Chapter 98

After Su Ci returned to her room, for quite a while, the maid, following Mrs. Su's instructions, brought her a bowl of nourishing soup to replenish her energy and blood.0

Su Ci's face turned red again, feeling embarrassed.0

"Miss, Madam has instructed that you need to finish the soup," the maid said as she brought the soup into Su Ci's room.0

"Okay, I understand," Su Ci replied.0

She thought there was nothing more awkward than being caught by her parents the morning after being intimate.0

After finishing the soup, Su Ci's phone rang. It was Lu Zhe calling.0

She answered the video call, and on the screen, Lu Zhe's handsome face appeared, his eyelashes clearly visible.0

Su Ci told him directly, "Lu Zhe, my mom knows about what happened last night."0

"What did Mrs. Su say?" Lu Zhe asked.0

He thought about how he had broken his promise to Mrs. Su and now had taken Su Ci, the little princess of the Su family. He knew he was being selfish, and if Mr. and Mrs. Su were to blame him, he would accept any punishment without complaint.0

Su Ci's face was warm, and her dark eyes sparkled. "My mom told us not to get into any trouble before we get married."0

On the other end of the screen, Lu Zhe was momentarily stunned, then his ears turned red. He had expected Mrs. Su to be angry or to continue opposing his relationship with Su Ci, but he hadn't anticipated her saying something like that.0

"Lu Zhe, it seems my mom doesn't object to me liking you," Su Ci said with a smile, her eyes curving like crescent moons. As long as her mom was on board, her dad wouldn't be a problem; her dad always listened to her mom.0

Lu Zhe felt a surge of warmth in his chest. The foggy path ahead of him seemed to clear up a bit.0

"Tuan Tuan," the boy called out softly.0

Su Ci smiled and responded, "I'm here."0

"Tuan Tuan," Lu Zhe repeated.0

Su Ci looked into his dark eyes and laughed, her eyes forming beautiful crescents, the tiny tear mole at the corner of her eye adding to her charm. "I'm here."0

Lu Zhe chuckled softly before asking, "Are your waist still sore?"0

Su Ci shook her head. "It's a bit sore."0

"And... down there?" Lu Zhe asked, feeling inexperienced and a bit like a rookie. If it weren't for his strong self-control, he might have really hurt her. He had looked it up online, and if she was injured, she would need medication.0

Su Ci nodded. "Of course, it hurts."0

Lu Zhe's appearance was refined and handsome, but that part of him was the opposite—large and assertive. She had suffered at first, but eventually adapted. Now, even sitting was uncomfortable.0

Hearing that she was still in pain, Lu Zhe became anxious. "I'll go buy some medicine and bring it to you."0

Su Ci gave him a shy yet annoyed look. "Are you going to apply the medicine for me?"0

Lu Zhe's eyes darkened.0

"Absolutely not!" Su Ci refused. "I don't need any medicine. It'll get better in a few days."0

On the screen, Lu Zhe earnestly reminded her, "Alright, but if you're still uncomfortable, let me know."0

Su Ci nodded obediently.0

...0

Two days had passed since Lu Zhe's birthday party.0

In the morning, when Feng Xiaoyu encountered Zhao Youyou on the way to school, she noticed that Zhao Youyou was holding a small rabbit, about the size of a palm.0

The rabbit was pure white with black eyes, soft and fluffy, incredibly cute. Feng Xiaoyu was delighted and couldn't resist reaching out to pet it. "Youyou, why did you bring a rabbit to school?"0

Who could resist such a cute little animal?0

"Ah, the rabbit is so adorable," Feng Xiaoyu exclaimed, looking at Zhao Youyou with longing. She hadn't been angry with Zhao Youyou for leaving the birthday party early, which had led to her being scolded by her relatives. "Can I hold it?"0

"I'm sorry, it's a bit shy around strangers," Zhao Youyou explained. "I didn't prepare a gift for my brother's birthday, so I thought about it for a long time and decided to give him this rabbit."0

