Chapter 149: Chapter 149:

“…” Xu Su didn’t want to see him at all. The less, the better.

She shook her head again. “I can’t come out. I have too much schoolwork, and I don’t have time for a birthday. Besides, I don’t care about that stuff anyway.”

Before she turned sixteen, back in the countryside, her grandma would just cook her a bowl of noodles with two eggs. That was her birthday.

As for cakes, presents, parties, and all sorts of fancy celebrations—she never had any of it.

Her answer was what Zhou Mochen had expected. He sighed and couldn’t stop himself from reaching out to hug her, but Xu Su dodged him by taking two quick steps back.

“If you have something to say, just say it. Keep your hands to yourself, Zhou Mochen. Watch yourself.”

Xu Su glanced at the time, growing impatient. “If there’s nothing else, I’m heading back to school.”

“There is,” Zhou Mochen called out to her, sounding a little helpless. “Since you won’t come out for your birthday, I’ll have to give you my present early. Xu Su, you accepted a gift from Shen Chen, you wouldn’t refuse mine, would you?”

An eighteenth birthday was a major milestone in everyone else’s eyes, but Xu Su couldn’t care less.

Hearing Zhou Mochen’s words, Xu Su turned back and raised an eyebrow. “Are you planning on giving me another gemstone necklace?”

’In her past life, this guy was just like this,’ she thought. ’Always afraid people wouldn’t know how loaded he was.’

Zhou Mochen chuckled lightly. “No gemstones this time.”

He took a box from his pocket and pulled out a necklace. The pendant was a small, exquisite Jade Lock.

The jade was translucent and sparkling, paired with a delicate platinum chain. Xu Su found herself liking it at first glance.

Zhou Mochen’s eyes seemed to hold a universe of stars, brimming with tenderness. He said, “Your eighteenth birthday means you’re an adult now. Susu, I’m giving you this lock in the hope that you’ll live a long, safe, and peaceful life.”

It was such a conventional blessing, yet coming from Zhou Mochen, it sounded completely sincere.

He took a few steps closer, seeming almost afraid of her refusal. “It’s not expensive, Xu Su,” he added. “Please don’t reject me.”

’…’ With the discerning eye she’d developed in her past life, Xu Su could tell the jade was of the highest quality. The price was likely no less than seven figures, making it just as expensive as that sapphire. ’This guy is banking on the fact that I don’t know its value in this life,’ she fumed.

’She wanted to refuse, but she couldn’t come up with a good reason.’

’Just like Zhou Mochen said, she’d accepted a gift from Shen Chen, someone she’d only met twice. Refusing his gift would be hard to justify.’

’She couldn’t very well say, ’I have an expert eye and can tell at a glance that this Jade Lock is incredibly valuable,’ could she?’

’After all, Xu Su’s current identity was that of a poor student from the countryside who had tested into a city school.’

Her prolonged, hesitant silence made Zhou Mochen smile. He leaned in closer and coaxed, “Is it really so hard to accept a gift from me? Susu, I feel like you’re especially hard on me. Am I now not even as good as Shen Chen?”

Shen Chen, who had been standing silently nearby, heard this and let out a wry laugh. “How could that be? Your dear Susu wishes she could keep a hundred-foot pole between us.”

Zhou Mochen didn’t even turn his head at Shen Chen’s teasing, acting as if he wasn’t even there. He said to Xu Su, “It’s tricky to put a necklace on by yourself. Let me help you.”

Xu Su quickly grabbed his arm as he raised it to put the necklace on her. “No, thanks. I can do it myself.”

Zhou Mochen kissed the top of her head, his tone once again leaving no room for argument. “I’ll put it on for you. It’ll save you the trouble of finding someone to help you back in your dorm.”

After nearly two years, Xu Su’s hair had grown quite long. To keep it from getting in the way of her studies, she usually wore it up in a bun.

This made it very convenient for Zhou Mochen to help her with the necklace.

