Ji Qingyi's Gift and Invitation

"By the way, President Ji, may I ask what you bought today?"

Su Cheng suddenly inquired while riding his bicycle.

His tone seemed casual, but in truth, he was extremely curious.

Last night, he had heard from Liu Qingyue that Ji Qingyi was going shopping. This news had surprised him immensely. He could hardly imagine that the always calm and rational Ji Qingyi would choose to go out shopping alone.

Ji Qingyi was the only daughter of the Ji family. If anything were to go wrong, not only would Flame City Private Academy face turmoil, but the entire Flame Country would be thrown into chaos. No one could bear the consequences.

Yet, despite knowing this, Ji Qingyi had still insisted on going out. This curiosity stirred deep within him.

Although this "delicate" woman was powerful enough to punch someone to death with a single hit, Su Cheng dared not take even the slightest risk.

To him, 'friendship' was all about『mutual support』.

If you couldn't do that, you weren't really『friends』.

So when Liu Qingyue came for help, he agreed without hesitation.

Although Ji Qingyi hadn't spoken, the moment she sat on the bicycle, he knew it was tacitly permitted.

Initially, all he had to do was ensure Ji Qingyi's family vehicle couldn't pass. But when he saw Ji Qingyi in the crowd, even surrounded by people, she seemed lonelier than when she was alone. This sight deeply shook him.

So when someone tried to stop Ji Qingyi, he didn't hesitate to intervene.

In that moment, he forgot the risks of confronting the Ji family and exposing his abilities. All he knew was that no one could stop Ji Qingyi from shopping today. Even her father would have to give him face!

At this moment, Ji Qingyi, sitting at the back, remained silent.

Su Cheng didn't push; instead, he waited patiently.

He was quite curious about what she had bought, but seeing her cold gaze, he refrained from asking further.

Thus, the two fell silent for a minute. Just as Su Cheng started feeling increasingly awkward riding the bike, Ji Qingyi finally made a move.

She felt around her coat pocket and took out something wrapped in paper, handing it to Su Cheng.

Su Cheng was stunned. He abruptly stopped the bike, staring blankly at the candied hawthorn on a stick, momentarily unable to react.

"This is for you," Ji Qingyi's voice remained calm, yet it made Su Cheng feel slightly overwhelmed with gratitude.

Today, Ji Qingyi had bought two things during her shopping: a birthday gift and a candied hawthorn.

Though seemingly ordinary and inexpensive.

To her, the things she treasures dearly are the very items people take for granted.

So when she saw this item, she didn't hesitate to buy it, wanting to bring it to Su Cheng.

Because previously, Su Cheng had brought her similar-shaped mochi.

…………

Looking at the candied hawthorn handed over, Su Cheng was momentarily lost in thought. His lips trembled, and after a while, he managed to stammer out a few words: "Th-thank you, President Ji!"

He couldn't believe that Ji Qingyi, during her outing, had even brought him a gift!

From now on, anyone who called Ji Qingyi scary or ruthless would face his wrath!

After receiving the candied hawthorn, Su Cheng carefully placed it back into his waistband pocket, then continued cycling towards the school.

Seeing this, a subtle smile flashed across Ji Qingyi's face hidden beneath her mask before reverting to her usual composure.

She gazed at the scenery along the way, her gaze becoming somewhat distant...

Su Cheng had deliberately chosen a small path through the pedestrian street, so they wouldn't encounter any classmates.

Shortly after, Su Cheng stopped the bike, and Ji Qingyi alighted. One pushed the bike while the other walked elegantly by the side, slowly heading towards the school.

After about fifty meters, Ji Qingyi suddenly spoke beside him: "Today, did you use those mysterious tools?"

"Yeah," Su Cheng nodded in response.

He made no attempt to hide it.

"In my opinion, if you hesitate and choose not to use them in a worthy situation, these tools lose their original value," Su Cheng pushed the bike, his gaze fixed ahead, looking quite serious.

If you hesitate in making a decision and miss the opportune moment, the meaning of these tools becomes meaningless.

That’s why he had chosen to use them.

After speaking, no further words were exchanged. Su Cheng and Ji Qingyi continued towards the school in silence, only the rustling of the wind through the trees broke the silence.

