Late at night, there were few vehicles on the highway, with only occasional car horns breaking the profound silence of the deep night.
Su Ci was made to sit up straight by Lu Zhe, as the young man wouldn't let her cling to him so closely.
Su Ci gazed longingly at Lu Zhe in the dim light. Knowing he wasn't in a good mood, she obediently corrected her posture and stopped trying to stick close to him.
She leaned back against the seat, enduring the strange waves of sensation coursing through her body.
What was happening to her body?
Having rushed to find Lu Zhe today and traveling all this way, Su Ci finally succumbed to drowsiness, her eyelids gradually closing.
In her hazy state, she felt herself being pulled into an embrace. She nuzzled comfortably and drifted off to sleep.
Fat Fu had already notified the orphanage staff, and the female worker who had received them last time was waiting.
The woman looked unwell, with reddened eyes. After exchanging a few words with Fat Fu, she told him, "The Old Director is at the hospital. The children are all asleep. Would you like to go see him?" The funeral would be held tomorrow, and their staff were also managing things at the hospital.
Fat Fu drove to the hospital.
The hospital at night had an indescribable stillness and eeriness about it.
Su Ci followed Lu Zhe to see the Old Director. The last time she saw him, he had been talking to her about Lu Zhe's childhood. Now, this elderly man had closed his eyes forever.
Even though Su Ci had known the Old Director only had two months to live, when actually facing this moment, her heart still ached with a sense of helplessness. She knew he would die but couldn't prevent it.
Beside her, Fat Fu's eyes reddened as he sobbed uncontrollably, deeply grieved.
Su Ci turned to look at Lu Zhe beside her.
The young man's rigid face was composed, making it impossible to read his thoughts. The cold white light falling on his face gave him an indescribable pallor.
Su Ci knew Lu Zhe was heartbroken.
She reached out, her soft small hand slipping into his cold palm, and held his hand.
She was here for him.
Fat Fu was crying inconsolably, and finally, Lu Zhe had to help him to the car.
Fat Fu slumped over the steering wheel, crying for quite a while longer as Lu Zhe handed him tissues.
In such a crystal-clear night, there was an indescribable loneliness and sorrow.
Su Ci sat quietly in the back seat, wondering if anyone had cried for her like this, grieved for her like this, when she died before entering this book world.
Considering it was already late at night and the children and staff at the orphanage were asleep, Fat Fu found the closest hotel to the orphanage.
This hotel was only a few stories tall and rather basic. The guests were a mixed crowd - while they were checking in, several drunk people had come and gone, and some even kept staring at Su Ci, their eyes practically glued to her.
Lu Zhe inspected the room and, after ensuring there were no safety issues, said to the girl, "You should sleep. I'll be across the hall. Call me if anything happens."
Su Ci sat on the bed, tugging at his clothes, "Can I sleep with you?" The strange sensations in her body made her want to stay close to him, to cling to him.
Lu Zhe gave her a cool look. "No."
"Why not?" Su Ci looked at him pleadingly. "It's not like we haven't slept together before." Previously, when she and Lu Zhe had shared a bed, everything had been fine.
She trusted him.
"I promise I won't bother you," Su Ci assured him.
After all, the last time she had played tricks, it had made Lu Zhe grind his teeth in frustration. Now she knew Lu Zhe wasn't in a good mood, so she would behave and simply sleep next to him.
Lu Zhe coldly refused, "No!" He pulled his clothes from the girl's fingers. "Get some rest."
Lu Zhe left, closing the door behind him.
The room fell silent.
Watching Lu Zhe leave so heartlessly, Su Ci was stunned, deeply realizing that her beauty was worthless in front of Lu Zhe!
Su Ci lay on the bed, feeling as if countless ants were crawling across her heart, making it unbearably itchy. The strange sensations in her body kept surging, making her want to do something to release them.
Turning over, Su Ci helplessly closed her eyes.
After a while, she impatiently turned to the other side.
She couldn't sleep.
Despite being exhausted from traveling all day, she still couldn't fall asleep.
Su Ci closed her eyes and started counting in her mind: one Lu Zhe, two Lu Zhe, three Lu Zhe...
By the time she counted to a hundred Lu Zhes, she only wanted him more.
Su Ci opened her eyes and looked at the time - it was past three in the morning.
