As the Lunar New Year approached, the Lu Family and the Su Family arranged to have a meal together, which was essentially a tacit acknowledgment of the relationship between Su Ci and Lu Zhe.
After all, the two were inseparable, and with Su Ci and Lu Zhe together, they were a perfect match in every aspect. Su's Mother and Su's Father couldn't think of anyone else who would be a better match for their daughter.
It had to be admitted that Lu Zhe was indeed very outstanding and doted on Su Ci.
Su's Mother and Su's Father only hoped that Lu Zhe would live a long and healthy life.
The two families were already very familiar with each other. Wen Ya pulled Su's Mother, Tong Xin, into an enthusiastic conversation, discussing recent fashion trends and charitable endeavors.
As for Lu Chen, he was as usual, engaging in playful banter with Su's Father, Su Shengguo. Both were fathers and held positions of authority over thousands of employees, yet when they met, they behaved like quarrelsome elementary school students, childish to the extreme.
Su ZhiYuan, accompanied by his two younger brothers, wore a light gray high-neck sweater today, looking casual and comfortable. His tall nose was adorned with golden glasses, giving him a refined yet handsome appearance, reminiscent of a gentle older brother next door.
At this moment, Su Ci openly sat with Lu Zhe.
Lu Zhe picked up a wet towel from the side and naturally wiped the girl's hands, his skilled demeanor indicating he had done this many times before.
While chatting with Wen Ya, Su's Mother's peripheral vision kept an eye on her daughter and Lu Zhe. Even though she and her husband doted on their daughter, they had never been as attentive as Lu Zhe, whose every move showed his concern for Su Ci.
If she wasn't cherished deeply, how could he be so meticulous?
Su's Mother withdrew her peripheral vision.
The girl's moist fingers glowed even whiter under the light, with faintly pink tips, quite beautiful.
After cleaning, Lu Zhe released her hand.
But Su Ci was a bit mischievous. Unnoticed by others, her hand slipped under the tablecloth and rested on Lu Zhe's thigh.
Her fingertips deliberately traced lightly on his thigh.
Lu Zhe looked at the girl with a deep gaze.
Su Ci innocently blinked at him, while her little hand restlessly squeezed his leg.
His eyes darkened slightly, and Lu Zhe acted naturally, his hand directly grabbing the girl's mischievous little hand under the table, squeezing it, signaling her to stop being naughty.
At that moment, Su ZhiYuan, sitting diagonally across, started a conversation with Lu Zhe about a project in S City.
Su Ci's hand was tightly held by Lu Zhe under the tablecloth, and she stopped moving, obediently sitting beside him, listening to Lu Zhe and her older brother talk.
She noticed that Lu Zhe had moved beyond his youthful innocence, gaining a certain level of composure. His facial features had become even more pronounced, and the clear contours of his face exuded a mature masculinity.
Every aspect of him aligned with her aesthetic, making her adore him endlessly.
The atmosphere in the private room was excellent throughout the meal.
Especially watching Lu Zhe's attentive care for Su Ci during the meal, Su's Mother and Su's Father had no more complaints. They only lamented Lu Zhe's health issues.
"Little Ci, I heard you're interested in establishing a foundation?" Wen Ya, having no daughter, now treated Su Ci as half her daughter, since her son was with Su Ci.
Su Ci nodded, "I want to set up a foundation that helps students deal with school bullying. I've noticed that bullying occurs in elementary school, middle school, high school, and even college. When they encounter bullying, they have no way to resolve it, so they can seek help from my foundation."
Wen Ya was a bit surprised. Many foundations focus on helping poor students, impoverished families, or patients, but she hadn't heard of any organizations dedicated to addressing school bullying. The public's attention to this issue was indeed limited.
"I didn't expect Ci Ci to have such thoughts," Su's Mother said with pride and joy, "Whatever she wants to do, I will support her."
Wen Ya smiled, "This is a good thing. Once your foundation is established, I'll contribute as well."
Su Ci smiled sweetly, "Thank you, Auntie Wen."
With the influence of Su's Mother and Wen Ya in the high society, their support would naturally attract other wealthy ladies to contribute.
"When the time comes, let me know, and I'll also lend my support," Lu Chen chimed in.
Su Ci quickly agreed, "Thank you, Uncle Lu."