She remembered that when they were in City D, Lu Zhe had raised a rabbit of similar size. He must like rabbits. Besides, she didn't have much money and couldn't afford an expensive gift, so she thought a thoughtful gift would be better than something expensive but impersonal.0

Zhao Youyou believed that a heartfelt gift was more meaningful than an expensive one.0

"Oh, this is your brother's birthday gift?" Feng Xiaoyu was a bit surprised. She remembered that Lu Zhe seemed cold and aloof, not the type to like small animals.0

Zhao Youyou nodded. "Yes, my brother used to raise a rabbit of similar size. I don't know if his rabbit is still alive."0

Zhao Youyou had thought it through carefully. "If his rabbit has passed away, this one can keep him company. If it's still alive, this rabbit might even pair up with his."0

Feng Xiaoyu fully agreed with Zhao Youyou's idea. "Youyou, how can you be so gentle and thoughtful?"0

At that moment, a black car stopped at the school gate.0

Feng Xiaoyu saw the person getting out of the car and quickly tugged at Zhao Youyou's sleeve, excited. "Youyou, it's your brother!"0

If it weren't for her self-control, Feng Xiaoyu felt she might scream out loud.0

After the birthday party, when she got home, she had deleted all her fan groups, photos, and posts about her idol. Her new idol was Lu Zhe!0

With Lu Zhe's face and figure, he was worth all the admiration in the world.0

Feng Xiaoyu's gaze shifted to Lu Zhe's car. Even though she wasn't very knowledgeable about cars, she had seen pictures of this one online. It was a limited edition model!0

"Youyou, having a brother like that must be so wonderful," Feng Xiaoyu said excitedly, gripping Zhao Youyou's arm. "I wonder what kind of goddess could be worthy of someone like your brother."0

On the night of the birthday party, Feng Xiaoyu had been busy working and hadn't seen Lu Zhe and Su Ci dancing together or the moment Lu Zhe had passionately kissed Su Ci.0

Zhao Youyou bit her lip. She thought of Su Ci, who looked like a beautiful spirit standing next to Lu Zhe. Her chest felt sour and heavy, and she didn't want to tell anyone that Lu Zhe and Su Ci were a couple.0

"Xiaoyu, you go back to the classroom first. I want to give my brother his birthday gift," Zhao Youyou said, her hand unconsciously tugging at the rabbit's fur. The little rabbit squirmed, but she held it firmly.0

Feng Xiaoyu was reluctant to leave so soon, especially since she had the chance to see her idol. "Youyou, can I come with you?"0

If she could get a closer look at her idol, she would probably die of excitement.0

Zhao Youyou subconsciously frowned. "Xiaoyu, I'm sorry, but I have some things I want to talk to my brother about, and it might not be convenient."0

Feng Xiaoyu finally gave up. "Alright, I won't interrupt your conversation with Lu Zhe. I'll go to the classroom and save you a seat."0

"Thank you," Zhao Youyou said.0

The cold winter morning was windy and gray, with the weather forecast predicting snow in the next few days.0

Zhao Youyou held the restless rabbit tightly and smiled as she approached the tall, handsome figure of the young man.0

"Bro..." Zhao Youyou remembered that Lu Zhe had told her not to call him "brother" that night, fearing it would anger him. She changed her tone and called out softly, "Lu Zhe."0

She stood in front of Lu Zhe.0

Lu Zhe's expression was indifferent. "Is there something you need?"0

"I'm sorry, I didn't prepare anything for your birthday. I know you like rabbits, so this is my belated birthday gift for you," Zhao Youyou said, holding the small rabbit out to Lu Zhe. She looked at him sincerely. "I've been to many places over the past two days to find a rabbit that looks similar to the one you used to raise."0

"Do you like this rabbit, Lu Zhe? I want to give it to you."0

Lu Zhe glanced at the rabbit in Zhao Youyou's hand and said coldly, "I don't like it, and I don't need it."0

