Watching the two walk away, He Ermeng’s expression darkened, a sharp glint flashing in his eyes.

His elder brother patted his shoulder.

This younger brother caused quite a bit of trouble on a regular basis. Taking a loss once in a while was also good for him — it would let him understand that in this world, not everything goes the way he wants.

Su Ci pulled Lu Zhe toward the dance floor. As the music played, everyone’s eyes fell on them.

Su Ci and Lu Zhe’s looks were far too outstanding. Even if the two simply stood still, not doing anything, it would still be impossible to look away.

“Put your arm around my waist.” Su Ci slid her hand into Lu Zhe’s large one, fingers interlacing tightly.

Lu Zhe placed one hand on her lower waist.

Su Ci leaned close to him. “I take one step, you take one step.”

“Mm.”

Then Su Ci slowly guided Lu Zhe to follow the rhythm of the music.

“Lu Zhe, hold me a little tighter.” Su Ci requested.

The youth’s large hand tightened.

“Lu Zhe, you stepped on me.” Su Ci complained.

The tips of the youth’s ears warmed. “Sorry.”

“Lu Zhe, if I hadn’t asked you just now to dance with me, would you have let me dance with another boy?” Su Ci asked.

“No.”

Hearing this, Su Ci finally smiled. The displeasure from earlier when he ignored her vanished instantly.

“Hold me a little tighter.”

Over there, Lu Chen watched his son dancing in sync with Su Ci. He smiled and said to Father Su, “Your daughter is pretty good at teaching someone to dance.”

Father Su had always been proud of his daughter. Hearing Lu Chen praise her, he showed a rare pleased expression. “Of course.”

Mother Su looked at her daughter standing beside Lu Zhe, and her expression was not good. Seeing her husband looking so delighted made her anxious and angry, he didn’t even realize their daughter was about to be whisked away by the Lu family.

After one dance, Su Ci had been stepped on several times by Lu Zhe.

Her dark eyes looked at him. “You stepped on me so many times. It hurts.”

“Sorry.” A hint of embarrassment appeared in Lu Zhe’s pitch-black eyes.

“It’s a pity there are other people around.” The girl sighed.

Lu Zhe looked at her.

Sure enough, in the next second, the girl said regretfully, “Otherwise, you could’ve held me and carried me.”

Lu Zhe let out a quiet laugh. “Let’s go back. Auntie Su must be anxious.” The girl inviting him to dance so openly would definitely make Auntie Su unhappy.

Only then did Su Ci stop teasing him. She walked back to Mother Su’s side and complained sweetly, “I haven’t danced in so long. I’m so tired.”

Mother Su laughed. “You just need more exercise. How about you wake up early tomorrow and train with your big brother?”

“Ah, no, no, I suddenly don’t feel tired anymore.” Su Ci straightened up, looking pitifully at Mother Su.

Mother Su was amused by her daughter, and her worry over Su Ci dancing with Lu Zhe was finally put to rest.

After cutting the cake, Su Ci received a call informing her that some of Xie Yumin’s scandals were spreading online, but they had already been completely deleted.

Su Ci looked toward Xie Yumin, who had just received her slice of cake. The other girl seemed to sense her gaze and looked over, giving her a small smile.

Xie Yumin had short hair and delicate features. She looked cool and aloof, not easy to get along with. Her coldness was different from Lu Zhe’s — Lu Zhe was quiet and withdrawn by nature, not talkative. But Xie Yumin’s cold, sharp exterior was her armor, part of her crafted persona.

“Find out who released the news.” Su Ci instructed the person on the phone.

Usually, smearing an artist was done by a rival of similar popularity or with a similar image. Resources were limited — if you brought down a competitor, you had more to fight for. It was a common tactic in the entertainment industry.

After hanging up, Su Ci patted the little Tiancai beside her, who was eating cake with cream all over his mouth. Something came to her mind, and her eyes lit up.

Lu Zhe followed his parents, and people kept coming up to greet them.

Just then, the hand at his side was tugged by a smaller one.

Lu Zhe lowered his head and saw that the one pulling him was Zhen Tiancai, his mouth covered in cream.

