Sweet Temptation: After Rebirth, The Campus Heartthrob Can’t Hide His Feelings Anymore - Chapter 65

April in Kyoto is perfect for outings and enjoying the spring scenery.

Over the weekend, Zhou Xuci was tied up with work, so Xu Zhizhi stepped in as a little tour guide, showing Mr. and Mrs. Lu around the city’s attractions.

Zhou Xin came from a highly educated family and had a keen interest in culture and history. To be a competent guide, Xu Zhizhi had stayed up late memorizing twenty-five pages of Kyoto’s history and cultural highlights.

On a day bathed in gentle sunlight, Xu Zhizhi led the Lu couple through Kyoto’s streets and alleys.

Kyoto, with its millennia of history, has witnessed the rise and fall of numerous dynasties. Wars, stained with blood, have shaped the long river of human history, and here, countless traditions and civilizations converge.

Dressed in a simple white dress, Xu Zhizhi wandered through the ancient lanes, eloquently narrating the past and present of each scenic spot they visited.

Zhou Xin was an enthusiastic listener, paying close attention and showing genuine interest.

But she still loved to shop.

Whenever she spotted something novel, she had to buy it.

Seeing some beautiful cultural and creative items, Zhou Xin exclaimed, “Shopkeeper, I’ll take two dolls, wrap them up for me!”

She tugged at Xu Zhizhi’s arm, grinning cheerfully, “One for you, and one for me.”

She was good to Xu Zhizhi, but she was also good to herself.

She never shortchanged others, nor did she shortchange herself.

Xu Zhizhi smiled, her eyes crinkling, and accepted without hesitation, “Thank you, Auntie.”

Zhou Xin’s tone lifted slightly, lively as a young girl’s, “Zhizhi, as a girl, you must always be good to yourself!”

In her world, love meant sharing, not monopolizing, it meant loving others while reserving enough strength to love oneself.

“Of course,” Zhou Xin glanced at Lu Huainan beside her, “If you meet someone worthy of your love, then love them passionately. But remember to keep loving yourself just as passionately.”

You share the autumn hues with the moonlit night.

In my autumn, half is you, and half is the moonlit night.

I love you, and I love the moonlit night, there’s no contradiction.

Zhou Xin gently stroked Xu Zhizhi’s cheek and said softly, “I believe that a girl who loves herself becomes even more beautiful.”

Love is the most paradoxical existence in the world.

Sometimes fervent, sometimes indifferent.

Some endure the trials of time and eventually unite, while others are defeated by the long years, destined to fail.

Not everyone finds a happy ending in the whirlpool of emotions. Many give their all, only to end up with nothing, abandoning themselves or even losing their lives.

These people poured their most passionate love into someone unworthy, forgetting that they must also love themselves.

The sunlight illuminated Zhou Xin’s face. Perhaps because the weather was a bit stifling, her cheeks were flushed with heat.

Yet, from her delicate features, Xu Zhizhi could still glimpse the stunning beauty she must have been in her youth.

A powerful ripple stirred in Xu Zhizhi’s heart, a surge of intense emotion that eventually transformed into a strong force, taking root deep within her.

She looked up and glanced at Lu Huainan standing to the side.

Lu Huainan naturally wore a cold expression, looking as if “the world owed him a great deal,” exuding an intimidating aura that kept others at a distance.

But when he looked at Zhou Xin, his eyes always held emotion, sometimes doting, sometimes tender.

Occasionally, there was a hint of helplessness, because his wife was just too lively.

Yet he was accustomed to indulging her.

After a full hour and a half of touring, Lu Huainan’s hands were already carrying quite a few shopping bags.

But Zhou Xin never grew impatient when she wanted to keep shopping; Lu Huainan would always wait for her to buy to her heart’s content.

It was parents like these who raised Zhou Xuci so well.

The innate grace he carried came from the subtle influence of his family and the endless love they provided.

Parents who never spoil the fun are as rare as finding a needle in a haystack.

