His Addiction - Chapter 20
Xu Zhi couldn’t muster the energy to do anything. She postponed her plan to treat Liang Jinmo and Zhou He to lunch until dinner..
In the afternoon, she received her package.
The gift box was beautifully wrapped, and there was also a bouquet of pure white gardenias.
She took the gifts back to the dorm. Yang Xue, who was putting on makeup, came over. “Who sent this? Is it a birthday present?”
“From Liang Mushi,” Xu Zhi replied.
“Open it and see.”
Yang Xue was about to reach for it, but Xu Zhi said, “You open it.”
As Yang Xue unwrapped the gift, she muttered, “Things really have changed. You used to treasure everything Liang Mushi gave you.”
Xu Zhi remained silent. Only she knew how cheap these gifts felt. For Liang Mushi, money wasn’t the issue; gifts were just a formality.
He gave his time and attention to Chen Jing.
She knew she shouldn’t compare herself to Chen Jing, considering their different relationships with Liang Mushi, but she couldn’t help feeling resentful.
It was fine if Liang Mushi prioritized his girlfriend over his friends, but why make promises he couldn’t keep? He had just said yesterday that he would celebrate with her. A birthday only came once a year. Couldn’t the shopping trip wait?
Yang Xue opened the gift box and gasped. “It’s a bracelet! So pretty!”
Xu Zhi glanced at it. The platinum bracelet, adorned with tiny stars, was indeed beautiful, but she couldn’t bring herself to care.
Yang Xue took out the bracelet. “Try it on?”
Xu Zhi was silent for a few seconds, then shook her head.
Yang Xue held the bracelet against her own wrist. “Even though Young Master Liang is a jerk, he has good taste in gifts.”
Xu Zhi still didn’t speak.
Knowing she was upset, Yang Xue put down the bracelet and tried to comfort her. “Look on the bright side, at least Liang Mushi still sent you a birthday gift. You’re better off than me, aren’t you?”
Xu Zhi couldn’t argue with that.
Yang Xue had been pursuing a legendary academic genius from the Computer Engineering department for two years, with no progress. Now, with graduation approaching, she had given up hope.
Yang Xue suddenly said, “Cheng Yu is going to a lecture by one of his professors this afternoon. Zhi Zi, come with me.”
Cheng Yu was the name of the genius. Yang Xue’s eyes held a hint of desperation. “It’s really a case of ‘one less glance is one less glance’ now.”
Xu Zhi didn’t refuse. She wanted a distraction. Staying in the dorm, brooding, would only lead to thoughts of Liang Mushi.
The lecture was in the multimedia hall of Building 5. Xu Zhi and Yang Xue arrived early. Cheng Yu wasn’t there yet.
Among the people helping the professor prepare, Xu Zhi saw a familiar face. Zhou He was there.
Noticing her, Zhou He came over to greet her. “Hello there.”
Xu Zhi gave a polite but weak smile. “I have a name. It’s Xu Zhi.”
“Oh, our boss wouldn’t tell me, all secretive and stuff.” Zhou He checked the time on his phone. “By the way, Xu Zhi, can I add you on WeChat? I have something to show you.”
Xu Zhi took out her phone. “Sure, scan my QR code. What do you want to show me?”
Zhou He gave a mysterious smile. “I’ll send it to you later. You’ll see.”
After they added each other, Zhou He chatted with Yang Xue for a bit before saying, “We’re mainly here to headhunt. Several companies are vying for Cheng Yu from the Computer Engineering department. Our boss has already visited C University three times for him. We’re hoping the professor can put in a good word for us. Maybe we’ll have a chance.”
Yang Xue’s eyes lit up. “You’re here for Cheng Yu?”
Zhou He: “Yep.”
Yang Xue: “Me too!”
She was excited. Zhou He looked at her quizzically. “You… you’re also here from another company to headhunt him?”
Yang Xue burst out laughing. “No.”
She said frankly, “He’s my idol.”
“Oh, a little fan girl,” Zhou He said knowingly. “Good taste. Cheng Yu has a bright future ahead of him.”
Yang Xue puffed out her chest, looking proud. “You have good taste too. Cheng Yu will be successful wherever he goes.”
Zhou He laughed.
Just then, someone called Zhou He, and he excused himself.
Yang Xue was still excited. She said to Xu Zhi, “Cheng Yu is so amazing.”
Xu Zhi, still listless, didn’t respond. Suddenly, she saw Liang Jinmo and Cheng Yu walk in through the front door of the lecture hall.
The two handsome men together were a sight to behold. Yang Xue’s eyes also lit up. “Cheng Yu is so handsome! And the one next to him is handsome too!”
Xu Zhi didn’t say anything. She wasn’t interested in handsome men at the moment.
Once the lecture started, she wilted even further. The lecture was about artificial intelligence, which was like Greek to her. Her mind wandered. She started thinking about Liang Mushi and Chen Jing. Had they arrived in Hong Kong? What were they doing?
Yang Xue suddenly handed her her tablet. “Stop thinking about Liang Mushi. Read a novel if you’re bored. The ABO one I recommended.”
Since she was bored anyway, Xu Zhi took the tablet. But after a few pages, she felt something was off.
She had read some sugestive romance novels before, but…
This setting, this level of explicitness… it was a first for her.
Her face burned. She quickly turned off the screen and handed the tablet back to Yang Xue.
Yang Xue whispered, “What’s wrong? It’s a good novel.”
Xu Zhi’s cheeks were flushed, her voice even quieter. “What is this… And besides, the marking in this isn’t about exchanging clothes, it’s about biting. And there’s something about glands…”
Yang Xue stifled a giggle. “Isn’t it still about leaving a scent? I think you and that guy exchanging clothes and leaving each other’s scent is basically marking, isn’t it?”
Xu Zhi was speechless.
Yang Xue: “Or, if you want, you could just bite him.”
Xu Zhi: “…”
Help! She didn’t want to bite Liang Jinmo. But her attention had indeed been diverted. This novel had opened up a whole new world. Things could be like this…
Five minutes of reading smut, one hour of fantasizing. By the time the lecture reached the intermission, Xu Zhi was still reeling from the shock.
At the front of the hall, Liang Jinmo, Cheng Yu, and the professor were talking. Zhou He, as if just remembering something, glanced in Xu Zhi’s direction and took out his phone.
A moment later, Xu Zhi’s phone vibrated. She saw a video message from Zhou He.
Confused, she opened it.
The video appeared to have been filmed in a corridor. Two people were standing there, a man and a woman.
Looking closer, she realized it was her and Liang Jinmo.
The sound was faint and muffled.
Then, another man appeared in the frame.
As the man walked by, he leered at her, and Liang Jinmo put his arm around her waist, blocking the man’s view.
After the man left, she, without warning, reached out and hugged Liang Jinmo.
Xu Zhi’s eyes widened in shock.
She couldn’t remember anything about that night, but she hadn’t thought she would do anything so outrageous.
It seemed Liang Jinmo’s words, “If I tell you any more, I’m afraid you’ll jump off a building,” weren’t an exaggeration.
Not only had she hugged him, but she refused to let go!