“What is it?” Lu Zhe asked the little guy.

The little Tiancai grinned widely at him, then stuffed something into Lu Zhe’s palm before running off.

Lu Zhe tightened his hand around the crumpled piece of paper. Subconsciously, through the crowd, he looked toward the girl standing beside Father Su and Mother Su.

A moment later, the girl lifted her gown and went upstairs.

Lu Zhe unfolded the small paper ball. Written on it was: See you on the second floor~

There were a few knocks on the door. Very soon, it opened from inside.

Su Ci looked at Lu Zhe standing outside the door and smiled as she pulled him in.

“You called me up here for something?” Lu Zhe had told his parents he was going out to get some air, then slipped upstairs when they weren’t paying attention.

“To have cake with me.”

Su Ci had someone prepare a small cake in her room. The big cake downstairs was for the guests, this one was just for her and Lu Zhe.

Whether before or after entering the book, her birthday had always been on the same day. Su Ci felt that was pretty convenient, no need to celebrate twice.

Su Ci had already cut the small cake. She gave half to the boy.

It was Lu Zhe’s first time entering Su Ci’s room in the Su residence. The room was mainly done in creamy white tones, and the air carried her faint, soft scent. The atmosphere was thick with a young girl’s presence — this was the pampered little princess’s space.

Lu Zhe felt like he was trespassing into a princess’s boudoir like a voyeur.

The small cake, split in half, became even smaller. Lu Zhe finished his portion in just a few bites.

“Why do you eat so fast?” Su Ci had only taken two small bites.

The girl sat delicately at the edge of the bed in her nude-pink starlit gown, holding her cake. A bit of cream touched her lips — no matter how one looked at her, she was stunning.

Lu Zhe said, “You’re the main character today. If you disappear too long, it’ll be noticed.”

Mother Su had been keeping an eye on the two of them. If he and Su Ci left the banquet for too long, she would definitely notice.

Su Ci didn’t care at all. She took another bite, her mouth filled with sweet, milky cream. “Don’t you have something to say to me?”

“Happy birthday.”

Lu Zhe used his thumb to wipe the cream from the corner of her lips.

Su Ci blinked. “Is that all?”

Then Lu Zhe took out a small sapphire-blue gift box from his pocket. “Your birthday present.”

Su Ci was the Su family’s young lady. Guests downstairs were giving luxury cars, designer watches, even entire floors of property. Compared to those, his gift was utterly worthless.

Su Ci opened the small box. Inside was a silver anklet with a cute little bunny head about the size of a fingernail. “I like it very much. Put it on for me.”

Su Ci had noticed several knife marks on the boy’s fingers. Combined with the clumsy little rabbit, she knew perfectly well that Lu Zhe had carved it himself.

If she weren’t clever and attentive, she wouldn’t have realized it — wouldn’t have realized how secretly affectionate he was.

Lu Zhe half-knelt at the girl’s feet. His cold hand held her slender ankle, placing her foot on his knee.

Her snow-white ankle on his black suit pants looked even paler, carrying a fragile, dangerous beauty.

The youth’s eyes darkened slightly. His fingers moved skillfully as he untied the red string around her ankle, then fastened the new chain on. Against her snow-white skin, even the clumsy little bunny looked delicate.

“It’s on.”

Lu Zhe tapped the tiny bunny lightly with his fingertip.

Su Ci swayed her foot, making the little bunny swing with it. She lowered her gaze to the boy kneeling by her feet. “Thank you for the birthday gift.”

Lu Zhe chuckled softly. “Let’s go back downstairs.”

“In a moment.” Her eyes gleamed with mischief as she reached out and tugged at his suit jacket.

Lu Zhe followed her movement and was pulled onto the bed.

Su Ci flipped over and sat on Lu Zhe’s lap. The little white jade bunny at her ankle swayed continuously.

Under the lights, the girl smiled like a fairy temptress, the tiny tear mole under her eye unbearably seductive.

“When I saw you downstairs just now, guess what I was thinking?”