“Auntie,” Xu Zhizhi said with a smile, looking at Zhou Xin, “tell me about A-Ci. Was he mischievous when he was little?”

Zhou Xin linked arms with Xu Zhizhi. “A-Ci was very well-behaved. His temperament is like his grandmother’s, since he was little, he’s always been called ‘the child from someone else’s family.’ He was a model student at school and won awards all the time.”

“I actually think he was too quiet. I wished he’d be a bit livelier.” Zhou Xin pouted. “He was so obedient that I never got to experience the ‘parental breakdown’ phase. What a pity.”

“Not like A-Bei, who was always getting into trouble. I even had a day where the teacher called me three times: in the morning, his Chinese teacher complained that he tore up his homework; in the afternoon, his math teacher said he talked too much; and in the evening, his homeroom teacher reported that he’d dyed his hair blond. His list of misdeeds is thicker than a dictionary.”

As Zhou Xin reminisced, her eyes softened with a gentle smile. “Time flies. In the blink of an eye, they’ve all grown up, and I’ve truly gotten old.”

Xu Zhizhi said considerately, “You’re not old at all. You look very young.”

“Well, I do take good care of myself,” Zhou Xin replied playfully, pinching Xu Zhizhi’s cheek. “But at my age, who doesn’t show some signs of aging?”

She lived with clarity and freedom.

How wonderful.

Xu Zhizhi was completely won over. “Auntie, you’re truly amazing.”

Zhou Xin patted the back of Xu Zhizhi’s hand, giving her a sincere compliment. “You’re wonderful too.”

They chatted and laughed all the way.

Lu Huainan followed quietly behind them, carrying their bags.

Xu Zhizhi took Zhou Xin and Lu Huainan to try some authentic local snacks in the capital, the kind of street stalls Zhou Xin specifically requested.

Feeling a bit uneasy, Xu Zhizhi stole several glances at Lu Huainan, worried he might not be used to such food.

Zhou Xin pressed Xu Zhizhi down onto a seat nearby. “When your uncle and I were dating, he often ate street food with me.”

Xu Zhizhi was stunned. “Huh?”

“Ours was the most cliché arranged marriage,” Zhou Xin said with a disdainful pout. “In our time, family alliances were very common. My father was extremely authoritarian and insisted I marry someone of equal social standing.”

“But I’ve always had a lively personality and wasn’t very well-liked in the family. Your Uncle Lu also seemed like someone even ghosts would avoid, so the Zhou family married off their least favorite daughter… me.”

Xu Zhizhi felt as if she’d stumbled upon a huge piece of gossip, her eyes nearly popping out. “!!!”

A marriage first, love later story!

It sounded so dramatic!

But she was a sucker for these kinds of stories, she loved them!

“At first, neither of us was interested in the other,” Zhou Xin handed the menu to Xu Zhizhi and whispered, “I always thought your Uncle Lu had some sort of issue. He’d never experienced real hardship, yet he wore a cold, stern face all the time. So boring, utterly boring.”

Xu Zhizhi asked eagerly, “What happened next?” I find this so interesting!

“Well, later on,” Zhou Xin lowered her head, her eyes curving into smiles, “your Uncle Lu fell seriously ill from overworking and staying up late. I couldn’t bear to see him like that, so I took care of him for a while. Back and forth like that, feelings started to grow between us.”

“After developing feelings for each other, we started dating. He accompanied me eating and drinking, trying all kinds of junk food.” Zhou Xin sounded a bit annoyed as she recalled, “The most annoying part is, even though we ate the same things, only I gained weight!”

Lu Huainan poured a cup of warm water for Zhou Xin. “Didn’t I end up joining you on your diet? We ran a kilometer every day.”

Zhou Xin lifted her chin proudly. “That’s what you deserved.”

Xu Zhizhi felt like she was being showered with their affection display. “…”

Indeed!

Those who are favored always act without fear.

…