Chapter 45

Chapter 45

Su Su murmured, "Mm," and froze.

His words were soft and light, like a warm breeze sweeping across a tranquil lake, stirring ripples in her heart.

This man, usually so flippant and wild in his ways—who would have thought he could say something like that?

What she had intended to say seemed to be cut off, stuck in her throat.

"You're blushing, Susu," Tao Youming took a step closer to her. "Let me kiss you?"

If his previous statement had left Su Su unsure how to respond, this sudden follow-up directly exposed his true intentions.

She snapped her head up, but in that instant, he swiftly bent down, one hand cupping the back of her head, and deeply kissed her lips.

Su Su’s heart pounded wildly. Her body had always reacted to this man’s closeness with an urge to go weak at the knees, and now, with their lips and tongues entwined, she felt as if she had sunk into a cloud of cotton candy—soft and sweet.

Liu Cailing had originally come up to ask what the two wanted for lunch and if there were any other dishes they fancied. But as she entered, she found the door ajar, and the two inside were standing with their backs to her, engaged in a passionate, deep kiss.

She mentally shrieked, "Oh my god!" Terrified of making any noise, she held her breath, clapped a hand over her mouth, and quietly withdrew the foot that had been about to step inside.

Oh god, why didn’t they close the door?

Why did she have to witness this scene?

She suddenly yearned to fall in love.

Only after retreating a safe distance did Liu Cailing dare to breathe freely again. She knew Su Su loved Tao Youming to her very core, but she couldn’t understand why, just a few months ago, she had actually agreed to call off the engagement.

Had her previous withdrawal from the engagement been some kind of trick?

Liu Cailing was merely staff, and the young mistress was known for her temper, so she never dared to ask why. But now, seeing them like this, it seemed they had reconciled?

And—wait—the scene of them embracing just now, it didn’t look like the young mistress was forcing the kiss; it seemed Tao Youming had initiated it? He even cupped her head with his hand!

Liu Cailing tiptoed backward down the stairs. Reaching the living room, she smiled at Zhang Liqi and said, "Madam, Third Young Master and the young mistress have made up."

Zhang Liqi subtly lifted her gaze, her eyes holding a knowing, satisfied smile. "I know."

Liu Cailing blinked. "Madam, you already knew?"

"Susu told me. They’ve reconciled." Zhang Liqi nodded. "Did you ask them what they want for lunch?"

Liu Cailing raised a hand to her forehead. "I... I didn’t feel comfortable asking just now."

With that, Zhang Liqi more or less understood. She then said, "Just have the kitchen prepare their usual favorites."

Not long after she spoke, the two came downstairs. Zhang Liqi looked at Su Su’s still-flushed cheeks and lightly cleared her throat. "Go call your father. Let’s all eat together."

Su Su nodded and quickly scurried away.

This time, Tao Youming didn’t follow. Instead, he turned directly to Zhang Liqi. "Auntie, what if I moved into the Su residence? If I have free time, I can keep Uncle company more often."

Zhang Liqi paused. "What does your mother say about this?"

Tao Youming chuckled. "I’m old enough not to need my mother’s permission, right?"

Zhang Liqi thought for a moment. Since the two had just reconciled, it was best to strike while the iron was hot. "I don’t have any objections, but why don’t you ask Susu what she thinks?"

So, during lunch, Tao Youming asked Su Su about moving into the Su household.

Su Su felt that cohabitation was too risky and was about to refuse when Su Yaobo, who had been quietly eating in his recliner, suddenly uttered two words: "Good... idea."

Everyone at the table froze, turning to stare at him. Zhang Liqi’s eyes widened in astonishment. "Lao Su, you... you can speak?"

Su Yaobo took a moment before slowly nodding. "Mmm."

Overjoyed, they eagerly suggested taking him to the hospital for a check-up, but Su Yaobo slowly said, "Eat... now."

His pronunciation wasn’t clear, but to Zhang Liqi, these were the clearest words she had heard from him in over a decade of marriage.

He could understand now, and he could even say a word or two—it was truly miraculous.

Tao Youming said, "Uncle Yao’s condition was already improving. The treatment over the past month hasn’t been wasted."

The biggest issue with Su Yaobo’s cerebral infarction had been limited physical movement, followed by impaired speech. Even if he might never speak as well as before his illness, the fact that he could now speak meant everything was moving in a positive direction.

After the meal, they immediately took Su Yaobo to the hospital for a check-up. The results were slightly better than last time, which completely reassured Zhang Liqi.

As long as he continued treatment, he would recover soon.

Su Su had originally intended to refuse Tao Youming, believing that distance makes the heart grow fonder. But with Su Yaobo’s unexpected approval, Zhang Liqi immediately agreed.

After some thought, Su Su figured that since the Su residence was very large, having this man around might also give her father more opportunities to chat. Who knew, even better things might happen?

So, she simply agreed.

The day before school started, Tao Youming officially moved into the Su household with his large bags. The Su family had few members and many empty rooms. He spent a long time choosing a room, finally settling on the one next to the room adjacent to Su Su’s.

He had originally planned to choose the room right next to hers, but Su Su wasn’t agreeable.

Tao Youming’s mother, Qi Yu, came along to see her son settled in. Pulling him aside, she earnestly said, "Don’t make Susu angry so easily from now on. Your Uncle Yao has only just started speaking again—you can’t afford to upset him either."

Su Su was the apple of Su Yaobo’s eye. If his daughter was upset, wouldn’t he be too? And if he got angry, it wouldn’t be good for his recovery.

Hearing this, Su Su felt a pang in her heart. Qi Yu had always been very kind to her, whether to the original host or to her current self. In her relationship with Tao Youming, Qi Yu always thought of her first, not Tao Youming.

Perhaps for Tao Youming, this might seem a little unfair, but he seemed to have grown accustomed to it. He was a bit pitiful, really.

So, she slowly said, "Auntie, don’t worry. Since we’ve reconciled, I won’t casually argue with him anymore."

Qi Yu smiled, her expression warm with relief.

Su Su had changed a lot. The once-willful girl seemed to have matured overnight after turning eighteen—no longer childish or unreasonable, she now carried herself like a true adult.

The next day was the start of the school year. It was September, and the weather was still sweltering. Su Su planned to head to campus early to register, so she took a shower beforehand.

Afterward, she checked her messages—the class group chat was already buzzing with discussions about the new semester and welcoming freshmen.

Su Su wasn’t interested, so she skimmed through and switched to her chat history with Tao Youming. Their last exchange had been before dinner.

After some hesitation, she sent a message: "I’m going to sleep. School tomorrow."

She waited for a while, but the man didn’t reply. Su Su locked her phone, burrowed under the thin blanket, and turned off the lights.

As soon as the light was off, the room plunged into darkness. The soundproofing here was excellent, leaving the room so quiet that even a pin drop would be audible. But after lying there for a while, she thought she heard the faint sound of someone gently pushing the door open.

Su Su frowned. She distinctly remembered locking the doors and windows to keep that man out—so where was this noise coming from?