Living Only For Myself: Make Those Who Hate Me Regret It-Chapter 170: "A Lover Is Also a Brother.

"Pride doesn’t matter when I’m with you." Zhou Mochen cupped the back of her neck, tilting her head up and leaning in to kiss her.

This was the first time, while fully conscious, that Xu Su didn’t resist his kiss in the slightest.

It wasn’t just that she didn’t physically push him away; deep down, there wasn’t a single shred of reluctance.

’She could feel it. Maybe she didn’t hate Zhou Mochen as much as she’d previously imagined after all.’

Inside the car, Xu Su was sitting on Zhou Mochen’s lap with her arms wrapped around his neck, pinned against the steering wheel as he kissed her.

One of his hands supported her back while the other cupped her nape. She was so pliant—more so than she had ever been before—and as Zhou Mochen continued to kiss her, he started to get carried away.

Xu Su was still straddling him, their bodies pressed so tightly together that certain reactions were impossible to hide, so close she could even hear the sound of him swallowing.

Her breath was stolen away, and Xu Su felt like she was about to pass out from the kiss. She jerked her head to the side, gasping for air.

Before she had even caught her breath, his face was closing in again. Xu Su pressed a hand against Zhou Mochen’s chest and quickly shook her head.

"No more kissing, Zhou Mochen. Let me go."

Zhou Mochen was surprisingly obedient and didn’t try to kiss her again. He lowered his head until their foreheads touched and coaxed softly, "Come back to Chang City with me."

’His remaining shred of sanity was still reminding him that Kang County was too small; it didn’t even have a single decent hotel.’

Xu Su understood his implication in an instant. Her lashes trembled. "...I can’t."

"Why not...? Xu Su, if you keep tormenting me like this, I’m going to break." He clicked his tongue, moving the hand on her nape to gently caress her face. His voice sounded aggrieved. "If I’m broken, will you still want me...?"

"..." ’This guy is such a pervert.’ Xu Su turned her head to avoid his lips, grabbing his neck to push him back a little. "No means no, Zhou Mochen. I’m still young."

"You’re not." His gaze was mischievous as he gave a suggestive chuckle. "You’re not small anywhere."

’Summer clothes were so thin, and they were holding each other so tightly...’

Xu Su glared at him. "If you say one more shameless thing, I’ll..."

Before she could finish, she felt the man’s gaze lock onto her... collarbone?

"What is this?"

The top Xu Su was wearing had a wide neckline, and it had been pushed askew, revealing one side of her collarbone. On it were two faint marks.

Zhou Mochen reached out, his finger gently tracing the marks on her collarbone. The smile had completely vanished from his face. He stared at it, expressionless, for a moment before pressing, "What is this?"

’She’d been an Apiao for so long that her memories were a jumbled mess. Xu Su had to think for a long while before she finally remembered. Before bed tonight, had Xi Zirong... kissed her there?’

’Her skin was so delicate that even the slightest pressure left a mark... so...’

A violent shiver ran through Xu Su.

"Why are you trembling? This isn’t a mosquito bite," he assessed quietly, looking up at her, a storm gathering in his eyes.

A lack of firsthand experience didn’t mean a lack of common sense. Still, Zhou Mochen couldn’t quite believe it. "Xu Su, don’t tell me some man left this on you."

"No, it’s not!" Xu Su denied it instantly. She racked her brain but couldn’t come up with a good excuse, so she decided to just wing it. "I don’t know what it is either. Maybe I scratched myself during the day. I bruise really easily. Even the slightest bump leaves a mark."

As she spoke, to add credibility to her story, she pointed to a couple of faint bruises on her lower leg.

Her legs were slender and straight, as white and smooth as jade, making the bruises stand out clearly.

Zhou Mochen believed her instantly. His expression visibly softened, and he looked at her leg with a pained expression. "Where did you get these? Be more careful when you’re walking next time."

His unconditional trust left Xu Su momentarily speechless.

’A sudden pang of guilt hit her. For such a smart man...’

...

After this whole ordeal, Xu Su, whose memories of two lifetimes had been a chaotic mess, finally began to feel a little more grounded.

Her time as an Apiao had been so long and vivid that she’d once believed she was truly dead.

So when she came back to life and returned to this world, Xu Su still thought it was all a dream.

Now, as her senses slowly returned, Xu Su inevitably recalled what she had just done.

She thought of Xi Zirong. She remembered that she had gotten a boyfriend behind Zhou Mochen’s back and had been dating him for nearly a year.

’She’d even let Xi Zirong hold her and kiss her many, many times... If Zhou Mochen were to find out...’

The old Xu Su wouldn’t have cared one bit about Zhou Mochen’s feelings. Even if he found out she’d fallen for someone else, she would only have feared his ruthless response. She had never once considered how much pain he would be in.

But now... a belated tremor of fear went through Xu Su’s heart. ’What would happen if Zhou Mochen found out?’

In her previous life, a male classmate had just given her a simple hug, and the man had lost his mind completely, abandoning all sense of decency.

’If he knew she had genuinely fallen for another man, had let another man hold her and kiss her... what would he do?’

Xu Su clutched her head, her face turning deathly pale from the pain. ’How did things get to this point?’

’And Xi Zirong... What was she supposed to do about him?’

"What’s wrong? Does your head hurt?" Zhou Mochen’s voice was edged with urgency. He placed his hands on her temples and began rubbing them slowly. "Why the sudden headache?"

The pressure was perfect. Xu Su let him massage them for a moment before pushing his hands away. "Let me go back."

By "go back," she of course meant back to her own passenger seat.

Zhou Mochen stared at her intently for a moment, then actually let go.

Xu Su could hardly believe it. He was being so agreeable, it was almost unlike him.

Getting over to his side had been easy, but to get back, Zhou Mochen lifted her by the waist and carried her over.

"..." Xu Su gave an awkward little laugh. She picked up her phone and saw that after all that, it was already past two in the morning. "You should go get something to eat in Kang County. I need to get home."

Zhou Mochen sounded resigned. "You heartless girl. I skipped dinner and rushed all the way here to see you, and after you’ve gotten me all worked up, you’re just going to send me away like this?"

Xu Su didn’t say anything, only glared at him.

Her glare made Zhou Mochen’s heart soften. He took her hand and coaxed, "Tell your big brother why you were crying. Don’t be afraid. Just tell me, and I’ll solve whatever it is for you."

’...Brother...’

Xu Su’s mouth twitched. "You’re not my brother."

"Who says?" he squeezed her hand, his eyes full of adoration. "A lover can be a ’brother,’ too."

"Sweetheart, tell your big brother, who bullied you?"

...Xu Su was starting to find this side of Zhou Mochen unbearable. ’So, this is what he’s like? Give him an inch, and he’ll take a mile...’

She gave a half-true answer. "No one bullied me. I cried because I had a nightmare."

"What kind of dream?"

"I don’t remember. I forgot as soon as I woke up."

"Mm." Zhou Mochen nodded slowly, not pressing the issue. He leaned his head down to look at her. "Tell me, why has your attitude toward me changed so much tonight?"