Facing Boss Fang’s hesitation, Lu Zhe asked him, “Uncle Fang, what did you want to say to me?”

“Nothing.” Boss Fang hurriedly shook his head. He took a sip of coffee, endured the heat, and pretended to praise, “This coffee is pretty good, no wonder Xiao Ci said she likes that drink shop.”

He looked at Lu Zhe. “Xiao Zhe, if you have time you can also go buy a cup and try it. I’ll go back to work first.”

Boss Fang felt that he had done his best. Whether his guess was right or not, at least he had let Lu Zhe be on guard.

The customers at the drink shop were increasing. Many of them came because of Ji Chi. Who doesn’t love a handsome little gege? Especially one this tall and handsome, with a cold temperament, looking even better than male celebrities.

After observing the employees, Su Ci also paid attention to the customers in line. They were all young, cute girls. Their faces turned red when they saw Ji Chi, and their voices became soft and gentle. It didn’t look like anyone would hurt Ji Chi at all.

After glancing at the time, Su Ci felt bored and wanted to leave.

Lu Zhe wasn’t stupid. Boss Fang’s expression was strange, and he had hesitated twice, bringing up this drink shop and Su Ci. So he still came.

Outside, Lu Zhe looked through the drink shop’s glass wall. With one glance he saw Su Ci sitting at a small round table.

The girl’s small, fair face was very noticeable. He saw her glance toward the cashier from time to time.

Following her line of sight, Lu Zhe saw the tall, handsome boy in the milk tea shop’s work uniform, busy taking orders and handling payments.

His pitch-black eyes darkened even more.

The hand hanging at his side went numb.

He suddenly realized that Su Ci’s gaze, which had always been fixed on him, could look at others at any moment.

On his stiff, cold face, his complexion turned pale. Lu Zhe felt a strange, suffocating ache in his chest.

The pain of his muscles beginning to twitch brought him back to clarity.

Lu Zhe had always known that Su Ci currently liked him. Perhaps it was because she needed to kiss him, and that had created affection.

She was still young. Later she would meet more outstanding people her age—especially in university, where everyone would be full of youthful energy, vitality, and stubborn life force.

One day, she might realize that someone like him, someone with a terminal illness, wasn’t worth liking.

Or, after seeing him during an attack—unable to walk, unable to move his limbs, unable to speak, only able to lie in bed as his body withered and his life slowly faded—she would regret being with him.

He had thought through all of this.

One reason he didn’t agree to make their relationship public back then was that he didn’t want to become a burden to her.

In the future, if she got tired of him and met someone she truly liked, she could go back on her words at any time.

Seeing the way the girl looked at Ji Chi, Lu Zhe quietly stood there. The muscles in his arm twitched again and again, and his thin lips were pressed so tightly they lost their color.

His fingertips tingled with numbness. After a long moment, Lu Zhe took out his phone and called Su Ci.

The girl’s pleasant voice quickly came through. “Lu Zhe.”

Lu Zhe raised his eyes, looking through the glass at Su Ci inside the shop. “I see you.”

Su Ci looked up in confusion, and with one glance she saw the tall youth outside. Her dark eyes lit up, and she immediately stood and walked out.

“Why did you come?” Su Ci hung up the phone and walked to Lu Zhe’s side. “Was it Uncle Fang who told you he saw me here?”

“Mm.” Lu Zhe put his phone away, his gaze meeting Ji Chi’s at the cashier inside the shop.

“You missed me, so when you knew I was here, you came looking for me right away?” Su Ci smiled brightly and took Lu Zhe’s hand. “Why are your hands so cold? Are you freezing?”

The boy’s fingertips were icy.

Lu Zhe withdrew his gaze and shook his head.

He held the girl’s hand tighter. “Uncle Fang told me the drinks here are good.”

Su Ci shot him a sideways glance, her eyes proud. “You clearly just wanted to see me.”

Lu Zhe lowered his eyes to look at her, his thin lips slowly regaining color. “Mm.”

He felt that not only was his heart frozen stiff, it was rotten.

Selfishly and despicably, he hoped this stolen time could last a little longer.

Hearing Lu Zhe’s response, an uncontrollable smile bloomed on Su Ci’s beautiful red lips. “I knew it.”

Now that Lu Zhe had come, Su Ci wasn’t in a hurry to go home anymore. She held his hand and wandered around the mall.

When they passed a skincare store, Su Ci walked in. School was about to start, and there would be military training.

She hadn’t wanted to participate at all. Don’t talk to her about strengthening the body— with her delicate physique, she would collapse before the training even began.

