Chapter 59

The days at the convalescent home passed leisurely.

Zhen Ai woke up from her afternoon nap and went downstairs. As she walked down the corridor, she heard a parrot happily squawking, "Egg, egg, Isaac loves it! Egg, egg, my favorite egg!"

Zhen Ai turned around and saw a wicker basket on the table, filled with colorful eggs. Each egg was painted with vibrant designs—rainbow cartoon illustrations in watercolor and ink, sky blue, soft pink, bright yellow, and green. All sorts of colors and patterns were packed tightly together, making the little eggs look adorable.

The small parrot perched on top of the basket, flapping its white wings happily.

Seeing that no one was around, Zhen Ai walked over and picked up the eggs one by one to inspect them. Some had white birds painted on them, and others had green houses. She had always loved colorful things, and she couldn't help but admire them fondly. She softly asked the parrot, "What are these?"

"Miz Jen, happy Easter! Miss Zhen, happy Easter!" the maid Marie spoke again in her Southeast Asian-accented English. Fortunately, Zhen Ai had long gotten used to it and realized that the basket was filled with Easter eggs.

But why would Yan Su buy something like this? He never cared about holidays. She pondered this curiously as she and the little parrot rummaged through the basket together.

Suddenly, a furious voice came from behind her: "Who gave you permission to touch my things?!"

Startled, Zhen Ai almost knocked over the eggs. The parrot immediately flew up, landing on Zhen Ai's shoulder, tilting its head as it watched. She turned toward the voice and saw Jasmine glaring at her angrily, teeth clenched.

Zhen Ai looked down at the two eggs in her hands—caught red-handed. She quickly put the eggs back into the basket and murmured, "Sorry, I thought Yan Su bought them."

"Even if they were his, does that mean you can just touch them?" Jasmine's tone was sharp, though her expression remained calm. "You really have no manners. What kind of upbringing did your mother give you?"

Zhen Ai didn't respond. To be honest, she wasn't very sensitive, and Jasmine's words didn't affect her at all. But she did find it odd—why was Jasmine always angry?

Then again, it didn't matter. After all, she didn't need Jasmine to like her.

Her calm and composed demeanor, without so much as a blush, made Jasmine feel like she'd just punched air, which only made her more upset. Still, she prided herself on being a reasonable person, so she held back the insults she had planned to throw at Zhen Ai.

It was infuriating. How could Aunt Haili allow this girl to stay at Yan Su's house? Ridiculous! Zhen Ai might seem naïve on the surface, but who knew how cunning and sly she was underneath? She had already managed to live in Yan Su's house!

Zhen Ai couldn't guess what Jasmine was thinking. She said nothing more and turned to head toward the library to find Yan Su.

"Hey!" Jasmine called out.

Zhen Ai turned back.

Jasmine said, "It's Easter today. In a bit, Yan Su and I are going home for dinner. Mom, Grandma, Spencer, and Annie will all be there. And you? Where are you going?"

She was reminding her that this was a family dinner, and she shouldn't even think about tagging along.

But it was unnecessary because Zhen Ai hadn't even considered it. Confused, she answered, "I'll just stay here and read."

Jasmine raised an eyebrow. "You mean, go back to your own house?"

Zhen Ai thought for a moment. She could go home, after all. Her health had improved, and she didn't need to stay in the mountains any longer. She nodded, "Reading is the same no matter where I am."

Jasmine felt even more irritated. What was with this girl? Did she really think Yan Su's house was her own? She was about to retort when Zhen Ai's phone rang.

Zhen Ai answered, and a cheerful female voice came through, "Ai, long time no see! What are you up to?"

Zhen Ai thought for a moment. "...Daisy?"

"Didn't I tell you to call me? Why didn't you? Did you write my number on your hand and then rub it off by mistake?" Daisy teased, giving her an easy way out.

But Zhen Ai replied honestly, "No. I remember your number."

Daisy: ...

She felt like the bridge she'd just laid down for Zhen Ai to cross had been knocked over, and she'd fallen flat on her face.

But knowing that Zhen Ai wasn't like other girls, she didn't mind and quickly moved on. "Ai, I just found out we went to the same school! There's an Easter party today—come join us!"

Zhen Ai hesitated, "A party? It doesn't sound fun..." She had never been to one before.

"We're painting eggs and dressing up as bunnies!"

