Some Commissions from the Practice Department

Afternoon.

PE class.

An empty tennis court.

Su Cheng sat on the bench, holding a tennis racket, lost in thought about Ji Qingyi's words from lunch.

Is she about to admit she cares about me?

Just then, footsteps approached. He looked up to see Zhao Yan and her two friends standing beside him.

Xuan Ying held a water bottle.

Zhao Yan carried a towel.

Li Guanqi stood empty-handed, but her gaze lingered on the small hair tie that had suddenly appeared around Su Cheng's wrist. She frowned slightly, lost in thought.

"Here... have some water."

Xuan Ying shyly handed him the bottle, then immediately clasped her hands behind her back, giving him no chance to refuse.

Su Cheng coughed awkwardly, accepting it. "Thanks."

Meanwhile, Zhao Yan draped the towel over his shoulder with a smile. "You've been pretty active today. Must be exhausted."

"Not really, I'm fine."

Surrounded by the three of them, Su Cheng felt overwhelmed. He quickly wiped the sweat from his forehead with the towel and changed the subject. "Aren’t you guys playing?"

"We already exercised elsewhere."

"I need to save my energy for club activities later."

Xuan Ying and Zhao Yan answered eagerly, but Su Cheng simply handed his racket to Li Guanqi. "Then I’ll play a few rounds with her!"

Li Guanqi took the racket, gave him a glance, and nodded. The two of them walked toward the court, leaving Xuan Ying and Zhao Yan staring at each other in bewilderment.

Li Guanqi's stamina was average—rated at 5. Not particularly high, but not low either.

Yet after just a short match, she was already drenched in sweat, breathing heavily.

She stopped, panting slightly. "Seems like I can’t keep up with you."

"It’s just for exercise. No need to push yourself."

Su Cheng waved it off, then grabbed the towel and handed it to her, lowering his voice. "Still going to the lecture today?"

She wiped the sweat from her forehead, her voice no longer as composed as usual—instead, it carried a breathless, almost alluring lilt. "Some of the things I ordered yesterday arrived, so I’m skipping it."

Her chest rose and fell rapidly, her cheeks flushed, and her delicate features radiated an irresistible charm.

For a moment, Su Cheng’s throat went dry. He swallowed hard and forced himself to look away.

"That’s the towel Su Cheng used!"

From the sidelines, Xuan Ying’s expression darkened as she watched Li Guanqi wipe her face. She had been planning to sneak that towel home later.

Beside her, Zhao Yan blinked in surprise, then chuckled. "Maybe they’re just caught up in the moment and didn’t notice."

Soon after, Su Cheng and Li Guanqi returned, just as the bell rang, signaling the end of PE class.

After a brief exchange, the group went their separate ways—each with their own plans.

Xuan Ying, for instance, doubled back to swipe the towel before heading to the library for her lecture.

Li Guanqi went home to change.

Zhao Yan left for the gymnastics club.

And Su Cheng, after a quick rinse in the showers, made his way to the "Travel & Team-Building Club."

Why that name?

Well, what was supposed to be a simple trip back to their old school on Friday had somehow turned into a full-blown group outing—all thanks to Su Cheng’s meddling.

——————————

Social Practice Club

As usual, Gu Ruoxue sat at her desk, typing away at her computer, barely acknowledging the sound of the door opening.

Su Cheng stepped inside, noting how the only sound in the room was the rhythmic clicking of her mouse. She’s really dedicated, he mused.

But here was the thing—in all his time at this club, they’d only handled a handful of requests. The rest of the time, he’d been free to read, scroll on his phone, or basically treat it like a vacation. So what exactly was Gu Ruoxue so busy with?

When she didn’t acknowledge him, Su Cheng sat down, deep in thought. Eventually, his eyes drifted to her computer.

Maybe a quick peek would solve the mystery.

What if she’s secretly gaming?

With that in mind, he casually walked to the cabinet, picked up the kettle, and started boiling water for tea—planning to sneak a glance while serving her a cup.

As he rummaged for tea leaves, a cool voice cut through the silence.

"Third drawer."

