When Su Ci arrived home, she saw her mother selecting gowns.
"Ci Ci, you're back?" Su's Mother waved for her daughter to come over.
"Is there a banquet coming up?" Su Ci walked over and sat down on the sofa.
"Yes, it's Grandmother Fu's birthday. I plan to take you to the banquet," Su's Mother told Su Ci. "Grandmother Fu had some connections with your grandfather's generation. She's been in City S for most of her life but only recently moved to City B."
The Fu family?
Could it be the same Fu family she had in mind? She still remembered saving Grandmother Fu.
"Ci Ci, what do you think of this gown? Do you like it?" Su's Mother picked up a pale lavender gown. The gown featured a sheer mesh design at the neckline and was adorned with sparkling rhinestones, giving it a ethereal look.
Su's Mother always had good taste and knew exactly what suited her daughter best.
Su Ci nodded, "You can choose for me, Mom. I have no objections."
"Then it's settled. I've already picked out the accessories to match. I'll have them sent to you," Su's Mother said with a cheerful mood. She loved dressing her daughter up beautifully, making her the center of attention at any event.
Su Ci smiled and agreed.
...
After the incident of unmasking identities on the forum, people at school temporarily stopped posting, as using their real names online felt like being naked, evoking a sense of shame.
Many went back to review previous posts, curious about who had posted what.
Yang Shujing's posts, however, stood out the most. It was impossible not to notice them. Her online persona was so different from her usual gentle and soft-spoken demeanor, creating a stark contrast that left people shocked.
A day had passed since the incident, and when Yang Shujing entered the classroom, she drew quite a bit of attention.
She kept her head down and quickly walked to her seat at the back, avoiding the mocking glances of others.
Taking a deep breath, Yang Shujing looked up and was surprised to see that the person sitting in front of her was Lu Zhe.
The young man sat upright, unlike the others around him who either slouched on their desks or leaned back in their chairs without any posture.
As she gazed at Lu Zhe's broad back, Yang Shujing felt her heart flutter.
Glancing around, she noticed it was still early and class hadn't started yet. Gripping her hand tightly, she hesitated for a while before finally summoning the courage to gently tap Lu Zhe's back with her finger.
The young man turned around.
Yang Shujing looked at his handsome face and instinctively blushed. Lu Zhe was more handsome than any boy she had ever met before.
Lu Zhe coldly looked at Yang Shujing and asked, "What is it?"
Yang Shujing's face heated up. She bit her lip and whispered to Lu Zhe, "The things on the forum aren't true. I don't know who hacked my account and posted those things targeting you."
She desperately explained to Lu Zhe, "I rarely visit the forum. It was someone else who told me about it. I only found out after the fact that my account had been hacked, and I'm really sorry for the trouble it caused you."
Lu Zhe's expression remained indifferent.
He suddenly thought of how Su Ci sometimes liked to tell him little lies, but they were always harmless. When it came to important matters, she would always be honest and take responsibility, not make excuses.
This was a difference in character.
"Lu Zhe, can you forgive me? I'm also a victim of the hacking incident," Yang Shujing spoke in a soft voice, her gentle demeanor making her look particularly pitiful.
Her plan had been to post about Lu Zhe on the forum to distance more people from him, making them look at him with prejudice. Then, she would stand out by showing concern and comfort for Lu Zhe, becoming his light.
However, the plan had gone awry. Lu Zhe already had a girlfriend, and now the forum unmasking incident had occurred, forcing her to halt her pursuit of Lu Zhe and focus on resolving the current situation.
Yang Shujing had already planned her method to whitewash her image.
She was clever and decided to firmly claim that her account had been hacked, denying any responsibility for the posts on the forum. She would then seek Lu Zhe's trust.
Once the victim forgave her, others wouldn't say much, and she could position herself as a victim to gain sympathy.
Yang Shujing's eyes glistened with tears as she pitifully looked at Lu Zhe, pleading for his forgiveness.
However, she overestimated her charm and underestimated Lu Zhe's self-control.
Even Su Ci, with her self-proclaimed stunning beauty, couldn't sway Lu Zhe when she tried to seduce him. Yang Shujing, who was nothing to Lu Zhe and didn't even register in his eyes, stood no chance.
Lu Zhe coldly spoke, "Logging into the forum requires a verification code. I've also traced the login address and time. Do you need me to provide proof?"
Yang Shujing instinctively avoided eye contact with Lu Zhe, her heart filled with shock.
She realized that Lu Zhe had never believed her from the start.
He had been coldly watching her perform.
At this thought, Yang Shujing's face turned crimson, and she couldn't muster any words to refute him.
