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The ones walking through the door turned out to be Wang Guancong and his two friends.

Their expressions instantly froze, eyes widening as if they'd seen a ghost.

"Su Cheng... What are you doing here?"

Wang Guancong looked at him in disbelief.

"Uh..."

Su Cheng quickly responded, "I'm a member of this club."

"What?!"

This time, the other two exclaimed in shock.

"Weren't you in the Archery Club?"

Wang Guancong seemed unable to accept this, glancing at Su Cheng before cautiously looking at Gu Ruoxue.

Gu Ruoxue had only given them a brief glance before completely ignoring them, not even lifting her head again.

"I left the Archery Club and joined the Practice Department."

Su Cheng glanced at Gu Ruoxue, noting her indifference, and added an explanation.

"Hah!"

Wang Guancong and his friends were stunned once more, exchanging glances as if they couldn't believe their ears.

"By the way, you didn’t come here to request some favor from the club, did you? Let me tell you, if it's something shady, I won’t help!"

Su Cheng knew exactly what they were troubled about. Why would he do something to mess with others?

He was a pure and innocent young man, after all.

"Ahem."

At Su Cheng's words, Wang Guancong and his friends coughed awkwardly. After exchanging looks, Wang Guancong finally stepped forward.

"It’s not about that. We came to ask President Gu Ruoxue about something else..."

Only then did Gu Ruoxue shift her gaze to him, noticing how his eyes kept flickering toward Su Cheng. She quickly deduced that this matter likely involved Su Cheng. With a dismissive glance, she said, "The club isn’t accepting requests today. Come back tomorrow."

"Got it. Sorry for disturbing you."

Wang Guancong straightened up immediately when Gu Ruoxue looked at him, visibly relieved as he turned to Su Cheng and signaled for him to step outside with them.

Su Cheng understood right away.

He was about to say goodbye to Gu Ruoxue when she waved him off with slight annoyance. "You don’t need to come back this afternoon either. Take care of whatever you left unfinished in your previous club."

"Alright."

Su Cheng finished his tea in one gulp and headed out.

Meanwhile, Gu Ruoxue stood up and began washing the teacup he had just used.

The moment Su Cheng stepped outside, the three surrounded him.

Wang Guancong stared at him with a mix of envy, resentment, and disbelief. "I never thought you’d actually join this place!"

"Huh? Is there a problem with that?"

Su Cheng looked at Wang Guancong, confused. What was the big deal?

"He... originally wanted to join the Practice Department too, but the president outright rejected him. What do you think?"

Gao Ye chimed in from the side.

"Oh, I see."

Su Cheng nodded in sudden understanding.

"You gave that plushie to Senior Gu as well, didn’t you?"

Wang Guancong suddenly recalled seeing Gu Ruoxue walking around campus with the exact same plushie before.

"How did you know that?"

Now it was Su Cheng’s turn to be surprised. He had made sure to avoid them that time—how did they find out?

"Why would she accept something from you? And she even let you join the club..."

Wang Guancong stared at Su Cheng, curiosity burning in his eyes, but beneath it was shock and frustration.

When he had first chosen a club, his immediate choice had been the Practice Department. But the moment he went to apply, Gu Ruoxue had coldly rejected him.

The way she had dismissed him had stuck in his mind like a curse.

So when he saw Su Cheng—someone who had actually been accepted—standing before him, he couldn’t believe it.

How could he not be shocked?

"Actually, I’ve known Senior Gu for a long time. She was my senior back in middle school and always looked out for me."

Su Cheng explained with a smile.

That was the only explanation he could give for now.

Wang Guancong and his friends: "?!"

The moment they heard this, their minds buzzed as if about to explode. They stared at Su Cheng in utter disbelief. "So that’s how it is!"

"Ohhh..."

Wang Guancong felt dazed. Only now did he remember that Gu Ruoxue hadn’t been at Flame City Private Academy during middle school.

"Why didn’t you tell us sooner?!"

Wang Guancong glared at Su Cheng accusingly.

"You wouldn’t have believed me if I did."

Su Cheng gave a helpless smile. "Remember when I said I was going to give her that plushie? You all tried to talk me out of it."

His words made Wang Guancong and the others chuckle awkwardly. They hadn’t expected their well-meaning advice to become a barrier between them.

"Speaking of which... you kinda feel like a novel protagonist. Winning a championship in just half a month aside, you know all the untouchable campus beauties, and even the student council invited you..."

Chai Hao frowned, then suddenly realized something and pressed urgently, "Wait—don’t tell me you know our e-sports club president too?"

"I really don’t know her."

