Lu Zhe carried Lila to the car, both simmering in silence, still stewing from their fight.
He drove her to an amusement park, buying tickets for the Ferris wheel. As they rose, his gaze drifted outside. "Why didn't you call me after school?"
"I forgot," Lila said flatly. Truth was, she hadn't wanted to—call just to get his cold grunt and a hang-up? No thanks.
A legend swirled about the Ferris wheel, not of love, but of Ji Zi Lan's flower fairy. She'd sprinkle her magic on couples riding together. If the man's love was false, she'd trap him in an endless dream. If true, she'd bless them with a child—her reincarnation—within a year.
In the quiet, Lila soaked in the park's twinkling lights. Lu Zhe's eyes flicked to her, subtle but lingering.
"You used to love Ferris wheels," he said, his tone cool, almost mocking. "What happened?"
Lila bristled at his jab, as if she were some clingy kid. "People change. I'm not that naive anymore. Stop treating me like a child—tossing me candy when you're pleased, slapping me when you're not."
Lu Zhe's lips twitched, a half-smirk. She's calling out my attitude? He'd apologized, hadn't he? But she'd shut him down. Her sharp tone—mocking, defiant—mirrored his own since their engagement. He meant to be kind, but his words kept souring. Her defiance? A shield, masking how much she cared.
"Lila, can you talk without the thorns?" he asked, voice low.
"Sorry, no can do," she shot back.
The Ferris wheel's loop—thirteen minutes, fourteen seconds—felt eternal, suffocating. Lila nursed her wounds, hoping they'd heal, but Lu Zhe kept picking at her scars. I'm a porcupine—craving hugs but bleeding for it.
At the bottom, Lu Zhe bought her a milk tea—red date, goji, longan. "Remember this? That movie night, you choked on popcorn," he said, softer.
Lila stared, thrown. What's he playing at?
"Lila, I'm serious," he continued, his deep eyes locking hers—calm yet intense. "I got mad because I care, not to hurt you. My kindness isn't a game."
She couldn't read him, never could. Once, she'd have leapt into his arms, overjoyed. Now, she just smiled thinly. "So, my feelings finally earned a reward?"
She wasn't that starry-eyed girl anymore. She'd learned to scheme, to doubt, to guard her heart.
Lu Zhe leaned in, hopeful. "Maybe I'm catching feelings. Aren't you happy?"
Her smile faltered. "A bit late for that. If I force a grin and say I'm thrilled, would you buy it?"
She craved his love but feared it, sinking deeper the more she fought.
That night, his gaze was heavy, complex, as she retreated to her room. Her words had blindsided him. In his guest room, Lu Zhe replayed her chase—her old, unguarded devotion.
Days passed in a prickly stalemate. They barely spoke, and when they did, it was barbed, choking off conversation.
Until Grandma's birthday arrived.
"I picked this dress for you. Wear it," Lu Zhe said, leaving a box at Lila's door.
She opened it, slipping into the gown—a qipao-inspired masterpiece, exuding vintage elegance and poised allure. Did he visit the shop? A faint sandalwood scent clung to it, warming her heart, easing her guard.
Stepping out, she caught Lu Zhe in a sleek silver tux, his eyes flickering. Lila, in her sultry, regal qipao, drew a subtle smile from him.
"Lookin' half-decent," she teased, smirking.
He chuckled. "High praise."
They drove two hours to the Lu estate, a sprawling villa with rose- and jasmine-filled gardens. The butler greeted them: "Young Master, Young Madam, welcome."
They'd arrived early; the banquet hadn't started. Lu Zhe led Lila to his room, where she carefully set down her gift. "For Grandma?" he asked, eyeing it. He'd heard the shop owner rave about Lila's work and was curious about her creation.
While the Lus prepped, Lu Zhe flipped through magazines—his room, though rarely used, was kept pristine, with fresh papers daily. Lila, idle, gazed out the window.
The door swung open. "Lu Zhe's back!" A woman, slightly plump but radiant, burst in—Lu Zhe's mother.
