In the early morning, Su Ci was awakened by the laughter of children.
Coming out of her room, she saw several children playing around Fat Fu. On the other side, a few kids were gathered around Lu Zhe, standing by the fence, doing something unknown.
Su Ci walked over, and the children around Lu Zhe looked at her with shy and curious faces. One fair-skinned little girl couldn't help but say in a sweet voice, "Sister is so pretty."
"I know, I know, she's the angel sister," a little boy beside her chimed in.
Another boy in a red shirt argued, "She's the fairy sister." His cheeks were red, a bit shy, not daring to look directly at Su Ci.
Receiving such sweet compliments early in the morning, Su Ci's sleepy eyes brightened, and she nodded in agreement, "You all have eyes that discover beauty, such good vision, truly the lovely flowers of our nation."
Hearing the praise, the little girl beside her smiled with her eyes curved, "Pretty sister praised Tutu for being amazing."
"I'm amazing too."
"I'm the most amazing..." The little ones crowded around, vying for attention.
With her pretty face, Su Ci quickly integrated into the children's circle. She was about to show off to Lu Zhe, but when she turned her head, she saw Lu Zhe holding a white rabbit from the fence.
How could he hold another rabbit!
Su Ci walked over, scrutinizing the big white rabbit in Lu Zhe's hands with a critical eye, "The fur isn't pure white, not smooth, the eyes are dull, and it's chubby."
"This rabbit isn't cute at all," Su Ci concluded.
Lu Zhe said, "It's very gentle."
Su Ci stared intently at Lu Zhe's large hand petting the rabbit, "Lu Zhe, are you going to stray with other rabbits?"
She leaned closer to him.
Seeing Lu Zhe's fingers touch the rabbit's ears, she felt a pang of jealousy, remembering how Lu Zhe used to love pinching her rabbit ears.
Su Ci huffed, glaring at the expressionless rabbit in Lu Zhe's hands, "We'll have braised rabbit head tonight!"
"No eating rabbits, you can't eat rabbits!" the little girl beside her shook her head in fear.
"Rabbits are friends, you can't eat them, they're so good," the boy in red quickly persuaded Su Ci.
Lu Zhe looked at Su Ci with an ambiguous expression, his cool voice carrying a hint of coaxing, "Don't be silly, you can't eat your own kind."
Su Ci: ......
She was infuriated!
Su Ci called out to Fat Fu, "How could Lu Zhe be so awful, holding another rabbit right in front of me!"
Fat Fu got excited, [That's too much, master, this is cheating behavior, you can't condone it.]
Su Ci's eyes curved slightly.
Fat Fu began to sow discord, [Master, you should punish Lu Zhe, next time don't give him all the golden cotton candy.]
Better to save half for Fat Fu.
Su Ci didn't respond to it.
She took the rabbit from Lu Zhe's hands and tossed it to the boy in red, looking very much like a wicked witch from a fairy tale, "You better take this ugly rabbit away, or I'll have spicy rabbit head tonight."
The boy quickly hugged the rabbit, "Sister is bad, you can't eat the rabbit, let's hide the rabbit." With that, the little ones scurried away with the rabbit.
Su Ci took Lu Zhe's hand, leading him to the sink, turning on the faucet, and putting his hand under the water, "You touched another rabbit, you need to wash your hands clean."
Lu Zhe looked down, watching the girl's fair, soft hands rubbing his large palm under the faucet.
"Do you care so much that I held another rabbit?" He found it somewhat amusing.
After a few rubs, Su Ci felt Lu Zhe's hand was clean.
She turned off the faucet, shook the water off his hand, and glared at him with her dark eyes, "You're too greedy, having me and still holding other rabbits. Are other rabbits as cute as me? As pretty as me?"
Su Ci leaned closer to Lu Zhe, taking his clean hand and placing it on her cheek, "You can only touch me, only hold me!"
Holding other rabbits is not allowed!
The girl's face was fair and smooth, soft to the touch, making Lu Zhe's palm heat up.
How could there be such a little demon, with unreasonable and domineering demands, yet so naturally making it hard for him to refuse?
Lu Zhe asked her in a low voice, "What if I don't agree?"
