Chapter twenty-one

The voice pierced Zoe's ears, and she identified it immediately.

She turned around and, with a lift of her hand, splashed the wine-red liquid onto Nick's face.

Almost instantaneously.

Amidst the stunned glances and screams from the crowd, Nick was doused in the cold, red liquid, leaving him chilled to the bone.

He happened to be wearing a white shirt, black pants, with his hair slightly tousled.

He should have been suave and handsome, but now he looked like a drowned chicken covered in red liquid.

Ethan and Noah stood in stunned silence for half a second.

They cursed loudly.

Zoe trembled with her hand, lifted her head, and glared at Nick fiercely.

"You're buying coolness with money, huh?"

Zoe's voice was not loud, but it was clear and crisp. The colorful light balls swung around and landed on Zoe's face, revealing the coldness on her face.

The music even stopped, and the dancers on the stage lowered their swaying arms, looking over with confusion.

Nick's hand was still in his pocket, his eyes changing from deep to dark and then cold, filled with menace. His narrow eyes stared intently at Zoe.

The liquid trickled down from his forehead.

A second later, he reached out, touched the liquid at the corner of his mouth, and smiled.

That smile sent shivers down one's spine.

Zoe instinctively stepped back two steps, but Nick caught her arm. He sneered, "It's indeed cooling. I need some warmth."

Saying that, he dragged Zoe towards the private room.

Zoe stumbled and struggled hard, but she couldn't break free.

The other students, intimidated by Nick's aura, instinctively stepped aside.

Zoe shouted, "Nick, let me go!"

She regretted it again. She shouldn't have provoked Nick.

But his behavior had made her feel humiliated, and it was natural for her to be angry.

"Nick!"

Only Leo dared to move in the entire scene. He ran over.

But Nick had already pushed Zoe into the private room and threw a vase at Leo's feet. Leo missed the opportunity as he dodged the vase.

With a bang, the door of the private room closed and locked.

The click was very clear.

Zoe stood shivering in the dark private room.

Her fingertips were cold, from the chill of the alcohol and the air conditioning in the room.

Two wall lights were turned on in the private room, still making it quite dim.

Nick licked the wine from his fingertips, leaned against the door, and looked at Zoe with his eyelids raised.

His eyes flashed with the glow of hunting, and he smirked.

"Zoe, do you think I'm pursuing you for what reason?"

Starting from the moment he called Zoe's name.

Zoe subconsciously shrank her shoulders, hugged her arms tight, and stood in the middle of the private room, staring straight at Nick.

She gritted her teeth and said, "You just want everyone to know that I shamelessly pursued you, right?"

Upon hearing this, Nick raised his chin slightly and unzipped three buttons of his shirt collar with one hand, his voice cold: "So that's what you've always thought."

Zoe pursed her lips and didn't respond.

But this silent stance indicated that she had acknowledged it.

With three buttons undone, a glimpse of his chest and collarbone was revealed.

Nick's face under the dim light was cold and indifferent.

He sneered, "Girls' minds are really... complicated."

"As a girl who once liked me, shouldn't you be grateful?

I even remember all the tricks you used to pursue me?

Hmm?"

He raised his eyebrows, and Zoe saw his face clearly.

She was suddenly panicked.

At this moment, he was too dangerous.

The room was too enclosed, with only her... and him.

Zoe shook her head, "I'm not grateful. I only hope you can forget, including the fact that I once liked you."

With only two people in the private room, and the door closed, the outside noise couldn't penetrate.

The soundproofing was excellent, and Zoe's voice was softer than before when she spoke.

Nick rubbed his earlobes with his fingertips and smelled a faint milky scent in the air.

The scent seemed to be coming from her hair.

His throat moved, and his lips still wore a casual smile, "So liking me is such a difficult thing?"

Difficult to the point that she didn't want to admit she had liked him four years later and wanted everyone to forget about it.

He narrowed his eyes, straightened his casual posture, and his tall figure loomed over her. Zoe took a step back again. Nick rubbed his lips and said, "What kind of tyrannical love is this?"

"Hmm?"

"Are all girls this unreasonable?"

Zoe continued to back away, saying, "If we can't catch someone, are we not allowed to be sad?"

Nick tilted his head and nodded, "Yes, you can be sad."

"You should have told me earlier that you didn't like the way I was pursued."

He added, his gaze sweeping over Zoe's chest. Her thin scarf was left on the sofa outside.

The V-neck dress revealed a glimpse of her pale skin, and if it were a little lower, there would be an even more alluring view.

Zoe didn't notice where his gaze was focused. It was too dark here, and the scattered light was only enough for her to see some of the furnishings in the private room.

But she knew his gaze had become hotter, and Zoe had nowhere to retreat. She stumbled and sat down on the sofa. With the sofa behind her, she felt a little safer for a moment and picked up a pillow to hug in her arms.

