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

"If any of their hands touched you, I'll chop them off, okay?"

Zhou Mochen hugged her tightly with trembling hands: "Promise me, Su Su, promise me, don't hurt yourself like this anymore. Those people will get the punishment they deserve. I will torture them to death. Just treat them like dead people. I promise you, even if they live, they will only suffer a fate worse than death."

Xu Su gripped the bath towel tightly and remained silent.

Zhou Mochen gently kissed her forehead to comfort her, then carefully touched the bruises on her arm. He pursed his lips and picked up the ointment that had been prepared on the bedside table to apply the medicine to her.

Xu Su placed her hand on his chest: "Get me a set of pajamas first."

“Okay,” Zhou Mochen patted her head, got off her and got out of bed. Soon, he returned with her sleeveless nightgown and underwear.

Xu Su awkwardly hid under the covers and dressed herself before relaxing and leaning against the headboard while he applied the ointment.

Zhou Mochen scooped out a dollop of ointment and applied it to her arm, gently rubbing it in. He said with focused tenderness, "Sweetie, in this world, we are the closest of friends. You don't need to feel uncomfortable in front of me no matter what you look like."

"..." Xu Su remained silent.

After applying the medicine to her arm, Zhou Mochen lifted her skirt to apply it to her leg. The injury on her thigh looked even more severe, and he hesitated for two seconds before stiffly starting to apply it.

His movements were gentle, but his eyes were filled with gloom. He repeated his old tune:

"That's not your fault. Stop punishing yourself like this. What you need to do now is forget about those people and forget what they said."

"Leave everything else to me. Protecting you is what I should do. I was wrong today. I was late. Punish me if you want."

He would rather take her place than see her covered in bruises.

Throughout the application of the medicine, Zhou Mochen kept muttering to himself, completely losing his usual taciturn demeanor. However, Xu Su did not utter a word until the medicine was finished.

Zhou Mochen tried to coax her again and again, but finally had no choice but to pull her into his arms. He lowered his head to kiss her, but Xu Su turned her head away again.

The atmosphere froze instantly.

Zhou Mochen's Adam's apple bobbed, and he pressed his lips to Xu Su's forehead, gently patting her back. "Xu Su, I love you."

"I love you."

The man kissed her forehead repeatedly, murmuring words of love. Xu Su couldn't take it anymore and tried to turn her back, but her waist was held tightly.

"Don't hide from me," Zhou Mochen said, taking her hand and placing it on his face. "It's my fault for not protecting you. If you're angry, just hit me. Please don't ignore me."

"I'm sleepy, I want to sleep," Xu Su said, pulling her hand away as if she hadn't heard. "I didn't sleep well last night, can you let me get some rest?"

I didn't sleep well last night...

Zhou Mochen felt as if he had been hit hard in the chest, his brows furrowing as he thought of the scene they had caused last night.

Was she... going to the construction site to find him today?

She originally intended to go and say something to him.

Why didn't you call before you came?

Xu Su turned her back to him, her heart filled with complex emotions.

She was so frightened that she resented him for arriving too late; seeing him reminded her of the faces of those migrant workers.

But she had to admit that being with Zhou Mochen made her feel much more at ease and less anxious.

Xu Su closed her eyes and let herself fall asleep.

She wasn't lying; she really didn't sleep well last night.

The girl beside him was breathing deeply and steadily. Zhou Mochen waited patiently a little longer, and after confirming that she was sound asleep, he got up and dressed. Once he was dressed, he got out of bed and walked to Xu Su's bedside.

He gazed at her quietly for a long, long time, and finally leaned down to place a kiss on her lips before leaving the room.

He has to go back and deal with those people.

Death is too easy.

He will teach them what fear is.

…………

In the middle of the night, Xu Su vaguely felt that there was no one beside her. She reached out and touched the area, but did not feel the familiar body temperature. She opened her eyes with a sense of loss.

They've been sleeping together every night lately, but Xu Su didn't sleep well last night because she was sleeping alone. She was still there before going to sleep today.

Where did he go?

Xu Su curled up in a ball, feeling a little aggrieved. Why wasn't anyone there to stay with her?

Why leave her alone?

For the first time, the girl, who had always been fearless, felt a sense of loss.

When Xu Su woke up the next day, Zhou Mochen was holding her face to face in his arms. The moment she opened her eyes, she thought that his disappearance last night was just a dream.

"woke up?"

The warm touch on her forehead made Xu Su blink.

"Still ignoring me?" Zhou Mochen's voice was deep and pleasant: "Su Su, you're not allowed to ignore me."

"..." Xu Su paused for a moment, then reached for her phone, only to realize it was broken when she touched nothing. "What time is it?"

“It’s almost lunchtime,” Zhou Mochen said, squinting as he kissed her neck, his breath light and gentle. “Shall we get up? Or we can eat in the room.”

Xu Su felt a little ticklish from the kisses and pushed the furry head off her neck. "Zhou Mochen, stay away from me."

The breath on her neck paused. Zhou Mochen was quiet for a few seconds, then moved away a little as she pushed him away. Just as he was about to say something, Xu Su suddenly sat up and finally remembered what day it was.

Lunchtime...

Lunchtime!

Zhou Mochen put his arm around her shoulder and stood up with her: "What's wrong?"

"My phone!" Xu Su nudged him. "You should have prepared a new phone for me, right? Give it to me!"

Given Zhou Mochen's meticulous care for her, the new phone was naturally prepared overnight.

Even the SIM card was retrieved from the broken phone and installed.

Xu Su only needs to log in to QQ.

It was 11 a.m., and she breathed a sigh of relief; there was still time.

Today at noon is the day the elite group has arranged to meet offline.

She had originally planned to visit the ancient town with Huang Feng and Qian Jia yesterday, and then meet up with her gaming friends in person today; the schedule was well arranged.

Unexpectedly, after arguing with Zhou Mochen yesterday, I made a last-minute decision to coax him, stood up Huang Feng and the others, and then encountered that kind of unpleasant thing, almost missing today's meeting.

After all, it was agreed upon more than a month in advance, and Xu Su did not intend to break her promise.

She quickly got up and began washing up and putting on makeup.

Seeing that she had regained her usual energy, Zhou Mochen felt a little relieved: "Can I go with you?"

“No, this is the first time we’ve met online. I’ve never heard of anyone bringing their family.” Xu Su shook her head and refused: “You go to the company and do your own thing. I know the way and I can drive.”

Family members…

The man, who had been furious all night, had his hidden anger in his eyes miraculously soothed by this word, and a genuine smile appeared on his lips.

So, they're family members?

Zhou Mochen chuckled softly, leaning against the dressing table as he watched her apply makeup. His gaze swept over her arm, which was still red and purplish-red even after a night's rest. "Does it still hurt?"

Xu Su was applying eyeliner and didn't have time to pay attention to him.