Guo Xiangling wasn’t there all day.
Until late at night.
Zhou Wan pulled back the curtain and saw a man dropping her off downstairs, both laughing and chatting happily.
When Guo Xiangling came up, she went straight to the closet and took out a suitcase, packing her clothes into it.
Zhou Wan pushed open her bedroom door, what used to be her parents’ bedroom, and stood in the doorway watching her mother, incomprehensibly asking where she was going.
Guo Xiangling only said, Wan Wan, I’m going out for a few days.
But Zhou Wan seemed to understand, and she desperately grabbed Guo Xiangling’s wheeled suitcase, crying and begging her not to leave.
That ten-year-old girl, having just lost her father, was terrified of her mother’s departure, humbling herself to dust, refusing to let go, crying and clinging, her voice going hoarse, her legs rubbed raw on the floor.
The Zhou Wan of the past had begged and pleaded with Guo Xiangling like this.
But it hadn’t stopped her from leaving.
Almost unconsciously, Zhou Wan forcefully wrote three characters on the paper—
Guo
Xiang
Ling
How could she take revenge on her?
Then, Zhou Wan wrote another three characters—
Lu
Xi
Xiao
*
“Wan Wan.” Gu Meng turned around from the desk in front, “Did you do the physics paper?”
Zhou Wan: “No, which question are you stuck on?”
“I can’t do any of it.” The homework check was coming up soon, and Gu Meng just wanted to quickly copy it, then turned to ask Zhou Wan’s desk mate, “Jiang Yan, Jiang Yan, did you do it?”
Jiang Yan beside them pushed up his glasses: “No, the physics competition is coming up soon, and Teacher Hu said we only need to do the competition papers.”
Gu Meng pouted: “Oh.”
She turned back and went to ask others for the paper.
Jiang Yan asked Zhou Wan: “Are you ready for the competition?”
Zhou Wan shook her head: “Isn’t there still a month?”
“A month goes by quickly, in the blink of an eye.” Jiang Yan twirled his pen, “I’m a bit nervous. If we can successfully make it to the national competition this time, there’s hope of getting a ticket to Huaqing University’s summer camp.”
Zhou Wan smiled at him: “Good luck, with your grades, you’ll make it.”
Jiang Yan looked at her, surprised: “You’re not nervous?”
“I’m okay.”
“It’s too hard to get into Qing University now just with test scores.” Jiang Yan said, “Don’t you want to try for it in the future?”
Zhou Wan lifted her lips slightly, speaking mildly: “I haven’t thought about it much, just going with the flow.”
But Jiang Yan shook his head: “Zhou Wan, in China, no other school can compare to Huaqing University. Getting into Qing University means an easier future.”
Zhou Wan didn’t respond, turning to look out the window.
Blue sky, white clouds, heaven high and earth wide.
Like a boundless future.
But what about her future?
Zhou Wan couldn’t imagine it.
She was like a young eagle with growing wings, originally meant for the high skies, free and unfettered, but now restrained by an invisible thread, unable to fly far or high.
*
Near home was an old movie theater with a game arcade underneath. After school, students often came to play, and business was fairly good.
This arcade was owned by Zhou Jun’s friend, who later moved the whole family away from Pingchuan City. The arcade was then entrusted to Zhou Wan’s care – though called an entrustment, it was just an excuse to help look after his friend’s daughter, giving Zhou Wan a monthly salary.
Every day after school, Zhou Wan would come to the arcade for her shift.
“Little Boss.” A beautiful, bright girl ran over, placing both hands on the counter and leaning forward, her voice clear and crisp, “Give me a hundred game tokens!”
Zhou Wan looked up from her homework: “With a hundred yuan you can get a card, future token purchases will be 5% off.”
“Okay, I’ll get a card then.”
As Zhou Wan lowered her head to register the card, she heard the girl turn and excitedly call out: “Xiao!”
Zhou Wan’s fingers paused as she saw Lu Xixiao walking toward them.