The girl started crying suddenly, startling Lu Zhe.
Panic flickered across his dark eyes, and his chest felt as if someone had squeezed it tightly, both sour and painful.
He apologized to her directly, "I'm sorry."
Su Ci's eyes weren't just red; her naturally moist eyes were brimming with tears, teardrops hanging precariously in her eye sockets, looking utterly pitiful.
The rabbit spirit was breathtakingly beautiful, and when she cried, it tugged at one's heartstrings.
Not to brag, but Su Ci had specially trained in the art of crying. She knew exactly how to cry and which angle made her look most appealing yet pitiful.
Now, with reddened eyes, she gazed at Lu Zhe with tear-filled dark eyes, her red lips pressed together, not making a sound. This silent, pitiful crying was enough to drive anyone mad.
Lu Zhe had seen Su Ci act coquettish before, and he'd seen her being deliberately mischievous, but this was the first time he'd seen her cry.
Where was the young man's usual coolness now?
Lu Zhe anxiously reached out, wanting to wipe away the tears clinging to her eyelashes. His voice was deep, his tone nervous yet unconsciously gentle: "I was wrong, Tuantuan, don't cry."
Su Ci looked at him with red eyes. She was getting tired of standing, and even while crying, she didn't forget to be spoiled, "Hold me."
How could Lu Zhe refuse? He pulled her to a nearby chair, and as soon as he sat down, Su Ci naturally settled sideways on his lap.
Su Ci already had a cold, and now with crying, her nose was stuffed up and quite uncomfortable. She pitifully sniffled and asked Lu Zhe in a muffled voice, "What exactly did you do wrong?"
Lu Zhe held the girl's waist to keep her steady, and hearing her question, he said softly, "Everything."
Making her cry was his fault.
Su Ci let out a light hum, her usually clear and melodious voice now nasal, both pitiful and adorable. "Last night you said I was too delicate, and you didn't like that."
She had recorded all his words in her little notebook, and now it was time to settle accounts.
Lu Zhe met the girl's red eyes, looking at the pink and white rabbit ears drooping on her head - she looked like a pitiful rabbit spirit.
He paused before saying, "I lied to you."
Su Ci continued her accusations, "You also said you didn't like how I often hide my scheming nature."
Lu Zhe's dark eyes held a deep color, "I was lying about that too."
"You said you didn't like how I tease people, and you hate my narcissism," Su Ci stared at him with her red eyes, still angry.
Did she have no good points at all?
Lu Zhe's eyes darkened, and he sighed, leaning forward to rest his forehead against hers, "I'm sorry, those were all lies."
Su Ci's anger, which had been like a balloon in her chest, instantly deflated. With their eyes locked and sharing breaths, how could she stay angry?
She really had no backbone.
"I don't have much time left, I can't always be with you," Lu Zhe's rigid face softened, "You can find someone better."
The little balloon that had just deflated suddenly inflated again. Su Ci glared at him with her reddened eyes, "You want me to find someone better? So, you want me to kiss others like I kiss you? Or do you want me to be held by someone else like this..."
"Tuantuan!" Lu Zhe interrupted her, his dark eyes intense.
Just hearing her words made him sick with jealousy.
Su Ci huffed, softly nestling in Lu Zhe's embrace, her hand covering his chest, "Lu Zhe, does it hurt here?" Yesterday, after hearing his words, her chest had felt congested.
Lu Zhe rested his chin on her forehead, calling out weakly, "Tuantuan."
Ever since he learned about his terminal illness, he had been living day by day, thinking it wouldn't matter if he died when the disease took him.
But now, he selfishly hoped he could live longer, that the ugly symptoms would come later.
That he could stay by Su Ci's side longer.
Su Ci pressed her hand firmly against his chest, feeling his heart beating strongly underneath, "Lu Zhe, I promise, you won't die."
She looked up at him, "If you don't believe me, we can wait a year, two years, even three years, or even longer. You'll definitely live well. Didn't I tell you I'm your angel?"
Though, rather than being an angel, she'd prefer to be his little demon.
"Tuantuan." Lu Zhe felt his chest burning where she touched it.
"Let me ask you again, do you like me?" Su Ci looked at him seriously.
The girl's eyes were still red-rimmed, like touches of peach blossoms, and her rabbit ears drooped helplessly on her head, looking both cute and pitiful.
Lu Zhe pressed his lips together, his throat dry. He thought about his promise to her mother yesterday, about how she had silently cried earlier. His eyes darkened, "Mm."
Su Ci's eyes brightened, though her voice remained dissatisfied, "What does 'mm' mean? I don't understand."
Lu Zhe pressed his thin lips against her pink and white rabbit ear, both tender and helpless, "I like you."
This time, it was the truth.
Su Ci felt the heart beneath her palm beating frantically, and her eyes curved into a smile. She knew Lu Zhe couldn't resist her charm.
"Lu Zhe, did you fall for me the first time you saw me?" Su Ci couldn't help but become smug.
Lu Zhe chuckled, "The first time I saw you, you were by the garbage bin, a dirty little bundle."
Su Ci: ......