For a beauty-loving girl like her, staying up late was equivalent to letting herself become ugly, a collapse of beauty.
This was a very sinful thing.
Su Ci got out of bed, put on the disposable slippers beside it, and went straight to find Lu Zhe.
The hotel corridor was completely empty, making it feel creepy.
Su Ci came to the door across the hall and pressed the doorbell directly.
Within seconds, the door opened.
As soon as Lu Zhe opened the door, a slender figure quickly slipped past him. By the time he turned to look, she had already quickly taken off her slippers and dived under his covers.
Lu Zhe: ...
Su Ci poked her head out from under the covers, looking at the young man by the door with sparkling eyes. "I was worried you couldn't sleep because you were sad, so I came to keep you company."
He had opened the door just seconds after she rang the bell - he definitely hadn't been sleeping.
Lu Zhe: "Not necessary."
Su Ci blinked. "Then I can't sleep, so keep me company."
Lu Zhe remembered how the girl had previously pushed his boundaries, forcing him to retreat step by step.
Lu Zhe spoke flatly, "Go back to your room."
Su Ci was completely shameless. She closed her eyes directly. "I left my room key inside, I can't open the door." She had done it on purpose.
Then, Su Ci added thoughtfully, "It's so late, don't go bother the front desk. Let them rest properly."
Lu Zhe gave her a long look, then closed the door.
Su Ci kept her eyes tightly shut. She heard the door close, and after a while, the bed dipped beside her. She knew Lu Zhe had laid down.
Her red lips curved secretly.
She turned to her side, moving her body closer to Lu Zhe until she was right against him. The little rabbit in her heart stopped fidgeting, and Su Ci contentedly nuzzled her head against Lu Zhe's chest.
Lu Zhe: "Su Ci!"
"Yes?" Su Ci kept her eyes closed and yawned. "I'm sleepy." With that, she stopped moving and fell asleep against Lu Zhe.
The room fell quiet.
After returning to his room, Lu Zhe indeed hadn't slept. He had been thinking about his life at the orphanage, where the Old Director was the only adult who had ever shown him kindness during his growing years.
He was still immersed in his grief when Su Ci arrived.
His chest felt soft where the girl was leaning against it.
Lu Zhe let out a quiet sigh, placed his hand on the girl's waist, and slowly closed his eyes.
The next day, sunlight filtered through the gaps in the curtains into the room.
When Su Ci woke up, it was almost noon, and Lu Zhe was no longer beside her.
She blinked, clearing the sleepiness from her eyes. Why hadn't Lu Zhe woken her?
After getting up and freshening herself, she changed into her clothes, wanting to go find something to eat.
Just as she reached the ground floor lobby, the front desk staff called out to her.
Both Su Ci and Lu Zhe were too striking in appearance, so the staff recognized Su Ci at a glance.
They told Su Ci that Lu Zhe had ordered breakfast for her and asked if she wanted it delivered now.
Su Ci thought that although Lu Zhe appeared cold on the outside, he was always very thoughtful.
After breakfast, Su Ci returned to her room to wait for Lu Zhe to come back.
Lu Zhe returned after lunch, and Su Ci saw the young man dressed all in black, his expression cold and serious. She could sense the melancholy emotions surrounding him.
"Is everything done?" Su Ci asked him.
Lu Zhe: "Yes, we need to visit the orphanage shortly, then we'll return to D City tonight."
"Okay."
Su Ci had only brought one change of clothes and no other luggage, so she was packed in no time.
Fat Fu was handling the check-out procedures in the lobby. When Su Ci saw him, she noticed his eyes were swollen and bloodshot, clearly having cried for a long time.
His car was parked outside the hotel. Once they got in, the atmosphere in the car was very heavy, with no one inclined to speak.
Su Ci and Lu Zhe sat in the back seat. She sat close to Lu Zhe, and compared to last night, she felt the strange sensations in her body seemed to have disappeared?
The journey from the hotel to the orphanage wasn't far, taking only about ten minutes.
It was afternoon, and the children at the orphanage had woken up from their naps and were playing in the courtyard.
The staff were sorting through the Old Director's belongings, with Lu Zhe and Fat Fu helping out.
Su Ci didn't join them. The children remembered her and were overjoyed to see her again. Children are the purest souls - they love beautiful things and beautiful older sisters. They gathered around Su Ci, greeting her one by one.