But at the Su household, Su Mother supported Su Ci not doing the training, while Su Father and Su Zhiyuan wanted her to join. In their eyes, Su Ci really needed the exercise.

Besides, Su Father said Lu Zhe was also participating, so she had even less reason to skip it.

Resistance was futile. Su Ci felt miserably tragic.

The weather at the end of August was still hot, and the sun was fierce. As for military training— never mind whether her body could withstand it. In Su Ci’s eyes, that was secondary. What mattered more than anything was her skin.

Her skin was snow-white and delicate, and even she liked it to no end. Just thinking about standing under the sun, getting burned and tanned, made her want to cry.

Su Ci directly had the assistant bring out ten bottles of sunscreen spray and sunscreen lotion.

Lu Zhe was surprised. “So much? Can you finish it?”

“I’ll give you half.” Su Ci reached out to touch Lu Zhe’s face. She wasn’t sure if it was because of his ALS or not, but when he wasn’t smiling, his expression always looked cold.

But his skin was very good— cool-toned and fair, paired with his refined features. No matter how she looked at him, he was too good-looking.

“During military training, remember to put on sunscreen.” Su Ci copied the way Lu Zhe always pinched her cheeks and pinched his. “With such a handsome face, you have to protect it properly.”

If he tanned, she would feel distressed.

Lu Zhe’s pitch-black eyes looked at her. “You really like this face of mine?”

Su Ci was very honest. She nodded. “Yeah.”

Every part of Lu Zhe fit perfectly into her sense of beauty. She liked him to death.

Lu Zhe lifted the girl’s hand away from his face and said seriously, “I will protect my face well.”

He hoped she could like him a little longer.

After paying, Su Ci even added a tip and asked them to deliver the pile of sunscreen sprays to both the Su and Lu households. Then she took Lu Zhe’s hand and continued wandering.

There were more clothing shops on the second floor. All of Su Ci’s clothes were custom-made by the exclusive studio Su Mother hired— the designs were beautiful, and the fabric was soft and gentle on the skin.

After Lu Zhe returned to the Lu household, there were also people specifically in charge of his clothes, all custom-made as well.

So neither of them was particularly interested in the clothing stores.

But when they passed a lingerie shop, Su Ci’s gaze was caught by the mannequin displayed behind the glass wall.

The mannequin was wearing a schoolgirl outfit, clearly different from the uniforms at her school. The one on the mannequin was form-fitting, with a low neckline, and the skirt was very short.

Su Ci brushed her fingertip across Lu Zhe’s palm, her eyes carrying mischief. She deliberately asked him, “Is this outfit pretty?”

Lu Zhe glanced into the glass once.

Su Ci rose on tiptoe, leaned close to his ear, and asked softly, “Do you know what this outfit is?”

Lu Zhe answered, “A school uniform.”

Su Ci laughed beside his ear, her voice light and pleasant. “It’s a sexy costume.”

Lu Zhe tightened his hold on the girl’s hand. His lowered eyelashes trembled. “Tuan Tuan.”

Su Ci was being very bad. Her fingertips traced lightly across his palm as she asked him, “If I wear it for you, would that be good?”

Lu Zhe looked uneasy and a little helpless. He clasped her mischievous hand tighter in his palm. “No.”

How could he not know what wicked thoughts she was having?

Rejected, Su Ci pursed her lips unhappily. “Why do you have no sense of fun at all?”

She pulled Lu Zhe and walked into the lingerie shop.

“Tuan Tuan.” Lu Zhe stood still.

Su Ci’s eyes lifted slightly at the corners. “I like this outfit. I’m not wearing it for you, I’m wearing it for myself.”

As for whether he might see it by accident, that wasn’t something she could control.

Lu Zhe looked at her deeply and could only allow her to buy the sexy costume she spoke of.

Night.

Su Ci changed into the outfit she had bought from the lingerie shop today.

The material on the top wasn’t like a normal school uniform’s white shirt. To achieve a fitted look, it used stretchy white fabric.

After Su Ci put it on, she found the effect astonishing.

Her figure was very good, and wearing such a fitted, low-neck, midriff-baring top made her curves look even fuller.

Su Ci also put on the plaid skirt. It was one-third shorter than her usual school uniform skirt.

Her normal uniform skirt reached just above her knee, but this one barely covered her thighs. No wonder it was considered a sexy costume.

Su Ci examined herself in the mirror— pure and seductive at the same time. Compared to a bunny spirit, she looked more like a bewitching fox spirit.

The more she looked, the more satisfied she became.

Su Ci thought that if she could find an opportunity to show this beautiful outfit in front of Lu Zhe, that would be perfect.