Now it's all my turn, Noble and Pure Elegant Emperor

These past few days have been unusually agonizing for Cornelia because her father had returned. She had been restraining herself from seeking out Su Cheng, forcibly suppressing the turbulent emotions surging inside her.

But today was different.

It was a special day—Valentine's Day.

All her classmates had received flowers from their boyfriends, while she remained empty-handed.

It wasn’t that no one had tried. As one of the school’s most popular beauties, many had approached her with flowers and confessions today. But she had turned them all down.

"Ugh…"

Cornelia slumped over her desk, burying her face in her arms with a muffled sigh, feeling utterly restless.

"Happy Valentine’s Day."

Just then, a bouquet of roses was placed beside her, accompanied by a clear male voice.

"Go away." Cornelia muttered under her breath, not even lifting her head when she realized it wasn’t Su Cheng’s voice. Her irritation only grew.

But her words were too soft for the boy to hear.

Why hadn’t Su Cheng given her flowers?

She had even prepared a return gift—homemade chocolates, crafted with her own hands.

That was all she could think about right now.

"Cornelia, why are you still lying there? Let’s go!"

At Ailiya’s urging, Cornelia finally raised her head, only to find the boy from the neighboring class still standing there, smiling at her.

"I heard from other classmates… William, you don’t have a girlfriend, right?"

The boy seemed to gather his courage before speaking. "This might sound sudden, but… I really like you. Please… give me a chance."

"Sorry, I’m not in the mood for this right now." Cornelia frowned, then grabbed her bag and walked away without even glancing at him.

The boy could only offer a bitter smile, his expression not one of embarrassment or awkwardness, but of something lost—as if he had let go of something precious.

Cornelia paid no attention, striding away on her cute white-stockinged legs until she reached Ailiya at the door.

"Seriously, you don’t have to sulk just because you didn’t get flowers from a certain someone this morning," Ailiya teased, eyeing her expression. "Besides, it’s only noon. There’s still the afternoon and evening."

"You’re so annoying, always poking at sore spots," Cornelia shot back, glaring at her, though she did feel slightly better.

"Alright, alright~" Ailiya giggled, then looked into the distance. "Let’s go eat. How about some shopping this afternoon for Valentine’s Day?"

"No thanks," Cornelia replied lazily. "I have homework to finish. My dad’s going to check it later!"

"Eh?" Ailiya blinked in surprise, nudging her elbow. "What about the weekend then?"

"The weekend…?" Cornelia thought for a moment before nodding. "That might work… Fine, let’s go."

Ailiya grinned. "That’s more like it! You don’t have to spend all your energy on studying. Having fun once in a while is good too~"

With that, the two headed toward the cafeteria as usual, though Cornelia’s gaze kept darting around, searching for a certain someone—with no luck.

"If you want to see him so badly, why not just go find him?" Ailiya suddenly suggested. "You could take the initiative for once."

"I…" Cornelia hesitated but ultimately shook her head. "No, forget it."

"He’s shy and reclusive. I think you should be the one to make a move," Ailiya coaxed. "And with your charm and wit, I’m sure he’ll be wrapped around your finger in no time!"

Ever since the incident last time,

she had become a staunch supporter of the Cornelia-Su Cheng ship!

Anyone who dared to come between them would get bitten!

"……"

Cornelia stayed silent, but her sapphire-blue eyes flickered with contemplation, as if Ailiya’s words had struck a chord.

Just then, Ailiya stopped walking and nudged Cornelia, who was lost in thought.

"Huh? What?" Cornelia asked, confused.

"Look who’s ahead~" Ailiya winked, her pretty face brimming with amusement. "If you don’t go, I’ll tell him myself—that you’re dying to get flowers from him!"

Cornelia looked up and spotted Su Cheng standing in a secluded corner, head bowed as he fiddled with his phone, seemingly absorbed in something.

Before she could react, Ailiya started running toward him.

"Wait—!" Cornelia yelped, grabbing Ailiya’s arm and dragging her forward.

"Then hurry up and go!" Ailiya teased, barely holding back laughter at Cornelia’s flustered expression.

"You…!" Cornelia glared at her, cheeks burning, as if she wanted to bite her.

But in the end, she gave in. Taking a deep breath, she blushed and murmured, "Just… wait for me a second."

Ailiya covered her mouth, stifling giggles, and gave her an encouraging thumbs-up.

"Hmph!" Cornelia pouted, stealing glances at Su Cheng before inching closer, step by tiny step.

