The driver opened the passenger door.
Ji Chi politely said, "Thank you."
Su's Mother found her friend's son overly formal, so she asked, "How is your mother's health lately?"
Ever since the incident with Fang Qin's family, Fang Qin had rarely been in contact with her.
"She's doing well, thank you for asking," Ji Chi answered Su's Mother's question with rigid formality.
"If you and your mother need any help, please don't hesitate to ask," Su's Mother felt both regret and sympathy thinking about her friend's current situation.
Fang Qin's husband's company had gone bankrupt, and he later died in a car accident, leaving behind only a mountain of debt. Fang Qin had to raise her son alone while working multiple jobs to pay off the debt.
She wanted to help Fang Qin, but her friend was stubborn and didn't want their friendship to be tainted by money. The only time Fang Qin had asked for help was when debt collectors showed up at her door, leaving her with no choice but to borrow money.
Fortunately, over the past few years, Fang Qin had gradually paid off all the debts, and her son had been accepted into B University.
It seemed Fang Qin's dark clouds were finally clearing, revealing the bright moon.
Ji Chi's voice softened slightly, "Thank you, Aunt Su."
His mother had told him that Aunt Su was her good friend, but there was no need to trouble her unnecessarily.
It was nearly evening by the time they arrived at the Su family home.
Ji Chi had heard about the Su family's background from his mother and knew they were an elite family. Being able to stay at their home for a while was already fortunate, and his mother had repeatedly reminded him to avoid causing any trouble for the Su family and Aunt Su.
Looking at the room the servant led him to, even though it was described as merely a guest room, it was larger than his entire home combined.
"Young Master Ji Chi, this is the second floor. The third room on the left is the young miss's room, and the other two rooms belong to young master Su Ning and the little genius young master."
Ji Chi acknowledged each point.
"Young Master Ji Chi, these are the clothes Madam asked me to bring you. They're all clean and new clothes from the eldest young master. Please try them on to see if they fit. If not, Madam said we can get new ones for you," the servant spoke very politely.
Even though the boy before them wore worn clothes and faded pants, the madam had specifically instructed them to take good care of him, so the servants didn't dare look down on him.
Ji Chi knew that staying at the Su family home while wearing his current clothes wouldn't be appropriate. For a family of their status, his worn appearance coming and going from their house would reflect poorly on them and might even make them a laughingstock.
Though Ji Chi had strong self-esteem, he wasn't unreasonable.
Looking at the clothes in the servant's hands, he selected two sets in black and white, the simplest designs. "These two sets will be enough, I don't need the rest."
Even these seemingly ordinary designed clothes felt different to the touch compared to regular clothing.
Ji Chi pressed his lips together, deciding to consider it a debt to the Su family that he would repay in the future.
After changing into the clothes the servant had brought, Ji Chi went downstairs and saw Su's Mother playing with two children in the living room, while a girl with a lazy expression sat on the sofa.
"Ji Chi, you've come down?" Su's Mother noticed Ji Chi coming downstairs. "You look smart in those clothes. We'll be having dinner soon, please have a seat for now."
"Thank you for the clothes, Aunt Su." Ji Chi was wearing all black, and the quality of the clothing, combined with his tall stature and good features, gave him an unconsciously noble air.
"No need for thanks." Su's Mother patted the two little ones beside her. "This is Brother Ji Chi, say hello to him."
The little genius was well-behaved and called out in his childish voice, "Hello, Brother Ji Chi."
Ji Chi nodded, "Hello."
Little Su Ning had his mouth full of pudding, his cheeks puffed out as he hurriedly tried to swallow.
Su Ci patted his back, both amused and helpless. "Ning Ning, no need to rush."
Little Su Ning nodded, his cheeks still bulging and his round black eyes wide, looking absolutely adorable, making both Su's Mother and Su Ci laugh heartily.
After a while, when little Su Ning had finally swallowed his pudding, he lifted his head to look at the tall Ji Chi, his sweet voice still carrying traces of pudding's sweetness, "Hello, Brother Ji Chi."
Ji Chi noticed that this younger child's features somewhat resembled Su Ci's on the sofa, with delicate features as beautiful as a little angel.
