Sweet Temptation: After Rebirth, The Campus Heartthrob Can’t Hide His Feelings Anymore - Chapter 57

The evening wind howled, rustling the branches of the forest.

Xu Zhizhi buried her face in the crook of Zhou Xuci’s neck, her eyes slightly damp, and whispered, “This predicament is one I brought upon myself.”

“I’m sorry. It was me who went and provoked him in the past, which is why we’re facing this trouble today.”

“Though I really don’t want to admit it, I still want to tell you.” Xu Zhizhi tightened her arms around Zhou Xuci’s waist. “The person I used to be was terrible, utterly and completely terrible.”

Zhou Xuci, sensing her vulnerability at that moment, gently ruffled her hair and comforted her softly, “How could that be?”

“It is, because I have a past that’s truly awful.”

“I don’t want to hide it from you.” Xu Zhizhi lifted her head, her eyes brimming with hot tears. “Zhou Xuci, do you want to hear about my sixteen-year-old self?”

I like you.

I like you to the extreme.

So, I want to give you all of my sincerity.

“I do.” Zhou Xuci gently wiped the moisture from the corner of her eye, his heart aching as if pricked by needles.

“There’s a lot of negative gossip about me on the school forum. Most of those harsh words are false, but some of them are true.”

Xu Zhizhi lowered her head, not daring to look at Zhou Xuci. “They say I was Shen Yu’s lapdog, that I chased after him for three whole years in high school. That part is true.”

“One summer night in my first year of high school, it was drizzling endlessly. I had stayed late at the art studio and took a shortcut home. That’s when I ran into three drunken thugs. I… almost got assaulted by them.”

“That alley was so long and dark. I ran like crazy, screaming for help, but it was raining, and the air was damp. My knees hurt so badly, every step felt like my bones were shattering. I couldn’t run anymore.”

“They caught me, pinned me to the ground. One held me down, another took off my shoes, and someone else tore my clothes. I cried, I screamed, I struggled, but it was useless. I was too weak.”

“I begged them, pleaded with them desperately, but no one heard my cries for help. Just when I was completely desperate, Shen Yu showed up. He was the one who saved me.”

Xu Zhizhi’s body trembled slightly. “Back then, in my eyes, he was a superhero, someone I should worship for the rest of my life. So… I started chasing after him, wholeheartedly becoming his lapdog.”

“The comments on the forum were right. They said I had no self-respect, that I shamelessly clung to him. It’s true. Because Shen Yu saved me, I could unconditionally tolerate all of his reckless behavior.”

“He played with emotions casually, mocked others, acted arrogantly… I always submitted meekly, turning a blind eye and enduring it all.”

Time and time again, she accumulated disappointment until it turned into despair.

“Zhou Xuci.” Tears streamed down Xu Zhizhi’s face, her voice choked with sobs. “That summer when I was sixteen felt so incredibly long.”

That period of my past trapped me for a full eight years.

Amidst all the ridicule and scorn, I muddled through my entire youth in a daze.

She lifted her head, tears welling in her eyes, and asked sorrowfully, “Tell me, wasn’t that version of me just awful?”

Zhou Xuci held Xu Zhizhi tightly, his voice filled with heartache. “Zhizhi, never fall into self-doubt.”

For her unfortunate experiences, he felt nothing but the deepest sympathy.

“In this world, there are no saints. Everyone makes mistakes, some more, some less; some serious, some minor. What matters is stepping out, bravely freeing yourself from the heavy shackles.”

Zhou Xuci’s gaze was resolute as he looked intently at Xu Zhizhi’s face, speaking earnestly, “Zhizhi, you’re amazing because you’ve already bravely stepped out.”

His voice was soft, yet it landed heavily in her heart.

Firm and powerful.

Resonant and impactful.

Some people remain painfully trapped behind the high wall of their mistakes for a lifetime, ultimately dying in despair.

Others, even if they have to grit their teeth until they shatter, will tear down that wall and stride out, stepping over the blood of victory.

Xu Zhizhi, who had been besieged, belonged to the latter.

Xu Zhizhi pursed her lips, holding back her tears. “Zhou Xuci, don’t you think I’m stubborn and foolish? I thought you would look down on me.”

This version of me, I can’t even stand myself!

Zhou Xuci shook his head, cupping Xu Zhizhi’s face. “The good you, the flawed you, they’re all you, and I love every part.”

Tears welled up in Xu Zhizhi’s eyes, and she buried herself in Zhou Xuci’s embrace, crying uncontrollably.

The sorrow and grievances accumulated over so many years surged forth at that moment like a raging flood, instantly breaking through the dam and overwhelming her entirely.

She had hidden in countless corners, crying silently, afraid to make a sound. But in this moment, she finally dared to weep openly.

Zhou Xuci held Xu Zhizhi, patiently comforting her for a long, long time.

The more he comforted her, the more she cried.

She was a bit difficult to soothe.

Zhou Xuci patted her back, feeling a little flustered, and continued to coax her gently.

Slowly, Xu Zhizhi gradually calmed down.

She looked up, her eyes red and swollen. “Let me ask you a question.”

Zhou Xuci tenderly wiped away her tears. “Okay.”

“Why do you like me?” Xu Zhizhi wondered curiously. “I’m starting to suspect, did I save your life once?”

A smile touched the corners of Zhou Xuci’s eyes. “Yes.”

Xu Zhizhi lightly punched his shoulder. “Tell me quickly.”

Zhou Xuci gently brushed her slightly messy bangs behind her ear. “The moment I saw you, I wanted to pursue you.”

“I thought to myself, if this girl were my girlfriend, I’d be so happy I wouldn’t be able to sleep for a week.” He spoke with sincerity.

Xu Zhizhi studied him. “But you didn’t even know me then.”

“You’re such a meticulous person. Love at first sight, it doesn’t seem like something that would happen to you.” Xu Zhizhi analyzed.

Zhou Xuci pulled her into his arms, lowering his head to kiss her hair. “How am I meticulous?”

“Your way of doing things, you pay attention to every detail, no matter how small.” Xu Zhizhi leaned against Zhou Xuci’s chest, listening to his strong, steady heartbeat, and sighed. “Zhou Xuci, meeting you makes me feel so lucky.”

In the past, I spent countless nights cursing the unfairness of fate, over and over again.

Now, while accepting the hand life has dealt me, I thank heaven for letting me meet you in the crowded sea of people.

Because of you, I’ve become a better version of myself.

Zhou Xuci held her tightly, his warm lips brushing against her ear. “Believe me, it was love at first sight.”

The moment I saw you, I wanted to marry you.

Xu Zhizhi smiled, no longer pressing for answers. “If you say so, then it’s true.”

The two of them sat together on a bench under the streetlight, snuggling close, once again the infatuated young couple in love.

Xu Zhizhi asked Zhou Xuci about the symposium, and he chattered on, sharing all the details.

Perhaps it was the change of seasons, but Xu Zhizhi, with her delicate constitution, felt a bit dizzy and ended up falling asleep in Zhou Xuci’s arms.

Zhou Xuci gazed at Xu Zhizhi’s peaceful sleeping face, then leaned down and gently kissed her forehead, whispering softly.

“Zhizhi, I met you when you were sixteen.”

“I should have taken you away back then.”

…