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Pampered by the School Bully-Chapter 175 - 169. Late at night, Huo Feng arrived (1)
Chapter 175: 169. Late at night, Huo Feng arrived (1)
This night’s succession of nightmares completely ended Pu Sangzhi’s brief period of tranquility.
In the middle of the night, she woke up crying...
After extricating herself from the nightmare, an indescribable desolation enveloped her whole being.
The dim environment of the room seemed to devour the last bit of her composure, gradually pulling her into a state of panic and disarray.
And at this moment, the various insecurities she felt while hiding from debtors reclaimed her heart.
Now fully awake, Pu Sangzhi curled up in her bed like a shrimp, trying to find some semblance of safety for herself.
In the room, periodic sobs could be heard as Pu Sangzhi lay quietly, silently reflecting on the vivid and terrifying dream she had just experienced, and quietly shedding tears...
The time she fled in ninth grade was a shadow in her heart.
The images in the dream were so real they seemed to replay the scenes, tugging at Pu Sangzhi’s heart.
In reality, those moments only brought her fear, not sadness.
In the dream, the saddest moment was when she went to see Huo Feng, but he pushed her away and insulted her...
That scene felt so real that even now, thinking back, Pu Sangzhi’s heart still ached.
She didn’t know if it was the shift in Huo Feng’s attitude towards her, his rejection, or his outright repulsion of her that she couldn’t accept.
In any case, she could feel that her tears were because of Huo Feng.
His reaction left her feeling wronged, sad, and in pain...
If the dream hadn’t felt so real, Pu Sangzhi might not have realized how important Huo Feng had become to her over time.
She cared so much about Huo Feng’s reactions and felt sad because of his attitudes...
When he pushed her away in the dream, she felt as if she were being abandoned by her best friend.
This showed that to her, Huo Feng had become as important as her best friend, like Ye Qingcao.
But Huo Feng didn’t consider her his best friend...
Huo Feng only saw her as a pursuit, chasing her with his fondness for her, being nice to her, integrating into her life, and giving her a sense of security from time to time.
But all he did was to win her over.
If she didn’t date him or agree to him, Pu Sangzhi believed that he would give up at any time.
By then, she would lose a friend, and he would merely lose a pursuit.
It was then that Pu Sangzhi realized that the initiative in their relationship lay in Huo Feng’s hands.
Thinking of this, Pu Sangzhi couldn’t help but clutch the quilt tightly, a nameless anger gradually rising in her heart.
...
At 3 a.m., Pu Sangzhi, who had been lying in bed for a long time, still couldn’t sleep.
Tossing and turning, she finally gave up on sleep and got out of bed.
Stepping out of the room, Pu Sangzhi combed her fingers through her hair while sporting dark circles under her eyes, and walked to the kitchen kettle.
Tears had fallen plentifully, and cold sweat had broken out; now, she needed to hydrate.
The streetlights in the alley still seemed to be on, Pu Sangzhi fetched some tap water and set up the kettle.
During the wait for the water to boil, she stood by the kitchen counter, her gaze blurry as she watched the faintly glowing window pane, the shadows cast by the streetlights, and the seemingly peaceful alley.
As she watched...
Suddenly, a black figure stretched long by the streetlight cast a shadow on her window...
In that instant, Pu Sangzhi’s heart skipped a beat, her breath caught, and her nerves tensed!
It couldn’t be... someone really coming to her house, could it?
It couldn’t be... a debt collector, could it?
Just as she plunged into a sense of panic, suddenly, tiny sparkling points like fireflies appeared on the frosted glass window.
Pu Sangzhi saw the silhouette outside smoking, the smoke weaving in and out, eventually dissipating into the air.
The water in the kettle was about to boil, bubbling vigorously like her tense and agitated heart.
Pu Sangzhi covered her lips, her eyes wide open, terror and fear filling them.
Yet, just then, the sound of a phone call came from outside...
The voice wasn’t loud, and not very harsh, it even sounded somewhat familiar.
Pu Sangzhi took a few steps forward, leaned in, and eavesdropped on the voice...
"I have something to do, so I’m leaving first. You guys have fun, don’t worry about me..."
"No need, I can handle it myself. If I can’t, I’ll call you guys..."
"Right, besides her, who else could make me put down the game. I’m not arguing with you, it’s just this time is special, I can’t rest easy if I don’t come."
Gradually, the snatches of conversation coming from outside made Pu Sangzhi loosen her guard.
Because she recognized, that was Huo Feng’s voice.
