conversation with Guo Xiangling.

The air around him was heavy. After walking up to him, Zhou Wan didn't dare to speak first, keeping her head down in silence.

Lu Xixiao pinched her chin and lifted her face. "Running around everywhere, and you're giving me an attitude."

Zhou Wan froze for a moment, subconsciously tilting her head up to look at him.

Her gaze was urgent and focused, a light in her eyes as if holding back unspoken words.

Lu Xixiao's heart inexplicably softened at this look. His annoyance dissipated, and he put an arm around Zhou Wan's shoulders, walking away without another glance at Guo Xiangling behind them.

Late at night, the hospital was still packed with people.

All sorts of low-decibel but chaotic and noisy sounds mingled together.

Zhou Wan was led several quick steps by him before she remembered to explain, "I wasn't running around. I just went to the bathroom and ran into her on the way out."

"What did she say to you?" Lu Xixiao asked.

Zhou Wan was silent.

Lu Xixiao raised an eyebrow. "Did she bully you?"

"No."

"Really?"

Zhou Wan didn't dare to look him in the eye. With her gaze lowered, she pretended to be nonchalant. "Didn't you say I'm good at pretending to be well-behaved? Why would you think I'd let her bully me?"

Lu Xixiao chuckled lightly and reached out to ruffle her hair. "So what were you two talking about just now?"

Zhou Wan paused, then said with her eyes lowered, "She just asked me to persuade you to go see your dad. Nothing else."

Lu Xixiao said, "Oh," his expression unreadable. He then took off his jacket and draped it over Zhou Wan. "Where's your jacket?"

"I got it dirty by accident just now, so I took it off." Zhou Wan tried to refuse. "You should wear it. I'm not cold."

He couldn't be bothered to argue with her. Before she could even put her arms through the sleeves, he pulled up the zipper, completely enveloping her as if in a cape.

Zhou Wan tilted her head up and blinked at him.

His eyelashes were lowered as he looked at her attire. After a moment, he turned his head and smiled. "How tall are you?"

Wearing his jacket, the hem almost reached her knees. She pouted and said, "One meter sixty."

Lu Xixiao raised an eyebrow. "Are you sure?"

...

Zhou Wan put on a serious face. "I am."

"How much do you weigh?"

"I think I was 46kg last time I weighed myself. I don't know how much now."

He frowned slightly. "Too skinny."

"It's fine, because I'm not very tall," Zhou Wan said.

Back in the infusion room, Zhou Wan tucked her grandma's blanket in, then reached out to touch her forehead. It wasn't as hot as before, and some color had returned to her face.

"Lu Xixiao," Zhou Wan said, "you should go back first."

"It's fine." He looked idly bored. "Nothing to do back home anyway."

Zhou Wan paused but didn't say anything more.

Earlier, she had casually hung the dirty jacket on the back of a chair, and soup had dripped onto the seat. Lu Xixiao pulled out a tissue and bent down to wipe it clean.

"Let me do it," Zhou Wan said.

He quickly wiped it clean. As he picked up the dirty jacket, something slipped out of the pocket.

A red and green background.

It was the Christmas card she had meant to give Lu Xixiao.

Zhou Wan's heart leaped. She hurried over to pick up the card, but she was a step too slow. He had already picked it up, the thin card held between his fingers.

A lazy, teasing, and frivolous smile played on his lips. He drew out his words, enunciating each one: "For... Lu... Xixiao."

It was clearly a very ordinary Christmas card, but when spoken in his deep, magnetic voice, it sounded like something illicit.

Zhou Wan blushed involuntarily.

"For me?" he smiled.

"...Mhm."

He opened it. It read:

Lu Xixiao, Merry Christmas Eve, and Merry Christmas.

Wishing you happiness every day, smooth sailing, and success in everything.

The handwriting was elegant, each stroke written with extreme care.

Lu Xixiao looked at it for a while, then smiled and said, "Christmas Eve and Christmas Day, and you're just fobbing me off with a single card?"

...

Zhou Wan couldn't help but pout. "Anyway, you have so many cards in your drawer, and you'll get more tomorrow."

