Zhou Wan didn't reply immediately, instead giving Lu Xixiao a new nickname first.

The two were worlds apart; at school, probably no one would ever connect the two of them.

On a quiet night like this, Lu Xixiao sent her a message. A notification box popped up at the top of her phone, showing that "Lu Xixiao" had sent her a message.

The three words "Lu Xixiao" were like some kind of taboo, tearing an opening in the tranquil surroundings, letting in a savage, bloody wind.

It steeped the entire night in his unique scent.

He had that kind of ability, leaving a deep mark on people's hearts with his every move.

Zhou Wan first changed the nickname to a single character—"Lu".

But after looking at it for a while, she still felt it wasn't enough and changed it to the number "6".

She looked at the "6" in the chat box, finally letting out a sigh of relief, and replied: [You're hurt?]

He sent a voice message, only a second long.

Zhou Wan turned the volume to the lowest setting, pulled the blanket over her head, and worried that someone might hear.

"Yeah."

The young man's deep, hoarse voice came through. He had been drinking, his laziness even more pronounced, and even this single word could be said with his unique brand.

Zhou Wan had heard his phone call earlier and knew he had gone to fight.

After a pause, she sat up and started typing:

Is there a pharmacy near you, you can ask the pharmacist there to help you…

Before she finished, Zhou Wan thought, 'Someone with Lu Xixiao's personality probably wouldn't ask a stranger for help with his wound.'

She deleted that line and typed again:

Go to a pharmacy and buy rubbing alcohol, cotton swabs, and large bandages, like I did today…

She still hadn't finished typing when Lu Xixiao called her directly with a voice call.

This time, Zhou Wan was completely stunned.

She never thought Lu Xixiao would call her.

Her phone fell onto the bed, buzzing frantically. She was at a loss, not knowing whether to answer, or what to say if she did.

It wasn't until she heard her grandma's cough from outside the door that she, worried about waking her up, frantically swiped to answer.

She was still panting as she put the phone to her ear, trying to calm her breathing.

Lu Xixiao didn't speak. She could hear the whistling wind on his end, proving that the call had indeed connected.

Zhou Wan gripped her phone tightly, evened out her breathing, and said softly, "Lu Xixiao."

He then laughed, his laughter magnetic, deep, and raspy.

Zhou Wan didn't understand. "What are you laughing at?"

"Were you asleep?"

Lu Xixiao was laughing at the drowsiness in her voice.

He'd disturbed someone's sleep, yet not only did he not feel sorry, he was gloating.

Zhou Wan pressed her lips together.

Sometimes she felt Lu Xixiao was just a childish boy who loved to tease, and other times she felt he had a maturity and coldness that surpassed boys his age.

"I'm awake now," Zhou Wan said meekly. "Did you bandage your wound?"

"Nope."

Zhou Wan heard the sound of him lighting a cigarette, then he continued, "I don't know how."

Just like that afternoon.

I don't know how.

Was he expecting her to go over and bandage it for him now?

Zhou Wan didn't say anything.

"It hurts a little." His voice held a faint hint of a smile, casually adding another weight to her heart. "If I don't bandage it, will it get infected tomorrow?"

“...”

If it were any other girl who admired him, hearing this, she would have rushed over in the middle of the night without a second thought.

But Zhou Wan was long used to seeing all sorts of illnesses and pains from her father and grandmother, so she wouldn't make a fuss over something like this.

She recalled the wound from the photo he had sent earlier and replied softly, "It probably won't. Just don't touch it and don't get it wet."

Lu Xixiao sat on the steps of a busy street. The wind blew through his hair and clothes, outlining his sharp, fierce figure. The crimson tip between his fingers flickered, and he let out a laugh amidst a cloud of pale white smoke.

As if he had heard an extremely interesting reaction, he laughed so hard his chest shook.

"Zhou Wan."

He said with a laugh.

"You're pretty ruthless, you know."

As the day of the physics competition drew closer, Zhou Wan no longer even had time for noon self-study, as it was taken up by competition classes in the lab.

Test after test, Zhou Wan failed to surpass Jiang Yan, always coming in second. Fortunately, the gap with Jiang Yan wasn't large, always staying within five points.

After explaining the final, most difficult question from last year's competition paper, the blackboard was densely packed with the solution steps.

After copying the notes, Zhou Wan propped her head on her hand and looked out the window, letting her mind go blank to rest.

"Zhou Wan." Jiang Yan stood beside her. "Want some water? I'll go get it."

Zhou Wan thanked him, "I can go myself."

"It's fine, just sit." Jiang Yan took the water cup from her desk.

Everyone in the competition class was among the top of the several hundred students in their grade. Even the five-minute break was orderly, with no one shouting loudly. It was quieter than the sounds of the boys playing basketball outside the window.

Zhou Wan noticed that Lu Xixiao was among them.

His figure was tall and straight, with long legs. He was lean and strong, smoothly dribbling past defenders and making a shot, winning cheers from the crowd.

Zhou Wan hadn't seen him for several days.

She didn't know if it was because she was too busy, or if he hadn't come to school at all.

Their last contact had been that voice call at midnight.

He hadn't come to the arcade again either.

Although Zhou Wan had the idea of getting close to him, she had no experience in this area. Especially when facing Lu Xixiao, it seemed he would see through her intentions no matter what she did.

Zhou Wan recalled what he said before they hung up that night.

"Zhou Wan, you're pretty ruthless, you know."

Was it because she didn't go find him? Did she make him angry?

But his tone at the time didn't sound angry.

At the same time, Zhou Wan suddenly caught sight of a girl running across the field to the basketball court. She stood at the edge of the court, holding a bottle of mineral water.

Some boys teased, all looking towards Lu Xixiao.

The girl waved at him with a radiant smile, then twisted open the bottle cap and handed it over.

Lu Xixiao took it and tilted his head back to take a drink.

Zhou Wan's eyelashes trembled slightly, and she pursed her lips.

She suddenly realized something—Lu Xixiao's rebound periods were never long, and he had been broken up for a while now.

So, was this girl his new girlfriend?

If she really was his girlfriend, Zhou Wan's original plan would be completely canceled.

Although she wanted revenge on Guo Xiangling, she would never do it this way.

She didn't want to hurt anyone other than Guo Xiangling.

"What are you looking at?" Jiang Yan placed the cup filled with warm water back on the corner of her desk and followed her gaze.

Zhou Wan didn't notice the flash of disgust in his eyes, only hearing Jiang Yan say, "There are always some people who have everything, yet never cherish it."

"Who are you talking about?" Zhou Wan asked.

"Lu Xixiao."

Zhou Wan was taken aback.