When Su Ci opened her eyes, she saw Lu Zhe had already turned around and was walking away quickly.
Su Ci didn't continue to pursue him, afraid that pushing too hard would scare Lu Zhe away.
Lu Zhe ended up being late, arriving at the classroom more than ten minutes after class had started.
This was his first time being late.
The teacher was very lenient with this top student who suffered from a terminal illness, and didn't say much, simply telling him to return to his seat.
"Zhe," Li Dongliang saw Lu Zhe sit down and immediately leaned over, "Did you bring the bunny?"
"No," Lu Zhe took out his textbook.
Li Dongliang instantly deflated, lying bored on his desk, thinking days without seeing the bunny were meaningless.
At the stairway landing.
Fu Baili looked down at the shy girl before him who dared not meet his gaze. With his hands in his pockets, he looked down at her condescendingly, "Are you afraid of me?"
Unlike other girls, this one would immediately hide whenever she saw him.
Playing hard to get?
She had indeed caught his attention now.
"No, Fu Baili, please let me pass. Class has already started," Zhao Youyou said in a delicate voice, her eyes red.
When she left home that afternoon, there was garbage dumped in front of her door again.
The couple living upstairs had become even more outrageous. After learning her family had received a 5 million yuan reward, they somehow gathered lots of leftover food and foul-smelling garbage, dumping it at their doorstep every day. Even after complaining to property management, nothing could be done.
This time when her mother went upstairs to argue with the couple, she was almost pushed down the stairs.
She had also cried after hearing their nasty words.
Fu Baili's tall frame didn't budge. The girl in front of him spoke weakly, her eyes red like a little rabbit's, making one want to tease her.
"You're already late anyway, what difference does a few more minutes make?" Fu Baili blocked Zhao Youyou's path, "You keep avoiding me, is it because you like me?"
"You..." Zhao Youyou looked up at him in disbelief.
In her previous life, she was the one who liked and pursued him, while Fu Baili treated her with disdain.
Zhao Youyou bit her lip resentfully. Why was it that when she liked him, he ignored her, but now that she no longer wanted to like him, he was pursuing her?
She gathered her courage to look up at Fu Baili, "You're overthinking it. I don't like you." Worried Fu Baili wouldn't believe her, Zhao Youyou desperately explained, "I like Lu Zhe, not you."
She wasn't afraid her lie would be exposed. Although she didn't actually like Lu Zhe, she knew Lu Zhe liked her.
The smile disappeared from Fu Baili's lips as he sneered, "Lu Zhe? You like someone who's going to die soon?"
"That's none of your business." Zhao Youyou's heart raced under Fu Baili's gaze, and she quickly lowered her head.
"Indeed, it's none of my business." Fu Baili laughed coldly before walking away.
In the classroom, only the teacher's voice could be heard when suddenly the back door was kicked open.
Everyone looked over to see Fu Baili striding in angrily. No one knew who had provoked the young master.
The teacher looked annoyed and wanted to scold him but remembered the principal's instructions and held back. He slammed the podium, "Pay attention to the lesson!"
Everyone quickly turned back around.
Fu Baili pulled out his chair and casually leaned back, glancing sideways at Lu Zhe across the aisle.
Hmph, what a bookworm.
...
After leaving the mall, Su Ci suddenly remembered she didn't have the key to Lu Zhe's place, so she couldn't get in even if she went back.
Knowing Lu Zhe had to work tonight until 9 PM, she sighed in frustration. She couldn't wait outside all day, so she could only go to his school to get the key from him.
The summer sun was fierce, its harsh rays falling on the treetops along both sides of the street, making the branches and leaves droop from the heat.
Su Ci hated the heat. She bought an iced milk tea and wandered around, in no hurry to find Lu Zhe at school since he wouldn't be done with classes anytime soon.
As she sipped her sweet milk tea, she observed the life values visible on the inner wrists of passersby. She noticed most had yellow squares, and she hadn't seen anyone with green ones indicating lifespans over a hundred years.
She called out Fu Gui, "Why can't I see my own life value?"
Fu Gui: [Fu Gui doesn't know either.]
Su Ci: "You said before that my life is bound to Lu Zhe's, that I'll die when he dies. So does that mean Lu Zhe's life value is my life value?"
Fu Gui: [No, when Lu Zhe dies, you'll definitely die, but if you die, Lu Zhe might not necessarily die.]
Su Ci felt her eyes burning with anger. She bit down hard on her straw, not expecting any fairness, "So you're saying my lifespan is unknown, right?"
Fu Gui trembled, [Yes.]
Su Ci snorted angrily and took another big sip of milk tea.
