Chu Ge's arm was shaken a few times by Shu Lulu. Seeing her pitifully pleading with him, Chu Ge finally sighed and rubbed her little head, "Alright, let's go."

What else could Chu Ge do without taking Shu Lulu? He had no money, Ye Li had no money, and Shu Lulu didn't have the keys, so they couldn't even get into the house. He had no choice but to accept it.

Shu Lulu was a bit stunned, "Let's go? Where to?"

Chu Ge looked at Shu Lulu helplessly, "What do you think?"

Shu Lulu quickly understood, her eyes brightened with surprise. "Uncle, are you saying... let me stay at your...?"

Chu Ge was sweating and glared at her, "What nonsense are you talking about?"

"No, no, I'm just too happy, it slipped out. Uncle, are you really letting me stay at your place?"

"I'll go home and get some money for a cab. Are you coming or not? If not, I'm leaving."

"Coming, coming! I'll come! If Uncle lets me come, of course I will! Uncle is so nice, I love you to death!"

Shu Lulu quickly nodded, exclaiming in delight, her little face full of a joyous smile.

"I don't know if I owed you in a past life. You're always causing me trouble."

Chu Ge muttered and led Ye Li and Shu Lulu back into the elevator.

Standing next to Chu Ge, Shu Lulu felt extremely happy inside, and the bit of grudge she had earlier from being flicked on the forehead by Chu Ge was completely gone.

Moreover, Shu Lulu wasn't just not upset anymore, she even felt a bit lucky and proud, thinking that getting knocked a few times was totally worth it. Otherwise, she wouldn't be enjoying this kind of treatment now, as it was rare for Uncle to speak so gently to her.

Being around Chu Ge, Shu Lulu felt genuinely comfortable and secure from the bottom of her heart. Chu Ge gave her a brotherly or fatherly vibe, and even when she saw the helplessness on his face, it made her heart feel warm.

On the way back to Chu Ge's home, Shu Lulu's little face wore a radiant smile all the way, and her small mouth never stopped talking, occasionally asking Chu Ge, "Uncle, are you tired?", while naturally chatting with Ye Li.

Although Ye Li wasn't very talkative and today's events left her quite helpless, she couldn't help but feel fondness for a sunny, cheerful girl like Shu Lulu. Moreover, since Shu Lulu's words had a slight hint of flattery, Ye Li chatted with Shu Lulu a bit more.

Soon, Chu Ge led the two girls home. As soon as he took out the keys and opened the door, Shu Lulu acted like she was back at her own home. She immediately walked in, picked up Chu Ge's cup, filled it with water from the water dispenser, and handed it to Chu Ge.

"Uncle, you've worked hard. Have a cup of water."

Although Chu Ge wasn't tired, he was a bit thirsty, so he took the cup and began drinking.

While Chu Ge was drinking, Shu Lulu ran into the bathroom. By the time he finished the water, Shu Lulu had already brought out a towel and used one hand to take the cup and the other to pull Chu Ge onto the sofa.

"Uncle, should I get you another cup? Rest, and I'll wipe your sweat."

However, as she raised the towel to Chu Ge's head, Shu Lulu was surprised to find that after all the kicking of the shuttlecock and walking back and forth, Chu Ge's forehead wasn't sweaty at all. She was full of admiration.

"Uncle, you didn't sweat at all! Your stamina is really amazing. Is it because walking with me makes you feel not tired at all?"

Ye Li was the last to enter the house. Seeing how Shu Lulu was so familiar with Chu Ge's home, quickly finding his cup and towel, she became more convinced that Shu Lulu had stayed there before. Even though she knew she shouldn't let her imagination run wild, she couldn't help but feel a little anxious.

Chu Ge glanced at Shu Lulu in amusement, thinking to himself that this girl really knew how to flatter herself. What's going on here?

"No more water, I'm getting money for you."

Chu Ge handed Shu Lulu the cup and was about to stand up from the sofa, but Shu Lulu immediately pressed his shoulder, "Uncle, no hurry, no hurry, you sit down first, I'll give your legs a massage, help you relax."

Saying that, Shu Lulu squatted in front of Chu Ge with her little fists out.

"Alright, stop fussing, just sit here and wait for a bit."

Before Shu Lulu's little fists could touch Chu Ge's legs, Chu Ge stood up, went to his bedroom, took out his wallet, pulled out a fifty, and handed it over, "Here, take a cab to your second aunt's."

Shu Lulu didn't take the fifty, pouting with an upset face, "Uncle, do you hate me that much? Can't you let me catch my breath first?"

Chu Ge shoved the money into Shu Lulu's hand, speaking irritably, "Look at the time. If you don't leave now, are you planning to wait until I go to bed with your aunt? Stop dawdling, you big light bulb."

