This Sunday is Unusual

Subway Station

"It seems our school needs to reinforce education on punctuality, or people might start questioning the quality of our student intake."

Gu Ruoxue glanced at the hands of her wristwatch, her tone icy. "You're fifteen minutes late for our agreed meeting time. Is this how you demonstrate your commitment as a client?"

She stood at the subway station entrance, clad in a sporty windbreaker and long pants, knee pads strapped in place, her hair tied in a high ponytail. A small backpack hung from her shoulders, completing her vibrant, energetic look.

An aura of formidable presence and extraordinary grace surrounded her, drawing sidelong glances from nearby commuters who couldn't help but feel a sense of awe. Yet the frosty displeasure in her sharp, intelligent eyes dampened the attention she received.

"My apologies. I lost track of time while strolling with Su Cheng," Ji Qingyi replied flatly, her expression unreadable.

Despite her words, there wasn't the slightest hint of remorse in her demeanor.

Beside her, Su Cheng awkwardly forced a smile and chimed in, "It's entirely our fault for forgetting the time. We're truly sorry."

The moment he spoke, the two women locked eyes in a silent standoff. After a tense pause, Ji Qingyi was the first to look away, turning her gaze to Su Cheng. "You reminded me, but I didn’t take it seriously. So there’s no need for you to apologize."

"Huh?"

Su Cheng blinked, caught off guard by the club president's response.

He sighed inwardly, realizing Ji Qingyi had deliberately provoked Gu Ruoxue.

Gu Ruoxue regarded her coldly. "In that case, consider this commission canceled. With such an attitude, we can hardly fulfill the task. Coincidentally, the Practice Department has another assignment today."

Ji Qingyi’s expression darkened instantly, a mocking smirk curling her lips. "By all means, leave. But Su Cheng stays."

Watching the scene unfold, Su Cheng could already foresee the impending tug-of-war.

The winds were shifting again.

It was time to make his stance clear.

The hero had arrived.

Without hesitation, Su Cheng stepped between the two women, his handsome face set in a stern line. "Minister Gu has spent days meticulously planning this outing. Her presence is indispensable."

Then, he turned to Gu Ruoxue. "This isn’t solely President Ji’s fault. Please don’t abandon our prior agreement over my momentary oversight!"

Ji Qingyi’s face soured at his words.

Su Cheng then addressed Ji Qingyi. "Today is about enjoying the spring outing. Didn’t you say we could relax and be carefree? Dancing among peach blossoms is what truly matters in life."

Gu Ruoxue’s expression softened momentarily—until Su Cheng suddenly turned back to her. "This is my personal weekend. Aside from this commission, I won’t accept any other assignments."

His attempt at diplomacy backfired spectacularly. Both women stiffened, their gazes clashing midair like sparks from flint.

Then, simultaneously, they looked away.

Though Su Cheng’s words seemed conciliatory, his message was clear: today, he belonged to neither. It was his time, and if pushed, he wouldn’t hesitate to walk away.

Of course, this was a last resort.

After speaking, he cast a pitiful glance at Ji Qingyi.

Her anger dissipated instantly. Recognizing her role in the conflict and Su Cheng’s effort to shield her, she realized further obstinacy would only paint her as unreasonable.

Ji Qingyi spoke first. "I was indeed late, so compensation is warranted. I’ll share part of what I bought today as reparation. Does that settle the breach?"

Su Cheng exhaled in relief.

But Gu Ruoxue’s voice cut in. "Since you’ve acknowledged your mistake and shown sincerity, refusing would make me petty. Very well, consider the matter closed."

Ji Qingyi retrieved a pack of wet wipes from her waist pouch and handed it to Gu Ruoxue. "My abruptness was uncalled for. I hope Minister Gu won’t hold it against me."

Su Cheng’s face twisted in disbelief. Ji Qingyi had clearly purchased hair ties—yet here she was offering opaque-packaged wipes. The audacity!

He was at a loss for words.

Gu Ruoxue frowned at the wipes.

