‘Is Jiang Sui’s time running out?’
The moment that thought surfaced in his mind, Lu Yunze laughed at himself. How could a perfectly healthy person suddenly be at death’s door?
However, that evening after dinner, Lu Yunze sat in the living room and seriously considered the possibility.
Jiang Sui had always been a cheerful person, but her cheerfulness was built on the premise of concealing her true emotions.
Lu Yunze had seen the way Jiang Sui acted in front of others. She was so quiet that she seemed like a completely different person. There was no mischievous smile or lively tone. Her voice remained flat throughout, and she maintained only the bare minimum of communication with anyone else.
If he didn’t know her true nature, Lu Yunze felt he would have been fooled as well.
Since she was so skilled at hiding her true self, even if she were terminally ill and beyond help, it would be easy for her to keep it a secret.
‘No, the more I think about it, the more ridiculous it gets.’ Lu Yunze’s hand trembled as he picked up a slice of watermelon.
Outside, the moonlight was quiet. Without him noticing, another person appeared beside him: Luo Yao.
“Brother Lu, why are you here?” Luo Yao asked after sitting down.
“It’s nothing. I just felt like sitting here for a while.”
“Usually, after Brother Lu finishes eating, he rushes back to his room to play games. I never get a chance to catch you for a chat. I finally managed to run into you today.”
“You make me sound like some book thief in the Luo Residence Study.”
Speaking of the library, Lu Yunze still remembered the ugly expression on Luo Yao’s father’s face when he learned his study had been burned. At the time, Luo Yao and the Eldest Daughter were both present. Even Kong Yang had been there.
They all wished they could catch Kong Yang and teach him a lesson on the spot to vent their frustration. Unfortunately, they never got the chance.
The day after the Birthday Banquet ended, the Police Station received a report. A severed corpse had been found in the park. After identification, it was confirmed to be Kong Yang.
Luo Yao and her father both believed he had been silenced by the Star Cult.
However, Lu Yunze had a different theory. Kong Yang had mentioned a woman who closely resembled the Hidden One.
‘Could it be her? If it really was the Hidden One, why would she do that?’
This wasn’t the first time the Hidden One had targeted the Star Cult. Did she have some kind of grudge against them as well?
“Brother Lu, your expression is awful. Is there something on your mind?”
Luo Yao’s words pulled him back to reality. Lu Yunze quickly spoke up.
“If—and I mean if—I had a friend whose illness suddenly worsened, how should I get along with her?”
Luo Yao narrowed her eyes slightly. “Brother Lu, you aren’t ‘asking for a friend,’ are you?”
“How could I be? I’m perfectly healthy. I’m just asking. See, I said ‘if,’ didn’t I?”
“That’s good.” Luo Yao smiled happily.
Since it was Lu Yunze’s question, she would consider it seriously, even if it was just a joke.
“If there’s still a way to save them, it’s best to help them go to the hospital as soon as possible. Giving up at a time like this is the same as abandoning all hope, isn’t it?”
“Take her to the hospital?” Lu Yunze hesitated for a moment. ‘What if she’s stubborn and won’t listen?’
“Just telling her directly definitely won’t work. You have to show sincerity.”
“Sincerity?” Lu Yunze rubbed his chin. “In your opinion, Luo Yao, what kind of thing would be considered sincere?”
“Me?”
Caught off guard by him suddenly mentioning her, Luo Yao froze for a second.
‘Could it be that Brother Lu’s “friend” was actually referring to me?’
‘The so-called illness is fake, and the “friend” is fake. Only the sincere gift is real!’
The Eldest Daughter’s face instantly softened. “I… if it were me… since they’re almost dying anyway, they should eat something delicious and wear something beautiful. Maybe that would cheer them up.”
“I see…”
Lu Yunze nodded slightly.
‘Use gourmet food and clothing to reignite the hope for survival? That’s an interesting idea.’
“I know what to do now. Thank you, Luo Yao.”
“Don’t mention it. If Brother Lu is really going to take action, you should hurry up.”
Even after Lu Yunze left, Luo Yao remained there giggling to herself. Later, she was mistaken for a lingering female ghost by a passing guard.
—
Lu Yunze was a man of action. The next day, he spent the entire day buying snacks, fruit, and things that were delicious but wouldn’t harm one’s health. Then, on the third day, he went to find Jiang Sui.
At that moment, Jiang Sui was in the courtyard watering the flowers and grass, humming a cheerful little tune.
“Hey, Jiang Sui!”
The sudden call made her instinctively turn around, and the hose in her hand turned with her.
By the time she realized the person approaching wasn’t an enemy, a stream of water had already splashed across Lu Yunze’s smiling face.
“Oh! Sorry, Young Master!”
Jiang Sui hurried to throw the hose aside. She felt guilty, but seeing Lu Yunze looking like a drowned rat, she couldn’t help but chuckle twice.
Taking a deep breath, Lu Yunze suppressed his irritation. “It’s fine. The weather is so hot anyway. Consider it a cooling off.”
“Does the Young Master want me to continue then?”
“Absolutely not!” After his outburst, Lu Yunze’s expression turned serious again. “Follow me.”
He was acting very mysterious.
Jiang Sui pouted. Usually, Lu Yunze rarely asked to see her alone in such a secretive manner.
‘Could it be…!’
‘It’s said that when a man is in heat, seeing a beautiful woman triggers strange desires. I just soaked him through, so he couldn’t be planning to hide in my house and perform some private “training,” right?’
