Coming out of the bathroom, Su Ci enjoyed a comfortable hot bath.
Her fair face was flushed pink from the steam, her dark eyes glistening with moisture. Her wet hair clung to the sides of her face, making her small face appear even more pristinely fair and radiant.
Su Ci was wearing new pajamas prepared by Su's Mother.
Su's Mother doted on her daughter, typically buying her a new batch of clothes every month, never letting her wear the same style twice. The clothes were all tailored to her previous body's measurements, but now, Su Ci felt the upper part was a bit tight - the old size no longer fit.
Su Ci walked to the bed and lit up her phone screen, but there were still no messages.
Annoyed, she bit her lip and sat on the edge of the bed with her phone, turning on the bedside lamp.
After finding the most flattering angle, Su Ci initiated a video call with Lu Zhe.
For some inexplicable reason, Su Ci felt nervous. She grabbed the small mirror from the nearby cabinet and checked her reflection. Seeing her bright eyes and white teeth in the mirror, she put it down, satisfied.
After a while, the video call connected.
On the phone screen, Lu Zhe's handsome face appeared enlarged before Su Ci.
"Lu Zhe," Su Ci's eyes lit up.
On the other end of the screen, Lu Zhe's expression froze momentarily.
Having just finished exercising, Lu Zhe's forehead was covered in sweat. He had answered when he heard the phone ring, not expecting the girl's face to suddenly appear on screen - only then realizing it was a video call.
"Why did it take you so long to answer?" Su Ci asked him.
"I was exercising," Lu Zhe, experiencing his first video call, felt somewhat uncomfortable seeing the girl's enlarged face on screen. "You're home?"
"I've been home for ages," Su Ci glared at him. "I waited so long without receiving any messages or calls from you. Don't you care about my safety at all?"
Having just completed two hundred push-ups, Lu Zhe was slightly out of breath. He sat down on the bed and looked at the girl on screen. The coldness in his eyes melted away, and instead of answering her question, he asked, "Are they treating you well?"
It must be good, he thought. She was so delicate, obviously pampered since childhood. Her family must have cherished her like a precious jewel.
"Yes, they are," Though she didn't have the original owner's memories, she could feel the genuine love from the Su family. Her only worry was that they would die one after another, and so far, she didn't know the cause.
Su Ci felt dejected. She could only wait until three days before their deaths to try to prevent the accidents from happening.
This also meant she wouldn't be able to see Lu Zhe for a long time.
Su Ci gazed longingly at the young man on her phone screen. "You have two months until the college entrance exam. Have you decided which university you want to attend?"
If Lu Zhe applied to universities in City B, with his grades, it wouldn't be a problem. That way, it would be convenient for her to meet him.
Lu Zhe's eyes paused for a moment. "Haven't thought about it yet."
"You haven't decided?" Su Ci's dark eyes sparkled under the soft light. She looked at Lu Zhe expectantly. "Will you apply to B University? Then we could see each other often."
Just thinking about Lu Zhe coming to City B in two months made Su Ci's mood instantly better.
Lu Zhe asked, "You want me to go to B University?"
"Of course!" Su Ci responded immediately.
Then, Lu Zhe watched as the girl on screen furrowed her pretty brows and said worriedly, "If you don't go to B University, I could apply to universities near you instead."
Su Ci felt somewhat frustrated. Before transmigrating into the book, her family had gone bankrupt, and she had given up on the college entrance exam to enter the entertainment industry. She hadn't expected that after transmigrating, she still couldn't escape the fate of taking the exam - she was still a high school senior now.
Lu Zhe felt scalded by the light in the girl's eyes. "You don't need to come here." Their city only had two universities, neither of which ranked well nationally.
"So does that mean you'll apply to B University?" Su Ci smiled.
The soft light fell into the girl's eyes, sparkling like gentle starlight. Initially angry about his lack of messages, now she only hoped he would come to City B to find her.
The ice shell cracked, and his sealed heart suddenly skipped a beat. Lu Zhe's thin lips curved slightly upward.
