Sweet Temptation: After Rebirth, The Campus Heartthrob Can’t Hide His Feelings Anymore - Chapter 52

Xu Zhizhi’s footsteps halted abruptly as she stood still in the biting wind, her face stinging from the cold.

“The news came from the School of Computer Science, and it’s accurate,” Shen Yu said as he approached her. “Do you think Zhou Xuci would give up further studies for you?”

The spots in top global research institutes were few and far between, a threshold that ninety-nine percent of people could never reach in their entire lives.

Xu Zhizhi lowered her gaze, her long, curled lashes veiling the panic in her eyes, followed by an unmistakable gloom.

Yes.

Zhou Xuci was leaving to further his studies.

“Do you think your feelings can withstand the distance, or the test of time? Are those so-called vows of eternal love truly unbreakable?” Shen Yu asked sternly.

Xu Zhizhi remained silent, lacking the courage to respond.

In the face of reality, people often seemed small and powerless. The uncertainty of the future weighed on her shoulders like a massive boulder.

Shen Yu’s tone softened. “Be sensible. I advise you to cut your losses in time. If a relationship is doomed, it’s better to pull out before you’re in too deep.”

Otherwise, when the time comes to part, the pain would be unbearable.

If the outcome was already clear, why cling stubbornly to the beginning?

Shen Yu’s eyes brimmed with deep emotion as he looked at Xu Zhizhi. “Zhizhi, give me another chance. I won’t let you down. I’ll prove with my actions that I’m better than Zhou Xuci… much better.”

In the past, he had been like a frog at the bottom of a well, trapped and unwilling to break free.

It wasn’t until Zhou Xuci appeared that he realized he had long been deeply in love with Xu Zhizhi, only he had been forced to avoid her like the plague.

After crying, hurting, and despairing… Shen Yu no longer wanted to be an ostrich burying its head in the sand. He wanted to fight for himself.

The girl who had once chased after him relentlessly, he had carelessly lost her. Even if it meant traversing a thousand miles of thorns, he was determined to win her back.

Shen Yu had truly awakened.

In the past, he had been too cowardly, drowning himself in a life of luxury to escape reality. Now, he was clear-headed and would not let go easily again.

Xu Zhizhi lifted her head, her expression still distant. “Shen Yu, don’t waste your efforts.”

With those words, she strode forward.

Unyielding, Shen Yu called after her, “Xu Zhizhi, if you really want to have some fun, I’ll allow you to play around with Zhou Xuci. But don’t go too far!”

Xu Zhizhi acted as if she hadn’t heard and didn’t look back.

Play around.

How ridiculous.

Watching Xu Zhizhi’s indifferent retreating figure, Shen Yu suddenly remembered his past self, how he had turned his back on her time and time again.

He had been truly despicable back then.

A moment later, Hu Chen suddenly popped up. “Brother Yu, there’s a drinking party. Wanna go?”

“No.”

“The campus belle from the neighboring school is going. I heard she’s absolutely stunning. Really not going?”

“No.”

“Damn,” Hu Chen couldn’t help but tease. “Brother Yu, you’re not actually serious, are you?”

Shen Yu’s gaze remained fixed on Xu Zhizhi’s retreating figure until she disappeared completely.

Watching Shen Yu, who had clearly fallen hard, Hu Chen said, “Seriously, Brother Yu, have you lost your mind? What’s so great about Xu Zhizhi? She’s just a simp. Is she worth giving up your entire ‘pond’ for?”

“Shut up,” Shen Yu snapped, thrusting the bouquet of flowers forcefully into Hu Chen’s arms. “From now on, don’t say a single bad word about her. For every word you utter, I’ll pull out one of your teeth.”

“Oh.” Hu Chen made a zipping motion over his mouth like an eager lackey.

Xu Zhizhi waded through the bustling crowd, aimlessly heading in the direction of the school.

Her phone suddenly vibrated in her pocket.

