Su Cheng Wants Her to Sleep on His Lap

Su Cheng's motive for doing this was very simple.

Since the marriage candidate wouldn't disappear, then he would simply become the marriage candidate himself.

This way, the Ji family would no longer seek another match for her (skill effect setting: Old Master Ji had also recalled the terms of this contract).

Perhaps the Ji family was already holding an emergency meeting. After all, arranging marriage prospects for Ji Qingyi despite the existing engagement would be an unbearable humiliation for anyone involved—especially when both families were prominent and influential. Such a slight would be intolerable.

Thus, the Ji family would now do everything in their power to prevent this marriage.

At the same time, Chen Xian would persuade his own family to annul the engagement.

In the end, both families would tacitly agree to abandon the arrangement—a happy outcome for all.

This was the best possible resolution.

Inside the pavilion, Chen Xian had already left, while Su Cheng sat alone in silence, staring absently at the tea on the table.

Soon, a familiar, delicate fragrance drifted into his senses, snapping him out of his thoughts. He lifted his gaze toward the pavilion entrance.

There, Ji Qingyi walked in, clad in a white gown that draped just above her knees, revealing the elegant curves of her slender legs. Her hair cascaded loosely over her shoulders.

Her appearance was both casual and alluring, with the faint teardrop mole at the corner of her eye adding a touch of languid charm. Under the moonlight, she looked like a celestial maiden descending from the Moon Palace—a goddess returning from chasing the moon.

"President," Su Cheng greeted with a slight nod, initially intending to stand, but—

"Stay seated."

Ji Qingyi spoke softly, settling beside him. She lifted the teapot and poured him a cup of steaming tea, her tone gentle as she said, "Drink."

"Thank you."

Su Cheng smiled and accepted the tea but did not drink.

"Today," Ji Qingyi began abruptly after taking a sip from her own cup, her voice carrying a mix of contemplation and inquiry.

"Hm?" Su Cheng blinked in surprise.

"Your actions surprised me."

Ji Qingyi's gaze rested on him, filled with admiration and approval. Her lips parted slightly as she continued, "Why did you choose to annul the engagement? You owe me an explanation for this, don’t you?"

At her words, Su Cheng fell silent for a moment before meeting her eyes. "This wasn’t your wish. My only goal was to grant you freedom. If I didn’t tear up the contract, there’d be no difference between me and the Ji family. It would just be exchanging one form of restraint for another. Nothing would truly change."

His tone was calm, as if stating an entirely reasonable fact.

"Though you didn’t act at my request, if you have any demands, I’ll grant them—but only for this moment."

Ji Qingyi’s eyes held a complex emotion as she studied him.

Su Cheng shook his head. "Between friends, such formalities aren’t necessary. I only hope you can be happy."

"I will be." Ji Qingyi nodded, a soft smile gracing her lips as she regarded him warmly. "Dinner is being prepared. Until then, would you like me to show you around my residence?"

"Sure."

——————

Night had fallen.

The Ji estate was brightly lit, but by the river outside the villa, it was desolate—not a soul in sight.

Tap, tap.

Light footsteps sounded as a slender figure bent down to pick up a piece of paper from the ground. After scrutinizing it carefully, she slipped it into her pocket.

"Where… are the others?"

Liu Qingyue searched for a long time but still couldn’t find the most crucial fragment. Frowning, she muttered to herself.

Based on the wind speed and force earlier, the most important piece should have been blown somewhere nearby…

But with the entire area now sealed off, she could take her time searching.

Wiping the sweat from her brow, she resumed scouring the vicinity.

——————

The dining table was far from the plain setup at school—instead, it was exquisitely arranged, with even the tableware exuding luxury and opulence.

Seated gracefully, Ji Qingyi ate her meal with refined movements, occasionally glancing at Su Cheng. Her expression remained unreadable, giving no hint of her inner thoughts.

Beside her, Su Cheng kept his head down, focused entirely on his food.

"President, I’m finished. I should head back now."

After polishing off a bowl of rice, Su Cheng finally spoke, setting his chopsticks aside and dabbing his lips with a napkin before rising to leave.

It was already late, and he had two hungry little creatures waiting for him at home.

Yet Ji Qingyi suddenly called out to him.

"I’ll escort you."

Her tone was gentle but brooked no argument.

Su Cheng paused briefly before nodding in agreement.

Ji Qingyi stood and led him to the entrance, stepping out into the night.

Above them, stars glittered like gemstones embedded in the sky.

Su Cheng surveyed the unfamiliar surroundings with a strange sense of awe—the estate was enormous, filled with structures so extravagant they defied his commoner’s understanding.

They strolled through the villa’s garden, following a path of smooth pebbles until they reached a towering artificial hill. There, Ji Qingyi stopped and asked, "Can you find your way out from here?"

Su Cheng scanned the area and frowned. The place was like a maze—he truly couldn’t.

But Ji Qingyi, as if anticipating his confusion, pointed in a direction and said, "Do you think getting lost is a good or bad thing?"

Su Cheng blinked.

That… sounded oddly philosophical.

"Lost?"

"Yes." Ji Qingyi nodded slightly.

Su Cheng: "……"

How could being lost possibly be good?

"Of course it’s bad."

After a moment’s thought, he replied, "If you’d taken the right path from the start, you wouldn’t have this headache."

Ji Qingyi shook her head. "No. I believe getting lost isn’t bad. It proves one’s ability to think independently."

"........." Su Cheng was momentarily speechless.

"Thanks to this detour, you’ve been able to spread your wings—letting me witness your extraordinary side and truly understand you." Ji Qingyi’s eyes gleamed with admiration as she gazed at him. "In any case… I’m glad. Thank you."

