Delivering Dumplings

Tuesday

At the entrance of Flame City Private Academy's teaching building

Several disciplinary committee members stood by the school gate, inspecting students' uniforms while conducting routine inquiries.

"Mirai, why are there so many students riding bicycles to school today?" one of them asked, frowning as she watched student after student pushing their bikes toward the parking lot.

The girl addressed as Mirai had long, straight black hair tied into two braids that draped over her chest. She held a clipboard tightly against her, wearing black tights beneath her skirt. Standing upright at the entrance, her beautiful face was stern and serious as she scrutinized each student with a bicycle. Without hesitation, she answered, "It might be No-Emissions Day today, so most students opted for low-carbon transportation."

"I see." The committee member nodded and said nothing more.

Just then, a figure appeared at the school gate.

Hoshino Mirai's heart skipped a beat.

Su Cheng had arrived!

She immediately rushed forward.

---

Parking Lot

"Should I let the air out of their tires?"

The mischievous side of Su Cheng emerged as he parked his beloved bike and noticed several shiny, expensive bicycles nearby. He knew these belonged to the same people who had mocked him the day before.

He considered having his crow peck holes in their tires. Maybe even have his dog mark each one with a territorial spray.

After all, why let small evils go unpunished?

If others went out of their way to annoy him, he might as well return the favor.

Well…

That was just his wicked imagination running wild.

The moment the prank idea surfaced, Su Cheng immediately dismissed it.

But as he turned to head toward the school building, a girl suddenly blocked his path. He looked up, startled.

"Hoshino-senpai, is something wrong?"

Su Cheng felt a headache coming on but forced an awkward yet polite smile.

"Su Cheng-kun."

Hoshino Mirai clutched her clipboard, her gaze fixed on his lower half as she spoke sternly, "Your shirt isn't tucked in."

"Huh?"

Su Cheng blinked, then glanced down—sure enough, his cycling had caused his shirt to come loose.

"Thanks for the reminder," he said with a polite chuckle.

Yet Mirai remained expressionless. "Su Cheng-kun, as a role model for the freshmen, such behavior is highly improper."

"This counts as improper?"

Su Cheng's lips twitched as he internally ranted, If she ever sees me holding hands with someone, will she have me expelled and executed on the spot?

"Hurry up and fix your appearance. Or do you need me to do it for you?"

She suddenly stepped closer, her tone robotic and official.

Su Cheng: "…"

With no choice, he obediently straightened his clothes. Then, Mirai added, "If you’re this careless next time, I won’t hesitate to fulfill my duties as a disciplinary committee member!"

"And sign here."

"Uh, sure."

Once he signed, she ignored his reaction and strode off with a cool detachment.

Su Cheng stood frozen, his expression darkening.

What sin did I commit yesterday to deserve this?

---

Meanwhile…

Hoshino Mirai, now holding Su Cheng’s signature, hid behind a corner and watched him fume. A faint, triumphant smile curled on her lips.

Hmph. Serves you right for refusing to admit it.

She then pulled out a letter from her pocket—one she had received early in the semester, during her loneliest and most painful days, when someone had left it in her desk.

Back then, she had resigned herself to despair, only to find this note. It bore no lengthy words, just a few simple lines—yet they had moved her to tears.

Your efforts…

Will one day…

Be rewarded.

Reading it again, Mirai couldn’t help but giggle. But when she compared the handwriting to Su Cheng’s signature, her expression grew complicated.

The resemblance was uncanny.

Expressionlessly, she folded the letter and tucked it back into her skirt.

"You’ll admit it one day, Su Cheng."

For a girl like her, this kind of selfless, pure affection was utterly devastating.

---

Classroom

Since he arrived early, only a few students were present. None of his usual friends had shown up yet.

Su Cheng was organizing his bag at his desk when Wang Guancong and his two lackeys barged in, immediately surrounding him.

"Su Cheng, you were so cool yesterday!" Wang Guancong exclaimed, waving his fists excitedly before slapping the school newspaper onto Su Cheng’s desk. "Look! You’re the headline! Just how many more surprises do you have up your sleeve?"

Su Cheng glanced at the campus newspaper and saw that this issue featured a photo of his speech from yesterday.

"It's right here, look." Gao Ye pointed at a section and said, "The Student Council's publicity department wrote a comment about you!"

