This set of test papers was particularly difficult. By the time they finished, it was already five in the evening – time to go to the game arcade.
Zhou Wan packed up her things and left the library. When she took out her phone, she discovered that Lu Xixiao had replied to her message several hours ago.
[6: ?]
Just a question mark.
[Zhou Wan: The medical expenses.]
[6: Wasn’t it supposed to be at the end of the year?]
Zhou Wan lowered her eyes and replied: [My mom gave me the money]
Lu Xixiao didn’t reply further, just confirmed the transfer.
*
The bar was bustling with noise, dry ice machines made the entire stage misty, mixed with heavy smoke and alcohol smell, laser lights, and drum beats pulsing with the music.
Lu Xixiao sat in the inner part of the booth, his long, bony fingers holding a wine glass. His face wore a lazy smile, his gaze drifting lightly over the diverse crowd passing by.
“Xiao-ge, tomorrow’s your birthday, right?” one of the girls asked, her eyes bright as she looked directly at Lu Xixiao across from her.
Lu Xixiao looked up, raising his eyebrows.
“What date is it tomorrow?”
“The 18th.”
Jiang Fan said: “It is A-Xiao’s birthday. How are you planning to celebrate this year?”
He let out a light snort: “What’s there to celebrate?”
“That won’t do. Our Xiao-ge’s turning 18 – we’ve got to celebrate properly.”
Lu Xixiao cursed with a laugh and kicked at him.
Another boy nearby said: “Turning 18 means becoming an adult, so of course we’ve got to do some adult things, right, Xiao-ge?” He gave Lu Xixiao a suggestive wink.
This comment reminded everyone of another matter.
Soon someone brought up the post from yesterday on the school’s forum.
They had long noticed something unusual between Lu Xixiao and Zhou Wan and would tease them about it, but mostly just in jest – after all, these two didn’t seem like they were dating.
All of Lu Xixiao’s previous girlfriends had clung to him tightly, afraid that if they took their eyes off him for a moment, some little vixen would snatch him away.
Places like this bar – they would never not come along.
But Zhou Wan – the few times they’d seen her, it was always Lu Xixiao actively seeking her out.
Yesterday after school was even more extreme.
No one had ever seen Lu Xixiao specifically wait for someone.
“Xiao-ge, how far have you gotten with that little scholar?” someone asked. “Kissed yet?”
Lu Xixiao took a drink, his sharp Adam’s apple moving.
“The way you’re talking, you’re underestimating our Xiao-ge…”
Seeing the teasing heading in an inappropriate direction, Lu Xixiao leaned forward slightly, his wine glass hitting the table with measured force, “That’s enough. I’m single.”
“Single?” the boy asked in surprise. “You broke up?”
“Never dated her.”
Now everyone was even more surprised.
Lu Xixiao had no patience even with girlfriends, let alone other girls.
How had Zhou Wan become the exception?
Jiang Fan narrowed his eyes.
He had known Lu Xixiao the longest and knew more of the inside story, including the time Zhou Wan went to Lu Xixiao’s house.
He knew more clearly that Zhou Wan was indeed special to Lu Xixiao.
Someone asked a very key question: “Is it that you haven’t dated yet, or that you don’t plan to date?”
Lu Xixiao grabbed the cigarette box, pushed it open with his index finger, took out a cigarette, and held it between his teeth, leaning back into the sofa: “Since when does everything have to end in dating?”
Dating or not dating – it was all the same.
Nothing could be changed.
Lu Xixiao found the current situation quite comfortable, so he let it continue as it was.
But to those listening intently, it sounded like an indirect rejection.
The pretty girl sitting next to Lu Xixiao’s dejected expression recovered slightly.
The boys teased a bit more before moving on to other topics.
The girl gazed at Lu Xixiao’s profile, watching him smoke, her heart trembling. After a while, she couldn’t help but lean closer: “Xiao-ge.”
Seeing his cigarette wasn’t lit, she took the initiative to cup her hand against the wind and press down the lighter.