She had received a notification from the official public account of Jing University, Zhou Xuci was making headlines yet again!

Zhou Xuci wasn’t on campus; he had gone abroad to attend a high-level academic forum.

At this international-level technology summit, he had been one of the keynote speakers, sharing his latest research findings and earning unanimous praise from experts.

Every line of the report was filled with words of admiration for Zhou Xuci.

His brilliance deserved all the beautiful words in the world.

The official account also included a group photo of the attendees.

Zhou Xuci stood on the far left, wearing a clean, well-fitted white shirt, his eyes bright and focused on the camera.

He looked so strikingly handsome.

Even standing in the corner, he still caught everyone’s attention at a glance.

In the group photo, looking across the row of faces was like staring at a bunch of lightbulbs, shining and radiant.

Among the scholars attending with Zhou Xuci, eight out of ten were completely bald, one was half-bald, and the only one with a full head of thick hair was Zhou Xuci.

He was the standout among the younger generation.

A prodigious young man, full of vigor and ambition.

The comments section was buzzing with discussion.

[Congratulations to Zhou Xuci for landing an offer at a top global research institute!]

Top comment!

Xu Zhizhi’s fingers paused as she scrolled through the post. She lowered her head silently, feeling inexplicably heavy.

After a moment, she continued scrolling through the comments.

[Zhou Xuci, please, please protect your hair, ahhhhh!]

[Wow! Draw your swords, what kind of fine grain has Xu Zhizhi been eating? Another day of envying Xu Zhizhi!]

[Some people may have money, but they’ve lost their hair! Are the big shots really not considering hair transplants?]

[A computer science sufferer here to answer: hair transplants are useless! You get it done, and it falls out again. What’s the point?!]

The academic forum had ended.

Zhou Xuci said he would be back tomorrow.

They hadn’t seen each other for almost a week.

Xu Zhizhi missed Zhou Xuci terribly, so much it ached.

After tutoring a child in drawing, Xu Zhizhi was too lazy to move and decided to stay in the art studio to work on her major assignment.

Suddenly, she heard the wind chimes hanging on the door jingle.

“Sorry, we’re already-” closed for the day.

Before she could finish, Xu Zhizhi saw Zhou Xuci standing at the doorway.

The afternoon sunlight streamed in from behind him. He stood against the light, bathed in its glow, bright and dazzling.

Zhou Xuci looked at the slightly stunned Xu Zhizhi with a smile, a gentle warmth in his eyes. “Long time no see, junior.”

Xu Zhizhi grinned, her dimples deepening. “Weren’t you supposed to come back tomorrow?”

Zhou Xuci walked over and stopped in front of her. “I was originally scheduled for tomorrow, but I was too impatient. I changed my ticket and came back a day early.”

“Did you rush back for something urgent?” Xu Zhizhi asked with concern.

Zhou Xuci tilted his head, his gaze falling on the half-finished oil painting. “I rushed back to take on a part-time job.”

Xu Zhizhi was confused. “What?”

Zhou Xuci leaned in slightly, closer to her, and said with a smile, “We agreed, I’d be your art model.”

Xu Zhizhi’s mind raced. “Huh?”

Right, she must have been drunk and spouting nonsense again.

Zhou Xuci looked utterly sincere. “You said the kind where I don’t wear clothes.”

Xu Zhizhi’s ears flushed red. “…Did-did I say that?”

“I’m quite affordable, just 50 bucks a time.” Zhou Xuci couldn’t resist teasing her when he saw her wide-eyed, astonished expression. “I’m very professional, no boundaries.”

Xu Zhizhi’s cheeks flushed slightly as she shot him an indignant glare. “Zhou! Xu! Ci!”

Unable to hold back any longer, Zhou Xuci spread his arms and pulled Xu Zhizhi into a tight embrace, burying his face in her shoulder. In a low voice, he murmured, “Zhizhi, I’ve missed you so much, almost to the point of madness.”

…