Chapter 45: Chapter 44: If You Don’t Want Me to Kiss You, Don’t Look at Me Like That.

However unwilling she was to admit it, Xu Su had to concede that deep down, she was a little afraid of Zhou Mochen.

She was about to say something, but when she caught sight of Xi Zirong out of the corner of her eye, the words died on her lips.

Meanwhile, Xi Zirong stared at the man who was acting so familiar with Xu Su. He was taken aback at first, but then, as if realizing something, he abruptly straightened up, looking uncharacteristically nervous and flustered. “Are you Xu Su’s brother?”

Hearing the voice from the side, Zhou Mochen finally deigned to turn his head and glance over.

He gave the boy a disdainful glance and his thin lips parted to speak, but Xu Su gave his sleeve a sharp tug.

Xu Su had no time to worry about anything else. After stopping Zhou Mochen from speaking, she turned to Xi Zirong. “That’s right, he’s my brother. I’ll just have him take me home. You should head back.”

Her tone was so urgent, as if she wanted to physically shoo him away, which made Xi Zirong pause for a moment.

He quickly guessed that she was afraid her family would scold her.

Realizing this wasn’t a good situation for him to linger, Xi Zirong gave Xu Su a worried glance, nodded, and got on his bicycle parked nearby. “Alright, I’m heading home then,” he said.

As she watched his retreating figure on the bicycle grow smaller in the distance, Xu Su breathed an inward sigh of relief.

“Can’t bear to see him go?” a chilly voice sounded by her ear. “He’s long out of sight, and you’re still watching?”

’Ah…’

’One down, one to go.’

Xu Su turned her head to look at Zhou Mochen, whom she hadn’t seen in months.

He wore the same impassive expression as always, but Xu Su could tell he was forcefully suppressing his emotions.

’Countless past experiences warned her not to provoke this man right now.’

Xu Su took a deep breath, trying to suppress her own emotions, but failed.

In the end, she couldn’t hold back. Her words came out barbed. “Don’t you remember what you promised me? You said you wouldn’t show up and disturb my studies before my college entrance exams. Don’t tell me you were just passing by, were you?”

She hadn’t left her classroom until after ten tonight, and it was nearly eleven now. For a man as busy as Zhou Mochen to appear here at this hour… if he claimed it was a coincidence, even if she wanted to believe him, her own common sense wouldn’t let her.

Zhou Mochen didn’t answer. He just looked down at her in silence for a long moment, staring until her skin crawled. Finally, he picked up her battered bicycle. “Let’s talk in the car.”

His voice was calm. ’He’s not that angry,’ Xu Su quickly concluded.

’Still rational.’

She relaxed slightly, but her feet remained planted on the ground.

Zhou Mochen put the bicycle in the trunk, leaving the lid open. He turned to look at the motionless girl. “Do you need me to carry you to the car?”

’…Seems like he is still a little angry after all…’

Xu Su hated herself for her fear of him, for always unconsciously analyzing his mood…

“So you really do want me to carry you?” Zhou Mochen had walked back over to her at some point. He reached out, ruffled her hair, and leaned in close. “Are you sure?”

“…” Xu Su slapped his hand away. “Answer my question first. Why are you here?”

In the next instant, the hand on her head moved down, grabbing her chin and forcing her to look up.

The man’s face was inches from hers, his dark gaze completely undisguised. “How could I have watched this little drama if I wasn’t here? Xu Su, I’ll ask you one last time. Are you getting in the car?”

A chilling cold laced Zhou Mochen’s voice. He was like a completely different person from the poised, verbally restrained, and composed man she had met on their previous two encounters.

Xu Su tried to wrench free from his grip, but Zhou Mochen’s hand only tightened slightly, not letting go.

Her eyes reddened with anger, and she gritted her teeth. “I’m not!”

What Zhou Mochen didn’t realize at that moment was that the more forceful he became, the less Xu Su would allow herself to show any fear.

The two of them stared at each other in the cold wind, neither willing to back down.

It wasn’t until Xu Su let out an uncontrollable shiver that Zhou Mochen abruptly released her chin. He put an arm around her shoulders and steered her toward the car. “Get in first. I’ll answer your question once we’re in the car.”

Seeing her stand stiff and unmoving, Zhou Mochen sounded somewhat exasperated. “Susu, just be good.”

Xu Su glared at him. “Don’t call me that.”

’It’s disgusting…’

From the moment her bicycle broke until now, Xu Su had been standing in the cold wind for at least an hour. She felt like her ears were frozen solid.

She knew she couldn’t continue this standoff. The dorms at First High School would probably have their lights out by now. If she wanted to get home, her only options were to take Zhou Mochen’s car or walk.

’Forget it. Discretion is the better part of valor…’

With that thought, she shot Zhou Mochen another glare and walked toward his car.

She was about to open the back door but was stopped.

Zhou Mochen opened the passenger-side door. “I don’t intend to be your chauffeur. Sit up front.”

“…” Xu Su stood her ground, on full alert. “What are you trying to do?”

Seeing her like this, Zhou Mochen couldn’t resist reaching out and ruffling her hair again. He said in a slightly coaxing tone, “What could I possibly do? Don’t be scared. I promise I won’t do anything.”

’…Xu Su really couldn’t stand his tone.’

Once Xu Su was in the passenger seat, Zhou Mochen turned up the heat, then grabbed a thin blanket from the back seat and wrapped it around her. Seeing her fingers, red with cold, he reached out and took her hand, sighing with a hint of resignation. “Should I take you to buy some ginger tea? You should brew a cup and drink it the second you get home.”

Xu Su snatched her hand back and wiped it on the blanket with a look of disgust. She lifted her chin and said, “Drive.”

She had no desire to chat with him about these things right in front of the school. Even though it was late, it wasn’t unheard of for some high school seniors to be leaving this late.

Zhou Mochen gave her another look before sitting up straight, starting the car, and making a U-turn. He drove in the opposite direction of her home, and before long, he spotted a 24-hour pharmacy.

He parked in front of the pharmacy, got out, and headed straight inside. A few moments later, he returned carrying two small boxes.

Looking at the girl curled up obediently in the passenger seat, Zhou Mochen’s heart softened. His voice was incredibly gentle. “If you don’t want to catch a cold, make a cup of that ginger tea when you get back. Your bike is a goner. I’ll pick you up for school tomorrow.”

Xu Su let out a short laugh. “Zhou Mochen, cut the act. You’ve been following me home from school every day for months, haven’t you?”

She had been thinking about it the whole ride. How was it that the very first time she chatted with a male classmate outside of school, Zhou Mochen just happened to catch her in the act?

She could only come to one conclusion: he had been waiting for her outside of school every day, following her home. That was the only explanation for why he would be at the gates of First High School so late at night.

’No wonder he didn’t want to answer when I asked.’

“You can call it following if you want. But it wasn’t just after school.” Zhou Mochen paused his hand that was about to start the car and turned to look at her. “To be precise, I’ve been following behind you on your way to and from school.”

At this, he lowered his head and chuckled. “Susu, you didn’t really think I’d be at ease letting you ride your bike to and from school alone, leaving early in the morning and coming back in the dark, did you?”

As his words reached her ears, Xu Su’s head snapped up to look at him, her eyes wide with shock. They made eye contact for less than two seconds before her vision was blocked.

Zhou Mochen reached out and covered the girl’s eyes, his voice turning somewhat hoarse. “Silly girl, if you don’t want me to kiss you, don’t look at me like that.”

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by NovelKeep