Chapter 19: 019

Chapter 19

"Something wrong?" Lu Zhe asked the person at the door.

Zhao Youyou spoke softly, "During the math test today, you suddenly rushed out of the classroom. I was worried about you, so I came to check if everything's alright."

After all, she had never seen Lu Zhe lose composure like that before. Something important must have happened to make him leave in such a hurry.

Lu Zhe replied coldly, "I'm fine."

"Things haven't been peaceful at home lately. A couple living upstairs has been dumping their garbage in front of our door because of some lottery issue. Mom and Dad have argued with them several times and almost got beaten up. Brother, could you come back and help mediate?" In Zhao Youyou's view, that couple was being so overbearing because there was no one in their family who could stand up to them.

Lu Zhe was tall and strong, with a cold exterior that made him look intimidating. With him around, that couple wouldn't dare to be so reckless.

Lu Zhe looked at her with an indifferent expression, "I've already left the Zhao family."

Zhao Youyou remembered how her parents had worried that Lu Zhe would claim a share of the prize money, so they had him completely move out of the Zhao household. Even his household registration was no longer in their family registry.

Indeed, Lu Zhe now had no connection to their family.

Thinking about this, Zhao Youyou felt somewhat ashamed, "Even if you've left the Zhao family, you're still my brother." He had saved her before, and she wouldn't forget that.

"Won't you invite me in to sit?" Zhao Youyou didn't mention asking Lu Zhe to return home again. She recalled that she had come to find Lu Zhe several times but never had the chance to look inside.

Inside the room.

Su Ci was preparing to rest when she heard a girl's voice from outside.

Her beautiful brows furrowed instinctively.

She recognized it was Zhao Youyou's voice.

Su Ci sat up again, wanting to go out, but suddenly remembered she was wearing rabbit ears. She couldn't let others see her current appearance.

Walking to the door, Su Ci perked up her ears to eavesdrop on Lu Zhe and Zhao Youyou's conversation.

When she heard Zhao Youyou asking Lu Zhe to return and help her deal with the people whose lottery ticket she had stolen, she couldn't help but roll her eyes.

Su Ci didn't dislike white lotuses, but she despised those who wore the facade of a white lotus while acting like a hypocritical bitch.

Hearing that Zhao Youyou wanted to come in, Su Ci's eyes curved mischievously, a hint of playfulness flashing in them.

Outside the door, Zhao Youyou wore a faint smile, waiting for Lu Zhe to invite her in.

At that moment, a girl's voice came from the room opposite the living room, "Lu Zhe, I can't sleep. Come in and talk with me."

The girl's voice was soft yet carried a willful coquettishness, clearly someone who was spoiled.

Zhao Youyou was stunned.

She looked at Lu Zhe in disbelief. There was someone else in his house, and it was a girl?

Was Lu Zhe living together with a girl?

How was that possible?

"You... you don't live alone?" Zhao Youyou found it hard to believe that Lu Zhe was living with a girl.

Lu Zhe responded directly: "That's none of your business."

Zhao Youyou left with an awkward expression.

Walking in the narrow and dim stairwell of the old apartment complex, she couldn't remember Lu Zhe having any contact with girls in her previous life.

Living in such conditions and suffering from a terminal illness, no one would want to associate with Lu Zhe. After all, everyone knew that Lu Zhe had ALS; he was a burden, a liability.

In her previous life, the last time she saw Lu Zhe, his condition had worsened significantly. His cheeks were gaunt, and his limbs were stiff, making him look strange. Even now, thinking about it made her feel somewhat disgusted, let alone others.

So, who was the girl in Lu Zhe's room? What was their relationship?

Recalling the girl's spoiled voice commanding Lu Zhe, Zhao Youyou felt inexplicably uncomfortable.

Because she realized that Lu Zhe had refused to let her enter because of that girl.

Inside the room.

Su Ci waited and waited but Lu Zhe didn't come in.

She got up from the bed again.

Without even putting on her shoes, she opened the door and went out. She had originally planned to subtly inquire about him and Zhao Youyou, as she remembered that in the book, he died saving Zhao Youyou. She had once praised this cannon fodder male supporting character for being deeply devoted, but now everything was different.

