The small alley was very quiet. The slanting sunlight fell onto the ground, casting the overlapping shadows of the two of them.
Su Ci looked at the shadow on the ground. She asked Lu Zhe, “Lu Zhe, am I light?”
Back when she was still a rabbit, she often watched Lu Zhe work out. Of course she knew that although he looked lean, he had quite a bit of muscle. She herself was slender, so to him she definitely couldn’t be considered heavy.
The previously silent Lu Zhe spoke, his tone unreadable, “Not light.”
Those faint two words instantly made Su Ci bristle. If she were still in her rabbit form right now, her snow-white fur would definitely stand on end, puffing up into a little snowball.
If Lu Zhe said she wasn’t light, then that meant he thought she was heavy!
Rounded up, that equaled him thinking she was fat!
For a girl, weight and appearance were the reverse scale that must not be touched.
Clinging to Lu Zhe’s back, she leaned close to his ear and huffed angrily, “How am I heavy? The places that are supposed to be slim are slim, the places that are supposed to have flesh absolutely don’t fall short. My figure is perfectly standard!”
By his ear was the girl’s gritted-teeth voice. Her warm breath brushed against the back of his ear, and Lu Zhe felt his ear itch a little.
He looked ahead, and in his pitch-black eyes floated a hint of amusement. “Mm.”
Su Ci let out a snort. Her gaze landed on Lu Zhe’s ear and she was surprised to find a tiny mole on his earlobe—unexpectedly a little cute.
She reached out with her fingertip and gently tapped his ear.
Carrying her on his back, Lu Zhe’s whole body stiffened.
“Su Ci.” The boy’s voice was cool.
“I’m here.”
Su Ci seemed to have discovered something fascinating. She laughed and said, “Lu Zhe, you have a small mole on your left ear. I also have a small mole under the corner of my left eye, but yours isn’t as cute as mine.”
The girl on his back was soft and boneless, her laughter light like a bell. As she spoke, she reached out again and tapped his ear with her finger.
In Lu Zhe’s cool voice there was now a trace of helplessness. “Mm.”
All the way, Lu Zhe didn’t walk fast, but he walked very steadily.
When they were about to leave the alley, Su Ci hopped down from his back.
Walking beside him, she said, “Boss Fang will definitely be shocked when he sees me later.”
Lu Zhe glanced at her and pushed open the door of the computer shop.
Inside the shop, Little Kuaile was sitting in his small wheelchair playing with his toys, and Boss Fang was fixing a computer.
“Brother Zhe is here.”
Little Kuaile’s big, dark eyes lit up instantly when he saw Lu Zhe. When he noticed Su Ci beside him, his little mouth fell open in surprise. He got so excited he dropped the toy in his hands. “It’s the pretty sister. Dad, it’s the pretty sister!”
He had only seen Su Ci once, yet Little Kuaile remembered her.
“You little brat, what pretty—” Boss Fang lifted his head from behind the computer, and when he saw Su Ci, his expression became identical to Little Kuaile’s.
His… his life-saving benefactor.
He dropped the tool in his hand and stood up in excitement. “Xiao Zhe, you helped me find my benefactor? That’s great.”
Su Ci nudged Lu Zhe’s arm, smiling brightly at him. “I wasn’t wrong, was I?”
Lu Zhe was smart. He reacted instantly—Su Ci was the one who had saved Little Kuaile, the “benefactor” Boss Fang had been talking about all this time.
Skin very fair, long hair, wearing No.1 High School’s uniform, and with a red string tied around her ankle like a rabbit.
These descriptions all pointed to Su Ci.
Boss Fang hurried over to her. He was so excited he wanted to shake her hand, but when he saw both his hands covered in dust, he quickly wiped them on his clothes again and again.
The little girl’s hands were white and clean. In the end, Boss Fang couldn’t bring himself to extend his own—afraid of dirtying hers.
“Finally found you. Last time you saved my son, I still haven’t properly thanked you.” Boss Fang steadied his emotions and looked at Su Ci with gratitude.
Su Ci said, “You already thanked me last time.” She had even eaten the candy Little Kuaile gave her.
“Such a huge favor isn’t something a simple thank you can repay. If you ever need my help in the future, little girl, just come find me,” Boss Fang promised.
Su Ci answered casually. She didn’t feel there was anything she needed Boss Fang’s help with. The person she needed was Lu Zhe.
Little Kuaile rolled himself over in his small wheelchair to her feet. Lifting his little head, he looked up at her. “Pretty sister.”
Su Ci lowered her head. “You still remember me?”
Little Kuaile nodded vigorously. “Sister is pretty. Kuaile remembers.”
Su Ci was very receptive to the little guy’s rainbow farts. She rewarded him with a big, bright smile. “Next time I’ll treat you to candy.”
Beside them, Boss Fang patted Lu Zhe’s shoulder. “Xiao Zhe, thank you so much this time, for helping me find my benefactor.” Now that he had found her, he could finally relax.