Su Ci glared at him fiercely, "For every rabbit you hold, I'll eat a spicy rabbit head!"
Lu Zhe chuckled softly.
Only then did Su Ci notice that when Lu Zhe laughed, there was a shallow dimple on his left side, and she couldn't help but look at it a few more times, liking it very much.
The boy's dimple must be filled with honey, otherwise, why would it be so sweet?
......
After the old dean woke up, Lu Zhe and Fat Fu went to find her.
Su Ci wandered around the orphanage alone. She heard that there were more than twenty children here, the older ones already in middle school, the younger ones not even one or two years old.
Looking at those innocent, cute faces, Su Ci couldn't understand why anyone would be willing to abandon them.
Su Ci thought of Lu Zhe, was he also left at the orphanage?
Su Ci walked into a classroom.
Inside, the desks and chairs were neatly arranged, clearly a place where children usually had classes and meals. In the corner of the podium was a piano, looking a bit worn, perhaps donated by a kind person.
Su Ci walked over and sat down in front of the piano.
Her slender fingers danced on the keys, and the melodious piano sound slowly filled the orphanage.
After a piano piece ended, several little ones stood beside her, looking at her with big, curious eyes.
"Does it sound good?" Su Ci asked them.
"It sounds good, is sister an angel?" The little boy thought the sister in front of him was so pretty.
Su Ci shook her head, "Angels save the world and help everyone." But she wouldn't.
"Then what is sister?" The little girl beside her looked at Su Ci with curiosity.
"Sister is a pretty fairy, and if any child misbehaves, I'll eat them." Su Ci looked at them, "Are you well-behaved?"
"Yes, I'm the most well-behaved."
"Baby is well-behaved too."
"Listen to sister, don't eat me."
......
Tsk, children are so easy to coax, much easier than Lu Zhe.
"Tiancai is about to die." At this moment, a little boy pointed to the corner, "Sister, Zhen Tiancai is about to die, you can eat him."
Su Ci looked over and saw a child sitting there.
"Why is he about to die?" Su Ci asked them.
"The nurse sister said Tiancai's heart has a problem, if it stops beating, he'll die," the older boy beside her told Su Ci.
Su Ci blinked.
Heart disease?
She walked to the corner and found that the boy named Zhen Tiancai was very good-looking, his face a bit pale, and his big black eyes staring at her quietly.
Su Ci remembered the old dean mentioning Lu Zhe's childhood last night. Was Lu Zhe like this boy back then, sitting alone in this corner, watching other children play?
"Is your name Zhen Tiancai?" She leaned against the wall, mimicking the boy's posture and sitting down. She was wearing long pants today, so she wasn't worried about exposure.
The boy, Zhen Tiancai, nodded, looking at the unfamiliar sister with puzzled eyes.
"Why don't you play with the other kids?" Su Ci asked him.
Zhen Tiancai shook his head.
"I heard from the other kids that you're sick, is that true?"
Zhen Tiancai's bright eyes dimmed, and he nodded, "I'll die soon." He had overheard others saying he wouldn't live long.
The child's innocent voice made Su Ci pause.
She reached out, turning Zhen Tiancai's small hand over, and saw that the life value on his wrist was six yellow squares, meaning he had sixty years left to live.
Su Ci smiled.
"No, you won't." Su Ci patted his head, "You won't die."
Zhen Tiancai's eyes widened, looking at her in confusion.
"Do you know who I am?" Su Ci asked him.
Zhen Tiancai shook his head again.
"I'm an angel." Su Ci smiled at him, "The pretty angel sister tells you, you won't die, you'll live a long, long time."
Zhen Tiancai's eyes widened, his little eyes bright and happy, yet disbelieving.
Su Ci extended her finger, "Angels don't lie. If you don't believe me, let's pinky swear."
Zhen Tiancai hesitantly extended his little finger, hooking it with Su Ci's.
Su Ci hooked her pinky finger with his and said, "Little genius can live for a very, very long time, just as long as other children. So you can do many things you want to do, don't worry about dying."
Zhen Tiancai's big eyes sparkled like little stars, and he nodded vigorously, "Mm-hmm."
