Watching this, He Ermeng felt the urge to beat the other boy to death. He spoke through clenched teeth: “The one who answered your call that day, was it him?”

“So what if it was?” Su Ci’s mood had lifted after seeing that Lu Zhe and her parents were safe.

He Ermeng had wanted to send people to investigate in City D earlier, but now it seemed unnecessary.

He wanted to ask Su Ci whether she liked this boy. But seeing the way she openly sided with him, the words reached his lips and were forced back down.

He was afraid of the answer.

He Ermeng’s eyes stayed fixed on Lu Zhe’s hand touching Su Ci’s face. He wanted to chop the hand off.

Lu Zhe’s cold, rigid face remained expressionless. After wiping the ash from the girl’s face, he withdrew his hand quickly. He shot a chilly glance at this “He Ermeng,” already understanding that this was the man Su Ci had mentioned before—the one who bothered her.

The two locked gazes, the atmosphere rigid.

Su Zhiyuan walked over after finishing his call. “Cici, let’s go to the hospital to see Dad and Mom.”

Su Ci looked at Lu Zhe.

Lu Zhe: “Go on.”

Su Zhiyuan looked toward Lu Zhe. “Thank you for saving my parents. The Su family won’t forget what you’ve done.”

Lu Zhe’s gaze deepened slightly. “I only did what I should.” Even if they weren’t Su Ci’s parents, he would have saved them.

“No matter what, our Su family owes you two favors.” Su Zhiyuan was truly grateful to the young man before him. He knew that without him, their parents might not have lasted until the firefighters arrived. “There’s still a lot to handle today. I’ll thank you properly another day.”

Su Zhiyuan then took the unwilling Su Ci away.

Seeing Su Ci leave, Boss Fang hurried over to Lu Zhe’s side. “Xiao Zhe, are you okay?”

Lu Zhe shook his head. “I’m fine.”

“You really scared me to death. I thought—” Boss Fang quickly spat to drive away the bad thought, “It’s really great that you’re fine.”

At his age, he had nearly been frightened half to death.

With Su Ci gone, He Ermeng had no reason to stay either.

Before leaving, he shot a vicious glare at Lu Zhe. He clicked his tongue against his palate once, then said coldly, “I’ll remember you. If you don’t want me to kill you, stay away from Su Ci.”

He had guarded Su Ci for three years. Su Ci was his.

Lu Zhe’s expression was icy. His pitch-black eyes met He Ermeng’s stare directly. “Do as you like.” After all, even without the other doing anything, he wouldn’t live long anyway.

He Ermeng had always been a little tyrant in school. Even among wealthy families, those of his generation had to watch his mood. This was the first time he’d met someone who wasn’t afraid of him. He shot Lu Zhe a sarcastic look. He had heard plenty of tough talk before—yet in the end, hadn’t all those people ended up beaten to the ground by him?

Finally, He Ermeng smirked mockingly and left.

“Xiao Zhe, I heard that person’s surname is He.” Boss Fang worried on Lu Zhe’s behalf. Someone with such an arrogant personality—and with the surname He—among those qualified to mingle with the Su family, there was only one He family.

He was not someone ordinary citizens like them could afford to provoke.

He could clearly tell that the young man surnamed He liked Su Ci, and Su Ci should like Lu Zhe, and Lu Zhe should like Su Ci as well—so that young man named He would definitely cause trouble for Lu Zhe.

Lu Zhe had no power or status; he would suffer easily.

“Uncle Fang, don’t worry. It’s okay.” Lu Zhe patted Boss Fang, pulling him out of his thoughts. “We still need to go look at venues.”

Boss Fang hadn’t forgotten the reason they came to City B. He looked at Lu Zhe with a conflicted expression. “Is your body okay? Why don’t we go back to the hotel to rest first and check later? The fire was so big, and you saved people. You’re still sick. I’m afraid you’ll be exhausted.”

“I’m fine. Let’s hurry and look at a few more places.” They had already bought tickets for tomorrow. Time was short.