The children were still young and didn't understand what the Old Director's passing meant. The staff had told them that the Old Director had become a ray of sunshine, watching over them whenever the sun rose.
Among the little ones, Su Ci didn't see the small boy Zhen Tiancai from last time.
"Where's Little Genius?" Su Ci asked the children.
The boy in the red clothes told her, "Zhen Tiancai is in his room changing into new clothes. His new parents are coming to pick him up soon."
Su Ci was startled - someone was adopting Zhen Tiancai?
Adoptive parents usually preferred healthy and lively children, while Zhen Tiancai was quiet and shy, with heart problems. Most people wouldn't want to adopt such a child.
Now that a couple was willing to adopt Zhen Tiancai, she was truly happy for the little boy and hoped he would have a happy life ahead.
Su Ci told the little ones to go play instead of crowding around her. She had no experience with children, except for occasionally comforting Little Su Ning, but Little Su Ning was so well-behaved that she hardly needed any guidance.
Having so many children chattering around her was giving her a headache.
Feeling bored, Su Ci walked over to the fence where the rabbit that Lu Zhe had held last time was kept.
No matter how she looked at it, she thought this rabbit was ugly.
Its fur wasn't as pure white and smooth as hers, it was chubby, not small and cute like her at all, and its red eyes weren't as bright and beautiful as hers.
So why did Lu Zhe want to hold it before!
The rabbit in the enclosure kept hopping around, running about, and going in circles. Su Ci watched curiously, thinking the rabbit looked rather silly.
"The bunny seems sick, it's been making noises these past few days," said the little girl named Tutu, standing beside Su Ci, her small hands gripping the bamboo fence as she stood on tiptoes to look at the rabbit.
"Sick?" Although Su Ci was half-rabbit herself, she didn't know much about rabbits.
"Let me look up what's wrong with the rabbit."
The little girl's eyes lit up as she waited patiently for the big sister to help.
Su Ci took out her phone and searched for the rabbit's behavior online. The results made her hand tremble.
The rabbit was in heat?
Su Ci clicked on a post about rabbits that explained how rabbits might look innocent and pure, but they were actually quite lustful creatures.
Su Ci's mood became rather peculiar.
Reading further, she learned that rabbits have mating seasons! Rabbits typically experience their first heat at 3-4 months, with smaller rabbits starting earlier and larger ones usually at 5-6 months.
Su Ci looked at the rabbit in the enclosure, estimating it to be around 5-6 months old.
She remembered when she was a rabbit, she was only palm-sized, being a dwarf rabbit. Even if she returned to rabbit form, no matter how much she grew, she would still remain small.
Su Ci licked her lips, pondering if she were still a rabbit, would that mean she would have entered this so-called embarrassing period around three months of age?
She was shocked and scared, but also relieved that she was now human and not a rabbit.
"Pretty sister, is the bunny sick?" the little girl asked Su Ci worriedly.
Looking into the little girl's innocent big eyes, Su Ci couldn't bring herself to tell her that the rabbit wasn't sick but in heat.
At that moment, Lu Zhe suddenly appeared beside Su Ci. "What are you talking about?" His gaze inadvertently fell on the girl's phone, which showed search results about rabbits in heat.
"Brother Lu Zhe, the bunny is sick," the little girl told him.
Su Ci put away her phone and nodded, "Yes, this rabbit is lovesick. You should tell the staff to see how to handle it."
The little girl's eyes brightened, and she volunteered eagerly, "Tutu will go tell the caretaker sister." With that, she happily ran off.
"Why did you come out? Is everything done?" Su Ci asked Lu Zhe.
"No, I brought you water." Lu Zhe unscrewed the cap of the mineral water bottle and handed it to her.
Su Ci realized she was indeed thirsty. She took several sips and handed the bottle back to Lu Zhe. "You can go back to work, I'll be fine by myself."
Lu Zhe looked at her, somewhat surprised by her docility.
But in the next moment, the girl's eyes curved up as she leaned close to his ear and said, "Lu Zhe, aren't I being very considerate?"
Su Ci's lips were almost touching Lu Zhe's ear. "When we get back, you have to give me lots of kisses, okay?" Knowing he wasn't in a good mood, she had been playing the role of an obedient and caring little angel these past few days.
Lu Zhe gave her a bland look and left.
