Once Again, Su Cheng Returns to the Original Path

At Flame City Private Academy

Inside a pavilion, Su Cheng and Li Guanqi were spending time together—one seated properly on a stone bench while the other leaned against the railing, gazing at the distant scenery.

The pavilion was surrounded by lush greenery and rows of ornamental rock formations, creating a picturesque view that was nothing short of breathtaking.

"I really don’t know how to thank you enough," Su Cheng said after a moment of contemplation, withdrawing his gaze from the view. A lollipop dangled from his lips as he looked at Li Guanqi with sincere gratitude.

He couldn’t help but feel immense admiration for the person before him—like an endless river of respect. What had been an agonizing and troublesome problem for him had been effortlessly resolved by Li Guanqi. Truly impressive.

Though the method used had been somewhat self-destructive.

In any case, this was exactly what he’d expect from his "Third Power."

My friend Li Guanqi has the bearing of an emperor.

The thought made Su Cheng chuckle to himself.

However, Li Guanqi’s eyes remained fixed on the lollipop in his mouth, making him slightly uncomfortable.

"Do you want this?" Su Cheng reluctantly pulled the lollipop out and asked, puzzled.

Li Guanqi stared solemnly at the candy before nodding, her pink tongue flicking out to moisten her lips in unmistakable desire.

"What flavor do you want?"

"Strawberry."

Her eyes locked onto the strawberry lollipop in his hand, and the answer left her lips instantly.

"Got it."

Su Cheng popped the lollipop back into his mouth, then retrieved a fresh one from his system space. After unwrapping it, he handed it to her. "Here, I won’t count this toward your sweets quota this time."

Li Guanqi gave a fleeting look of disappointment at the lollipop still in his mouth before accepting the new one. But upon hearing that it wouldn’t count as one of her weekly treats, her eyes sparkled with delight, and she happily placed it between her lips.

Su Cheng had imposed a strict rule: she was only allowed sweets twice a week.

And so, the two sat side by side, enjoying their lollipops while taking in the scenery, waiting for classes to end—a simple but pleasant moment.

"Are you going straight to her place tonight?"

Li Guanqi asked casually between licks of her lollipop, though her gaze lingered on the candy still in Su Cheng’s mouth.

She was referring to his plans to visit Ji Qingyi’s home that evening.

"Yeah."

Su Cheng smiled and nodded, checking the time—it was almost three o’clock. "Don’t worry, I’ve got this under control," he assured her.

After a brief pause, he sighed while looking up at the clouds, though his expression quickly returned to normal. He turned to her with a serious look.

"You won’t follow me, will you?"

Li Guanqi didn’t answer immediately. Instead, she silently studied him for a long moment.

Eventually, she pulled the lollipop from her mouth and remarked in a flat tone, "I already told you, I’m not some clingy, clueless sweetheart character."

She popped the candy back in and added, "Besides, if I tagged along, I’d just cause trouble. No need to open Pandora’s box."

"Pandora’s box?"

"This is an internal conflict. If I get too involved, it might escalate into an external one. After all, I’m not exactly close with them."

Su Cheng nodded thoughtfully before replying, "Then just wait for my good news tonight. I might need your help afterward to figure out the best way to handle things."

"Actually, I’m curious about something," Li Guanqi suddenly said, hesitation in her voice.

"What?"

"You mentioned before that your club president can detect lies and hidden motives just from microexpressions. So how are you planning to face her during today’s club activities?"

Li Guanqi’s words were measured, her gaze unwavering.

If Su Cheng was going to "raid the home base" tonight, Ji Qingyi would surely notice his odd behavior, grow suspicious, and eventually press him until the truth came out—leading to an extremely awkward situation.

Su Cheng blinked in surprise before shaking his head. "Easy. I just won’t attend the club meeting today!"

He glanced at Li Guanqi, expecting agreement, but instead, she shook her head and dropped a bombshell:

"Honestly, you don’t need to worry about that. I think she’ll pretend not to notice—might even play along and help you."

The statement was cryptic, but her meaning came across clearly.

