Chapter 351: Chapter 350: I’m Younger Than You, Don’t Leave Me

"It has to be something Brother Zhou doesn’t know, hmm..." 𝓯𝙧𝙚𝒆𝙬𝙚𝒃𝙣𝙤𝒗𝓮𝓵.𝙘𝙤𝙢

Shen Chen thought for a moment. With a boyish glint in his eyes, he smiled and said, "I got into a little accident while racing on the winding mountain roads a few months ago. I was afraid my old man would get angry, so I’ve kept it a secret. Brother Zhou doesn’t know, and I guarantee the guys who were with me won’t breathe a word."

He lifted the hem of his shirt, revealing his lean abdomen. A scar, about four fingers wide, was visible on his side. "What do you think of this secret?"

"...I remember you said you learned to drive at fourteen and got your license at eighteen. I thought you actually followed the rules and waited until you were eighteen to start driving officially."

Xu Su looked at the scar and sighed in amazement. "Then again, you’ve never been one to follow the rules."

"I even told you I learned to drive at fourteen?" Shen Chen looked at her and smiled. "Looks like we really were pretty close."

"Of course! You’re actually a great guy. I got into some trouble once, and you even got into a fight for me. Oh, and you promised to teach me how to drive. You wouldn’t even let me hire a private instructor."

Thinking of all of Shen Chen’s good qualities, Xu Su couldn’t help but add, "So you have to listen to my advice, you know? I’m really just looking out for you."

The topic had come back to this... Shen Chen’s lips tightened, and his smile faded.

After a few seconds of silence, he suddenly asked, "How long have we known each other?"

’How long have we known each other?’

Xu Su froze. "Let me think... We first met during winter break of my sophomore year of high school. It was at a KTV, and you even hired a hostess."

She did the math. "I just graduated from high school, so that means..."

At this, she suddenly stopped and shot her head up to look at Shen Chen, who had been standing the whole time.

Shen Chen looked at her calmly. "What’s wrong?"

"Nothing..." Xu Su shook her head repeatedly, feeling that her own idea was too absurd.

Her wrist was suddenly gripped by Zhou Mochen, who had been silent until now. He slid his fingers between hers one by one, interlocking them tightly.

The young man’s flat voice sounded, "Have you two talked enough?"

Xu Su turned her head and met a pair of deep, dark eyes.

He was so handsome, even with the subtle unhappiness in his refined features, that Xu Su immediately forgot everything else. She leaned in and planted a kiss right on his face. "Zhou Mochen, how can you be so handsome..."

His foul mood was instantly cured by the kiss. Zhou Mochen steadied the girl’s shoulders, overjoyed that she so openly showed her affection for him.

’At the same time, he couldn’t help but worry about his other self from that other world.’

’He’d only listened to a few sentences and already felt something was off. It seemed like the Shen Chen from that world liked her too...’

Zhou Mochen couldn’t help but curse inwardly.

’What a loser!’

’To let the girl he fell for at first sight get another boyfriend... that was already pathetic enough. And now, even Shen Chen has his eyes on her.’

’I wonder if that loser has even noticed.’

Zhou Mochen pulled her into his arms, his movements still a little awkward. He looked at his "good buddy." "It’s getting late, Ah Chen. You should head back."

"..." Shen Chen paused, then said hesitantly, "Can I just sleep here tonight?"

Their brotherly bond was strong, and Shen Chen had often stayed the night. But this time, upon hearing his words, Zhou Mochen shook his head decisively. "It’s not convenient."

’Not convenient...’

Shen Chen’s gaze shifted to the girl in his arms. He asked, feigning ignorance, "How is it not convenient?"

Xu Su’s face turned beet red. "Zhou Mochen, can you not say things that sound so suggestive!"

’Kisses were one thing, but she had no intention of doing anything... substantial with this eighteen-year-old Zhou Mochen!’

’Even if there wasn’t another ’her’ in this world, she couldn’t do anything with him, right? Otherwise, wouldn’t that be a different kind of cheating...’

While Xu Su’s thoughts were running wild, Zhou Mochen had already unceremoniously shown Shen Chen the door.

As Shen Chen left, he muttered about choosing girls over bros. He reluctantly kept looking back over his shoulder, hoping Zhou Mochen would change his mind.

Zhou Mochen didn’t even twitch an eyebrow, completely unmoved.

’Since the Shen Chen from that other world could fall for his girlfriend, he’d be a loser too if he didn’t guard against this one now.’

’Whether or not Shen Chen had any ulterior motives at this very moment didn’t matter. He just had to stay away from his girl.’

’A perfect girlfriend had practically fallen from the sky for him; how could he let anyone else have their eyes on her?’

While Zhou Mochen was inwardly chanting ’Guard against fire, guard against thieves, guard against your bros,’ his expression remained calm. He looked down at the girl in his arms. "Are you hungry? What do you want to eat?"

Xu Su was about to shake her head when she suddenly realized something and asked, "This is Beijing, right?"

Zhou Mochen grunted in affirmation. "Is there a restaurant you want to eat from?"

"I want the wontons from Yun Ji on Jialin Road, with extra chili and vinegar. And the chocolate cake from that place on Wangfu Street. Not one they already have in the shop—have the baker make one just for me, and with less sugar."

Xu Su ordered without a hint of politeness. After a moment’s thought, she added, "And I want to eat all the specialty dishes from Golden Tripod Building, too."

’She’d lived in Beijing for so many years and loved so much of the food. Since she was dreaming, she might as well eat her fill.’

’This dream felt strangely real, anyway.’

Zhou Mochen took out his phone, made a call, and gave a few instructions.

Not long after he hung up, the phone rang again.

He looked at the caller ID, thought for a moment, and put the call on speakerphone.

A man’s voice came through the phone:

"Young Master Zhou, as per your instructions, I’ve had our people in Chang City investigate. The Xu Weiping couple from the Hongde Textile Factory have been married for many years but only have one son, who is just three years old. Our people in Shuinan Town, Kang County also made inquiries. There is no girl named Xu Su in Chen Family Village."

The voice was very familiar to Xu Su. It was Zhou Mochen’s special assistant, Sun Yang.

The words from the other end of the line left Xu Su stunned. Zhou Mochen, however, was calm; he had expected this. He simply looked down at her, afraid she would be upset, and comforted her, "Don’t be scared. I’m still here. If you want to see your parents, I can go back to Chang City with you to see them."

Xu Su shook her head. "I’m not close with my parents."

’She had thought about this before. How could there be two of her in the same world? Since her body had traveled here, did that mean her existence in this world had been erased?’

’During this period, she should have left her grandmother, started junior high in Kang County, and begun her life as a boarding student.’

’But now that her older self had arrived, her thirteen-year-old self was gone.’

’She wasn’t sure if this was all a dream. If it was, that would be fine. But if it wasn’t...’

Xu Su looked at the young man before her, a pang of sadness in her heart. "Zhou Mochen, because of my appearance, your future girlfriend is gone. If I go back, what will you do?"

’The Xu Su of this world had been erased because of her. If she went back, what would the young Zhou Mochen do?’

"Then stay here." Zhou Mochen hugged her a little tighter, sounding incredibly wronged. "Elder Sister, you have to stay here, with me. Don’t always think about going back. I’m younger than you; don’t abandon me."

His clear, youthful voice was music to her ears, whispering "Elder Sister" right next to her ear...

’Who wouldn’t be flustered by that? Especially not Xu Su, who was already prone to being completely smitten by Zhou Mochen’s looks.’