Su Ci looked at the man with phoenix eyes standing outside the door and was startled to discover that his features somewhat resembled Lu Zhe's.
Since there was someone else present, she stopped clinging to Lu Zhe and asked him, "Who is he?"
"Don't know him," Lu Zhe said as he led the girl inside.
"How can you not know me? I just said I might be your father." Lu Chen felt an inexplicable sense of being rejected. He stepped forward wanting to say something, but the next moment, the door was slammed shut in his face with a "bang."
Lu Chen was stunned.
"Old Cao," Lu Chen said to the driver waiting nearby, "I remember over all these years, many people have tried to claim they were my son or wanted me to adopt them. How come now there's someone who doesn't want to be part of the Lu Family?"
Old Cao smiled and said, "Young Master doesn't care for wealth and has a pure nature. Others can't compare to him."
Lu Chen's lips twitched, his phoenix eyes showing traces of pleasure.
"Sir, if the young master refuses to do a paternity test, what should we do next?" Old Cao felt that the young man inside must be their Lu Family's lost young master.
At this moment, Boss Fang, who had returned to his residence across the street, walked out with a bag of garbage to dispose of. He hadn't expected the Lu Family patriarch to still be standing outside Lu Zhe's door.
He nodded in greeting.
"Wait," Lu Chen called out to him. He had seen this man walking with Lu Zhe earlier, and they seemed quite familiar with each other.
"Does Mr. Lu need something?" Boss Fang thought that this Lu Family patriarch might really be Lu Zhe's father.
Lu Chen asked him, "Are you close with Lu Zhe?"
"We've known each other for almost two years. I used to be his boss when he worked at my shop." If this man was indeed Lu Zhe's father, Boss Fang wanted him to feel some heartache for Lu Zhe.
Lu Chen frowned. "Worked?"
He had ordered an investigation yesterday into whether Lu Zhe really came from an orphanage, but so far he only had partial information. The rest hadn't been investigated yet.
"He has no parents and can only support himself through work."
The smile in Lu Chen's phoenix eyes disappeared. "I want to know about Lu Zhe."
Boss Fang looked troubled. "These are Lu Zhe's private matters. I'm not at liberty to discuss them."
Lu Chen said, "Even if you don't tell me, it's just a matter of time before my people investigate. Rather than waste time, why not let someone who knows him well tell me?"
In the living room, after being led inside by Lu Zhe, Su Ci asked in surprise, "Who was that person? He seemed to know me."
No, more accurately, he knew Su Ci's father.
"Lu Zhe, did you notice? He looks a lot like you," Su Ci said curiously.
"Have you had breakfast?" Lu Zhe patted her head, which was now covered with a hat.
He had rung the doorbell to remind the girl, and she had indeed been clever enough to put on a hat before opening the door.
"I have." Su Ci looked at him disapprovingly. "Lu Zhe, you're avoiding my question."
Lu Zhe asked her again, "Is your cold better?"
Su Ci felt her nasal congestion had improved. "A little better. But you still haven't answered my question. I just heard that man say he might be your father. What's that about?"
Lu Zhe reached over and took off the hat from the girl's head. Two pink and white fluffy rabbit ears stood up. He stroked her head and asked, "Did you take your medicine?"
"I did. Now answer my question quickly." Su Ci was dying of curiosity, but the young man kept delaying his answer.
Lu Zhe looked at the girl's rabbit ears and told her, "I don't know him. He wants me to take a paternity test."
"Did you agree? Maybe he really is your father." Otherwise, why would their features look somewhat similar?
"No," Lu Zhe gently stroked the girl's hair. "I have no intention of finding my relatives."
Su Ci blinked. "Why?"
The hand stroking Su Ci's hair paused, and Lu Zhe's fingertips touched the girl's fluffy ears. He couldn't help but pinch the pink and white ear tips.
"Lu Zhe." Su Ci's legs instantly went weak, and she fell back helplessly into Lu Zhe's arms.
Lu Zhe could feel the girl's ears trembling under his palm, looking utterly pitiful.
He lowered his head and kissed her ear tips, saying softly, "I don't have much time left. Isn't it enough just to be with you?"
Su Ci lay limply in Lu Zhe's embrace, her rabbit ears tingling intensely. Hearing Lu Zhe's words, her eyes brightened, feeling both happy and slightly bitter. "Okay."