However, upon hearing these words, Ji Qingyi's eyes blinked a couple of times, a hint of something unusual flashing through them.

"Is that so?"

After another stretch, Ji Qingyi suddenly spoke again, her gaze forward: "Even if you want to help others, you can't use it as a reason to hurt yourself."

Su Cheng was momentarily startled, turning to look at Ji Qingyi beside him. Her gaze, as still as lifeless water, seemed to see straight through his heart.

"It's not to the point of hurting myself," Su Cheng shook his head, looking ahead again and explained, "Liu Qingyue has already handled it; there shouldn't be any further trouble."

"Is that so? Then I hope that in the future, when you need to use these tools, you can tell me or her," Ji Qingyi's voice sounded again, cold but with an undeniable warmth and care hidden within, subtly even carrying a hint of closeness.

If one had to describe it:

—Like a plum blossom greeting spring.

"…Alright, I understand."

Su Cheng was taken aback by Ji Qingyi’s attitude but didn't reject it. Instead, he agreed. Because, deep down, she wanted to protect him.

"President Ji, I'm heading to school first," as they neared the school entrance a few hundred meters away, Su Cheng suddenly spoke.

Ji Qingyi nodded in response, giving no verbal acknowledgment, and watched the silhouette of Su Cheng as he pedaled away.

Even as Su Cheng cycled away, he could still feel the cold yet tender gaze of Ji Qingyi following him.

Due to their late arrival, the campus was already crowded, bustling with activity. Students were clustered in groups of three or five, exuding an atmosphere of liveliness.

At the entrance of the teaching building, several Disciplinary Committee Members were inspecting the students' appearance and dress. One of them, Su Cheng recognized:

It was his little fan, Hoshino Mirai.

It's worth mentioning that due to the rooftop being locked, he hadn't had any contact with her recently.

After entering the school gate, instead of heading towards the teaching building, Su Cheng pushed his bike towards the parking lot. The bicycle parking lot housed both the teachers' bicycles and those of students like him from humble backgrounds.

Meanwhile, at the window of Class 2-1, two boys were watching the scene below.

When they saw Su Cheng pushing his bike towards the school parking lot, Gao Ye suddenly had an epiphany, excitedly telling Wang Guancong beside him: "I know what to give him!"

"Huh? Give him what?"

Wang Guancong looked puzzled at Gao Ye.

"I'm going to give him a collapsible bicycle," Gao Ye said mysteriously, glancing around before whispering in Wang Guancong's ear.

"Ah? There's no need for that. His current one isn't broken. It'll just gather dust at home if we give him another one!"

Wang Guancong rolled his eyes.

Gao Ye just chuckled, then patted his chest, saying confidently: "Relax, this one isn't ordinary. It's got a pretty big use!"

"Oh? What kind of bike is it?"

Wang Guancong became somewhat curious and expectant.

Gao Ye grinned without revealing anything, saying instead: "You've heard this saying online, right?"

"What saying?" Wang Guancong asked.

"Rather cry in a BMW than laugh on a bicycle."

As Gao Ye said this, he even winked at Wang Guancong, making him feel a bit creeped out, so he quickly interrupted: "So you're going to…"

"Exactly. I'm giving him a BMW bicycle."

Gao Ye nodded firmly, adding with a proud expression, "From now on, his girlfriend will either cry or laugh on his BMW bicycle. How about that? Isn't it creative? Isn't it fun?"

"Even if you say that, it'll just gather dust like the other one, and he doesn't even have a girlfriend!"

Wang Guancong couldn't help but retort.

Gao Ye sneered knowingly, "You really believe those six hair ties on Su Cheng's wrist are just tokens from female friends purely out of friendship, huh?"

Highland, seeing this, extended his finger to poke Wang Guancong on the shoulder, then said, "Actually, I think Su Cheng really needs something respectable, like an expensive bicycle. This thing might give him the confidence to meet the person he wants to see. Anyway, I don't know how to explain it, but if he has nothing, oh well, maybe Su Cheng's spiritual richness surpasses material wealth... In any case, this is what I want to give him as a gift right now!"

Highland's tone was filled with deep entanglement, a sign of his inability to express his thoughts clearly.

