Sweet Temptation: After Rebirth, The Campus Heartthrob Can’t Hide His Feelings Anymore - Chapter 37

After moving out of the Shen family, Xu Zhizhi’s life became fulfilling and busy.

Tutoring, painting, reading, binge-watching dramas… She even developed a love for making desserts, filling her small home with warmth and life.

Xu Zhizhi started keeping a diary again.

In the past, she had been accustomed to carefully hiding her affection for Shen Yu between the lines.

Now, she became a chronicler of time, writing about herself, a girl who loved life with every word brimming with hope for the future.

Gradually, the name “Zhou Xuci” began appearing in Xu Zhizhi’s diary. More and more mentions of “Zhou Xuci,” so many that she lost count.

She didn’t realize it, but Zhou Xuci had slowly become her little secret.

In the blink of an eye, most of the winter break had passed, and the New Year was approaching.

Xu Zhizhi’s part-time job at the Lu family had ended, and Shen Yaoxin called her ten times in a row, urging her to return to the Shen family for the New Year.

“Zhizhi, the New Year is almost here. When are you coming home? Should I come pick you up?” Shen Yaoxin asked gently.

Xu Zhizhi looked around her small, twenty-square-meter apartment, already adorned with festive decorations.

She had planned to spend the New Year alone.

“Uncle Shen, I…” Xu Zhizhi mustered her courage to speak, “I won’t be coming back this year.”

Her feelings toward the Shen family were incredibly complicated, gratitude laced with resentment.

Shen Yaoxin had treated her with genuine kindness, offering her the only warmth during her most isolated and helpless moments.

Yet, at her weakest and most vulnerable, she had encountered Sun Xiuya, that sinister and terrifying demon.

The Shen family had once faced a severe financial crisis, nearly on the brink of bankruptcy.

To stabilize the turbulent economic situation, Shen Yaoxin was forced to shift the market focus overseas and stationed himself abroad for three whole years.

But he didn’t know that during that time, his seemingly virtuous and gentle wife, Sun Xiuya, had intermittently lost her mind, tormenting Xu Zhizhi for three years.

The sound of wheelchair wheels rolling in the darkness was like a countdown to death, etching fear and despair into Xu Zhizhi’s nightmares.

From the orphanage to the Shen family, she had climbed out of one abyss only to fall into another.

Sun Xiuya suffered from severe manic episodes.

During her breakdowns, she required heavy medication to control herself.

Xu Zhizhi had once tried to seek help from Shen Yaoxin, but the abuse had broken her, turning her into a docile little lamb.

At that time, she had been abandoned by the whole world. Getting even a scrap of pity was considered a blessing from her ancestors.

She was only ten years old, what could she do?

She was weak and powerless.

Yet Sun Xiuya cleverly packaged her weakness and helplessness into the image of an obedient girl.

Xu Zhizhi’s submissive surrender was defined as being “well-behaved.”

“Spending the New Year alone outside?” Shen Yaoxin’s voice was full of concern. “Zhizhi, I really can’t rest easy about this.”

“Besides, the neighborhood you’re living in is a bit too old. I know you’ve grown up and need your own private space.”

“Private space is also good for your creative work. I’ve bought you a small flat, you can move in anytime.”

Xu Zhizhi lowered her gaze, her eyes tinged with a sense of unreality.

In truth, her heart felt warm.

She could sense Uncle Shen’s genuine care.

But his unconditional kindness was ultimately rooted in repaying the debt of gratitude for her father’s act of bravery.

“I think my place is quite comfortable,” Xu Zhizhi said, unable to find a reason to refuse. “Uncle, I’ll come back to have New Year’s Eve dinner with you.”

What Shen Yaoxin had said was that family should be together, complete and whole.

However, Uncle Shen never realized that they weren’t truly a family in the first place.

“Really?” Shen Yaoxin said happily. “Then I’ll come pick you up when the time comes!”