Su Ci was very clever. She saw through Lu Zhe's thoughts: "Lu Zhe, don't think too much. You won't die. You deserve to enjoy the love of family. And putting aside the matter of life and death, do you really not want to find your family?"
That man from earlier knew Su Ci's father, which clearly indicated his high status. If reconnecting with family would benefit Lu Zhe, Su Ci hoped he would find his relatives.
At their youthful age, she wanted her young man to live freely and happily, not exhausting himself working for money.
Of course, it would be fine if Lu Zhe didn't want to acknowledge his relatives. She could support him in the future.
Lu Zhe lowered his gaze, his fingertips playing with the rabbit ears in his palm. His voice was soft, "I don't want to."
He didn't dare to even think about it.
Su Ci was stunned. She blinked, her heart turning sour and feeling slightly frustrated. She gently bit the young man's hard shoulder, "I told you not to pinch my ears!"
She could barely stand steady.
Lu Zhe chuckled softly, a shallow dimple appearing on his left cheek. The rigid look in his features softened, finally showing the genuine feeling of youth. "Sorry, couldn't help it."
Su Ci felt she had absolutely no self-control. When Lu Zhe smiled, her body became even weaker.
Meanwhile, on Boss Fang's side, Lu Chen was listening to him describe Lu Zhe's situation.
When he heard that Lu Zhe had ALS, all traces of humor vanished from his ethereally handsome face. He fixed Boss Fang with a sharp gaze, "He has ALS?"
Even Old Cao, standing to the side, felt his heart sink.
"Mr. Lu, why do you think Lu Zhe refuses to take a paternity test with you? Why doesn't he want to find his relatives?" Boss Fang felt terrible for Lu Zhe. "It's because he knows he doesn't have much time left. He doesn't want to find his family only to have them lose him soon after."
Who could bear that?
Old Cao's eyes grew moist hearing this. How much suffering had their young master endured?
While other wealthy heirs lived carefree lives, wanting for nothing, their young master had grown up in hardship and now suffered from a terminal illness.
Was this to be the end of the Lu Family line?
Lu Chen's eyes darkened, all casual indolence gone from his bearing. His voice became uncharacteristically heavy: "How many years does he have left?"
"Little Zhe has been ill for nearly a year," Boss Fang said, describing Lu Zhe's condition with a bitter taste in his mouth. "ALS patients typically only live about 3 years after onset, with some rare cases lasting 5 years."
Boss Fang looked at Lu Chen's dark expression: "Mr. Lu, when you said earlier that Lu Zhe might be your son, I was truly happy for him. Though he seems cold, he has a warm heart. If you are Lu Zhe's father and want to acknowledge him, please make sure to treat him well."
Beside them, Old Cao could no longer hold back. Wiping his tears, he said, "Sir, let's quickly bring the young master home."
Lu Chen stood up directly. Without responding, he strode out.
On the way back, Old Cao glanced at Lu Chen in the backseat through the rearview mirror, wanting to speak but hesitating.
At this point, Lu Chen spoke: "Old Cao, today's events must not be leaked."
Old Cao was shocked. "Sir, aren't you going to tell Madam and the Old Master about finding the young master?"
He knew that Madam had always been concerned about the young master, and the elderly Old Master, advanced in years, constantly wished to see his grandson one last time.
Lu Chen pinched the bridge of his nose. "We haven't confirmed if he's my son yet. I'll find an opportunity to tell them."
Old Cao opened his mouth but could only agree.
The Lu Family's rise to prominence predated the Su Family by many years. Their old mansion, though located in the city center, remained secluded and peaceful. The rockery, streams, and arrangement of flowers and plants in the courtyard were all carefully designed, with every scenic spot perfectly placed and good feng shui implications.
Lu Chen walked into the house, and the butler came forward to take his coat.
"Where's Madam? Has she gone out?" Lu Chen asked the butler.
The butler reported respectfully, "Sir, Madam is upstairs. She hasn't gone out today."
Lu Chen unbuttoned the top two buttons of his collar with one hand and headed upstairs.
He pushed open the bedroom door but couldn't find his wife. She wasn't in the bathroom or the dressing room.
As Lu Chen walked out, he unexpectedly discovered that his study door was open. Thinking of the documents he had been reading last night and hadn't put away, his heart skipped a beat, and he quickly pushed open the study door.
Seeing the slender figure standing in the study, Lu Chen felt his heart was about to jump out of his throat.
"Ya Ya," Lu Chen called out to his wife.