Su Cheng was currently typing a message to Li Guanqi: "Sure, but the chocolate has too much sugar. You’re not allowed to eat it…"

Noticing he hadn’t spotted her, Cornelia exhaled in relief, then tiptoed forward, extending a slender finger to lightly poke his neck.

"Ah—!" Su Cheng flinched, turning around in surprise—only to meet a familiar face.

"C-Cornelia? What’s up?" He blinked, caught off guard.

Face flushed, Cornelia pulled out a heart-shaped chocolate box from her skirt and stammered, "H-Here… I made this for you. Try it."

"Eh?"

Su Cheng was genuinely shocked. Cornelia, the epitome of tsundere, had actually mustered the courage to give him chocolate directly?!

"Hurry up and take it!"

Seeing him frozen, Cornelia’s face burned even hotter, and she urged impatiently, "Come on!"

"Oh."

Snapping out of it, Su Cheng accepted the chocolate and mumbled, "I’m just… surprised."

"Surprised about what?"

Cornelia turned her head away, cheeks still pink.

"Knowing you, I expected something like, ‘I didn’t want to give this to you! Someone else gave it to me, and I couldn’t finish it, so here!’" Su Cheng scratched his head and chuckled awkwardly. "But you just handed it over without saying anything. Totally caught me off guard, haha…"

"Who would say something like that?!"

Cornelia stomped her foot, her face now scarlet, but a sweet warmth bubbled up inside her, as if she had been dipped in honey.

Because she had genuinely wanted to say something like that earlier to ease the tension in her heart…

As expected, Su Cheng understood her perfectly.

Still, she deliberately put on a fierce expression and said, "Stop laughing!"

"Mm, got it." Su Cheng nodded obediently. "Then… I’ll go grab some food first."

Cornelia immediately panicked and blurted out, "Hey… wait—!"

"Is there something else?" Su Cheng asked, tilting his head in confusion.

"Did you forget something?" Cornelia puffed up her cheeks like an irritated kitten, glaring at him.

Su Cheng quickly realized—she was asking for the flower.

"Ah, sorry, my bad. But…" He scratched his head awkwardly before continuing, "Can you wait here for me? I’ll be back really quick."

Cornelia finally relented with a huff, lifting her chin haughtily. "Fine, but hurry up!"

She assumed Su Cheng was going back to the classroom to fetch a pre-prepared bouquet.

"Don’t worry, I’ll be lightning-fast."

With a reassuring smile, Su Cheng dashed off—straight into the garden owned by a certain Ji-family young lady—intending to pluck another flower as a gift for Cornelia.

"Mr. Su Cheng, if you wish to take another flower from this garden, you must replace it with one even more vibrant. That is the young mistress’s rule." A poised, mature-looking female attendant intercepted him with a practiced polite smile.

"Understood." Su Cheng grinned before asking, "What kind of flower is appropriate for a friend?"

"For friends…" The attendant mused, frowning slightly. "You could choose sunflowers, calla lilies, or lilies—though the options aren’t strictly limited to flowers."

Su Cheng stroked his chin thoughtfully, then nodded. "What’s the meaning of sunflowers?"

Sunflowers matched Cornelia’s hair color perfectly, and they symbolized positivity, faith, radiance, loyalty—it was the ideal choice for her.

"Sunflowers represent hope—the hope that the recipient will bravely pursue their dreams," the attendant explained with a smile.

"Then I’ll take that one."

"Very well."

The attendant turned, plucked a fresh sunflower from the garden, wrapped it neatly in paper, and handed it to Su Cheng.

"Thanks!" He beamed at her before slipping away.

Then…

Once out of sight, he dripped a single drop of red liquid onto the flower.

Instantly, the sunflower bloomed into a dazzling golden hue, radiating vitality and brilliance, impossible to overlook.

Delighted, Su Cheng cradled the sunflower and sprinted back toward Cornelia.

Soon, Cornelia spotted Su Cheng rushing toward her, clutching a large, radiant sunflower. Her breath hitched.

"I-Is this for me?" she stammered nervously.

"Mm." Su Cheng smiled softly, gently placing the sunflower in her arms. Just as he was about to excuse himself for lunch, Cornelia cut him off.

"Wait—you don’t have to say it. I already know." Her face flushed as she spoke rapidly, "Anyway, thanks! I’ve gotta go!"

With that, she bolted like a startled rabbit, leaving Su Cheng staring blankly after her retreating figure.

"……"

Su Cheng was utterly baffled.

Had Cornelia developed mind-reading powers?

………………

Cornelia’s heart pounded wildly in her chest. She had known what Su Cheng was about to say—but she wasn’t ready yet. Besides, her parents were home these days, so she chose to flee.

