The girl burst into tears just like that, and Lu Zhe was startled.

A flicker of panic appeared in the depths of his pitch-black eyes. His chest felt as if someone had gripped it hard—sore and aching.

He immediately admitted fault to the girl, “I’m sorry.”

Su Ci’s eyes were not only red, her already watery eyes were forced into producing tears. The teardrops clung to her lashes, on the verge of falling, pitiful beyond words.

A rabbit-spirit beauty was already charming enough, and when she cried, she tugged at one’s heart.

Not to boast, but Su Ci had actually trained in crying techniques. She knew exactly how to cry, and from which angle she looked the most pitiful and the prettiest.

Right now, her eyes were red, her dark pupils shimmering with tears as she looked at Lu Zhe. Her red lips were pressed together, and she didn’t make a sound—silent crying like this could drive anyone mad.

Lu Zhe had seen Su Ci act coquettish, and he had seen her purposely cause trouble. This was the first time he had seen her cry.

Where was that cold expression on the boy’s face now?

Flustered, Lu Zhe reached out, wanting to wipe the teardrop clinging to her lashes. His voice was low, tense, yet carrying an unconscious gentleness. “I was wrong. Tuan Tuan, don’t cry.”

Su Ci, eyes red, looked at him. She was a little tired from standing, and even while crying she didn’t forget to act delicate. “Hold me.”

How could Lu Zhe refuse? He pulled her toward the chair beside them. The moment he sat down, Su Ci naturally turned sideways and sat on his lap.

Su Ci already had a cold, and now she was crying. Her nose was stuffed, making her uncomfortable. She sniffled pitifully and muffled a question at Lu Zhe, “What were you wrong about?”

Lu Zhe supported her waist to keep her steady. Hearing her question, he answered in a low voice, “Everything.”

Making her cry—no matter what, that was his fault.

Su Ci gave a soft hum. Her usually light and pleasant voice now carried a nasal tone, making her sound both pitiful and adorable. “You said last night… that I’m too delicate. That you don’t like it.”

She had written down all his words in her little mental notebook, and now she had come to collect the debt.

Lu Zhe met her reddened eyes. With the pink-white rabbit ears drooping over her head, she looked exactly like a pitiful little rabbit spirit.

He paused for a moment. “I lied.”

Su Ci continued her accusations, “You also said I always have a belly full of bad ideas, and you don’t like that either.”

Darkness settled in Lu Zhe’s pitch-black eyes. “I lied.”

“You said I like teasing people and you don’t like that. And you said you hate how narcissistic I am.” Su Ci glared at him with her red eyes, still furious.

Did she not have a single good point?

Lu Zhe’s gaze grew deeper. He let out a breath, lowered his head, and pressed his forehead directly against hers. “I’m sorry. I lied about all of it.”

The angry little balloon in Su Ci’s chest, puffed up a moment ago, instantly popped. With their foreheads touching, breaths mingling—how could she stay angry?

She truly had no backbone.

“My time won’t last much longer. I can’t stay with you forever.” The stiffness in Lu Zhe’s expression softened. “You can find someone better.”

The balloon that had just deflated suddenly swelled again. Su Ci’s reddened eyes widened at him. “You want me to find someone better? So you want me to kiss someone else the way I kiss you? Or you want me to lean in someone else’s arms like this and have them hold me…”

“Tuan Tuan!” Lu Zhe cut her off, his pitch-black eyes dark and heavy.

Just hearing the girl’s words made jealousy ache through his whole body.

Su Ci let out a soft hum. She lay limply against Lu Zhe’s chest, her hand pressed over his heart. “Lu Zhe, does it hurt here?” She had listened to what he said yesterday, and her own chest had felt stifled and uncomfortable.

Lu Zhe rested his chin against her forehead, and with no strength he called out softly, “Tuan Tuan.”

Ever since he learned he had a terminal illness, he had lived by going with the flow. If someday the illness flared up and he couldn’t survive it, even if he died, it wouldn’t matter.

But now… he greedily hoped he could live a little longer, that the ugly onset of the illness could come a little later.

That he could spend a little more time by Su Ci’s side.