Wen Ya turned around, holding a document in her hand. She threw it onto the desk and glared at Lu Chen with reddened eyes.
Just before Wen Ya could speak, Lu Chen skillfully dropped to his knees before her with a "thud," saying, "Ya Ya, I was wrong."
No need to say anything else - if his wife was unhappy, it was his fault.
Wen Ya's beautiful face showed no reduction in anger. "When did you find my son?"
Lu Chen stood up and hurried to his wife's side. "Just yesterday. I only got these documents last night. I wasn't trying to hide it from you; I just wasn't sure if he was our son. I didn't want to give you hope only to have it taken away."
Hearing her husband's explanation, Wen Ya's anger subsided slightly, though her eyes remained red. "What about now? Are you sure?"
"He refuses to do a paternity test," Lu Chen's voice lowered, his peach blossom eyes dimming.
He had originally planned to keep this matter hidden temporarily, but his wife had discovered it.
"Why?" Wen Ya was stunned.
Lu Chen's jaw muscles tightened, tasting blood in his mouth. He looked at his wife, his eyes filled with indescribable gloom, and spoke word by word: "He has a terminal illness and doesn't want to be recognized."
Wen Ya's head buzzed, and she felt dizzy.
She was completely stunned.
"Ya Ya..." Lu Chen supported his wife. "He might not be our..."
Wen Ya's beautiful eyes were covered with tears. "Where is he? I want to see him."
"I've already met him. He doesn't want anything to do with me," Lu Chen tenderly wiped his wife's tears. "Calm down first. I'll take you to see him tomorrow."
He was truly worried she might faint from heartbreak.
Wen Ya took a deep breath and stood straight. "No, I want to see him now."
Lu Chen always yielded to his wife. He grabbed some tissues nearby and continued wiping her tears before saying, "Alright, I'll take you to see him. If he won't do the test willingly, I'll have someone force him to."
"If you dare bully our son, you'll be sleeping in the study for a month," Wen Ya scolded him through her tears.
Lu Chen muttered quietly, "He might not even be our son..."
Wen Ya pushed him away. "I'm going to change clothes. Hurry and have the car prepared."
In the car.
Old Cao had just heard Lu Chen's instructions not to spread this matter and keep it from Madam, but unexpectedly, the master himself had revealed it immediately.
However, only Madam could have such control over him.
"Do you think when our son sees me, he'll think I've grown old?" Wen Ya was both nervous and heartbroken. In the blink of an eye, their son had grown up, and she had become a middle-aged woman.
"No, you're the most beautiful in my eyes," Lu Chen was best at comforting his wife, sweet words flowing naturally.
Wen Ya's features tended toward bright and proud, with extremely charming eyes. Thanks to her good care of herself, she showed no signs of aging and instead appeared more womanly.
Wen Ya's mind was completely occupied with thoughts of her son, leaving no room to pay attention to Lu Chen's sweet talk.
In Lu Zhe's residence.
He was accompanying Su Ci for her afternoon nap. The girl leaned softly against his embrace, while he repeatedly played with and teased her rabbit ears.
"Lu Zhe," Su Ci's black eyes seemed capable of producing tears as she pitifully spoke, "I was wrong."
Lu Zhe's thin lips curved slightly, his fingertips not releasing her pink and soft rabbit ears, "Will you still cause trouble?"
The girl was becoming increasingly bold and loved to tease people.
"I wasn't causing trouble," Su Ci blinked her watery eyes. "I just licked your dimple because I like it."
Lu Zhe's dark eyes deepened, and his hand playing with her ears applied slightly more pressure, nearly making the girl melt, "Tuan Tuan, do you think I won't do anything to you?"
That's exactly what she thought.
But now that her rabbit ears were in the young man's hands, she dared not agree.
"Don't pinch them, I was wrong," the usually naughty and clingy Su Ci softly begged.
Her eyes were moist, her small face white with a hint of pink, and the small beauty mark below her eye corner was extremely alluring. How could she be a little rabbit spirit? At this moment, she seemed more like an enchanting fox spirit.
If others saw Su Ci in this state, hearing her submit so obediently, they would have lost their souls, but this didn't apply to Lu Zhe.
The young man's fingertips lightly brushed over the girl's rabbit ears, making them tremble pitifully.
The next second, under the girl's watery gaze, he lowered his head and moved closer to her rabbit ears.
His thin lips parted slightly as he took the tip of her ear into his mouth.