The angel sister said he wouldn't die.
Su Ci thought children were so easy to comfort. If only Lu Zhe was as easily persuaded, it would be much more convenient when she asked for kisses.
As she walked outside, she saw Lu Zhe coming to find her.
"Go back to your room and get your suitcase. We'll go to the police station later to apply for your ID card," he said. Orphans could apply for ID cards at their local police station after coming of age with relevant documentation from their orphanage. He had just asked the orphanage director to help prepare a certificate.
"Are we going back?" Su Ci asked him.
"Yes, we'll head back after we're done." They still had matters to attend to at Fat Fu Restaurant and couldn't delay too long.
In the car.
Su Ci lowered the window and looked at the innocent little faces outside. They were waving goodbye to her enthusiastically, especially Zhen Tiancai. The little fellow stood behind several other children, smiling shyly as he said, "Goodbye, Angel Sister."
Su Ci smiled. These little ones were so adorable. She hoped they would grow up happily.
At the local police station, they were assisted by a female officer who asked Su Ci to fill out forms and submit photos.
Finally, Su Ci left her and Lu Zhe's address. The police station would mail her ID card once it was ready.
After Su Ci and Lu Zhe left, the female officer kept staring at the girl's photo, feeling like she had seen her somewhere before.
"Why do you keep staring at her photo? Is there something wrong?" The male officer next to her nudged her with his elbow, "Though I must say, this girl is really beautiful. Feels like I've seen her somewhere."
"You think she looks familiar too?" the female officer asked.
"If I'd seen such a beautiful girl before, I wouldn't have forgotten," the male officer couldn't recall either, "Never mind, let's get back to work."
The female officer put away the photo and was about to enter the data when her eyes fell on the name the girl had written.
Su Ci?
The female officer frowned, then suddenly stood up with the photo in hand. She remembered where she had seen this girl - this was the Su family's missing daughter they were looking for!
On their way back, Su Ci received a call from her agent, Xu Duo, asking if she would be interested in participating in a food show for three episodes.
There weren't many food shows in China, and they weren't very popular. This show had a low budget and was only a small production. One of the guests had been difficult to work with and quit the show. The director was his friend and was looking for a suitable replacement, and he immediately thought of Su Ci.
Xu Duo could see that Su Ci needed money.
His recommendation this time was a gesture of goodwill, as he sincerely wanted to sign Su Ci.
After listening to the explanation on the phone, Su Ci glanced at the young man resting beside her with his eyes closed, and agreed.
A food show was great - she could eat and earn money to take care of Lu Zhe. Of course she was willing to participate in the recording.
......
At the Su family home.
Qin Shiyan had no schedule today and came specially to visit Su's Mother. "Auntie Su, I made these myself, please try them," she handed the box she was carrying to Hua's Wife.
She had practically grown up at the Su family home, though in the past she had always used the back door.
It wasn't until her father saved Su Shengguo's life and became more than just the Su family's driver, but Su Shengguo's lifesaver, that she had the opportunity to become a playmate of the Su family's daughter and enter through the main door.
"Just leave it there, I don't have an appetite right now," Su's Mother said coldly.
Qin Shiyan's smile faltered slightly, "Auntie Su, are you not feeling well?"
She wasn't sure if it was her imagination, but ever since she had added a small tear mole below her outer eye corner, just like Su Ci's, Su's Mother's attitude toward her had changed significantly.
Her eyes darkened. Had she miscalculated?
Originally, she had planned to let the Su family see Su Ci's shadow in her. Having spent years by Su Ci's side, she had picked up many of Su Ci's mannerisms and behaviors. She didn't mind becoming Su Ci, didn't mind being Su Ci's shadow.
However, since adding the tear mole, she felt this move might have been a mistake.
Su's Mother's attitude toward her had obviously grown much colder.
But it didn't matter. Qin Shiyan considered herself a patient and clever person.
She lowered her chin, her voice full of melancholy and loss, "Auntie Su, I dreamed of Ci Ci last night."
This finally caught Su's Mother's attention, stirring her emotions, "What did you dream about her?"