To be honest, if it really came down to it, Jiang Sui wouldn’t mind using her body to keep Lu Yunze around. But right now…
‘No, look on the bright side. If he’s taking the initiative to invite me, does that mean he’s had his eye on my body for a long time? Has he finally gathered enough affection and can’t hold back anymore?’
‘As long as that window pane is broken, Lu Yunze will think he’s captured my body and will be completely devoted to me. Though in reality, it’s hard to say who’s getting whom.’
If it were the Jiang Sui of a few days ago, she would have only felt nervous. But the current Jiang Sui had already opened the door to a new world.
‘They say the experience with a man is completely different from using your hand. Not only is there a feeling of being filled, but when you reach the peak, something hot is left inside the body.’
‘Hmph, much better than fingers.’
Just thinking about it made Jiang Sui blush. Her breathing grew slightly shallow.
The two of them arrived at a gazebo in the courtyard. Jiang Sui narrowed her eyes.
“Young Master…”
“To think you chose an outdoor play. The Young Master is even bolder than I thought.”
“What are you talking about?”
Lu Yunze didn’t understand what she was saying. He pulled out a large bag of snacks from under the table.
“These are all for you.”
“That’s it?”
“What else? You don’t think it’s enough, do you?”
Jiang Sui was deeply disappointed.
‘As expected, I thought too much. Expecting a little virgin to turn into a wild beast is still too unrealistic.’
She didn’t quite understand why Lu Yunze was suddenly giving her so many snacks, but Jiang Sui wasn’t in a hurry to eat. She pulled a cloth from her pocket and began wiping the water off his face.
Lu Yunze didn’t refuse, but after sniffing the air, he couldn’t help but ask, “Why does this cloth smell weird?”
“Oh, this isn’t a handkerchief. It’s a rag I use to wipe the windows.”
“…”
Lu Yunze recoiled in fear, making Jiang Sui burst out laughing.
‘He really is so strange.’
After Lu Yunze calmed his emotions, he said sternly, “Stay here for now. I’m going to change my clothes. Follow me out later.”
“Yes, Young Master.”
‘Going out?’
‘Could there still be hope!’
Jiang Sui began to look forward to it again. Once Lu Yunze had changed into dry clothes, she followed him out.
‘First, he’ll have to book a room, unless he really wants to do it in the wild.’
But the places Lu Yunze took her were all clothing stores. Whenever he spoke, he asked her what kind of dresses she liked.
Actually, aside from the maid uniform she wore for work and the dresses she wore specifically to seduce Lu Yunze, Jiang Sui had zero interest in these types of clothes.
Faced with his inexplicable enthusiasm, Jiang Sui could only play along, hoping they would get to the main event quickly.
“Young Master, let’s skip the foreplay. You brought me out specifically, so it definitely isn’t just for this, right?”
“Sigh, you saw through me after all.”
Hearing that, Lu Yunze, who had been flustered while picking out clothes, instinctively lowered his head.
‘The main event! Is it finally coming?!’
When the two of them stopped in front of a hospital, Jiang Sui was stunned.
“Young Master, you… this is…”
“Listen, I know you probably have a lot to say, but what I want to say is: I can help you pay.”
Jiang Sui blinked. “Are we roleplaying a checkup? Isn’t this kind of play a bit too embarrassing for the Young Master?”
“What are you talking about?!”
Lu Yunze could no longer hold it back.
“I’m saying you should get your illness treated here. I’ll pay for you. Although my pocket money might not be enough to cover the full cost of a major illness, I will definitely help you as much as I can.”
“Huh?”
Jiang Sui arched an eyebrow. ‘What on earth is he talking about?’
Snacks, clothes, and now a hospital.
“Young Master, you don’t actually think I have some kind of terminal illness, do you?”
“Is that not the case?” Lu Yunze looked dumbfounded.
“Pfft!”
Jiang Sui truly couldn’t hold it in anymore. She pointed at her stomach and laughed until Lu Yunze’s face turned beet red.
“What are you laughing at? I’m doing this for your own good. Didn’t you say the time would come when you absolutely had to leave?”
“I just wanted to do something for you…”
“So… so the Young Master thought I was…”
Jiang Sui laughed for a long time before stopping to wipe the tears from the corners of her eyes.
“Does the Young Master really want to do something for me?”
“Of course!” Lu Yunze patted his chest.
“You said it yourself, Young Master. You can’t go back on your word.”
Jiang Sui’s smile looked like a hunter who had spotted a prey falling into a trap, giving Lu Yunze an ominous feeling.
“When I said I was leaving, I didn’t mean my time was running out,” Jiang Sui explained. “I meant that for every weekend for the rest of summer vacation, I plan to leave the Young Master’s side and return to my home.”
“Return home?”
Lu Yunze was silent for a moment.
“Then what did you mean by helping you?”
“The Young Master gave me so many snacks at once; I really can’t carry them all back by myself. So, I have to trouble the Young Master to come home with me.”
In that instant, Jiang Sui leaned close to him. Her fingertip brushed past the tip of his nose, and then she walked away with her hands behind her back.
She didn’t give Lu Yunze any chance to refuse.
‘Going home?’
‘That means… I’m going to meet Jiang Sui’s parents?’
When Lu Yunze realized this, his entire being went numb. After returning to the villa, he collapsed in the living room, eating the snacks Jiang Sui had shared with him.
‘Going home and meeting the parents… isn’t that something only couples do?’
Lu Yunze’s mind went blank.
“Brother Lu, my snacks… why are you eating them yourself?”
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