Su Cheng spun around to see Gu Ruoxue still fixated on her screen, not even sparing him a glance.

"Ah, right."

Sure enough, the drawer was stocked with an assortment of teas. He grabbed a pinch at random.

Ten minutes later, he asked, "Want me to pour you a cup?"

"If you wouldn’t mind."

Her reply was as detached as ever.

Nodding, Su Cheng retrieved her mug, added fresh leaves, and soon the sound of bubbling water filled the room. He handed her the steaming cup.

"Thanks."

She took a sip without looking up.

But now, Su Cheng could finally see her screen—and his eyes widened.

Dozens of unread emails filled the inbox. Some from individuals, others from clubs, teachers, even external organizations.

Why hasn’t she mentioned any of these? And why keep them from me?

Gu Ruoxue noticed his stunned silence. Setting down her tea, she massaged her shoulders and explained flatly, "Most are just people venting. Nothing urgent—just requires a quick read and response."

Su Cheng pointed at the most recent email. "The PR club sent a request, but you rejected it outright?"

Her expression turned icy. After a pause, she replied, "I assumed you wouldn’t go. So I declined."

Su Cheng laughed dryly. "You make it sound like I’d ignore someone in need. If you’d just asked, I’d have—"

He clicked open the email mid-sentence—then froze.

His face slowly turned toward Gu Ruoxue, mortified.

"...Yeah, no. Perfect call. There’s no way I’d help with that. Way too embarrassing."

The content of the letter's commission explicitly requested Su Cheng to serve as a model for the Publicity Department, creating promotional materials for the academy. The key requirement was to capture a vibrant, youthful image—specifically, posing in various school uniforms.

Think blazers, swimsuits, equestrian outfits—basically every type of student uniform imaginable. In short, the task demanded Su Cheng wear an array of standardized school attire and strike all sorts of embarrassing poses for the brochure.

And this brochure? It would be distributed externally, showcased to prospective students interested in Flame City Private Academy!

Reading the email, Su Cheng felt his entire being short-circuit. His expression darkened as he grumbled, "Why me? Shouldn’t they be asking you instead?"

Gu Ruoxue took a graceful sip from her teacup, casting him a sidelong glance before replying coolly, "Most students with decent looks refuse to take on this job. Plus, many have family rules prohibiting their photos from appearing in any media."

She took another sip and continued, "So in previous years, we’ve hired outside models. But this year, you’ve made quite the splash both in society and at the academy. And your appearance is… passable."

Su Cheng’s lips twisted in displeasure, his face scrunching up in irritation.

Internally, he griped: "Just ‘passable’? Someone’s standards must be sky-high."

Naturally, his thoughts took a jab at Gu Ruoxue—after all, she was his ex-girlfriend.

"Huh?"

Just then, he noticed another email—this one from the [Student Council].

Again, it was addressed to him.

But this time, the request came from the [National Student Games Committee]. The task? At the opening ceremony of the National Student Games, he was to light an arrow with the sacred flame and shoot it to ignite the torch stand twenty meters high.

Reading the details, Su Cheng’s eyebrows shot up. Such a flashy, show-offy role—why would anyone turn it down?

"I think I could handle this one," he said, frowning slightly but with genuine seriousness. "As a champion, I’m confident I can pull it off flawlessly."

Gu Ruoxue didn’t hesitate. She shook her head in refusal, then glanced at the screen and remarked, "You’d have to report to the event’s organizing committee. Still want to go?"

"Ah… Well, when you put it that way, it does sound like a hassle."

Su Cheng stepped away from the computer and returned to his seat, realizing Gu Ruoxue had already weighed the pros and cons of these requests on his behalf.

But as he sat down, his gaze lingered on her tired expression. Unable to hold back, he said with concern, "I could help you handle some of this at home. I might not do it as well as you, but at least I could lighten your load."

"No. Given your personality, some emails aren’t suitable for you to handle."

Gu Ruoxue lifted her eyes, meeting his with a firm look. "Besides, this is club work. You need rest—and so do I. These things should stay within the club."

