An Ordinary Morning

The Next Day

The alarm rang.

Su Cheng pulled open the curtains, and a ray of sunlight streamed through the window, falling on him. He frowned slightly as he opened his eyes, then wriggled out of the blankets in a cat-like stretch.

"Mmm~"

He stretched exaggeratedly before sitting up on the bed—only to suddenly realize how unmanly that must have looked. Quickly, he reeled himself in, then rolled out of bed with a carp-leap motion instead.

Because that was the manly way!

Today, he had woken up earlier than usual.

After feeding Li Guanqi nothing but steamed buns for the past few days, Su Cheng had started feeling a little guilty. So yesterday, he bought some flour.

Today, he was going to make dumplings!

As an orphan, he had never formally learned to cook. But since he was one of the more capable kids at the orphanage, he had often helped out in the kitchen from a young age. Naturally, he picked up the basics.

Rolling the dough, chopping the filling, wrapping the dumplings, then boiling them—he did it all in one smooth motion.

And just like that, Su Cheng’s handmade dumplings were complete!

After storing them in his system space, he got ready for school.

…………………………

"Huh?"

Suddenly, he spotted Cornelia sitting in the back seat of a luxury car.

But that wasn’t what made him gasp.

The driver’s seat, usually occupied by a chauffeur, was now taken by a woman with collarbone-length hair, dressed in a sharp business suit. She exuded a cold, efficient aura—commanding and intense.

Su Cheng: Who is this?

Wait… she even looks a bit like Cornelia…

Could it be…

Her mom?!

At this thought, he glanced back at Cornelia in the rear seat. She seemed to have noticed him too, her head lowered so he couldn’t see her face.

Su Cheng quickly averted his gaze, pretending he hadn’t seen anything, and continued riding his bicycle.

Just then, his phone buzzed. He pulled over to check it, and his expression shifted from calm to surprised.

It was a message from Cornelia.

"My mom suddenly came back. She’s now the school’s legal consultant."

Reading this, Su Cheng froze.

From what he knew, Cornelia’s mother had always been busy in Flame City, practically living at her law firm.

Her father, a diplomat, was often overseas.

He had also looked her up before—her family was ridiculously influential. A top-tier foreign noble lineage, ancestors who had fought Napoleon, and even a prime minister in recent history. They lived in Blenheim Palace, practically royalty.

"Did the president have something to do with this?"

Su Cheng gulped. The possibility seemed uncomfortably high.

Yesterday, the two girls had met for the first time, and now her mom was back?

That couldn’t just be a coincidence.

"Maybe Ji Qingyi really minds people coming to my place?"

He muttered under his breath but didn’t dwell on it, pedaling forward again.

Because if he thought too deeply, he’d have to entertain the absurd idea that Ji Qingyi liked him—and was now pulling some petty, jealous stunt to drive Cornelia away.

After riding for a while, he reached the school gates as usual. He dismounted and pushed his bike inside, all while girls in luxury cars kept glancing his way.

No helping it. Even with a mask on, his damnably irresistible charm just couldn’t be contained.

"Su Cheng."

A luxury car rolled to a stop beside him, the window sliding down to reveal a girl with cascading golden hair.

Her face showed surprise—but more than that, delight. She smiled at him. "Didn’t expect to run into you today."

With that, she stepped out of the car.

Su Cheng nodded politely. "What a coincidence."

Zhao Yan walked over, her eyes sparkling as she fell into step beside him. "Just thought I’d walk a bit to digest breakfast."

Su Cheng didn’t respond immediately. After all, he had seen her most sacred place before. But walking side by side with a girl like this could easily spark rumors. He cleared his throat. "If we enter school together, people might talk."

Zhao Yan laughed. "Since when do you care about baseless gossip?"

"I don’t," Su Cheng admitted, then smiled. "But I don’t want you to be affected."

"Then it’s fine. I couldn’t care less about rumors. I’m not some celebrity."

She grinned. "Though, I do know you’re kind of a big deal—both at school and in society."

Su Cheng coughed awkwardly.

Zhao Yan’s pretty face turned playful. "Meanwhile, I’m just ordinary. If anything, I’m the one riding your coattails here."

"No way! You’re seriously beautiful," Su Cheng blurted, waving his hands.

Her smile deepened, as if she’d been waiting for that exact compliment.

Su Cheng chuckled too, and they chatted idly as they walked. But then, he suddenly stopped and looked at Zhao Yan—her uniform accentuating her youthful energy, her long, fair legs peeking from beneath the loose skirt, impossibly alluring.

"What’s wrong?"

Noticing his gaze, Zhao Yan followed it, then blushed. She tucked a strand of golden hair behind her ear, grinning. "Did my legs mesmerize you?"

"Uh—"

Caught red-handed, Su Cheng stiffened.

But then, his expression turned serious. "Actually, I was wondering how you keep your legs so flawless. I keep getting mosquito bites."

Zhao Yan’s smile faltered for a split second before she recovered. She pressed her lips together, then said firmly, "That’s a bit personal. I’d rather not say."

"Oh. Got it. Forget I asked."

Su Cheng nodded, feigning disappointment—but inwardly relieved he’d successfully changed the subject.

"I saw what happened yesterday afternoon."

Zhao Yan’s sudden remark caught him off guard.

"Huh?"

Then it hit him—Xuan Ying wearing that headgear and shamelessly clinging to him.

"You were going to reject her outright, weren’t you?"

