Even if something had happened, Zheng Hao’s concert still had to continue. The shouts and applause from the fans kept pouring in.

Su Ci looked at the life bar hovering over Zheng Hao’s hand — it was still showing a red line. She couldn’t understand at all why, even though the danger had passed, he still looked like he was about to die.

She called out Fugui. “Zheng Hao’s life-threatening danger should be over, but why is his life bar still a thin red line?”

Fugui’s little milky voice sounded more agitated than usual, [Master, you still have to save him. He’s still in danger.]

Su Ci frowned. “So you’re saying he’s still going to die?”

Fugui replied, [His car gets into an accident.]

Su Ci was speechless for a moment. So even if Zheng Hao didn’t die at the concert, he would still die after the concert.

She really didn’t know how to comment on that.

Sensing that its master wasn’t very happy, Fugui quickly said, [Master, Zheng Hao dies twice. If you save him, you’ll get two golden cotton candies.]

Fugui sounded very cheerful. If the master got golden cotton candies, it would get one, and Lu Zhe would get one. Wonderful.

Su Ci was surprised. “Two?”

Fugui: [Yeah.]

One second ago, Su Ci had still been complaining that Zheng Hao was a walking magnet for trouble. But after hearing Fugui’s words, her gaze toward Zheng Hao on the stage completely changed. She liked efforts that came with rewards. Saving someone once earned her one golden cotton candy — very fair.

Lu Zhe wasn’t very interested in the performance in the sky. His gaze lingered more often on Su Ci. Noticing the girl’s constantly shifting expression, he was a little confused. “What happened?”

The stage lights reflected off Su Ci’s face, and her eyes sparkled. “I suddenly realized something good.”

Lu Zhe chuckled softly. “What is it?”

Su Ci turned her head to look at him, her little eyes carrying a mischievous glint. “I’ll tell you after the concert.”

The concert lasted two and a half hours. Before it even ended, Su Zhiyuan stood up and left, and the female friend sitting beside him followed after.

Su Ci saw her brother being escorted out. Only then did she sit up straight. He probably hadn’t seen her, right?

Near the end of the concert, Su Ci took Lu Zhe’s hand and stood up, walking toward the backstage area.

The person in charge greeted her with great respect. “Miss Su, you’re leaving?”

There was a backstage passage leading directly to the parking lot. Su Ci thought for a moment and instructed the person in charge, “My car is in the parking lot. After the concert ends, have Zheng Hao get into my car.”

“Miss Su, there are many reporters outside. I’m afraid…” The person in charge hesitated.

Su Ci insisted, “It’s fine. Do as I say. I’ll send Zheng Hao away.”

How would he dare go against the little princess of the Su family? He quickly agreed.

The concert ended amid the fans’ cheers and applause.

Zheng Hao returned backstage, collapsing exhaustedly onto the sofa in the dressing room, his mind blank.

He was still wearing his performance outfit, makeup still on his face, so tired he didn’t even want to move.

At that moment, his manager came in to tell him to go out and take group photos.

Zheng Hao was forced to continue working. After a round of large group shots, the person in charge came to find him and the manager.

The person in charge relayed Su Ci’s instructions. “There are too many fans outside. When it’s time to leave later, Zheng Hao, you’ll take another car. It’s the one Miss Su arranged; it’s already prepared in the parking lot. Li Qi, you and the assistants should take the nanny van. We’ll send Zheng Hao back.”

Zheng Hao was a little stunned. “Su Ci is sending me back?”

The manager was also surprised. “Miss Su?”

If Su Ci hadn’t forcefully pressured Zheng Hao earlier, he probably would have fallen from the lift platform on stage. Forget finishing the concert — he might’ve been in life-threatening danger.

Hearing Su Ci’s name at this moment, the two of them couldn’t help but feel their goodwill toward her rise sharply.

Especially Zheng Hao. Before the incident, he had found Su Ci’s meddling extremely annoying. But when the accident happened and he lay there on the stage, hearing the fans’ screams, the moment that flashed through his mind was Su Ci ordering him to fasten the safety wires.

No one understood better than he did what it felt like to brush past death in that instant.

Lying on the stage with numb limbs, all he could think about was gratitude toward Su Ci.

She had saved his life.

Now, hearing that she had arranged a car for him, he felt surprised — but not resistant.

Zheng Hao accepted.

After the person in charge left, Zheng Hao returned to the dressing room.

“You’re really going to get into Su Ci’s car?” The manager followed him inside and closed the door behind them. “There are reporters everywhere outside. If you get photographed getting into her car, do you know what that means?”

“I’ll be careful.” Zheng Hao leaned tiredly against the sofa. “I avoided disaster because of her words. I should at least thank her in person.”

The manager nodded. “You really should thank Miss Su. If she hadn’t insisted you secure proper safety measures, I can’t imagine what would’ve happened if you fell from a lift three meters high.”

“But you could thank her another time. Your fans are still waiting outside.” The manager clearly disapproved.

Zheng Hao was silent for a moment. “Brother Qi, weren’t you the one who told me Miss Su’s words can’t be disobeyed?”

The manager choked and glared at him.

“Later, have someone buy milk tea and some snacks to hand out to them. Tell them to head home and be careful on the road.” Zheng Hao walked to the makeup table and began removing his makeup.