Su Ci pressed harder, her palm flat against his chest, feeling the fierce beating of the heart inside. “Lu Zhe, I promise you—you won’t die.”

She lifted her head to look at him. “If you don’t believe me, we can wait one year, two years, even three years, or even longer. You’ll definitely live just fine. Didn’t I tell you? I’m your angel.”

Though truthfully, compared to an angel, she wanted to be his little demon.

“Tuan Tuan.” Lu Zhe felt heat spread from where her hand covered his chest.

“I’ll ask you again,” Su Ci said seriously, “do you like me?”

The corners of her eyes were still tinged with red, like they had been brushed with peach blossom color. The rabbit ears drooping weakly from the top of her head made her look adorable and pitiful.

Lu Zhe pressed his lips together. His throat was dry. He thought of the promise he had made to her mother yesterday, and he thought of the look of her silent tears just moments ago. His eyes darkened. “Mm.”

Su Ci’s eyes brightened, but she complained, “What does ‘mm’ mean? I don’t understand.”

Lu Zhe’s thin lips brushed her soft, pale-pink rabbit ear—gentle and helpless. “I like you.”

This time, it was the truth.

Su Ci felt the heartbeat under her palm thump wildly. Her eyes curved instantly with a smile. She knew Lu Zhe wouldn’t be able to resist her beauty.

“Lu Zhe, tell me—did you like me from the very first time you saw me?” Su Ci couldn’t help getting carried away.

Lu Zhe let out a soft laugh. “The first time I saw you, you were beside a trash can, dirty all over.”

Su Ci: …

That was when Lu Zhe had picked her up.

Unconvinced, she continued asking, “Was it when I first turned into human form? Were you stunned by how pretty I was?”

The girl refused to let it go, and Lu Zhe couldn’t bring himself to get angry with her at all. “No.”

He didn’t even know when he had begun to like her.

Su Ci glared at him irritably. He had made her cry, couldn’t he at least say something sweet to coax her?

Lu Zhe seemed not to notice her resentful expression. He tightened his arm around her waist and said in a low voice, “The things I said last night, they were all lies. But the part where I said I can’t be with you, that’s real.”

Su Ci looked at him with displeasure.

Lu Zhe smoothed her soft hair and continued, “Maybe I still have one year, maybe two. Tuan Tuan, even so, do you still want to be with me?”

“Yes!” Of course she wanted to be with him.

Hearing her firm answer, Lu Zhe’s lips lifted faintly, and his pitch-black eyes brightened.

He pulled her tighter into his arms, his thin lips dry. “I’ll stay by your side, but we won’t go public. If, in the future, you find someone you like more… I’ll leave on my own.” This was his last remaining bottom line.

Su Ci lifted her chin slightly and bit down on his Adam’s apple.

Her bite didn’t hurt, but the sensation of having his lifeline caught between the girl’s teeth made Lu Zhe lose control. “Tuan Tuan.”

Su Ci released him. She looked at the boy’s clear, handsome features and asked, “Are you saying you want to be my underground lover?”

Lu Zhe lowered his gaze.

“Whatever you want.” Su Ci agreed. As long as they were together, that was enough.

In Su Ci’s view, no matter how she explained it right now, no one would believe her when she said Lu Zhe wouldn’t die. All she could do was quickly gather more golden cotton candy to cure him.

Since Lu Zhe wanted their relationship kept secret, and since Su Mother didn’t want her to be with him, developing an underground relationship with Lu Zhe seemed pretty suitable for them.

Besides, she had never been in a relationship before. Such an exciting secret romance—she was really looking forward to it.

Thinking this, Su Ci no longer felt angry at all.

She lay softly against Lu Zhe’s chest, sniffled, and said in a muffled voice, “Lu Zhe, I’m hungry.”

Lu Zhe reached out and touched the side of the bowl on the table. It was still warm. “Eat some breakfast?”

“You feed me. I got sick from being angry at you. My whole body has no strength now. You have to take good care of me.” Su Ci cried quickly and recovered just as quickly, turning back into her troublesome little self.

Lu Zhe had no temper at all. “I’ve never fed anyone before.”

