I Thought He Loved Someone Else…..Until He Pulled Me Into His Arms

Ning Shixue stared at Xie Zhaozhou.

The tips of his ears, visible through his dark, disheveled hair, were bright red.
His lips moved slightly, but then he pressed them together, making no sound.

“What’s wrong?”
Xie Zhaozhou’s dark eyes curved, his red lips lifting in a smile as he shamelessly asked,
“Teacher Xiao Ning is so touched, he can’t even speak?”

Ning Shixue: “…”

What was there to be touched about?

Ning Shixue simply couldn’t out-flirt him.
But he still stubbornly insisted,
“How would I know? Maybe you’re lying to me. And there are gossip accounts that said He Lin was your ex-boyfriend.”

Of all of Xie Zhaozhou’s scandals, only this one wasn’t completely baseless.
He had collaborated with He Lin no less than ten times.

Not just filming over a dozen movies, but also counting He Lin’s other film and television projects, including the productions they had invested in together.
It added up to quite a lot.

Ning Shixue didn’t actually suspect anything between Xie Zhaozhou and He Lin.
He only said it to throw a jab at him.
But after he said it, Xie Zhaozhou’s expression unexpectedly froze for a moment.

Ning Shixue: “…”

Damn it, had he actually hit the mark?

Xie Zhaozhou paused for over ten seconds before finally speaking, his voice calm.
“What gossip account?”

“…Why do you ask?”
Ning Shixue asked, puzzled.

Xie Zhaozhou’s Adam’s apple moved.
His eyes were dark, his tone still lazy, but with a hint of seriousness.
“Suing him for defamation and destroying my family.”

High EQ: Suing for defamation.
Low EQ: He’s humiliating me.

Ning Shixue: “…”

That wasn’t necessary.

When He Lin was asked this question in interviews years ago, he would be hypocritically polite on the surface, but inwardly he almost wanted to vomit.

Even if he stayed celibate for life, he wouldn’t date Xie Zhaozhou.

Dating a bastard like that would only shorten your life, okay?

He really felt sorry for Ning Shixue.
Had he owed the Xie family in a past life, to be targeted by this bastard?

Anyway, since it had already come to this, he couldn’t just let the awkwardness and embarrassment go to waste.
Ning Shixue decided to ask Xie Zhaozhou clearly tonight.
He opened his tablet again and found everything he wanted to ask.

Xie Zhaozhou’s attitude was completely frank.
He didn’t seem like he was lying.

Ning Shixue, on the other hand, felt guilty.
He wondered if he was being a bit too much.
After all, the original host had chased the scum gong for so many years, even climbed into his bed, making it known to everyone.
What right did he have to demand that Xie Zhaozhou had never been in a relationship or slept with anyone?

Besides, Xie Zhaozhou wasn’t his anything.

The tips of Ning Shixue’s ears burned red.
But he still looked at Xie Zhaozhou with pleading eyes and asked him one last thing.

It was from an interview with Xie Zhaozhou.
The host had asked,
“We heard that Teacher Xie has someone he’s never forgotten since high school. Is that true?”

At the time, Xie Zhaozhou had casually said,
“Probably.”

This was what Ning Shixue cared about most.

He thought Xie Zhaozhou would deny it like before.
Unexpectedly, Xie Zhaozhou looked down at the interview video for a moment and said thoughtfully,
“Seems like there was something like that.”

Ning Shixue: ???

Xie Zhaozhou took out his phone and searched for a few minutes.
Then he looked up.
His dark eyes seemed to hold a hint of a smile.
The corner of his mouth lifted.
Without any sense of crisis, he asked Ning Shixue,
“Does Teacher Xiao Ning want to see it? I still have a photo.”

Ning Shixue froze completely.

In the original story, Xie Zhaozhou was a cold, emotionless antagonist.
He couldn’t imagine who could make him remember them for so many years.

Even until now, he still kept a photo on his phone.

He had held him on the show, kissed his hand.
But he couldn’t bear to delete this photo.

He must care about this person to such an extent.

Ning Shixue pressed his lips together.
Anger uncontrollably flared in his heart.
Xie Zhaozhou was twenty-eight this year.
From high school until now, it had been at least ten years.
Since he had someone he couldn’t forget for ten years, why was he flirting with him all day long?

And he wanted to show him?

Was he asking to die?

Anyway, they were already married.
And he couldn’t divorce him for a year or so, so was he just flirting to pass the time?

Ning Shixue’s complexion was pale.
His chest felt tight and swollen.
His lips moved, but he couldn’t speak.
The surge of anger made him bend over and cough a few times.
The corners of his eyes turned red.

“What’s wrong?”
Xie Zhaozhou was startled.
He reached out to support him, wanting to pat his back.
“Not feeling well?”

He had asked someone to retrieve Ning Shixue’s medical records.
Ning Shixue had been in poor health since birth.
In the early years, the Ning family had consulted many doctors, all to no avail.

The elders had once advised his parents to have another child.
They said it was only a matter of delaying for a few years—why insist?

But his mother was unwilling.
She hadn’t even taken good care of this child.
How could she have another?

Her own health wasn’t good.
And she worried excessively about his illness.
That was why she died so young.