Diagonally across, Su ZhiYuan adjusted his glasses, "If you need help, don't hesitate to ask me."
Even Su's Father quickly expressed his support for his daughter.
Su Ci agreed, glancing at Lu Zhe.
The young man looked at her and softly said, "I am yours, use me as you wish."
Su Ci chuckled to herself.
On the day Su Ci's foundation was established, she announced it on her account, drawing considerable attention. Not only did the official account of Su Corporation re-share it, but so did Lu Corporation, as well as celebrities like Xie Yuting and Zheng Hao.
Within a few days of the foundation's establishment, it received numerous donations.
Regarding donations, every penny's usage was transparent, detailed, and the foundation's official account released monthly reports.
The foundation also offered psychological counseling.
Su Ci found that students who had experienced school bullying are prone to psychological shadows, even depression.
To facilitate students across the country, the foundation provided telephone services and online psychological counseling.
After establishing the foundation, Su Ci became busier, but she found it very meaningful.
What surprised her was that after helping several students, Su Ci received money.
Previously, she would receive a gold bead for saving someone's life, but now, after helping ten students through the foundation, she would receive one.
After saving Wu Xiaojie, she had fed Lu Zhe sixteen gold beads, and she still needed thirty-three more to cure Lu Zhe's ALS.
Now, helping ten students earned her another gold bead, meaning she only needed thirty-two more.
Su Ci wasn't in a hurry. With the foundation, she felt she could soon gather enough gold beads for Lu Zhe.
On New Year's Eve, after having dinner with her family, Su Ci ran out.
Outside the door, Lu Zhe stood by a black car, dressed in all black, his tall figure imposing. Seeing the girl, the hard lines of his face softened.
Su Ci sprinted towards him, directly crashing into his embrace, "Did you wait long?"
"No," Lu Zhe hugged her tightly, feeling her little hand, which was warm.
He opened the car door for her.
The streets were bustling with people, many coming out to stroll along the flower street after dinner.
Su Ci and Lu Zhe were holding hands, walking among the crowd. Their good looks attracted many glances from passersby.
Especially Su Ci, with her arched brows and bright eyes, and her white teeth.
Dressed in a red sweater for the New Year, her face looked even more snowy white and tender, her black eyes glistening as if filled with water, her gaze flowing, quite eye-catching.
Su Ci noticed a new immersive role-playing experience venue in the mall, with many people queuing outside, quite lively.
She was a bit curious and pulled Lu Zhe to join the queue.
An attendant brought a tablet for her to choose a script scenario, most of which were detective or horror themes, with one being a tragic love story.
Su Ci was afraid of death and ghosts, so she chose the last one.
The script tells the story of a princess and her guard.
The princess was extraordinarily beautiful, while the guard came from a humble background. He had secretly loved the princess, and later, when the country was invaded by a neighboring nation, the guard was injured while protecting the princess, losing his eyes.
With the city gates breached, the emperor sent envoys to negotiate peace, agreeing to let the princess marry into the enemy's family.
As the princess left the country, the blind guard stood in a corner of the city gate, listening to the common people bidding farewell to the princess, feeling lonely and desolate.
The experience script consisted of only three scenes: the daily interactions between the princess and the guard, the guard saving the princess and getting injured, and the princess going to marry for peace, with the guard standing under the city wall.
Su Ci had acted in many costume dramas before, but she had never performed a scene with Lu Zhe. She looked at him with anticipation.
Lu Zhe had no objections, merely indulgingly pinched her cheek.
The experience venue provided costumes for role-playing and professional makeup artists for styling.
After paying, Su Ci and Lu Zhe were taken to get their makeup done separately.
The owner of the experience venue clearly invested heavily, not only in the large space and realistic setup but also in having staff act as actors to accompany the players.
Moreover, depending on the different scenes, players would wear different costumes. During the game, there were photographers on-site to take pictures, though players needed to pay to take the photos home.
Su Ci was playing the role of a princess. The makeup artist had never encountered such a beautiful player before, and the girl's appearance was a perfect match for the character, fully embodying the role of the stunning princess.
The first scene was the daily life of the princess and her guard.
Su Ci changed into a light blue ancient dress, and her hair was styled accordingly. Her skin was so flawless that she didn't need any foundation; the makeup artist only applied lipstick for her.
