Lu Zhe kept his eyes closed.
He rarely interacted with girls and wondered if all of them were like Su Ci - not only delicate but also full of mischief.
"Mm," Lu Zhe responded softly.
Su Ci's hand remained covering Lu Zhe's eyes as she tried to inch away like a snail, hoping to escape the awkward situation.
Just as she moved a small step away, the young man's large hand suddenly gripped her wrist.
His palm was cold, his fingertips rough.
She was startled and wanted to tell Lu Zhe to stop fooling around, but his large hand moved to remove her hand from his eyes.
Lu Zhe's pitch-black eyes were unfathomably deep. He glanced at her, then lowered his head to whisper in her ear, returning her earlier words, "Don't move." The soft sensation continued pressing against his chest - his limbs might be numb, but he wasn't completely without feeling.
Just as Su Ci was about to say something, she heard the female employee's footsteps coming from inside.
The woman pushed open the door of the administrative office in front of the lockers, followed by the sound of a chair being pulled out.
Everything went quiet again, and Su Ci couldn't hear any other sounds.
After mentally counting the time, Su Ci whispered, "Quick, let's get out."
She squeezed past Lu Zhe to get out.
The office door wasn't closed, and when Su Ci emerged from behind the lockers, she saw the female employee holding a knife, its tip pointed at her own wrist.
Su Ci stood in the doorway, not moving closer.
Lu Zhe, who had followed her out, also saw what the female employee was trying to do.
The woman looked up at them in surprise, not expecting them to return, "You... why did you come back..."
"Oh, I forgot something and came back to get it," Su Ci's voice was pleasant but her tone was indifferent. "Are you trying to cut your wrist?"
The employee was stunned, clearly caught off guard by Su Ci's directness.
Still gripping the knife, she said, "Don't come any closer."
Su Ci nodded, "I won't."
Looking at the woman, she asked, "Why do you want to die? When you cut yourself and watch the blood drain from your body, don't you think that's torturous?"
The employee's gentle face showed deep pain, "You're too young, you don't understand that some things are more terrifying and unbearable than death."
Su Ci's fair face showed no trace of a smile, her expression cold, "Indeed, I don't understand what could be more frightening than death."
The employee's hand holding the knife trembled, her eyes full of sorrow.
"I can't empathize with you, but I know life only comes once, and nothing is more precious than life itself," Su Ci looked at her, anger visible in her dark eyes. "I despise people who don't value their lives and seek death. In this world, many people want to live, but it's just a luxury for them. Yet you fortunate ones who have many years ahead of you don't know how to cherish it, always thinking death will solve everything - it's utterly foolish."
Sometimes it was truly ironic.
Those who wanted to live couldn't, while those who could live didn't cherish it.
Before her transmigration, Su Ci had severe heart disease, and she knew from childhood that she wouldn't live long.
However, she never thought about giving up.
Even when her family went bankrupt and her parents died, she never considered giving up her life - each additional day of life was a blessing to her.
Until finally, she died from a heart attack while filming. When she opened her eyes again, she had become a rabbit.
Though this current body was healthy, and although she couldn't see her own life value, her fate was now bound to the short-lived Lu Zhe, she was still grateful and cherished life.
Even Lu Zhe, despite knowing he had a terminal illness, with numbness in his limbs and gradually stiffening body, still lived each day earnestly - attending school, working part-time, taking his medicine on time, and exercising.
They both knew that each day that passed meant one day less.
"Death might end everything, but do you think it's worth it? Life is precious - even elementary school students understand this," Su Ci gave her a cold look and turned to leave.
She wasn't a savior; if someone truly wanted to die, she had no obligation to intervene.
"Let's go," Su Ci said to Lu Zhe.
Lu Zhe looked at her with deep eyes, "Mm."
"Wait," the female employee called out to Su Ci.
She had been holding everything in for too long.
"I... someone took inappropriate photos of me," she began.
Once she started, it became easier to continue, "He's been using the photos to blackmail me, and every time I see his disgusting face, I feel sick. I don't want to die, but I have no way to deal with him." The employee moved the knife away, seeming to lose all strength.
She didn't really want to die; she just felt helpless.
When she first started working, she was young and naive, too pure to see through her superior's hideous nature. She was tricked into taking compromising photos and had been blackmailed ever since.
"So you chose to cut your wrists in the office to scare that man?" Su Ci turned back, "That's foolish. If you died, he might forget about you the next day and continue living well."
"I know, but this is my only way to escape," the employee's face was full of pain.
"Do you know where he keeps your photos?" Su Ci asked.
The employee nodded, "On his computer, but I can't access it."
Su Ci tilted her head to look at the young man beside her, "Lu Zhe, can you help?"
Lu Zhe walked to a computer, "A man can't say no."
The employee realized something and bit her lip, dropping the knife, "I know his computer's IP address."
"Mm." Lu Zhe turned on the computer, his distinct knuckles and long fingers moving across the keyboard.
Su Ci looked down at the employee's wrist, where the life value had changed to five yellow squares, meaning she had fifty years of life left.
Curving her lips, Su Ci turned to watch Lu Zhe working at the computer.
