Su Ci and Lu Zhe found themselves in a narrow alley, where the uneven pavement and tangled wires hanging low created an oppressive atmosphere.
"It should be here," Su Ci glanced at the door number.
"Mhm," Lu Zhe agreed.
He took Su Ci's hand, positioning her behind him, and stepped forward to ring the doorbell.
"No one's answering?" After a while, the door remained closed.
Su Ci stepped forward and pressed the doorbell several times, finally hearing movement from inside.
A man in his forties opened the door, "Who are you looking for?"
Su Ci recalled the username from the private message she had received and said, "Uncle, we're looking for Xiao Jie. We're her friends, is she home?"
The man looked at the two visitors, their elegant attire and striking appearances marking them as anything but ordinary. He was puzzled as to how his daughter could know such people.
He opened the door wider, "Xiao Jie is in her room. What do you want with her?"
"We had a plan to go to the library together," Su Ci said with a sweet smile, her lie seamless, as if she were truly visiting a close friend.
The middle-aged man let them in, "She's in her room, you can go in and find her."
The house was small and dimly lit, making the living room feel even darker.
The man shuffled to the faded wooden door, knocking loudly, "You two classmates are here to see you, come out and greet them."
After a long pause, there was no response from inside.
He knocked even harder, "You brat, did you hear me?"
Su Ci and Lu Zhe stood quietly by.
"Get out here! You made plans with your friends and didn't even bother to check the time. They're here, and you're still lazing around?" His loud voice was painful to the ears.
Still, there was no response. Su Ci thought of Xiao Jie's message and gently tugged at Lu Zhe's hand, giving him a meaningful look.
Lu Zhe stepped forward, stopping the man from knocking again.
"Uncle, Xiao Jie hasn't responded for so long. What if she's fallen or something happened? Let's break the door down," Su Ci suggested to the man. Before he could react, Lu Zhe kicked the door open.
Their coordination was swift, leaving the middle-aged man no time to stop them.
The door flew open.
The man saw his daughter sitting on the floor, holding a knife, her wrist already cut and bleeding. It was clear she had started but was startled by her father's sudden knocking and hadn't had a chance to continue.
The man immediately rushed forward, grabbing the knife from his daughter's hand and throwing it aside, "Are you crazy?"
"You stupid girl, what are you doing? Did you read yourself stupid? Trying to kill yourself?" His face showed both worry and anger, his words harsh despite his concern.
Su Ci entered the room, noting that Wu Xiaojie's wound wasn't deep, just a superficial cut. Seeing her life bar at six yellow segments, Su Ci breathed a sigh of relief.
"Uncle, let's take Xiao Jie to the hospital to bandage her wound," Su Ci interrupted his tirade. "Our car is outside; we can take her there."
The man looked at his daughter, who was silently crying, her head bowed. He reached out to pull her up, "Come on, let's go to the hospital."
Wu Xiaojie finally looked up, her tears blurring her vision. To her astonishment, the unfamiliar voice belonged to Su Ci!
"You... you..." Wu Xiaojie whispered in surprise, "It's Su Ci."
"Yes, it's me," Su Ci said gently. "Your wound needs to be disinfected and bandaged at the hospital. I'll accompany you."
Wu Xiaojie felt like she was dreaming.
Su Ci pulled out a tissue and knelt in front of Wu Xiaojie, gently wiping the blood from her wound. "I saw your private message. You wanted to see me, didn't you?"
Wu Xiaojie was in a daze, her idol right in front of her, her mind unable to process the reality.
"Let's take you to the hospital first," Su Ci helped her up.
Wu Xiaojie, her eyes brimming with tears, looked at the seemingly unreal Su Ci and obediently stood up, cooperating without a word.
Wu's Father couldn't believe his usually quiet and introverted daughter would do something so foolish in her room. If it weren't for these two friends coming to visit her, she might have...
The thought made him shudder, his hands and feet going numb, cold sweat breaking out. Despite his frequent scoldings, she was still his daughter, his flesh and blood. How could he not care?
Seeing his daughter and her friends heading out, Wu's Father noticed the knife he had thrown aside. He quickly picked it up, wrapped it in a piece of clothing, and hid it in the cabinet above the TV.
After hiding the knife, he hurried after them.
Su Ci and Lu Zhe's car was parked outside the alley. The sleek, black vehicle stood out starkly against the surrounding environment.
Wu Xiaojie and Wu's Father, who had caught up, looked at the car, even without much knowledge of cars, they could tell it was expensive.
