Sweet Temptation: After Rebirth, The Campus Heartthrob Can’t Hide His Feelings Anymore - Chapter 75

Shen Yu was pursuing Xu Zhizhi.

Pursuing her fervently.

Even though Xu Zhizhi never gave him a warm reception, Shen Yu remained persistent and relentless.

Everyone said, “A prodigal’s return is priceless.”

Shen Yu had settled down, no longer playing with emotions, and devoted all his attention to Xu Zhizhi.

He showered her with attentiveness.

Unfortunately, Zhou Xuci was swamped with work.

Their small studio had taken on two major projects and officially became Ruiying Technology Company.

Zhou Xuci was one of the founders.

It was the company’s startup phase.

Zhou Xuci was away on a business trip, promoting and debugging the new project.

And so, Shen Yu seized the opportunity.

After class in the afternoon, Xu Zhizhi carried her drawing board as she walked along the long campus path.

By late May, the weather in Kyoto was starting to heat up. The wind rustled through the treetops, carrying a warm, humid breeze.

“Xu Zhizhi!”

Shen Yu, dressed in a basketball jersey as if he had just finished a game, ran toward her. His hair was slightly damp with sweat, and his youthful, energetic body radiated a vibrant vitality.

His running figure, passing through light and shadow, stumbled back into the era that belonged to their high school days.

Back then, Shen Yu had been just like this, sunny and full of life, his three-step layup so mesmerizingly handsome.

At sixteen, Shen Yu had been the most dazzling presence at the second campus of Nancheng No. 1 High School.

Unfortunately, Shen Yu had fallen from grace overnight, becoming a notorious playboy.

As for the reason behind his downfall, some said he hadn’t escaped the rebellion and arrogance of adolescence, picking up bad habits like fighting, smoking, drinking, and casually toying with emotions…

Shen Yu quickly caught up to Xu Zhizhi and handed her a soda. “Here, I bought you a drink.”

It was white peach sparkling water.

In the past, every time Xu Zhizhi went to watch Shen Yu’s basketball games, she would bring a bottle of white peach sparkling water.

But there were always too many girls offering Shen Yu drinks.

Xu Zhizhi’s sparkling water had never made it to him.

Shen Yu had never noticed Xu Zhizhi in the crowd.

When Xu Zhizhi saw the white peach sparkling water, she smiled at Shen Yu. “I don’t like sparkling water.”

It was ice-cold.

Her stomach was sensitive, so she generally avoided cold drinks.

Xu Zhizhi strode past Shen Yu and continued on her way.

Shen Yu was used to her cold shoulder and didn’t take offense. He kept pace with her, trying to make conversation.

“Xu Zhizhi, didn’t you say that life is about experiences? That even if you don’t chase after celebrities, you should still go to a concert at least once?”

“Next week, there’s a concert at the Olympic Stadium. I managed to get two tickets. Let me take you.”

“After the concert, I’ll treat you to barbecue. Isn’t that your favorite…”

Xu Zhizhi stopped walking, cutting off Shen Yu’s wild fantasies. “Shen Yu, I’ve told you… I have a boyfriend.”

Her words were firm and resounding.

Shen Yu froze, the smile on his face stiffening, a flicker of loneliness passing through his eyes. “I know. You don’t have to keep reminding me.”

After a few seconds of silence, he mustered his spirits again. “Xu Zhizhi, I’m willing to be your backup.”

He said it with utmost sincerity.

He had been a jerk in the past, with countless ex-girlfriends, so he could accept that Xu Zhizhi had an ex too.

No matter the process, what mattered most was the outcome.

And the outcome was that she would eventually return to him.

Shen Yu still felt dazed, as if Xu Zhizhi’s three years of intense affection for him had vanished into thin air in an instant.

It pained him deeply, as if he had been pushed into an abyss, struggling in agony.

Only after losing her did he realize how precious it was to have had her.

“I don’t need any backup options.” Xu Zhizhi’s gaze toward Shen Yu turned slightly cold. “Shen Yu, just be yourself. There’s no need to deliberately cater to me.”

“Alright, I’ll be myself.” Shen Yu stepped in front of Xu Zhizhi, looking down at her with deep intensity. “I know you liked how I was at sixteen, so I’ll go back to being that sixteen-year-old version of myself.”

He had once illuminated her youth, but time had passed, and she was no longer waiting where she used to be.

“I can’t communicate with you.” Xu Zhizhi turned her face away. “Please stop trying so hard to please me. Your efforts are causing me a great deal of distress.”

“Zhizhi, you can keep your distance from me, but…” Shen Yu looked genuinely hurt, his expression grim. “At least give me a chance. Let’s start as friends, alright?”

“Not as a backup, but as friends.” Shen Yu’s eyes were filled with anticipation. “Don’t push me too far away. I just need a place by your side.”

Any place would do.

At least I could still exist in your world.

“In the past, I was foolish, always doing things I shouldn’t and not allowing you to like me.” Shen Yu gently grasped Xu Zhizhi’s wrist. “Zhizhi, I give you permission to like me. Please don’t ignore me, alright?”

He had lowered his pride once again.

Xu Zhizhi shook off his hand. “Shen Yu, please have some self-respect.”

She took a few steps back, maintaining a safe distance from him.

“I’ve been thinking a lot lately, wondering whether my feelings for you back then were genuine affection or just a search for refuge.”

Xu Zhizhi lifted her head, calmly meeting Shen Yu’s gaze. “The sixteen-year-old you was truly brave. You saved me when I was at my most desperate. At that time, I was extremely insecure, and you happened to fill that void of safety for me.”

“But…was that really love?” Xu Zhizhi posed the question with uncertainty. “Or was it that, in my isolation, I clung to you like a lifeline, too afraid to let go, stubbornly holding on?”

“Gradually, I convinced myself it was love. I thought that as long as I loved you, I would be protected. Because you were strong enough to shield me, I ran toward you with all my might.”

“Back then, I was too weak. I could only pin my hopes on you. Over time, I even began to believe that I truly loved you.”

Xu Zhizhi’s expression cleared, and she offered Shen Yu a faint smile. “Later, I realized it wasn’t love. It was a twisted psychological need for the security of a kindred spirit. I’m sorry, but it wasn’t you that I loved.”

“Real love is when my heart races uncontrollably every time I look at him. Every time I’m near him, I feel like I’m bubbling over with joy.”

Xu Zhizhi stated firmly, “I love Zhou Xuci. It can only be him.”

With that, she quickened her pace, leaving Shen Yu behind.

“Xu Zhizhi.” Shen Yu’s eyes glistened with emotion. “A person can’t love only one person in their lifetime.”

“I’ll wait for you to turn back. I’ll always wait for you.” Shen Yu called out loudly.

Xu Zhizhi didn’t look back. Instead, she lifted her face and said, “If you’re really that free, you should spend more time communicating with your mother instead of disappearing without a trace.”

These past few days, Sun Xiuya had called Xu Zhizhi nearly two hundred times, each call feeling like a haunting midnight ring.

Xu Zhizhi didn’t answer.

Sun Xiuya went straight to the academic advisor, who personally contacted Xu Zhizhi.

After repeated attempts, Xu Zhizhi was forced to answer the call.

Shen Yu’s expression darkened, “Is my mother bothering you again?”

Xu Zhizhi brushed it off with a light laugh, “She’s desperately looking for you.”

…