This brand was custom-order only, not something bought casually.

Suddenly, her eyes sharpened like blades.

Ji Qingyi met her gaze head-on, her own eyes equally piercing, as if warning: "Enough. I’m only doing this for Su Cheng’s sake. Push further, and you’ll regret it."

Though seething, Gu Ruoxue noticed Su Cheng’s intense stare and suppressed her fury.

"Su Cheng, ensure President Ji’s purchases are stored properly. They might come in handy for cleaning the clubroom later." With that, Gu Ruoxue strode toward the subway entrance.

Su Cheng grasped the subtext: by declaring the items club property, Gu Ruoxue framed Ji Qingyi’s deception as targeting the entire Practice Department—which included him.

He could only chuckle wryly. "I’ll take good care of them."

Tucking the wipes into his pocket, he turned to Ji Qingyi—only to watch her remove the hair tie from her ponytail and place it in his palm. "I don’t need this anymore."

She then pulled a new tie from her pouch, securing her hair to reveal a flawless forehead and elegant collarbones, her demeanor crisp and refined.

Su Cheng pocketed the faintly scented hair tie as they followed Gu Ruoxue.

The two women parried and countered, neither willing to concede.

The subway doors slid shut.

At just past five, the carriage was sparsely populated.

The women occupied separate seats, two rows apart.

Su Cheng set his backpack on the floor and sat cross-legged, bypassing the seats altogether.

His gaze drifted to the "Time Stop" skill glowing on his system panel, plunging him into thought.

He’d possessed this skill for ages, yet never found a use for it—partly due to its bizarre activation requirement: public transportation only.

The odd condition reminded him of dubious movie scenarios, making his lips twitch.

Meanwhile, Gu Ruoxue sat with her backpack hugged to her chest, eyes closed, lashes fluttering faintly.

She seemed genuinely exhausted.

Ji Qingyi sat motionless, her face unreadable, perhaps savoring the novelty of her first subway ride.

It took an hour and a half to reach the destination this time.

After a long while, Gu Ruoxue suddenly opened her eyes and glanced at Su Cheng.

At that moment, Su Cheng seemed to sense her gaze and also opened his eyes, meeting hers.

Their eyes locked.

Finally, Su Cheng broke the silence, "Is there something you need, Minister?"

Meanwhile, Ji Qingyi also turned her gaze toward Gu Ruoxue.

"After the subway arrives at the destination, we’ll need to take a bus and then hike over a mountain," Gu Ruoxue said calmly, looking ahead.

Su Cheng nodded in response. "Got it."

"Mm," Gu Ruoxue acknowledged before continuing, "Then, we’ll pass by a reservoir where we can prepare lunch. At 1 PM, we’ll continue our journey to Peach Blossom Spring. We should arrive by 2:30."

After hearing this, Ji Qingyi didn’t ask further questions.

But Su Cheng suddenly spoke up, "Is this the usual tourist route?"

Gu Ruoxue shook her head. "The mountain route is a detour I chose. The conditions are harsher, but it saves time and avoids unnecessary trouble. Crowded places tend to bring more complications."

Su Cheng understood her reasoning.

Following the usual route would mean dealing with crowds, which would ruin the experience—who wants to hike while wearing a mask?

But taking a less-traveled path meant fewer people and more chances to encounter wild scenery, perfectly aligning with his goal of proving his reliability.

After explaining the plan, Gu Ruoxue fell silent again, closing her eyes to rest.

Deep down, she didn’t want to clash with Ji Qingyi, but the latter’s aggressive demeanor often provoked her into retaliation.

...

Two hours later.

The three boarded a bus.

Since it was nearly 7 PM on a weekend, the bus was packed with tourists. They chose the back row—Ji Qingyi by the window, Gu Ruoxue beside her, and Su Cheng next to Gu Ruoxue, with a couple sitting beside him.

The three were so close that they could hear each other’s breathing, yet the atmosphere between them felt strangely tense, as if the slightest spark could ignite an explosion.