Lu Zhe said, “I only just found out the benefactor you mentioned was her.”
Boss Fang looked at him in surprise. “You already knew this little girl?”
“Mm.”
Boss Fang patted his shoulder again, full of emotion. “This really is fate.” He had hired Lu Zhe, and Lu Zhe’s friend had saved his son.
Seeing the little girl teasing Little Kuaile, he pulled Lu Zhe aside and lowered his voice. “Xiao Zhe, what does your friend like to eat? I’ll cook a few dishes and treat her properly.”
Lu Zhe replied, “I’m not sure.”
Boss Fang gave him a sideways glance. “You brat, how can you not know? A boy should—” His words abruptly stopped.
He had originally thought that since Lu Zhe and the little girl looked so compatible, and since they were friends, maybe they could become a couple in the future. But suddenly he remembered Lu Zhe’s illness, and he couldn’t continue speaking.
If he were a normal teenager, Lu Zhe could still enjoy a youthful romance.
He had specifically looked up ALS online before. All he knew was that this disease had no cure. That little girl was young and beautiful, full of life, while Lu Zhe’s future was clearly visible at a glance—his life force would be drained away by the terminal illness, leaving him to wither and die.
The two of them could never be together.
Boss Fang felt sour on Lu Zhe’s behalf. “Never mind, I’ll ask the little girl later what she likes to eat.”
“Oh right, there’s a service order tomorrow. Do you want to take it?”
Boss Fang not only ran the computer shop but also accepted private jobs, selling products he developed and taking house-call computer repair orders. Lu Zhe sometimes helped out. Considering his situation, Boss Fang never took a commission from his pay.
“Mm.”
Boss Fang said, “I’ll send you the address later.” Ever since he had met this boy Lu Zhe, there wasn’t a single day where he didn’t feel regret on his behalf.
Putting aside Lu Zhe’s good looks, not to mention his excellent grades, his computer skills were also outstanding.
So young, yet he had already developed several products. Previously, through his connections, he had helped Lu Zhe sell them at a very good price.
If Lu Zhe didn’t have ALS, his future would definitely be bright.
Lu Zhe said, “Thank you, Uncle Fang.”
During dinner, Boss Fang showed off his cooking skills. Su Ci thought the food tasted quite good and ate a lot.
When they left the computer shop, she was still a little stuffed.
Lu Zhe glanced at her, then walked into the nearby snack shop and bought a bottle of yogurt. “Drink.”
Su Ci took the yogurt, inserted the straw, and took small sips. She took back what she had said about him being a straight man.
The little pitiful one was actually quite considerate.
“Lu Zhe, aren’t we going back now?” Su Ci followed him—the direction ahead wasn’t the way back to the neighborhood.
“There aren’t any daily necessities you can use where I live.”
Lu Zhe took Su Ci to the supermarket. Towels, toothbrush, toothpaste, slippers… all needed to be bought.
Su Ci had never bought this kind of thing before. Biting her straw, she obediently followed beside Lu Zhe, watching him push the shopping cart and slowly pick things out for her.
“Lu Zhe, I like pink toothbrushes.”
“The cup—I want the white one.”
“The towel has to be soft.”
“For body wash, I want the peach-scented one.”
“Are the soles of these slippers soft enough?”
Su Ci only moved her mouth. The one doing everything from start to finish was Lu Zhe.
Watching the boy standing quietly in front of the shelf, silently helping her choose a pair of slippers, the straw in Su Ci’s mouth was bitten so hard it bent completely.
Why did she suddenly feel like she was some villainess bullying this little pitiful thing?
“Try this pair to see if it fits.” Lu Zhe picked out a pair of light pink, soft-soled slippers. He placed them on the floor for Su Ci to try on.
Su Ci tried them and nodded in satisfaction. “They’re very comfortable.”
“Mm.”
Lu Zhe placed the slippers into the shopping cart.
When they came out of the supermarket, both his hands were full. Su Ci considered herself a person with conscience. “Lu Zhe, let me help you carry some.”
Looking at the hand she reached out—slender fingers, fingertips lightly pink, delicate to the point they didn’t look like hands meant for doing work—
“No need.” Lu Zhe refused.
Su Ci didn’t insist. Instead, she took a bottle of drink from one of the bags in Lu Zhe’s hands, twisted open the cap, and brought the bottle to his lips. “Then I’ll feed you water. Your lips are dry.”
Su Ci felt that Lu Zhe was too capable—if she didn’t do something, she would start disliking herself for being useless.
But Lu Zhe didn’t let her feed him. He set down the bags he was holding, took the bottle from her, and drank two gulps in a row.
Alright. Even her one tiny contribution had been stripped away.
By the time they returned to the place he lived, night had already deepened. The high-hanging moon showed only half its face.
