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

Xu Su hummed in agreement but didn't say anything.

"Why aren't you asleep yet? What happened?" The man's voice on the phone sounded more awake. "Where are you?"

"It's nothing, I just thought you were asleep, so I was just playing around."

Xu Su looked up at the stars: "Why are you answering the phone so late?"

"I can't sleep well with no one in my arms. When are you coming back?" Zhou Mochen's voice seemed to be close to my ear: "Susu, do you miss me?"

Xu Su didn't respond to him, but instead said to herself, "There are so many beautiful stars here. It's a pity I don't know anything about astronomy, otherwise I could tell you the name of the brightest one."

Zhou Mochen frowned on the other end of the phone: "Are you out watching the stars alone so late?"

"..." Xu Su said dejectedly, "How can you be so clueless? I was talking to you about the stars..."

“Don’t wander around alone at night when you’re out,” Zhou Mochen interrupted her, saying sternly, “Go back now.”

“I haven’t gone far. The camp is nearby. If there’s any danger, I can just shout.”

"Go back immediately!"

Xu Su remained silent, listening to the babbling brook, not wanting to get angry with him.

The man on the other end sighed helplessly and asked in a soft voice, "What happened? Why are you awake so early?"

Xu Su hesitated for a moment, then asked, "Zhou Mochen, what's your opinion on having a wife at home while having mistresses on the side?"

"How so?" He seemed quite intrigued by the question: "What opinion could I possibly have? I'm not that kind of person."

"..."

Shame, disgrace, and a touch of guilt left Xu Su speechless for a long time.

She remained silent for a long time. Zhou Mochen seemed to sense something and his voice became extremely low: "Su Su, what exactly do you want to say?"

“Something happened last night that left me feeling a bit confused about human nature,” Xu Su said, unwilling to believe she was an unreliable lover. Holding her phone, she asked, “Zhou Mochen, do you think I’m fickle?”

There was a slight pause on the other end of the phone: "Why are you suddenly asking this?"

"Just answer my questions," Xu Su said. "Didn't you used to think I liked Shen Chen and betrayed you with him? So in your heart, I'm just a fickle woman, right?"

"Want to hear the truth? And not get angry?"

"…certainly!"

"I wouldn't call it being fickle, but it's true that I've spoiled you so much that you've become too arrogant and fearless."

"..." Xu Su snorted: "Who told you to be so spoiled!"

Zhou Mochen chuckled: "If I don't spoil you, who will? Tell your brother, what's wrong with you tonight? You're asking so many strange questions."

His voice is really gentle; he's a great listener…

Xu Su said, "It's rare for me to be so sentimental, Zhou Mochen, shall we have a chat?"

“Okay…” Zhou Mochen got out of bed, pushed open the French windows of the balcony, and went out. He lay on the rocking chair and looked at the same starry sky with his little girl: “What do you want to talk about?”

Xu Su gave a heads-up: "Let's make this clear first, we can speak freely, and neither of us is allowed to get angry."

"Well, I'm not angry."

Xu Su thought for a moment, then said something that hit the nail on the head: "If a year ago, I hadn't agreed to be with you, and had instead continued to like Xi Zi..."

"Xu Su!" Zhou Mochen's gentle voice instantly turned low and husky: "Why did you bring him up again?"

He was furious: "It's 4:30 in the morning, and you're thinking about Xi Zirong? Or is it because of him that you can't sleep at this hour?"

"..." Xu Su felt guilty and frustrated: "You promised you wouldn't get angry."

“Heh…” Zhou Mochen sneered: “I won’t get angry with you if you mention Shen Chen, but I won’t get angry with Xi Zirong.”

"…Why?"

Why don't you know?

Xu Su fell silent.

"You actually know?" Zhou Mochen's anger intensified. "Tell me, why am I so wary of Xi Zirong?"

"..." Xu Su was speechless. Can men be this unreasonable when they get jealous?

I don't know why he's angry, and I'm still angry even if I do!

"Xu Su, I have something to tell you."

Zhou Mochen's voice returned to calm: "The person I hate most in my life is Xi Zirong. Whenever I think of him, I can't eat or sleep. I can tolerate others, but not him. You can't even mention him, let alone think about him!"

Shen Chen's feelings were unrequited; even if he had taken liberties with her, it was not of her own volition.

But Xi Zirong was her first love, the person she had ever truly loved, and perhaps... never had.

Sometimes he couldn't help but obsessively think about how sweet and loving they were during that year.

They kissed, more than once. In the midst of their passion, did she ever touch his body?

Where did you touch?

Where have you kissed?

These thoughts were causing him excruciating pain, yet he couldn't shake them off.

Xi Zirong's existence was like a thorn in his side, constantly stabbing at the most vulnerable part of his heart.

If someone could really take her away from him, the biggest threat would be Xi Zirong.

If he could, he…

Xu Su sensed his anger, and she herself felt regretful.

If she could go back two years, she would never provoke Xi Zirong.

How could things have turned out like this, causing all three of them pain?

The heart-to-heart talk was interrupted before it even began. Zhou Mochen was uneasy about her series of strange questions in the middle of the night, and almost wanted to rush over overnight.

Xu Su coaxed and coaxed him repeatedly before finally managing to calm him down.

When he really comes, I'll see Xi Zirong in person...

Just thinking about that scene gave Xu Su a terrible headache.

After hanging up the phone, Xu Su didn't go back. She figured she wouldn't be able to sleep anyway, so she might as well wait until dawn to watch the sunrise.

Finally, as the first rays of sunlight appeared on the horizon, she discovered that someone was standing behind her.

Seeing her turn around, the tall and elegant young man smiled slightly: "Up so early?"

"..." This gave me an even bigger headache.

"Why that expression?" Xi Zirong sat down next to her, turning her head to look at her. "Are you unhappy?"

Xu Su lazily propped her chin up: "How did you know I was here?"

Xi Zirong said, "We came out for a walk and happened to see you here."

She then realized that Jiang Chusheng was also there.

Last night the light wasn't very bright, and Xu Su didn't really look at his appearance. Now that she saw him for the first time, she was actually a little dazed.

Then came the sigh: No wonder he could make Jessica so infatuated. Even now that the girl has returned after her "golden" experience and has a great understanding of men, she is still nervous and awkward in front of him.

This is just too...

Her wrist was gripped tightly, and when Xu Su turned her head, she saw Xi Zirong's ambiguous smile: "Is it pretty?"

"..." How could she answer that? Saying yes or no was not an option.

Clearly, Xi Zirong didn't expect her to answer. As the sun rose, by the stream not far from the campsite, in front of Jiang Chusheng, he grabbed Xu Su's wrist, pulled her into his arms, and gently hugged her.