Sweet Temptation: After Rebirth, The Campus Heartthrob Can’t Hide His Feelings Anymore - Chapter 97

Xu Zhizhi took an envelope out of her bag and pushed it in front of Sun Xiuya.

“I won’t break up.”

“And I won’t go abroad either.”

Her tone was firm and composed.

Sun Xiuya’s expression turned cold as she opened the envelope. Inside were an acceptance letter, a plane ticket, and a bank card.

“The PIN for the bank card is 888888,” Xu Zhizhi said.

“Xu Zhizhi, what do you mean by this?” Sun Xiuya slammed the bank card onto the table. “Do you think money can solve everything? Who do you think you’re looking down on?”

“Is this money from the Lu family’s young master?” Sun Xiuya couldn’t resist sneering. “You’re unwilling to break up because you’ve latched onto the wealthy Lu family, is that it?”

“No,” Xu Zhizhi interrupted calmly. “The money is my own savings. Over the years, I’ve kept a detailed record of every expense for food, daily necessities, and clothing. I owe your family, and I will repay every cent.”

“From now on, I will deposit money into this card every month until I’ve paid off all the debts I owe the Shen family.”

“Heh, how amusing.” Sun Xiuya stirred her hot coffee lightly with a spoon, her sharp gaze fixed on Xu Zhizhi. “Xu Zhizhi, how do you plan to repay me for the harm your mother caused me?”

Xu Zhizhi clenched her fists, raised her eyes calmly, and met Sun Xiuya’s condescending stare. “Then what will you use to repay me for the permanent damage you’ve caused me?”

“From the time I was ten until I was thirteen, for three whole years, you abused me again and again. Isn’t that also a form of harm?” she retorted pointedly.

“No matter how much I hurt you, I never broke your legs or made it so you could never stand again!” Sun Xiuya’s face paled as she argued defensively. “Besides, I was sick, I couldn’t control myself. If it weren’t for your mother, why would I have developed bipolar disorder…”

“I’m sick too!” Xu Zhizhi laughed coldly. “The abuse I suffered from you gave me severe neurasthenia. I lived in constant fear and couldn’t sleep through the night for years.”

She took out a thick stack of papers from her bag, page after page of yellowed medical records and prescription slips.

“These are my medical records, eighty-seven pages in total, almost as thick as a book.” Xu Zhizhi pushed them in front of Sun Xiuya and said indifferently, “The reason I never grew tall isn’t just because of stomach issues. It’s also because, as a child, I had to take various medications for neurasthenia over and over again.”

“The reason I can empathize with your suffering is that I, like you, am sick and have endured immense psychological pressure. You wanted to strangle yourself with a swing rope, and I, too, have wanted to twist my own neck with my hands countless times.”

Sun Xiuya stared at the medical records piled before her, her hand trembling slightly as she held her coffee cup. “You…”

Xu Zhizhi no longer avoided her gaze. “You think you’re miserable, pitiful, and innocent. But what about me? Wasn’t my younger self just as miserable, pitiful, and innocent?”

“Xu Zhizhi, it was your mother who ruined me!” Sun Xiuya insisted stubbornly.

“So, you tried to ruin me too, to satisfy your desire for revenge, is that it?” Xu Zhizhi challenged her directly.

“So, what if I did?” Sun Xiuya’s eyes widened, veins bulging on her forehead. “I wasn’t the one driving drunk. Why should I be the only one living in hell?”

“Your mother is dead, so now it’s your turn to take responsibility! What did I do wrong?” Sun Xiuya pressed on aggressively.

Xu Zhizhi no longer felt afraid and spoke calmly, “Legally, I bear no responsibility for this matter. In that car accident years ago, my mother died on the spot. I was only six years old, I was blameless. My father took on the civil liability, apologizing to you again and again. Legally, we paid compensation until we were bankrupt. We have fulfilled our obligations to you.”

As the party at fault in this incident, we have done our utmost to make amends.

We feel endless remorse for the accident.

“It’s not enough! What does that money even mean? I lost my entire life!” Sun Xiuya exclaimed agitatedly.

Xu Zhizhi watched her outburst unmoved. “I know that, morally and emotionally, I should have some compassion for you. But every bit of that compassion has been exhausted by your repeated abuse.”

“Sun Xiuya, don’t try to guilt-trip me anymore. I, Xu Zhizhi, owe you nothing.”

She lightly tapped the medical records on the table. “Each of these consultation records is evidence of your abuse. You claim to be the victim, but then what am I?”

Sun Xiuya fell silent, staring at Xu Zhizhi with astonishment in her eyes.

The once meek and submissive Xu Zhizhi had changed. Her claws were sharp now, capable of drawing blood.

“In the past, I lived within the high walls of the Shen family, unable to see the world outside. I existed in a vast shadow, afraid of hunger and cold, so I became the humblest of ants.”

Xu Zhizhi stood up, took a deep breath, and looked down at Sun Xiuya. “Also, the reason I love Zhou Xuci isn’t because he’s wealthy.”

“It’s because every time I was trapped in darkness, he came to me, again and again. He told me that if I couldn’t tear down the high walls, I should break a crack to let the light in. It was his umbrella that sheltered me from the storm.”

“I will never break up with him in this lifetime.”

From today onward, I will no longer fear the sound of wheelchair wheels. I won’t lie awake all night during thunderous rainstorms, nor will I hand over control of my life to others out of so-called pity or guilt.

This path was one Zhou Xuci guided me through, step by step.

I have never loved anyone so passionately.

Only Zhou Xuci.

Seeing her about to leave, Sun Xiuya gritted her teeth. “Xu Zhizhi! You can’t leave!”

“There’s nothing left to say between us.” Xu Zhizhi didn’t turn back, speaking softly. “Illness is terrifying, and I hope you overcome it, emerge from it, and rediscover the value of your own life.”

“Some people sitting down live more brilliantly than those standing.”

With that, Xu Zhizhi strode out, leaving Sun Xiuya alone in the café, lost in thought for a long time.

Xu Zhizhi pushed open the café door and looked up at the sky, a vast, clear blue, as if washed clean.

The seemingly endless rainy season appeared to be coming to an end.

The sun broke through the layers of gloom, casting bright light over the earth and onto Xu Zhizhi herself.

She paused and saw Zhou Xuci standing across the street.

As the traffic light turned green, Zhou Xuci hurried toward her.

Amid the bustling crowd, Xu Zhizhi threw herself into his embrace.

Zhou Xuci held her tightly.

Xu Zhizhi lifted her head, her eyes shimmering with a bright light as she flashed a radiant smile at Zhou Xuci. The small dimples at the corners of her lips deepened, and in a soft voice, she said,

“Brother.”

“The rain in my world has finally stopped.”

…