She and Lu Zhe were each other's tools. If she was pure in body and mind, Lu Zhe must be too.

Otherwise, she would die of anger.

Su Ci frowned, her fair face filled with displeasure.

Not seeing Lu Zhe in the living room, she heard sounds from the kitchen and went to look there.

As soon as she reached the doorway, Su Ci saw the tall young man standing in front of the cabinet, silently focused on washing dishes.

Somehow, the balloon of anger in Su Ci's heart seemed to be pricked by a needle, deflating completely.

Su Ci asked Fugui, "Why is Lu Zhe so handsome?"

Fugui didn't want to answer this question. Lu Zhe was competing with it for the golden cotton candy; they were enemies, and it didn't want to praise its enemy.

Fugui: [Master, according to the book's setting, the male lead Fu Baili is supposed to be the most handsome.]

Su Ci pouted with disgust, "That stingy Fu only knows how to fight, his eyes turn red at the sight of Zhao Youyou, he has a violent temper like a mental patient, and he's a poor student. Tell me, what's handsome about him?"

Fugui didn't dare to argue, feeling wronged: [So Lu Zhe is a bit more handsome than Fu Baili?]

Su Ci raised an eyebrow: "Hmm?"

Fugui trembled: [In Fugui's eyes, Lu Zhe is the most handsome person in the world.]

Su Ci let out a light snort and walked toward that world's most handsome person.

She kicked him lightly with her toe, "Lu Zhe, why didn't you answer when I called you?"

Lu Zhe turned on the faucet to rinse the dishes. Without looking at the girl beside him, he said, "Didn't you say you had a headache? You should rest."

Su Ci watched his large hands with distinct knuckles, still looking beautiful under the running water. The young man's washing movements were practiced, as if he often did chores like washing dishes and cooking, no wonder his hands had a thin layer of calluses.

"I can't sleep." Su Ci moved closer to him, her black eyes staring straight at him, asking bluntly, "Lu Zhe, do you like Zhao Youyou?"

Lu Zhe continued washing without pause, ignoring her words.

Su Ci stretched out her little paws and hugged Lu Zhe's fingers, her ruby-like rabbit eyes warning him not to let anyone else hold her!

Zhao Youyou reached out to hold the rabbit.

Lu Zhe refused, "No, it doesn't like you."

Su Ci looked up at the young man above her, then contentedly nuzzled his palm with her head.

Zhao Youyou hadn't expected Lu Zhe to be so blunt. Even though she was used to his cold personality, she still felt embarrassed.

There were five people in total, with Teacher Huang leading the team. Besides Lu Zhe and Zhao Youyou, there were two other students participating.

When they arrived at the hotel, Teacher Huang began assigning rooms.

Zhao Youyou and another girl would share a double room, while Lu Zhe and the other male student would share another.

"I'm sorry, but I'd like a room to myself," Lu Zhe told Teacher Huang. "I can pay for my own room."

Teacher Huang remembered that Lu Zhe had health issues, so it was understandable that he might not be comfortable sharing with others. "There's no need for you to pay; I'll get you another room."

Finally, Lu Zhe received his key card; his room was on the seventeenth floor, on a different level from Zhao Youyou and the others.

As soon as they entered the room, Su Ci in Lu Zhe's hands eagerly patted his palm with her paws, wanting him to kiss her quickly.

Lu Zhe looked down to see the rabbit staring up at him urgently with her red eyes.

His cold hand stroked her head, enjoying the incredibly soft, fluffy feeling.

She was indeed cuter as a little rabbit.

After several strokes, Lu Zhe carried the rabbit into the bathroom.

He looked down and kissed the rabbit's little mouth, then placed the small rabbit on the floor, taking out the prepared clothes from his backpack and hanging them nearby.

Lu Zhe went out.

The door closed, and after a while, the milk-white, snow-like little rabbit on the floor transformed into a graceful young woman.

With black hair falling down her back, Su Ci covered her chest as she stood up. She casually glanced in the mirror and clicked her tongue: all she saw was snow-white skin and alluring colors, truly bewitching.

