When Su Ci entered the house, she looked like a little fox that had successfully stolen a treat, her eyes and brows brimming with joy.
As she passed by the study, she noticed the light seeping through the crack of the door.
"Ci Ci."
At that moment, the study door opened from inside, and Su ZhiYuan walked out.
He was holding a cup, clearly on his way to get some water.
"Brother, it's so late, are you still busy with something?" Su Ci thought of the concert tonight and felt a bit guilty, not knowing if her brother had seen her with Lu Zhe.
"Yes, there are still some documents to handle."
Su ZhiYuan had changed into casual attire, looking like a refined young master from a wealthy family. He held the cup with one hand and casually tucked the other into his pocket. "Was the concert tonight good?"
Su Ci kept a straight face and nodded. "It was alright."
"You said you were going to the concert with a friend. Was that person Lu Zhe?"
Her brother's question was direct, indicating he had seen her with Lu Zhe.
Su Ci didn't deny it. "Yes. Last time he got injured saving you, so I invited him to the concert as a way to repay his life-saving favor."
Su Ci was bold and confident, now using the excuse of repaying a debt to date.
Su ZhiYuan looked at his sister closely. "How's Lu Zhe's injury?"
"The wound on his hand hasn't healed yet. He probably won't be able to remove the bandages for another month."
Su ZhiYuan knew Lu Zhe's injury wouldn't heal so quickly, but hearing the concern in his sister's voice, he couldn't help but frown. "Ci Ci, I will repay Lu Zhe for saving our lives. You don't need to take on that responsibility."
Su Ci looked at her older brother. "It's not a responsibility. I'm just doing what I want to do."
"Ci Ci?" Su ZhiYuan realized then that his sister's feelings for Lu Zhe were different.
Even though he had sensed something before, he had only thought she was grateful to Lu Zhe and hadn't given it much thought.
Su Ci looked at him seriously. "Brother, you don't need to worry. I know what I'm doing." She changed the subject. "How are Zheng Hao's agent and assistant after the car accident? Are they okay?"
Su ZhiYuan knew his sister was deliberately changing the topic. "They're still in critical condition. I've already sent someone to follow up on it."
Su Ci nodded, pretending to yawn. "Brother, I'm a bit tired. I'm going to my room to rest. You should go to bed early too."
Su ZhiYuan, who managed such a large corporation with numerous employees, could see through even the most cunning tactics of his subordinates. His sister's clumsy excuse to avoid the topic was obvious to him.
Watching his sister go to her room, he sighed and rubbed his temples.
Su ZhiYuan was different from Su's Mother.
On one hand, Su ZhiYuan had never been in love, and he didn't believe that life was incomplete without love. On the other hand, he knew his sister's personality well—once she made up her mind, it was hard to change it. He wouldn't interfere too much with her feelings.
As an older brother, Su ZhiYuan wouldn't restrict his siblings' behavior or thoughts. He would only be there to support them whenever they needed him.
The night was deep.
When Lu Zhe returned to the Lu Family home, he saw the living room light still on, with the sound of a TV coming from inside.
He walked in.
"Son, you're back." Wen Ya heard the footsteps and straightened up, holding back a yawn.
Lu Zhe was a bit surprised. "Mom, it's so late. Why haven't you rested yet?"
"I just finished watching this drama and was about to sleep." Wen Ya's gaze inadvertently fell on her son's wrist, where she noticed a yellow ribbon tied with a beautiful bow.
She smiled with meaning, looking at her son. "Did you meet Su Ci tonight?"
Lu Zhe: "Yes."
Wen Ya saw the joy in her son's eyes that he couldn't hide, feeling both happy and a bit sad.
"Mom recently found a doctor abroad who is very skilled in treating ALS. When do you have time? I'll invite him over for a consultation." Wen Ya had never given up on treating her son's illness.
Even though she knew ALS was one of the world's seven major incurable diseases, her son looked healthy and normal. She couldn't accept that he would eventually fall ill and pass away.
Lu Zhe's eyes darkened. He nodded. "Next Monday."
Since returning to the Lu Family, his parents had been seeking out many experts to treat him. He had been cooperating, actively taking medicine, undergoing examinations, exercising, and massaging his limbs without any complaints.
He felt his body was better than before.
Previously, his left leg would go numb and weak, causing him to limp or even fall. But such incidents hadn't occurred recently.
Even his arms no longer frequently went numb, and the frequency of muscle twitching had decreased.
After nearly a year of illness, his condition hadn't worsened but had improved.
No matter how cold Lu Zhe's personality was, he still had hopes.
He didn't harbor unrealistic hopes that his illness would improve, but he longed to live longer.
Two years was too short.
He wanted to accompany Su Ci for a longer time, even longer.
Wen Ya, hearing her son's words, smiled brightly. "Alright, Mom will help you schedule an appointment for next Monday."
Seeing her son so cooperative, she, as a mother, would never give up.
...