At 3 a.m., he was at her doorstep.
In that moment, Pu Sangzhi’s heart became somewhat unsettled, remembering several times before, opening the door to find him sitting at the doorstep...
Even once, reeking of cigarettes and alcohol, covered in morning frost, looking weary...
So, he had come again?
Again, at a critical moment?
Pu Sangzhi felt a complex mix of emotions as she slowly opened the window.
Peeking through the small crack, she secretly looked outside toward the figure not far away, holding a cigarette in one hand and a phone in the other.
It really was him... Huo Feng.
Pu Sangzhi sighed softly, then closed the window.
In an unprecedented move, she took her keys, walked to the front door, and unlocked the door, which had two locks.
Thus, the door that never welcomed Huo Feng suddenly opened for him at that moment.
Huo Feng, in the middle of a phone call, just happened to turn around, preparing to flick his cigarette ash next to the trash can, but at that moment, he ran into Pu Sangzhi, who was in her pajamas.
The air, at that moment, became tense.
As their eyes met, sparks seemed to flicker in the darkness...
"Hey, Brother Feng? Brother Feng, why have you gone silent?"
On the other end of the phone, Pan Bo’s call went unanswered.
Meanwhile, Huo Feng had already tucked his phone into his pocket and stepped forward, rushing towards Pu Sangzhi.
At that moment, Huo Feng was both excited and calm.
First, he threw his cigarette into the trash can at her doorstep, then he took her by the shoulders and pushed her indoors.
"It’s cold outside; let’s go in," he said.
Pu Sangzhi didn’t say a word, turned around, and entered the house, with Huo Feng naturally following her.
Once inside, Huo Feng casually closed the door while Pu Sangzhi immediately took out her keys to lock it.
One door, two locks.
One lock did not need a key, and the other, added by themselves, required a key.
Seeing her secure both locks so warily pained him.
Without thinking, he opened his arms and pulled her into an embrace.
His body carried the chill of the night dew, the scent of tobacco, and his own distinct smell...
Pu Sangzhi was held tight, her face against his shoulder, and with a sniff, she could smell his fragrance, distinctively Huo Feng’s.
Her hand at her side tightened, then lifted to push against his chest, "What are you doing, don’t touch me..."
Huo Feng ignored her, instead holding her even tighter, his arms constricting more firmly.
Pu Sangzhi frowned and pushed harder, "Don’t touch me, what are you doing..."
The more she resisted, the tighter Huo Feng held her.
After several attempts, ultimately unable to match Huo Feng’s overpowering strength, she gave up.
"Huo Feng, what are you doing..." Pu Sangzhi said helplessly.
Finally, Huo Feng spoke in a very low voice, "Worried about you."
In truth, those three words still had a magical power, effortlessly bypassing her defenses and striking her heart.
Pu Sangzhi was stunned for a moment, and in his arms, her eyes silently teared up.
Because she thought of the dream she had before, where Huo Feng was cold and ruthless to her, and extremely rejecting and mocking.
Yet, the Huo Feng at this moment was still as warm as before, still easily stirring her heart.
"You didn’t come to tutor me today..."
A sourness surged through Pu Sangzhi’s nose, and for some reason, this simple sentence, when spoken, made her feel deeply aggrieved.
Huo Feng not seeking her out had once been something she immensely hoped for.
But the day he really did so, she felt aggrieved, and it was an indescribable kind of grievance.
"I was wrong..."
Huo Feng hugged her tightly, his nose pressed into her shoulder, inhaling deeply, full of self-reproach.
"You didn’t wait for me yesterday..."
Pu Sangzhi, as if reviewing past grievances, criticized him for his ’crimes’ over the past few days.
Actually, she knew he wasn’t really at fault.
But she minded it anyway, it was an indescribable kind of caring.
"Yes, I was wrong..."
Huo Feng admitted his faults again, while asking, "You’re angry, aren’t you?"
Pu Sangzhi shook her head, silent for a moment before asking, "Will we go to school together today?"
"Yes."
Huo Feng nodded, "From now on, always. I won’t fall behind again... From now on, even if you make me so mad I could spit blood, I won’t deliberately neglect you again."
Pu Sangzhi bit her lip, her eyes red, "I wasn’t even mad at you..."
Huo Feng furrowed his brow, saying, "That set of ’53’ really hit me hard. It was the most disappointing gift I’ve ever received, bar none..."
Hearing this, Pu Sangzhi couldn’t help but laugh.
Huo Feng also smiled lightly.