When she opened her eyes, Su Ci saw that Lu Zhe had already turned around and was striding away.

Su Ci didn’t continue clinging to him, afraid that if she pushed too hard, she would scare Lu Zhe off.

In the end, Lu Zhe didn’t make it in time. When he arrived at the classroom, he was already more than ten minutes late.

This was his first time being late.

The teacher was very lenient toward this top student who was suffering from a terminal illness, didn’t say much, and directly told him to return to his seat.

“Zhe-ge.” Li Dongliang saw Lu Zhe sit down and immediately leaned over. “Did you bring Bunny today?”

“No.” Lu Zhe took out his textbook.

Li Dongliang instantly deflated, slumping listlessly on the desk. Days without seeing Bunny were meaningless.

At the corner of the staircase.

Fu Baili lowered his head, looking at the shy girl in front of him who didn’t even dare look at him. His hands were in his pockets as he gazed down at her. “Are you very afraid of me?”

Unlike other girls, this girl would always avoid him the moment she saw him.

Playing hard to get?

She really had caught his attention now.

“No… Fu Baili, please move. Class has already started.” Zhao Youyou’s eyes were red, her voice delicate and soft.

When she left home that afternoon, a pile of garbage had been dumped at her door again.

The couple upstairs had gotten even more excessive. After learning their family had received a five-million-yuan prize, they somehow found a lot of leftover food scraps and foul-smelling trash and dumped it at their doorstep every day. Even after calling the neighborhood property office, there was no solution.

This time, her mother went upstairs to argue with the couple and was almost pushed down the stairs.

She herself had cried after being angered by their nasty words.

Fu Baili’s tall figure didn’t move aside. The girl in front of him spoke weakly, her eyes red like a little rabbit, making one want to tease her.

“You’re already late anyway. What difference does a bit more make?” Fu Baili blocked Zhao Youyou. “You’ve been avoiding me all this time… do you like me?”

“You…” Zhao Youyou looked up at him in disbelief.

Before her rebirth, she had been the one who liked him, chasing after him, while Fu Baili didn’t spare her a glance.

Zhao Youyou bit her lip in grievance. Why was it that when she liked him, he ignored her, but now that she didn’t want to like him anymore, he was the one clinging to her?

She gathered her courage and looked up at Fu Baili. “You’re overthinking it. I don’t like you.” Worried he wouldn’t believe her, Zhao Youyou defended herself earnestly, “I like Lu Zhe. I don’t like you.”

She wasn’t afraid of her lie being exposed. Although she didn’t like Lu Zhe, she knew Lu Zhe liked her.

The smile at the corner of Fu Baili’s lips vanished. He sneered, “Lu Zhe? You like a short-lived ghost?”

“None of your business.” Zhao Youyou’s heart raced under his gaze, and she immediately lowered her head.

“It really has nothing to do with me.” Fu Baili let out a cold laugh and turned to leave.

Inside the classroom, only the teacher’s lecture could be heard. Suddenly, the back door was kicked open.

Everyone looked over and saw Fu Baili stride in, fury radiating off him. No one knew who had provoked this young master.

The teacher’s expression darkened with anger. He wanted to scold him, but remembering the principal’s special instructions, he swallowed it back. He slapped the podium heavily. “Pay attention!”

Everyone snapped back to focus.

Fu Baili pulled out his chair and leaned back casually. He slanted a glance toward Lu Zhe across the aisle.

Tch, that dead bookworm.

– – – ˗ˋˏ♡ˎˊ˗ – – –

After leaving the mall, Su Ci suddenly remembered she didn’t have a key to Lu Zhe’s place. Even if she went back, she couldn’t get in.

Thinking about how Lu Zhe had to work tonight and wouldn’t get off until nine, she let out a frustrated sigh. She couldn’t possibly wait outside the whole day, so she could only go to Lu Zhe’s school to get the key.

The summer sun was scorching. The blazing sunlight fell on the treetops lining both sides of the street, and the branches and leaves on the trees were bent from the heat.

Su Ci was very afraid of heat. She bought a cup of milk tea with extra ice and strolled around, not in a hurry to head to Lu Zhe’s school. After all, he wouldn’t get out of class anytime soon.

As she sipped the sweet milk tea, she looked at the life values exposed on the inner wrists of the pedestrians. She found that most were yellow grids. She didn’t seem to have seen any green ones—people whose lifespan exceeded a hundred.

She summoned Fugui. “Why can’t I see my own life value?”

Fugui: 【Fugui doesn’t know either.】

Su Ci: “You said before that my life is bound to Lu Zhe’s. If he dies, I’ll die. So that means Lu Zhe’s life value is my life value?”

Fugui: 【No. If Lu Zhe dies, Master, you will definitely die, but if you die, Lu Zhe won’t necessarily die.】

Su Ci felt as if her eyes were burning with anger. She bit fiercely on the straw, not even hoping for fairness. “So my lifespan is unknown, right?”

