Su Cheng Couldn't Help But Criticize the Setting

"That look couldn’t be mistaken."

Su Cheng stared at Ji Qingyi’s expression and involuntarily swallowed hard—this was unmistakably his Ice Sculpture President.

He had made the president angry.

What now?!

Help needed!

Urgent!

Su Cheng quickly composed himself, pretending as if nothing had happened, tilting his head away. He figured that as long as he didn’t look, there would be no signs of anger from the president.

Well, that solved the problem at its root.

Fortunately, Ji Qingyi only glared at him for a moment before turning back to gaze at the lake, as if nothing had happened. Even if Su Cheng scrutinized her carefully, he would only see an unreadable calm on her face.

So, Su Cheng let out a sigh of relief.

But he also realized something—the president simply didn’t want to talk to him, which was why she pretended not to see him.

In other words, she would only help in secret, without saying anything outright.

This discovery left Su Cheng feeling a little frustrated.

Seems like he’d have to rely on his magical cigarettes again.

A woman’s heart is truly as deep and unfathomable as the ocean.

The Ice Sculpture President’s thoughts were impossible to decipher.

Thinking this, he stood to the side, watching Ji Qingyi’s profile—especially that beauty mark under her eye, which shimmered faintly under the moonlight, making her look breathtakingly beautiful.

But the next second, Su Cheng suddenly felt a chill run down his spine because she gave him a forced, hollow smile, veins almost popping on her forehead…

Yep, his president was still mad about earlier.

As an outstanding gentleman, Su Cheng felt it was his duty to comfort her and make her happy again.

With that in mind, he took out a small candy from his inventory.

Earlier that day, when he had offered her a lollipop, she had said she couldn’t finish a whole one. So before coming to the Ji residence tonight, he had bought some small candies—specifically for Li Guanqi and Ji Qingyi.

After all, this was their shared little indulgence.

Thinking this, he placed a small candy on the stone table.

However, Ji Qingyi didn’t even glance at the candy, keeping her eyes fixed on the water.

Seeing this, Su Cheng felt a surge of alarm.

Candies weren’t working on the president anymore?!

Refusing to give up, Su Cheng took out a few more candies and arranged them in a neat row beside Ji Qingyi.

But Ji Qingyi still didn’t react, maintaining her previous posture.

Just as Su Cheng was starting to feel uneasy, Ji Qingyi suddenly lifted a finger and flicked one of the candies.

Su Cheng looked down.

And what he saw nearly made his heart stop.

All the candies he had just placed were now scattered across the table in front of him, having been flicked away.

"Candies are useless now."

Dejected, Su Cheng collected the candies back into his inventory. The message was clear—she didn’t want them.

But a few minutes later…

Su Cheng suddenly sensed someone watching him from behind. He turned around immediately and, sure enough, a woman in a black suit stood not far away, staring in his direction.

The problem was—he was supposed to be invisible.

All his actions had been carried out in secret. There was no way she could have seen him!

The woman’s sharp features radiated coldness and detachment, like someone who took her work with utmost seriousness—expressionless, her gaze as sharp as a blade.

This was his target for the day.

Ji Xiaze.

Ji Xiaze glanced at the empty seat beside her, then bowed respectfully to Ji Qingyi in a formal manner. "Miss, is there anything you require?"

"Nothing in particular," Ji Qingyi replied indifferently. "How long have you been following me?"

"Six years, eight months, and nineteen days," Ji Xiaze answered without hesitation.

Ji Qingyi chuckled lightly. "Six years… no wonder."

With that, she suddenly stood and walked toward the stairs. "I’m tired. I’ll retire for the night."

Ji Xiaze bowed again. "Rest well, Miss."

She didn’t question it. After all, the thoughts of those in power were always inscrutable—how could someone like her hope to understand?

Ji Qingyi ascended the steps with graceful elegance, but just as she was about to reach the top, Ji Xiaze suddenly called out from behind.

"Miss, please wait."

Ji Qingyi paused and glanced back, her tone slightly weary. "Yes?"

But in the next second, her brow furrowed.

Because something was very wrong with Ji Xiaze.

Her eyes were lifeless, like a puppet whose strings had been pulled—devoid of any soul, radiating an eerie coldness that even Ji Qingyi could feel.

And sure enough…

The next moment, something shocking happened.