"Mm." Lu Zhe gave a soft affirmative.
Perhaps he could go see where she lived.
Getting his response, Su Ci's eyes curved into crescents with her smile.
Then, she earnestly reminded Lu Zhe, "There are only two months left. You need to study hard. Don't worry about other people's troubles, just focus on studying. Remember to test into B University to find me."
"Mm." Lu Zhe agreed to everything.
Su Ci was in a great mood. The corners of her eyes lifted, and her small beauty mark appeared somewhat alluring under the lamplight. Her dark eyes held the mischievousness that Lu Zhe was familiar with. "You kissed me too hard tonight. My lips still hurt."
Lu Zhe's gaze fell on the girl's small mouth, which gleamed with a glossy sheen, beautifully red.
His dark eyes darkened further as he said softly, "I'm sorry."
He didn't know how he had lost control at the end either.
After a moment of silence, Lu Zhe's lips pressed together slightly as he said, "It won't happen again."
Remembering Lu Zhe's forceful kisses and swallowing earlier, Su Ci's face grew warm for once. She didn't continue teasing him, just gave a light huff before ending the video call.
Su Ci patted her warm cheeks, then found Shen Xue in her contacts. Her tool person could be put to use now.
In the old residential complex.
Lu Zhe still held his phone, though the screen had gone dark. He sat on the folding bed, head lowered.
Moonlight fell on the treetops outside the window, and everything was quiet.
In Lu Zhe's pitch-black eyes, emotions rose and fell - indulgence, intoxication, before finally settling into calmness.
The night deepened.
Lu Zhe's neck was embraced by the girl's jade-like arms as she pressed against him like a boneless creature, constantly trying to get closer to his embrace.
Her waist was extremely slim and soft.
He turned his head away, but the girl was quite naughty. Her bare feet stepped directly onto his feet, and her pretty little mouth sought his lips, about to bite down.
Her sweet fragrance invaded his nose.
His hands tightened, supporting the powerless girl who clung to him.
He heard the girl laugh like a temptress by his ear, "Lu Zhe, kiss me."
His hands tightened, and he finally snapped, directly pressing down the bad and teasing girl in his arms.
He saw her smiling, watery eyes.
Lu Zhe suddenly opened his eyes.
He sat up on the folding bed, feeling the wetness below, his dark eyes terrifyingly deep.
......
Early morning, golden sunlight filtered through the white curtains into the room.
Su Ci was awakened by the sound of incoming messages on her phone.
She lazily opened her eyes, heavy with drowsiness.
Groggily picking up her phone, Su Ci half-squinted at it and saw it was a message from Shen Xue.
Only then did she become interested in opening it.
Shen Xue had sent a video. Su Ci clicked on it and immediately saw the young man standing on the flag-raising platform.
The sleepiness in Su Ci's eyes disappeared.
She sat up, letting her hair fall to both sides as she watched Lu Zhe on screen giving a speech.
The young man wore a white and blue school uniform, tall and slender. His rigid face bore a faint expression as the morning sunlight fell on his hair, coating it with a soft glow.
Su Ci's heart melted.
She leaned against the headboard and watched the young man in the video intently.
Ah ah ah, how could Lu Zhe be so handsome!
After sending the video, Shen Xue sent several more messages to Su Ci, saying she almost had her phone confiscated by the teacher while trying to film Lu Zhe.
Su Ci watched it twice before replying to Shen Xue: Why is the video so short?
Shen Xue, upon receiving the message: ......
No wonder Su Ci hadn't returned to the Su family; her previous speculation was correct.
Qin Shiyan sat down on the opposite sofa, her face showing anxiety, "How did she lose her memory? She even forgot all of us. How could Ci Ci possibly forget us? Unless..."
"Unless I'm not Su Ci," Su Ci leaned back against the sofa, tilting her chin up with a curved glance at the corner of her eyes. "Is that what you mean?"
Qin Shiyan froze, quickly shaking her head, "That's not what I meant."
The amnesiac Su Ci was even more irritating than before.