“I know how to handle it.” The manager rubbed his chin, then asked with doubt, “But this Miss Su… she came to watch your concert, worried about you having an accident, insisted you take safety precautions, and now that the concert is over, she even arranged a car for you. Do you think she might be…”

Zheng Hao paused in removing his makeup. He raised a brow and looked at the manager through the mirror. “Brother Qi, what are you trying to say?”

The manager grinned. “Miss Su isn’t just your fan — she might like you. Otherwise, why would she care so much about you?”

There were many girls who liked Zheng Hao. Outside the venue alone, a huge crowd was waiting for him. Miss Su’s family background was good, but she was still just a young girl. It wasn’t strange for her to like Zheng Hao.

Zheng Hao’s heart skipped a beat. If any other girl liked him, he would simply laugh it off. But hearing the manager say this now, he found himself feeling an inexplicable sense of anticipation.

The manager had accompanied him for so long; seeing his expression, how could he not know what Zheng Hao was thinking?

He had to remind him. “Think clearly. Do you understand the kind of family the Su family is? And your career has only just begun. You should know what kind of fatal blow a relationship can deal to an idol.”

Zheng Hao wiped the eyeliner from his eyes. “Brother Qi, you’re overthinking.”

After the manager left, Zheng Hao had already removed his makeup. He also changed out of his performance outfit. He was now wearing a black hoodie and a pair of jeans — clean and refreshing — with a black backpack on his back, looking like a big boy who had just walked out of a school campus.

He put on a mask, then a black bucket hat. Only after disguising himself did he leave the dressing room.

“Be careful, don’t let the reporters catch you on camera.” The manager reminded him again. “I won’t walk you over; otherwise someone might recognize me.”

Zheng Hao pulled his hat lower. “Mm.”

He walked through the backstage passage and entered the parking lot.

Zheng Hao immediately spotted the black car the person in charge had mentioned. He checked the license plate, then strode toward it.

Toward Su Ci, aside from being stunned by her beauty when they first met, all he felt now was deep gratitude. And now that she suddenly offered to send him home, he couldn’t help thinking more about it.

Other fans, he could reject without hesitation. But Su Ci had saved his life — and she was beautiful. He had to admit, it was hard for anyone to refuse a girl like her.

Zheng Hao fell into a tangle of thoughts.

Inside the car, Su Ci and Lu Zhe had already been waiting for him.

Bored from waiting, Su Ci started playing with Lu Zhe’s fingers.

The boy’s hands were large, with well-defined knuckles. They had a bit of thin calluses, but it didn’t affect how slender and good-looking his fingers were.

Su Ci absent-mindedly kneaded Lu Zhe’s fingers while calculating the time.

When Zheng Hao was on stage, she had only seen the thin red line on his wrist and hadn’t seen the specific countdown. But Fugui told her he had only one hour.

From the end of the concert until now, she and Lu Zhe had waited nearly forty minutes.

That meant Zheng Hao’s life value had only twenty minutes left.

Su Ci was getting impatient. She was about to call the person in charge to confirm again when her gaze unintentionally shifted outside the car — and she saw the tall figure walking toward them.

Su Ci lowered the car window. After confirming it was Zheng Hao, she called out, “Over here.”

Seeing the girl’s face appear through the window, Zheng Hao’s gaze tightened slightly. He quickened his pace.

Inside his heart, a faint and uncontrollable happiness surged up.

Zheng Hao lowered his hat, glanced around to ensure there were no cameras, then walked to the other side of the car and pulled the door open.

Just as he was about to sit down, his expression froze beneath the mask.

The smile in his eyes halted. Zheng Hao stared in shock at the car’s interior — at the handsome, striking-featured boy sitting inside.

Su Ci leaned forward from Lu Zhe’s side and said, “Get in.”

Lu Zhe gave Zheng Hao a calm, expressionless glance.

Zheng Hao immediately snapped out of it and sat down.

The door closed, and a faint sense of awkwardness filled the car.

“Miss Su.” Zheng Hao quickly gathered himself and removed his mask.

Su Ci glanced at the hand holding the mask — just enough for the sleeve to shift and reveal his life bar: 18 minutes.

She withdrew her gaze, then smiled at Zheng Hao. “Congratulations on successfully completing your concert.”

Zheng Hao’s eyes were filled with complicated emotions. Su Ci clearly didn’t feel the way he and his manager had imagined. He put away all the messy, tangled thoughts and said with sincere gratitude, “My concert went smoothly because of you. I should be thanking you.”

“If you hadn’t insisted that I use the safety wire for the backflip, the moment I made that mistake, I would’ve already fallen off the lift.” Zheng Hao was willful, but not ungrateful. “You saved my life.”

Su Ci didn’t act modest. She did save Zheng Hao — not just once, but twice.

She accepted his thanks. “I hope you don’t act stubbornly in the future. Pursuing perfection is good, but only if you guarantee your own safety. I can save you once, twice, but I might not be able to save you a third time.”

Zheng Hao agreed. In that moment of error, he truly had been terrified.

He didn’t get injured, but he certainly learned his lesson.

Listening to the conversation between the two, Lu Zhe realized that Su Ci had saved Zheng Hao’s life.

Instinctively, Lu Zhe glanced at Su Ci. After all this time, he had discovered that she had already saved many people.