Su Ci widened her eyes in disbelief, not only did her ears tremble, but her entire body shook.
Wuu, she was going to die from the stimulation!
At this moment, the doorbell rang outside.
Lu Zhe released Su Ci's ear and looked at the girl who appeared dazed with a hint of allure at her eye corners. He curved his lips and asked in a low voice, "Have you learned your lesson?"
The girl was too mischievous; she needed to taste some hardship to become more restrained.
Su Ci nodded obediently.
Only then did Lu Zhe pat her head and get up to open the door.
Standing outside were Lu Chen and Wen Ya.
Lu Chen had already met Lu Zhe before, and when Wen Ya saw the young man whose features resembled her husband's, how could she contain herself?
She immediately embraced Lu Zhe, "My dear son, Mom has finally found you."
All the tears Wen Ya had shed in her life were almost all for her son. Even when she had wanted to divorce Lu Chen back then, her eyes hadn't reddened at all.
"Ya Ya, we haven't confirmed if he..." Lu Chen saw his wife hugging Lu Zhe and crying painfully, and he wanted to step forward to pull her away.
Wen Ya held Lu Zhe tightly, refusing to let go. "No need for testing, he is our son. He has a small mole on his left ear."
Lu Chen also had a small mole on his left ear. She had told her mother before that their son not only looked like Lu Chen but even had a mole in the same position as Lu Chen's ear. She had even been jealous, saying their son's appearance was biased.
Lu Chen looked at the young man's left ear and finally noticed that he indeed had a small mole on his earlobe.
Actually, when Lu Chen first saw Lu Zhe, he had already made some calculations, but he was always cautious in his actions. Moreover, this matter had gone through Su Ci's father's hands, so he had to verify multiple times.
Now it seemed Lu Zhe really was his son.
Wen Ya's beautiful face was covered in tears as if she wanted to release all the longing she had felt for her son over the past decade and more.
Lu Zhe allowed her to embrace him, his hands hanging powerlessly at his sides, his eyes lowered, thoughts unknown.
Across the way, Boss Fang, disturbed by the commotion, opened his door. Seeing the scene before him, how could he not understand what was happening?
It seemed Lu Zhe really was the Lu family's child; his birth parents had come to find him.
"Dad, why is she hugging Brother Lu Zhe and crying?" Little Kuaile poked his small head out by the doorway.
Boss Fang pushed his son inside, "Because she's happy."
Wen Ya was crying with hiccups. Lu Chen couldn't bear to see his wife crying so heartbrokenly and quickly went forward to support her. "Alright, alright, we've found our son. Let's talk properly. You'll scare him if you cry like this."
Only then did Wen Ya release Lu Zhe. She explained to him with red eyes, "Mom just missed you too much."
Lu Zhe's hands at his sides were numb. He responded with a low "Mm."
In the living room.
Wen Ya had composed herself. She had read the investigation documents Lu Chen had gathered and knew about her son's situation in the orphanage. Thinking about how her precious son had endured so much hardship, her nose stung, and she wanted to cry again.
"Son, I'm sorry. Mom and Dad found you so late," Wen Ya stared intently at Lu Zhe. In the blink of an eye, her son had grown so tall and handsome, yet she hadn't been able to stay by his side.
Lu Zhe's throat felt dry as he looked up at the couple before him. Even if he didn't want to acknowledge it, the connection of blood relations felt different.
"I know this is sudden for you, but you really are our son. We failed to protect you before and lost you. Mom is so sorry," Wen Ya said. Before marrying Lu Chen, she had been the proud daughter of the Wen Family, and her personality had been equally proud. No one could make her bow her head, except now in front of her son.
"Could you... call us Mom and Dad?" Wen Ya looked at him longingly.
Lu Zhe stood up, gave Wen Ya and Lu Chen a glance, and walked back to his room.
Wen Ya fearfully asked her husband, "Does our son not want to acknowledge me?"
Lu Chen tightly gripped his wife's trembling hand. "He just needs time to accept this."
At that moment, Lu Zhe came back out. He sat down in his original spot and extended his hand.
In his palm lay a small golden badge.
Upon seeing the badge, Wen Ya covered her mouth and burst into tears again.
In the bedroom, Su Ci lay weakly on the bed. Lu Zhe had played with her rabbit ears for so long that she had no strength left.
Her rabbit ears perked up, clearly hearing the conversation outside.
Was that man from this morning really Lu Zhe's father? And now even Lu Zhe's mother had come?