As the bus moved, Su Cheng could feel his body pressing against Gu Ruoxue, her faint fragrance drifting into his nose, stirring his thoughts. Of course, Gu Ruoxue noticed too, but there was nothing they could do about it.

The bus jolted, and Su Cheng glanced at the two women, noticing their discomfort. Clearly, they weren’t used to public transportation.

It made sense—two usually solitary figures now squeezed among a crowd couldn’t possibly feel at ease.

As the bus rolled on, the scenery outside shifted to lush green mountains and vast fields.

Ji Qingyi, seated by the window, couldn’t help but lift her gaze toward the distant view. For someone who rarely showed emotion, her face now revealed a trace of excitement, even letting out a soft sigh of admiration.

To her, this was truly a rare sight.

...

The breeze from the slightly open window gently stirred Gu Ruoxue’s hair.

Su Cheng, who had removed his mask and was resting with his head down, suddenly felt something brush lightly against his lips. He instinctively parted his lips to blow it away, but instead, the object slipped into his mouth.

Su Cheng froze. The texture made his eyes widen in realization—

It was Gu Ruoxue’s hair.

Luckily, she didn’t notice. He exhaled in relief, carefully removing the strand.

It had no particular taste.

He closed his eyes again, unaware that the moment he did, Gu Ruoxue opened hers, casting him a brief, slightly flustered glance before resuming her rest.

Half an hour later,

The bus arrived at its stop.

The three disembarked last, immediately greeted by the rich scent of grass.

They were in a village.

Walking along the rural path with masks on, they encountered elderly residents who warmly greeted them, even inviting them for meals.

Su Cheng politely declined, while Ji Qingyi remained expressionless, ignoring the invitations as if she hadn’t heard them, her demeanor cold and detached.

Gu Ruoxue led the way, heading toward the planned route devoid of tourists, occasionally jotting down notes.

...

After a while,

They reached the foot of a towering mountain, where a clear stream flowed.

Ji Qingyi gazed at the scenery, her face softening with admiration. "If we could sit by the stream and brew tea here, this trip would already be worth it," she murmured.

Gu Ruoxue glanced at Ji Qingyi, then at Su Cheng behind her—just as she expected.

Su Cheng adjusted his backpack, set it down, and unzipped it, pulling out a table larger than the bag itself, followed by stools, a kettle, a tea set, and leaves—everything needed.

Hearing the commotion, Ji Qingyi turned and saw the display, her pupils briefly contracting before she composed herself.

"You’ve put thought into this," she remarked evenly.

Su Cheng grinned, arranging the items as he spoke, "Let’s take a short break here and enjoy some tea first."

The two women nodded and sat down, savoring the moment.

Once the tea was ready, Ji Qingyi unexpectedly initiated conversation. "The itinerary is well-planned."

Gu Ruoxue took a sip, her lips curving slightly. "Since it’s a commission, I’ll give it my all. Besides, I’m enjoying it too."

She drank another mouthful before adding, "Those who don’t appreciate value can never possess it."

Su Cheng paused mid-sip, glancing between them.

Seeing the two finally communicating normally and both approving of his Peach Blossom Spring outing, he relaxed. He then lifted the teapot, refilling their cups.

Ji Qingyi took a delicate sip, her tone calm as she looked at Su Cheng. "Your suggestion has piqued my interest. I wonder what other surprises await?"

"President, since you like this place, why not take photos to remember it?" Su Cheng suggested with a smile.

"You’re right." Ji Qingyi checked the sky, then retrieved her phone from her waist pouch, aiming the camera at the mountains and adjusting for the perfect shot.

"Minister."

At that moment, Su Cheng pulled out a Polaroid camera from seemingly nowhere and handed it to Gu Ruoxue.

Her eyes flickered with surprise at his action.

Su Cheng knew nothing about photography—this camera must have been prepared specifically for her.

Because her phone didn’t have a camera function.

"I brought my camera gear." Seeing right through his thoughts, Gu Ruoxue shook her head, then pulled out a DSLR from her bag. "If you need to shoot, use this one."