Boss Fang naturally understood their situation. He sighed. “All right, let’s go.”

– – – ˗ˋˏ♡ˎˊ˗ – – –

That night, Su Ci and Su Zhiyuan took the car home from the hospital.

Father Su had regained consciousness, but his back was badly injured and he needed to stay in the hospital for a while. Mother Su remained there to take care of him.

Little Su Ning was sitting alone at the dining table. When he saw Su Zhiyuan and Su Ci return, his big black eyes lit up. “Gege, Jiejie.”

The little boy had witnessed the fire today; he must have been terrified. With Father, Mother, and his siblings all away from home, he had cried several times, and the servants had coaxed him for a long time before he finally calmed down.

Su Ci walked over and patted Little Su Ning’s head. “Ningning, were you good at home?”

Little Su Ning completely forgot how long he had cried earlier. He nodded. “Good.”

“Dad and Mom still have things to handle and won’t be home for the next few days. Is it okay if Jiejie takes care of you?” Su Ci asked him.

Little Su Ning had always liked his sister. Now that this sister no longer disliked him for being a little troublemaker, he loved playing with her even more. In his soft, milky voice, he answered, “Okay.”

Su Ci patted his head again. “Good boy.”

Seeing his sister now willing to take care of their younger brother, a gentle look surfaced in Su Zhiyuan’s eyes. He had the servants bring dinner to the study. Today’s incident had a huge impact, and he had many things to handle.

After Su Ci accompanied Little Su Ning to finish dinner, she had someone take the little boy for a bath.

Returning to her room, Su Ci immediately called Lu Zhe.

It rang for only a few seconds before the call was picked up.

“Lu Zhe, where are you right now?” Su Ci sat on the edge of her bed, still wearing her banquet gown—she hadn’t even had time to change out of it.

“What’s wrong?”

The boy’s cool, quiet voice came from the other end of the line, with some background noise around him.

“Tell me where you are. I’ll come find you later.” The earlier location hadn’t been suitable, and she hadn’t been able to properly talk to him. Besides, she wanted to know why he had suddenly come to City B.

Lu Zhe was currently eating with Boss Fang at a small restaurant near their hotel. The environment wasn’t great—crowded and noisy. How could Su Ci come to a place like this?

He lowered his gaze. “You don’t need to come. I’ll go to you later.”

He knew that she must want to see him.

Su Ci smiled. “I’ll send you my address.”

After hanging up, Lu Zhe met Boss Fang’s gaze.

“Was that Xiao Ci?” Boss Fang remembered that apart from Su Ci, Lu Zhe didn’t seem to have any other friends.

“Mm. I’m going to see her.” Lu Zhe lowered his head and quickened his eating.

Boss Fang smiled. “We’re leaving tomorrow. You should go see Xiao Ci. After that, you two won’t be able to meet for a long time.”

After coming to City B, he had learned more about the Su family. Today, they had visited many office buildings, and several of them were Su family properties.

And those office buildings, to the Su family, were merely insignificant small assets.

The gap between Lu Zhe and Su Ci was a bottomless abyss.

After they left the small restaurant, Lu Zhe took a taxi to the Su residence.

Once he got out of the car, he sent a message to Su Ci: I’m at your gate.

The Su residence was like a castle in the center of the city, and Su Ci was the pampered princess within it.

After a while, the iron gate opened.

Lu Zhe watched the delicate little princess walk out, while he stood in the dark like some foolish dreamer—an infatuated thief secretly peeking at the princess.

“Lu Zhe.”

Su Ci stepped out and looked at the tall boy standing under the trees in the shadows. She complained, “Why are you standing there? I almost didn’t see you.”

Lu Zhe walked out from the darkness and stood under the streetlamp. The warm yellow light softened his cold features. He asked her, “Have you eaten?”

“I’ve eaten.” Su Ci walked closer, directly grabbed his hand, and tried to pull him into the Su residence.

Lu Zhe didn’t move. He looked at the girl with a calm expression. “I’m not going in.”