Hearing Lu Zhe's mother cry so heartbrokenly, it was obvious that Lu Zhe wasn't a child they had abandoned. There must be some other reason behind all this.
Listening to their conversation, Su Ci thought it was good that there were now two more people who would cherish Lu Zhe.
After some time, Lu Zhe opened the door and quickly closed it behind him.
Su Ci blinked as she watched the young man approach the bed.
"Can you get up?" Lu Zhe asked her.
Su Ci shook her head, giving him an accusatory look. "It's all your fault!"
The corner of Lu Zhe's lips curved up, the coldness in his expression melting away, making him look even more handsome.
"Did you hear our conversation?" he asked the girl.
"I did." Su Ci's eyes sparkled with joy. "Lu Zhe, you have parents now."
Lu Zhe made a soft sound of acknowledgment. "I'm going back with them for a while. I'll return tonight."
"Go ahead, I'll be good and wait for you," Su Ci said sweetly.
Lu Zhe smiled and reached out to pinch the tip of her rabbit ear again.
Su Ci was about to cry. "Ah, Lu Zhe, you're so mean!"
By evening, Su Ci discovered her ears had retracted, and perhaps due to working up a sweat from Lu Zhe's teasing in the afternoon, her mild cold had actually improved.
Just then, Lu Zhe returned. She immediately got up from the sofa and walked toward him. "Did you finish reconnecting with your family?"
"Yes." Lu Zhe had originally planned not to acknowledge them, but with his birth parents showing up at his door and knowing of his existence, there was no point in denying it one-sidedly.
"What's your family like? Are they good to you?" From Lu Zhe's father's appearance and demeanor, Su Ci could tell he wasn't an ordinary person. The Su Family was unusual among wealthy families for its lack of internal scheming, having only warmth instead. She worried whether Lu Zhe might face difficulties in his family.
"There's Dad, Mom, and Grandfather," Lu Zhe said. The Lu Family was quite small. Seeing the concern in her eyes, he reassured her, "They care for me very much."
Lu Zhe wasn't just saying this to comfort her. When he had returned to the Lu Family, everyone, including the elderly Mr. Lu, had been wiping away tears. Before dinner, when he mentioned coming back here, his grandfather had almost refused to let him leave.
Su Ci finally relaxed. She hugged Lu Zhe, lazily hanging onto him. "My ears have gone back to normal, so I'll head home soon. You should go home too." Now that he had found his family, he had a home to return to.
"Mm." Lu Zhe picked her up, feeling her bare feet, which were a bit cold. He set her down on the sofa and turned to get her shoes. "Don't walk barefoot on the floor."
Su Ci nodded obediently.
Lu Zhe sighed. The girl would always agree, but then immediately forget about it afterward.
He held her delicate ankle and helped her put on her shoes.
The red string he had bought for the little rabbit was still tied around her snow-white ankle, with a small jade gourd hanging from it, looking delicate and cute.
Unable to resist, he touched the small gourd with his fingertip and asked softly, "Your birthday is coming up soon?"
Su Ci felt ticklish from the calluses on the young man's fingers. Her eyes sparkled with mischief as she declared, "I have amnesia, so I don't remember!"
Lu Zhe didn't pursue the matter further.
......
After Lu Zhe was acknowledged by the Lu Family, Su Ci realized this was the same Lu Family that her father didn't get along with.
She looked at her father sitting beside her eating breakfast and couldn't help asking, "Dad, how bad is your relationship with the Lu Family?"
Her father looked at her. "Why is little Ci suddenly asking about this?"
"I've lost all my previous memories, and yesterday I happened to see some news online about our families not getting along," Su Ci tentatively said. "I want to know just how bad the relationship is between the Su Family and the Lu Family?"
Meeting his daughter's inquiring gaze, her father cleared his throat and explained, "Actually, there's no real conflict between the Lu Family and our Su Family. It's just that Dad has some personal grievances with Lu Chen from their family."
Su Ci let out a relieved breath. "That's good, as long as it's not a deadly feud."
Her father laughed, "How could it be? My relationship with Lu Chen is at most like oil and water - where there's one, there can't be the other."
Su Ci: ......
Her father put down his newspaper and asked her kindly, "Who would you like as your dance partner for your birthday celebration?"
Su Ci quickly shook her head.
Except for Lu Zhe, who still couldn't be seen in public, she didn't want anyone else.