Her raven hair swayed gently in the breeze, her beauty ethereal under the moonlight.

"Still, I’d like to ask—is there any wish you’d like fulfilled?"

Su Cheng shook his head, his mood seeming to lighten a little, but soon his gaze sharpened as he stared at a distant star, as if struck by a thought. Then he said, "Um… can I poke your cheek with my finger?"

The moment these words left his mouth, Ji Qingyi's expression froze. Then, a strange and almost eerie smile crept onto her face as she countered, "What do you think?"

"Then… I’ll head home first."

Seeing her reaction, Su Cheng nearly slipped in his haste to flee the scene.

Ji Qingyi watched his retreating figure and subconsciously raised her right hand to lightly touch her left cheek, even giving it a little poke with her finger. Her expression was one of bewilderment—why would he make such an absurd and bizarre request? In the end, she could only shake her head in confusion.

………………………………

After returning home, Su Cheng took a shower and lay down to sleep, but no matter how much he tossed and turned, sleep eluded him.

Today, his senior had truly hidden herself away—he hadn’t caught even a glimpse of her at the villa.

And though the recent incident seemed to have reached its conclusion, for him, it was only the beginning. Because tomorrow, he would have to seek out Gu Ruoxue again.

As expected, he’d probably have to join her club.

But joining her club meant withdrawing from the Archery Club first, and leaving the Archery Club required Ji Qingyi’s signature.

In short… tomorrow, he’d have to take the withdrawal form to Ji Qingyi.

Would she agree or not? He had no idea.

"Sigh…"

With a heavy exhale, Su Cheng closed his eyes, willing himself to sleep. But the moment he did, his thoughts drifted back to the Social Practice Club.

If he joined, the club activities would involve helping others solve various problems—essentially, free labor.

While he didn’t exactly mind, it was bound to be troublesome…

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

The next day

The faint light of dawn seeped through the window, and Su Cheng rubbed his eyes as he sat up.

After a quick feeding for Yaya and Dahuang, he dressed neatly and headed to school.

When he arrived at the classroom, he was surprised to find Li Guanqi already there, sitting quietly at her desk with a book in hand, her face expressionless, as if detached from the world.

Noticing his entrance, she lifted her gaze, set the book down, and greeted him, "Good morning."

"Mm."

Su Cheng gave a slight nod before taking his seat. Meanwhile, other students began trickling into the classroom, exchanging morning greetings.

Lost in thought, Su Cheng propped his chin on his hand and stared out the window, mentally mapping out his schedule for the day. He realized he had three destinations: the Social Practice Club, the Archery Club, and the student council.

Whether joining or leaving a club, the application had to be submitted to the student council.

Once morning classes ended, Su Cheng packed up his things and left the classroom, heading straight for the Social Practice Club—while Li Guanqi remained behind, still absorbed in her book.

Before leaving, he sent her a message, asking her to wait for him so they could have lunch together. Li Guanqi, as usual, agreed without protest, content to stay in the classroom until his return.

Though she hadn’t responded to the "the moon is beautiful" incident from before, their tacit understanding remained unchanged.

Soon, Su Cheng reached the Social Practice Club and knocked on the door.

Unfortunately, no one answered.

Frowning, he lingered outside for a while, but Gu Ruoxue never showed. Resigned, he turned to leave.

On his way back to the main building, he passed a group of girls carrying cake boxes, which made him pause. Then, changing direction, he headed for the campus convenience store’s bakery section.

He decided to buy a cake for Li Guanqi today—after all, she was allowed two treats a week.

With that thought, he quickened his pace and soon stood before the bakery counter, eyeing a strawberry-flavored cake with approval.

"Hello, what would you like to order?"

Su Cheng snapped out of his thoughts. "Oh, a carton of fresh milk and one strawberry cake, please."

"Of course. Just a moment."

The clerk nodded and got to work.

Cake in hand, Su Cheng made his way back to the classroom, already picturing Li Guanqi’s delighted expression when she saw it…

When he arrived, Li Guanqi was, as always, seated in the corner with a book, the picture of patience as she waited for him.

"Let’s go eat."

Su Cheng placed the cake box on the desk and spoke up.

"Mm."

Li Guanqi looked up, surprised, but the moment her eyes landed on the cake box, a flicker of joy passed through them. She stood and followed Su Cheng out of the classroom.

They settled on the lawn, where she spread out a small mat and sat down, her big eyes brimming with anticipation as she watched him.

"Here."

Su Cheng sat beside her, rummaged in the cake box, and pulled out a large meat bun, handing it to her. "Take it."

"Huh?"

Li Guanqi’s expression instantly fell, her eyes clouding with disappointment and even a hint of reproach as she accepted the bun. "Why would you put this in a cake box?"

Her voice was tinged with dejection. She’d thought it was cake, only for him to produce a meat bun after all that fuss.

"The cake is in the cake box, obviously!"

Hearing her complaint, Su Cheng flashed a triumphant grin and pulled out an actual cake from the box. Instantly, the light returned to Li Guanqi’s eyes.

"I’ll take the bun—you have this!"

He plucked the meat bun from her hands, replacing it with the cake, then gestured for her to dig in.

Holding the cake, Li Guanqi nodded, took a small bite, and then lifted it toward Su Cheng, offering him a taste.

Su Cheng eyed the spot where she’d taken a bite, then leaned in without hesitation and took a nibble of his own. The two chewed in unison, watching each other.

After lunch, Su Cheng stretched out his legs and patted his thighs, signaling it was her turn to use them as a pillow.

But Li Guanqi shook her head, pulling out a small cushion instead—she didn’t need his lap when she had her own pillow.