Chapter 173: It

Tonight Nan Guangchang had no fountain, the wind was slightly cool, and the street lamps were tranquil.

Xia Xi crossed her arms over her chest, sitting on the marble edge of the fountain basin, her bare legs pressed together and straight, heels touching the ground, occasionally tapping her toe, looking utterly bored.

No one was around; she was alone, like a withered leaf fallen from a tree.

But right now it was clearly a vibrant spring—where would a withered leaf come from?

Xia Xi took out her phone from her bag; the battery was critical, a pop‑up warning showed only 20% left, and the battery icon turned red. She dared not make another call, fearing that if it shut down, Xu Yanfeng would call her back and she wouldn't be able to answer.

Damn Xu Yanfeng, last time he didn't come to see her, she could understand and forgive, but if he doesn't come this time, she will definitely bite him to death.

Xia Xi looked up; the pitch‑black night sky hung with a few dim stars, as if mocking her.

She inhaled, her nasal passages icy cold, the chill traveling all the way to her lungs.

Even her heart felt a chill.

Suddenly, Xia Xi heard footsteps; before she could turn her gaze, her heartbeat betrayed her emotions, thumping loudly like a drum. She stood up and looked toward the sound; a figure ran past without stopping.

It wasn't Xu Yanfeng.

It was just a male student taking a shortcut through here, heading to the convenience store ahead.

The glimmer of hope in Xia Xi's eyes faded, her emotions sank to the bottom, and her rapid heartbeat gradually steadied. She sat back down, bending her upper body forward, pressing her chest against her thighs, and in her mind she cursed Xu Yanfeng again.

The night wind grew cooler, as if she had been thrust back into winter.

Xia Xi heard footsteps again; she remained calm, her heart as still as water, not as agitated as before. Fearful of another disappointment, she simply held no expectation and didn't move a muscle.

The footsteps drew nearer and stopped before her; all she could see were a pair of shoes and a section of sharply tailored black trousers, the fabric fine.

Xu Yanfeng seemed to be wearing trousers when he came to see her today?

Xia Xi stared, lifting her gaze from bottom to top: past a narrow waist, a white shirt, a dark‑blue patterned tie, a prominent Adam's apple above the collar, a clear jawline, and finally that stern face cast in lamplight.

She wondered if she were dreaming, and blinked hard; fortunately, the person before her did not vanish.

So he was real.

Xia Xi's nose soured helplessly, her eye sockets caught the feeling, sore and swollen, and they reddened in no time. Usually strong‑willed and not prone to tears, she forced the urge back; her eyes regained their usual brightness as she stared at him in silence.

Xu Yanfeng held his suit jacket in his hand, almost dragging on the ground, and spoke first, his tone revealing no emotion: "Aren't you going to say what you have to say to me?"

Xia Xi stood up, feeling she lacked presence, and used her hands and feet to climb onto the marble edge of the fountain basin, standing there.

The half‑meter‑high platform finally made her tower far above Xu Yanfeng, making her look like a leader about to give a speech, while he seemed a little kid who had to look up at her.

"Next time you lose your temper and walk off, could you at least let me finish speaking?" Xia Xi accused him first, "Your legs are so long that I can't catch up when I chase you; you don't answer my calls or reply to my messages—what's wrong with you?"

Xu Yanfeng considered himself far from perfect; being bombarded with criticism like this was a first for him, yet he actually found her words reasonable and couldn't help but reflect on himself.

"If you're capable, don't change—see if I'll still put up with you next time. I can tolerate everything about you, but I won't enable your bad habits." Xia Xi grew more animated as she spoke; her bearing lost its leader‑like air, resembling a shrewish wife scolding a husband who never reforms.

"What does it mean to stay silent?" Xia Xi frowned.

Xu Yanfeng: "You're right."

Xia Xi paused; her anger had mostly faded, and being able to admit fault showed there was still hope.