The girl in his arms laughed. “It’s okay, I’ve never been fed before either. Perfect—we’re both first-timers.”

A faint smile appeared in Lu Zhe’s pitch-black eyes.

Su Ci noticed that after Lu Zhe ate the golden cotton candy, not only did he stop limping when he walked, but even his previously stiff, cold expression had regained some color. Although he still looked cool and distant, his once-frozen features seemed to have come alive again—cleaner, sharper, more ethereal.

She couldn’t help reaching out to touch the boy’s handsome face, and said bluntly, “Lu Zhe, I really want to kiss you. But I have a cold right now, so I’ll spare you for the moment.” So she wouldn’t spread the virus to him.

Ugh, she was way too considerate.

Lu Zhe lowered his head and, under the girl’s startled gaze, took the initiative to kiss her lips. “Eat breakfast.”

By the time breakfast was over, not only had Su Ci been sitting on Lu Zhe’s lap, she had also been fed personally by him. Su Ci was very satisfied.

After taking her cold medicine, Su Ci felt sleepy.

“There are two rooms here. Was one of them prepared for me?” Su Ci asked.

“Mm.” Even though he knew she already had the Su family now, he still prepared a room for her.

The girl smiled. She opened the bedroom door and found that it had already been set up.

The curtains were apricot-yellow with tiny floral patterns, tied back on both sides. Bright light streamed in from the small balcony, filling the room with warmth.

A large bed sat in the center, covered with pale pink sheets and a duvet. The décor was simple, but cozy and comfortable.

Su Ci stepped onto the pure-white long-pile carpet and noticed several small green potted plants placed by the window. Clearly, Lu Zhe had put in a lot of effort decorating the room for her.

She walked to the wardrobe and opened the door, only to find all her clothes from D City neatly placed inside. “You brought all my clothes over?”

“Mm.” He didn’t want her belongings left anywhere else.

Su Ci pulled open a drawer. Inside were neatly folded sets of her underwear. The corner of her eye lifted as she shot Lu Zhe a mischievous look. “You even brought my underwear? And you folded them for me?”

Lu Zhe turned his gaze away. “Mm.”

Su Ci stared at the boy’s reddened ears, triumphant. Her dark eyes sparkled. “Lu Zhe, just how much do you like me?”

The little villain’s gloating was on full display.

She lay down on the bed and demanded that Lu Zhe sleep beside her. Not only sleep beside her—she also demanded that he tell her a story.

Lu Zhe let out a soft laugh. “I only know the story of the Tortoise and the Hare. Do you want to hear it?”

Su Ci gave him a look. “Then sing.” His voice was nice, so he must sound good singing too.

Lu Zhe: “I only know the national anthem.”

Su Ci sniffled and buried her head into his chest, speaking in a muffled voice. “Forget it, I’m going to sleep. Hold me tighter.”

“Okay.”

The girl in his arms gradually settled down.

He didn’t know how long it had been before the soft sound of her breathing came—she had fallen asleep.

Lu Zhe lowered his head and reached out to touch her drooping, soft pink-and-white rabbit ears.

The promise he made to Auntie Su… he could only break it now. He wanted to stay with Su Ci for one more year.

Stealing the Su family’s treasure, being such a selfish and despicable person—he would probably go to hell after he died.

By nightfall, Su Ci’s rabbit ears still hadn’t disappeared. She had no choice but to call home and tell Su Mother she was in a bad mood and would be out for two days to relax.

Su Mother assumed her daughter was upset because she had blocked her from liking Lu Zhe. Her heart ached for her, but she still didn’t change her stance. Her daughter was still young—once she grew older and saw more of the world, she would gradually let go of Lu Zhe.

After hanging up, Su Mother worried her daughter didn’t have enough money in her card, so she transferred a large amount more.

The next morning, Lu Zhe got up early and made breakfast, left a note on the table, and headed out.

The venue had been ruined last time thanks to He Ermeng, and he and Boss Fang still hadn’t found a suitable place. Today they had arranged to meet an agent to look at other office options.

“Xiao Zhe, you look full of good energy today.” Boss Fang still carried a hint of joy.