Fugui trembled. 【Yes.】

Su Ci huffed angrily and took a big slurp of milk tea.

At that moment, an elderly lady wearing gold and silver jewelry, her hair white, slowly walked toward her. Behind her were two tall men in black suits. They drew a lot of attention from passersby—clearly, the old lady was someone extraordinary.

Su Ci also looked over, but her gaze landed on the old lady’s hand.

In the grid of her life value was only a thin red line, faint and almost disappearing.

This wasn’t the first time Su Ci had encountered this situation. The last person like this had been Little Kuaile.

The old lady had only 1 minute left to live.

Su Ci examined her expression. The old lady’s complexion was rosy and did not at all look like someone about to fall deathly ill.

Then it must be an accident?

She even had two tall bodyguards behind her. What kind of accident could happen?

Su Ci wasn’t someone who liked meddling. In her opinion, if even with two strong bodyguards the old lady would still die, then she, a weak little girl with thin legs and arms, would be even less capable of stopping an accident.

Casting a regretful glance at the nearly vanished red line on the old lady’s wrist, Su Ci brushed past her.

Fugui: 【Master, save her! Save her!】

Su Ci: “Shut up. Don’t you see the old lady has bodyguards? With these thin arms and legs of mine, what am I supposed to do?”

Fugui: 【A heavy object from above is going to fall and hit her on the head. Master, hurry and save her!】

Su Ci paused mid–bite of her straw. She looked up in disbelief—just in time to see something being thrown off the tall building above.

Her body reacted faster than her mind. Su Ci flung away the milk tea in her hand and quickly pushed aside the old lady walking past her. “Be careful!”

The bodyguards saw the old madam suddenly pushed and immediately steadied her. One of them turned around to seize Su Ci, shouting, “What are you doing?”

Suddenly—bang!

A glass kettle brushed past the bodyguard’s body and smashed onto the ground right in front of him, shattering instantly at his feet.

Both bodyguards and the old lady were stunned.

Su Ci looked up toward the building above but couldn’t see anything. She didn’t know which floor it had been thrown from.

“I saved the old lady.” Su Ci glared at the bodyguard who wanted to grab her.

“Thank you, young lady.”

The old lady looked at the glass shards on the ground, a wave of fear passing through her. If not for this young girl pushing her away, such a large glass kettle falling onto her head… she would probably have died on the spot.

She instructed the bodyguard beside her, “Go investigate. Find out who threw that from above. Call the police. Handle it as it should be handled.”

The bodyguard responded, “Yes, madam.”

The old lady walked up to Su Ci, smiling kindly. “You saved my life.”

Su Ci blinked and admitted it openly, without a trace of modesty. “Yes.”

Su Ci was then invited to the old lady’s home.

Looking at the villa’s decor and surroundings, it was no wonder the old lady needed bodyguards accompanying her.

The old madam went upstairs to change clothes, then came down again still dressed in gold and jewels. Several strands of jade-bead necklaces hung around her neck, along with a white-jade pendant. On her wrist were gleaming gold bracelets, and her fingers wore emerald jade rings from an old pit.

She radiated wealth.

Su Ci sat on the wine-red sofa, drinking the tea the servants had brewed. Her posture was appropriate, and she showed no nervousness at all.

The old lady kept nodding as she observed her. She was very fond of this young girl. Not only was she her lifesaver, but the girl was also beautiful.

She had seen many rich young ladies, but in terms of appearance, none compared to this girl. And despite the charming tear mole beneath the corner of the girl’s eye, her gaze was clean and upright—her character must be excellent.

“It truly was thanks to you just now.” The old lady sighed. “I didn’t expect I’d brush past the gates of hell so easily.”

Su Ci nodded in agreement.

She looked at the old lady’s wrist. Her life value had already changed to two yellow grids and three red grids, with a note beside it: twenty-three years.

Su Ci earnestly told the old lady, “After surviving great danger, fortune will surely follow.”

The girl’s voice was pleasant, and since she had just saved her life, hearing this made the old lady smile. Her time-worn face became even gentler. “You’re right.”

At that moment, a tall, lean figure strode in from outside. “Grandma, are you okay? You’re not hurt, right?”

“I’m fine. Weren’t you at school? Why did you suddenly come back?” the old lady asked her grandson.

“The housekeeper said you had an accident. I was worried.” Fu Baili pressed his lips together. There was indeed a hint of tension on his handsome face.

Su Ci leisurely took a sip of tea. So the old lady was Fu Baili’s grandmother?

“I’m fine. Thanks to this young lady—she saved me. We must properly thank her.” Madam Fu smiled as she introduced, “Her name is Su Ci.”

“This is my grandson. His name is Fu Baili.”

Fu Baili’s personality was arrogant, but he still had a sense of propriety. He thanked Su Ci, “Thank you for the small effort of saving my grandma.”

