Boneless, she leaned against Lu Zhe’s shoulder. “Then I’m going back to sleep.”

Lu Zhe closed his eyes for a moment before responding, “Mm.”

By the time they arrived at the orphanage, it was already evening. The orange sunset cast its light onto the rooftops, illuminating the bold characters “Happy Lodge.”

Su Ci had never visited an orphanage before. In her mind, an orphanage should feel gloomy, sorrowful, and bleak. But looking at the childlike murals painted on the walls, she suddenly realized how wrong she had been.

A young girl, a staff member of the orphanage, came out to greet them.

“The director should be awake now. Please follow me.” The staff member led the way.

Passing by a room that looked like a classroom, they saw children inside staring at them with wide, curious, innocent eyes.

Su Ci stepped forward and secretly hooked her finger around Lu Zhe’s.

Lu Zhe turned his head to look at her.

Su Ci gave him a bright smile. She was imagining whether Lu Zhe, as a child, had been as adorable as these little ones.

The director had returned from the hospital only yesterday. She lay on the bed, her illness clearly visible.

“Is that Xiao Zhe?” The elderly director’s hair was full of silver, her face marked by the traces of time. Her features were upright and kind, her demeanor gentle. She had always been well-loved by the children.

“Director, it’s me.” Seeing her sit up, Lu Zhe hurried forward to help place a pillow behind her back.

“You’ve grown up. Xiao Zhe, you haven’t changed — still so thoughtful.” The director took the glasses from her bedside table and put them on. She noticed the unfamiliar girl beside him. “And this is…”

“Hello, Grandma Director. I’m Lu Zhe’s friend. I came with him to visit you.” Su Ci stepped forward. She was delicate and beautiful, and when she coaxed people, her sweet words flowed freely. “Lu Zhe often mentioned you to me, saying how kind you are and how well you treated him…”

Following Su Ci’s lead, the director began talking about Lu Zhe’s childhood.

Lu Zhe had rarely spoken since he was young. While the other children gathered to play games, he would sit alone in a corner with a book in his hands. No one knew whether he understood it, but he could sit by himself like that for an entire day.

And unlike the other children, he never threw tantrums. He never cried, nor did he ever quarrel with anyone. He was an exceptionally easy child to care for.

Su Ci could imagine it — a miniature version of Lu Zhe, little face tight, expression cold, sitting in a small corner holding a book.

Adorable — and so sensible it made one’s heart ache.

Su Ci lifted her gaze and looked at the boy standing straight beside her. Even grown up, little Lu Zhe was still a pitiful little thing.

Lu Zhe poured a cup of warm water for the director.

Only then did the director realize how dry her mouth had gotten. She accepted the cup from him. “Xiao Zhe is such a thoughtful child.”

“Director, I brought lots of good things for you. You should praise me too.” Fat Fu walked in from outside. He carried the supplies he had brought from the car and handed them to the staff to distribute to the children.

“You’re Qi Fu, right? You’ve gained weight.” The director’s wrinkled face curved into a smile.

“It’s me. The food at my place is too good every day. I couldn’t control my mouth and started growing sideways.” Fat Fu walked over. “Are you feeling any better?”

“Good, good, good,” the director replied with a smile.

Meanwhile, Su Ci looked at the hand holding the cup. Her pretty face lost its smile.

The director’s life value was a red bar, with a note beside it: 2 months.

Su Ci called out to Fugui. “Will the director die of illness?”

Fugui: 【Yes. Master, you cannot save her.】

If it were possible, it would have urged its master to save her long ago.

Su Ci: “I know.”

Accidents she might still be able to prevent, but illness was something she was powerless against.

The director didn’t have much energy. After chatting for a while, they left the room.

“I asked the staff member taking care of the director. She told me the doctor said the director’s condition isn’t good. The director herself probably knows, and she doesn’t want to stay in the hospital anymore.” Fat Fu actually understood too — with the director’s current health, it was only a matter of time.

He let out a deep sigh.

Lu Zhe said, “We’ll stay here tonight. Tomorrow, when the director is feeling better, we’ll talk to her. Even if she doesn’t want to return to the hospital, we can at least spend some time with her.”

“You’re right. I’ll go ask the staff if there are any empty rooms left. We’ll sleep here tonight.” The village was remote. There were no hotels, and it took over half an hour to drive to the nearest town.

“We’ll stay here tonight. If you’re not comfortable, I’ll take you out to sleep elsewhere.” Lu Zhe looked at Su Ci beside him.

“No need.” Su Ci shook her head.

If little Lu Zhe could sleep here when he was young, was she supposed to be less capable than little Lu Zhe?

There were two vacant rooms in the orphanage. Each room had eight bunk beds. Correspondingly, there were eight small lockers — presumably where the children kept their belongings.

The beds were already made, all with uniform sky-blue bedding.

Su Ci had never slept on a bunk bed before. She didn’t dare sleep on the top, afraid she might roll off in the middle of the night, so she chose the bottom.

At night, the orphanage was very quiet, with only occasional bursts of children’s play or laughter.

Su Ci lay on the bed tossing and turning, unable to fall asleep.

The bunk beds were wooden boards with only a thin layer of padding on top. The boards pressed painfully against her body.

She picked up her phone and sent a message directly to Lu Zhe: Lu Zhe, I can’t sleep.