Both of them felt awkward and unsure of what to do.
"Maybe I should take Xiao Jie to the hospital by taxi. We don't want to trouble you," Wu's Father said, feeling uncomfortable.
"It's no trouble. Get in," Su Ci opened the door for Wu Xiaojie.
Lu Zhe took the wheel.
The car was quiet, with Su Ci and Wu Xiaojie in the backseat, and Wu's Father in the front passenger seat.
Wu Xiaojie still hadn't come to her senses. She couldn't help but steal glances at Su Ci, unable to believe that Su Ci had appeared and saved her.
Su Ci noticed Wu Xiaojie's gaze and turned to smile at her. "Is there something you want to say to me?"
Wu Xiaojie quickly lowered her head, feeling ashamed. Her disheveled appearance must have disappointed her idol.
She nervously clenched her hands on her knees, remaining silent.
In the front, Wu's Father spoke, his voice as loud as ever, "You better explain why you did something so stupid! Did we not feed you enough? Or not clothe you well? We worked hard to send you to school, and this is how you repay us?"
Wu Xiaojie's head drooped even lower, almost touching her knees.
"Uncle, no one wants to die unless they're pushed to the brink. And no one chooses this method to escape unless they're desperate," Su Ci said, looking at Wu Xiaojie. "If you have any difficulties, you can tell me."
Wu Xiaojie kept her head down, her hair covering her face.
Wu's Father, anxious, turned back to look at his daughter, his mouth opening and closing, but he didn't continue his questioning.
Su Ci spoke softly, "In your private message, you praised me for being confident and brave, for handling attacks well. You said you wanted to be like me. But if you don't even have the courage to speak up, how can you become me?"
Su Ci lowered the partition between the seats. "Now it's just you and me. You can talk to me alone."
Wu Xiaojie looked up.
Su Ci in front of her was even more beautiful than in her photos, her voice soothing, her presence almost too perfect to be real.
From a young age, Wu Xiaojie had been ordinary in every way—her appearance, her skin tone, her weight.
At home, she took care of cooking, cleaning, and laundry, but her parents often criticized her clumsiness.
She was average in school, introverted, and had no close friends. She was barely noticed in her class.
It wasn't until high school, after a gym class where she had sweated a lot, that some girls started rumors about her having body odor.
Gradually, everyone began to avoid her, looking at her with disdain. Her seat was often targeted with chewed gum or glue.
Sometimes, when she went to the bathroom, someone would tamper with her water bottle.
A few girls even liked to corner her after evening classes, verbally abusing her, pulling her hair, and filming the abuse.
Yesterday, those girls dragged her into the girls' bathroom, stripped her, and forced her to kneel while filming.
She felt she couldn't endure it any longer, so she decided to send a farewell message to Su Ci today. She hadn't expected Su Ci to see it or reply.
Su Ci was her idol, beautiful, from a good family, and confident. When attacked, she fought back decisively, and those who bullied her paid the price.
Su Ci was the person Wu Xiaojie dreamed of becoming.
But she was too tired, and she admitted her own weakness. She couldn't bear these nightmares of bullying. In this life, she wanted to be free, and she hoped that in the next life, she would have the chance to become someone like Su Ci.
After hearing Wu Xiaojie's words, Su Ci remained silent.
After a while, she asked, "Do your parents know?"
Wu Xiaojie shook her head, "Those girls come from wealthy families. One of them is even the niece of the school principal." Her family didn't have money; her parents were just casual laborers. Even if they went to the school, the leaders would just try to smooth things over.
Su Ci understood.
"Suicide is the dumbest way to deal with this. You should tell your parents. If your parents can't solve it, you can file a complaint with the education bureau or expose it to the media. No matter what method you use, you shouldn't choose this dumbest way."
Su Ci told her, "You think you're free, but have you thought about it? The people who bullied you are still living well, and even more, they won't feel they did anything wrong. They'll just think you're stupid."
Wu Xiaojie started crying softly.
Su Ci placed her hand on Wu Xiaojie's hand, holding it tightly. "Since I'm your idol, it's my duty to protect my fans."
Through her tears, Wu Xiaojie stared at Su Ci in disbelief.
At the hospital, the doctor examined the wound on Wu Xiaojie's wrist. After giving some instructions on what to watch out for, the doctor also gently encouraged her.
After all, such wounds were clearly self-inflicted.
Those going through a tough time need to be treated with kindness.