Eager to see her son, she beamed with warmth, circling him. "Stay home a few days! Grandma and I miss you. Why suffer out there with that wild girl? Look at you—skin and bones!"
Lu Zhe nodded, humoring her. She hadn't noticed Lila until she glanced up, spotting her by the window, posture casual. Her face soured. "No manners, not even greeting your mother-in-law. Typical wild girl."
She despised Lila—an orphan with no lineage, unfit for Lu Zhe. To her, marriage demanded equal status; Lila didn't even clear the bar.
"Seeing you ruins my mood," she snapped.
Lila turned, strolling toward Lu Zhe. "Hello, Mother-in-law. I'm bad luck? Stay back, then." She hooked her arm through Lu Zhe's, smirking.
His mother fumed, eyes blazing. "What's that tone? My son can't visit me? No respect, you uncouth brat!"
Her voice was shrill, and Lila's fake smile hid a sting. Lu Zhe's father had died four years ago, leaving his uncle to run the company. The uncle, petty and harsh, had tormented Lu Zhe's mother, turning her from gentle to sharp-tongued. She'd learned to brawl like a street fighter to fend him off. When Lu Zhe took over, she softened, but not toward Lila.
"I'm nothing but polite," Lila said, grinning. "No bad thoughts about you, so no need to harp on me."
Lu Zhe caught her veiled yielding; his mother heard mockery. She glared but, mindful of Lu Zhe, held back. "Don't embarrass us at the banquet. You can afford shame—we can't."
She stormed out. Lila shrugged, but Lu Zhe caught it. "My mom doesn't mean harm. Don't take it to heart."
"Oh, now you're the saint?" Lila scoffed. "You both hate me, don't you? She just wants me out of the Lu family. Think I care?"
Her hum stung him. He'd once dismissed her, like the Lus—except Grandma. Now he wanted to know her, but she'd walled herself off.
"Lila, I've got your back from now on," he said, awkward but earnest.
She fiddled with her gift, missing it. "What?"
He shook his head. "Nothing. Just… don't make Grandma cry. Her eyes are bad."
"Got it," Lila nodded.
An hour later, guests filled the estate, including the Qiao family, tagging along for clout. Vanessa, in a flowing white gown, looked ethereal. Her mother, Susan, gushed over her "perfect daughter."
Lila and Lu Zhe stepped out, and Vanessa, all shy smiles, chirped, "Lu Zhe, darling!"
Lila cringed, goosebumps rising.
"Lu Zhe, you're even hotter lately," Susan fawned. "This tux is divine—so sleek, so refined."
She turned to Lila, syrupy. "You two look so happy! Lila's glowing—Lu Zhe's taking great care of her, isn't he?"
Even Vanessa's dad, Qiao An, joined the fake warmth, the Qiaos playing the perfect family.
Vanessa pouted, "I'm so jealous of my little sis's happiness. I want a boyfriend as amazing as Lu Zhe!"
Translation: I want your man.
Lila's smile was all teeth. "Oh, please. A star like you'll find your prince. Just be generous and don't steal my fiancé, yeah?"
Think you can play coy? I'll match you.
Vanessa's laugh was strained. "Steal? Lu Zhe's so smitten with you, he wouldn't glance at me if I threw myself at him. Don't you trust me, sis?"
She batted her lashes, feigning innocence. The Qiaos' saccharine act made Lila's stomach turn.
Lu Zhe stayed out of the women's war, watching Lila with amused curiosity. This firecracker always surprises me.
After the Qiaos' charade, Lila and Lu Zhe worked the Lu relatives, who valued status and barely tolerated Lila for Grandma's sake. But sharp eyes noticed a shift: usually, Lu Zhe kept Lila at arm's length, with Vanessa, his childhood friend, at his side. Today, Lila clung to his arm, their touches frequent, and he didn't pull away.
Vanessa had prepped to shine beside Lu Zhe, but Lila swooped in, gluing herself to him. He played along, offering his arm. Vanessa seethed—that was my spot! Lila used to trail behind, head down. She stole it!
Fuming, Vanessa couldn't shove Lila aside without losing face, so she trailed them, cursing under her breath.