Falling in Love

坠落

falling-in-love

Chapter 7 Part 1

Lu Xixiao didn't think that noodle shop was any good, but for some reason, he nodded and followed Zhou Wan to the same shop as yesterday.


 “Still Three Delicacies Noodles?” Zhou Wan asked.


 He had smoked a cigarette on the way here, and his temper seemed to dissipate with the smoke. The hostility emanating from him was finally less oppressive.


 “Yeah,” he replied faintly.


 Zhou Wan told Uncle Kang, “Same as yesterday,” and then quickly took out her phone to pay for the noodles.


 Since he was unwilling to accept the money for yesterday, Zhou Wan decided to treat him in return. Although this amount of money was probably nothing in Lu Xixiao's eyes, a pair of his shoes likely cost more than several months of Zhou Wan's living expenses.


 Lu Xixiao wasn't an unobservant person; he noticed her haste to pay.


 He turned his head and exhaled a puff of smoke. “Keeping such a clear tally?”


 Zhou Wan pursed her lips and answered in a soft, gentle voice, “Earning money isn't easy.”


 She had a quiet temperament, wasn't very talkative, and was never noisy. She answered when spoken to, her voice soft and delicate, not cloying, an extremely clean vocal tone.


 Lu Xixiao suddenly felt that having her around wasn't annoying at all; in fact, it made him feel calm.


 “Why do you need to earn money?”


 The first time Lu Xixiao saw her, she was working part-time at the Arcade.


 “My grandma is sick.”


 He raised an eyebrow but showed no excessive surprise or sympathy. He took another drag of his cigarette and asked faintly, “What about your parents?”


 “My father passed away when I was little.”


 The hand holding the cigarette paused slightly. “What about your mom?”


 Because of this question, Zhou Wan accidentally bit her tongue. The metallic taste of blood spread through her mouth, but she showed nothing.


 Seeing that she didn't answer, Lu Xixiao didn't ask again.


 Bringing two bowls of Three Delicacies Noodles to the table, they sat down. As Lu Xixiao picked up his chopsticks, Zhou Wan caught a glimpse of the wound on the back of his hand. It looked like it had been there for a few days, but due to neglect, the wound had healed and broken open again, leaving a patch of red.


 Zhou Wan averted her gaze and lowered her head to eat her noodles.


 This time, Lu Xixiao was gracious enough to eat a few bites.


 The two of them ate their noodles in silence.


 Zhou Wan finished first. She took a napkin to wipe her mouth, then said softly to Lu Xixiao, “I’m stepping out for a bit.”


 “Mm.”


 There was a pharmacy near the noodle shop.


 Zhou Wan returned after buying alcohol and gauze.


 She pushed the bag in front of him, her gaze lowered. “The wound on your hand needs to be disinfected.”


 Lu Xixiao raised an eyebrow.


 He was used to being doted on by all sorts of girls and didn't take this kind of concern to heart. Ungraciously, he said, “No need.”


 Zhou Wan paused, unaffected by his attitude, and simply told him the consequences.


 “If you don't disinfect it properly, it might get inflamed later, which will be more troublesome.”


 Her grandma had experienced that once before.


 Lu Xixiao leaned back in his chair, his chin slightly raised. He looked at her nonchalantly for a moment, then smiled.


 He leaned forward and extended his hand to her, silent.


 Zhou Wan looked up in confusion.


 Lu Xixiao smiled with a hint of disdain. “I don’t know how.”


 ...


 His mood seemed to have improved again.


 Inscrutable.


 Zhou Wan took out the disinfectant, dabbed some on a cotton swab, and began to clean his wound.


 She kept her head down, exceptionally focused. Her hair fell over her chest, and a few strands brushed against his fingertips, making them itch.


 This angle was perfect for Lu Xixiao to observe her.


 Her eyelashes were long, the tip of her nose was delicate, and her features were still youthful. What didn't quite match her cool and aloof looks were probably her two canine teeth. The reason Jiang Fan found her sweet was all thanks to those two teeth.


 Finally, Zhou Wan applied a gauze patch for him.


 “Done.”


 Lu Xixiao glanced down. It was treated quite properly.


 “Going to the Arcade?” he asked.


 “Yeah.”


 “Let’s go.” Lu Xixiao stood up.


 Zhou Wan followed him outside. “Are you going too?”


 “I’ll walk you there.”


 The Arcade wasn't far from the noodle shop. Zhou Wan followed Lu Xixiao as they walked.


 Midway, Lu Xixiao answered a call.


 The voice on the other end was loud enough for Zhou Wan to hear. “Ah Xiao! Fuck, someone’s causing trouble, a fight’s broken out!”


 Lu Xixiao stopped in his tracks. “Where?”


 Zhou Wan didn't catch the address, only hearing that it was somewhere on the Pedestrian Street.


 “Yeah,” his voice was still faint. “I’m on my way now.”


 After he hung up, Zhou Wan said, “You should go. I’m almost there, I can get there by myself.”


 “Alright,” Lu Xixiao said. “Call me if anything happens.”


 To be frank, Lu Xixiao's temper wasn't actually that bad. He was very different from those hooligans who would flare up at the slightest provocation. There were almost no instances of him actively starting trouble.


 But he was stubborn and unyielding, never bowing his head to anyone.


 When Lu Xixiao arrived, the scene was already a mess, and the fight was almost over.


 He had no intention of joining in. He ran a hand through his hair, sat down on the steps, lit a cigarette, and exhaled. The smoke shrouded his face, making it indistinct.


 The sky hadn't completely darkened yet. The newly lit streetlights reflected against the deep blue sky like bright stars.


 Sweat was blurring Jiang Fan's vision. He caught sight of Lu Xixiao sitting lazily to the side and yelled, “Ah Xiao! Since you’re here, give us a hand!”


 He chuckled lightly and flicked the ash off his cigarette. “Isn’t it almost over?”


 A scene like this could easily slap the label of “delinquent” on everyone involved.


 And although Lu Xixiao hadn't joined in, he was clearly the one giving the orders.


 Black clothes, a sharp figure, a cigarette dangling from his lips. He looked down on the crowd with a blank expression, his chin lifted, his features appearing even sharper under the mottled lights.


 It was at this moment that a flash of light glinted from the waist of someone opposite him.


 No one noticed.


 Lu Xixiao grabbed a rod, his eyes as dark as ink.


 His movements were extremely fast, muscles bulging. He raised the rod and slammed it down hard on the man’s wrist. A sharp dagger clattered to the ground, accompanied by a pained scream.


 “Since you want to play dirty.”


 Lu Xixiao raised his hand just in time to block the man’s incoming punch, grabbed his hair, and yanked it back forcefully, saying in a cold voice, “Then don't get caught.”


 His moves were clean and efficient.


 The brawl ended in no time.


 Lu Xixiao casually dusted off his arm, walked over to a person who had fallen to the ground, and looked down at him. “Go back and tell Luo He to come to me directly next time. No need to be so sneaky.”


 Lu Xixiao and Luo He had been at odds for years.


 Luo He was a few years older than him and couldn't stand how arrogant and popular he was. He wished he could seize any opportunity to suppress him and solidify his own status.


 Jiang Fan spat contemptuously to the side, then turned his head to ask, “What were you doing skipping class this afternoon? Haven't seen you around much lately.”


 An image of Zhou Wan appeared in Lu Xixiao’s mind.


 He tugged at the corner of his mouth. “Hospital.”


 “What for?”


 “Lu Zhongyue is sick.”


 “How is he? Nothing serious, right?” Jiang Fan asked.

Falling in Love

Falling in Love

Chapter 7 - Chapter 7 Part 1

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