Grandma didn't wake up until noon the next day. When she did, Zhou Wan was sitting by her side, working on practice questions.

"Wanwan." Her voice was hoarse as she called out very weakly.

"Grandma." Zhou Wan immediately got up and went over. "Are you feeling uncomfortable anywhere else?"

Grandma looked around. "How did I end up in the hospital?"

"Last night, you suddenly had an arrhythmia and difficulty breathing. You just had surgery, and you'll need to stay in the hospital for observation for a while before you can be discharged."

"I have to be hospitalized?" Grandma gripped her hand. "No need to be hospitalized, Grandma is fine. Wanwan, being hospitalized costs too much money."

Zhou Wan said, "I've already paid for half a month's hospital stay. Grandma, don't worry about it. Just take this opportunity to get well."

"Half a month? Do you have that much money?"

"Yes." After a pause, Zhou Wan told the truth. "A classmate of mine lent me some money. I'll just pay him back when I have the money later."

Grandma's heart ached for her, knowing she would have to work hard to earn money again, and she also blamed herself for her sickly body. But what was done was done, and saying more would only sadden her granddaughter.

Grandma sighed silently. "Then you must thank that classmate properly. Is it that girl you're close with?"

"No, it's—"

Before she could finish, the ward door was pushed open, and knocked on twice. "Zhou Wan."

Lu Xixiao stood at the door.

Today, he had changed from his usual all-black attire, wearing a white top and jeans, looking clean and fresh.

"Lu Xixiao." Zhou Wan blinked, feeling a sense of unreality. "Why are you here?"

He lifted the bag in his hand. "It was on the way."

Inside was breakfast.

"Wanwan, this is?"

Zhou Wan said, "Grandma, this is my classmate, Lu Xixiao. He was the one who helped pay for the medical fees yesterday."

"Is that so." Grandma smiled kindly and amiably, saying to Lu Xixiao, "Thank you. My health isn't good, and I'm always a burden on our Wanwan. We were so lucky you were there yesterday. I'm sorry for the trouble."

Lu Xixiao smiled. "It's nothing. I just happened to be at the arcade where she works yesterday."

He looked very different now from his usual self.

With his gentle spring-breeze-like demeanor, he didn't look like someone who got into fights at all. Instead, he seemed more like a popular, well-off senior student, full of sunshine and integrity.

Zhou Wan called the doctor in to give Grandma another check-up. She finally breathed a sigh of relief after all her vitals were normal.

Lu Xixiao had brought a bowl of jujube porridge for Grandma and a serving of crab roe buns for Zhou Wan.

He didn't stay long. After taking a call from Jiang Fan, he left, really making it seem as if he was just passing by and bought the food on the way.

After finishing the porridge, Grandma looked at Zhou Wan with a smile. "Wanwan, was that boy your deskmate who gets good grades?"

Grandma had heard Zhou Wan mention Jiang Yan a few times. She knew he was always first in the grade, that they were deskmates and got along well, and that they were going to a physics competition together in a few days.

"No, he's not in our class." Zhou Wan told the truth. "He came to the arcade to play games a few times, that's how we met."

"Is that so. I think that young man is very handsome."

Zhou Wan, who was peeling an apple, looked up at her grandma upon hearing this and smiled. "A lot of girls at our school like him."

"What about you?"

"Huh?" Zhou Wan was taken aback. "Grandma, what are you talking about?"

Grandma laughed. "What's wrong with that? It's perfectly normal to have a crush at your age. We used to marry early. At your age, I was already married to your grandpa."

"No, we're just friends," Zhou Wan said.

Grandma tapped her on the forehead. "You're still so clueless."

But really, could she and Lu Xixiao be considered friends?

Her relationship with Lu Xixiao wasn't close, but it didn't seem distant either.

They had eaten noodles together a few times, he had stayed with her for so long last night, and he had even brought breakfast over today.

But Lu Xixiao was so outstanding and dazzling in a crowd that becoming his friend seemed to require his explicit acknowledgment.

Zhou Wan wasn't sure if Lu Xixiao considered her a friend.

After all, no one else knew they knew each other, and they wouldn't greet each other when they met at school.

No friendship was like that.

Moreover, her initial reason for approaching Lu Xixiao wasn't pure.

A friendship shouldn't be tainted.

And she wasn't worthy of being Lu Xixiao's friend.

Zhou Wan lowered her eyes, remembering what Lu Xixiao had said last night as he sat on the steps—

"Lu Xixiao, what if... someone betrays you, what would you do?"

"I'd kill her."

Zhou Wan switched shifts with someone to take care of her grandma for the night and went to the arcade early the next morning.

Business at the arcade was good during the National Day holiday, and many young couples came to play together.

In the middle of her shift, Jiang Yan called to ask her how to solve the last question on the final practice paper. Zhou Wan took a photo of her solution and sent it to him.

The loading circle on the image spun and spun. The moment it was sent, the arcade door was pushed open, and a group of people walked in boisterously.

"Welcome."

Zhou Wan looked up as she spoke and was stunned to see who it was.

It was Lu Xixiao and his friends.

Jiang Fan was also surprised to see Zhou Wan here and was very familiar. "Hey, what a coincidence. What are you doing here?"

Lu Xixiao glanced at him sideways and sneered.

"Hey, Ah Xiao." Jiang Fan noticed his expression and immediately said, "I've already gone through hell and back for my brother and made a painful sacrifice. This attitude of yours isn't right."

He raised his eyebrows. "Did I ask you to make a sacrifice?"

"..."

Lu Xixiao walked to the counter, pulled the arcade's membership card from his wallet, then took out a few hundred-yuan bills.

Seeing this, the people around them were first stunned, then broke into a chorus of hoots and hollers.

"Not bad, Brother Xiao. You work fast," one of the boys said. "When did you get a membership card topped up behind our backs?"

These people had always been loud-mouthed and unrestrained.

Zhou Wan couldn't handle it. She bit her lip and quietly lowered her head to add the money to the membership card.

"It's done."

Lu Xixiao grunted in acknowledgment and took the card.

The group headed towards the game machines, and Zhou Wan could hear their teasing discussion.

"You know, Zhou Wan is actually really pretty. The more you look at her, the prettier she gets. So well-behaved, so damn pure."

"That's a dangerous thing to say. You dare to covet a girl Brother Xiao has his eye on?"

"Hahahahaha, no way, I wouldn't dare. But is Ah Xiao changing his tastes? I always thought he didn't like this type."

They had never seen Lu Xixiao be serious with any girl.

It was always those girls throwing themselves at him, moths drawn to a flame.

They had seen it so many times that they naturally didn't take these girls seriously, unafraid of making Lu Xixiao angry.

The group played Contra together, the buttons clacking loudly, with occasional curses mixed in.