Zheng Hao's concert mishap had made it to the trending searches, followed by news that he had been in a car accident after the concert.
Some marketing accounts reported that Zheng Hao's van had been hit by a black car, and both he and his agent were rushed to the hospital for emergency treatment.
"Zheng Hao got into a car accident? What happened? I just came back from his concert!"
"Please bless my Hao Hao. The agent was bleeding a lot. How is Hao Hao? Did anyone get a photo of his injuries?"
"I heard that after the concert, Hao Hao's car was followed by a stalker fan, and the stalker caused the accident by rear-ending them."
"Seeing this news, I'm so angry I'm shaking. Do stalker fans have a mental illness? Wasn't the concert enough for you? Why follow the car?"
"Stalker fans are crazy, right? Please act like human beings and stop making Zheng Hao go to the hospital! You're murderers!"
"Stalker fans are disgusting, extreme, and brainless. Do you have nothing better to do? Is this what you call 'chasing a star'? You're just rats in the sewers."
"How is Hao Hao now? I'm so worried. In the photos, I only see Hao Hao's back. His hands seem to be covered in blood."
"Do stalker fans really love Hao Hao? This is too terrifying. You're trying to kill Zheng Hao!"
"After the concert, we normal fans just waited at the gate to say goodbye to Hao Hao. I didn't expect stalker fans to follow him. Why are there always some people who don't act rationally when chasing stars, doing things that hurt Hao Hao under the guise of love?"
"I'm just a passerby, but I also think stalker fans are terrifying. Seeing this hot search, I got goosebumps."
"Please, be rational when chasing stars."
"Why can't you keep your distance from your idol? Why do you have to be so crazy and follow them? Now that something has happened, I hope the police will punish them and make them pay for their wrong actions..."
Zheng Hao's fans were heartbroken and angry upon seeing this news. They had just come back from the concert and couldn't accept that their idol had been in a car accident.
As the trending topic continued to stir up waves of comments from fans, another piece of news suddenly topped the trending list: Zheng Hao secretly met with the Su Family's daughter and escaped the car accident.
Clicking into the trending topic, there were photos of Su Ci at the concert and in the parking lot, where Zheng Hao got into her car.
Originally, fans were worried about Zheng Hao's uncertain fate and furious about the stalker fans hurting him. But now, there was a big twist: not only had Zheng Hao not been in a car accident, but he had also secretly met with Su Ci, the Su Family's daughter. The fans were completely confused.
"Is the news true? Did Zheng Hao not get into a car accident?"
"What's going on? One moment it's a car accident, the next it's secretly meeting the Su Family's daughter."
"Please, Su Ci, don't try to latch on to my Hao Hao, okay? Without a clear face, we won't acknowledge it."
"Isn't this Su Ci the one who recently made it to the trending searches because of being framed by Qin Shiyan? Why is she here again? Is she crazy for fame?"
"I have to admit her family background is good, and she's beautiful, but she's not the type my Hao Hao likes. Maybe they're just friends who know each other, since Hao Hao's family background is also good."
“Does anyone upstairs know Su Ci's family background? Zheng Hao is just a second-generation rich guy from a small business, how can he compare to the Su Family? Let me put it this way, one Su Corporation is worth more than ten thousand of Zheng Hao's family companies. That's the difference. Zheng Hao and Su Ci definitely aren't friends; I'd say they're more likely to be lovers.”
“Did Zheng Hao really get into a car accident?”
“Su Ci is both beautiful and rich; I think Zheng Hao is not good enough for her.”
“Su Ci's face is indeed flawless, and her family background is unbeatable. However, please don't compare my Hao Hao to her.”
“Taking my Hao Hao away. The photo is so blurry; which eye of the paparazzi could possibly identify him?”
“Zheng Hao didn't get into a car accident but went on a secret date with Su Ci? I was so worried and nervous earlier, and now I'm furious. I'd rather he got into a car accident and ended up in the hospital than see him dating another woman.”
“Calm down, let's just wait for the studio to release a statement...”
Su Ci only saw the trending news online the next day.
In just one night, netizens had already assumed she was dating Zheng Hao?
Su Ci was speechless.
At that moment, she received a call from her older brother.
After returning to the company, Su ZhiYuan had received a report from his subordinates, “Xiao Ci, what's going on between you and Zheng Hao?”
Su Ci explained, “The news online is all fabricated. I don't like him at all.”
“Alright, I'll have someone take down the news.” Hearing his sister's explanation, Su ZhiYuan didn't say anything more.
Just as Su Ci hung up the phone with her brother, she received a call from her father.
"Xiao Ci, have you been getting close with any boys recently?" Su's Father asked indirectly, feeling a bit heartbroken. Imagining his precious daughter being taken away by some young man, he felt so frustrated that he wanted to beat that guy up.
Clearly, Su's Father had also seen the news online.
“No, Dad, that male artist is an employee of our company. I just went to his concert yesterday with a friend. I don't like him.” Su Ci repeated the same explanation she had given her older brother.