"Hello."
Su's Mother gestured for Ji Chi to sit down, telling him not to stand on ceremony. "Little Chi, please sit. What do you usually like to eat, or is there anything you don't eat?"
Ji Chi sat down on the single sofa opposite them, his back straight. "Aunt Su, I don't have any dietary restrictions."
Su's Mother nodded with a smile, "That's good."
Meanwhile, little Su Ning climbed onto the sofa, his chubby little body leaning towards Su Ci.
"What is it?" Su Ci was about to send a message to Lu Zhe, but her brother's proximity interfered with her typing.
She had to put down her phone and support little Su Ning's plump body. Had the little one gained more weight recently?
"Sister." Little Su Ning leaned close to Su Ci's ear, mysteriously putting his little hand up to shield her ear, and whispered in his baby voice, "Brother Ji Chi looks like brother-in-law."
What?
Little Su Ning was saying Ji Chi looked like Lu Zhe?
She helplessly flicked his forehead, "Your head must be confused, no pudding for you for two days."
Little Su Ning had thought mentioning brother-in-law would earn him pudding rewards.
He remembered last time when he told his sister that brother-in-law had arrived, she rewarded him with lots of pudding. Why was he being punished now for saying Brother Ji Chi looked like brother-in-law?
To little Su Ning, Ji Chi was tall and slim with a cold expression, very similar to his quiet brother-in-law.
Punished by his sister, little Su Ning's lips turned down in disappointment, and his toys suddenly seemed less fun.
Su Ci lifted her gaze to look at Ji Chi, who was chatting with Su's Mother.
Her eyes moved from his face down to his hands.
As Ji Chi reached out to accept the tea brought by the servant, Su Ci noticed the life value on the inside of his wrist - a red line with a time indication of one month.
Su Ci narrowed her eyes but didn't call out Fugui. There was still a month's time anyway, and Fugui couldn't see how he would die right now.
Su Ci rested her chin on her hand propped on the sofa, her eyes half-closed. Was this what you'd call a golden cotton candy delivered to your doorstep?
However, Su Ci did some calculations and realized she was quite busy.
Her big brother's life value only had two weeks left.
That celebrity Zheng Hao, if she remembered correctly, had about three weeks of life value left.
Though she had no contact with Zheng Hao, their only connection was that he was an artist under Creation God Company, a subsidiary of Su Corporation. Whether she could save him would depend on circumstances.
And now Ji Chi, standing before her, also only had about a month of life value left.
Su Ci felt both excited and troubled, somehow getting the feeling she wouldn't be able to handle it all.
During dinner, Su's Father and Su ZhiYuan had both returned home.
Su's Mother informed them that Ji Chi would be staying with them temporarily.
Su's Father was familiar with his wife's good friend Fang Qin - she had even helped pass messages when he and his wife were dating and arguing. Knowing Ji Chi was Fang Qin's son, he showed interest by asking several questions about Ji Chi's studies.
"Big brother," Su Ci sat next to Su ZhiYuan and asked, "Has work been very busy lately?"
Her big brother had been leaving early and returning late every day, and she rarely got to see him.
Su ZhiYuan wore a fitted silver-gray suit with a black shirt underneath. His features were refined, and combined with the commanding presence of someone in power, he completely embodied the image of a business tycoon.
Though Su ZhiYuan maintained a cold exterior in public, his features softened when with family, especially his sister, showing the gentleness of an older brother. "The company has quite a few investment projects lately."
Su Corporation was involved in many industries, but mainly focused on real estate, hotels, financial investments, and new energy development.
"Do you have any particularly important matters in the next two weeks?" Su Ci probed.
Su ZhiYuan's dining manners were elegant, exuding an indescribable nobility. He put down his chopsticks and reached over to pat his sister's head, "Why are you so concerned about your brother today?"
Su Ci blinked her eyes and said with complete conviction, "I've always cared about you, brother. Have you gotten your schedule for the next two weeks?"
Her older brother frequently traveled for business. If he were to fly somewhere else when the time came, it would be difficult for her to rush to save him in time.