"I dreamed about the times when Ci Ci and I used to play together. I grew up with her, and now that she's gone, I miss her every day." Qin Shiyan's eyes welled with tears as she asked directly: "Auntie Su, do you dislike that I have the same tear mole as Ci Ci?"
Su's Mother indeed disliked that Qin Shiyan had added a tear mole identical to her daughter's.
In her view, everything about her daughter was unique, and she didn't appreciate Qin Shiyan's deliberate imitation.
"I just miss Ci Ci so much. I even wonder why it wasn't me who was kidnapped, why it wasn't me who fell into the sea." Tears spilled from Qin Shiyan's eyes, her face showing genuine sorrow, "That's why I got this tear mole like Ci Ci's. When I look in the mirror, I can remember her."
No matter how much Su's Mother loved her daughter, she couldn't say she wished someone else had died instead. Thinking about how this child had grown up with her daughter and their deep friendship, she sighed, "That's thoughtful of you."
Since her son had shown her the photo of her daughter two days ago, proving she wasn't dead, Su's Mother's grief had turned to anxiety.
Both her son and husband had sent people to search for their daughter, and she believed it wouldn't be long before they found her.
However, she hadn't mentioned this to anyone. They didn't plan to make it public until their daughter was found.
Qin Shiyan noticed Su's Mother's gaze softening and knew her words had moved her.
She continued to chat about Su Ci, occasionally bringing up amusing stories about her, and gradually, a smile appeared on Su's Mother's face.
Hmph, what amusing stories did Su Ci have?
That pampered, spoiled daughter of the Su family had never truly considered her a friend.
Su Ci's personality was both delicate and willful, always finding ways to tease her, yet to Su's Mother, these were all just amusing anecdotes about her daughter.
How annoying.
Fortunately, Su Ci was gone now.
Thinking of her recent encounter with Su Ci, Qin Shiyan's eyes darkened again. Bad weeds truly never die.
After chatting with Su's Mother and coaxing her into better spirits, Qin Shiyan finally left.
As she reached the garden, she saw Su ZhiYuan returning home. She smiled brightly, her expression gentle, "Brother Su, you're back."
Su ZhiYuan merely nodded at her and walked past without stopping.
Qin Shiyan bit her lip.
Although her appearance couldn't compare to Su Ci's, she surpassed countless female celebrities in the entertainment industry, and had gained a large following of fans who admired her beauty when she first entered the industry.
Yet all along, Su ZhiYuan had ignored her affections. If it weren't for Su Ci, he probably wouldn't even spare her a glance.
Su ZhiYuan entered the house and saw his mother sitting on the sofa. He walked over, "Mom, I'm flying to D City tomorrow. I'll be back soon."
"Have you found Ci Ci?" Su's Mother straightened up suddenly.
"No, it's company business. Dad and I will have our people speed up the search. Sister will be back soon." He had received information from the police that Su Ci was in D City, and he planned to go there personally to bring his sister back.
He didn't want to disappoint his mother again until he had seen his sister with his own eyes.
Su's Mother's expression dimmed, "I'll have Hua's Wife pack your luggage. Be careful on your trip."
Su ZhiYuan responded, "I will."
......
Lu Zhe had gone to school, and the show recording wouldn't start until next month, leaving Su Ci feeling terribly bored.
She checked the time and decided to pick up Lu Zhe after school, then go to work at the restaurant together.
The sun was fierce outside, and although her skin was now as white as snow, Su Ci took great care of herself. After applying a layer of sunscreen, she put on a pretty dress, took an umbrella, and finally set out at a leisurely pace.
Walking was out of the question, so she took a taxi to the front gate of No. 1 High School, arriving early.
Su Ci planned to sit for a while at the beverage shop across from the school. At that moment, a girl came walking out of the school gates in tears.
She was wiping her tears while crying, looking utterly heartbroken.
However, in the next second, she was stopped by the security guard - students weren't allowed to leave campus without a permission slip before dismissal time.
The girl started arguing with the security guard.
Su Ci stood outside the gate with her umbrella, watching the scene for a few moments. Then she noticed that the girl's life value displayed as a red line on her wrist, showing just 10 minutes remaining.
Su Ci frowned and asked Fat Fu, "How does this girl die?"