Ji Xiaze suddenly broke into an inexplicable, stiff dance—like a poorly animated marionette, her movements jerky and unnatural.

Ji Qingyi: "……"

The sight was so bizarre that she could hardly process it.

But she knew exactly who was behind it.

Su Cheng had made his move.

Without another word, she turned and headed straight to the second floor.

Meanwhile, Ji Xiaze remained frozen in place. Su Cheng, watching from the side, sighed in disappointment. He had hoped to amuse the president, but instead, he had only succeeded in offending her eyes.

Now she was probably even angrier.

"Ugh…"

Su Cheng sighed again, then turned his attention to the head butler he had controlled twice now.

Last time, he had made this guy snatch a child’s grilled sausage.

This time, he led Ji Xiaze to a secluded garden, ready to extract some answers and get to the bottom of things.

………………

Meanwhile

Ji Qingyi had returned to her bedroom, where a black-haired maid in a black-and-white uniform stood, eyeing her with an odd expression.

"Have you stared enough?" Ji Qingyi raised an eyebrow, displeased.

Her mood was already foul. In fact, she was starting to regret asking Su Cheng for help—his earlier antics had completely ruined her composure.

Before the matter had even begun, Su Cheng was already pushing boundaries, showing her no respect whatsoever.

This feeling… was terrible.

And what was worse?

What if he actually succeeded in handling the situation?

The thought only made her more irritable.

"Miss, it’s unexpected that you conveyed a message to him. But from the looks of it, his performance hasn’t met your expectations. Still, don’t worry—his thought process can be… unconventional at times."

Liu Qingyue paused, then added, "Leave the rest to me."

With that, she bowed slightly, took two steps back, and vanished from the room.

Ji Qingyi sat on the sofa, her eyes fixed on the scenery outside the window.

Her gaze carried a mix of complicated emotions.

She had no idea how Su Cheng would react once he learned the truth—or what he would do next.

And she wasn’t even sure if he would truly go through with this for her.

This was the first time she had ever asked someone for help, the first time she had placed her hopes in another person.

The feeling of relinquishing control, of not being able to dictate the course of events, left her uneasy. But she had to admit—Su Cheng was a unique existence.

His presence was like a miracle, bringing her endless novelty and hope.

……………………

A few hours later…

Knock—

The sound of the door being rapped echoed through the room.

"Come in."

Ji Qingyi’s voice remained cool and composed. Then, she heard the door open.

Next, Liu Qingyue stood at the doorway, watching her.

Ji Qingyi frowned. "What is it?"

"After learning about this matter, he didn’t show any surprise—just made a few casual remarks and then seemed completely at ease, even humming a tune on his way home."

Liu Qingyue continued, "So, I think Su Cheng might have just gained the ability to handle this situation."

Hearing this, Ji Qingyi fell into brief silence.

After a few minutes, she finally spoke. "As far as I know, he didn’t have the means to deal with this before."

"Right."

Liu Qingyue answered without hesitation, then added, "As I expected, it’s probably Gu Ruoxue or Li Guanqi’s doing."

At this, Ji Qingyi recalled the scene from this afternoon when Su Cheng and Gu Ruoxue had met at the school gate. She had suspected Gu Ruoxue might be up to something, which was why she interrupted their conversation and took Su Cheng away, preventing them from speaking further.

Now, it seemed she had been a step too late.

"Ding dong~"

A notification chimed from Liu Qingyue’s phone. She glanced down—it was a message.

Su Cheng: [Senior, if the club president no longer has a marriage partner, wouldn’t that solve the problem?]

Liu Qingyue’s brows furrowed. She didn’t think Su Cheng was foolish enough to resort to violence, so she asked curiously, "Even if this one is gone, there’ll just be another. So, what exactly are you planning?"

"In that case, just leave it to me."

Su Cheng’s reply was crisp and decisive.

Liu Qingyue handed the phone to Ji Qingyi, who skimmed the messages before uttering just three words: "Trust him."

As she was about to return the phone, another notification sounded. She pulled it back and read:

Su Cheng: "If I solve this, will the club president be happy?"

Ji Qingyi’s lips curled slightly at the message. She hadn’t expected him to still be hung up on her earlier anger, trying to make amends.

With that, she extended a slender, pale finger and swiftly typed: [Yes, she will.]