Xu Zhizhi smiled faintly. “Okay.”

After hanging up, Xu Zhizhi collapsed weakly onto the sofa, staring blankly at the empty ceiling.

Her mind was in turmoil.

A conflicting mix of emotions tugged at her, giving her a splitting headache.

Xu Zhizhi forced herself up to take some medicine. Once she swallowed the pills, she just wanted to lie down and sleep because when she slept, everything would stop.

The pain would stop.

The worries would stop.

When she woke up, Xu Zhizhi felt recharged, her energy restored.

She ran to the balcony to paint.

Beside her, her phone kept lighting up with friend request notifications,

[Took the money, wanna add me back?]

[You’re acting pretty high and mighty now.]

[Xu Zhizhi, don’t make me come find you.]

[I suggest you don’t test my patience, Xu Zhizhi!]

Xu Zhizhi watched as the replies in the friend request section popped up one after another.

She witnessed Shen Yu’s gradual descent into frustration.

Shen Yu kept spamming friend requests, and though Xu Zhizhi ignored them, he seemed to enjoy it endlessly.

Like a complete lunatic.

Xu Zhizhi turned off her phone, set it aside on the balcony, picked up her brush, and continued adding strokes of color to her painting.

She painted until evening, then finally set down her brush. Standing on the balcony, she let the gentle night breeze wash over her as she gazed at the dazzling sunset stretching across the horizon.

The timing was perfect, the lingering glow of the sunset painted the sky beautifully.

Xu Zhizhi picked up her phone, snapped a photo of the sunset, and sent it to Zhou Xuci,

[Senior, the sunset today is so beautiful.]

Zhou Xuci, I’m doomed! I’m starting to miss you.

She lowered her eyes to their chat history. As their relationship grew closer, their conversations had become more frequent.

Xu Zhizhi wasn’t as cautious as she used to be. She talked a lot now, rambling about this and that to Zhou Xuci in bursts.

Zhou Xuci was always so understanding, patiently keeping up with her chatter, never leaving a single message unanswered.

Suddenly, Zhou Xuci called with a video request.

Xu Zhizhi quickly smoothed her hair, adjusted herself to look her best, and answered.

Zhou Xuci was in a rose garden, helping Old Man Lu tend to the roses.

Vast stretches of roses swayed in the wind, framed by the sunset that looked like spilled rouge. He seemed like the male lead of a campus romance novel, stepping right out of a picturesque oil painting.

His affectionate gaze was filled with tender warmth, enough to make someone fall for him over and over, until they were utterly lost.

When Zhou Xuci saw Xu Zhizhi, his eyes crinkled with a smile. “Mhm, so beautiful.”

It was unclear whether he was talking about the sunset or Xu Zhizhi.

Xu Zhizhi’s breath caught as she met his deep gaze. After a pause, she quickly flipped the camera to face the sky. “Right? It’s stunning.”

“It really is,” Zhou Xuci agreed warmly.

It’s just a little regretful, such a beautiful sunset, and I can’t stand beside you to admire it together.

Xu Zhizhi turned the camera back to herself, a trace of melancholy in her eyes.

“Not happy?” Zhou Xuci picked up on it instantly.

“I agreed to go back to the Shen family for New Year’s Eve dinner,” Xu Zhizhi admitted with a nod.

Zhou Xuci paused. “Don’t want to go?”

Xu Zhizhi shook her head. “Uncle Shen has been very good to me.”

Zhou Xuci lowered his gaze, a faint smile in his eyes. “After dinner, I’ll come pick you up.”

Xu Zhizhi was instantly mollified, her eyes lighting up as she looked at Zhou Xuci.

“Zhou Xuci.”

“Hmm?”

Gazing at his picture-perfect features, Xu Zhizhi pouted slightly at the camera and sighed, “How much would it cost to keep a college guy as good as you?”

She meant it.

She couldn’t hold back anymore.

…