The bathroom door opened.

Su Ci walked out, now wearing a light smoky purple silk dress. The ethereal color made her skin appear even more fair and translucent. "Finally back to normal," she said.

She sat down on the bed.

"I ordered food for you; room service will bring it up soon."

"What about you?" Su Ci's feet were bare, not yet wearing shoes, as she stepped on the grey carpet. Her small feet looked even more snow-white and delicate.

"I need to go downstairs to meet Teacher Huang and the others. After eating, we'll go check out the competition venue," Lu Zhe said as he took out Su Ci's luggage and neatly arranged it nearby.

Even such ordinary, simple actions looked particularly handsome when Lu Zhe did them.

Su Ci nodded, not unreasonably asking to go along.

She looked around the guest room. Being a single room, it wasn't very large. A large bed sat in the middle, with a TV cabinet and television in front, and two single armchairs and a small tea table near the window.

Thinking of something, Su Ci poked Lu Zhe, who was standing by the TV cabinet, with her toes.

The young man turned around.

He saw the girl's dark eyes twinkling with mischief, a look he was familiar with.

Sure enough, the next second, he heard her say, "Lu Zhe, there's only one bed here. Are we sleeping together tonight?"

His temple twitched.

Lu Zhe took a deep breath, "I'll ask service to bring another blanket."

Su Ci smiled triumphantly, "Even with another blanket, we'll still be sharing the same bed."

Even though she would be sleeping with Lu Zhe at night, she didn't believe he would do anything to her. Usually, she had to be the one to initiate and beg for kisses, and he was always reluctant. She had questioned his aesthetic preferences several times, or whether he was even a man.

However, she just enjoyed teasing Lu Zhe, liked seeing him helpless yet patient, unable to do anything about her behavior.

After eating, Su Ci didn't obediently stay in the room as Lu Zhe had told her to; she prepared to go out for a stroll.

Tianseyan was a private restaurant that wasn't open to the public.

The classical decor, combined with the bamboo garden outside, created an elegant atmosphere.

Several people had just finished their meal and were leaving the private room.

He Ermeng, the young master of the He family, strolled leisurely behind, a cigarette dangling from his lips. Looking at the woman maintaining her dignified posture in front of him, he wore a displeased expression. "She really thinks she's the He family's precious daughter."

Beside him, Shen Jun pushed up his glasses and said, "Well, she did grow up in the Su family, and now that their daughter is gone, Mr. and Mrs. Su miss their daughter and see her as a replacement. It's natural for her to seize the opportunity to climb up the social ladder. Though who would have thought that someone who appeared to be such an innocent rabbit was actually hiding such depths?"

He Ermeng removed the cigarette from his mouth. "A replacement? She's not worthy."

The group walked to the entrance to get their cars.

Qin Shiyan turned around, removing her sunglasses. Under the harsh sunlight, the small beauty mark at the corner of her eye was particularly striking. "My agent is waiting for me, and I have appointments this afternoon. It was lovely dining with you all today. Let's meet again soon."

Shen Jun nodded with a cultured smile.

Qin Shiyan returned his smile warmly, but in the next moment, her gaze caught something in the distance and she froze.

Aliali: 674546a8c4f3f33ac44c92acHe Ermeng followed her line of sight, and instantly gripped his cigarette so tightly in excitement that he didn't even notice when it burned his fingers. "Is that her?"

The slender figure of the girl quickly disappeared around the corner.

He Ermeng threw away his crushed cigarette and made to chase after her.

Qin Shiyan snapped back to reality. "Young Master He, you must be mistaken."

He Ermeng shot her a fierce glare. "That's bullshit." He didn't even bother to get his car, running frantically in that direction.

"Who did you all see?" Shen Jun turned to look but saw nothing.

Qin Shiyan's beautiful face resumed its gentle expression, the alluring beauty mark below her eye somewhat at odds with her features. "Young Master He saw a girl who looks very similar to her."

Shen Jun understood.

This wasn't the first time this had happened. Whenever He Ermeng saw a similar back view or profile, he would mistake it for her and chase after it like a man possessed.

He still couldn't accept the fact that the Su family's daughter was dead.