At the entrance of the private dojo.
Su Cheng took several deep breaths before finally mustering the courage to knock on the door.
Knock, knock, knock.
"Come in."
Soon, Ji Qingyi's cold and indifferent voice sounded from within.
When Su Cheng pushed the door open and entered, he found Ji Qingyi practicing calligraphy with a brush in hand.
"President, I've come to apologize to you."
Su Cheng lowered his posture, speaking with utmost respect.
"Oh? What have you done wrong?"
Ji Qingyi paused her movements and turned her gaze toward Su Cheng.
At this moment, as she was practicing calligraphy, she wasn’t wearing her school uniform but rather a simple, elegant white calligraphy robe, which made her seem less stern than usual and instead highlighted a delicate, feminine charm. Her hair was tied up, and the teardrop mole at the corner of her eye appeared even more enchantingly alluring.
"It's about the photo frame incident yesterday..."
Su Cheng recounted his own scheming actions from the day before in full detail. After finishing, he stood in place, awaiting Ji Qingyi’s reprimand.
Hearing this, Ji Qingyi’s expression didn’t change much, but the gloom between her brows eased slightly. She walked to the side, picked up a teacup from the table, and took a sip of hot tea.
Seeing that Ji Qingyi didn’t seem as angry as before, Su Cheng tentatively asked, "Um… President, I won’t ever do such a foolish and unnecessary thing again."
"You think it was foolish?"
Ji Qingyi set down the teacup and fixed her eyes on him.
"Yes. The president has always been incredibly considerate toward me, yet I acted so ungratefully. It was completely unacceptable."
Su Cheng answered earnestly.
"So, you do realize how rude and childish your actions were."
Though her face remained expressionless, Ji Qingyi extended a hand, pointing to a stool nearby, signaling for Su Cheng to sit. Once he was seated, she continued, "In that case, I won’t dwell on it further."
"Mm-hmm!"
Su Cheng nodded repeatedly, the tension in his heart finally easing as a faint smile appeared on his face.
"Yesterday, Ji Yuewu told me that your classmates are planning to visit your hometown to look for her. Did you know about this?"
Ji Qingyi suddenly changed the subject, her tone indifferent.
"Though Senior Ji didn’t mention it to me, I was aware of it."
Su Cheng nodded honestly.
"I see."
Ji Qingyi acknowledged with a slight nod before continuing, "If you find it unpleasant, I can have her divert your classmates elsewhere."
"No need."
Su Cheng shook his head, then said seriously, "I’ll be going back this Friday as well."
Since the topic had come up, he felt he shouldn’t hide this matter. Though the president had never explicitly expressed it in words, her actions had always been sincere and considerate toward him.
Something this important shouldn’t be concealed.
His words, however, caused Ji Qingyi to pause in surprise. She looked up at Su Cheng, puzzled. "You’re making a special trip back just because of this?"
Su Cheng nodded, then fell silent for a moment before confessing truthfully, "It’s also because Minister Gu… She happened to invite me to go back with her this Friday…"
"What a coincidence."
Hearing Su Cheng’s reply, Ji Qingyi raised an eyebrow, her tone carrying a hint of gravity as she sank into brief contemplation.
"Yeah, I thought it was too much of a coincidence too."
Su Cheng smiled bitterly.
"Not just a coincidence—it’s also quite strange."
Ji Qingyi narrowed her eyes, a glint of sharp intelligence flickering in their depths.
"Do you have any insights, President?"
Su Cheng looked at Ji Qingyi curiously.
"Because hearing you say this has piqued my interest."
Ji Qingyi’s response made Su Cheng stiffen in shock.
Damn, this is really weird. Is this some kind of gathering of the stars?
"You’re going back to clarify things that happened between you in the past?"
Ji Qingyi saw through Su Cheng’s thoughts and asked with amusement.
"Yes. I need to figure out what happened back then."
Su Cheng nodded.
"But this matter is significant—it shouldn’t be taken lightly."
Ji Qingyi frowned slightly, her tone solemn. "Though I can’t simply stand by, I don’t intend to interfere. Do as you see fit."
With that, she waved her hand, signaling that Su Cheng could leave.
Su Cheng nodded but didn’t move, instead standing there and watching her.
Deep down, he knew that once he mentioned this, his president would surely go as well.
Because Ji Qingyi cared deeply about him.
"Is there something else?"
Ji Qingyi looked at Su Cheng questioningly.
"Yes…"
Su Cheng hesitated for a moment before gathering his courage to ask, "Um… President… There’s something I want to say to you."
"What is it?"
"I mean…"
Su Cheng fumbled for words before finally blurting out, "The truth is… I care about you too."
As soon as the words left his mouth, the room fell into silence. For the first time, Ji Qingyi’s perpetually emotionless face showed a trace of surprise. She stared at Su Cheng as if confirming whether she had heard correctly.
But her reaction only made Su Cheng more nervous. He even clenched his teeth and shut his eyes. "Yes… I care. If something like this happened to you, I’d do the same."
A long moment passed without a response. When he finally opened his eyes, he found Ji Qingyi still gazing at him.
Her dark, mesmerizing eyes, usually so deep and unreadable, now shimmered with ripples of emotion.
