Zhou Wan followed him outside: “Are you going too?”
“I’ll walk you there.”
The arcade wasn’t far from the noodle shop, and Zhou Wan walked alongside Lu Xixiao. Midway, Lu Xixiao answered a phone call.
The voice on the other end was so loud that Zhou Wan could hear it: “Xiao! Fuck, someone’s causing trouble, they’re fighting!”
Lu Xixiao stopped walking: “Where?”
Zhou Wan couldn’t hear the address clearly, only catching that it was somewhere on the pedestrian street.
“Mm.” His voice remained calm, “I’ll head over now.”
After hanging up, Zhou Wan said: “You should go, I’m almost there, I can manage on my own.”
“Alright,” Lu Xixiao said, “Call me if you need anything.”
*
To be frank, Lu Xixiao’s temper wasn’t particularly bad; he was quite different from those thugs who would flare up at the slightest provocation. He never actively looked for trouble with others.
But he was stubborn and unyielding, never backing down to anyone.
When Lu Xixiao arrived, the scene was already chaotic, nearly finished.
He didn’t plan to join in, just ran a hand through his hair, sat down on the steps, lit a cigarette, and exhaled, the smoke making his face appear hazy.
It wasn’t completely dark yet, and the newly lit street lamps shone in the deep blue sky like bright stars.
Jiang Fan was nearly blinded by his sweat, and catching sight of Lu Xixiao sitting lazily to the side, he shouted: “Xiao! Since you’re here, why don’t you lend a hand!”
He let out a light laugh, flicking his cigarette ash: “Isn’t it almost over anyway?”
Such a scene easily labeled everyone involved as “thugs.”
And while Lu Xixiao hadn’t joined in, he was the one giving orders.
Black clothes, a sharp figure, a cigarette between his lips, expressionlessly raising his chin to look down on everyone, his features appearing even sharper in the mottled light.
It was at this moment that a flash of light suddenly appeared at someone’s waist.
No one else had noticed.
Lu Xixiao grabbed a rod, his eyes dark as ink.
He moved extremely fast, muscles tensing, raising the rod to strike hard at the person’s wrist, causing the sharp knife to clatter to the ground, accompanied by a cry of pain.
“If you want to play dirty,”
Lu Xixiao raised his hand in time to block the incoming punch, grabbed the person’s hair, and yanked it back hard, saying coldly, “Don’t get caught.”
His movements were swift.
The fight was over in no time.
Lu Xixiao casually dusted off his arm and walked to stand in front of someone who had fallen to the ground, looking down at them from above: “Go back and tell Luo He, next time come to me directly, no need to hide like this.”
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 he was while being so popular, wanting to seize any opportunity to suppress him and thereby consolidate his position.
Jiang Fan spat contemptuously to the side, then turned to ask: “What were you doing skipping class this afternoon? Haven’t seen you much lately.”
Lu Xixiao’s mind flashed to Zhou Wan’s face.
He tugged at the corner of his mouth: “Hospital.”
“What for?”
“Lu Zhongyue is sick.”
“How is he, nothing serious?” Jiang Fan asked.
Lu Xixiao let out a derisive laugh: “Who knows, he’s never short of people to take care of him.”
Jiang Fan knew about his family situation and also knew that Lu Zhongyue had recently found him a troublesome new stepmother, making Lu Xixiao particularly irritated lately.
He patted Lu Xixiao’s shoulder: “Alright, let’s go have some fun.”
The group went to a bar.
Someone called over some girls.
Lu Xixiao sat in the corner, his long, slender fingers holding a wine glass, his Adam’s apple moving up and down as he drank. He didn’t talk much, mostly listening to others, only occasionally speaking up.
Yet this very demeanor was what attracted girls the most.
Ye Chen made her way past the crowd to sit beside Lu Xixiao and clinked her wine glass with his.
Making a clear sound.
Lu Xixiao turned his head.
Ye Chen smiled at him: “Drinking alone? I’ll keep you company.”
Lu Xixiao smiled slightly, said nothing, and tilted his head back to down the remaining half glass of wine. Ye Chen had heard how others described Lu Xixiao – nothing more than being frivolous and casual, changing girlfriends faster than changing clothes, a passionate iceberg.
And now his actions seemed to be encouraging Ye Chen.