Zhen Ai sounded a bit intrigued, "Hmm, okay. ...Oh, wait, someone's calling. Hold on... Hello? Owen... Your place? Nah, Daisy just invited me to a party. You go celebrate with your family... Don't worry... What eggs?"

On the phone, Owen mentioned that he had sent her a basket of Easter eggs. Zhen Ai was curious, and just then, the doorbell rang. Marie exclaimed from the door, "Miz Jen, oh my Jesus! Eggs! So many eggs!"

Zhen Ai went to the door and saw the delivery man bringing in several baskets of eggs, big and small, real and fake, all beautifully painted. Some were even made of chocolate and candy.

Hadn't Owen said one basket? Why were there so many?

Zhen Ai's heart filled with joy as she knelt down, hugging the eggs and inspecting them closely. Her favorite set had 13 eggs, each painted with a pretty little girl. On the back of each egg, a letter spelled out a message:

AI HAPPY EASTER!

Marie, also excited, joined in the fun, commenting that the little girls on the eggs looked like Zhen Ai—pretty and lovable. The parrot flapped its wings, flying around excitedly. "Egg, egg!"

Jasmine stood by, watching coldly, fuming inside. Unable to hold back, she suddenly snapped, "Hey! This isn't your storage room. Take your eggs and go home." As she spoke, she impatiently kicked at the baskets near the door.

Zhen Ai quickly gathered the colorful baskets, pulling them to the side.

"Hey, Zhen Ai! Doesn't anyone spend Easter with you?" Jasmine asked.

Zhen Ai found the question quite normal. "There's no need. I'm not a Christian."

Her tone was identical to Yan Su's, which made Jasmine's teeth ache with frustration. "And what about your parents? Don't they care about you, especially when you're injured? Even if your parents don't, don't you have classmates? If not classmates, then friends? Other than Owen and Eva, do you know anyone else?"

Zhen Ai didn't understand Jasmine's aggressive attitude but still thought seriously before replying, "No."

"You—!" Jasmine was furious. How could Zhen Ai not even feel a little sad? She was livid.

The little parrot flew up, flapping its wings excitedly, and squawked, "Bully! Bully! Bad egg, bad egg!"

Jasmine, already fuming, reached out to swat at the bird, but it dodged her hand, soaring over her head and landing on **Yan Su**'s shoulder. The parrot tucked its white wings neatly, its little black eyes darting around curiously.

Yan Su, leaning on a white cane, gave Jasmine a cold glance, his expression indifferent. Without pausing, his eyes shifted to Zhen Ai.

She stood there quietly, her eyes lowered, clearly distracted as she mentally counted the Easter eggs. Her lips were pressed into a faint smile, barely containing her joy.

Yan Su was speechless. **Her emotional intelligence is tragically low! So clueless!**

He walked over, nudging her back with his cane, "Where are you going later?"

"School. Daisy said there's a party. I get to paint Easter eggs and dress up as a bunny!" she answered, her eyes gleaming with rare excitement as they flickered toward the eggs.

Seeing her expression, Yan Su felt a wave of frustration. He knew she liked bright, colorful things, but he hadn't thought to get her Easter eggs. What a failure! He couldn't believe he had dismissed the idea of gift-giving so quickly. Maybe there was something to it after all!

Sullenly, he muttered, "I'm going too!"

Zhen Ai blinked, about to say something, when Jasmine cut in, "Your mom said you should come home for Easter dinner."

Yan Su's reply was curt, "I don't celebrate Easter. I'm not a Christian."

Zhen Ai had said the exact same thing earlier, and now hearing it from Yan Su again nearly made Jasmine choke.

Zhen Ai looked him up and down, "But your leg..."

Yan Su was adamant, "I'm going!"

---

Yan Su's leg seemed to be healing quickly. Perhaps his previous experiences with injuries made him adept at handling the situation. Even with his leg wrapped in bandages and leaning on a cane, he carried himself without any hint of awkwardness, standing tall and walking steadily.

When they arrived at the party, Daisy spotted Zhen Ai from afar and came running over, "Ai! You're so elusive. No one at school even has your phone number. I had to ask Officer Jones!"

Yan Su listened without a word.

After finishing, Daisy glanced at Yan Su, surprised, "You're here too?"

Yan Su raised an eyebrow coolly, "Daisy, your outfit is hideous."

Zhen Ai: Uh...