"I have several meetings this week, and next week I'll be flying to City C to negotiate contracts and inspect the progress of a project. I'll probably stay there for a few days," Su ZhiYuan always answered his sister's questions. "You'll be starting school in about a month, right? I'll make time to take you there when the time comes."
"City C?" Su Ci frowned, wondering if that was where her brother would meet his fate.
Su ZhiYuan noticed his sister's furrowed brow, "What's wrong?"
"Brother, do you absolutely have to go to City C next week?" Su Ci still didn't know the cause of her brother's death, nor was she certain if the incident would occur in City C. If she prevented him from going to City C this time, what about next time?
Only by finding the root cause could she truly prevent his death.
"If you're going, please take me with you. I don't have any plans next week anyway," Su Ci looked at Su ZhiYuan. "I can go with you to relax."
Su ZhiYuan was somewhat surprised, "I'm going on a business trip. I won't have time to accompany you sightseeing."
"I know, don't worry, I won't interfere with your work," Su Ci promised.
When she was little, his sister used to follow him around like a little tail, going wherever he went. But as she grew up, she became a graceful and quiet princess, no longer clinging to her brother as she did in childhood.
Now that his sister was asking to accompany him on a trip, Su ZhiYuan was both surprised and happy. "I'll have someone make arrangements. But remember, you can't change your mind if you get bored."
"I absolutely won't change my mind." After all, sightseeing wasn't her purpose.
The dinner atmosphere was pleasant. Ji Chi hadn't expected that although the Su family was a top-tier wealthy family, they would have such a warm family atmosphere.
After dinner, when he returned to his room, he received a call from his mother.
Hearing the worry in his mother's voice, Ji Chi reassured her: "Auntie Su is very kind to me, and everyone in the Su family is nice. I'm only staying with the Su family temporarily. Once school starts, I'll be living in the dormitory."
Fang Qin knew Su's Mother well; her gentle nature meant she would certainly take good care of her son. "Remember not to cause any trouble for Auntie Su and the Su family."
She continued: "You've met Tong Xin's children, right? Get along well with them, and avoid conflicts. If there really is any disagreement, you should be the one to yield."
Fang Qin knew her son was always sensible, but she still reminded him, like a habit ingrained in her bones.
Ji Chi lowered his head, his gaze falling to the floor as he quietly acknowledged her words.
Fang Qin reminded her son: "If you don't have enough money, make sure to tell me, and I'll send you some."
Ji Chi's low, magnetic voice was particularly clear in the quiet room, "I'm going to look for a part-time job tomorrow, Mom. You don't need to worry about my living expenses."
Fang Qin felt a pang in her heart.
Before their family went bankrupt, they had been quite wealthy, and her son had grown up in a privileged environment.
But after the company went bankrupt and her husband died in a car accident, these events forced her son to grow up quickly.
Ji Chi's face remained expressionless as he chatted with his mother for a few more minutes before hanging up.
Just then, there was a knock on his door.
A servant of the Su family stood outside, "Young Master Ji Chi, these are your daily necessities. If you need anything else, please let us know."
Ji Chi took the tray from the servant's hands, which contained toothpaste, toothbrush, cups, towels, and other items. "Thank you."
After the servant left, Ji Chi discovered there was also a bank card on the tray, with a note attached showing the PIN.
Ji Chi quietly looked at the card for a few seconds before walking out with it.
He returned the card to Su's Mother. The tens of thousands in the card might be insignificant to the Su family, but to him, it was an enormous sum.
He couldn't accept it.
In her room, Su Ci was video chatting with Lu Zhe.
She was lying on her bed, chin propped up on her hands, looking down at Lu Zhe working on the screen.
He had been so busy lately.
Su Ci didn't disturb Lu Zhe, just quietly watching him. Under the light, the focused young man looked so handsome.
Just then, someone knocked on Su Ci's door.
Su Ci didn't get up, simply saying, "Come in."
The door was then opened from outside.
Little Su Ning walked in first, saying in his childish voice, "Sister, Ning Ning brought you fruits."
Su Ci had a habit of eating fruit after dinner, and little Su Ning always took it upon himself to bring fruit to his sister.
