Chapter 167 Determination
Li Zhuangsheng looked at Zhu Zhixue's concerned and sparkling eyes and couldn't help but chuckle.

"I know you care about me, thank you, I'm fine."

Zhu Zhixue's voice was still filled with anxiety: "Are you really okay? I know you have good intentions, but don't force yourself. Hu Mengdie made a mistake on her own and it has nothing to do with you. Don't think it's your responsibility! She deserves it. She just thinks you are soft-hearted and wants to blackmail you morally! Don't be fooled!"

"Okay, I won't be fooled." Li Zhuangsheng smiled.

"Really?" Zhu Zhixue was slightly surprised, and stared at Li Zhuangsheng's eyes as if seeking confirmation.

"Yes, really." Li Zhuangsheng nodded, "I won't date her, and I won't in the future."

Zhu Zhixue finally smiled and patted Li Zhuangsheng's arm: "I knew you wouldn't be fooled by her! You won't feel guilty either. No matter what happens to her, it's all her own fault."

Li Zhuangsheng nodded slightly as if nothing had happened, leaning on the corridor, feeling the cool autumn breeze outside the building.

Zhu Zhixue stayed by his side. Students coming and going in the corridor were either pointing or whispering to Li Zhuangsheng.

"I'm serious. Let's just pretend we're talking. That way, Hu Mengdie will give up and you can also say that this matter has nothing to do with you."

"Reality is not fiction. If it gets out, it will be bad for your reputation in the future. People will know that you had a boyfriend in high school, and you won't be able to explain it clearly even if you want to."

"What's the big deal? I don't care!"

"I care, and so do many boys. I'm not a feudalist, but girls should love themselves better. Even though the mainstream is talking about sexual liberation, it's only because boys rarely express it. We have a lot of inner drama."

Zhu Zhixue was stunned for a moment, then solemnly said that she didn't care: "I don't care what they think!"

Li Zhuangsheng blinked, and the autumn wind blew up a pile of fallen leaves downstairs again.

"Actually, Hu Mengdie and I dated before, but we broke up because of our incompatibility." He finally spoke, "We are best friends, I don't want to hide it from you."

"what!"

Zhu Zhixue felt a sudden blow to her heart, and she held onto the corridor railing to avoid falling.

"Oh... so that's the case... no wonder... hehe... I, I said..." Zhu Zhixue's face turned pale and he kept laughing dryly.

"Besides, we've done everything." Li Zhuangsheng continued, "We've slept with each other. Maybe that's why she's so obsessed with me."

Zhu Zhixue was shocked by Li Zhuangsheng's understatement, and her mind went blank. Her heart suddenly contracted and she felt a sharp pain. She subconsciously covered her chest, unable to breathe in pain.

"What's wrong with you? Are you feeling unwell?" Li Zhuangsheng's face was filled with concern. "Where do you feel unwell? I'll take you to the infirmary!"

"I, I'm fine..."

Zhu Zhixue laughed with a trembling voice. She thought she was laughing normally, but to Li Zhuangsheng, it was just the muscles on her face moving in a strange way.

"I'm glad you're okay." Li Zhuangsheng patted his chest in relief and pleaded flatteringly, "Oh, by the way, you must keep this a secret for me. We are best friends, right? You must not tell anyone else!"

……

"Is it settled?"

"I've already said hello, what are you doing in school? Didn't you say you wanted to study hard? Why are you doing this with a girl?"

"It's just a confession. If someone who doesn't know what you said heard it, they would think someone was killed."

"Tell me the truth, what is your relationship with Hu Mengdie?"

"Dad, I also have my own privacy, okay? Don't worry about my private affairs. Anyway, we will never have any relationship in this life."

"I would rather ignore you, but if you have the guts, don't look for me if something happens!"

"Okay, I won't look for you again. This is indeed a special case. You should refrain from using public resources for personal gain in the future. You will definitely be promoted, so you should also be careful."

"Do I need you to teach me?" "Haha, I read the news recently and it seems that the higher-ups are planning to allow second births. Why don't you try hard with my mom to have another child, one for both of you? Xiu Yu and I definitely won't mind!"

"It's not like I haven't..."

"what?"

"I mean, your mother and I only have you and Xiu Yu, and that's enough. Why do we have to have both of them as our own children? Is your mother not good to you? Doesn't she treat you like her own son? Don't say this again. If your mother hears it, she'll think you're blaming her for not loving you!"

After the call ended, Li Zhuangsheng took out his phone card.

Outside the telephone booth, two students were sweeping the floor with large brooms, and the campus was filled with noise.

The last class on Wednesday afternoon every week is school cleaning. Li Zhuangsheng squinted his eyes and looked at the sunset in the sky. He had missed it countless times.

The clouds in the sky were as thin as layers of desert, and the skyline seemed to be shaded, gradually deepening from a light orange to a tranquil purple at the end.

The sun sprayed its last rays of light onto the earth. All the shadows were lengthened. The huge silhouettes of the trees and teaching buildings were silent. From time to time, students would playfully shuttle between the light and shadows.

Li Zhuangsheng walked towards the Grade 12 teaching building and went straight up to the dance class on the fifth floor.

"Hello classmate, is Hu Mengdie here?" Li Zhuangsheng stopped a student from the dance class.

"Li Zhuangsheng!"

The man was shocked. He didn't expect that Li Zhuangsheng would dare to look for Hu Mengdie at such a critical moment.

"She's not here. Her group should be on the small playground over by the cafeteria..."

"OK, thanks."

Li Zhuangsheng thanked him politely and went downstairs again.

"Was that Li Zhuangsheng just now? How dare he come to look for Hu Mengdie?"

"How courageous."

"I heard from Wu Chaopeng that Qi Haoyu seemed to be looking for trouble with him."

"What does it have to do with Qi Haoyu? Didn't Hu Mengdie reject him a long time ago?"

"You're just an idiot. You must be mad."

"Li Zhuangsheng must be Li Xiuyu's brother, right? I don't think he's very handsome. Hu Mengdie must love him too much. It's true that a lover's eyes see beauty in everything!"

"It seems that he has literary talent and has published novels."

"Tsk tsk, what did Hu Mengdie say? She made such a fuss about this matter..."

“Hey, but that’s youth!”

……

Everyone was staring at Li Zhuangsheng's back and whispering. Li Zhuangsheng heard some of it, but pretended not to hear it. He slowly walked around the cafeteria, searching for a long time, and finally saw the familiar figure.

"Hu Mengdie!" Li Zhuangsheng waved at her.

Hu Mengdie turned her head and a smile appeared on her face that could make even the sunset fall in love with her.

"Are you here to see me?" Hu Mengdie handed the trash clip for picking up paper to a classmate next to her and walked forward quickly.

"Well, don't be busy, I want to talk to you."

(End of this chapter)