Su Ci pursed her lips - was that a yes? Or a no?
Standing in the shade, Su Ci watched the rabbit in the enclosure with boredom. The more she watched, the more frightening she found the rabbit in heat - it was jumping and running around frantically, kicking its legs. Was this what unfulfilled desire looked like?
Just then, a white car stopped outside the orphanage gate. The children playing in the courtyard all stopped and looked over curiously.
One of the little boys exclaimed happily, "It must be Zhen Tiancai's new mom and dad coming to pick him up!"
"Quick, call Zhen Tiancai out!"
"I'll go tell Sister Yinzi that Zhen Tiancai's new parents are here!"
The children were excited and thrilled. To them, having parents was a joyful and blessed thing, and everyone was happy for Zhen Tiancai.
Su Ci looked toward the gate and saw a middle-aged man and woman getting out of the car.
The middle-aged man wore an ill-fitting loose suit, while the middle-aged woman beside him wore a dress with large floral prints.
A female staff member from the orphanage, whom the children called Sister Yinzi, hurried to greet them. "Mr. Zhang, Mrs. Zhang, welcome." The Old Director had arranged for them to come today, but now the Old Director was gone.
"We're here to pick up the Tiancai child," the middle-aged man said with a smile.
Several children shyly hid behind Sister Yinzi. Someone spotted Zhen Tiancai coming out and excitedly shouted, "Zhen Tiancai's here, Zhen Tiancai's here!"
Su Ci looked over and immediately saw Zhen Tiancai coming out from the corridor. The little one was wearing new clothes, and although his face was tense, his black eyes were bright with barely concealed joy.
The little one was very happy that someone wanted to adopt him.
He would have parents now.
"Oh my, this must be Tiancai! Come here to auntie, I'm going to be your mother from now on." The middle-aged woman's voice was quite loud, perhaps from excitement at seeing the child.
Zhen Tiancai was shy and wary of strangers. He secretly glanced at the female staff member, and after receiving her encouragement, he walked up to the middle-aged woman.
Su Ci saw the little one's hands nervously clasped behind his back, clearly very tense.
The middle-aged man smiled at Zhen Tiancai and casually stuffed a teddy bear into his arms. "From now on, I'm your father, and she's your mother. When you come to our home, you must be good and obedient, understand?"
Zhen Tiancai hugged the teddy bear and nodded bewilderedly.
"Mr. Zhang, Mrs. Zhang, you can chat with the child first. I need to prepare some paperwork that will need your signatures later," the staff member said.
She wore a smile, happy that one of the orphanage's children was being adopted.
"Alright, you go ahead with your work, we'll talk with the child," the middle-aged man said with a smile.
After the staff member left, the children looked at the two strangers and shyly dispersed, running to a distance to secretly watch them. Everyone envied Zhen Tiancai for having parents now.
Su Ci stood boredly by the fence, watching the couple interact with Zhen Tiancai. She unconsciously narrowed her eyes.
Having been in the entertainment industry, she could recognize people's expression management and acting skills.
The couple's smiles were perfunctory, especially the middle-aged woman who checked her watch three times after the staff left. Her face showed impatience rather than the joy of adopting a child.
The middle-aged man was chatting cheerfully with Zhen Tiancai, but his wife pulled him away.
Su Ci frowned, glanced at little Tiancai, and decided to follow them.
She secretly hid behind some plants around the corner.
"Didn't you say this child had a good personality? Why didn't he make a sound when I talked to him? Could he be autistic or something?" The middle-aged woman's tone was very dissatisfied.
The middle-aged man tried to comfort his wife, "No, I asked about that. He only has a heart condition. There shouldn't be any mental issues. It's normal for children to be shy and quiet around strangers."
"Isn't having a heart condition bad enough?" the middle-aged woman snapped. "If it weren't for your terrible idea about adopting him to please your boss for a promotion, I would never agree to raise a sick, useless child."
"You know my boss's daughter has leukemia and has a rare blood type. This child happens to have the same rare blood type."
The middle-aged man continued to placate his wife, "After we take him home, I'll tell the boss about it. By offering this boy as a walking blood bank for his daughter, he'll definitely value me. In exchange, I'll get the general manager position - he'll surely agree. Don't worry about the child's personality. It's not like you'll have to take care of him every day."