Su Cheng stayed silent, but his lack of denial spoke volumes to Zhao Yan.

She didn’t seem surprised. "Rejecting her or not doesn’t matter much. She’ll just mope for a bit, then bounce back."

"Why’s that?"

Su Cheng was puzzled.

"Because even if you reject her, you’re still giving her hope. As long as there’s a sliver of it, she won’t give up."

"Hope…"

Hearing this, Su Cheng realized something.

Hadn’t he told them he wouldn’t date anyone in high school?

Not in high school—but afterward? That was the loophole.

Was that the "hope" she meant?

A wry smile tugged at his lips. Wasn’t this just stringing her along?

Maybe he should reject her outright—coldly, mercilessly?

But they were classmates. They’d see each other every day.

…This was really awkward.

So, he planned to ask the Third Power at noon today about what he should do.

However, seeing him like this, Zhao Yan glanced around and lowered her voice, saying, "If possible, we can find a place to talk alone this weekend."

"Alone?"

Su Cheng was taken aback—so Xuan Ying wouldn’t be there?

But the next second, she patted her skirt pocket and suddenly realized she had left her phone in the car, making her feel awkward.

"Can I borrow your phone? Mine’s in the car."

"Here."

Su Cheng unlocked the screen and handed the phone to Zhao Yan.

Zhao Yan took it, first glancing at Su Cheng’s wallpaper—just the default system background—before dialing the number. After a brief exchange about her location, she returned the phone to Su Cheng and said, "You go ahead first. I’ll catch up later."

"Okay."

Su Cheng didn’t offer to wait for her. Instead, he nodded and pushed his bike away, leaving Zhao Yan staring at his retreating figure with a trace of confusion in her eyes.

When he arrived at school, passing students couldn’t help but glance at him, some even whispering among themselves, much to Su Cheng’s annoyance.

Even though his disguise was flawless and he deliberately walked toward less crowded areas, he still drew attention.

What a hassle.

He shook his head and headed straight for the parking lot.

"Look, it’s Su Cheng."

"How can you tell?"

"Duh, who else would wear a mask and push such a dorky bike besides him?"

...

"Dorky?"

Hearing the insult directed at his beloved bike, Su Cheng sighed and parked it in its spot. Only then did he notice that the other bikes parked nearby were all high-end models, even those belonging to ordinary students. His bike, in comparison, looked embarrassingly out of place.

But he didn’t care.

After all, only fools waste time comparing themselves to others.

As the saying goes, don’t get caught up in competition—just be yourself. If you really must compare…

He secured his bike and checked his phone for messages.

Then he entered the school building. As soon as he stepped into the classroom, he felt the usual gazes and greetings from his classmates. Su Cheng acknowledged them one by one before heading to his seat.

Once seated, he noticed that Li Guanqi’s seat was empty today.

"Are you guys going to the Practical Club today?"

Sitting down, he saw his deskmate Wang Guancong and two others looking at him, so he casually asked.

"Nope."

Wang Guancong shook his head, then added, "But when you go to club activities today, can you ask if they’re still accepting new members?"

His persistence made Su Cheng both amused and exasperated.

It was clear he really wanted to join the Social Practice Club.

"Sure, I’ll ask for you."

Su Cheng nodded.

"Awesome!" Wang Guancong jumped up excitedly.

But Su Cheng already knew the outcome.

Because Gu Ruoxue would absolutely not accept anyone else.

"So, have you thought about how you’ll explain yourself to the club president if you join?"

Gao Ye couldn’t help but ask.

"Explain?" Wang Guancong looked puzzled, then declared righteously, "Everyone has the right to pursue happiness! If our paths don’t align, so be it!"

Chai Hao rolled his eyes. "You just want to be a third wheel, don’t you?"

"What third wheel? Isn’t your relationship with Senior Gu Ruoxue purely platonic?" Wang Guancong immediately retorted, then turned to Su Cheng. "Right?"

Su Cheng gave a slight nod. "If I told you she’s my ex, you wouldn’t believe me anyway."

"HAHAHAHAHA!"

The group burst into laughter, nearly choking before finally calming down.

Suddenly, Gao Ye seemed to remember something—Su Cheng had a habit of telling the truth only for them to dismiss it. Suspicious, he asked, "Wait… you’re not actually serious about that, are you?"

Just then, Xuan Ying and Li Guanqi walked into the classroom together, apparently having shared some private conversation earlier.

As soon as they entered, they heard the loud laughter from the back. Xuan Ying frowned slightly, while Li Guanqi went straight to her seat without a word.

Xuan Ying also sat down, but her eyes lingered on Su Cheng, filled with shyness, delight, and a hint of anticipation.

"Nah, I was just messing around."

Su Cheng told the truth outright—after all, Gu Ruoxue had explicitly denied being his ex.

"Don’t joke like that next time. If word got out, you’d become a laughingstock!"

Gao Ye chuckled, then suddenly noticed Xuan Ying’s gaze and added, "But seriously, how did you even get into her club?"

His question triggered a chain reaction—almost everyone turned to look at Su Cheng, curiosity burning in their eyes.

Su Cheng didn’t dodge the question. "Oh, that? I just joined on my own. After looking into it, I realized the club suited me, so I applied and got accepted."

"That’s it?"

"Yep, that’s it."

………………………………

Morning classes ended quickly. As he packed up, planning to grab dumplings with Li Guanqi, he was surprised to find Xuan Ying standing beside Li Guanqi’s desk.