That was when Lu Zhe had found her.
Not giving up, she continued asking, "Were you stunned by me the first time I transformed into human form?"
The girl was persistent, and Lu Zhe had no resistance, "No."
He didn't know exactly when he had fallen for her.
Su Ci gave him an annoyed glare. He had made her cry, couldn't he at least say something nice to comfort her?
Lu Zhe seemed not to notice the girl's reproachful look. He tightened his hold on her waist and said softly, "What I said last night was all lies, but it's true that I can't be with you."
Su Ci looked at him unhappily.
Lu Zhe gently stroked the girl's soft hair and continued, "Maybe I have a year, or maybe two years. Tuantuan, knowing this, do you still want to be with me?"
"Yes!" Of course she wanted to be with him.
Hearing the girl's definitive answer, Lu Zhe's lips curved slightly, his dark eyes brightening.
He held her tighter, his thin lips dry, "I'll stay by your side, but we won't make it public. If in the future, you find someone you like more... I'll leave on my own." This was his last bottom line.
Su Ci lifted her chin and bit his Adam's apple.
The girl's bite wasn't painful, but the stimulating sensation of having his vital point in the girl's mouth made Lu Zhe lose control, "Tuantuan."
Su Ci released her bite and looked at the young man's handsome features, asking, "Are you proposing to be my secret lover?"
Lu Zhe lowered his eyes.
"Whatever you want," Su Ci agreed. As long as they could be together.
In Su Ci's view, no matter how much she argued that Lu Zhe wouldn't die, no one would believe her now. She could only quickly gather more golden cotton candy to cure Lu Zhe.
Since Lu Zhe wanted to keep their relationship private, and Su's Mother didn't approve of their relationship, having a secret romance seemed quite suitable.
Besides, she had never been in a relationship before, and she was quite excited about such a thrilling secret affair.
Thinking this way, Su Ci wasn't angry anymore.
She nestled softly against Lu Zhe's chest, sniffled, and said in a muffled voice, "Lu Zhe, I'm hungry."
Lu Zhe touched the bowl on the dining table, it was still warm, "Want some breakfast?"
Boss Fang was a practical man who knew when to bend and when to stand firm. He pushed Lu Zhe hard to leave.
Coming out of the building, Boss Fang put his son down from his single-armed hold.
Taking a deep breath, he patted Lu Zhe's shoulder, "It's okay. If this deal doesn't work out, we'll find another place. I was already prepared for this. Starting a business is always difficult at first. Besides, the He family can't control everything in City B. I don't believe he can keep watching us forever."
Lu Zhe: "I'm the one he's targeting."
"That Young Master He is like a mad dog. We should ignore him. If he wasn't born lucky into a wealthy family, he'd probably be nothing," Boss Fang complained. "Besides his good looks and family wealth, what else does he have? Such young men probably only know how to deceive innocent girls. Don't worry, Su Ci has good judgment; she definitely won't be interested in him."
Lu Zhe thought of Su Ci waiting at home, and his rigid expression softened. "Mm."
"Let's head back. It seems today isn't working out. We'll look again tomorrow," Boss Fang held Little Kuaile's hand. "Son, when we get home, daddy will cook something delicious for you, okay?"
Little Kuaile nodded obediently, responding in his childish voice: "Okay."
Just as Lu Zhe and Boss Fang were about to leave, an imposing black luxury car stopped in front of them.
Such a luxurious car was rare even to see online. Boss Fang couldn't help but take a second look, thinking to himself that City B truly had many wealthy people.
At that moment, the car window lowered, revealing a man's refined profile.
The man looked out toward them.
Boss Fang glanced at the man, then instinctively looked at Lu Zhe beside him. He was shocked to discover that Lu Zhe actually bore a striking resemblance to the man in the car.
Heavens!
Inside the car, Lu Chen observed the young man outside, noting that just like in the photos, his features strongly resembled his own.
Lu Chen opened the car door and stepped out, wearing a custom-made royal blue suit that made him look both handsome and slightly flamboyant. Standing before Lu Zhe, he looked at him with half-lidded phoenix eyes, "Lu Zhe?"
After seeing the information provided by Su's Father yesterday, he had immediately ordered an investigation and obtained some of the young man's background information. He knew this youth came from an orphanage.
If this wasn't some scheme by Su's Father, this young man could very well be his son.
He didn't trust the paternity test report Su's Father had provided, so he wanted to take this young man to do another test personally.
"As you can see, you must know you look very similar to me," Lu Chen noticed that although this young man's features resembled his own, their temperaments were completely different - the youth actually reminded him somewhat of the old master.
Boss Fang was stunned. What was going on? Could it be that Lu Zhe's family had found him?
Lu Zhe looked at him coldly, "What do you want?"
"Of course I want something. You're an orphan, and I lost a son. Come, let's do a paternity test," Lu Chen said straightforwardly. Though still uncertain, Lu Chen had an inexplicable feeling that this young man before him was indeed his offspring.
Lu Zhe gave him a look and flatly refused: "No. I have no family."
"Do you know who I am?" Lu Chen raised his phoenix eyes, still captivating even in his forties. "I'm the head of the Lu family. If you're my son, you know what that means."