Daisy was wearing a skimpy bunny costume. A short pink top barely covered her chest, trimmed with white fluffy fur. The skirt was even shorter, ending high on her thighs with a frilly white edge. Behind the skirt was a small fluffy bunny tail, and she wore long pink and white bunny ears on her head.

To match her outfit, she had even applied pink-toned makeup.

Not wanting Daisy to feel awkward, Zhen Ai quickly said, "It looks cute! I think it's adorable."

Yan Su scoffed, "Cute? I feel sorry for your taste in fashion..."

Zhen Ai jabbed him in the back.

Yan Su fell silent, then, after a moment, begrudgingly added, "Yes, very cute... FYI, zero credibility."

Daisy didn't mind and said with enthusiasm, "Zhen Ai, didn't you say you wanted to dress up as a bunny? I saved a costume for you. Let's go change!"

Yan Su froze, his eyes drifting over Daisy's outfit once again before subtly scanning Zhen Ai. Hmm... he was curious to see.

Zhen Ai panicked, backing away frantically, shaking her head, "No, no, no! I'm not wearing that."

"Come on! All the girls are wearing it!" Daisy insisted, dragging the flustered Zhen Ai away despite her protests.

Yan Su noticed a station at the bar where people were painting eggs, so he went over and started carefully painting one himself. He had just finished one when he overheard some guys nearby exclaiming, "So cute! That girl is adorable!"

Yan Su wasn't interested and kept focusing on his egg, waiting for the paint to dry.

But then they added, "Never seen her before. Must be new. If I had seen her earlier, I would've already asked her out."

A strange feeling flickered in Yan Su's chest. He looked up, and his heart stopped for a moment.

Zhen Ai was following Daisy, looking shy and awkward as they approached. She was wearing a bunny costume, her long hair flowing softly, her shoulders glowing under the light with a delicate porcelain hue, like the finest white jade. Her collarbones were graceful and defined, exuding a pure, yet subtly seductive charm. A faint shadow rested on her chest, her slender waist so narrow it seemed a hand could easily wrap around it. Her long, slender legs were fair and elegant, alluring and yet innocent.

She wore light pink makeup, with a soft pink eyeshadow that made her dark eyes even more captivating, drawing anyone's gaze. Her cheeks had been lightly dusted with blush, but the natural flush from her embarrassment had long overtaken the makeup, leaving her face glowing, her fair skin radiant like a ripe peach.

And paired with her wide-eyed, bashful expression and those fluffy bunny ears, she looked irresistibly cute, almost like a real-life doll.

Yan Su stared, unable to look away. She... was unbelievably cute!

But before she could reach him, several guys had already approached her to strike up a conversation. Yan Su's face darkened. Watching everyone ogling her made him... very, very angry!

Zhen Ai, who wasn't keen on chatting with random guys, quickly ignored them and ran to Yan Su's side, feeling much safer and more at ease.

Seeing that she hadn't paid any attention to the others and had hurried back to him, Yan Su's mood instantly lifted. But Zhen Ai, with a frown, said reluctantly, "Yan Su, I don't really like this outfit, but I'll only wear it this once."

Yan Su blinked, "Who said I didn't like it?"

"You said earlier that it was ugly."

Yan Su rubbed his nose awkwardly, "Uh, only you look good in it."

"Really?" Zhen Ai sighed in relief.

Yan Su's gaze drifted to her back. "Oh, there's even a bunny tail." He couldn't resist reaching out to give the fluffy bunny tail on her skirt a little squeeze.

A strange shiver ran through Zhen Ai, and though it was just her tail being touched, she couldn't help but feel as if the gesture was much more intimate than it seemed.

Blushing, she tried to act nonchalant and shifted her attention to the Easter eggs in front of Yan Su.

Yan Su asked, "Guess which one I painted?"

Zhen Ai looked at the table full of brightly colored eggs. One stood out, though... a black egg with white symbols, starkly different from the others.

It seemed like this person...

For the first time, she thought that something without color could also be so charming and lovable. Among all the colors in the world, she just happened to like this black-and-white egg.

She pointed at it.

Yan Su was delighted. He held it up and proudly pointed to the strange symbols on it, saying, "Look, this is the code I just designed. Isn't it cool?"

Zhen Ai: …

What if I don't understand it?

She frowned and unconsciously bit her lip.