Su Cheng leaned in for a closer look, and his pupils instantly constricted.

"Turning the tide when all seems lost, propping up a collapsing edifice."

Damn it, why did he suddenly feel this overwhelming sense of responsibility?!

This was blatant flattery—no, outright overpraise!

And worse, it was moral blackmail disguised as praise!

What had he even done to deserve such admiration?!

"Su Cheng, you're officially famous now," Wang Guancong exclaimed excitedly. "We're all going to bask in your glory, haha! The school will definitely record you in the academy's history!"

As Su Cheng stared blankly at the newspaper, Chai Hao also stepped forward with a grin. "Even our club president couldn’t stop praising you when he came back yesterday."

Hearing this, Su Cheng scanned the classroom and noticed more classmates trickling in, their gazes filled with admiration as they looked at him.

"Su Cheng, you're amazing!" a girl said with a bright smile.

Others quickly chimed in, "Yeah, yeah! Our Class 2 is finally getting the recognition we deserve. Honestly, you were so cool during your speech yesterday."

"I heard you even walked home with President Ji Qingyi? So jealous of your friendship with her."

"Seriously, even after leaving the club, you two are still so close."

Just as the class buzzed with excitement, three girls walked in together—Zhao Yan, Li Guanqi, and Xuan Ying.

The moment they entered, their eyes immediately landed on Su Cheng, who was surrounded by classmates.

Notably, Xuan Ying had heavy dark circles under her eyes.

She was both frustrated and upset about what happened yesterday afternoon.

Frustrated because she hadn’t gone to see Su Cheng’s speech in person.

So, she had rewatched the recording of his speech over and over again.

Upset because, out of nowhere, another rival had appeared—Hoshino Mirai.

And this Hoshino Mirai seemed to have materialized out of thin air.

Who could’ve guessed that attending one of Sister Qin’s classes would suddenly spawn a new love rival? It was just awful.

Ding-dong~

The class bell rang right then, and the room quickly quieted down.

The lesson passed by swiftly.

During the break, Su Cheng hurried to the restroom to consult his "third power"!

Originally, he had thought Hoshino Mirai was just bluffing yesterday, so he hadn’t mentioned it to Li Guanqi. But after what happened this morning, he realized she was dead serious.

So now, he had to deploy his secret weapon!

[OrangeHater: "Hoshino Mirai is convinced I’m the Penguin Prince. If I don’t admit it, she’ll keep hounding me. Guess I’ll have to find a way to prove I’m not royalty after all."]

Meanwhile, back in the classroom...

In a corner seat, Xuan Ying and Zhao Yan stood beside Li Guanqi.

Though Xuan Ying was ostensibly looking at her phone with Zhao Yan, her eyes kept darting toward the door, checking if Su Cheng had returned.

Zhao Yan, meanwhile, was scrolling through the school forum on her phone.

Li Guanqi sat quietly, absorbed in a book.

Though the three were together, not a word passed between them.

Perhaps this was the purest form of friendship.

Just then, Li Guanqi felt her phone vibrate.

"I’m going to the restroom," she announced, standing up expressionlessly.

"Let’s go together."

"Yeah, sure."

Xuan Ying and Zhao Yan exchanged a glance and nodded in agreement. The three then left the classroom, heading toward the restroom.

While Li Guanqi was keeping an eye on Xuan Ying, the latter was doing the same to her.

Not only did they commute to school together now, but they also ate lunch together in the cafeteria. If not for their separate afternoon activities, the trio would practically be glued at the hip.

……………………………………

[Li Guanqi: "I think I understand now."]

Seeing Li Guanqi’s message, Su Cheng quickly typed back, "So, do you have any ideas?"

[Li Guanqi: "Since you’ve already made up your mind, just go ahead with it."]

Reading this, Su Cheng raised an eyebrow.

Guess he’d have to find time to prove he wasn’t the Penguin Prince after all…

There were plenty of ways to do it, but given how sharp Hoshino Mirai was, he’d need a well-thought-out plan.

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

The moment he stepped out of the restroom, he nearly collided with the trio—Li Guanqi included.

For a moment, the four of them just stared at each other in awkward silence.

Su Cheng could only force a stiff smile as a greeting.

Xuan Ying and Zhao Yan returned the gesture with polite smiles of their own.

