Chapter 197: Chapter 197: “Xi Zirong, Let’s Break Up.

He was surprised she still had the energy to worry about something like that. Xi Zirong glanced at her, then steered with one hand while picking up his phone with the other. After tapping the screen a few times, he set it aside. The rhythmic beeps of the speakerphone filled the car.

The call connected on the fourth ring. It was Teacher Wu’s voice.

And so, Xu Su could only watch as Xi Zirong got them both excused from class in just a few words…

Hearing that the two of them were requesting leave together, Teacher Wu hesitated for a moment on the other end, but he quickly agreed.

The car stopped in front of a villa. Xi Zirong opened her door and unbuckled her seatbelt. “Let’s go in. No one’s home.”

This was a gated community of villas, and it was eerily quiet. They had barely seen any other cars on the way.

“…” Xu Su didn’t move for a long moment, her expression hesitant. “Whatever you want to say, can’t we just say it out here?”

Xi Zirong froze, a hurt look in his eyes. “I won’t hurt you, Xu Su. Don’t be afraid of me.”

Xu Su forced a smile. ’Of course, she believed he wouldn’t hurt her, but… she couldn’t shake the feeling that he was on the verge of snapping.’

Thinking that she owed him an explanation one way or another, Xu Su finally got out of the car.

This must have been one of his family’s vacant properties. He pulled Xu Su inside, moving with a practiced familiarity.

The house was immaculate, probably maintained by a professional service. After settling Xu Su onto the sofa, Xi Zirong got her a can of orange juice from the fridge.

Xu Su held the orange juice, her posture stiff and awkward, like a small child being interrogated.

Xi Zirong sat down close beside her and spoke softly, “How about I ask, and you answer?”

Xu Su, who had been struggling to find the right words to ease the tension, quickly nodded.

“Where have you been for the past three days?”

!!! The very first question made Xu Su’s eyes go wide. She looked up at Xi Zirong, her gaze meeting his dark, shadowed eyes.

“I couldn’t reach you, and I was worried about your injury, so I went to your house.” Xi Zirong’s voice was calm—unnervingly so. “…But you weren’t home. Susu, tell me, where have you been for the past three days?”

Xu Su finally understood his behavior from that morning…

Xi Zirong knew she hadn’t been home for three days, so naturally, he assumed she had been with Shen Chen. After all, the last time he saw her, she was kissing Shen Chen in his car…

So that’s why he had so unnaturally tried to unbutton her shirt—to see if she had any marks on her body from “fooling around.”

…For the past three days, while he couldn’t reach her, what had Xi Zirong been thinking? Had his mind been replaying images of her with another man?

The mere thought of putting herself in his shoes made Xu Su uncomfortable.

She heard herself say stiffly, “You already know… You saw it.”

’He saw it with his own eyes, so why bother asking?’

Xu Su’s body felt tense and awkward. She took a sip of her orange juice, struggling to compose herself. “Xi Zirong, let’s break up.”

The words she had been holding back for so long were finally out. A wave of relief washed over Xu Su, but it was followed by an inexplicable pang of sadness…

The air fell silent. Beside her, Xi Zirong didn’t make a sound for a long time.

Just as Xu Su couldn’t bear the silence any longer and was about to speak again, he moved.

Xi Zirong reached out, grabbing her hand and forcefully lacing his fingers through hers. “And what if I say no?”

Xu Su was stunned. “You saw another man kiss me. And for the three days I was gone, I was with him.”

She struggled against his grip, but couldn’t break free. Giving up, she decided to lay it all on the line. “Xi Zirong, why won’t you agree? Can you really tolerate all this?”

’What man could stand being cheated on? Especially not a proud, hot-blooded teenager like him.’

Xu Su simply couldn’t understand. ’Even someone who’s head-over-heels in love should have their limits, right?’

’What kind of couple unconditionally forgives something like this? He was being cheated on right before his eyes, yet he still refused to break up…’

Her words were incredibly blunt, and Xi Zirong’s expression shifted drastically. He looked anything but indifferent.

When he spoke again, his voice trembled. “What did you two do for those three days?”

As if doubting his earlier inspection, he suddenly lunged forward, yanking up the hem of her school uniform so quickly she didn’t have time to react.

By the time Xu Su snapped back to reality, she was already pinned to the sofa, her shirt halfway up her torso. She struggled to pull her clothes down, kicking and flailing to push him off as her anger skyrocketed.

“Xi Zirong! Where the hell did you get the habit of lifting a girl’s shirt like that?!”

“Answer me! What did you do for those three days?”

The boy’s strength was incredible; he was a dead weight on top of her that she couldn’t budge. The temper Xu Su had been suppressing all morning finally exploded, all rationality flying out the window.

Furious and desperate, she screamed recklessly, “We did everything! Anything you can imagine, we did it! Xi Zirong, do you not understand what ’break up’ means?!”

Her voice was so loud it echoed through the empty villa, leaving no room for him to pretend he hadn’t heard.

’We did everything…’

A muscle in Xi Zirong’s cheek twitched violently, his face contorting as he fought to suppress his agony.

After a long silence, he tried to smile, but the expression was hideous. “…Is it because he got into a fight for you? Were you so moved that you fell for him? Is that why you did this?”

Xi Zirong’s voice was hoarse, breaking with an uncontrollable sob. “Don’t like him, okay? I can fight for you, too. I’ll do anything for you, Xu Su… Just don’t leave me.”

He had spent the past three days consumed by regret. ’Why didn’t I just push her away that afternoon and fight for her? Why didn’t I get hurt for her?’

’If I had, maybe she wouldn’t have been so impressed by another man. Maybe she wouldn’t have been mad at me or blocked my number.’

Xi Zirong was trapped in his own spiral of self-blame, the rims of his eyes turning red without him realizing. “I understand. I really do. None of this is your fault.”

Xi Zirong’s arms were clamped around her waist with unconscious, crushing force, but Xu Su had neither the mind to point it out nor the strength to push him away.

She lay on the sofa, staring blankly at the crystal chandelier above. It was only in this moment that Xu Su finally understood just how much Xi Zirong loved her…

’Who could have imagined that such a proud young man would accept the shame of such a blatant betrayal? Even after I told him I did everything with someone else, he didn’t even need me to explain. He came up with an excuse for me all on his own.’

’He grasped at any reason he could find just to avoid blaming me, and he still thinks it’s all his fault…’

Xu Su couldn’t put a name to what she was feeling…

Guilt, heartache, shock, regret, and even a little fear.

She was afraid. ’Could she really shake off a boy with feelings this deep?’

A weight settled on her right shoulder as Xi Zirong buried his face in the crook of her neck.

Xu Su felt something wet slide down her neck…

’…Xi Zirong was crying.’

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by NovelKeep