After she died, the rest of the family gradually stopped caring about Ning Shixue’s health.

Xie Zhaozhou had also asked around for suitable doctors.
There was still no news.

Ning Shixue had been ill for a long time.
His stomach was already very weak.
Even slight stimulation could make him vomit.

Tonight, he had specifically instructed the old butler to cook more stomach-nourishing dishes for him.

Ning Shixue moved his hand.
It had already gone cold.
He stood up to leave.
But he had coughed too hard.
His legs were weak.
As he turned, he stumbled.

Afraid he would fall, Xie Zhaozhou pulled him closer.

Before Ning Shixue understood what happened, he was already sitting on his lap.

Before he could get angry again, Xie Zhaozhou suddenly said without hesitation,
“I’m sorry.”

Ning Shixue: “…”

The anger he had been holding back was interrupted by this sudden apology.

But he had to admit, if Xie Zhaozhou hadn’t apologized, he would have left no matter what.

Call him extreme.
Call him crazy.

He was just that kind of person.

He had thought Xie Zhaozhou liked him a little.
But he still hadn’t figured out what to do about it.
After all, Xie Zhaozhou didn’t know what kind of person he truly was.
And he didn’t know how many years he had left to live.

He couldn’t accept Xie Zhaozhou being with him while also being with others.
He couldn’t accept Xie Zhaozhou having liked someone else before.

He couldn’t even accept that after he died, Xie Zhaozhou might like someone else again.

Being with him would be exhausting.

But now, he didn’t need to struggle anymore.

If it wasn’t his alone, he didn’t want it.

Ning Shixue’s hand was still pressed to his stomach.
It suddenly began to ache.
His long eyelashes were damp from the pain.
He lowered his head and met Xie Zhaozhou’s eyes.

They were deep and gentle, hiding emotions he couldn’t understand.

Instinctively, he felt that Xie Zhaozhou seemed to care about him.

His anger deflated.

“…Second Brother, just leave me alone,”
he said quietly.
“I’ll be fine after I sleep for a while.”

Xie Zhaozhou’s arm was still around his waist.
He didn’t let him get up.

His voice was very low, almost coaxing, as he picked up his phone.
“Take a look.”

Ning Shixue didn’t want to see it at all.
But he lowered his head anyway.

Then he froze.

In the photo was a dirty little rabbit.

It looked messy and unkempt.
Its ears drooped as it gnawed on grass.
Its red eyes stared at the camera with a disdainful expression.

Ning Shixue went blank.

Xie Zhaozhou bounced him lightly on his lap.

“It bit me,”
he said matter-of-factly.

Back in high school, he had lived on campus.
One night, a rabbit escaped from a small shop.
He happened to find it and carry it back.

But it bit him on the way.

On impulse, he took a photo while bandaging the wound.
Over the years, besides work photos, this was the only personal photo he kept.

As for that interview—
There had been rumors that an actor from the same high school was his first love.
They even claimed he still kept that person’s photo.

During a film festival interview, annoyed by repeated questioning, he casually responded.

It wasn’t entirely false.
The only high school photo he had left was indeed this one.

The video had been edited.
Otherwise, Ning Shixue would have seen him take out the rabbit photo immediately.

Ning Shixue was speechless.

So this was your revenge? Taking a picture of the rabbit?

“Not angry anymore?”
Xie Zhaozhou asked softly.

He liked teasing him.
Blushing was cute.
Teary eyes were cute.
Even when he tried to hit him—it was cute.

But he hadn’t expected Ning Shixue to care this much.

He felt unexpectedly relieved he had kept himself clean.

Otherwise, he had a feeling Ning Shixue would never look at him again.

Ning Shixue wasn’t angry anymore.

Just embarrassed.

His ears were burning.

He covered his face with his bandaged hand.
“What did you apologize for just now?”

“You were angry,”
Xie Zhaozhou said simply.

Ning Shixue pushed him away, got off his lap, and wrapped himself in the blanket.

“Goodnight, Second Brother.”

But Xie Zhaozhou leaned closer.

His fingers threaded through Ning Shixue’s shoulder-length hair.
He rubbed his cheek gently.

“Want to try?”

“…What?”

“I heard trying once will tell you if it’s someone’s first time,”
he said lazily.
“Don’t believe me? I want to prove my innocence.”

Ning Shixue’s face flushed.

Even if it was Xie Zhaozhou’s first time, it was his first time too.

How would he know?

Xie Zhaozhou slowly unbuttoned his shirt further.

Ning Shixue blushed uncontrollably.

“Wait!”

He burned with embarrassment as he stopped him.

Xie Zhaozhou leaned down.

Ning Shixue hid under the blanket, only his watery eyes visible.

Xie Zhaozhou supported himself above him and gently kissed his eyes.

His lips were warm.

When he pulled back, Ning Shixue finally opened his trembling lashes.

Xie Zhaozhou didn’t push further.

He suddenly found it difficult to control himself.

But seeing Ning Shixue’s nervous gaze, he softened again.

He still wanted to ask where Ning Shixue had come from.

But he didn’t dare.

“Why care about those people?”
he murmured softly.
“Who I like… don’t you know?”