Small effort?

Why did she feel like Fu Baili was making her lifesaving act sound so trivial?

“There’s 20,000 yuan in this card. It’s a token of appreciation.” Fu Baili took out a card.

Su Ci was a little dumbfounded.

No, wait—she remembered the Fu family in the book was a top-tier wealthy clan, right? And Fu Baili wanted to send her off with just twenty thousand?

Fu Baili saw the girl staring blankly at him and instinctively frowned. He had run into too many girls who were infatuated with him—except Zhao Youyou.

“You don’t want it?” Fu Baili asked Su Ci.

Su Ci grabbed the card immediately. “I want it!”

She put in effort, why wouldn’t she want it!

Even though she understood that wealthy families hated owing favors, and Fu Baili wanted to use money to repay her kindness, as the male lead, shouldn’t Fu Baili be outrageously extravagant, throwing money around like it was nothing?

Twenty thousand didn’t match his status at all!

Su Ci sincerely felt that this young master of a wealthy family was extremely stingy.

“I’ll have the driver take you home.” Fu Baili began to see her out.

“Oh.”

Su Ci truly had no good impression of Fu Baili, the male lead. She held the card, said goodbye to the old madam, and left.

Su Ci asked the driver to drop her off at the entrance of No. 1 High School.

Non-students were not allowed inside, so Su Ci found a shaded spot to wait for Lu Zhe to finish school.

Only then did she have the time to ask Fugui, “How did you know how Madam Fu was going to die?”

After finishing another ball of golden cotton candy, Fugui spoke with satisfaction: 【After Master saved someone last time, Fugui received a ball of golden energy. After eating it, Fugui gained the ability to predict how a person will die.】

Su Ci was surprised. “Then why were you urging me to save her just now?”

Fugui: 【If Master saves someone, Fugui can get another ball of golden cotton candy.】

Su Ci let out a cold laugh. “So you get the benefits, and I do the hard work?”

Fugui trembled: 【Master is the kindest person in the world.】

Su Ci: “I only admit that I’m the prettiest woman. I’m not kind at all. I’m not a savior. Don’t expect me to help you save people.”

Fugui: 【Eating golden cotton candy lets Fugui level up. After leveling up, Master will get a big surprise.】

Su Ci: “Oh. I’m not interested.”

Su Ci didn’t bother asking what the surprise was and told Fugui to shut up.

She didn’t know how long she waited. Her face grew flushed from the heat, the snowy fairness tinged with a faint pink—very beautiful.

Students passing by couldn’t help turning back to look at her. Quite a few boys blushed.

Su Ci didn’t spare a single glance for anyone else. She saw that tall figure slowly walking out from inside, and her dark eyes finally lit up.

“Lu Zhe.”

When Lu Zhe stepped out of the school gates, she quickly grabbed the hem of his shirt.

Meeting his surprised gaze, she explained, “You didn’t give me the key. I can’t go back.”

Lu Zhe fell silent. He had forgotten.

Su Ci told him, “I stood at the school gate for a long time.”

There was an apologetic look in Lu Zhe’s eyes.

Su Ci whispered to him, “My legs turned weak from standing. I can’t walk anymore.”

“Sorry.” Lu Zhe apologized. It was indeed his mistake for forgetting to give her the key.

A sly light flickered in Su Ci’s black-and-white eyes. “It’s okay. Just go back and give me the spare key.”

Giving her the key also meant… he wouldn’t drive her away.

“Mm.” Lu Zhe responded.

Su Ci instantly smiled, the setting sun scattering light in her eyes. Her tone softened, tinged with a bit of coquettishness: “Lu Zhe, my legs are weak. Later, once we’re somewhere without people, carry me on your back.”

No taxi—she’d help the poor boy save money.

Lu Zhe didn’t respond, and Su Ci followed behind him at an unhurried pace, completely ignoring the stunned looks around them.

Where did such a beautiful girl come from? Was she Lu Zhe’s girlfriend?

Su Ci refused to go back alone to the rented place. There was nothing there. It was better to go with Lu Zhe to the computer shop.

From the school to the shop, the shortcut was through an alley, and Lu Zhe was used to taking it.

Following behind him, Su Ci noticed that Lu Zhe’s left leg was a bit unsteady when he walked. Was his condition getting worse?

She wondered—her kissing Lu Zhe could increase his lifespan, so did that mean it could also improve his illness?

Just as she was about to ask Fugui, the boy walking in front suddenly stopped.

Lu Zhe leaned forward slightly, his knees half bent. “Get on.”

Hm?

Su Ci had only said her legs were weak to tease him. She never expected him to actually carry her.

Su Ci blinked, her red lips curling up.

She really climbed onto Lu Zhe’s back, her jade-like arms wrapping around his neck. Tilting her head, she leaned close to his ear and softly praised him, “Lu Zhe, why are you so good?”