“You want me to stand at the gate and talk to you? I’ll get tired.” Su Ci lifted the skirt of her gown and stretched out her foot for him to see.

On her feet were crystal-silver high heels, and on her slender ankle, she was still wearing the cheap red string bracelet that didn’t match her gown at all.

Su Ci blinked at him, teasing, “Don’t worry, my parents are still at the hospital, my brother’s working in the study, and my little brother’s asleep. They won’t know you came.”

Then she pulled Lu Zhe inside.

Meeting the guard’s startled gaze, Su Ci raised a brow and threatened fiercely, “You didn’t see anything.”

The guard straightened his back and quickly turned his head away. He saw nothing.

The Su residence’s front courtyard was a garden with a fountain. In the back courtyard was a lotus pond, and in the center of the pond they had built a pavilion—summer nights spent admiring the lotus blossoms there were the best scenery.

Streetlights surrounded the back courtyard, so it wasn’t dark at all.

Su Ci pulled Lu Zhe into the pavilion and sat down inside.

The moment she sat, she kicked off her high heels—after wearing them the whole day, her feet were already killing her.

“Uncomfortable?” Lu Zhe knew how delicate her body was; even slightly stiff shoes could rub her feet red. Wearing high heels must have been even more painful.

“My feet hurt.” Su Ci stretched both feet out.

Under the pavilion’s warm yellow light, Lu Zhe saw the back of the girl’s heels rubbed completely red.

His eyes darkened. “Remember to put medicine on later.”

“Mm.” Su Ci responded half-heartedly.

Her mind wasn’t on her feet. She blinked at him and said, “Lu Zhe, doesn’t this feel like I hid you from my family and secretly brought you home for an affair? It feels so exciting.”

Lu Zhe gave her a long, quiet look. Who talks like that about themselves?

When Su Ci didn’t get a reply, she tapped his calf with her toes. “Am I wrong?”

Lu Zhe knew how to go along with her. “Mm.”

Su Ci’s red lips lifted in a smile. She scooted closer to him and continued, “You couldn’t see clearly in the video, but I’m wearing a gown right now. Do I look pretty?”

The moon reflected on the pond, the water shimmering under it.

Lu Zhe looked at the girl under the moonlight—beautiful like a little enchantress—and his heartbeat skipped.

He answered softly, “Mm.”

How could Su Ci be satisfied with that?

She leaned close, her pale arms looping around his shoulders. The next second, she felt the boy’s body shudder.

“What’s wrong?” She paused.

Lu Zhe shook his head. “Nothing. Sit properly.”

The neckline of her gown was a bit low. If he so much as lowered his head, he could see the wide expanse of pale skin at her chest.

Su Ci had no intention of listening. She touched the spot where she’d felt him flinch. The next moment, Lu Zhe’s body tensed again.

Su Ci frowned. She stood up, grabbed Lu Zhe’s collar, and pulled it open.

Only then did she discover the burn wound on the boy’s shoulder.

Su Ci was a little angry. “You got hurt and didn’t tell me.”

Meeting the girl’s glistening eyes, the coldness in Lu Zhe’s voice faded. “It’s not serious. Just need to put on some medicine.”

“Did you put on the medicine?” Su Ci glared at him.

Lu Zhe: “…”

Ever since leaving the hotel that afternoon, he had been running around with Boss Fang and hadn’t had time to apply anything.

Su Ci pressed her lips together, glanced at Lu Zhe, and walked off.

Lu Zhe’s cold, rigid face grew even frostier under the night.

After who knew how long, when Su Ci returned, she had a tube of ointment in her hand.

She looked at Lu Zhe and said directly, “Take off your clothes.”

Lu Zhe rubbed his forehead. “Give me the ointment. I’ll go back and apply it myself.”

Su Ci sat down beside him. Her slender, pale fingers tugged at the hem of his clothes. “I’ll help you take it off.”

Lu Zhe grabbed her hand, his pitch-black eyes filled with helplessness and indulgence. “I’ll take it off myself.”

The moment the words left his lips, he saw the girl’s dark eyes instantly light up.