He laughed lightly, more mockery than warmth in the sound.
“Fine then, let’s date.”
He grabbed Zhou Wan’s wrist and yanked her toward him forcefully.
His hand was burning hot, but his eyes and voice were cold.
Zhou Wan fell onto the sofa, collapsing against him.
Lu Xixiao wrapped his arm around her waist, forcing her closer to himself.
Zhou Wan’s entire body went rigid, unable to move from this excessive contact.
The current Lu Xixiao was too dangerous—his extreme calmness verged on irrational loss of control. Zhou Wan could barely breathe through the alcohol smell surrounding him.
Lu Xixiao gripped her chin and lifted it, approaching with a cold expression.
Zhou Wan turned her head away forcefully, forcing out a whimper from her throat: “…Lu Xixiao!”
He suddenly released her. Zhou Wan fell back against the sofa, supporting herself with both hands, catching her breath in lingering fear.
But Lu Xixiao hadn’t intended to do anything to her—he only wanted to force out her true reaction.
“Playing with me, aren’t you, Zhou Wan?”
He watched the deeply blushing girl before him with cold eyes, speaking with extreme calmness: “Zhou Wan, you don’t like me.”
He raised his hand to grip her slender neck, roughly pulled her up, and pressed her against the sofa back.
Word by word, he asked coldly: “Why did you deliberately get close to me?”
He was too clear-headed.
Zhou Wan’s little tricks had never escaped his notice.
From that night at the arcade, when she said her name meant “to draw a bow like the full moon,” he had already seen through it.
He just hadn’t bothered to care when he was in a good mood, but now he was tired of pretending and wouldn’t give her any face.
Zhou Wan didn’t speak.
She didn’t know how to explain.
No matter how you looked at it, she was the one who had schemed first, who had used him first.
It was all her fault.
Lu Xixiao’s hand unconsciously tightened around her neck.
Not enough to choke her, but pressing hard against her jawbone, causing sharp pain.
She coughed once: “Lu Xixiao.”
She frowned and said with difficulty: “It hurts…”
Lu Xixiao released his hand, but his sharp gaze remained fixed on her.
“Lu Xixiao.” Zhou Wan stood up, picked up her backpack from the floor, and said softly, “I’m sorry for disturbing you. I won’t appear before you again.”
No matter how much she hated Guo Xiangling, she shouldn’t have done this.
It was neither moral nor fair to Lu Xixiao.
Zhou Wan gave him a slight bow and turned to leave.
Lu Xixiao watched her departing figure.
Her frame was so slight, looking as if a breeze could knock her down as if any force would break her.
When she pressed down on the door handle and slowly pulled the door open, the street light’s fine rays spilled into the living room, illuminating her silhouette as if trimming her with a fluffy golden edge.
Lu Xixiao suddenly remembered that day outside the hospital.
He had a huge fight with Lu Zhongyue and stormed off. Zhou Wan had chased after him, out of breath, her fingers tightly gripping his clothes.
Behind her was the setting sun.
Its glow had also lit up her silhouette, gentle and romantic.
She could barely catch her breath as she looked up at him, her eyes clear, asking if he wanted to eat noodles.
“Zhou Wan.” Lu Xixiao suddenly called out.
Even he didn’t know why.
He just felt that if Zhou Wan walked out this door, they would truly have no connection anymore.
Lu Xixiao thought, he didn’t like Zhou Wan—she was boring and plain. However Zhou Wan was similar to him in certain ways. She was often quiet, never asking questions, as if she had no curiosity. Yet it seemed that she understood everything without him having to say anything.
When she was nearby, Lu Xixiao would feel a rare sense of calm.
Like a tranquilizer meant just for him.
Zhou Wan stopped but didn’t turn around.
Lu Xixiao leaned back into the sofa, sinking into it. He closed his eyes briefly, not looking at her, and said hoarsely: “Zhou Wan, I’m hungry.”