She studied Su Cheng as if trying to see through him, then parted her lips slightly and said softly, "You’re still playing games—forcing yourself to say this under the pretense of my feelings? I never said I cared about you."
Su Cheng froze at her words.
But then—
"No."
Su Cheng stubbornly shook his head, pressing a hand to his chest with firm determination. "No. It’s precisely because my heart has felt your care and kindness that I’ve mustered the courage to say something so embarrassing. I’m afraid if I miss this chance, I might never be brave enough to tell you directly again."
The room lapsed into silence once more.
"……"
Su Cheng held his breath, waiting.
He didn’t back down—instead, his nervousness only grew.
Finally, Ji Qingyi spoke again, and her words made him exhale in relief.
"I understand."
She looked at Su Cheng, her eyes carrying a rare softness and fondness as she said gently, "However, you’ll have to wait until you return for my answer. I hope you’ll still have the courage to face it then."
With that, she gracefully raised her hands and pulled the small hair tie from her ponytail, letting her long, ink-black hair cascade down like a waterfall.
Su Cheng stared dumbfounded as Ji Qingyi stepped lightly toward him. She lowered her head and, with gentle movements, wrapped the hair tie around his wrist.
Then she looked up.
The distance between them was so close that their breaths mingled. Ji Qingyi’s lashes trembled slightly as they locked eyes, neither willing to look away.
"I understand. Seems like there’ll be a reward when I get back!"
Su Cheng was the first to break, turning to leave in a hurry. But even in retreat, he refused to lose face—forcing a carefree grin as he strode away.
] [Lone Wolf, No Male Gaze] [Protagonist is pursued early on; extreme protagonist-stans, stay away!] The "Carnival Paradise" descends and slowly devours the real world in the form of a game. By chance, Zhu Yan awakens the talent [Roleplay], becoming one of the first beta players. He thought he could develop safely, but after clearing the first instance, he is branded by humanity as the chief culprit behind the game's spread—a traitorous villain. A villain? Who would ever... become one! He'll be the villain! From then on, Zhu Yan is not only a player but also a lackey for the Carnival Paradise. Between the straight path and the crooked path, he chooses the con. With his left hand, he dons the villain's mantle, staging scenes within instances, infuriating players who decry him as a despicable traitor, all while the game happily promotes him. With his right hand, he joins the non-human organization "Fangcun Mountain," which opposes the Carnival Paradise, transforming into a mysterious player who slaughters game bosses, earning cheers of "Long live the expert!" from fellow players. Gradually, Zhu Yan rises to become an S-rank human player in Fangcun Mountain's archives, while also being the Carnival Paradise's certified top game Boss. But when the final war erupts and both major factions place their hopes in him— Players tag his various aliases: "Experts, this offensive depends on you." The Carnival Paradise's supreme Boss throws an arm around his neck: "Bro, you're the iron, I'm the steel; you can't let me down again!"
ions, keeping it grounded and realistic】 After quitting his job, office worker Su Yang accidentally binds with the "Enjoy Life System." As the name suggests, simply by indulging in life's pleasures, he can earn random rewards from the system—no need to spend money on beautiful women or grovel before anyone. Just enjoy, and the money follows, making it all about effortless fun. The system comes with a scanning feature, allowing him to establish a favorability bond with women rated 85 points or above. Every 20-point increase in favorability unlocks additional rewards. After suffering through over twenty years of hardship, Su Yang trembles with excitement, his dull eyes suddenly gleaming with newfound hope. "Enjoy life? How hard could that be?"
ine. During your journey, you save an abandoned baby girl and become her elder brother】 【You rely on each other, becoming each other's support】 【At the end of the simulation, you shield the now-grown girl with your life, sacrificing yourself to block numerous demonic cultivators. You die, and the light in the girl's eyes fades】 …… 【Second Simulation: You are transported to a world where steam and magic coexist】 【You immerse yourself in the study of magic, obsessed with its research. One day, while out, you encounter a half-blooded demon girl wandering the streets. You take her in as your student】 【You teach the demoness what it means to be human, show her the beauty of the world, and nurture her into a miracle that surpasses even the gods】 【At the end of the simulation, you die of old age in front of the nearly immortal demoness due to your mortal lifespan】 …… One simulation after another, one encounter after another. Xu Xi suddenly felt something was off: "Wait, you said you're coming to the real world to find me?"
he colors of other people’s emotions. Light red meant anxiety. Gray meant exhaustion. Orange meant excitement. Yellow... meant repression. At the same time, he could gain unlimited control over one of those colors. Pale cyan: relaxation. Using this ability, he started offering “two-yuan hugs,” spending an afternoon exchanging emotional-color experiences with others. Then came his final female customer of the day— a girl whose emotional color was pure black... —— A week later, Xu Chuan had become skilled at using pale cyan—Relaxation—treating it like a bottle of menthol balm whenever he needed it. That was when he discovered he had unlocked another unlimited emotional color: Purple, the color of fear. So these emotional colors refresh every week? Fine, I take it back—I’ll never call you useless again... —— Much later, after Xu Chuan had accumulated countless emotional abilities, one night, he suddenly found himself inside someone else’s dream. There, he could use the emotional colors he possessed to paint. And in her dream, he painted her a shower of pink shooting stars, spreading across the depths of the night sky...