Lu Zhe was pinned beneath the girl, yet he didn’t resist. His pitch-black eyes half narrowed as he looked at her. “What were you thinking?”

Su Ci lay against his chest, trembling with laughter. “I was thinking… Lu Zhe looks so handsome in a suit. I want to rip his clothes off!”

Lu Zhe trained regularly. His figure was excellent—his whole body covered with a thin layer of muscle, powerful without being bulky. Su Ci had long wanted to get her hands on him.

Lu Zhe: …

This girl was getting bolder and bolder; she really dared to say anything.

Lu Zhe reached out to straighten her. “Tuan Tuan, get up.”

There was still a hall full of guests downstairs. How could he indulge her nonsense?

“If I don’t rip your clothes, let me touch you instead.”

Su Ci was very clever. Ever since last time, she had been testing Lu Zhe’s limits step by step.

First she made requests, then followed them with a small touch, and after that she gradually pushed further.

She knew that with someone like Lu Zhe—desireless, indifferent, cold as stone—forcing him too quickly wouldn’t work. It had to be done slowly, gently, soft pressure only.

“Tuan Tuan, don’t mess around.”

If the timing were different, Lu Zhe really would have let the girl learn the consequences of teasing him.

Su Ci was about to speak again when she suddenly received a golden cotton candy.

It was from Xie Yumin!

Receiving golden cotton candy meant Xie Yumin would not die.

Su Ci’s eyes curved happily. This task really was easy. She looked at Lu Zhe. “Then give me a kiss, and I’ll let you go downstairs.”

Lu Zhe held her hand, guiding it to rest behind her head. He pulled her down toward him.

She had just eaten cake, and her lips still held a sweet, milky fragrance.

Soft and sweet.

Lu Zhe’s gaze deepened.

Su Ci fed the golden cotton candy to him. Her watery black eyes flashed with mischief, and in the next second, her small tongue slipped in as well.

The hand pressing the back of her head tightened, pushing her even closer. Lu Zhe tasted a mouthful of milky sweetness.

Then, a soft little hand tugged at the hem of his suit jacket. Lu Zhe froze.

Before he could react, her hand slipped inside and quickly brushed against his lower abdomen.

Just that one touch nearly drove Lu Zhe insane. He gritted his teeth hard and growled low against her lips, “Tuan Tuan!”

Su Ci’s delicate brows lifted in triumph. “I’m here.”

No one knew how much time had passed before Lu Zhe finally left the girl’s room.

The moment the door closed behind him, He Ermeng stepped out from the corner of the hall and called out to him.

Lu Zhe turned his head.

“What were you two doing in there?”

He Ermeng’s eyes were bloodshot, his face twisted in rage as he questioned him.

Clearly, he had been waiting outside the whole time. Lu Zhe’s voice was ice-cold. “None of your business.”

He Ermeng rushed forward, trying to grab Lu Zhe’s collar, but Lu Zhe easily dodged.

“Lu Zhe, do you deserve her? Do you deserve Su Ci?”

Just thinking about Lu Zhe walking out of Su Ci’s room made He Ermeng so furious he wanted to kill him.

Lu Zhe looked at him coldly. “At least the one she likes is me.”

The boy’s words pierced straight through him, forcing He Ermeng into a corner like a trapped beast.

“Bullshit.”

He Ermeng’s gaze slashed viciously toward him. “So what if you’re the Lu family’s son now? Don’t forget—you’re terminally ill. With ALS, how many years do you think you have left?”

He sneered coldly. “So what if she likes you right now? I can stay by her side, and when you die, I’ll chase her then.”

He continued to laugh mockingly. “The one who laughs last is the winner. You have less than three years left, right? I can accompany her for a lifetime!”

A lifetime. Anyone else could offer her that.

But Lu Zhe’s “lifetime” was less than three years.

Someone like him, so unaware of his place, still dared to dream of being with Su Ci?

Lu Zhe’s thin lips drained of color. His arm went numb, his muscles twitching again and again.

He stared at He Ermeng coldly, his voice low. “If she wants me by her side for one day, I’ll stay by her side for one day.”

His lifetime wasn’t long, but all of it belonged to Su Ci.