Su Cheng quickly waved his hands in denial before looking at them. "Besides, what kind of protagonist am I? I’m just an ordinary guy with nothing special about me. I don’t show off either. That championship was only because of President Ji Qingyi’s guidance. Without her, I probably wouldn’t have even placed."

He looked at them seriously and continued, "I’ve never been the type to show off, so I don’t even have the basic traits of a cool protagonist. If I were in a story, it’d probably be some third-rate author’s boring, cliché-ridden novel. Honestly, it’d be kind of sad. If anyone’s the protagonist here, it’s you guys!"

His words left them speechless.

"Then maybe it’s more like a youth romance or manga?"

Gao Ye mused, joining the conversation.

"If you’re the protagonist... does that make me a side character?"

Chai Hao suddenly realized the gravity of the situation and fell into deep thought, quickly dismissing the idea that Su Cheng was a protagonist. He must have read too many wish-fulfillment novels lately.

"Ugh, what kind of nonsense are you guys talking about? Can we not go down this rabbit hole?"

Wang Guancong couldn’t take it anymore and started shooing them toward the stairs. "Let’s go, class is about to start."

"Oh, right."

"Hey, Su Cheng, can you ask if the club’s still accepting members?"

Wang Guancong added before leaving, "She’s my idol. If I could spend every day with her, I’d be in heaven."

Hearing this, the other two immediately shot him disgusted looks. Gao Ye scowled. "Even if they were, would you really quit the e-sports club just to join?"

"What’s wrong with that? There’s a saying—different strokes for different folks. Don’t you get it?"

Wang Guancong put on a wise and profound expression.

"Pfft. Who doesn’t know that? But if you suddenly quit... have you thought about how the current president would feel?"

Gao Ye curled his lips, but soon the three of them suddenly realized something and turned their gazes toward Su Cheng instead.

Switching clubs was generally frowned upon at school, after all. They were curious about Ji Qingyi's reaction, especially since Ji Qingyi had always held Su Cheng in high regard—even going so far as to attend his birthday celebration despite her status.

Why would Su Cheng, who had been treated so well by Club President Ji, choose to leave the club?

They couldn’t understand it.

Nor could they make sense of it.

But Su Cheng suddenly lowered his head, unsure how to explain the situation…

Yet, if he didn’t clarify, their relationships might become awkward…

Sensing Su Cheng’s unease, the three tactfully changed the subject, chatting about other things instead.

Just as they were discussing visiting Su Cheng for tea at the Practice Department later, they abruptly stopped in their tracks, their eyes fixed on the elegant yet aloof figure ahead.

Noticing their reaction, Su Cheng followed their gaze and, upon recognizing Ji Qingyi’s graceful silhouette, instinctively called out, "President!"

Because now, the words he couldn’t find earlier could be replaced with action.

He decided to keep using this title—even if he was no longer a member of her club, he would continue addressing her this way.

Hearing the familiar voice and title, the figure ahead paused before slowly turning around. Her expression remained calm and unreadable, but Su Cheng could discern the deeper meaning in her eyes.

She wanted him to approach.

Meanwhile, Wang Guancong and the others exchanged surprised glances at Su Cheng’s sudden call. They had assumed their relationship had frozen over—but clearly, that wasn’t the case.

This realization eased their worries.

Then, as they watched Ji Qingyi turn, they were struck by the sheer beauty of the moment—breathtaking, mesmerizing, and utterly unparalleled.

Su Cheng jogged over and stopped before her, the two soon chatting and laughing like old friends reunited by chance.

"Seems like this didn’t affect their relationship at all," Wang Guancong remarked, relieved.

"Yeah."

"Anyway, we should probably stop prying into Su Cheng’s personal matters," Gao Ye added, though he had been just as curious about how things stood between Su Cheng and Ji Qingyi. If things had truly soured, they would’ve had to take a stance.

After all, this was Ji Qingyi they were talking about—crossing her could easily lead to collateral damage, an outcome they desperately wanted to avoid. So for now, they were just glad the tension had dissipated.

…………………………

"Did you just come from her club?"

Ji Qingyi’s face remained as composed as ever, as if nothing could unsettle her.

"Yes, President. I submitted my resignation today," Su Cheng replied.

"I see. I’ve heard about the activities in her club. It seems you’ll be quite busy from now on."

Ji Qingyi gave a slight nod before adding, "Though, under normal circumstances, there aren’t many requests. So during my free time, I’ll come find you for tea."

"You’re always welcome. But remember not to prioritize requests above all else—especially don’t overexert yourself."

Her tone was measured, yet carried a hint of concern. "If you encounter something beyond your capabilities, come to me."

Su Cheng was momentarily taken aback by her words before nodding firmly. "I’ll keep that in mind."