Su Ci was led by the staff to the first scene, where the surroundings were arranged like a palace. Actors dressed as palace maids were waiting on either side, and upon seeing her arrival, they immediately addressed her as "Princess."
Su Ci sat down on a redwood chair, and the palace maid naturally served her hot tea and a fruit platter before standing by her side.
Su Ci curved her eyebrows, feeling that the owner of the experience hall was quite thoughtful.
Su Ci, embodying the player spirit, also got into character and asked, "Is Guard Lu here yet?"
The actors were very cooperative and quickly replied, "Return to the princess, someone has already gone to inform Guard Lu."
At that moment, another palace maid led Lu Zhe into the room.
Lu Zhe was dressed in black guard attire, with a tightly fastened belt that accentuated his upright waist. The makeup artist had styled his hair, and he wore a wig with straight long hair tied high with a black hairband.
Lu Zhe's features were hard and cold, exuding a sharpness that made him look like a true guard with a sword.
Su Ci's heart raced as she looked at him, almost wanting to step forward and undress him.
She waved at Lu Zhe, smiling sweetly, "Guard Lu, I've been waiting for you."
Lu Zhe walked over and greeted, "Princess."
Su Ci picked up the fruit platter beside her and handed it to Lu Zhe, "You feed me."
According to the script, the princess was supposed to lie on a long chair while the maid served her fruit, and the guard would stand in the corner, gazing deeply at the princess.
Clearly, Su Ci wasn't following the script.
"Princess, this isn't proper," Lu Zhe awkwardly coughed.
Su Ci's eyes curved, and she raised her delicate chin, looking just like a spoiled princess, "I am the princess. Whatever I say, you should obey. Feed me."
Lu Zhe eventually complied, "Yes, Princess."
At this point, Su Ci lay on the long chair, her skirt draping to the ground, revealing her slender ankles. Lu Zhe stood beside her.
Su Ci looked up, her gaze languid as she stared at the man standing straight. She lightly tapped his foot with the tip of her soft-soled shoe, "Guardian Lu, don't you know how to feed someone?"
Lu Zhe lowered his head and began feeding the pampered princess grapes.
Hidden behind the scenes, the staff responsible for taking photos thought:
Although the player didn't follow the script, this scene was undeniably captivating. The princess and the guard were both incredibly good-looking. Even the actors on television couldn't match their looks.
There weren't many grapes left in the platter. After a while, Su Ci picked up the last grape and stood up, feeding it to Lu Zhe's lips, "You served me well. Taste this."
Lu Zhe's ears turned red from her teasing. He bit the grape she fed him, his dark eyes fixed on her.
Lu Zhe swallowed the fruit, "Thank you, Princess."
The second scene was the guard saving the princess.
Su Ci changed into another outfit, a light lavender dress with a trailing shawl that looked ethereal.
The scene was set in a garden, where she was accompanied by court maids to admire the flowers, with the guard Lu standing watch by her side.
According to the script, an assassin would attempt to kill the princess, and the guard, in saving her, would be blinded.
When the assassin charged forward, Su Ci was pulled into Lu Zhe's embrace.
Lu Zhe warned Su Ci, "Close your eyes."
Su Ci didn't listen to him.
The next moment, Lu Zhe tightened his hold on her as the assassin's blade slashed across his eyes.
Su Ci's pupils contracted.
For realism, the actor playing the assassin had a knife smeared with fake blood. When he stabbed Lu Zhe, the fake knife would scratch across his eyes, leaving fake blood on his eyelids.
As Lu Zhe was injured by the assassin, he also stabbed the assassin in the chest, killing him, and was left blinded.
Lu Zhe closed his eyes, feeling the sticky fake blood on his eyelids.
According to the script, Lu Zhe should have let go of Su Ci and asked if the princess was alright. However, Su Ci held him tightly by the waist, her fingers touching his eyelids.
Lu Zhe couldn't see, but Su Ci was heartbroken. She asked him with red eyes, "Does your eye hurt?"
Lu Zhe wanted to shake his head, thinking it was just fake, how could it hurt?
But the next moment, a warm, fragrant breath approached him. Lu Zhe's lips tightened as he felt soft lips land on his eyelids.
Lu Zhe struggled slightly, but eventually, his hands rested on either side of Su Ci's waist. He softly called out, "Tuan Tuan." He wanted to remind her that they were just playing a game.
