“Is something wrong?” Lu Zhe asked the person standing outside the door.

Zhao Youyou spoke softly, “During the math exam today, you suddenly rushed out of the classroom. I was a little worried about you, so I came to check on you. Did something happen?”

After all, she had never seen Lu Zhe lose his composure like that. Something important must have happened for him to leave in such a hurry.

Lu Zhe said coldly, “I’m fine.”

“Things at home haven’t been peaceful lately. The couple living upstairs has been throwing trash in front of our door every day because of the lottery issue. Mom and Dad have argued with them several times and almost got beaten. Gege, can you come back and help mediate a little?” In Zhao Youyou’s view, that couple was bullying them precisely because there was no one in their family who could suppress them.

Lu Zhe was tall and strong, and with his cold appearance, he looked like someone not easy to provoke. With him around, that couple wouldn’t dare act so recklessly.

Lu Zhe looked at her with a calm expression. “I’ve already left the Zhao family.”

Zhao Youyou remembered how her parents, afraid that Lu Zhe would take part of the prize money, had forced him to move out of the Zhao family completely—even his household registration was no longer on their family register.

Now, Lu Zhe indeed had nothing to do with their family.

Thinking of this, a bit of shame rose in Zhao Youyou. “Even if you’ve left the Zhao family, you’re still my gege.” He had saved her; she would not forget that.

“Aren’t you going to let me come in and sit for a bit?” Zhao Youyou didn’t bring up asking Lu Zhe to return anymore. She remembered how she had come to find him several times, yet never had the chance to go inside and look around.

Inside the room.

Su Ci was preparing to rest when she heard a girl’s voice outside.

Her beautiful brows furrowed instinctively.

She could tell it was Zhao Youyou’s voice.

Su Ci sat up again, wanting to go out, but then instantly remembered she still had rabbit ears on her head. In her current appearance, she couldn’t let anyone else see her.

Walking over to the door, Su Ci perked up her ears, secretly listening to the conversation between Lu Zhe and Zhao Youyou.

When she heard that Zhao Youyou wanted Lu Zhe to go back and help her deal with the people whose lottery she had snatched, Su Ci couldn’t help rolling her eyes.

Su Ci didn’t dislike white lotus types, but she hated when someone wore a white lotus mask while doing things that were both fake and manipulative.

Hearing that Zhao Youyou wanted to come in, Su Ci’s eyes lifted slightly, a hint of mischief flashing within them.

Outside the door, Zhao Youyou waited with a faint smile, expecting Lu Zhe to invite her inside.

Just then, from the room across the living room, a girl’s voice sounded: “Lu Zhe, I can’t sleep. Come in and talk to me.”

The girl’s voice was soft and lingering, yet carried a spoiled, unrestrained sweetness—clearly someone used to being pampered.

Zhao Youyou froze.

She stared at Lu Zhe in disbelief. There was someone else in his house and it was a girl?

Was Lu Zhe living with a girl?

Impossible.

“You… you’re not living alone?” Zhao Youyou found it hard to believe that Lu Zhe was living together with a girl.

Lu Zhe replied directly, “This has nothing to do with you.”

Zhao Youyou left with an embarrassed expression.

Walking through the narrow and dim staircase of the old apartment complex, she could not recall anyone in the previous lifetime who had ever had contact with Lu Zhe.

Living in a place with such poor conditions, and suffering from a terminal illness, there was simply no one who would be willing to associate with him. After all, everyone knew that Lu Zhe had ALS. He was a burden, a weight dragging others down.

In the previous life, the last time she saw Lu Zhe, his illness had already grown worse. His cheeks were gaunt, his limbs stiff to the point of appearing strange. Even now, when she thought back on it, she felt somewhat repulsed—let alone how others would feel.

So, who was the girl inside Lu Zhe’s room? What was their relationship?

Thinking of the girl’s spoiled tone earlier, ordering Lu Zhe around, Zhao Youyou inexplicably felt uncomfortable.

Because she realized that Lu Zhe had refused to let her enter the room because of that girl.

Inside the room.

Su Ci waited and waited, but even after a long time, Lu Zhe still didn’t come in.

She got up from the bed again.

Without even putting on her shoes, she opened the door and went out, originally wanting to probe about what happened between him and Zhao Youyou. After all, she remembered how the book described him dying to save Zhao Youyou. Back then, she even praised this cannon-fodder male supporting character for being so devoted. But now things were completely different.

She and Lu Zhe were supposed to be each other’s tools. She was clean in body and heart, so Lu Zhe must be clean in body and heart too.

Otherwise, she would be absolutely furious.

Su Ci frowned, her fair little face full of displeasure.

Not seeing Lu Zhe in the living room, she heard sounds coming from the kitchen, so she went to look.

As soon as she reached the doorway, Su Ci saw the tall boy standing in front of the cupboard, head lowered, carefully washing the dishes without making a sound.

For some reason, Su Ci felt as if the little balloon of anger in her heart had been poked by a needle—vanishing completely.