Hearing this, Su's Father finally felt relieved, “Those media outlets are too reckless. Don't worry, I'll have someone deal with them and delete the news.”
After hanging up the phone, Su's Father turned around, and soon there was a knock on the door of Su Ci's room.
Su's Mother walked in.
“Ci Ci...”
Su Ci interrupted her mother, repeating the same explanation she had given to her father and brother.
Su's Mother was astonished but recovered quickly, “These media outlets have no conscience. They'll write anything for clicks. I'll have your brother send them a lawyer's letter.”
“Mom, did you come in to talk to me about this?” Su Ci thought her mother had also heard the news online.
“No, I’m taking Ning Ning and Tian Cai out later, and the two kids insisted that I bring you along.” Su's Mother walked over and gently rubbed her daughter's soft hair, “Get up, let your brother handle the online stuff. Don't worry.”
Su Ci nodded, lazily getting out of bed.
The Lu Family also knew about the news regarding Su Ci.
Especially Wen Ya, who often browsed trending topics when she was bored, looking for some gossip.
Unexpectedly, she ended up eating the gossip about her own son's girlfriend.
Wen Ya clicked into the trending topic, where not only were there photos, but the analysis was quite convincing. The comments had already exceeded one hundred thousand.
The person in the photo was indeed Su Ci.
Wen Ya frowned.
At that moment, Lu Zhe came downstairs.
“Baby, you're up.” Wen Ya looked at her son, her smile a bit forced.
“What happened?” Lu Zhe sensed her unnatural expression.
Wen Ya looked at her son with a mixture of pity and sympathy, “Mom has something to tell you. Don't be too sad.”
“Mm.” Lu Zhe took the phone from his mother.
The screen showed the news of Zheng Hao secretly meeting Su Ci after his concert.
After glancing at it for a few moments, Lu Zhe handed the phone back to his mother, “Last night, I went to the concert with Su Ci.”
Hearing her son's words, Wen Ya finally felt at ease.
However, she still looked at her son with pity and sympathy. Compared to that male artist, did her son not even have a name?
...
While shopping, Su Ci saw a private message from Zheng Hao: I'm sorry for causing you trouble. I'll clarify this matter.
The Su Family had already deleted all the online news and issued a clarification, but most netizens still remained skeptical.
After the concert, Zheng Hao had been extremely tired. Adding to that, he had stayed in the hospital for half the night, and after returning home, he had almost passed out from exhaustion. It was only after waking up that he saw the trending news.
Regarding the marketing account's leak, he had secretly hoped for it beforehand.
But after getting into the car and seeing how Su Ci interacted with that young man, he clearly understood that Su Ci liked that young man, not him.
Zheng Hao's face still showed deep fatigue as he typed out a message and sent it directly: Su Ci has saved my life twice. She is my savior, and I hold her in great respect and gratitude. Please stop speculating and attacking her. Otherwise, I won't hesitate to take legal action to stop the rumors.
His message was posted, and within a minute, it had received over ten thousand comments.
“It's so good to know Hao Hao is fine. I was scared to death thinking he got into a car accident.”
“Hao Hao's savior is also our Hao Fan's savior.”
“Where are the black fans who were stirring up trouble yesterday?”
“Su Ci actually saved Hao Hao? This sister is both beautiful and kind-hearted. I'm a fan now.”
“Yesterday's news was one shock after another. Thankfully, Hao Hao came out to clarify, and Su Corporation also issued a statement. But some people choose to be blind.”
“As long as it's cleared up, thank you, Su Ci, the fairy sister, for saving our Hao Hao.”
...
After a while, the news that Su Ci was Zheng Hao's savior topped the trending list, and the rumors about them were finally clarified.
Su Ci received many messages and private messages from Zheng Hao's fans, and her follower count increased rapidly.
Her older brother had previously bought her over a million fake followers, but after a few trending topics, her follower count had already risen to over two million.
Zheng Hao was a top influencer, currently very popular, with over thirty million followers. Even if only a small portion of his fans followed her, the number was still significant.
Su Ci didn't bother checking her rapidly growing follower count. She put away her phone and accompanied Su's Mother, Little Su Ning, and Little Tiancai while shopping.
Su's Mother had already enrolled the two little ones in school. In September, not only would Su Ci be reporting to school, but these two little ones would also be starting kindergarten.
Little Tiancai was over five years old and was originally supposed to go to middle class, but he wanted to take care of Little Su Ning and agreed to attend the small class with him. Su's Mother was out today to prepare some items they would need for kindergarten, like small water bottles and backpacks.
At that moment, as they passed a beverage shop, Little Su Ning suddenly stopped.
His big, black eyes rolled around, and with a small finger pointed toward the shop, he said in a sweet, childish voice, “It's Chicken Wing Brother.”
Su Ci looked up.
Ji Chi was wearing a black employee uniform, his face cold and handsome. In front of him, many girls were excitedly waiting to buy drinks.