In the room on the other side—

Fat Fu was chatting with Lu Zhe.

“You and Su Ci are a couple?” He had been curious the entire way and finally couldn’t hold back the question.

Lu Zhe was towel-drying his hair. His voice was cold. “No.”

Fat Fu could clearly see that there was something unusual between the two, but thinking about Lu Zhe’s physical condition, he paused and said in a softer voice, “You two look pretty good together.”

One handsome, one beautiful — no matter how you looked at it, they matched.

Fat Fu asked, “Does Su Ci know about your illness?”

“Mm.”

Since Su Ci knew about Lu Zhe’s illness and was still willing to stay with him, Fat Fu said, “Su Ci must like you.”

All along the way, he had seen how Su Ci clung to Lu Zhe. Between the two, she was obviously the more proactive one.

“No.” Lu Zhe lowered his gaze.

He knew that Su Ci kissing him and staying by his side was only to maintain her human form.

Not because she liked him.

Fat Fu was sure he hadn’t misread things. “How can that be? I can tell she—”

His head was suddenly covered by the towel Lu Zhe tossed over.

“My life won’t be long,” Lu Zhe said.

The words cut off whatever Fat Fu had been about to say.

Fat Fu yanked the towel off and saw Lu Zhe’s rigid, cold face under the incandescent light, his expression indifferent, a faint trace of self-mockery tugging at the corner of his lips.

Just then, a knock on the door shattered the awkward silence.

“Who’s knocking?” Fat Fu was about to get up and open the door, but Lu Zhe had already walked over.

The door opened.

Standing outside was Su Ci in a mist-blue dress. A delicate beauty — even in the dim light, she was dazzling.

“Is something wrong?” Lu Zhe asked.

“Lu Zhe, you didn’t reply to my message.” Su Ci looked at him with small, accusing eyes.

“I didn’t check my phone just now. What’s wrong?”

“I can’t sleep.” She looked a bit embarrassed. “The bed is too hard.” She refused to admit she was delicate — it was the body that was delicate, not her.

Lu Zhe had slept on these bunk beds for years as a child, so of course he knew the girl wouldn’t be used to them.

“I’ll find some cushions and stack them for you.”

Su Ci nodded immediately — of course she would agree.

Fat Fu watched as Lu Zhe was called away just like that.

He still remembered how Lu Zhe had disliked contact with girls ever since he was young, and even after growing up, he stayed the same. But just now, he had clearly seen it — Su Ci held onto Lu Zhe’s hand, and he didn’t shake her off.

Tsk. His body was a lot more honest than his mouth.

The village was located in a remote suburb. Not only was the air clean here — at night, the entire sky was filled with stars.

Su Ci wasn’t in a hurry to go back and arrange the bedding. She had Lu Zhe take her for a walk around the orphanage.

Behind the orphanage was a small grassy slope, with many slides and play structures built nearby.

Su Ci sat on a child’s swing and turned her head to look at the boy pushing her from behind. “People are born, grow old, get sick, and die.”

She couldn’t tell Lu Zhe that the director only had two months left.

Lu Zhe looked at her. “I know.”

“If someone who likes you is gone, someone else will take their place.” If the old director really passed away, she would take care of Lu Zhe, earn money, and support him properly.

Lu Zhe cast her a faint glance. She really would have no trouble finding someone who liked her.

Su Ci didn’t know if he caught her hint. She looked at him with unwavering eyes. “Anyway, even if someone leaves you, I won’t.”

After all, their lives were literally bound together.

Lu Zhe pushed the swing, watching the mist-blue hem of her dress flutter under the moonlight. “Mm.”

Su Ci’s eyes lifted, the little tear mole at the corner glowing seductively in the night. She asked, “Lu Zhe, no one’s here. They say kissing on a grassy slope is really exciting. Do you want to try?”

Lu Zhe had gotten used to her teasing from time to time. He looked at her deeply and said, “Tomorrow I’ll ask the director to help prepare a certificate. Then I’ll take you to the police station to get your ID card.”

Without an ID, life was impossible in this society.

Su Ci nodded. “Okay.”

She gestured for him to stop pushing. After getting off the swing, she took Lu Zhe’s hand and pulled him toward the grassy slope. “Hurry, lie down. I’ll kiss you.”

Under the moonlight, the girl looked like a beautiful little Yaojing ready to pounce.

Lu Zhe held his forehead. The coldness in his eyes scattered. No matter how cold a person might be, they would still be rendered helpless by this girl full of mischief.

Su Ci looked at the boy lying on the slope, his features clear and handsome. She leaned onto his chest, her body boneless as she sank against him. She trembled as she laughed, her nose a little sore. “Lu Zhe, you’re really good.”

At night, since they hadn’t eaten enough, Fat Fu ran to a small convenience shop near the orphanage and bought two cups of instant noodles.

He was slurping noisily when the room door suddenly opened.

Fat Fu looked up at Lu Zhe entering and nearly spat out the noodles in his mouth.

He swallowed hard, wiped his mouth, and exclaimed, “Damn, did you roll in a grass pile? Why are you covered in grass?”

Lu Zhe didn’t answer.

Thinking about how the girl had just been lying on his chest, licking his lips again and again, the tips of Lu Zhe’s ears beneath his short black hair slowly turned red.