"Thank you, Ning Ning." Su Ci finally looked up at her brother, not expecting to see a tall figure standing behind him.
Su Ci was surprised, "Why did you come in?"
She was holding her phone, immediately sitting up on the bed.
"Some grapes fell, and Brother Ji Chi helped Ning Ning," little Su Ning voluntarily explained to his sister.
Ji Chi was holding a plate of washed grapes, his cold face expressionless as he asked Su Ci, "Where should I put the fruit?"
Suddenly hearing a man's low, magnetic voice, Lu Zhe, who had been looking at documents in the video chat, looked up, but only saw the chandelier in the girl's room.
Su Ci quickly got off the bed, her dress falling around her legs as she walked over in her slippers.
Ji Chi averted his gaze, avoiding looking at the girl's exceptionally fair and slender legs.
Su Ci took the fruit plate, "Thank you, I'll take it." She was still holding her phone, so she could only take the fruit plate with one hand.
"You're welcome," Ji Chi said formally, "I won't disturb you anymore."
Ji Chi stood straight and quickly walked out of the room filled with a young girl's fragrance.
In the video chat, Lu Zhe caught a glimpse of Ji Chi's profile as he left.
His dark eyes deepened as he closed his documents.
After Ji Chi left, Su Ci fed a grape to little Su Ning, "Come on, say hello to your brother-in-law."
"Intercepted......" Su Ning mumbled with the fruit in his mouth, making Su Ci laugh.
She patted his head, "Alright, you can go now. Sister doesn't have time to play with you right now."
Su Ci was clearly showing favoritism towards her boyfriend over her brother.
After closing the door.
Su Ci carried the fruit plate to her dressing table, turned on the table lamp to give herself good lighting. Her already fair face looked even more delicate and beautiful under the soft light.
Only then did Su Ci place her phone on the stand and continue video chatting with Lu Zhe.
"Have you finished reading the documents?" Su Ci saw that all the documents in front of Lu Zhe were closed.
Lu Zhe watched as the girl's face came closer to the camera, filling the screen, "Mm."
Hearing that Lu Zhe was done with work, Su Ci became happy, "Then chat with me for a while."
"Who was that person who brought you fruit just now?" Even though he only saw a profile, he knew that man wasn't Su Ci's older brother Su ZhiYuan, and he had heard little Su Ning call him Brother Ji Chi?
"I sent you a message this afternoon about the guest my mother and I picked up - that was him. His name is Ji Chi, he's the son of my mother's good friend, and he's staying at our house temporarily." Su Ci lowered her eyes and started peeling a grape, finding it quite troublesome as she hated peeling fruit.
Lu Zhe unconsciously frowned.
Su Ci put the peeled grape in her mouth, clearly not concerned about Ji Chi, and instead said, "Next week my brother is going to City C on a business trip, and I'll be going with him."
Lu Zhe asked her, "Is there something you need to do there?"
Su Ci nodded, the corners of her eyes curving up as she smiled sweetly at Lu Zhe, "I'm going to save up something nice for you."
Lu Zhe looked confused, not understanding what she meant.
Su Ci didn't expect him to understand anyway.
She peeled another grape with her pretty fingers, and after putting it in her mouth, her voice carried the sweetness of the fruit, "When I come back, I'll give you the nice things."
Lu Zhe knew that whenever Su Ci said she had nice things for him, it meant she wanted to kiss him.
Hiding a smile in his eyes, he looked at the girl, "Okay."
Su Ci's fingers were covered in grape juice, and she licked her fair fingertip, mischievously saying to Lu Zhe on the screen, "Then you'll have to cooperate well with me."
Cooperate with what?
Lu Zhe thought about her naughty and clingy nature, but pretended not to understand.
......
The next morning, when Su Ci came out of her room, she happened to see Ji Chi leaving as well.
"Good morning," Ji Chi politely greeted as he passed by the girl.
Su Ci nodded.
She noticed that Ji Chi, who was staying at her house, was like an invisible person, excessively quiet, and these past few days he had been leaving early and returning late, making him seem even more non-existent.
Last night, she heard from Su's Mother that Ji Chi had taken two part-time jobs to earn living expenses.