Inside the house, aside from Lu Zhe’s room, there was only a single storage room. Last night, when Su Ci had insisted on staying, she had been willing to sleep in the storage room.
She opened the door to the storage room and turned on the light.
The window inside was tightly shut. A stale, moldy smell drifted out. Other than a few broken chairs and several cardboard boxes, there was nothing else. The space was cramped—only about half the size of Lu Zhe’s room.
Su Ci estimated that it could barely fit a single bed and a small wardrobe. Anything more wouldn’t fit at all.
Her chest tightened painfully.
She only had 20,000 yuan left on her, and nothing else. Even if she rented a place again, it wouldn’t last her many months.
And she had already spent quite a bit of Lu Zhe’s money. She would have to pay him back eventually.
Su Ci felt she really needed to find a way to earn money.
Feeling suffocated, she stepped out of the storage room and prepared to start cleaning it. She would be sleeping here tonight.
“I put on a new bedsheet. The pillow is new too. You sleep in my room.” Lu Zhe came out of his room and spoke to her.
Su Ci looked past him. The gray bedsheet that had been on his single bed was gone, replaced with a light pink one. Even the pillow was the matching color.
These were the ones he chose for her at the supermarket earlier.
“And you?” Su Ci asked the boy standing before her.
“I’ll clean the storage room later.”
The meaning was obvious—he would sleep in the storage room.
Something lightly pricked at Su Ci’s heart. She directly asked him, “Why are you so good to me? Taking me in, buying me clothes and shoes, buying daily necessities, and now even giving up your room for me. Lu Zhe, do you like me?”
Lu Zhe cast her a faint glance. “No. You’re the one who asked me to take you in.”
“You don’t need to overthink. When you were a rabbit, I also bought rabbit food and a cage for you.” After saying that, Lu Zhe went to clean the storage room.
Su Ci pressed her lips together. She asked Fugui, “What does Lu Zhe mean by that? So in his eyes, I’m still just a rabbit?!”
Fugui: 【Master, even if you were a rabbit, you’d still be the cutest rabbit in the entire world!】
Su Ci: “Get lost!”
Fugui: 【Okay!】
After washing up, Su Ci knocked on the door of the storage room.
Very soon, Lu Zhe opened it.
The storage room had been cleaned, and the window opened, but the smell inside was still unpleasant.
Su Ci looked inside and saw that a folding bed had been set up in the middle. It seemed Lu Zhe would be sleeping on that tonight.
For a moment, Su Ci felt even more pity for him.
“Why don’t I just stay here instead?” Although Su Ci was spoiled, she didn’t think she was someone who couldn’t endure hardship.
“No need.”
To Lu Zhe, sleeping anywhere was the same. He had no requirements for such things.
When he was young, in the orphanage, more than twenty children squeezed onto a large bed, each curling themselves as small as possible to sleep in a tiny bit of space. Sleeping on a folding bed was nothing difficult.
Su Ci lifted her head. Her dark eyes shimmered with watery light as she seriously looked Lu Zhe over. The next second, she stepped forward and tugged lightly at the hem of his shirt with her fingertips.
“Lu Zhe, you should kiss me now.”
Lu Zhe said, “I kissed you twice this afternoon.”
One kiss lasted nine hours, the other ten hours—nineteen hours total, enough to sustain her until tomorrow.
Su Ci had just finished showering. She was wearing the new nightdress they bought—a white cotton dress, the fabric soft and close to the skin, the hem embroidered with a few cute little flowers, overflowing with girlishness.
Perhaps the shower water had been too warm, because the skin exposed outside the dress carried a faint pink tint.
The soft ends of her hair were slightly damp, falling loosely over her chest.
The Su Ci in front of him was a little enchantress tempting people’s hearts. If it were any other man hearing her ask for a kiss, he would have agreed immediately—none would refuse her the way Lu Zhe did.
But Su Ci had no intention of listening to him. In her view, the more kisses, the better.
It benefited her, and it benefited him.
The more the merrier!
Su Ci rose on her tiptoes and leaned forward to kiss him of her own accord.
Her soft red lips landed directly on the boy’s cold lips.
A flash of astonishment passed through the depths of Lu Zhe’s pitch-black eyes.
Su Ci, greedy, kissed him twice. Seeing that Lu Zhe had come back to his senses and was about to push her away, she hurriedly grabbed onto his shoulders with both hands and kissed him again.
Before retreating, her white teeth parted slightly, lightly biting his thin lips.
Su Ci pulled back happily.
She looked at Lu Zhe and asked him, a little mischievously, “A bit salty. Lu Zhe, did I taste your sweat?”
Summer weather was hot, and the storage room had poor ventilation, making it even stuffier. He had just finished cleaning, so Lu Zhe really had sweat on him.
In the girl’s eyes in front of him, there was a hint of wickedness.
Lu Zhe’s pitch-black eyes glanced at her faintly, and then, right in front of Su Ci, he closed the door.
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