But Wang Guancong understood his meaning, nodding vaguely, "You're right, I forgot what was in front, in the middle, and at the end, but it's a good gift."

....................................

Su Cheng walked through the corridor to the parking lot, no different from usual, if anything was really different.

The parking lot today had a strange feeling.

Because there was a girl here.

Under the pavilion in the parking lot, a girl stood beside it, leaning against a stone column, her gaze lowered, giving off an air of keeping people at a distance.

It even gave him the illusion that even if the sky were to collapse, this girl would not be the least bit flustered. She would still stand there peacefully, unaffected.

"You're here, I waited quite a while this time."

At the instant Su Cheng's spirit and body froze, the girl slowly raised her eyes and looked at him, saying so.

The girl's voice was very pleasant, but devoid of any emotional color.

Her voice was a bit hoarse, as if it had been accumulated for too long before it could be barely uttered.

Su Cheng was stunned, then flattered, "The arrival of Senior Gu truly makes this parking lot shine."

This time, upon hearing this, Senior Gu gave Su Cheng a look that was a mix of amusement and mockery, then slowly asked, "Come to the Social Practice Club this Friday afternoon."

"Sure."

Su Cheng nodded, looking directly at Gu Ruoxue, his face serious and solemn as he asked, "But can you reveal something to me?"

Su Cheng knew if he didn't take the initiative, he would never know the correct answer.

Because the truth needs to be sought out by people. If they don't seek it, the truth will always be hidden in the dark, just like wrong answers that are always wrong.

Therefore, he could only keep asking without getting tired of it.

For the sake of getting the correct answer, being a suck-up or being annoying, it didn't matter.

As long as there was a chance, he would spare no cost and go straight to the point.

"Your curiosity is quite intense."

Gu Ruoxue glanced at Su Cheng indifferently, then continued, "I won't tell you, however..."

At this, her face once again showed that dry, lifeless 'beautiful' smile.

But she didn't finish her sentence, instead stepping with her long legs wrapped in over-the-knee socks towards the exit of the parking lot.

"Damn it! She's leaving me hanging again!"

Su Cheng frantically rubbed his temples to calm himself down, scared that he might not be able to hold back and rush up to shake Gu Ruoxue's shoulders and ask endlessly.

"Well done, among so many riddle-makers, none is more excellent than your riddle-making skills. I, Su Cheng, hereby crown you the strongest!"

As he watched Gu Ruoxue's departing back, Su Cheng suddenly felt his middle-school-level fantasies explode in his heart, shouting in his mind.

Actually, he was very helpless. She was his savior, so he couldn't do anything about it, otherwise, wouldn't he be a traitor?

However, this time it wasn't entirely leaving him hanging. At least, he sensed that Gu Ruoxue might reveal something in another way.

No big deal, anyway, he wasn't alone now.

He had the third power and the fourth power.

He could ask them for some advice.

Thinking of this, he put on his clothes and quickly headed towards the teaching building.

..................

Second-Year Class Two

In the corner, a long-haired black girl was reading a book, and as she read the text in the book, the girl frowned.

The book was titled——《The Fundamental Laws of the Webnovel Protagonist》

Protagonist Halo

Chinese Name: 【Protagonist Halo】

Foreign Name: 【Protagonist Immortality Law】

Category: 【Phenomenon】

Attribute: 【Can influence everyone around】

Explanation: 【An unreasonable phenomenon caused by the protagonist law】

【Set 1: Usually a by-product of the basic protagonist law, appearing when describing unreasonable phenomena caused by the protagonist law.】

Set 2: 【Deep down, the protagonist halo is actually a mistake made by some third-rate authors, setting the villain characters too strong, resulting in the embarrassing situation of having to use "the protagonist halo" to round things up. Or in anime, it's to express a certain spirit, such as 'faith,' 'courage,' 'friendship,' 'persistence,' 'never giving up,' etc.】

…………

Set 25:【In the end, the protagonist's power becomes increasingly stronger, doing things more and more unbelievable, breaking impossible limits. The protagonist's friends can only watch from the side, exclaiming 'holy shit'.】

Li Guanqi became more and more confused as she read. It was fine at first, but the later parts became more and more absurd. After all, in her perception, Su Cheng's friends would never use vulgar terms like 'holy shit'.