----------------

3:00 PM

Club Activity Time

Su Cheng made his way to the equestrian field to meet his ice-cold club president.

Truth be told, he was utterly bewildered.

Had Li Guanqi’s words just implied that his every thought and action had already been predicted?

Was he really completely under the control of those two—mistress and servant?

Soon, he arrived at the field.

As always, Ji Qingyi sat alone beneath a parasol, sipping tea with her black-stockinged legs elegantly crossed, exuding an air of lazy allure.

"Pristine as clouds, untouched by mortal dust."

The phrase surfaced in his mind as he observed the distant girl—fitting for someone he hadn’t seen in days.

"President."

Su Cheng approached and greeted her respectfully.

Ji Qingyi slowly lifted her head, her expression as unreadable as ever. She acknowledged him with a faint hum and gestured gracefully for him to sit.

It was as if their heated argument last Friday had never happened.

(Su Cheng couldn’t help but wonder if the person in that video call had even been Ji Qingyi at all.)

Without hesitation, he took a seat and studied her.

But after a long silence, she remained wordless, quietly drinking her tea.

His chest tightened.

Ji Qingyi hadn’t noticed anything unusual about him?

He was about to pull off a major move tonight, yet she was completely oblivious?

Impossible.

"You seem distracted today. Is something troubling you?"

Ji Qingyi took a sip of tea before lifting her gaze to him, her voice as calm as ever, her eyes betraying nothing.

"Oh, it’s nothing," Su Cheng reflexively shook his head, his expression stiff as he looked away.

Ji Qingyi said nothing in response, merely tapping the table lightly with a finger, as if waiting for him to continue.

When he didn’t, she withdrew her hand and refilled his cup, pushing it toward him.

"Drink."

With that, she resumed sipping her own tea, her demeanor as composed as ever.

Su Cheng stared at the tea leaves swirling in his cup, then at Ji Qingyi. The familiar scent of the brew wafted up, making his heart tremble slightly.

What does this mean?

She clearly sensed something was off, yet she wasn’t pressing him—uncharacteristic of the Ji Qingyi he knew.

After all, his president despised ulterior motives and deception above all else.

Could Li Guanqi’s prediction actually be right?

This…

The faint medicinal aroma of the tea only deepened his unease.

Lost in thought, he mechanically reached for the cup and took a large gulp—only for his face to instantly contort in pain.

"Pfft—cough—!"

He choked, his face flushing red as he blurted out in agony:

"That’s scalding hot!"

At that moment, a hand extended from beside him, offering a handkerchief.

He instinctively reached out with both hands to accept it, wiping his mouth briefly, only to catch an unexpectedly strong yet delicate fragrance. Disbelieving, he looked up and found himself staring into a pair of deep, dark eyes.

The handkerchief in his hand belonged to Ji Qingyi—though he had never seen her use it before.

But the real question was: Ji Qingyi had actually lent it to him?

"Thank you, President."

Su Cheng numbly handed the handkerchief back to her.

"Training is out of the question now," Ji Qingyi remarked coolly as she took it back, giving him a fleeting glance before meticulously folding the cloth. "Let us calm our minds with tea."

Having neatly tucked the handkerchief away, she lifted her cup with effortless grace and took a small, refined sip.

"Sure."

Su Cheng mirrored her, raising his own cup to his lips—though his attempt lacked her poise.

After drinking, he tentatively ventured, "President, about what happened between you and that senior last time..."

Before he could finish, Ji Qingyi cut him off.

"There’s no need to dwell on it. The matter is over," she said, her tone icy.

Su Cheng’s heart skipped a beat. Her words confirmed that the furious Ji Qingyi from before was indeed the same person sitting before him now.

Then again, there was another possibility—perhaps it had all been orchestrated, and the person in that video wasn’t truly Ji Qingyi.

He realized the only way to untangle this would be to visit the Ji family tonight.

Given her tone, she clearly had no interest in discussing it further. Wisely, he decided not to press, avoiding her boundaries.