Beside them, Boss Fang was experiencing wave after wave of shock. The Lu family?
When he had previously researched Su Ci's family background, he had also looked up the Lu family online. Both families were top-tier aristocratic households in the country, and the He family couldn't even compare to them.
Just earlier, he had been lamenting about how He Ermeng, that spoiled rich young master, relied on his privileged birth to bully others. Now, in a major twist, Lu Zhe might actually be the son of the Lu family patriarch?
Boss Fang felt his brain couldn't process this anymore.
Such a dramatic turn of events was too shocking.
"The Lu family has nothing to do with me," Lu Zhe said coldly.
Lu Chen looked at the young man before him with surprise, noting that he truly had some of the old man's proud and aloof manner.
"Whether it has anything to do with you or not, I'm taking you for a paternity test," Lu Chen became more convinced the longer he looked - after all, it was impossible for anyone else in the world to have a son who looked so similar to him.
"I won't do it," Lu Zhe said to Boss Fang beside him, "Uncle Fang, let's go."
"Huh?" Boss Fang came back to his senses. They're just leaving like this? They look so alike, they might really be father and son!
Boss Fang wanted to persuade Lu Zhe to take the paternity test, but this was Lu Zhe's business, and he couldn't interfere too much.
"Sir, should we follow them?" the driver stood beside Lu Chen, unable to contain his excitement.
He had been with the Lu family for many years. Since the young master's disappearance over a decade ago, it had remained an unhealed wound for everyone - the master, madam, and old master Lu.
And now, the young man who had just left could very well be the Lu family's young master.
"Of course we'll follow," Lu Chen thought about how his wife had banished him to the study again last night. He stroked his chin and said, "Old Cao, doesn't that child look just like me?"
Driver Old Cao nodded eagerly, "Yes, especially the eyes, nose, and mouth - they're identical."
"Alright, follow them in the car. If he won't take the test willingly, we'll force him," Lu Chen smiled.
"Sir, perhaps the young master is just shocked and needs time to process this. Please don't frighten him away," Old Cao knew well Lu Chen's casual nature - only his wife could control him, not even the old master could manage him.
Lu Chen raised an eyebrow, "The paternity test hasn't even been done, and you're already calling him young master?"
Old Cao's face was full of joy, "It must be him."
The distance to the residential complex wasn't far, so Lu Zhe and Boss Fang walked back.
The car kept slowly following behind Lu Zhe and Boss Fang. Boss Fang resisted the urge to look back, "Xiao Zhe, that car has been following us."
Lu Zhe: "Ignore it."
Boss Fang asked him, "Xiao Zhe, why won't you agree to take the paternity test with that Lu family member? If he really is your father..."
Lu Zhe interrupted Boss Fang, "Uncle Fang, when I learned about my condition, I had already given up on finding my family."
Boss Fang was shocked into silence. He opened his mouth but couldn't make a sound. What could he say?
Even if Lu Zhe was his son, and they reunited, Lu Zhe only had a few years left to live. If they reconnected now, wouldn't it just make his family suffer the pain of losing him again?
It might be better not knowing where their child was, at least they could imagine he was living happily.
Boss Fang, at his age, felt his eyes growing wet with sympathy for Lu Zhe. If only this child could be a bit more selfish.
The car followed Lu Zhe to the residential complex. Lu Chen got out and frowned at the surroundings.
Seeing Lu Zhe enter the building, he continued to follow.
Su Ci woke up around ten o'clock. Her cold hadn't completely cleared up, and the rabbit ears on top of her head hadn't retracted yet.
She saw the note Lu Zhe had left, knowing he had gone out on business, so she obediently ate the breakfast he had made and waited for his return.
Just as she was getting bored enough to consider calling him, the doorbell suddenly rang.
Was Lu Zhe back?
No, Lu Zhe had keys; he wouldn't ring the doorbell.
Was someone looking for Lu Zhe?
Aliali: 674b6b12c4f3f33ac4a257b6
Su Ci went back to her room to put on a hat, making sure her rabbit ears were hidden, before going to open the door.
When the door opened and she saw the tall young man standing outside, Su Ci happily rushed forward and threw herself into his arms, "Lu Zhe, you're back! I've been waiting forever for you, you need to kiss me to make up for it."
"Tuantuan." Lu Zhe caught her, showing some discomfort: "Stand properly."
Su Ci was about to protest against Lu Zhe's steadying hand on her waist when she accidentally met a pair of smiling phoenix eyes outside the door.
There was someone else here?
Lu Chen stroked his chin, hiding his surprise, "Su Shengguo's daughter?"
Su's Father often boasted to Lu Chen about his daughter, so of course Lu Chen recognized Su Ci. Throughout the country, how many could match the beauty of the Su family's treasure? Su's Father had good reason to brag about his daughter.
And now, Su Shengguo's daughter seemed to be involved with this son of his who wasn't yet confirmed?
Strangely, Lu Chen imagined Su's Father's furious reaction when he learned of this.
He gave his son an approving look - truly worthy of being his offspring.