When Wu's Father heard the doctor say that his daughter's hand was fine, his tense expression finally relaxed, but his face was still stern. His words carried anger, "See if you dare do something like this again. What were you thinking?"
Wu Xiaojie kept her head down and didn't respond.
Su Ci disagreed and spoke up, "Uncle, Xiao Jie encountered difficulties and suffered a lot. She couldn't bear it and couldn't bring herself to talk to her elders. She was forced to the edge and had no other choice. When you get home, you should have a good talk with her."
Wu's Father was stunned.
He looked at his daughter, who was quietly keeping her head down. His heart ached with worry and a mix of blame. "This child usually comes home from school and hides in her room, hardly speaking. She sees me like I'm a tiger, wanting to stay as far away as possible. I'm your father. If you have any difficulties, can't you talk to me?"
Wu Xiaojie looked up, her eyes red. She looked at her father, who had worried eyes and graying temples, and whispered, "Dad..."
After sending Wu Xiaojie and her father home, it was already dark outside.
Wu's Mother came home and found out that her daughter had almost died today. She was so scared that she hugged Wu Xiaojie and cried right away.
Su Ci had originally planned to leave without disturbing their family's private conversation, but Wu's Father and Mother insisted on inviting her to stay for dinner.
Looking at Wu Xiaojie's eager gaze, Su Ci agreed.
"Miss Su, Mr. Lu, our family eats simple and light meals. Please don't laugh at us." Wu's Father had initially thought that these two young people were his daughter's classmates, but later, after hearing from his daughter, he learned that Su Ci had received a private message from his daughter and tracked down their address to save her.
Wu's Father was very grateful to these two young people and didn't know how to repay them.
Moreover, from his daughter's words, he understood that these two young people had extraordinary backgrounds, which explained why they could drive such an expensive car.
The house was small, without a dedicated dining room. They had set up a square table in the living room. However, Su Ci didn't feel uncomfortable. "You're too polite. The food is great."
Su Ci sat next to Lu Zhe, with Wu Xiaojie on her other side.
Wu Xiaojie had injured her left hand, but the wound wasn't deep, and she no longer felt pain.
The fluorescent light in the house was old, making the room a bit dim, but it didn't stop her from stealing glances at Su Ci. Wu Xiaojie still felt like she was dreaming, and she even saw Su Ci's boyfriend, the young master Lu.
They looked so perfect together, even more beautiful than in photos.
To think that she could sit at the same table and eat with them—this was something she had never dared to dream of.
Wu Xiaojie took a bite of rice, her chest filled with excitement. At this moment, she was glad she had been saved; she hadn't died.
After dinner, Su Ci took out her phone and exchanged contact information with Wu Xiaojie. "Go back to school tomorrow and attend your classes. If you encounter any problems, remember to contact me. I'll help you deal with them."
Wu Xiaojie couldn't believe it when she saw Su Ci's profile in her friend list. She had added Su Ci as a friend?
Wu Xiaojie felt dizzy with excitement.
"Got it?" Su Ci reached out and tapped Wu Xiaojie's nose with her finger.
Wu Xiaojie's face instantly turned red. If her skin hadn't been darker, it would have been completely flushed.
She quickly nodded, "I understand."
Ah, her idol was not only beautiful and gentle but also kind. She would be a fan of Su Ci forever!
Su Ci and Lu Zhe were about to leave. The Wu family saw them off to the door.
Wu Xiaojie kept waving at Su Ci, "Please be careful on the road."
Back in the car, Su Ci sat quietly in the passenger seat.
"What's wrong?" Lu Zhe leaned over to fasten the seatbelt for the girl.
Su Ci reached out and hugged Lu Zhe, resting her head on his shoulder. "For the first time, I realize that I can influence others and become a source of motivation for them."
Lu Zhe chuckled softly and hugged her back. "You're not just a source of motivation for others; you're also mine."
Without her, he might have been waiting somewhere, waiting for his illness to flare up and slowly die.
Hearing this, Su Ci, who had just been feeling sentimental, suddenly felt proud. She smiled, her eyes curving, "I'm not just your motivation; I'm your ultimate cutie."
Lu Zhe's dark eyes filled with laughter. "Mm."
The alley had no streetlights, and everything was pitch black.
Su Ci tugged at Lu Zhe's clothes, naturally asking for a kiss: "Kiss me."
After stopping Wu Xiaojie from attempting suicide, she had gained another gold.
Lu Zhe's cold fingertips lifted the girl's chin, and he kissed her. In the dim light, it was incredibly tender.