When he looked at her lips, his heartbeat suddenly slowed down for a moment. Her small mouth was glossed with lip balm, soft and shiny... He really wanted to…

"Ai! Come play the game!" Daisy's shout interrupted Yan Su's thoughts, and he felt a sudden sense of loss.

Soon, a group of college students gathered to play a game. The rules were simple: the girls wrote down a number between 1 and 150 on a card, while the boys drew three numbers from 1 to 40. They could use addition, subtraction, multiplication, division, or rearrangement to calculate a number, and if it matched the girl's number, they could give her a kiss. The calculation method could not be reused by the next person, but the same person could repeat their own method.

Essentially, the game was designed for the boys to figure out a way to kiss the girl they wanted by calculating her number.

Before the game started, Zhen Ai whispered to Yan Su, "I don't want to be kissed by anyone else, what should I do?"

Without thinking, Yan Su replied, "Write down 123. That number is hard to calculate."

So, Zhen Ai wrote down 123.

After a round, someone added 40, 39, and 38 to get 117 and kissed Daisy, who had written down 117. As a result, no one could use consecutive addition anymore.

When it was Yan Su's turn, he drew 3, 15, and 25.

Zhen Ai thought about it. If you took the square root of 25 and added it to 15 divided by 3, you'd get 10, and there just happened to be a girl who wrote down 10. Uh, would Yan Su kiss her?

She frowned, feeling a bit unhappy.

But Yan Su calmly arranged the numbers and said, "Even numbers: one; odd numbers: four. Total: five. 145, even numbers: one; odd numbers: two. Total: three. Hmm, 123."

When Zhen Ai heard the number 123, it felt like someone had hit her over the head.

She stared blankly at Yan Su, who turned to look at her with a calm, self-assured expression. His eyebrows slightly raised, and he said meaningfully, "Oh, looks like you're number 123."

Zhen Ai was dumbfounded. Didn't he say writing 123 would prevent her from being kissed?

Before she could react, Yan Su leaned in. She instinctively tried to dodge, but he was quicker, planting a light kiss on her lips like a dragonfly skimming the water. Then, under Zhen Ai's stunned and shocked gaze, he calmly sat back down and continued playing the game, as if he had just kissed a statue.

Zhen Ai's heart trembled briefly, but she quickly calmed down, though something felt strange.

Next, Yan Su drew 24, 38, and 17. Once again, he said, "Even numbers: three; odd numbers: three. Total: six. 336, even numbers: one; odd numbers: two. Total: three. Hmm, 123."

No matter which numbers he drew, he always found a way to calculate 123, kissing Zhen Ai each time. At first, it was a light kiss, but each kiss grew more forceful. By the sixth kiss, he even gave her a little bite.

Zhen Ai remained bewildered: … Why does this feel like a trick?

By the time he bit her, Zhen Ai, her face flushed, pressed her lips together and said, "I'm done. I'm going to paint eggs." Yan Su, not disappointed in the least, calmly followed her to paint eggs.

As they painted, Zhen Ai kept her head down, replaying the inexplicable six kisses in her mind, utterly confused. One after another, they had left her flustered and at a loss. Her heart was still racing, yet Yan Su seemed calm and composed.

Was it really just a game?

She was deeply unsettled.

As she was lost in thought, a large, fluffy bunny paw reached out beside her. It was a big plush bunny, cheerfully greeting Zhen Ai and twirling her around in a playful circle.

Yan Su saw the plush bunny and immediately became serious, standing up respectfully. He nodded to the bunny and said, "Hello, Bunny. I'm Yan Su."

Zhen Ai looked at him in surprise, while the bunny stood still, its large head also nodding. "Hello, Yan Su. I'm Bunny."

Zhen Ai: … What's going on?

After a very formal exchange of greetings, the large bunny left, and Yan Su sat down, looking rather pleased with himself.

Zhen Ai was curious, "That bunny was Taylor, you know. I didn't realize you two were such good friends."

Yan Su's face instantly fell, looking horrified and deeply shocked. "There was a person inside?"

Zhen Ai nodded.

Yan Su's expression immediately turned one of utter defeat.

Realizing the situation, Zhen Ai burst out laughing. He was so adorable: "Wait, you didn't still think that a plush bunny could move and talk on its own, did you?"

"You're mocking me." Yan Su's face darkened. "Do you think I'm an idiot?"