Lu Zhe ignored her embarrassment and shame. He turned back, picked up his textbook, and stood up, moving to a seat in front.
Those around noticed Lu Zhe's actions and looked at Yang Shujing with mocking glances.
Her face, which had just turned red, now turned pale in an instant. Yang Shujing clenched her lips tightly to keep from crying.
Su Ci was unaware of Yang Shujing's attempt to seek forgiveness from Lu Zhe.
Returning from the restroom, she found her seat piled with small gifts and snacks.
"Su Ci, you're back? Several boys left these gifts and ran off," Shen Xue leaned over. "It's true that a pretty person is always popular wherever they go."
Su Ci agreed. When it came to beauty, she never lacked confidence.
"How should I return these gifts?" Su Ci had no intention of keeping them. She had received many small gifts from fans before, but she never accepted gifts from pursuers.
"You want to return them?" Shen Xue carefully examined the gifts. "There are no names or cards on them. They don't seem valuable. Just keep them," she suggested.
Su Ci shook her head, "No, I can't."
Shen Xue looked at her in confusion, "Why not?"
"Lu Zhe will be unhappy if he finds out," Su Ci reasoned, putting herself in his shoes. If she knew Lu Zhe had accepted gifts from other girls, she would be drowning in a sea of jealousy.
Shen Xue was surprised to hear such words from the usually proud and spoiled Su Ci. She sighed, "It seems that in this world, only Lu Zhe can rein you in."
Su Ci glared at her, "Wrong. It's me who reins Lu Zhe."
Next to them, Wen Duoyu quietly suggested to Su Ci, "You could take these gifts to the broadcasting room and have the owners come to claim them."
Su Ci gave her an appreciative look and said, "That's a good idea."
Wen Duoyu suppressed her excitement at being praised by her idol. "I can help you take them to the broadcasting room."
"Thank you," Su Ci directly handed the gifts to Wen Duoyu.
"It's... it's no trouble at all," Wen Duoyu blushed, feeling incredibly happy to be able to run errands for her idol.
...
Yang Shujing and Shen Shi's life values were down to just one hour.
After school, Su Ci went to find Lu Zhe. Earlier, she had told him about Shen Shi and Yang Shujing's impending deaths. Now, going to save them, she had fewer reservations.
On the small path, Su Ci spotted the young man standing under a tree, waiting for her.
Her eyes lit up, and she quickly walked over. "When did you get out of class? Have you been waiting long?"
"Not too long," Lu Zhe handed her the juice he had bought from the beverage shop.
Su Ci was indeed a bit thirsty. She took a few sips before asking Lu Zhe, "Shen Shi has come to find Yang Shujing."
She had sent someone to keep an eye on Shen Shi and Yang Shujing. When Shen Shi took Yang Shujing away from school, she was informed.
Lu Zhe naturally took the drink from the girl, "Do you want to go see?"
He had sent someone to investigate Shen Shi and Yang Shujing, obtaining their information.
Shen Shi suffered from heart disease and had recently been frequently visiting the hospital, indicating a health issue. Combined with the blow of being dumped, he had chosen a radical method of revenge.
Su Ci nodded, "Of course, I have to go."
"Alright, I'll have the car ready at the gate."
Yang Shujing followed Shen Shi out, and he took her to a narrow, dirty alley. The alley was filled with trash, buzzing with flies, and reeked of filth.
“Why did you bring me here?” Yang Shujing covered her nose, her eyes filled with disdain. “It’s so dirty and smelly here. Can’t you find a better place to talk to me?”
Shen Shi was wearing a white T-shirt and casual pants today. His fair face made him look even more refined and handsome, exuding a clean and approachable aura, like an older brother next door.
“Dirty and smelly?” Shen Shi looked at Yang Shujing, his gaze flickering. “Do I seem fitting to this place in your eyes?”
“I didn’t mean it that way,” Yang Shujing quickly denied.
Shen Shi chuckled softly. “Didn’t you? You’ve always thought that someone like me, with a severe heart condition, should die early. Living on like this is only fitting for people in such environments.”
He stepped forward and gripped Yang Shujing’s hand tightly. “You said that even if I were about to die, you would stay with me.”
Feeling the chill from Shen Shi, Yang Shujing panicked and tried to struggle. “I… I was just caught up in the moment when we were dating. The things I promised back then shouldn’t be taken seriously.”
Shen Shi held her hand firmly and smiled. “But I took it seriously.”
Yang Shujing swallowed hard, her voice trembling. “What… what do you want to do?”
Shen Shi pulled her into his arms, and from somewhere, he produced a knife. The sharp blade pressed against Yang Shujing’s neck.