Su Ci stood on her tiptoes, struggling to kiss Lu Zhe's eyes. Then, she said to the palace maid beside her, "Bring a clean wet towel."
The palace maid was surprised; this wasn't in the script.
But according to the game rules, slight changes to the script were allowed. The maid hurried to fetch the wet towel.
Su Ci gently wiped Lu Zhe's eyes with the wet towel, "Guardian Lu saved me. What reward do you want?"
Lu Zhe was surrounded by the fragrance of the girl in front of him. He tightened his jaw, "Saving the princess is my duty."
Su Ci cleaned his eyes and even gently blew on them, "How about I make you my son-in-law?"
Lu Zhe's ears turned red again from her teasing.
In the third scene, Su Ci changed into a red bridal gown, stunning everyone, including the makeup artist, actors, and staff.
According to the script, Lu Zhe was now blind, and the makeup artist had tied a black cloth band over his eyes.
He stood under the city wall, listening to the cheers of the people as they sent the princess off to marry.
As Su Ci was helped by the palace maid into the sedan chair, she turned back to look at Lu Zhe standing under the city wall. He leaned on a bamboo stick, his eyes covered with a black cloth strip, his expression desolate.
Su Ci let go of the palace maid's hand, lifted her skirt, and once again didn't follow the script. She walked towards Lu Zhe.
Suddenly, the girl wrapped her arms around his waist.
Lu Zhe was taken aback, "Tuan Tuan."
The next moment, the black cloth strip over his eyes was pulled off, and he was met with the bright light. His gaze immediately locked onto the girl's dark eyes.
He saw Su Ci in her red bridal gown, radiant and incredibly beautiful.
Su Ci turned back and said to the staff, "I'm not going to marry. I want to marry my guard."
Behind the scenes, the staff:
The manager spoke up, "I'm sorry, but if the script changes too much, we can't meet your requirements." After all, the scenes were fixed, and redecorating would require a lot of manpower and resources.
Su Ci blinked and said, "I'll pay extra. All the costs will be covered by me. No matter the price, please arrange the scene for me and my guard to pay respects to heaven and earth."
The staff had never encountered such a player before.
The manager of the experience center communicated with Su Ci and realized she was a wealthy individual. He quickly had his employees prepare the scene.
Preparing the wedding ceremony scene wasn't difficult. There was a related scene in the neighboring area, and with some additional arrangements, it could be used directly.
This time, Lu Zhe changed into a red ceremonial robe embroidered with gold, his elegant features appearing even more dashing and transcendent.
The staff looked at Lu Zhe and then at Su Ci. The two of them together were incredibly striking.
Some of the staff couldn't help but take out their phones and secretly take photos of them. Their looks seemed almost too perfect to be real.
As she bowed with Lu Zhe, Su Ci's eyes curved into beautiful crescents.
Before leaving the experience hall, players could purchase photos taken during the game at the front desk.
Su Ci took Lu Zhe's hand and went to the front desk. She found that the photographer had taken over a hundred photos of them.
Usually, the photographer would take about twenty to thirty photos for players to choose from and print, which they could then purchase.
However, Su Ci and Lu Zhe's looks were so high that every move they made seemed like they were in a TV drama. The photographer couldn't stop pressing the shutter, resulting in many photos.
Lu Zhe looked at the photos on the tablet and, at the same price, bought all the electronic versions of the photos of him and Su Ci. He also refused to allow the seller to use their photos for advertisements.
As they left the mall, Su Ci's face still glowed with joy. All the photos had been sent to her phone.
She set the photo of herself and Lu Zhe bowing to heaven and earth as her phone's wallpaper, feeling immensely satisfied. "The experience hall was quite fun. We should come again sometime."
Lu Zhe held her hand and asked, "Alright, where should we go now?"
"To the hotel," the girl replied, her eyes sparkling with mischief. She smiled sweetly at him. "After bowing to heaven and earth, it's time for the bridal chamber."
Inside the room, the lighting was dim.
A corner of the blanket had fallen to the floor, and the sheets were crumpled.
Su Ci's body felt weak, her cheeks flushed red, and her mind was in a daze.
As the new year arrived, she lifted her head and gently nibbled on Lu Zhe's ear, whispering, "Happy New Year."