Just then, an elderly lady wearing gold and silver jewelry with white hair walked slowly ahead, followed by two tall men in black suits. Many passersby turned to look, clearly the old lady was someone important.
Su Ci looked too, but her gaze fell on the old lady's hands.
The life value squares showed only a thin, barely visible red line that was about to disappear.
This wasn't the first time Su Ci had encountered such a situation - the last person like this was Little Joy.
The old lady only had 1 minute left to live.
Su Ci studied her appearance - the old lady's complexion was healthy, showing no signs of imminent illness.
So it would be an accident?
But with two such tall bodyguards, what kind of accident could happen?
Su Ci wasn't one to meddle in others' affairs. In her view, if the old lady was destined to die despite having two strong bodyguards, then what could a weak young girl like her do to prevent it?
Looking regretfully at the almost-vanished red line on the old lady's hand, Su Ci walked past her.
Fu Gui: [Master, save her! Save her!]
Su Ci: "Be quiet, can't you see she has bodyguards? What do you think I can do with my skinny arms and legs?"
Fu Gui: [Something's falling from above! It's going to hit her head! Master, save her quickly!]
Su Ci froze mid-sip. She looked up in disbelief, just in time to see something falling from the high-rise.
Her body reacted before her mind could process it. Su Ci threw away her milk tea and quickly pushed the old lady who was passing by, "Watch out!"
Seeing the old lady suddenly pushed, the bodyguards steadied her. One turned to grab Su Ci, shouting, "What are you doing?"
Suddenly, "Bang!" A glass water bottle barely missed the security guard's body, crashing and shattering into pieces at his feet.
Both bodyguards and the old lady were stunned.
Su Ci looked up at the building but couldn't see anything, not knowing which floor it had been thrown from.
"I saved the old lady," Su Ci glared at the bodyguard who had tried to grab her.
"Thank you, young lady."
The old lady looked at the shattered glass on the ground, feeling a wave of fear. If this young lady hadn't pushed her away, such a large glass water bottle falling on her head would likely have killed her instantly.
She instructed the bodyguard beside her, "Go investigate who threw that object. Call the police and handle it according to the law."
The bodyguard responded, "Yes, Madam."
The old lady walked up to Su Ci, smiling kindly, "You saved my life."
Su Ci blinked and admitted straightforwardly, without a hint of modesty, "Yes, I did."
Su Ci was invited to the old lady's home.
Looking at the villa's decorations and environment, it was no wonder the old lady needed bodyguards when going out.
The old lady went upstairs to change clothes and came down still adorned in gold and silver, wearing several jade necklaces and white jade pendants around her neck, golden bracelets on her wrist, and an antique emerald jade ring on her finger.
She exuded an air of nobility.
Su Ci sat on the wine-red sofa, drinking tea served by the servants, her manners and posture perfect, showing no signs of nervousness.
The old lady nodded repeatedly in approval, taking a great liking to this young lady. Not only was she her lifesaver, but the young lady was also beautiful.
She had seen many wealthy young ladies, but none could match the beauty of this young girl. Even though the girl had several enchanting beauty marks beneath the corners of her eyes, her gaze was pure and righteous, indicating she must have good character.
"I really owe you my thanks," the elderly lady sighed. "I never thought I'd have such a close brush with death."
Su Ci nodded in agreement.
She looked at the life value on the elderly lady's wrist, which had changed to two yellow squares and three red squares, with a notation beside it: twenty-three years.
Su Ci earnestly said to the elderly lady, "After surviving a great calamity, good fortune will follow."
The young girl's voice was pleasant to hear, and having just been saved by her, the elderly lady smiled at these words, her time-worn face growing even more kindly. "You're right."
At that moment, a tall, lean figure strode in from outside. "Grandmother, are you alright? Are you hurt?"
"I'm fine. Weren't you supposed to be at school? Why did you suddenly come back?" Old Madam Fu asked her grandson.
"The butler said you had an accident. I was worried." Fu Baili's lips were pressed together, his handsome face indeed showing signs of concern.
Su Ci leisurely took a sip of tea, realizing that the elderly lady was Fu Baili's grandmother.
"I'm fine, thanks to this young lady. She saved me, and we must properly thank her," Old Madam Fu smiled as she introduced her to her grandson. "Her name is Su Ci."
"This is my grandson, Fu Baili."
Though Fu Baili had an arrogant personality, he still maintained some propriety. He thanked Su Ci: "Thank you for your simple act of helping my grandmother."
Simple act?
Su Ci felt that Fu Baili was really downplaying her life-saving deed.
"There's 20,000 yuan in this card, as a token of our gratitude." Fu Baili pulled out a card.
Su Ci was a bit dumbfounded.