After sending it, she passed the phone back to Liu Qingyue, signaling for her to put it away.

"Can’t wait to see what he does next~"

Liu Qingyue glanced at the screen and teased.

"Indeed."

Surprisingly, Ji Qingyi echoed the playful tone.

……………………

Night

11:00 PM

Su Cheng sat at his desk, deep in thought, reviewing the two documents Liu Qingyue had given him—one about the head of the Ji family, the other about Ji Qingyi’s prospective fiancé.

But after reading, his expression darkened.

Because this man was so outstanding that even Su Cheng, a transmigrator, couldn’t help but mutter, ‘No way.’

From family background to athleticism, academics, and character—every aspect placed him at the pinnacle of Flame Country.

Dozens of titles, any single one of which would be enough to make an ordinary person look up in awe. Yet all of them belonged to one man. How could Su Cheng not be shocked?

And the most staggering part? This man was even more handsome than him.

"Hah—"

Su Cheng took a deep breath, then tossed the documents into the shredder. Standing up, he walked to the window.

The night breeze brushed against his face as he gazed at the sky, a strange restlessness settling in his heart.

Without his ‘four-time encounter with Gu Ruoxue,’ he truly wouldn’t have had any way to tackle this problem.

Normally, a plot like this would set up a formidable rival, then craft an elaborate event to spectacularly defeat them, giving the audience a satisfying climax.

But thanks to his ‘four-time encounter with Gu Ruoxue,’ all he had to do was tell a little lie, and the matter would be resolved effortlessly.

In short, he had chosen to ignore the script, instead acquiring the means to handle this ahead of time.

Now, he just felt…

Well, it was all just very odd.

No—what was truly odd was Gu Ruoxue.

That woman was practically a walking bug!

Having shifted the blame, he pulled out his phone and realized he hadn’t replied to Li Guanqi’s message.

He had been so absorbed earlier that he hadn’t noticed. Quickly, he typed: "Sorry, I was busy and didn’t see this earlier."

Less than thirty seconds later, Li Guanqi replied: "Seems like your visit to the Ji family today gave you a way to handle this?"

Su Cheng responded: "Yes, I’ve got a solution. It should be resolved soon."

"Mm, good luck!"

This time, her reply was brief.

Li Guanqi didn’t pry, just supported him as always.

‘Considerate’ was the perfect word to describe her.

With everyone believing in and backing him, how could he not give it his all?

Besides, he was confident he could pull it off flawlessly.

So what if the club president was being forced into an arranged marriage?

All he had to do was spin a little tale, and the problem would vanish.

At that thought, a glint flashed in Su Cheng’s eyes, as if eager for the moment to arrive.

But just then, his phone buzzed again.

The caller ID showed Liu Qingyue.

Without hesitation, he answered.

"Junior, tomorrow at 6 PM, the prospective fiancé will be visiting."

Her tone was serious.

Su Cheng paused for a second before replying, "Got it. I’ll make a grand entrance and tell him straight—I won’t allow this marriage."

"Huh?!"

Liu Qingyue gasped, then burst into laughter. "Alright! Seems you’ve got a plan. That puts my mind at ease."

"Have you been at the Ji residence this whole time?"

Su Cheng voiced his curiosity.

"Yes."

"Then tomorrow, make sure to wear your maid outfit and greet me like I’m your master."

"Pfft—"

On the other end, Liu Qingyue nearly choked on her laughter. "Sorry to disappoint, but I’ll be hiding where you can’t find me."

"Come on, let me see!"

"No."

………………

After their playful back-and-forth, Liu Qingyue hung up and turned to Ji Qingyi, whose expression was icy and impatient.

"President, we’ll know the outcome tomorrow. I’ll head to bed now."

Ji Qingyi nodded, watching her leave before glancing at her own phone. She hadn’t received Su Cheng’s usual goodnight message today.

But the next moment, her phone vibrated.

Opening it, she saw Su Cheng’s message: "Goodnight."

She stared at it for a long while before closing the screen without replying, setting the phone down on the table.

Why?

Because she was still ‘angry’—so she wouldn’t acknowledge him.

She’d only be happy tomorrow.

………

"Taking a day off—not to play games, but because I'm stuck with writer's block. I'll make it up to everyone with extra updates on Monday."