"Then why are you upset?"

Yan Su lowered his head, sulking. "I thought it was an advanced AI robot… What a disappointment." He became gloomy. "What are those mechanical and AI scientists doing all day? I'm truly ashamed of them!"

The image of the plush bunny was completely shattered. "Hmph, I've lost all respect for that bunny's intelligence."

Zhen Ai: …

---

Inside, the house was lively, everyone playing together. Only Zhen Ai and Yan Su quietly sat together, painting one egg after another. After a while, they stepped out of the large window to take in the peaceful campus outside.

Zhen Ai stood by the grass, turning back to Yan Su. "Hey, what was up with those numbers earlier?"

Yan Su didn't think much of it and truthfully answered, "Oh, that was a number black hole. … No matter which numbers you start with, if you use the method I showed, you'll always end up with 123. There are many such numbers, for example…"

Midway through his explanation, he noticed Zhen Ai's shocked expression and realized something was off. Slowly, he closed his mouth.

Zhen Ai stared at him in disbelief. He did it on purpose… but why?

He felt like a thief caught in the act, his heart pounding nervously. But the moment he looked at her, everything went silent.

On one side of the floor-to-ceiling window was the noise of the party, and on the other side was the quiet campus. In the night, she was wearing a soft pink bunny costume, her eyes as clear as twinkling stars, beautiful beyond words.

In these two worlds, whether amidst the bustling crowd or in solitude, it felt like only they truly understood and connected with each other.

For a brief moment, his mind went blank, filled only with the memory of those six kisses earlier—soft, sweet, and addicting like some kind of drug. He vividly remembered how, each time his hurried kiss landed on her lips, she would tremble slightly. And his heart would tremble with hers.

Suddenly, he didn't want to think about any plans or wait for things to happen naturally. All logic and reason left his mind, replaced by a single thought. No more logic, no more rationality, only instinct remained.

He stared at her with a kind of stubborn intensity, his dark brown eyes reflecting only her image, and asked with certainty, "You like me, don't you?"

Zhen Ai's eyes widened, frozen in place.

He couldn't wait, speaking rapidly, "Why did you write that line on my bandage? 'A gift for Zhen Ai'? What kind of gift do you want me to give you? How about I give you a real kiss?"

She opened her mouth in shock, but before she could make a sound, he suddenly pulled her into his arms, lowering his head as his lips and tongue invaded her mouth.

It felt like his entire body pressed against hers. She couldn't withstand his strength and kept retreating, but he didn't let go, backing her up against the glass window. His breathing was already uneven, biting her lips as if using every ounce of strength to suck and nibble at them. His actions were aggressive, raw, and frantic, like an inexperienced teenager, driven purely by instinctual desire to lick and take.

Their breaths intertwined, hot and urgent. Zhen Ai felt like her world was spinning, filled with his intense and unique masculine scent, both intoxicating and sensual.

Her heart raced uncontrollably, her mind in complete chaos.

In front of her was his burning body, behind her the cold glass. He pinned her there, leaving her with no room to escape. His searing palm gripped her bare waist tightly, as if he wanted to crush her. It felt like he was sucking all the air out of the room; she could barely breathe.

She was panicked and helpless, her heart twisting into a tight knot. Instinctively, she tried to push him away, but his lips pressed even closer to hers. His kisses left her dizzy, her whole body trembling uncontrollably, unable to muster any strength.

The electric, wild, and exhilarating sensation built up wave after wave in her heart, overwhelming her. She couldn't take it anymore, curling up in his arms with a soft whimper. Even the bunny ears on her head began to quiver slightly.

Perhaps he heard her whimper, for his body suddenly stiffened. Coming to his senses, he immediately let her go.

Her lips were swollen, her eyes moist and bright, but filled with fear as she looked at him.

His heart sank for no apparent reason, a sense of regret washing over him. He had been too rash.

Suddenly, he was at a loss, unable to think of a way to respond. He tried to say something, but Zhen Ai forcefully pushed him away. She leaned against the glass, her long hair tousled from his grip. She stared at him for a few seconds, her eyes turning red, looking even more like a rabbit.

She trembled slightly, taking a deep breath before saying, "I don't like you! I hate you!"

"Zhen Ai, I..." He panicked, reaching out to grab her, but she kicked away his cane and ran off into the night without looking back.Here is the English translation of the text:

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