Mm, Lu Zhe looked really handsome when he was focused.
Everything about him perfectly matched her aesthetic standards. If only Lu Zhe would cooperate and let her kiss him, he'd be even more handsome.
Soon, Lu Zhe stopped typing and asked the employee, "This should be the folder, take a look." He moved aside, avoiding looking at the photos on the computer.
The employee's hand trembled as she held the mouse. She opened the folder, and tears immediately filled her gentle face.
"These are them." She struggled to control her shaking hand as she clicked delete on the folder.
The employee noticed an encrypted folder nearby, and her heart started racing, "Could you help me open this encrypted folder?" She knew that man had embezzled company funds, and the evidence was on his computer.
"Mm." Lu Zhe easily broke through the multiple layers of encryption on the folder.
"Thank you." The employee's heart was nearly jumping out of her throat as she copied all the evidence from the folder.
Su Ci observed the employee's expression and guessed what she planned to do. She approved of her approach - eliminating one such scumbag would be doing society a favor.
Clutching the evidence tightly, the employee looked gratefully at Su Ci and Lu Zhe, "Thank you both. If it weren't for you, I would have already..."
Her voice choked up as she bowed deeply to Su Ci and Lu Zhe, "Thank you for helping me escape from the abyss."
She had fantasized about someone reaching out to help her, but all she'd found was despair. She never expected that when she was about to give up, someone would extend a helping hand.
"Thank you!"
The employee's gentle face was full of gratitude.
"I ate your snacks earlier, so consider that your thanks," Su Ci licked her lips. "They were quite tasty."
The employee smiled, life returning to her eyes, the deep worry between her brows disappearing. Her smile was beautiful, "I'm Li Ran. May I know your name?"
Su Ci curved her red lips, "Su Ci."
Li Ran silently repeated the name to herself.
When they left the building, the sunlight wasn't as harsh as when they had arrived.
Su Ci opened her umbrella - as a girl who cared about her appearance, she didn't want to get tanned at all.
"Lu Zhe, could you hold the umbrella for me? My hand suddenly feels so tired," Su Ci handed the umbrella to Lu Zhe, smiling brightly at him.
Lu Zhe now knew that Su Ci's previous pitiful, innocent appearance was just an act - this little rascal with mischief in her eyes and heart was the real Su Ci.
He took the umbrella from her hand.
Su Ci immediately stepped under the umbrella, unwilling to let herself be exposed to the sunlight.
"Lu Zhe, I just saved another person," Su Ci spoke up.
"Mm." Indeed, she had saved a life.
Su Ci glanced at Lu Zhe and said with self-admiration, "Aren't you going to praise me?"
Lu Zhe tilted the umbrella toward her side and, instead of responding to her comment, asked, "How did you know she was going to slit her wrist?" Su Ci had pulled him behind the storage lockers, as if she had known Li Ran's intentions all along.
In the sunlight, Su Ci's small face appeared even more fair. She opened her eyes wide and made up an excuse, "Li Ran's expression told me something was wrong. I didn't expect to be so clever and actually guess correctly."
She wanted to tell him the truth, but the system wouldn't allow it.
Lu Zhe neither expressed belief nor disbelief. He held the umbrella while sunlight fell on his shoulders.
Su Ci reached out to tug at his clothes, "Lu Zhe, come here..."
Before she could finish speaking, Lu Zhe suddenly stumbled forward.
"Lu Zhe!"
Su Ci quickly supported him. The last time at the night market, Lu Zhe had already fallen once.
Lu Zhe didn't fall completely; he reacted quickly enough that only his hand grazed the ground.
Su Ci frowned.
Hadn't she kissed Lu Zhe? Why was even walking becoming a problem for him now?
Fu Gui: [Master's kiss can only extend Lu Zhe's life to prevent death, but it won't change his condition.]
Lu Zhe could keep hanging onto life without dying, but the ALS remained. Eventually, he would become completely rigid and unable to move.
Su Ci: "Why didn't you tell me this before?"
Fu Gui's voice was very small, [Master never asked.]
Lu Zhe had already steadied himself. He stood straight, continuing to hold the umbrella, walking slowly. His rigid face showed no expression, as if he hadn't almost fallen just moments ago.
Su Ci: "Is there any way to cure Lu Zhe's ALS?"
Fu Gui's small voice replied reluctantly: [If he eats enough golden cotton candy, he can be cured.]
Su Ci knew that after she saved someone, Fu Gui would receive a piece of golden cotton candy. So that could help Lu Zhe?
Su Ci narrowed her eyes, "I just saved Li Ran, you got the golden cotton candy, right?"
Fu Gui happily shared: [Fu Gui got it, thank you, Master.]
Su Ci: "Hand it over, Lu Zhe needs it."
Fu Gui felt utterly wronged.
Su Ci didn't care about its feelings. It had concealed such important information from her, so she locked Fu Gui away.
Now that she knew the purpose of the golden cotton candy, Su Ci felt even more convinced that she was just Lu Zhe's tool!
She turned her head to look at Lu Zhe, who had become so quiet he was almost invisible, "Lu Zhe, how lucky must you be to meet an absolute treasure like me?"