Fat Fu: [She's going to jump off the building, Master. Save her and get the golden cotton candy.]
Fat Fu remembered that yesterday Master was angry about Lu Zhe's infidelity and hugging other rabbits. Perhaps this time the golden cotton candy would be his.
Fat Fu: [Master save her, Master save her...]
Su Ci was annoyed to death. "Shut up."
She saw that the security guard wouldn't let the girl leave, and the girl angrily turned back toward the school building.
She couldn't be going to jump off the building, could she?
Su Ci quickly tried to follow but was stopped by the security guard. "Are you a student here?" The guard hadn't seen such a beautiful girl at school before.
"I have an urgent matter, I'm here to see my brother," Su Ci said, looking innocently at the security guard.
"You need to register to enter the school. Please fill out this form first," the security guard instructed Su Ci.
Watching the girl walking further away, Su Ci hurriedly filled out the form.
The girl went crying up to the rooftop of the teaching building. Su Ci quietly followed her, climbing six flights of stairs until her legs were shaking.
There were so many ways to end one's life, why did it have to be the rooftop?
Ugh, she was sacrificing so much to save someone, all for Lu Zhe's sake.
Su Ci was panting when she finally reached the rooftop and immediately spotted the girl already sitting on the railing.
"Wait... wait a moment," Su Ci called out to stop her.
"Don't come any closer!" the girl shouted when she saw someone suddenly appear.
"Oh, I won't come over. It's too sunny over there. I'm fine standing right here," Su Ci said, standing in a shaded spot.
Shen Xue: .......
"Are you going to jump?" Su Ci asked after catching her breath.
"I want to die, what's it to you?" Shen Xue cried while berating Su Ci.
Su Ci narrowed her eyes, her gaze falling on the student name tag pinned to the girl's upper left.
Shen Xue?
That name seemed familiar.
Su Ci pursed her lips, thinking for a moment before remembering that in the book there was a cannon fodder supporting character named Shen Xue. She had liked Fu Baili and always caused trouble for Zhao Youyou. Eventually, when she tried to frame Zhao Youyou but failed, Fu Baili exposed her.
Su Ci remembered that this female cannon fodder did indeed die - the book only mentioned that she met a tragic end.
So this was how - she jumped from the rooftop.
Looking at this clearly dumbed-down cannon fodder character before her, Su Ci sighed, "You're right, it's none of my business. I just came up here for some fresh air. But you're quite pretty - if you really jump, your face will be ruined. Your skull will shatter, your face will split open, and your eyeballs might even pop out. Are you sure you want to jump?"
Hearing Su Ci's words, Shen Xue choked on her sobs and froze.
She gripped the railing tightly and said weakly, "It's... it's none of your business."
"I know, I just came up here for some air," Su Ci said, standing elegantly by the stairwell with her umbrella. "If you're going to jump, I have one request - could you wait until after I leave the school? I'm afraid seeing your horrifying state would give me nightmares."
"You..." Shen Xue's breath caught - was this stranger trying to encourage her to jump or trying to stop her?
"Sigh." Su Ci sighed again. "Why do you want to die? Because you lost face in front of Zhao Youyou? Or because Fu Baili broke your heart?"
"How do you know?" Shen Xue's eyes widened.
"The whole school is talking about it," Su Ci told her.
Shen Xue: ......
Now she wanted to die even more.
"I have to say, your taste in men is terrible. Is Fu Baili really worth dying for?" Su Ci couldn't understand at all.
"Don't you dare insult him," Shen Xue still harbored strong feelings for Fu Baili.
Su Ci pouted with disdain, "I'm just stating facts. He's not as handsome as my Lu Zhe, not as academically excellent as my Lu Zhe, and his personality isn't as gentle as my Lu Zhe's."
Ah, making these comparisons made her realize Lu Zhe was even better.
"What do you see in Fu Baili? That he's blind enough to like Zhao Youyou? Then you're even blinder than him." Su Ci's tone was somewhat contemptuous - she looked down on people who would so easily give up their lives for others.
Shen Xue stopped crying and gritted her teeth.
She had never seen anyone try to talk someone down like this before!