Wait, wasn't the Fu family supposed to be extremely wealthy in the novel? Fu Baili was trying to dismiss her with just 20,000?
Fu Baili noticed the girl staring at him blankly, and he frowned instinctively. He had encountered too many girls who were infatuated with him, except for Zhao Youyou.
"You don't want it?" Fu Baili asked Su Ci.
Su Ci quickly grabbed the card, "I do!"
She had put in the effort, so why shouldn't she take it!
Although she knew wealthy families were most concerned about owing favors and Fu Baili wanted to repay her life-saving deed with money, but as the male lead, shouldn't Fu Baili be more extravagant and generous?
Twenty thousand didn't match his status at all!
Su Ci deeply felt that Fu Baili, this wealthy young master, was too stingy.
"I'll have the driver take you home," Fu Baili began dismissing her.
"Oh."
Su Ci really didn't have a good impression of Fu Baili as the male lead at all. She took the card, said goodbye to the elderly lady, and left.
Su Ci had the driver drop her off at First High School's entrance.
Non-students weren't allowed to enter the school, so Su Ci found a shaded spot to wait for Lu Zhe to finish classes.
She finally had time to ask Fu Gui: "How did you know how Old Madam Fu would die?"
After finishing another golden cotton candy, Fu Gui was very satisfied: [Last time after the master saved someone, Fu Gui received a golden vapor. After eating it, Fu Gui could predict how people would die.]
Su Ci was surprised, "Then why did you keep asking me to save people earlier?"
Fu Gui: [When master saves people, Fu Gui gets another golden cotton candy.]
Su Ci scoffed, "So you get the benefits while I do all the work?"
Fu Gui trembled: [Master is the kindest person in the world.]
Su Ci: "I only acknowledge that I'm the most beautiful woman. I'm not kind at all. I'm not a savior, don't expect me to help you save people."
Fu Gui: [Eating golden cotton candy helps Fu Gui level up, and after leveling up, master will get a big surprise.]
Su Ci: "Oh, I'm not interested."
Su Ci didn't even ask what the surprise was, she just told Fu Gui to be quiet.
After waiting for who knows how long, Su Ci's face was flushed from the heat, a light pink showing through her snow-white complexion, making her look very beautiful.
Students passing by couldn't help but turn their heads to look at her, and quite a few male students blushed.
Su Ci didn't spare a single glance for anyone else. When she saw that tall figure slowly walking out, her dark eyes finally lit up.
"Lu Zhe."
When Lu Zhe walked out of the school gate, she quickly grabbed the hem of his clothes.
Meeting Lu Zhe's surprised gaze, she explained, "You didn't give me the key, so I couldn't get back in."
Lu Zhe was silent; he had forgotten.
Su Ci told him, "I've been standing at the school gate for a long time."
Lu Zhe's eyes showed apologetic feelings.
Su Ci softly said to him, "My legs are so weak from standing, I can barely walk."
"I'm sorry," Lu Zhe apologized, it was indeed his fault for forgetting to give her the key.
Su Ci's clear eyes sparkled with mischief, "It's okay, just give me the spare key when we get back."
Giving her the key also meant he wouldn't make her leave.
"Mm." Lu Zhe responded.
Su Ci immediately broke into a smile, her eyes catching the fragments of the setting sun. Her tone was gentle, almost like she was spoiling him: "Lu Zhe, my legs are weak. When we get somewhere less crowded, will you carry me on your back?"
No need for a taxi, she would help the poor boy save money.
Lu Zhe didn't respond, but Su Ci unhurriedly followed behind him, completely ignoring the shocked looks around them.
Where did such a beautiful girl come from? Could she be Lu Zhe's girlfriend?
Su Ci refused to return to the residence alone since there was nothing there, preferring to go with Lu Zhe to the computer store.
The shortcut from school to the computer store was through the alleyways, and Lu Zhe was used to taking this route.
Following behind him, Su Ci noticed that Lu Zhe's left leg seemed a bit unsteady when walking. Had his condition worsened?
She wondered if kissing Lu Zhe would increase his lifespan, and if that meant it could help his condition improve?
Just as she was about to ask Fu Gui about this, the young man walking in front suddenly stopped.
Lu Zhe leaned forward, his knees half-bent, "Get on."
Huh?
Su Ci had only been teasing when she said her legs were weak from standing, she hadn't expected him to actually offer to carry her.
Su Ci blinked, her red lips curving into a smile.
She really did climb onto Lu Zhe's back, her jade-like arms wrapping around his neck. She tilted her head, moving close to Lu Zhe's ear, and softly praised him: "Lu Zhe, how can you be so nice?"