The pillow still carried a faint scent, which helped her straighten her posture a bit and face him.

Nick didn't directly pursue her but sat on the glass table, not far away, his knees almost touching Zoe's.

She leaned forward slightly, one hand resting on her knee, and said, "Now tell me, what kind of pursuit do you like?"

Zoe subconsciously tightened her grip on the pillow, her breath catching slightly. His posture of negotiation, though forceful, revealed his sincerity.

Zoe felt for a moment that the two of them should be able to talk it out.

She opened her mouth and said, "I hope you give up."

"I don't want to know why you suddenly want to pursue me, but in the past, didn't you disdain me? Just continue with that,I don't like you anymore."

"Disdain?"

Nick raised his eyebrows. "In high school, I didn't have any interest in dating. I was too busy and couldn't find the time."

"Your pursuit back then... was really fucking annoying... shouldn't those things be done by men?"

Nine hundred and ninety-nine roses, birthday parties... none of them were proper.

Pursuit through money.

Did he Nick lack that kind of money?

This was the first time Nick talked about how he felt about her pursuit in high school, and it turned out to be like this.

Zoe loosened her grip on the pillow and was stunned for a moment. "So, you didn't like my pursuit back then, but why did you pursue me in the same way?"

"Didn't you like it?" Nick asked back.

Zoe: "..."

"Who likes it?"

Yes.

If the person you like pursues you in this way, maybe you would be moved. But if someone you don't like pursues you in this way, it will only add pressure to you.

Zoe suddenly understood.

Perhaps Nick felt pressured by her back then.

Just like today.

But what about the grievance of not getting any response back then?

People have the tendency to blame others. When someone pursues you too hard and too sincerely, you naturally want a response. When you don't get it, you blame the other person.

Zoe's tense body relaxed, and she said, "I apologize to you on behalf of my past self."

Nick was stunned for a second, then he leaned forward a bit more and squinted, "For what? I didn't ask you to apologize."

"Do I need your permission to apologize?" Zoe reflexively asked. "I'm apologizing for myself!"

Nick raised his eyebrows, "Should I apologize for my pursuit over the past few days too?"

Zoe: "..."

She was left speechless.

The two stared at each other for a moment.

Nick reached for a cigarette but found it softened by the water. He squeezed it hard and threw it into the trash can next to him.

Zoe felt the room was overly quiet. She loosened her grip on the pillow and said, "Nick, can you stop liking me?"

Your affection feels so unreal and too overwhelming for me.

Nick's eyes narrowed, "What are you saying?"

Zoe couldn't say anything else, she just shook her head, "Four years ago, you didn't have the heart to be in a relationship. Can you just let me go?"

She pleaded pitifully, her eyes softened by the dim light, enticing.

Nick didn't answer. His fingertips tapped on his knee, once, twice, his expression unchanged, still with that casual demeanor.

And it was because of his attitude.

That made it even more unpredictable.

Zoe could only wait for him to speak.

Just when she was about to negotiate with him, asking if she could leave the room...

Nick leaned forward even more.

The two were even closer now, and Zoe immediately backed away. Nick lazily said, "Why are you running? Aren't you begging me?"

Zoe bit her lip, "Talk."

"Come closer, and I'll talk."

Nick crooked his finger, his handsome face appearing slightly sexy under the light.

Zoe stiffened, refusing to move closer.

Nick probably expected that.

He pressed his fingertips against his lips, and a second later, as Zoe was just about to stand up, he grabbed her shoulders and pushed her back onto the sofa.

Lowering his head, Nick covered her lips with his own.

Zoe's mind exploded. She struggled frantically, reaching out to push him away.

But Nick's other hand had already undone her collar, turning his head for a deep kiss, pressing his tongue harshly against hers. His hand roamed over her skin on her neck, slipping inside a second later.

Zoe's screams were all trapped in her throat, never making it out.

All consumed by him.

Nick's eyes flashed with a hint of madness and ferocity.

Neither of them would know how sweet Zoe was.

The fragrance of her tongue tip had made him sink into oblivion.

He wanted to keep her imprisoned in his arms, for him to enjoy whenever he pleased.

After a long while, the only sounds in the room were heavy breaths and a faint whimper.

Nick leaned in, whispering close to Zoe's ear, his voice hoarse and sexy, "I have not just a crush on you, Yi Yi. There's also... desire..."

"You, Yi Yi, tell me, can I ever let you go? You'll be in my arms until the end of your life."

"Tell me... is that okay?"

His voice whispered in her ear, repeating again and again.

Zoe's eyes were filled with tears, and though her lips were not bitten this time, the smell of alcohol was strong.

One of her hands clutched tightly at her collar.

It hurt there, so much that she didn't dare touch it.

Nick wrapped his arms around her waist, exhaling a breath of relief. His voice carried a smile as he said, "Let's go outside and continue celebrating your birthday."