Her voice, mature and gentle, sent an inexplicable warmth surging through Su Cheng’s chest. His heartbeat quickened, and an impulsive urge flickered within him.

He took a deep breath, steadying himself, then grinned playfully. "If that’s the case, I can’t just sit around. The club’s my responsibility too."

"If I’m not here, you can handle things yourself. But when I am, leave it to me." Her tone brooked no argument.

Su Cheng blinked. He suddenly realized Gu Ruoxue had changed—no longer the solitary figure she once was.

Seizing the moment, he opened up: "I went to a pet store yesterday. Bought some stuff, and since they were running a promo, they threw in a free can of cat food."

At that, Gu Ruoxue’s usually impassive face showed a flicker of surprise, as if verifying whether he was serious.

Under her gaze, Su Cheng coughed awkwardly and added, "Uh, I don’t have a cat. But I remembered you always carry cat food, so I took it."

"Oh… Is that so? Let me see."

Her expression neutral again, she extended a slender hand, palm up, waiting for him to hand it over.

Su Cheng retrieved the item from his system space and placed it in her hand.

Gu Ruoxue inspected it carefully, then frowned. "Too many legumes, high in carbs, and nearly expired. Typical freebie quality."

"Wait, so it’s bad?"

Su Cheng was taken aback. The salesperson had hyped it up as the world’s finest cat food—so much so he’d almost been tempted to try it himself.

After a long pause, Gu Ruoxue finally spoke. "It’s bottom-tier. Not worth buying."

"Ugh…"

Su Cheng winced, muttering, "Guess you get what you pay for."

Gu Ruoxue glanced up at him, her lips parting slightly. "It’s low-grade, but it won’t harm the cats. As long as you feed them properly, there won’t be issues."

Su Cheng studied her serious expression and asked curiously, "So… do you have a cat?"

"No."

"Then why carry cat food around?"

Gu Ruoxue pressed her lips together, hesitating for a few seconds before explaining, "I feed stray cats at the park every day."

"Ah."

Su Cheng blinked. That answered his question, but it wasn’t what he’d expected.

A cat lover who doesn’t own a cat?

"I’ll keep this can."

She tucked the cat food into her bag just as the club’s closing bell rang.

Su Cheng stood. "I’ll head out first."

"Mm." Gu Ruoxue nodded and began tidying up.

……………………………………

The next day,

Thursday

Class 1-2

Fourth period, morning.

As usual, Su Cheng’s gaze drifted toward the corner where Li Guanqi sat. But this time, his brows furrowed—today, she was uncharacteristically dozing off, swaying drowsily in her seat.

Looking closer, he noticed dark circles under her eyes, her whole demeanor exhausted.

"Did she really stay up making that wireless vibrator?"

He didn’t know whether to scold her or not. This was his task, yet she’d thrown herself into it so wholeheartedly—even neglecting her health.

Nowadays, even he avoided all-nighters unless absolutely necessary, let alone a girl.

Just then, Li Guanqi jolted awake, shaking her head before pulling a thermos from her desk and gulping down some tea. Only then did she seem more alert.

She glanced toward Su Cheng’s seat, confirming he wasn’t looking her way, then turned her attention back to the lecture, resuming her notes.

Ding-dong~

Fourth period ended.

Li Guanqi began packing up her stationery, then sat at her desk, waiting for Xuan Ying and Zhao Yan to invite her to the cafeteria together.

"Guanqi, let's go."

Soon, Xuan Ying and Zhao Yan appeared at the classroom doorway, calling out to Li Guanqi.

"Just a moment," Li Guanqi replied before slinging her bag over her shoulder and standing up. But before she could step out of the classroom, she heard Su Cheng's voice from behind—"Wait!"

Hearing this, the three girls paused and turned around. Xuan Ying looked at Su Cheng with surprise and curiosity, asking, "What's up?"

When Su Cheng saw the faint redness lingering in Li Guanqi's eyes as she turned, his heart ached.

So, without hesitation, he declared to the other two girls, "Sorry, but I’ve already made plans to have lunch with Li Guanqi today."

(Please, kind sirs, spare this humble one a bite to eat!)