"ZhiYuan has already taken Ci Ci for a DNA test, but even without it, would I mistake my own daughter?" Su's Mother, usually gentle from being pampered by Su's Father, could be forceful when needed. "Little Qin, whether Ci Ci is my daughter or not isn't something you have the right to question. Remember your place."
Qin Shiyan's face turned pale. She hurriedly apologized, "I'm sorry, Auntie Su, sorry Ci Ci. I misspoke. I was just too excited. I'm truly happy that Ci Ci is back. Ci Ci, I'm Qin Shiyan, your childhood playmate."
This was the true face of wealthy families - they could turn on her the moment she said something wrong.
Her father had become lame saving Su's Father, and they had only given them a few hundred thousand to dismiss them. If her father hadn't suggested making her Su Ci's playmate, the Su family would have likely forgotten their life-saving debt entirely.
"Is that so?" Su Ci responded coldly, feeling no fondness for this supposed playmate.
Having spent time in the entertainment industry and being naturally perceptive, Su Ci could easily distinguish between sincere words and lies.
Clearly, everything Qin Shiyan said was lies.
"I know you're concerned about Ci Ci, but even if she has amnesia, she is my daughter - that's an indisputable fact. As Ci Ci's friend, you should be caring for her in this situation, not immediately questioning her identity," Su's Mother wouldn't allow anyone to speak ill of her daughter.
Her daughter was her heart and soul.
Qin Shiyan's face grew increasingly pale. "Auntie Su, I understand. I was wrong. Ci Ci, I'm sorry." Her hands clenched at her sides, knuckles turning white.
"Sister Yan, have this." At that moment, Little Su Ning ran to Qin Shiyan's side, offering her his favorite pudding.
"Little Ning is so sweet. Thank you for giving Sister Yan a gift, but Sister Yan isn't hungry. You eat it, Little Ning. It's your favorite pudding." Qin Shiyan softened her gaze, patting Su Ning's head.
Across from them, Su Ci watched as her brother clung to Qin Shiyan, clearly fond of her.
Su Ci remembered that last night, the little one had been shy and somewhat afraid when he saw her, showing none of the closeness he displayed with Qin Shiyan now.
Su Ci's eyes curved upward as she suddenly wanted to throw away her brother's pudding to let him experience the harshness of society!
Afterward, Qin Shiyan played with Little Su Ning while chatting with Su's Mother.
Though she had made a mistake earlier, she recovered quickly, getting back up where she had fallen. She continuously discussed Su Ci with Su's Mother, her eyes reddening with emotion when hearing about Su Ci's past hardships.
As for Su Ci's cold stares, Qin Shiyan not only pretended not to notice but also warmly showed concern for Su Ci, maintaining just the right amount of attention that felt comfortable.
Su Ci's red lips curled into a smile - this playmate of hers was quite something.
.....
After school, Shen Xue passed by Lu Zhe's classroom and casually glanced inside, catching him on cleaning duty.
She quickly took out her phone to message Su Ci: Lu Zhe is on cleaning duty, want to see?
Su Ci replied instantly: Yes, hurry!
Then she sent a video call request.
When Shen Xue answered, she was momentarily stunned by the stunning beauty that appeared on screen.
"Point the camera at Lu Zhe, I want to see him," Su Ci urged from the other end of the phone.
Once again, Shen Xue had the impression that Su Ci was just Lu Zhe's fangirl. She stood outside the window, secretly extending her phone through it to point at Lu Zhe.
Su Ci watched Lu Zhe holding the broom on screen and sighed: "Poor Lu Zhe has to clean the classroom."
Shen Xue: I just finished cleaning my classroom too.
Su Ci bluntly replied: I only care about Lu Zhe.
Shen Xue felt she was clearly just being used as a tool.
Su Ci sat at her desk, resting her chin on one hand, seriously watching Lu Zhe on screen. She thought it must be distance making him more attractive - why else would she find him even more handsome now?
Just then, an annoying figure suddenly appeared on screen.
