’Kill her in bed...’

Before Xu Su could say anything, Zhou Mochen added through gritted teeth, "I really can’t let myself think about it. Fuck! If anyone so much as dares to touch you, I’ll kill them!"

Clearly, the hypothetical scenario had truly angered him. He stomped on the gas, sending the car speeding forward, his knuckles white from gripping the steering wheel so hard. "If I really missed out on the sixteen-year-old you, that’s on me for being a fucking idiot. But Xu Su, if you dare to fall in love with someone else, I could really bring myself to kill you."

In Zhou Mochen’s heart, Xu Su was the partner heaven had tailor-made for him, his lost rib.

He hadn’t found his own rib right away, and that was his fault for being an idiot, but she absolutely could not be taken by someone else while he was looking for her.

Xu Su’s eyes widened. She had never heard him swear before. In their two lifetimes combined, this was the first time she’d heard him utter a curse. It was strangely fascinating.

In fact, Zhou Mochen himself couldn’t remember how many years it had been since he’d last sworn. Even in his most unrestrained teenage years, his temperament had been far more mature than his peers. Yet now, the more he thought about it, the angrier he became. The rage and fear that filled him were inexplicable, as if in some other lifetime, he had truly and utterly lost her.

’They only met after she already had another lover...’

Zhou Mochen’s teeth audibly ground together. "Useless!"

Xu Su was speechless. ’Who is he cursing...?’

She didn’t know who he was cursing. Seeing his ashen face, Xu Su hesitated for a moment, but didn’t dare to ask, and certainly didn’t dare to provoke him further.

’He’s kind of scary.’

Zhou Mochen gritted his teeth and continued to curse, "If a world like that really exists, then that version of me is truly useless!"

Xu Su facepalmed in exasperation. "I was just posing a hypothetical. Why are you getting so genuinely angry?"

Although she had her suspicions, they were... just suspicions.

After all, the Zhou Mochen from her past life had been just too strange.

"I’m pissed off, so what if I curse myself out a bit?" Zhou Mochen sneered, grinding his molars as if he wanted to eat someone. "Xu Su, if that scenario were actually possible, you’d probably have ended up with Xi Zirong, don’t you think?"

Xu Su choked, then actually gave it some serious thought.

She quickly shook her head in denial. "No, don’t overthink it. That possibility is probably fake. What we have now is what’s real. Xi Zirong and I broke up a year ago. Can you please stop being jealous over ancient history?"

"Is that so?" Zhou Mochen narrowed his eyes and said no more.

They sped home like the wind.

For once, Xu Su was well-behaved and didn’t provoke him, quickly slipping back into her room to wash up.

When she came out of the bathroom, she saw Zhou Mochen sitting on her bed, shirtless, looking at some documents on a tablet. A glass of milk sat on the nightstand.

Hearing the door open, Zhou Mochen looked up at her dripping wet hair, eager to try. "Let me blow-dry your hair for you?"

"No, thanks. I can do it myself."

Xu Su blow-dried her hair until it was half-dry, applied some hair oil, then blew it again until it was completely dry before putting down the hairdryer.

Turning around, she saw he was still sitting on her bed, looking like he had no intention of leaving. She couldn’t help but say, "I’m going to bed."

Without looking up, Zhou Mochen said, "Drink the milk before you sleep."

Xu Su fell silent. ’Is he really not getting the hint, or is he just pretending?’

After Xu Su finished the milk, she got into bed, sat next to Zhou Mochen, and gave him a push. "You should go back to your own room," she said directly.

Zhou Mochen finally tore his eyes from the tablet, raising an eyebrow slightly. "Either you come with me, or I stay here. Susu, you have to be reasonable. You can sleep in my bed, so I should be able to sleep in yours, right?"

...

Xu Su was silent. She felt his argument was perfectly logical and she couldn’t refute it at all.

’Whatever. If he wants to sleep here, he can. It’s not like we haven’t slept in the same bed before, anyway.’

Xu Su had just lain down when Zhou Mochen casually set the tablet aside, turned off the lights, and lay down as well.

He pressed his entire body against her from behind, holding her tightly. His hot breath washed over her neck and ear.