“Shen Shi!” Yang Shujing felt the cold and sharp pain on her neck, her voice breaking in fear. “What… what are you doing?”
Shen Shi smirked, still looking like the handsome neighbor next door. “I’m helping you keep your promise. Let’s die together.”
Feeling the sharpness of the blade, Yang Shujing dared not struggle. She cried and begged, “I don’t want to die! Please, Shen Shi, don’t kill me!”
“You promised to stay with me forever. Weren’t you going to redeem me?” Shen Shi whispered in Yang Shujing’s ear. “Let’s die together, and then you can stay with me forever.”
“I lied to you! I’m sorry, I said those things to comfort you. I felt sorry for you…” Yang Shujing regretted provoking Shen Shi. She never thought he would be so deranged as to kill her!
“Then keep lying to me,” Shen Shi said, drawing a faint red line on Yang Shujing’s neck with the knife. The sight made her freeze, on the verge of collapse.
“No! I don’t want to die! Shen Shi, you’re crazy! Let me go!” Yang Shujing was drenched in tears, her legs trembling so badly that she would have collapsed if Shen Shi hadn’t held her tightly.
Seeing Yang Shujing break down in tears, her face a mess of snot and tears, Shen Shi sneered. “Regret provoking me?”
Yang Shujing’s voice quivered. “Please let me go. I don’t want to die. Shen Shi, I’m sorry, I really don’t want to die…”
In a car around the corner of the alley, Su Ci listened to the voice coming from the phone in the hands of her bodyguard. She glanced at the time; there were only five minutes left.
Su Ci had already arranged for people to be stationed around the area.
“Let’s get out of the car,” Su Ci said, ready to push the car door open. But the next moment, Lu Zhe stopped her.
“Promise me that if there’s any danger, you’ll hide,” Lu Zhe said, his voice firm. The lives of those two didn’t matter to him; he only cared about her safety.
Su Ci turned back and kissed his cold lips, nodding obediently. “Okay.”
When Su Ci and Lu Zhe arrived at the alley, Shen Shi and Yang Shujing were already being restrained by the bodyguards.
Yang Shujing was stunned. She hadn’t expected to encounter Lu Zhe and his girlfriend here. “Lu Zhe, save me.”
Yang Shujing was held by two men in black, her hands pinned behind her back, unable to move. A faint red mark from the knife was visible on her neck.
“Lu Zhe, please save me.” Yang Shujing saw Lu Zhe as her savior.
Shen Shi looked at the tall young man who had suddenly appeared. He sneered. “So, this is Lu Zhe?”
Su Ci stood next to Lu Zhe, her hand resting on his arm. “Why would my boyfriend save you?”
Yang Shujing bit her lip. The girl in front of her was dressed elegantly, beautiful and charming, looking down at her with an air of superiority that made Yang Shujing feel inferior.
Hearing Su Ci’s words, Shen Shi glanced coldly at Yang Shujing. She had a crush on a boy who already had a girlfriend.
“Were these men sent by you? Why?” Shen Shi was clever and quickly realized that the two men in black must be their people. Otherwise, they wouldn’t be so calm in this situation.
Su Ci walked over and took the knife from Shen Shi’s hand, tossing it aside.
Shen Shi was held down by the two bodyguards and couldn’t move. “Are you here to save Yang Shujing?”
“No,” Su Ci shook her head. “We’re here to save you.”
Shen Shi sneered, clearly not believing her.
“Why would I save Yang Shujing? She tried to steal my boyfriend. I’m not stupid enough to save her,” Su Ci said bluntly.
Yang Shujing’s face turned red with shame.
Su Ci looked at Shen Shi. His face was pale, his lips colorless, and his heart condition was more severe than even the little genius’s. “You wanted to kill her and then kill yourself?”
Shen Shi remained silent.
Su Ci noticed that Shen Shi’s life bar was down to three minutes. “You don’t seem stupid. You know what kind of person Yang Shujing is. Is it really worth sacrificing your life to kill her? It’s not worth it.”
“Is it because you feel like you’re going to die soon with your heart condition, so you want to take Yang Shujing with you?” Su Ci looked at Shen Shi’s life bar, still a thin red line. “Since your life is short, you should cherish it more. It’s not worth wasting it on someone like her.”
Shen Shi’s eyes darkened. He scoffed coldly. “What do you know? Don’t judge others when you can’t feel their pain.”
“What don’t I understand? The palpitations, the irregular heartbeat, the difficulty breathing? The fact that you can’t get too emotional or do strenuous activities, like a flower in a greenhouse, meant only for viewing?” Su Ci smiled. “Or the constant fear that you might not wake up tomorrow?”
Shen Shi quietly looked at her.
