Locking away my heart and love! Going back to 2000 to be a top student again.

They both slept on the top bunk, facing each other. Xu Su was taken aback by the question and immediately thought of who would be calling her at this time.

Xu Su quickly climbed into bed, took off her coat, snuggled under the covers, and pulled out her phone from under her pillow.

There are three unread text messages and two missed calls.

Not long after he picked up his phone, Zhou Mochen called for the third time.

Xu Su paused for a moment, then pressed the answer button.

A man's magnetic voice came from the other end of the phone: "Su Su, why didn't you reply to my message?"

He seemed somewhat surprised that the call was answered, and even asked the question a beat late in the morning.

Xu Su gripped her phone tightly, her voice low, "I wasn't in the dorm just now. Is something wrong? Our dorm lights are about to go out. If there's nothing else, I'll hang up."

Zhou Mochen glanced at the time and readily agreed: "Okay, let's chat via text message."

Xu Su cut off the call and opened the three text messages that Zhou Mochen had sent her earlier.

The first thing they asked was when she was coming home the next day so they could come pick her up.

Perhaps because she hadn't replied for a while, the last two messages were attempts to coax her to reply.

Immediately after hanging up the phone, Zhou Mochen sent a new message.

What time are you coming home tomorrow? I'll pick you up.

Xu Su stared at the screen quietly for a while, then pressed the buttons on her phone with both hands and slowly replied: 【I'll go back myself.】

Zhou Mochen replied to the text message quickly: [I want to see you. You only have five days off. I want to see you, Xu Su.]

Before Xu Su could decide how to reply, another message arrived: "Honey, come home tomorrow morning. Let me take you. I'll head back to Beijing this afternoon."

Back in Beijing?

Xu Su realized that this person was going back to the capital to spend the New Year with his parents.

I felt a sense of relief, realizing that my winter break would finally have some freedom.

She pressed her thumb to indicate "OK."

~~

On the morning of the 29th of the twelfth lunar month, after washing up, Xu Su bought two tea eggs and a cup of soy milk at the cafeteria and left the campus.

Zhou Mochen's car was parked in the usual spot. She got in the car after finishing the last sip of her soy milk.

Three months later, sitting in this car again, Xu Su's feelings were somewhat complicated.

Zhou Mochen, on the other hand, seemed to be in a good mood. He reached out to hold her hand.

Xu Su dodged her, and she warned with a grim expression, "Zhou Mochen, you really should change your habit of touching me inappropriately."

Zhou Mochen's hand paused halfway, then slowly withdrew. Finally, he smiled and said, "You really hate me now? Are you still upset about what I did to you last time?"

Xu Su scoffed, "So you know that threatening others makes people hate you."

hate..

Zhou Mochen remained silent, steering the car in the opposite direction from the Xu family's route.

Xu Su frowned as she looked in that direction: "Where are you going?"

"Let's go for a drive. It's rare to see you, let's have a good chat."

It was another decision he made on his own initiative; who would want to have a proper talk with him?

Xu Su was thoroughly annoyed and didn't want to be alone with him at all.

The car entered the overpass and slowly circled around. Outside the window, Xu Su was captivated by the changes in Chang Province in recent years.

She only turned around abruptly when Zhou Mochen gently squeezed her hand.

As Zhou Mochen drove, he would glance at her every now and then, his eyes full of smiles: "My flight is this afternoon, hold my hand, otherwise I won't want to leave."

He remains as domineering and autocratic as ever.

The car was parked at Lakeside Park in Chang Province, which is far from No. 1 Middle School. This was the first time Xu Su had come here in more than a year since her rebirth.

Zhou Mochen opened the passenger door, reached out and took her hand, "Get out and walk around."

Early in the morning, many elderly people were practicing Tai Chi in the park, and occasionally young people were jogging. The frost from last night had not yet melted, and when the cold wind blew by, it stung their faces.

Xu Su's hand was held tightly by Zhou Mochen, and she would involuntarily hunch her shoulders when a cold wind occasionally blew by.

Zhou Mochen stopped, released Xu Su's hand, took off his scarf, and wrapped it around her neck without giving her a chance to refuse.

"Susu, remember to bring your scarf and gloves next time you go out."

He glanced at the girl's slightly red ears, then covered them with his scarf and added, "And the hat."

The scarf was still warm, and Xu Su's entire face, including her ears, was wrapped in it. It was filled with the pine and cypress scent of Zhou Mochen, which entered her nostrils with every breath she took.

In less than two seconds, Xu Su stuck her face out and reached out to untie her scarf.

Zhou Mochen frowned and stopped him: "Aren't you afraid of the cold? Don't argue with me now."

Xu Su's face flushed red: "Don't try to take advantage of me, Zhou Mochen! I don't want to smell your scent. Just say what you have to say."

Her words were very straightforward. Zhou Mochen hadn't thought of this when he was wrapping the scarf around her, and he was stunned for a moment when the little girl reminded him.

He then chuckled softly, "I'm perfectly clean, don't I smell good?"

That damn scoundrel...

Xu Su ended up wearing the scarf, and the two walked to the middle of the lake in the lakeside park. A thin layer of ice had formed on the surface of the lake, which looked quite beautiful.

The sun slowly peeked out, shining warmly on Xu Su's face.

She found a clean spot to sit down, and Zhou Mochen followed her down.

This time, he finally didn't try to hold hands, but instead started chatting seriously.

Zhou Mochen asked, "Xu Su, you'll be eighteen after the New Year, which isn't young anymore. How about we have a good talk about our relationship today?"

Xu Su was speechless. What did he mean by "our business"? She asked herself, and she really had nothing to do with him.

But since we're already here, and he's willing to have a calm and peaceful chat, then let's chat, she has no objection.

Seeing that Xu Su did not object, Zhou Mochen continued, "You know that I like you, right? Nod or shake your head."

Xu Su paused for a moment, then nodded slowly, somewhat reluctantly.

Zhou Mochen smiled and said, "Let me analyze it for you. Here's the situation."

He turned his head and said seriously, "Xu Su, I like you. I'm not afraid to laugh at you. In all my life, you're the only girl I've ever liked. I'm completely open with my heart. The time you ignored me for so long recently made me realize what it means to suffer the pain of unrequited love. Do you understand what I mean?"

Xu Su shuddered at his sarcastic words and couldn't help rubbing her arms through her clothes. She shook her head and asked, "What do you mean?"

Zhou Mochen frowned: "If you're cold, let's find somewhere else to talk."

"It's not that I'm cold, it's that your words are giving me goosebumps." Xu Su said with disgust, "Zhou Mochen, your words are really too sarcastic."

Zhou Mochen paused, pressed his temple, and a familiar pain returned to his chest. His heartfelt confession only gave the other person goosebumps.

He paused for a while before speaking again, his voice trying his best to remain calm: "What I mean is, after a 76-day cooling-off period, I'm completely certain that I can't live without you, Xu Su. Whether you believe it or not, I can't live without you."