"Turn around, Susu. I want to kiss you."

The voice by her ear was deep and sexy. Xu Su’s throat went dry. She swallowed, thinking he was finally unable to hold back and was ready to make his move.

Thinking about her three-day break, which should be enough time to recover, she didn’t intend to resist, letting him take her by the shoulders and turn her around.

Her limbs were pinned by his, leaving her unable to move. Xu Su was very obedient and didn’t struggle, letting him kiss her for a long time.

She waited and waited, but the next step never came. Growing a little impatient, she wrapped her arms around his neck, pressed her face against his, and rubbed it in a silent plea.

’He’s already ridiculously hot all over...’

Finally, Xu Su lost her patience. She saw clearly now that he had no intention of taking the next step!

’If he wasn’t going to do anything, what was the point of all this teasing?!’

His hand was still restlessly roaming over her back. Annoyed now, Xu Su shoved his approaching face away. "No more kissing."

"What’s wrong?" Zhou Mochen’s voice was frighteningly hoarse. He moved closer to coax her, "Be good, Susu. Just a little more kissing."

"...Kiss my ass!" Xu Su snapped, shoving his whole body away. She gritted her teeth. "So you’ve got amazing self-control, but it’s torture for me, alright?"

If the lights had been on, Zhou Mochen would definitely have seen the look of unfulfilled desire on her face.

Xu Su really had to admire him. The man truly had self-control. He said he wouldn’t do it, and he really wouldn’t. Even when he was that worked up, he could still hold back and absolutely not cross the line.

It made her feel like some kind of shameless pervert with no self-control.

A muffled laugh came from the dim room.

"Don’t you laugh!" Xu Su’s face flushed red, her embarrassment turning to anger. "Zhou Mochen! If you laugh again, you’re never allowed to touch me again!"

’All this kissing and touching, only to get me halfway there and then not do the real thing. What’s the use of having a boyfriend like this!’

Zhou Mochen’s laughter stopped. He leaned in again, his scorching breath close as he coaxed her in a low voice, "It’s my fault. Don’t be angry, Susu. Let me make it up to you, okay?"

Xu Su blinked, not yet having processed his words.

Zhou Mochen let out another muffled laugh, propping himself up and leaning over.

He had no experience.

But he had boundless endurance and infinite patience, terrified that he wouldn’t do a good enough job.

~~

Xu Su finally couldn’t take it anymore and grabbed his hair to stop him.

She called his name in a low voice, "...That’s enough."

Zhou Mochen looked up, smiled, and leaned down to kiss her.

Xu Su’s mind was already a complete mess, but she still remembered to turn her head away. "No kissing."

"Want a taste?"

Zhou Mochen’s voice was bewitching, his laugh husky. "It’s sweet."

Xu Su cupped his face, sniffed, and mercilessly pushed him away. "Go brush your teeth."

’There’s no way I’m kissing him right now.’

Zhou Mochen squeezed her waist and let out another soft laugh.

He licked his lips as if savoring the taste and raised an eyebrow. "I’m not going to. Be good, Susu, and give me a kiss."

After what had just happened, Xu Su’s mind was ridiculously blank.

She didn’t even have time to refuse a second time before Zhou Mochen was cupping her face and kissing her.

Her hands, which had been clinging to his neck,

...were guided down...

"Good girl..."

Zhou Mochen chuckled softly, coaxing, "Be good, Susu... have a little mercy on me."

This time, Xu Su didn’t intend to refuse.

Her hand suddenly stiffened.

Zhou Mochen quickly noticed and nuzzled her ear.

He asked in a hoarse voice, "What’s wrong?"

"This... isn’t it a little too..."

She could feel that her fingers couldn’t wrap all the way around it...

Xu Su’s voice trembled slightly.

’In her past life, she had never touched one before, so she really didn’t know...’

This time, it was Zhou Mochen’s turn to go rigid.

He reached out, turned her face toward him, and stared at her intently. "Are you making a comparison? Comparing it to whose?"

The veins in his temples throbbed. His grip tightened uncontrollably as he found himself completely unable to imagine her sharing this same intimacy with another man.