Chapter 97: Because She’s Obsessed with Love, Her Boyfriend’s Madness Doesn’t Matter (End)

This was the first time Lu Sheng realized that he, too, could be so utterly indulged and cherished without condition. The mere thought that Bai Yao reserved all her partiality for him made him tremble with excitement. That was why he was so certain—he could not live without her.

Bai Yao wrapped her arms around his neck and asked softly, “You filled up the basement at my house. Did it never occur to you that if I couldn’t return to the past, there’d be no one to bring you out of there?”

Lu Sheng nuzzled her cheek, laughing lightly, “It doesn’t matter. Even if I can never leave the basement, all that awaits me is death, nothing more.”

He spoke the word “death” with such calm, yet Bai Yao’s eyes stung with unshed tears, and her whole heart felt twisted in pain.

The smile faded from Lu Sheng’s face, and his dark eyes brimmed with guilt and remorse. “Yao Yao, I failed to protect you. I was too arrogant. I thought I could shield you from everything. I should have been more cautious.”

He hadn’t done nearly enough, which was why she had witnessed such a bloody, cruel scene.

When she awakened, she’d cried out, “I must kill you!”—her voice full of grief and despair.

He should have protected her well. Neither “grief” nor “despair” should have ever touched her.

But the fact remained—he had not protected her.

Bai Yao’s long-suppressed emotions finally burst forth. She buried her face in his chest, sobbing, “If only I hadn’t taken you to her that day… or if I’d been more wary and not drunk that cup of tea… or if—if only I’d come to the house sooner and taken you away…”

Lu Sheng said softly, “Yao Yao, none of this was your fault. The past is already written; there’s no changing it.”

Bai Yao lifted her tear-filled eyes, sobbing, “But… Lu Sheng, I wasn’t with you then. You—you must have been in so much pain…”

He cradled her face gently, beaming, “Who even remembers things from so long ago? All I remember now is the happiness you’ve brought me.”

His smile was radiant, just as it had been when they first met on the basketball court. But Bai Yao could clearly see the shimmer of tears in his eyes.

While she was mired in guilt and self-blame, hadn’t he felt the same?

She believed she hadn’t protected him, just as he believed he hadn’t protected her.

Yet, throughout these days, he’d been putting on a brave, cheerful front to comfort and coax her, never once letting his own emotions erupt as hers had.

Suddenly, Bai Yao understood she couldn’t go on wallowing like this. She straightened up and hugged him tightly, taking several minutes to calm her emotions.

She laughed and cried, “Lu Sheng, from now on, we must always be happy—truly happy. We still have a long road ahead. If there are people out there who don’t want us to be happy, then we’ll be even happier—so happy it drives them mad!”

Her words grew choked and intermittent as she spoke.

His chin rested atop her head as he laughed, chest trembling with joy. Suppressing the quiver in his voice, he replied, full of laughter, “Yes, we’ll be so, so happy—so happy it drives them mad!”

It was as if his body could no longer contain the overflowing love he felt for her. That surging emotion compelled him to kiss her again and again, but it was never enough. Each time his lips fell upon her, he murmured, “Yao Yao, I love you, I love you so much, so much…”

Love flooded in, wild and unrestrained—far more than words could ever capture.

Bai Yao cradled his head against her chest, as if holding a gentle, warming sunlight that never blinded.

This time, she was wholly receptive and didn’t burst into tears as she had before.

On a night accompanied by a clear breeze and bright moon, the young lovers seemed to be seeking warmth on a winter night. Only the most intimate, seamless embrace could reassure them that they truly had each other.

These days, they’d secluded themselves in their room, neither stepping out even once.

In the “Friendly Neighborhood” group chat, bets had started as to when this unrestrained young couple would finally emerge.

[I bet they can keep this up a while longer.]

[No way. Miss Bai is so delicate, I doubt she can withstand all that…]

[Maybe she’s just enjoying herself?]

Little Black: [Meow meow.]

Little Xiong: [Little Black is right.]

[Wait, cats can type now!?]

IGotAWife: [@SwiftExpress, come help me send a package.]

The group instantly fell silent.

After a while, Swift Express replied: [Received!]

Bai Yao sat on the balcony, basking in the sun. She glanced at the group chat, but remained a silent observer, not planning to let the sweet, naïve neighbors know she’d joined long ago.

She leisurely ate a slice of strawberry cake—baked by Lu Sheng, with just the right amount of sugar, perfectly suited to her taste. Looking down, she could see Lu Sheng below.

A man in a driver’s uniform came running up within a minute. “Mr. Lu, what would you like to send?”

Lu Sheng was dressed simply today—white shirt, black trousers that made his legs look impossibly long and straight. For comfort, he’d left the top button of his shirt undone, revealing bold red marks on his neck and collarbone.

His sleeves were casually rolled up, and his strong forearms bore marks that couldn’t be erased. If Lu Sheng had once radiated sunshine and cheer, now his air was undeniably languid.

Every inch of him seemed to exude the decadent aura of someone deeply loved.

The driver’s eye twitched—he felt this was more than he wanted to see.

Lu Sheng seemed oblivious. He pointed to a box at his side and smiled politely, “Could you send this for me, please?”

The driver took the slip, glanced at the recipient and address, and hurriedly replied, “Of course!”

Up on the balcony, Bai Yao received a call from He Cai. She’d called in sick these past few days, and He Cai was worried she might be seriously ill.

Bai Yao assured her she’d return to school tomorrow. He Cai immediately launched into gossip, “Yao Yao, you haven’t been at school lately, so you mustn’t know—Nangong, Ximen, Beitang, and that Su Youyou have all vanished without a trace!”

“Vanished?” Bai Yao asked.

“Yeah! Weren’t they always screaming about ghosts? Now they’ve all disappeared. Everyone’s saying they must be dead by now. Isn’t that how horror movies go? Those who see ghosts first become mentally fragile, and once they break, the ghost kills them all!”

He Cai shuddered theatrically. “So scary. Good thing I never hung around with them. Everyone’s frightened now.”

In the past, Bai Yao might have felt a pang of emotion. But now, she was utterly unmoved—even she wondered if she’d grown cold-blooded.

He Cai chatted about this and that, then urged Bai Yao to rest and promised to hang out once she returned to school.

[Congratulations, Host. Mission complete. Would you like to leave this world…?]

Bai Yao glanced at the message, didn’t bother to finish reading, and unhesitatingly chose “No.”

Below, the driver left with the package in his arms.

Lu Sheng didn’t rush back inside. Instead, he crouched to pick the most beautiful roses in bloom. When he looked up, his eyes met the girl’s on the balcony.

He stood, smiling radiantly, his luminous gaze holding only her. “Yao Yao, today I’ll make you rose cakes!”

Bai Yao propped her chin in her hands, smiling sweetly. “All right.”

Just like him, her curved, smiling eyes held no one else.

Why choose “No”?

Because Lu Sheng couldn’t bear to be without her, and she couldn’t let go of him.

That simple reason was more than enough.