Hearing what Chu Ge said, Shu Lulu felt even more upset at the thought of Chu Ge sharing a bed with Ye Li. She immediately said, "Uncle, fifty yuan isn't enough. From here to my second aunt's house, taking a cab would cost three hundred yuan. Why spend so much to kick me out? Just let me stay here for the night, okay?"

Chu Ge was taken aback, "Three hundred?"

Shu Lulu nodded, "Yeah, my second aunt lives in Baoquan County. At this hour, there are no buses going there, so a cab would definitely cost three hundred. Besides, it's so late now. If I go out to hail a cab, it wouldn't be safe for a girl like me."

Chu Ge hesitated a little. He wasn't particularly worried about three hundred yuan; it was just that, as Shu Lulu said, letting a girl go out to catch a cab at this time made him uneasy. Driving her there would take several hours round trip, which was quite troublesome.

Seeing Chu Ge's hesitation, Shu Lulu was pleased and quickly added, "Uncle, also, you flicked my forehead so many times that it's swollen. How am I supposed to face anyone like this?"

Chu Ge hadn't noticed this earlier. Hearing Shu Lulu now and taking a closer look, he realized it was indeed true.

Feeling Chu Ge's gaze, Shu Lulu pitifully rubbed her forehead, a bitter smile appearing on her face.

"And, there's a stretch of bumpy road there. If I really took a cab, I'd be jolted half to death. What if my mom sees all the lumps on my forehead? How am I supposed to explain it to her? You know it takes time for bumps like these to go down. They haven't shown up yet, and it's not that bright outside, so my mom hasn't noticed. But soon, they'll definitely appear."

After speaking, Shu Lulu didn't give Chu Ge a chance to respond. She immediately turned to Ye Li, "Sis, please let me stay. I promise to be well-behaved and not cause any trouble for you."

Ye Li hesitated for a moment. Spending three hundred yuan on a cab seemed excessive—though she wouldn't be the one paying, she still felt bad for Chu Ge. Moreover, Shu Lulu's forehead was indeed swollen. Just imagining her being jostled around in a cab, Ye Li felt for her.

"Brother Chu, how about... we let Lulu stay?"

Chu Ge looked at Ye Li and then at Shu Lulu's pleading face, shaking his head speechlessly, "Who knows if this girl's telling the truth?"

Shu Lulu immediately said, "Of course it's true! If you don't believe me, you can call my mom and ask."

Although Chu Ge felt having Shu Lulu stay was a hassle, in this situation, if he kicked her out, she really had nowhere else to go.

Chu Ge looked at Shu Lulu and asked uncertainly, "Are you sure you're just going to sleep quietly?"

Shu Lulu hastily nodded, "Uh-huh!"

"Alright, I'll trust you this once."

With Shu Lulu's assurance, Chu Ge turned to Ye Li, "Here's what we'll do. Call her mom and say you two are together at your rented place, so her mom won't worry about not being able to find her."

After a bit more discussion, Ye Li dialed Luo Suyun's number.

"Hello, Sister Luo? Oh, yes, it's me. We met earlier. Uh-huh, Lulu's house key might be lost, or she left it at home. She has nowhere to stay tonight, so she's staying with me. No, really, no, uh-huh, alright Sister Luo, don't worry."

When Ye Li started the call, she seemed normal. But as the conversation progressed, her expression turned conflicted. By the end, she quickly hung up, looking even more troubled.

"Sis, what did my mom tell you?"

Seeing Ye Li's conflicted expression, Shu Lulu was immediately intrigued and curiously asked.

"N-nothing much."

"Sis, there's still time before bed, and we have nothing to do. Just tell me."

Knowing her mom well, Shu Lulu was naturally very curious. The more hesitant Ye Li was, the more it indicated that her mom had said something significant, piquing Shu Lulu's curiosity as she moved closer to Ye Li, shaking her arm.

Actually, not only Shu Lulu was curious but Chu Ge too. Especially seeing Ye Li so distressed, it seemed like she was holding a hot potato, both embarrassed and nervous. He also wanted to know what Luo Suyun had said.

However, Chu Ge definitely wouldn't ask as directly as Shu Lulu. With a grin, he found an excuse and asked more indirectly, "Ye Li, is it that Sister Luo doesn't believe you or is worried?"

Under Chu Ge's and Shu Lulu's gazes, Ye Li, feeling very awkward, finally spoke up.

"It's just, Sister Luo asked if I was living with Brother Chu. I told her no. Then Sister Luo asked if Lulu would bother me. That's all, really nothing much."

Shu Lulu shook her head speechlessly and laughed, "I thought it was something more. My mom didn't say anything else. Sis, why are you so worked up?"

Chu Ge didn't say anything but felt that even if the phone conversation was as Ye Li described, Luo Suyun might have made some other jokes on the phone that Ye Li was embarrassed to mention.

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