From the first day Su Ci saw Ji Chi's attire, she knew his family circumstances weren't good, though she didn't particularly care about it.
Today was Sunday, and Ji Chi didn't need to go to his part-time jobs.
After breakfast, Su's Mother went out on an errand, while Ji Chi was dragged by little Su Ning and the little genius to play board games with them.
The two little ones had become quite good at reading people's expressions. Although Ji Chi appeared cold, they knew this big brother wasn't scary or intimidating.
"Sister," Su Ning saw his sister walking past with a cup of yogurt, and he scampered over to pull at her, "Sister, come play board games with us."
Su Ning had learned to play Ludo these past few days and had become obsessed with it. He even forgot about his pudding, and whenever adults were around, he would drag them to play with him.
Su Ci sipped her yogurt and looked down at her brother, "It's too boring, I don't want to play."
Only children liked to play such boring things.
Su Ning's little mouth turned down sadly, and he protested in his childish voice, "It's not boring, it's fun."
Seeing that she had hurt her brother's childish feelings, Su Ci couldn't help but pinch his chubby cheeks, "Alright, it's not boring. I'll play one round with you."
Hearing his sister agree, Su Ning's big eyes lit up, and he nodded obediently, "Okay."
His chubby little hand took hold of his sister's, pulling her toward the coffee table.
The game pieces were already set up, with Ji Chi and the little genius each taking a side.
Su Ning ran to his position, saying happily, "I want the green pieces!"
Su Ci sat down opposite Ji Chi, "Let's begin."
The morning sunlight streamed through the large floor-to-ceiling windows into the living room, filling it with soft light.
Amid the children's cheerful laughter, Ji Chi kept his eyes lowered, avoiding looking at the exceptionally beautiful face of the girl opposite him.
"It's my turn," the girl's voice was melodious.
Ji Chi watched the game board as Su Ci's slender, fair fingers reached out to pick up a piece.
Ji Chi realized for the first time that a girl's fingers could be so beautiful, even her nails had a subtle pink tint, more exquisite than white jade.
"It's your turn, Ji Chi," Su Ci said.
Ji Chi's lowered eyelids concealed the look in his eyes as he picked up his game piece.
When Su's Mother returned, she was surprised to see Su Ci and Ji Chi playing board games with the two children around the coffee table, all of them enjoying themselves.
Especially her daughter, who seemed to be talking about something with Ji Chi opposite her, and although Ji Chi maintained his cold expression, he was responding.
The two of them appeared to be getting along well.
Su's Mother's heart skipped a beat as something occurred to her.
Whether it was an illusion or not, she now noticed that Ji Chi, with his tall, slim figure and cold demeanor, somewhat resembled Lu Zhe.
Su's Mother's gaze fell on her daughter's smiling face, and her heart softened. She thought her daughter was too young to understand what love really was.
Her daughter liked Lu Zhe, so what about now that Ji Chi, who shared some similarities with Lu Zhe's temperament, had appeared?
......
Su Ci was busy packing her luggage to go to C City with her big brother.
She heard from her brother that they would stay there for a few days, so she needed to pack her skincare products, pretty clothes, matching shoes, and even her bags.
Su ZhiYuan was going to C City on a business trip, and besides bringing his sister as a tag-along, he also had a secretary, two assistants, and three bodyguards.
The hotel rooms had already been arranged, so Su Ci just needed to follow her brother to check in with their luggage.
Su Ci's room was next to her brother's. She lay on the bed, watching the suddenly changing weather outside as dark clouds filled the sky, clearly indicating incoming heavy rain.
She checked the weather forecast; it would rain in C City for the next few days.
Su Ci hated rainy days. The thought of going out and having rain soak her shoes and dirty her dress made her feel gloomy.
Just then, there was a knock on her door.
Su Ci got up lazily to answer it.
Su ZhiYuan had changed into a royal blue casual suit, giving him more of a young master's air, "Xiao Ci, I have a dinner appointment with clients tonight to discuss contracts. I've ordered dinner for you, so stay in your room and don't wander around. It's about to rain outside."
Su Ci nodded obediently, knowing that her brother had four days left in his life value, and tomorrow she would know the cause of his death.