And so, the two sat in silence, sipping tea on the polo field, the air heavy with unspoken tension.

Once finished, Su Cheng set his cup down and studied Ji Qingyi, searching for the right words.

"President, it’s Monday. Your weekly sweet quota has reset. Would you like a snack?"

He hoped to lighten the mood by offering her something sweet, if only to ease his own discomfort.

Ji Qingyi lowered her cup and gazed into the distance, her voice detached, betraying neither pleasure nor displeasure—just hollow. "Did you bring anything today?"

"Just a little snack..."

Su Cheng pulled out a strawberry-flavored lollipop and held it out to her.

Truthfully, he just wanted to see how Ji Qingyi would look eating a lollipop.

Would she have the same playful, adorable charm as Li Guanqi?

He couldn’t wait to find out.

After all, they shared one trait—their expressions were always unreadable.

"......"

Ji Qingyi stared at the lollipop but didn’t take it.

Su Cheng, unsure what to say, awkwardly held it in place.

After a long pause, Ji Qingyi finally moved. She pressed a button on the table, and soon a female attendant in a tailored suit approached. Under Su Cheng’s bewildered gaze, Ji Qingyi whispered something into her ear, and the attendant promptly took the lollipop away.

"Huh?"

Su Cheng blinked, glancing between the departing attendant and Ji Qingyi, utterly lost. "President, what was that about?"

"I can’t finish a whole one, and it’s undignified," she explained flatly.

Moments later, the attendant returned with a silver tray, lifting the lid to reveal a miniature lollipop—shrunk to a fraction of its original size, the stick still attached but easily removable.

With practiced elegance, Ji Qingyi picked up the tiny, pea-sized candy, placed it in her mouth, and effortlessly separated the stick, setting it aside while the sugar dissolved on her tongue.

So refined. So utterly refined.

Watching this, Su Cheng’s eye twitched. Was it really necessary to turn a dollar-store lollipop into something he couldn’t afford to comprehend?

Was any of this necessary?

"It’s better than I expected," Ji Qingyi remarked impassively, her expression unchanged despite the sweetness in her mouth.

Su Cheng’s face stiffened.

Truly, nobility incarnate.

No wonder she was the princess of a prestigious family.

He lowered his head, realizing just how vast the gap between their lifestyles was. Inviting someone like her into his home would probably be an insult.

For all he knew, his entire apartment might not even be as big as one of her bathrooms.

"Su Cheng."

Ji Qingyi’s voice snapped him out of his thoughts. He jolted upright, meeting her gaze. "Yes, President?"

Her lips curled into a faint, almost playful smirk. "Walk with me."

"...Oh."

He stood, and the two began a silent stroll, the tension between them thick enough to cut with a knife.

Eventually, they reached a small bridge near an artificial hill. Su Cheng paused, watching the shimmering water below, the willow leaves swaying in the breeze—mirroring the chaos in his mind.

He sensed Ji Qingyi had something to say, but before he could gather his thoughts, soft footsteps approached, accompanied by a familiar, delicate fragrance, now laced with the faint sweetness of candy.

He turned to see Ji Qingyi standing beside him, her gaze fixed on the water, deep and unfathomable.

"President?" he ventured.

She exhaled softly, as if pulling herself from contemplation. "Your presence makes me see infinite possibilities."

Her eyes, dark as still water, shifted to him—hypnotic, almost enchanting.

"I’ve been waiting for you."

Su Cheng blinked. "Waiting for me to do what?"

Then he saw it—the rare, fragile smile on Ji Qingyi’s lips, so pure yet so vulnerable that his chest tightened.

"To turn the impossible into reality."

Her whisper was stolen by the wind, leaving only an echo in his heart.

All his doubts dissolved at once.

Because this was the first time Ji Qingyi had ever asked him for anything.

"No problem."

"Is there a reason?"

"Simple."

The next second, Su Cheng grinned—what he imagined was the fearless smirk of a protagonist—shoved his hands in his pockets, and faced forward with easy confidence.

"Because, President, I’ll make the impossible happen."