He only liked Su Ci, the little rascal.0

If Su Ci found out he had held another rabbit, he could imagine her giving him a reproachful look with her big, watery eyes or teasing him as punishment.0

Thinking of Su Ci's mischievous nature, a faint smile appeared in Lu Zhe's usually cold eyes.0

He was about to leave.0

"Lu Zhe, are you still angry with me, which is why you're treating me so coldly?" Zhao Youyou quickly spoke up. "I'm sorry. When my parents made you leave the Zhao family, I was young and naive and didn't speak up for you or persuade them."0

“I'm sorry, but you're sick and living alone outside. I should have paid more attention to your life.”0

“I know I had many small flaws and issues before, but I've changed. I'm not the same person I was. Can you forgive me, and forgive Mom and Dad? They miss you too.” Zhao Youyou looked sincerely at Lu Zhe, her eyes glistening with tears.0

Lu Zhe gazed back at her, his expression cold and indifferent. “Is it because I'm now part of the Lu family that you've come to me with these random words?”0

Zhao Youyou's face paled. “I didn't...”0

“Don't be so clever.” Lu Zhe walked around Zhao Youyou and strode away.0

The young man's voice was icy, sending a shiver down Zhao Youyou's spine.0

Ever since Zhao's father lost all the money from selling their house in a stock market gamble, the atmosphere at the Zhao household had been tense.0

Fu Baili emerged from his room. Once a school bully with poor grades, he had come to B University solely for Zhao Youyou. His family had bought him the degree, even funding the construction of a teaching building at B University.0

As ​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​​​‌‌‌​​​​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌‌​​​​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​​​‌​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌‌​​​​​‌‌​​​​​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​​​‌‍a result, he rarely attended classes, especially after the Fu family publicly announced a new heir. He found it tiresome to deal with the strange looks from people at school and had stopped going altogether.0

Zhao's father had been sitting in the living room, smoking. When he saw Fu Baili come out, he spoke politely but no longer showed the enthusiasm he once had for the young man.0

The Fu family had publicly disowned Fu Baili and chosen a new heir. The Fu family was no longer his, and it was uncertain whether he could ever return to his former status as a young master.0

“Awake? There's breakfast over there. It was prepared early, but if it's cold, you can heat it up in the kitchen.” Unlike before, when Zhao's father would have heated the breakfast himself and waited for Fu Baili to wake up and eat, now he expected Fu Baili to do it himself.0

“I'm not hungry,” Fu Baili said as he put on his shoes, preparing to leave.0

Zhao's father spoke up. “Uh, Baili, if you're not in a hurry to go out, I’d like to talk to you.”0

Fu Baili walked over. “What is it?”0

Compared to before, Fu Baili's demeanor was not only colder but also quieter. The arrogance he once had was gone, and he had become increasingly silent.0

His attire was simple—a white T-shirt and jeans—far from the quality and price of his previous clothes.0

“Baili, you've been staying with us for quite some time now. When do you plan to return to the Fu family?”0

Zhao's father lit a cigarette. His small eyes half-closed, almost forming a line. “No matter how much you argue, you can't really cut ties with your family. I don't want you to fight with your family over Youyou, making my daughter the scapegoat.”0n/ô/vel/b//in dot c//om

Fu Baili asked, “Is this what Youyou wants?”0

Zhao's father shook his head. “No, that silly girl is worried about you but doesn't know how to express it. I'm speaking for her. She feels guilty about you leaving the Fu family.”0

“Besides, you can see our current situation. After I lost everything in the stock market, Youyou and my wife cried several times. If you could return to the Fu family, these problems would be solved. I know you love Youyou and wouldn't want to see her sad.”0

Fu Baili lowered his eyes, making it hard to read his thoughts.0

Zhao's father continued, more earnestly, playing the role of a caring elder. “There are no grudges between family members. Go back and apologize sincerely to your parents. They will surely forgive you. Then, you can help our family, and Youyou won't be sad or worried anymore.”0

Fu Baili suddenly stood up, looking down at Zhao's father. “I'm going out to look for a job.”0

