Zhou Wan didn't know what to do.

[6: You come over.]

[Zhou Wan: I'll go after school then.]

[6: Now.]

[Zhou Wan: I have a competition training class this afternoon, I can't leave.]

He didn't reply again.

The bell signaling the end of the lunch break rang, and the students woke up one by one.

An exercise book lay open in front of Zhou Wan, but her mind was on the words Lu Xixiao had just sent.

Just yesterday, she had secretly decided to be as good to him as possible from now on.

Besides, he had caught a cold because of her.

Zhou Wan felt too guilty, and finally got up and went to the office.

She used the excuse of needing to go to the hospital. The head teacher, knowing her family situation, quickly approved her leave request.

...

Zhou Wan left the school, first went to the pharmacy to buy 999 Ganmaoling, then took the bus to Lu Xixiao's house.

She stood at the door and rang the doorbell.

On the third ring, Lu Xixiao opened the door.

He was wearing loose, clean loungewear, looking down at her with a raised eyebrow.

Zhou Wan held up the bag in her hand. "Are you still feeling unwell?"

"Didn't you say you'd come after school."

Zhou Wan looked into his eyes and asked, "Are you angry?"

"You came now because you were afraid I'd be angry?" His voice was a little hoarse.

"Yeah."

I guess so.

I wanted to make him a little happier.

"Oh." He slipped off his slippers, kicked them in front of her, and turned to walk inside. "Then I guess I was angry."

Zhou Wan paused for a second, slipped on the slippers, closed the door, and followed him in.

Lu Xixiao was leaning lazily against the sofa, a throw pillow clutched to his chest, looking down at his phone.

Zhou Wan took a glass from the coffee table, washed it, poured in some warm water, emptied the Ganmaoling into it, stirred it evenly, and handed it to Lu Xixiao.

Lu Xixiao glanced at her, took it, and downed it in one go.

Zhou Wan stood in front of him. "You should go back to your room and sleep for a while. Sweating it out under the covers will make you feel better. Try not to smoke or drink for the next two days."

Lu Xixiao looked up.

Zhou Wan cleaned up the Ganmaoling packet from the table. "Then I'll head back now."

"Stay put," Lu Xixiao said.

Zhou Wan's steps faltered. She looked back.

Lu Xixiao tilted his chin to the side.

Zhou Wan followed his gesture and sat down on the single armchair nearby.

"Leaving already?" he raised an eyebrow, his tone nasty. "Heartless. Who do you think I caught this cold from?"

Zhou Wan pursed her lips. "Then I'll stay with you for a while."

Lu Xixiao ignored her, leaning against the sofa and playing on his phone. After a while, he tossed the phone aside and closed his eyes.

Zhou Wan found a blanket nearby and went over to cover him with it.

His eyelashes fluttered, but he didn't open his eyes or say anything.

Zhou Wan sat to the side, slightly regretting not bringing a book.

The room was quiet. With nothing to do, Zhou Wan took out her phone and looked up past national competition papers. The small screen made her eyes sore.

At three o'clock, she finished looking at last year's test paper and rubbed her tired eyes. Just then, a message came from Jiang Yan.

Her phone, set to vibrate at some point, buzzed.

Zhou Wan quickly turned off the vibration and silenced it, glancing back at Lu Xixiao. Luckily, he was still asleep and hadn't been woken up.

After today, her impression of him had changed again. She originally thought he hated unreasonable girls the most, but now it seemed he was the unreasonable one.

If he had been woken up, he'd probably have lectured her again.

[Jiang Yan: The competition class is about to start, aren't you coming back?]

[Zhou Wan: I'm busy with something right now, I probably can't make it back in time.]

[Jiang Yan: Try to make it if you can. I heard today's material is pretty difficult and important.]

Zhou Wan sighed silently. 'If I leave without a word,' she thought, 'Lu Xixiao will definitely be angry when he wakes up.'

[Zhou Wan: I probably won't make it. You go ahead to class.]

[Jiang Yan: Alright, I'll give you my notes tomorrow then.]

[Zhou Wan: Okay, thanks.]

[Jiang Yan: By the way, there's a problem I'm struggling with. I can solve it with my method, but it's very convoluted. You have a better grasp of this topic than I do. When you have a moment, can you take a look for me?]

Then, Jiang Yan sent a screenshot of a physics problem.

Before Zhou Wan could even send an "Okay", a hand suddenly reached out from behind her, carrying the scent of tobacco on its fingertips, snatched her phone, and tossed it onto the sofa.

The phone bounced a few times on the sofa.

"You said you'd keep me company, but you seem quite busy," Lu Xixiao said flatly.

"..."

Knowing the complicated relationship between Jiang Yan and him, Zhou Wan suddenly had the inexplicable feeling of being caught in the act.

"I..." she started, but didn't know what to say.

Lu Xixiao pushed his luck. "You what?"

"..."

He was so self-righteous that for a moment, Zhou Wan felt as if she had really done something wrong. She lowered her head, not knowing what to say.

"I caught a cold because of you, and you can't even keep me company sincerely," he said.

Zhou Wan asked, "What would be sincere?"

"Share weal and woe."

Zhou Wan didn't understand. She looked at him with her clear eyes, waiting for an explanation.

Lu Xixiao stared into her eyes for three seconds, then averted his gaze.

A few seconds later, he suddenly straightened up and leaned in close to her.

The distance between them closed in an instant. Zhou Wan's senses were filled with his scent—a mix of tobacco and shower gel that outlined the sharp image of a young man.

Zhou Wan held her breath.

Lu Xixiao blew a breath at her, then pinched her chin and lifted it, stretching her neck into a beautiful, sacrificial arc.

He looked down at her, a playful smirk on his lips.

The pad of his thumb pressed against her lower lip, rubbing it lightly again and again.

A lazy smile hung on his face, completely at ease and unfazed by it all. After a moment, he raised his eyebrows and drawled lazily:

"Sharing the woe... How about I pass this cold on to you."