With that, they parted ways at the school building entrance. Su Cheng walked off, while Ji Qingyi watched him leave, her eyes slowly closing as her lips pressed together—lost in thought.

………………

Afternoon

P.E. Class

After the last incident where he’d been forcibly hugged and nuzzled by someone in a polar bear costume, Su Cheng chose a quieter spot during free activity time this time.

This way, he wouldn’t have to deal with any more animal-masked harassers.

Right now, he was idly chatting with Li Guanqi on his phone.

Though they could’ve easily sat together, both had silently agreed to give each other space. It had become an unspoken rule between them.

Even so, they were both sitting alone—Li Guanqi absorbed in a book, while Su Cheng leaned against a tree, simply taking in the scenery.

[Li Guanqi: "Mom’s out today, so there’s no one at home."]

Reading her message, Su Cheng paused in thought before realizing—this meant Li Guanqi wouldn’t have a meal prepared when she got back.

So he typed out a reply: "I don’t have club activities today either. Want to stop by the market on the way back and have dinner at my place?"

But just as he sent the message, a shadow fell over him. Looking up, he found himself staring into the round, black eyes of a pink cat mascot costume.

Startled, Su Cheng scrambled to his feet.

Yet the moment he stood up—

The mascot cat spread its arms and lunged at him, knocking him to the ground before rubbing its face against him aggressively.

At this moment…

Su Cheng was done.

Again?

This "second verse, same as the first" nonsense had him fuming. With a stern expression, he reached up and firmly gripped both sides of the pink cat’s head.

The mascot tried to squirm free, but Su Cheng only tightened his hold before yanking upward—revealing the person inside.

"Ah—stop!"

The sudden roughness made the pink cat shriek.

The voice was unmistakable. Su Cheng froze, staring at the flustered face of Xuan Ying, who was now covering her cheeks with both hands.

Xuan Ying…?

The person inside the costume was Xuan Ying?!

He had assumed it was the same girl from the vending machine incident last time.

All his prepared scolding died in his throat as his mind went blank, unsure how to react.

Meanwhile, Xuan Ying abandoned the headpiece entirely, clutching her burning red face as she bolted away.

Watching her flee in panic, Su Cheng felt a pang of guilt and instinctively called out, "Xuan Ying! Wait!"

At his voice, Xuan Ying stiffened but obediently skidded to a stop, turning back with tear-filled eyes, as if bracing for rejection.

Seeing her terrified expression, Su Cheng couldn’t help but feel exasperated—he was the one who’d been ambushed, wasn’t he?

"Why did you do that?"

In the end, this was the only question that came to mind.

Hearing it, Xuan Ying’s tears spilled over as she stammered, "I… I just… wanted to hug you."

At this point…

She could’ve made excuses, but then she remembered Zhao Yan’s advice—when it comes to Su Cheng, always be honest.

So she told the truth, her head bowing right after.

"...Is that so?"

Su Cheng stood up, brushing the dust off his clothes before picking up the headpiece and doing the same. Finally, he walked over to Xuan Ying, who stood frozen in place, her eyes fixed nervously on her toes as if even breathing required caution.

"Ah..."

He sighed, looking at the pitiful figure before him. He knew Xuan Ying had feelings for him, but he had no intention of pursuing romance at the moment.

Though Su Cheng didn’t dislike Xuan Ying, his heart leaned toward someone mature, composed, and gentle—someone like... Li Guanqi or Ji Qingyi.

Seriously, having such a perfect partner would be amazing!

Who could possibly refuse?

A pang of guilt struck him, and he gently placed the headpiece over her head before patting her cat-eared hood. "If you want a hug while wearing this, it’s fine. I don’t mind."

He guessed she must have seen him being hugged by that polar bear yesterday, and now she’d cleverly devised this way to hold him.

Ah, forget it. She could have the title of "Flame City’s Most Devoted" for all he cared.

This was all that polar bear’s fault anyway!

Hearing his words, Xuan Ying froze inside the headpiece for a few seconds before her eyes widened with sudden elation, shimmering with excitement.

"O-okay!"

Her voice trembled, but her movements were anything but hesitant. She immediately wrapped her arms tightly around Su Cheng. Though the thick cartoon costume separated them, her heart swelled with happiness.

Su Cheng stood still, letting the fluffy pink cat cling to him, though he couldn’t help but feel uncomfortably warm.

That was all—no other sensations, really. The thick fabric between them hardly counted as a proper embrace.

But whether from excitement or nerves, Xuan Ying’s breathing grew ragged, her arms trembling around him until she finally whispered a tiny confession.

"I like you."

Though barely audible, the words reached Su Cheng’s ears loud and clear, sending a jolt through his body.

Because...

[Ding—]

…………………………