"Don't forget he has a heart condition. I'm worried he'll become a huge burden later," the middle-aged woman said, somewhat mollified by her husband's words.
"You mentioned his heart condition - if anything happens, we're not doctors. Would we be expected to save him?" The middle-aged man patted his wife's hand. "Don't overthink it. As we discussed before, once I become general manager, you can enjoy life as the general manager's wife."
This statement completely won over the middle-aged woman, and she finally smiled.
"Let's go comfort the child. Try not to frighten him," the middle-aged man reminded his wife.
The middle-aged woman glared at her husband, "I know that. Do you think I'm stupid?"
"You're not stupid - you're cruel!"
From around the corner, Su Ci emerged. Her dark eyes coldly fixed on the couple, showing rare anger.
The middle-aged woman was startled by the sudden appearance and immediately demanded harshly, "Who... who are you? Why are you here?"
Su Ci's lips curved into a cold smile, "Don't speak so loudly - you'll frighten the children nearby. Raising your voice won't hide your guilty conscience."
"Young lady, you must be joking. What do we have to feel guilty about?" The middle-aged man was notably calmer than his wife, his tone probing, unsure if she had overheard their conversation.
Su Ci lifted her chin slightly, "You have ill intentions. You're adopting Zhen Tiancai to use him for treating your boss's daughter."
She had no intention of beating around the bush or speaking in riddles. She directly revealed that she had overheard them.
The middle-aged woman looked at her husband in shock - they'd been discovered.
The middle-aged man squeezed his wife's hand, signaling her to stay calm. "Young lady, some jokes shouldn't be made carelessly. We're a childless couple who have taken a liking to Zhen Tiancai and want to adopt him, to give him a better life beyond being an orphan. Don't you realize that your baseless accusations could make this child miss his chance at being adopted?"
Hearing her husband's words, the middle-aged woman's panic instantly subsided.
Right, this young girl had no evidence. No one would believe her words.
"This child has a heart condition. If we weren't kind-hearted and charitable, no one would want to adopt a child with a heart condition."
The middle-aged woman straightened her back, "Didn't you see how happy the child was knowing we would be his parents? As our son, he won't have to worry about his future happiness. Young lady, please don't make jokes about us and ruin the child's good fortune."
Su Ci couldn't help but roll her eyes. This was the first time she had encountered such thick-skinned, shameless, and black-hearted people.
She challenged them, "Living a happy life with you - you mean he'll enjoy it in the afterlife?"
Su Ci's voice was ice-cold, "Zhen Tiancai is only five years old and has a heart condition. Your hearts must be completely rotten to target a small child like this."
She stared coldly at the couple before her, "You're practically signing his death warrant."
Su Ci found this couple utterly vicious and disgusting.
She glanced at their life values.
The man had over thirty years left, the woman over forty. These two appeared to be in their thirties, meaning the man would live into his sixties and the woman into her seventies.
Su Ci irritably asked Fu Gui, "Why do such evil people get to live so long?"
Fu Gui: [Master, lifespan is predetermined by heaven. Fu Gui doesn't know why.]
Su Ci: "Is there any way to reduce their lifespan a bit?"
She was truly angry.
Fu Gui, sensing its master's anger, tried to minimize its presence and replied in a tiny voice: [Master, this is heaven's decree.]
Su Ci pressed her lips together. Although she was just asking rhetorically, Fu Gui's answer still annoyed her. Indeed, the wicked seem to live forever.
As the couple was about to retort to Su Ci's sarcastic remarks, their faces darkening, the female staff member returned, accompanied by Lu Zhe.
The female staff member sensed the tense atmosphere between the middle-aged couple and Su Ci, looking at everyone in confusion.
"Mr. Zhang, Mrs. Zhang, the paperwork is ready. Please sign the adoption certificate," the female staff member handed the documents to them.
"Yes, yes, of course." The middle-aged man reached out with a smile, but a delicate white hand suddenly snatched the papers away.
Su Ci said coldly, "Hah, you really dare to sign!"
"Miss Su?" The female staff member looked at Su Ci in confusion.
Lu Zhe walked to Su Ci's side, "What's happening?"
Under everyone's gaze, Su Ci's cold and aggressive demeanor instantly transformed. She turned to the young man beside her with glistening eyes, looking pitiful as she said, "Lu Zhe, these people are bullying me!"