"Brother, today is your birthday," Zhao Youyou pulled out a small gift box from her backpack. "This is my birthday gift for you. Brother, happy birthday."
Zhao Youyou wore her school uniform with her hair down, looking pretty and pure. It would be hard for anyone not to be moved by such a girl giving a birthday gift.
Su Ci straightened up angrily, her eyes narrowing as she coldly stared at the gift in Zhao Youyou's hands.
If Lu Zhe dared to accept it...
"Su Ci, should I go interrupt them?" Shen Xue, being the dutiful tool she was, remembered that Su Ci had asked her to keep watch and prevent other girls from approaching Lu Zhe.
Su Ci's tone was light, "No need!"
Lu Zhe lowered his gaze without reaching for the gift. "Move aside, you're in my way while I'm sweeping."
Zhao Youyou: ......
She instinctively stepped aside as Lu Zhe continued sweeping the floor's trash, completely ignoring her.
"Su Ci, Lu Zhe didn't accept the gift," Shen Xue reported in real-time.
"I saw," Su Ci rested her chin on her hand, all traces of her earlier fierce expression gone. She murmured, "Poor thing has to clean on his birthday, so pitiful."
Shen Xue was amazed at how quickly Su Ci could change her attitude.
When Lu Zhe arrived at the computer store, he saw Boss Fang had hung up a "temporarily closed" sign at the entrance and prepared a table full of dishes.
"Little Zhe, today is your birthday. Call Little Ci over too, let's celebrate properly," Boss Fang patted his shoulder with a smile.
"Find Sister Ci to celebrate Brother Zhe's birthday!" Little Kuaile had received his prosthetic limb but needed to learn to walk at the rehabilitation center, so he was still in his wheelchair.
Lu Zhe: "Her family found her. She's gone back."
Boss Fang was shocked, "Gone back where?"
"City B." Lu Zhe looked at Boss Fang, "Uncle Fang, Su Ci is the Su family's daughter."
This time, Boss Fang was even more shocked. The Su family in City B was so famous that everyone in the country knew about them.
No wonder Su Ci had such a noble air about her - ordinary families couldn't raise someone like that.
Boss Fang remained silent for a while before letting out a deep sigh.
He had originally fantasized about something developing between Su Ci and Lu Zhe, but now, Su Ci was the Su family's daughter. No matter how excellent Lu Zhe was or how capable he might be, he was still an orphan - and one with a terminal illness at that.
One in heaven, one on earth.
How could they be together?
"It's okay if Little Ci isn't here. Kuaile and I will celebrate with you." Boss Fang hid the sadness on his face.
"Thank you, Uncle Fang." Lu Zhe knew what Boss Fang was thinking.
But what Boss Fang was thinking about, Lu Zhe had never considered.
Boss Fang drove Lu Zhe back to his place. He had drunk some alcohol and was slightly dizzy.
Lying on the folding bed, Lu Zhe closed his eyes to ease the waves of dizziness.
Aliali: 674aecfcc4f3f33ac49acb42
At this moment, his phone rang.
Lu Zhe fumbled for his phone and answered it. A girl's clear voice filled the room, "Lu Zhe."
Lu Zhe opened his eyes, his dark pupils moist as if with alcohol, "Mm."
"Lu Zhe, happy birthday." Su Ci's face came close to the screen.
Lu Zhe then noticed the pair of rabbit ears on the girl's head and immediately sat up, asking in a deep voice, "Your rabbit ears appeared again?"
"No, these are hair accessories I bought. It's your birthday, so I wanted to show you my rabbit ears. Though they're not real, they're the most similar-looking ones."
She knew Lu Zhe liked her rabbit ears, so she had specially gone out tonight to buy these accessories, spending a long time choosing until she found these headband rabbit ears that looked most like her real ones.
Su Ci looked at Lu Zhe with sparkling eyes and said mischievously, "If you were beside me right now, I'd let you touch my rabbit ears."
Lu Zhe's dark eyes deepened, and he said in a low voice, "Tuantuan, don't tempt me."
He might become greedy.