Before Su Ci transmigrated, she also had a heart condition. She knew better than anyone the pain of a heart attack, even the feeling of dying from it.
“If I had a heart condition, I would cherish every day even more,” Su Ci said, turning away from Shen Shi and walking toward Lu Zhe. “The world doesn’t stop just because someone is gone. Even if you’re willing to sacrifice your life for someone, you have to ask yourself if they’re worth it.”
Shen Shi’s shoulders slumped.
“You don’t know how long you’ll live until the very end. Is it really worth it to gamble your remaining life on Yang Shujing? Do you have family? What would they think if they knew you were giving up your life like this?” Su Ci said coldly.
Shen Shi lowered his head, his expression unreadable.
After a while, he spoke slowly, his voice low. “Why did you save me?”
Su Ci took Lu Zhe’s hand and answered Shen Shi. “Sympathy for someone in the same situation.”
Shen Shi’s voice was filled with doubt. “You also have a heart condition?”
The next moment, Su Ci felt Lu Zhe’s grip on her hand tighten. She smiled. “No, my health is perfectly fine now.”
Only ten seconds remained.
Then, Su Ci saw Shen Shi’s life bar change from a thin red line to a yellow block, indicating he had ten more years to live.
“Let him go,” Su Ci instructed the bodyguards to release him.
“You can’t let him go!” Yang Shujing screamed, trying to stop them. “He’s going to kill me! You can’t let him go!”
“You deserve to be killed,” Su Ci said, looking at Yang Shujing’s tear-streaked face with disdain. She was both toxic and selfish.
Shen Shi was released and stretched his arms. He picked up the knife that Su Ci had thrown away.
He walked toward Yang Shujing.
“Let me go! Shen Shi is going to kill me!” Yang Shujing struggled frantically, trembling with fear.
The blade pressed against Yang Shujing’s neck, and her face turned pale. “Lu Zhe, save me, save me!”
Lu Zhe didn’t look at her, his gaze fixed on Su Ci. He trusted her.
Su Ci’s eyes fell on Yang Shujing’s hand, which was tightly held by the bodyguard. Her life bar had turned into five yellow blocks.
Su Ci’s eyes lit up as she earned two golden cotton candies. She held Lu Zhe’s hand and prepared to watch the show.
“Don’t kill me! Please, don’t kill me!” Yang Shujing was so terrified that her face turned pale. The sharpness of the blade made her fear she would faint.
Shen Shi thought of the girl who had always chased after him, always gently taking care of him, and promising to accompany him. Looking at the disheveled Yang Shujing in front of him, he curled his lips.
The stubbornness in his eyes faded, and Shen Shi let out a cold laugh. He dropped the knife in his hand to the ground, "You really aren't worth it."
Yang Shujing was already so frightened that she was dumbfounded, completely unable to comprehend what Shen Shi meant.
Shen Shi turned and left. As he passed by Su Ci, he paused for a moment, "I don't know why you helped me, but thank you."
Shen Shi left, his hands clean, just as they were when he arrived, like a gentle and handsome older brother from next door.
"Let her go," Su Ci instructed the bodyguards to release Yang Shujing.
The show was over, and staying any longer was pointless.
Yang Shujing's legs were already soft as noodles from fear. Suddenly released by the bodyguards, she lost her support and fell straight to the ground with a cry of "Ah..."
Su Ci turned to look and saw that Yang Shujing's face had been scratched by the glass on the ground.
"My face hurts so much," Yang Shujing dared not touch it, "It hurts so much..."
Su Ci could see that the wound on Yang Shujing's face wasn't deep, but it would leave a scar. Even if the scar were to fade, it would take a lot of effort.
This can also be considered a lesson and punishment for the other party.
Back in the car, Lu Zhe suddenly reached out and placed his hand over Su Ci's chest.
Su Ci was startled and blinked.
She shyly gave Lu Zhe a flirtatious glance, "Lu Zhe, you've become naughty."
"It's healthy, right?" Lu Zhe asked seriously, looking at the girl.
Su Ci didn't expect Lu Zhe to be so sensitive. She nodded, "Very healthy. Do you want to hear my heartbeat?"
Lu Zhe's thin lips pressed together.
Su Ci smiled brightly at him, "I was lying to Shen Shi earlier. I don't have a heart condition, so you don't need to worry."
Lu Zhe lightly acknowledged: "Hmm."
He relaxed and was about to withdraw his hand when the next second, the girl pressed his hand down.
Su Ci's eyes sparkled with mischief as she smiled at him, "My heart is beating so fast right now. Can you feel it?"
Under his palm, he could just barely feel the softness of her edge.
Lu Zhe felt his palm grow hot.
The boy's face instantly turned red.