As if captivated by the girl’s slender neck, he didn’t pull away immediately after fastening the clasp. Instead, he couldn’t resist leaning in and placing a soft kiss there.

Xu Su flinched, pulling her neck in and taking two steps back, glaring at him.

Zhou Mochen gave her an innocent-looking smile. “Sorry. I couldn’t help myself.”

Then, his smile vanished, and he said with a serious expression, “Xu Su, I wish you a happy birthday in advance.”

Xu Su was taken aback, not expecting him to be so solemn. She thanked him reflexively.

That simple “thank you” made Shen Chen, who had been watching silently from the side, burst out laughing.

“I’ve never seen anyone interact like you two. One says ’Happy Birthday,’ the other says ’Thank you.’ HAHAHAHA.” Shen Chen couldn’t help but ask what was on his mind: “Are you guys really a couple? What kind of couple acts like you?”

Just as Xu Su was about to speak, Zhou Mochen turned and gave Shen Chen a cold smile. Then he pointed to the car behind him. “From now on, shut your mouth, get in the car, and don’t let me know you’re still here.”

Zhou Mochen’s intimidating presence was as potent as ever. The moment he finished speaking, Shen Chen clammed up, gave him an “OK” sign, and swiftly got into the car.

“…” Watching this, Xu Su was left speechless. “I’m heading back.”

“Okay,” he agreed readily. But when he saw Xu Su really about to leave, the thought that he’d rarely gotten to see her and hadn’t even had a proper hug left him feeling a bit reluctant. “How about a hug?”

“…” Without turning her head, Xu Su replied, “No.”

Zhou Mochen kept gazing in the direction she had walked until her figure disappeared from sight.

Seeing him standing there like a statue pining for his wife, Shen Chen couldn’t help but roll down the car window. “Brother Zhou, she’s long gone. You could stand there till dawn and she wouldn’t know. Let’s go back and get some sleep. I have to head back to the capital tomorrow.”

Zhou Mochen glanced back at him, all the gentleness and doting affection he’d shown Xu Su completely gone. He got into the car, his face expressionless. “What was that about just now?”

He was clearly asking why Shen Chen’s expression had suddenly changed for no reason.

Shen Chen started the car and said casually, “It’s nothing. I just suddenly realized you have a sharp eye. Your dear Susu is definitely a looker. In a couple of years, she’ll probably be a one-in-a-million beauty.”

The flippant remark made Zhou Mochen frown. He said coldly, “She’s not like those women you know. Watch your tone. I don’t want to hear that kind of talk again.”

“…!” Shen Chen was shocked once again. “I didn’t even say anything! What’s wrong with my to—”

The rest of his words died in his throat, silenced by the sudden coldness in his Brother Zhou’s eyes.

Meanwhile, after saying goodbye to Zhou Mochen, Xu Su had originally planned to go straight back to her dorm.

There was a shortcut from the school gate to the girls’ dorm that didn’t pass the academic buildings, but after a moment’s hesitation, she decided to take the same route back that she had come.

When she reached the spot where she had argued with Xi Zirong and didn’t see him, she quietly breathed a sigh of relief.

’It’s good that he left,’ Xu Su thought. She had been genuinely afraid he would just stand there waiting.

But before she could fully exhale her relief, she spotted a blurry figure squatting in the shadows by the corner of a wall. She could vaguely make out a black-and-white school uniform jacket.

Xi Zirong, like her, loved wearing his school uniform, and today was no exception.

“…” Xu Su rubbed her temples, a headache coming on. Resigned to her fate, she walked over.

As she drew closer, the figure in the corner heard her familiar footsteps and looked up.

“Susu…”

Xi Zirong had been squatting there for about an hour, and his voice was a little hoarse.

Hearing it, Xu Su felt a pang in her heart. The anger she’d felt from him forcefully kissing her earlier slowly began to subside without her even realizing it.

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by NovelKeep