novelraw Chapter 250: Hug Me, Quickly
Chapter 250: Hug Me, Quickly
Her hand was held tightly. In the darkness, Xu Su could faintly make out the silver ring on his index finger.
She was the one who had put it on him. Xu Su stared at it for a moment, then suddenly reached out to take it off.
"What do you think you’re doing?" Xi Zirong caught her wrist, pulling her into his arms. "This is the only thing you left me, Xu Su," he said, his voice laced with grievance. "Are you trying to take it back?"
"...Never mind." Xu Su felt she was being a bit unreasonable. She looked at her own bare fingers. "I stopped wearing mine a long time ago. If you want to keep it, then keep it."
When she went back to her hometown, Xu Su had been afraid her family would see her and Xi Zirong wearing matching rings, so she had taken it off. She hadn’t worn it since.
Her silver ring was still in an inner compartment of her backpack.
Xu Su realized they were standing very close again. Her forehead could touch Xi Zirong’s shoulder without her even noticing. Feeling a little uncomfortable, she pushed him slightly away.
They fell silent for a long time, not knowing what to say. They had already said everything that should and shouldn’t have been said tonight, leaving Xu Su’s mind in a complete mess.
"Don’t keep squatting, your legs will fall asleep." Xi Zirong reached out to pull her up.
Xu Su dodged to the side. "We both missed a class. I wonder what rumors our classmates will spread now."
"Everyone’s busy preparing for the college entrance exams. No one’s paying attention to this stuff every day. Gu Yunjia’s news is enough to keep them gossiping." Xi Zirong stood up straight. He looked down at the girl squatting by the railing and comforted her softly, "We’ve been keeping our distance this semester. Hardly anyone is paying attention to us anymore."
Xu Su nodded. Just as she was about to say something more, her phone vibrated in her pocket. A text message had come in.
It was from Zhou Mochen...
After reading the text, Xu Su stood up. "My boyfriend is waiting for me downstairs. I’m leaving now. I’m skipping evening study hall tonight, so that way, our classmates are even less likely to connect us."
She had been squatting for too long, and the weather was too cold. When Xu Su stood up, her limbs felt a little numb. She rubbed her hands together and looked at the boy beside her. "Xi Zirong, you should head back to the classroom soon, too."
Xi Zirong said nothing, just watched her in silence.
Xu Su didn’t wait for his reply. As she was about to leave, her arm was grabbed tightly. Xi Zirong pulled her close, lowered his head to brush his cheek against hers, and murmured pleadingly, "Susu, don’t give up on me."
His words were as soft as a whisper. If he hadn’t spoken right next to her ear, Xu Su wouldn’t have been sure if she’d imagined it.
Wrenching her hand free from Xi Zirong’s grasp, Xu Su ran toward the stairwell without daring to look back...
It was during class time, so the hallway was empty. Xu Su practically jogged out of the academic building.
The streetlights along the campus paths were already on. Under their dim yellow glow, she could clearly see flurries of snow slowly drifting down. Only then did Xu Su realize it had started snowing at some point.
She didn’t know how long Zhou Mochen had been there. A thin layer of snow had already collected on his car. His tall, slender figure stood by the driver’s side door, his gaze fixed on the third floor... on her classroom.
Xu Su’s steps faltered. ’Is Xi Zirong on the rooftop right now, watching me...?’ she wondered.
She tiptoed over, slipped her freezing hands into the man’s coat pocket, and looked up at him with a smile. "Zhou Mochen, back to Earth. Do you like me that much? You’re completely mesmerized just by looking at a classroom."
’She’d actually wanted to tease him directly about his pose—he looked just like a ’wife-watching stone’—but she was a little too embarrassed...’
The girl’s playful voice was right beside him. Zhou Mochen looked down at her. "It’s class time. You weren’t in the classroom?"
He had been watching her classroom the whole time and hadn’t seen anyone come out.
"I wasn’t. I came down from the rooftop." Xu Su moved closer to him. "Zhou Mochen, hug me. Quick."
Without hesitating, Zhou Mochen pulled Xu Su into his arms. He reached out to touch her icy face, his brow furrowing slightly. "On a cold day like this, what were you doing on the rooftop instead of staying put in the classroom?"
He wrapped an arm around Xu Su’s waist and started to guide her toward the passenger seat. "Tell me in the car. You’ll be miserable if you catch a cold."
Xu Su didn’t move, wrapping her arms around his waist. "Zhou Mochen, haven’t you always wanted to kiss me at school? The mood is just right. So, let’s do it."
First snow, on campus, under the dim yellow lights, right next to the academic building where evening study hall was being held.
Tsk...
Xu Su closed her eyes, tilted her head up, and waited for what felt like an eternity. When her boyfriend’s kiss didn’t come, she couldn’t help but open her eyes, only to see Zhou Mochen’s face right in front of hers.
’His straight nose was gorgeous.’ She rose slightly onto her tiptoes and kissed the tip of his nose, complaining, "Why aren’t you kissing me?"
"I feel like something’s a little off with you today." Zhou Mochen cupped Xu Su’s face and looked at her quietly, his gentle gaze tinged with doubt.
After they looked at each other for a few seconds, he sighed softly and lowered his head, pressing his lips to hers.
He had intended to pull back after a light taste, but Xu Su hooked her arms around his neck and deepened the kiss.
Zhou Mochen paused for a fraction of a second, then grabbed the back of her head and began to respond fiercely.
Xu Su was soon overwhelmed. The kiss that she had deepened was now spiraling out of control.
After a dizzying spin, Xu Su found her back pressed against the driver’s side door, held fast in Zhou Mochen’s arms as he devoured her...
She couldn’t help but push at him slightly. "...O-mmnph...kay..."
The only response she got was the sound of the man swallowing...
Only when the bell signaling the end of class rang did Zhou Mochen stop. His eyes were an incredibly deep, dark shade as he quietly gazed at the girl before him.
Xu Su had no energy to look at him. Her legs were so weak she could barely stand. Seeing that the first period of evening study hall was over and students would soon come out and see them like this, she began to panic, but Zhou Mochen wrapped an arm around her waist and bundled her into the passenger seat.
Zhou Mochen walked around the front of the car and got in. As he leaned over to fasten Xu Su’s seatbelt, he looked at her with a grin. "Should we continue? Or find another spot?"
Xu Su’s cheeks were flushed. She shot him an irritated glare. "Just drive!"
"There are still two more study hall periods." Zhou Mochen raised an eyebrow, feigning confusion. "You’re not going?"
"I’m not going! Can’t I skip class?"
"Of course you can." Zhou Mochen smiled and kissed her forehead. "So you really want to find another spot and continue with me?"
’Smooth-talker!’
Xu Su covered her scalding face with both hands, refusing to look at him.
"Alright, I’ll stop teasing you." Zhou Mochen chuckled softly, squeezing Xu Su’s hand in his. "My Susu rarely skips class for me. How about I take you to get something good to eat? Anything you’re craving?"
Xu Su thought for a moment. "I want to get hot pot."
’Nothing beats a steaming hot pot on a cold winter day.’
They went to an authentic Sichuan-style hot pot restaurant. The main dining hall was packed with people; business was booming.
Zhou Mochen took one look and asked, lowering his head, "Should we get a private room?"
"No, let’s eat here in the main hall!" Xu Su refused decisively. "Hot pot is meant to be lively! You have to experience this bustling atmosphere. What’s the fun in the two of us eating in a private room?"
Although Zhou Mochen wasn’t quite used to this kind of environment, he nodded at her words. He took Xu Su’s hand and let the waiter lead them to a table in the corner.