Sweet Temptation: After Rebirth, The Campus Heartthrob Can’t Hide His Feelings Anymore - Chapter 18

On a snowless winter day, the sun emerged, bringing a hint of warmth.

Zhang Shuqing crouched in the corner of a narrow alley, crying uncontrollably.

Xu Zhizhi stood still, gazing at Zhang Shuqing’s trembling back as she sobbed.

A solitary corner, a breakdown too overwhelming for words.

How familiar this scene felt… Xu Zhizhi couldn’t recall how many times she, too, had cried alone, helpless and unseen.

Xu Zhizhi took a step forward, then another, until she stood before Zhang Shuqing.

Hearing the footsteps, Zhang Shuqing didn’t dare to look up, hurriedly wiping her face.

Xu Zhizhi silently offered a tissue.

Zhang Shuqing froze for a moment. When she saw it was Xu Zhizhi, she didn’t take the tissue but instead turned her face away, refusing her sympathy.

Xu Zhizhi withdrew the tissue and quietly walked on.

Suddenly, Zhang Shuqing’s choked voice came from behind, “You must be really happy to see me in such a pathetic state, aren’t you?”

Xu Zhizhi stopped in her tracks, turned around, and met Zhang Shuqing’s resentful gaze, falling into silence.

Zhang Shuqing gave a bitter smile, tears of unwillingness pooling in her eyes. “Xu Zhizhi, stop pretending. You like Shen Yu so much… now that he’s dumped me, you must be overjoyed! Go ahead, laugh at me out loud. I don’t care! I really don’t care!”

Xu Zhizhi shook her head gently. “I just… think it’s a bit of a pity.”

Zhang Shuqing was taken aback, staring at her in confusion.

“Don’t worry, I have no right to laugh at you. The old me was far more pathetic than you are now.” Xu Zhizhi spoke softly, her expression calm. “Also, I don’t like him anymore.”

With that, she turned and continued walking.

Zhang Shuqing’s voice grew even more choked, tears streaming down her face. “Am I really that pathetic?”

Xu Zhizhi turned back and walked toward the disheveled Zhang Shuqing once more, stopping in front of her.

“But I love him! I can’t help but love him!” Zhang Shuqing looked up, her eyes filled with the helplessness and despair of a loser. “I don’t want to leave him. I love him so much that just being by his side is enough… Loving someone is so painful. I’m in so much pain. What should I do? What can I do…”

“Zhang Shuqing.” Xu Zhizhi crouched down, placing a hand on her shoulder, and spoke slowly. “I read the article about you on the school’s official public account. You were the provincial top scorer in liberal arts, a first-class student, the ‘perfect child’ everyone admires.”

“I remember how you described youth, you said it should be a journey of boldness, charging forward without fear. That’s the true spirit of youth. And if you fail, you get back up and keep going.”

“About life, you said it’s an experience that shouldn’t be filled with regrets. Seize every seemingly insignificant moment, and over time, those moments will accumulate and eventually shine brilliantly.”

“When I read that article, I thought, ‘A girl like this is truly dazzling, truly enviable.’”

Xu Zhizhi gave Zhang Shuqing a gentle smile. “I thought someone as insightful as you would live more wisely than I do, that you wouldn’t lose yourself in temporary hardships and self-doubt.”

Zhang Shuqing’s eyes were red, filled with astonishment, clearly not expecting Xu Zhizhi to say such words.

Her tears fell like broken pearls. “Before I met him, I never felt such intense emotions. Every moment with him felt like the most beautiful gift from heaven. I don’t know what’s wrong with me, it’s like I’ve gone mad. Loving him has become my instinct.”

I can’t live without him.

Even though I know he’s a bird without feet, I still want to be the moth that flies into the flame.

Loving him is my fate.

“Xu Zhizhi, I can’t bring myself to stop loving him,” Zhang Shuqing sobbed, her face streaked with tears. “In my heart, he’s one of a kind. No one can replace him. I can’t move on… I just can’t…”

Xu Zhizhi tightened her grip on Zhang Shuqing’s shoulder, her gaze firm. “But you are also one of a kind.”

You are a delicate flower, deserving of the most beautiful scenery in the world.

Zhang Shuqing froze, speechless.

“In someone else’s heart, you’re also irreplaceable,” Xu Zhizhi said softly, her long lashes veiling the sorrow in her eyes, her tone resolute. “Don’t exhaust all your energy loving someone you know isn’t worth it. Save some for yourself.”

After the pain comes release.

Zhang Shuqing’s tears dripped onto the snow. “I… I thought you’d hate me. After all, Shen Yu and I…”

Xu Zhizhi took a deep breath and looked up at the afternoon sunlight casting a glow on the wall. “I once poured all my strength into loving him. I ran tirelessly, trying to catch the falling sun, but I realized I could never catch up.”

“I was so exhausted, so powerless, that I finally had to stop. But then I discovered the scenery along the way was beautiful too.” Xu Zhizhi smiled faintly. “That’s when I realized the breeze was gentler. So, I stopped chasing the sun because I found the moon was just as lovely.”

Letting go hurts.

But holding on is too hard.

Zhang Shuqing lowered her head, choking back sobs, unable to speak.

After a good cry, she would stand up, dust herself off, and start anew, that’s how life should be.

Xu Zhizhi pulled out a tissue and pressed it into Zhang Shuqing’s hand. “I have plans, so I’ll go now. Goodbye.”

Everyone has their own life, their own rhythm to follow.

Zhang Shuqing wiped her damp cheeks with the tissue, watching Xu Zhizhi walk away.

The afternoon sunlight rested on her shoulders, illuminating her entire figure, making her look radiant.

“Xu Zhizhi, I’m sorry,” Zhang Shuqing called out.

“There was an anonymous post on the school forum exposing your past, and it led to you being hurt by rumors. I was the one who posted it.” Zhang Shuqing hung her head in shame. “I saw your photo on Shen Yu’s phone, and I thought you two… So, I looked into your history. Out of jealousy, I posted it.”

“I’m sorry. I never thought things would blow up like that. I loved Shen Yu too much… so much that I couldn’t tolerate anyone else. That’s why I did something so despicable. I… didn’t mean for it to be like this.” Her voice was thick with guilt and sorrow.

Xu Zhizhi was silent for a moment. “Forget it. It’s all in the past.”

There’s no need for women to make things harder for each other.

She continued walking forward.

Zhang Shuqing wiped away her tears and called out loudly, “Xu Zhizhi, you’re in his heart.”

When he’s drunk, he calls your name.

He just refuses to admit his feelings for you!

Xu Zhizhi didn’t stop. She left everything behind, letting the cold wind scatter Zhang Shuqing’s words.

She walked toward the light, step by step, into the sunlight that belonged to her.

As Xu Zhizhi emerged from the alley, she saw Zhou Xuci standing by the traffic lights across the street.

The warm sunlight slanted onto Zhou Xuci’s shoulders. Dressed in a British-style overcoat, he stood tall and striking, his gentle smile accentuating his handsome features.

Refined, courteous, composed, restrained… Wherever such a man went, he was the center of attention.

Zhou Xuci was waiting for Xu Zhizhi.

…