Su Ci asked Fugui, “Why is Lu Zhe so handsome?”

Fugui did not want to answer this question. Lu Zhe was the one competing with it for the golden cotton candy. They were enemies. It did not want to praise its enemy.

Fugui: 【Master, according to the book’s setting, the male lead Fu Baili is the most handsome.】

Su Ci curled her lips, full of disdain. “That stingy Fu only knows how to fight, gets red-eyed at Zhao Youyou at every little thing, has a bad temper like a lunatic, and he’s terrible at studying. Tell me, how is he handsome?”

Fugui didn’t dare refute her and pitifully said: 【Then… is Lu Zhe a little handsomer than Fu Baili?】

Su Ci raised a brow. “Hmm?”

Fugui trembled: 【In Fugui’s eyes, Lu Zhe is the most handsome person in the world.】

Su Ci let out a small snort and walked toward the most handsome person in the world.

She nudged him with her toe. “Lu Zhe, I called you. Why didn’t you answer me?”

Lu Zhe turned on the faucet, rinsing the dishes. Without looking at the girl beside him, he said, “Didn’t you say your head hurts? You should be resting.”

Su Ci looked at his well-defined fingers, still beautiful under the stream of water. His movements were practiced, as though he regularly did tasks like washing dishes and cooking. No wonder there was a thin layer of callus on his hands.

“I can’t sleep.” Su Ci leaned in close to him, her black eyes staring straight at him. She asked bluntly, “Lu Zhe, do you like Zhao Youyou?”

Lu Zhe’s hands did not pause. He ignored her words completely.

Su Ci refused to give up and pressed herself against him.

Lu Zhe was wearing a short-sleeved summer school uniform. His exposed arms were strong and powerful. She looked at them for a moment, then began counting on her own pretty fingers. “Zhao Youyou isn’t as pretty as me, her figure isn’t as good as mine, her voice isn’t as nice as mine, her skin isn’t as fair as mine, and she’s not as kind or cute as I am…”

Su Ci listed things for quite a while, then marveled, “So I have that many good points.”

Lu Zhe was already used to the girl’s shamelessness. He made no sound.

“Lu Zhe, your sense of aesthetics needs to stay awake. Don’t overlook how amazing I am.” Su Ci tugged at his shirt hem and shamelessly made her demands: “You have to kiss me every day now, so before I fully turn back into a human, you must keep your body and heart clean. Of course, during this period, I won’t like anyone else either.”

Lu Zhe placed the washed dishes aside before finally looking at Su Ci, his pitch-black eyes deep. “You’re overthinking.”

He wouldn’t like anyone, and even more, no one would like him.

He knew very well that even she only did these things because she found it fun—she wanted to tease him, to watch him flustered and embarrassed.

Lu Zhe sighed. “Go rest. I’m going back to school.”

The boy’s expression was calm and unreadable, making it impossible to guess what he was thinking.

Su Ci didn’t like Lu Zhe when he was like this.

The corners of her eyes lifted, mischief flashing in her gaze. She nudged him again with her toe. “Carry me back to the room. I forgot to wear shoes.”

Lu Zhe lowered his eyes and saw that the foot that had just kicked him was bare—small, pale white—and the slim ankle still wore the red string he bought her, the little jade gourd charm on it light and lovely.

“Why did you come out without shoes?” Lu Zhe frowned.

“I was in a hurry to find you.” Su Ci urged him, “Hurry up, the floor is freezing.”

Lu Zhe bent down and lifted her into a princess carry.

Nestled in the boy’s broad arms, Su Ci raised her chin and leaned in, kissing Lu Zhe on the lips.

Caught off guard, his thin lips were pressed by hers. Lu Zhe trembled all over in shock.

Su Ci didn’t care about his reaction at all. He was using both hands to hold her now, so he couldn’t fight back. She could take advantage of this chance to kiss him as much as she wanted.

Her soft red lips, warm and sweet, pressed again and again onto the boy’s cool thin lips, one kiss after another.

While kissing him, Su Ci even counted, “Add eleven hours.”

“Add twelve hours.”

“Add thirteen hours.”

The little rabbit in his arms was clever and terribly sly. Her soft red lips brushed and pressed against him chaotically. His Adam’s apple slid up and down once, and Lu Zhe’s arms around her tightened more and more. He could only suppress his voice to scold her, “Tuan Tuan, stop messing around.”

He turned his head away.

After kissing him several times, Su Ci was fully satisfied. Both her rabbit ears twitched happily, her black eyes curling into a smile. At this moment, Su Ci was nothing like an innocent little rabbit spirit—she was more like a fox who had stolen a kiss and succeeded, charming and triumphant.

At the hospital.

The little boy was brought in for emergency treatment.

It wasn’t until she heard the doctor say that the rescue was successful and her son was no longer in danger that the middle-aged woman finally let out a breath. Her whole body went weak as she collapsed onto the bench in the corridor.