Chapter 106: Chapter 106: Don’t Even Think About It, I Can’t Do It.

She didn’t know if what she felt for Xi Zirong could be called ’liking’ him, but she no longer wanted to reject him. She was growing increasingly soft toward him and could no longer bring herself to say anything cruel.

Besides, Xu Su had figured it out. No matter how cruel her words or how harsh her rejection, Xi Zirong would only become more determined, doggedly trying to get closer to her. The more she pushed, the harder he tried.

’Instead of stringing him along like this, why not give it a try?’

In fact, in the eyes of their classmates, including Huang Feng and Qian Jia, they were already assumed to be dating. They were simply too close.

’At the very least, she shouldn’t betray the sincere feelings of the boy right in front of her.’

’Xi Zirong had always been too good to her. He was a huge reason she’d managed to place in the top three on the last two final exams. It was a debt she could hardly repay, so why not just grant his heart’s desire?’

A million thoughts raced through Xu Su’s mind, but she knew the most fundamental reason was simply that she seemed to like Xi Zirong a little.

’It was rare for her to like someone in two lifetimes, so why couldn’t she give it a try?’

…But what about Zhou Mochen?

Xi Zirong noticed the girl was lost in thought again and asked softly, “What are you thinking about?”

Xu Su pressed her lips together, steadying her wavering heart. “Nothing.”

’She couldn’t do this. She especially couldn’t try. Zhou Mochen wouldn’t be able to handle it.’

Outside the bus, the other examinees from City No.1 High School were also leaving the examination hall one after another. Two teachers were there, questioning them in turn.

Soon, all the students were on the bus.

Several students looked dejected, on the verge of tears. When the teachers asked, they choked out that the questions were too difficult and they hadn’t had time to finish the last two major problems.

Mr. Song patted their shoulders encouragingly.

The bus started its return journey, and the students inside began to compare their answers.

Whenever they had different answers, they would all invariably ask what Xi Zirong’s answer was.

The ones whose answers matched Xi Zirong’s would cheer in pleasant surprise.

Sometimes, Xi Zirong’s answer was different from all of theirs, and a collective, mournful silence would fall over them.

Xu Su couldn’t help but want to laugh as she watched. ’Are they using Xi Zirong as the official answer key?’

’No one even suspected he might have gotten something wrong.’

Xi Zirong saw the smile on the girl’s face and smiled back. He lowered his voice to a bewitching whisper, “Xu Su, I’m a great catch. Why don’t you try to like me?”

The smile on Xu Su’s face slowly vanished. She lowered her gaze to hide the hesitation in her eyes and said nothing.

Zhou Mochen knew she was participating in this competition. As soon as she got back to First High School, a text from him came in.

Xu Su opened it, glanced at it, and didn’t reply.

It had been over a month since her second year of high school started. Xu Su hadn’t been home once and had only seen Zhou Mochen a single time.

And that was only after he’d lost control and started bombarding her with calls, forcing her to reluctantly make an appearance.

It had been about twenty days since she last saw Zhou Mochen.

Xu Su silently calculated the days. ’He’s probably reaching the limit of his patience.’

’I don’t know what to do.’

Sure enough, after lunch, just as Xu Su returned to her classroom, a call came in directly from Zhou Mochen.

Her phone was on silent, and the rhythmic vibrations could be felt through the fabric of her school uniform pants pocket.

Xu Su pulled out her phone and stared at it silently, not answering.

Soon, the vibrations stopped as the call automatically disconnected. The next second, a text message arrived.

Zhou Mochen: I’m at your school gate. Xu Su, come out. I’m seeing you today.

A suffocating, helpless feeling washed over her.

’This was Zhou Mochen. He would never give her another choice. In her last life, Xu Su had constantly wondered, by what right?’

’By what right does you liking me give you control over my entire life?’

’Can’t I like someone else?’

’By what right?!’

Before she could dwell on it for long, her phone vibrated again. It was another call from Zhou Mochen.

Xu Su rejected the call without a second thought, rose to her feet with a blank expression, and walked out.

In a secluded alley, the weather was sweltering. Zhou Mochen, dressed in a white shirt and black pants, leaned against his car door, ignoring the air conditioning inside. He glanced at his phone from time to time, exuding a gloomy aura.

When he looked up again, he finally saw the girl in the black-and-white school uniform approaching from a distance. He slowly straightened up and waited quietly where he stood.

Xu Su stopped a step away from him. “What is it?”

The girl’s stiff, distant attitude made the man’s expression slowly darken. “Xu Su, what did I do to upset you this time? You can just tell me. I’ve told you before, don’t give me the cold shoulder.”

Xu Su kept her eyes lowered and didn’t speak.

“Is it about your parents again? Because of your dad’s job change? I didn’t arrange that. After you got so angry with me last time, how would I dare meddle in your parents’ affairs again? It was my…”

“Don’t tell me about this. I don’t want to hear it.” Xu Su looked up, interrupting him with clear impatience. “Zhou Mochen, if there’s nothing else, I’m going back.”

Xu Su checked the time. Class would start in less than an hour.

Zhou Mochen suddenly grabbed Xu Su’s hand, yanked her closer, and stared at her intensely. “Tell me, what are you angry about now? We haven’t seen each other in twenty-two days. What did I do to upset you? Just say it.”

His gaze was filled with restrained fury, and his grip on her hand was painfully tight.

’If he were a normal suitor, Xu Su could have told him frankly, ’I like someone else.’’

But with Zhou Mochen being the way he was, Xu Su didn’t dare say anything.

And yet, this very situation made Xu Su feel all the more irritated and unwilling.

This irritation peaked after she tried and failed several times to wrench her hand free.

Losing her composure, Xu Su shouted, “You’re upsetting me right now! Why do you always have to force people? I want to pull my hand away, so why are you still holding on? Zhou Mochen, has no one ever taught you something as simple as respecting a girl’s wishes?”

His expression turned utterly foul. After a moment’s standoff, he forcibly regained his composure, but his tightly clenched jaw betrayed his mood.

Far from letting go, Zhou Mochen leaned in closer, his voice laced with menace as he spoke through gritted teeth, “If respecting your wishes means letting you go, Xu Su, then don’t even think about it. I can’t do it.”

’It’s happening again…’

Xu Su closed her eyes, feeling utterly powerless.

’She had spent a year trying to teach this person to respect others’ wishes and to give the girl he liked an equal right to choose, but she had failed.’

’He was like a high and mighty ruler who had drawn a circle around her. She could struggle all she wanted within that circle, but she could never even think about leaving it.’

’On the surface, Zhou Mochen was infinitely indulgent toward her, you could even say he doted on her every whim. But the purpose of this indulgence was to make Xu Su fall in love with him. He wanted all of her—body and soul.’

Her face was cupped in his hands. Xu Su opened her eyes to see Zhou Mochen’s features magnified before her.

Before she could react, he planted a firm kiss between her eyebrows. “Xu Su, remember this clearly. You’re mine, understand?”

The fleeting kiss pulled away, but after speaking, he tried to kiss her again.

Xu Su jerked her head to the side, and the kiss landed on her right cheek. The disparity in strength between them was too great; she couldn’t push him away. Her face flushed red with anger. “Zhou Mochen, I am an independent person! I don’t belong to anyone!”

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