Lu Xixiao seemed to pause for a second, then his smile widened. "So that's what those were. Cards."

...

"I've never looked at them."

Realizing Lu Xixiao was explaining himself to her, Zhou Wan's face grew even hotter.

But she shouldn't have cared so much about how many cards Lu Xixiao received or whether he'd ever read them.

Yet now, her heart softened. It became a vessel filled with melted candied fruit, and her whole being felt light and floaty.

"Oh," Zhou Wan said faintly.

"If you don't like it," Lu Xixiao said in a lazy tone, "come to my classroom tomorrow and throw all those cards away yourself."

Zhou Wan looked serious. "It's their kind intention. It wouldn't be right to throw them away."

Lu Xixiao started laughing.

As if he'd heard a particularly funny joke, his dark eyes filled with amusement, and his shoulders shook. He laughed, nodded, and said jokingly, "Yes, Teacher Zhou's lesson is well-taught."

...

This was clearly mockery.

Feeling as if her secret thoughts had been exposed, Zhou Wan blushed and looked at him.

In his smiling eyes, she could see three words—'you keep pretending'.

...

Having enjoyed Zhou Wan's embarrassed expression, Lu Xixiao was finally satisfied. He stopped teasing her, waved the card between his fingers, and said, "Thank you, Teacher Zhou."

Zhou Wan watched him fold the card again and put it in his own pocket.

In the end, she couldn't help but lower her head and smile.

After she finished smiling, Guo Xiangling's words suddenly came to mind—'You like Lu Xixiao, don't you.'

Zhou Wan finally understood why those girls, despite knowing what kind of person Lu Xixiao was, despite knowing a prodigal son rarely changes his ways, would still insist on hitting a wall, and only turn back after they were bruised and bleeding.

Lu Xixiao just had that kind of ability.

When he was intimate, he made you feel like the whole world was in your arms, easily sweeping you off your feet.

Everything happened silently, but the prey had long fallen into the trap, killed from a thousand miles away.

But she couldn't be like this.

Zhou Wan felt as if she had been split into two souls.

One soul was drawn to him, feeling happy or sad because of his every move; the other soul watched coolly from the side, observing this unavoidable turn of events, occasionally reminding her not to fall for his illusion of gentleness.

The infusion room was filled with the smell of disinfectant and the various food smells brought in by patients' families. The two mingled together, creating an unpleasant odor.

Grandma had already finished three IV bags, with one last one to go.

Zhou Wan and Lu Xixiao went outside together for some fresh air.

The two of them stood by the railing of the hospital's third-floor terrace. He leaned his elbow on the rail, his back slightly bent, casually leaning there and smoking. The smoke swirled around before being scattered by the cold wind.

It was like a richly colored poster, every frame exceptionally beautiful.

"Lu Xixiao, my grandma will be done with her IV soon. She needs another one tomorrow, so she'll definitely have to stay in the hospital for two days. You should go home in a bit."

He had a cigarette between his lips, so his voice was muffled. "Mhm."

Zhou Wan gripped the cold railing with both hands, her hair tousled by the wind, as she looked at the scenery across from them.

From this height, she could see the Pedestrian Street not far away, with its gray-white brick walls and the staggered, aged rooftops.

The Pedestrian Street was mostly filled with young people wearing festive Christmas-themed clothes.

There were also many vendors selling beautifully packaged peace apples.

Some businesses were holding Christmas events, with employees dressed as Santa Claus handing out flyers and candy on the street.

"The Christmas when I was nine, Pingchuan City had its first snow," Zhou Wan said. "It was the earliest first snow in Pingchuan City that I can remember."

Lu Xixiao flicked his cigarette ash, trying to recall the past along with her words, but he really had no related memories.

He never celebrated Christmas; he found it boring.

He laughed nonchalantly. "You remember it so clearly."

"Mhm, that was the last Christmas my dad spent with me."

Lu Xixiao paused and turned his head to look at her.

The girl's profile was fair and soft, her dark hair wrapped around her neck. Her bright black eyes gazed into the distance, gentle and focused, with a hint of light in them.

"Lu Xixiao, when you were little, did you believe Santa Claus really existed?" Zhou Wan asked softly.