Li Guanqi, however, just stared at him impassively.

Su Cheng lowered his head and pretended to check his phone to ease the tension. But since they were all heading back to the classroom, they ended up walking together.

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

The morning classes passed quickly. After school ended at noon, since Li Guanqi was going to have lunch with the girls again, Su Cheng decided to head to the Archery Club.

To express his gratitude to Ji Qingyi for yesterday, he had prepared several servings of dango at home the previous night as a token of appreciation.

As he walked, he noticed that the familiar gazes had returned—those wary, fearful looks.

Now, the ever-thoughtful "Fairy Qingyi" wouldn’t have to worry about him being bullied anymore.

A faint smile tugged at Su Cheng’s lips.

He wasn’t afraid of others’ stares; he just disliked unnecessary trouble.

After all, who enjoyed being mocked?

Well, except for those protagonists blessed with a "Grow Stronger When Mocked" system.

Walking toward the Archery Club, the crowd around him gradually thinned. But as he passed the library, he nearly bumped into Gu Ruoxue, who seemed to have noticed him as well.

Their eyes met.

Su Cheng greeted her politely.

"Club President."

"Hm."

Gu Ruoxue responded with a soft hum and continued walking.

"Looking for any books? I can help borrow them for you."

Seeing her about to leave, Su Cheng quickly added.

"No need."

Her tone remained as cool as ever, though her steps slowed slightly.

"Aren’t you going to the cafeteria for lunch?"

Su Cheng was puzzled.

"I usually eat at the club, not the cafeteria."

Gu Ruoxue replied indifferently.

Su Cheng: "Oh."

Gu Ruoxue stopped and turned to look at him. "Since you’re heading back to the club too, let’s go together."

"Eh?"

Su Cheng froze.

He hadn’t expected Gu Ruoxue to invite him to lunch together.

This was truly a first—like a maiden’s first time riding a bridal sedan.

Of course, he was happy to oblige.

However, he needed to deliver the dango to Ji Qingyi at the Archery Club first.

Su Cheng nodded. "Sure, thank you for the offer. But I’ll have to join you a bit later."

Gu Ruoxue’s brows furrowed slightly, but she said nothing. Instead, her gaze lingered on him with a hint of scrutiny.

"Going to the Archery Club?"

"Yes."

Su Cheng explained briefly.

Gu Ruoxue nodded and didn’t press further, continuing on her way.

Watching her retreating figure, Su Cheng inexplicably sensed her displeasure.

Even now, he couldn’t quite grasp her thoughts.

Their relationship hadn’t progressed at all.

Still, delivering something to Ji Qingyi was simply following his truest feelings.

With that in mind, Su Cheng quickened his pace and entered the Archery Club’s dojo.

Since it was still early, the dojo was nearly empty.

So, he headed straight for Ji Qingyi’s private training area.

Arriving at the door, he knocked.

"The master is not here."

A cold, detached voice of a mature woman came from inside.

It was Ji Qingyi’s attendant.

"I came to deliver something for her. Could you take it and pass it to her later?"

Su Cheng explained.

Hearing his voice, the attendant inside fell silent for a moment before responding, "Please wait. I’ll open the door for you."

Soon, the door swung open.

The attendant stood there, her expression stern as she regarded Su Cheng. "The young mistress will arrive in three minutes. Please wait patiently."

With that, she stepped aside, gesturing for him to enter.

Su Cheng smiled. "Got it."

The attendant then closed the door, leaving Su Cheng alone inside.

After a brief pause, Su Cheng sat on a nearby chair to wait for Ji Qingyi.

But three minutes passed.

Ji Qingyi still hadn’t arrived.

Considering that Gu Ruoxue might be waiting for him to eat, he decided to leave the sweets on her office tea table. Seeing the office door ajar, he moved to place them there.

Yet the moment he stepped inside, his eyes landed on a photo frame on the table—and he froze.

That hadn’t been there before!

Just as he was about to approach for a closer look, a sudden wave of danger prickled his senses.

He whipped his head around to find Ji Qingyi standing behind him, her deep, beautiful eyes locked onto him with an intensity that promised violence if he dared take another step.

Su Cheng: "..."

The world truly worked in mysterious ways.

Why did these coincidences keep happening?

Couldn’t he at least get a glimpse first?