Seeing Fu Baili leave, Zhao's father's expression darkened. A rich kid who couldn't even lift a finger, who had relied on his family to pay for his education, what kind of job could he possibly find? Without the Fu family, he was nothing.0

When Zhao Youyou returned home, she saw her father looking displeased, while her mother was also full of resentment.0

Zhao's father called out, “Youyou, come here.”0

“What is it?”0

“Tonight, you must persuade Fu Baili to return to the Fu family. He can't keep living here, relying on us to support him,” Zhao's father told his daughter. “If the Fu family really disowns him and doesn't recognize him, you should break up with him.”0

Zhao Youyou disagreed. “Dad! He left the Fu family for me.”0

“So what? It was his foolishness. He had a comfortable life as a rich young master and threw it away.” Zhao's father said discontentedly, “He even wants to find a job. What can he do? He doesn’t even know the basics of life.”0

Zhao's mother also chimed in, trying to persuade her daughter. “Youyou, listen to your father. If Fu Baili can return to the Fu family, that would be great. You could marry into a wealthy family. But if the Fu family truly disowns him, we can't keep supporting him. He hasn't contributed a penny to the household expenses and has been spending your money. Don't think we don't know about this.”0

Zhao Youyou didn't want to break up with Fu Baili. In her previous life, she hadn't even had the qualifications to pursue him. Now that she was finally with him, she didn't want to part ways.0

Zhao's father said, “You know our current situation. We still owe over five hundred thousand yuan, and we don't have the extra money to support another mouth. Don't be willful.”0

Zhao Youyou bit her lip. “I haven't told you, but I saw my brother the other day.”0

“Why would you bring him up?” Zhao's mother felt it was unlucky. She had never agreed with her husband's decision to adopt Lu Zhe.0

“Dad, Mom, I saw my brother at a luxurious birthday party.” Zhao Youyou told them. “It was his birthday, and he found his real family.”0

“What?” Zhao's father was surprised.0

“Dad, my brother is from the Lu family. He's the heir to the Lu family.”0

“Which... which Lu family?” Zhao's father was having trouble processing the information.0

Zhao's mother also looked confused. “What does the Lu family matter?”0

Zhao Youyou explained, “The group you interviewed with is part of the Lu family. It's that top-tier wealthy Lu family!”0

“What?” Zhao's father's voice rose several octaves, his face filled with shock.0

Zhao's mother's voice trembled. “Is it the Lu family we often see on TV, the very rich one?”0

Zhao Youyou nodded.0

Zhao's father slapped his thigh. “Indeed, there's no such thing as a dead end.” He turned to scold his wife. “You used to always say I was raising a waste. Look, Lu Zhe isn't a waste; he's a god of wealth.”0

Zhao's mother was also excited, her words incoherent. “You also said I had long hair and short insight. How could I have known Lu Zhe was from a wealthy family?”0

“Not just wealthy, but extremely wealthy,” Zhao's father said, his mood lifting as he forgot the earlier gloom when Zhao Youyou entered the house. He was beaming with excitement. “You, girl, why didn't you tell us this earlier?”0

“I wanted to give my brother a birthday gift, but he ignored me and was very cold to me,” Zhao Youyou said, feeling embarrassed to push herself on him again.0

“This is your mother's fault for driving Lu Zhe out of the house,” Zhao's father said.0

Still in shock, Zhao's father slowly digested the news. “Your brother is a kind-hearted child. If we apologize to him, he will forgive us. We raised him for over a decade; surely he won't hold a grudge?”0

Zhao Youyou gently advised, “Then, Mom and Dad, you should sincerely apologize to my brother. Don't scold or yell at him like before.”0

Zhao's mother quickly added, “Of course we won't scold him. He's the golden goose of our family now.”0

Zhao's father nodded in agreement. He never expected that with the loss of a Fu family young master, they would gain a Lu family heir, and one who was his own son. It seemed like heaven was sending him wealth.