Getting back to the point, she looked down on him and asked, "Why don't you believe me?" She didn't wait for an answer, then continued on her own, "I'm pursuing you because I like you and want to be with you. If it were a bet, I don't have that much energy, nor am I that bored. I thought that even if you misunderstood me, you should, after calming down a bit, trust that my feelings for you aren't fake. You're not a block of wood—can't you feel it? I'm really angry and upset now, and I may not be expressing myself clearly, so I solemnly emphasize again: I'm not chasing you because of a bet. Do you understand?"

Xu Yanfeng felt something lodged in his throat, his breathing a little uneven, and he opened his arms toward her: "Come down first."

Her loose hair was blown into disarray by the wind, her knees reddened, and she looked as if she might topple at any moment, as though she would fall into the fountain behind her in the next second—even though the basin held no water.

"No," Xia Xi said stubbornly, "Are you saying you were wrong?"

Xu Yanfeng lowered his noble head; it was also the first time he had ever admitted fault to someone—so many firsts were experienced because of her.

"I was wrong," he said clearly, pausing between each word.

Only then was Xia Xi satisfied; she magnanimously forgave him, jumped down from the platform, flung herself into his arms, and he held her tightly. She also embraced him, a tear soaking into his shirt, and said sternly, "You're really bad."

Forgiveness aside, her earlier anxiety, bewilderment, and sorrow were genuine; thinking about it still made her angry, so she opened her mouth and bit his shoulder through a thin layer of fabric.

She didn't actually bite him to death, for she couldn't bear to; she merely left two neat rows of tooth marks on his shoulder.

Xu Yanfeng's brows furrowed slightly, he pressed his lips tight without making a sound. He felt the pain, and also sensed her anger.

At some point his suit jacket had fallen to the ground; Xu Yanfeng bent to pick it up, shook off the dust, draped it over her shoulders, smoothed the front, and led her away from there.

After venting, Xia Xi fell somewhat silent, letting him take her hand as he guided her into the passenger seat, buckled the seatbelt, then walked around to the driver's seat and drove off the campus of Nan Da.

The school gate swung shut behind them, and only then did Xia Xi regain her senses: "It's already very late; the dormitory will lock soon."

Xu Yanfeng paid no heed, maintaining his speed; a few minutes later the familiar gate of the residential complex came into view. Not long ago, Xia Xi had come here looking for him, but the security guard had stopped her.

Now, however, the attitude was completely different: the guard raised the barrier, let the vehicle in, poked his head out the window, and greeted them with a smile.

Xu Yanfeng parked steadily, waited for Xia Xi to get out, took her hand, and entered the elevator together.

The elevator car held only the two of them; bright lights illuminated the polished metal doors, which clearly reflected their silhouettes. She was wrapped in a large black suit, looking like a cold‑hearted female boss, but her hair was a little messy and her makeup somewhat disheveled.

Xia Xi touched her face, trying to tidy it, but it was futile—only made it worse.

Her breathing felt tight; she swallowed a mouthful of air, having come to his place late at night, which felt different from daytime. She curled her fingertips and scratched the back of his hand: "Are you still going to send me back?"

With a "ding," the elevator doors opened; Xu Yanfeng pulled her out, glanced sideways, and asked, "Do you want to go back?"

Xia Xi stammered, "You… you mean… staying here overnight?"

The apartment door stood open; Xu Yanfeng leaned against the doorframe, his eyes deep and dark, lifted his wrist to check his watch, and said, "Now is still not too late to regret."

"Who… who regrets it?"

Xia Xi still stammered, but her presence did not yield; she shook off his hand and strode into the house with a swagger, appearing completely at ease, as if entering her own home.

The door closed softly behind her, but Xia Xi hallucinated a loud "bang"; she startled, turned her head, and the scene before her suddenly darkened. A force pushed her to the door's edge; the jacket draped over her shoulder slipped off, falling in a black heap at her feet. She shifted a step and accidentally stepped on it.

His suit looked like a custom‑made, expensive piece; the thought flashed through Xia Xi's mind. Just as she tried to move her foot, a solid body pressed against hers—his chest and long legs fitting her tightly, leaving no gap. A scorching kiss fell like a sudden downpour, thick and relentless, sealing her lips and stealing her breath.

Good heavens, this must be Xu Yanfeng's first time initiating a kiss with her—her earlier counter‑offensive doesn't count.