"Tsk tsk… Sunflowers, huh?"

Ailiya scrolled through flower symbolism on her phone and remarked, "They stand for 'silent love'—affection that goes unspoken."

"Shut up! Stop talking nonsense!" Cornelia’s face burned crimson as she snapped at her.

"Am I wrong?" Ailiya shrugged. "That’s literally what they symbolize, whether you admit it or not."

"Ignoring you now."

Too embarrassed to face the truth, Cornelia stomped her foot, hugged the sunflower tightly, and stormed off.

Watching Cornelia’s flustered retreat, Ailiya’s lips curled into a knowing smile. She was genuinely happy for her friend.

She didn’t follow, giving Cornelia space to process everything. Ever since the incident with Su Cheng’s… unfortunate hanging stunt, Ailiya had grown more attuned to others’ feelings—though she hadn’t even realized it herself.

Meanwhile, Cornelia ducked into a secluded corner and frantically searched for sunflower meanings on her phone.

[Silent love]

[Adoration]

[Loyalty]

The words flashed through her mind, making her heart hammer so hard she felt lightheaded, almost suffocated.

"Haa… haa… haa…"

After several deep breaths, she steadied herself and kept refreshing flower-related posts—until one titled "Eyes Only for You" caught her attention.

The post read: "Sunflowers always turn their faces toward the sun, steadfastly following its path across the sky. If someone gives you a sunflower, it means they’ll orbit around you like the sunflower does the sun—always watching, always loyal, no matter where you go."

Cornelia clutched her chest.

Even though she knew sunflowers symbolized more than just silence, this interpretation sent her heart into overdrive, pounding so loudly she swore it might leap out of her throat.

"Next year, during the tripartite meeting, if you declare your dream is to become Prime Minister… then I’ll announce mine too: to make Cornelia the Prime Minister!"

"My dream is to see Cornelia as Prime Minister!"

Su Cheng’s passionate, resolute voice echoed in her mind, each word striking her heart like a drumbeat.

"Honestly… giving me this…"

Cornelia whispered to herself, eyes glistening. She slowly sank to her knees in the grass, hugging the sunflower to her chest as tears streamed down her face.

After a long while, she wiped her eyes, stood up, and resumed walking—this time humming cheerfully, skipping like a carefree child, her joy pure and unguarded.

But she hadn’t gone far before bumping into Xuan Ying, Zhao Yan, and Li Guanqi, who were returning from lunch.

Unable to resist, she "accidentally" flaunted the flower in her arms.

The trio, well aware of Cornelia’s closeness to Su Cheng, froze at her blatant showboating.

"Ugh, so obnoxious. Showing off much?" Xuan Ying rolled her eyes, entirely unimpressed, while Zhao Yan stifled a giggle.

Li Guanqi gave Cornelia a thoughtful glance before looking away.

As the two groups were about to pass each other, Cornelia suddenly put on an exaggerated look of surprise and called out, "Hey, wait!"

"What's wrong?" Xuan Ying and the other two stopped in confusion.

Cornelia was armed with a weapon—she wouldn’t waste this opportunity on a pointless attack!

So—

"You're in the same class as Su Cheng, right? Could you thank him for me? Tell him I really love the flowers."

With that, she hugged the sunflower tightly with one hand while using the other to pull down her eyelid and stick out her tongue, making a perfectly cute silly face. Then, clutching the flower, she turned and ran off.

In that instant, Xuan Ying and Zhao Yan’s expressions froze, and even Li Guanqi beside them stared blankly at her retreating figure.

……………………………………

Cornelia couldn’t contain the overwhelming satisfaction in her heart. Recalling the scene of her little display just now, her cheeks flushed slightly, but inwardly, she was absolutely thrilled.

Right now... it's 12:35 in Flame Country...

All the grievances and sadness she had bottled up before were finally released!

But she wasn’t stopping here!

She had to spread the news—Su Cheng had given her flowers!

She absolutely had to find a way to make sure everyone who knew Su Cheng heard about this... or else... she’d burst from holding it in!

Cornelia—showing off—

Humming a tune, she wandered aimlessly with the flower in her arms. It was like a fisherman landing a huge catch—a glorious achievement that simply had to be flaunted.

So now, she was loitering near the Archery Club, but unfortunately, she didn’t run into Ji Qingyi, which left her deeply disappointed. Resigned, she headed back to the school building with her sunflower.

But just as she was about to change into her indoor shoes, she overheard something utterly shocking.

"Guanqi, have you talked to your family about the trip to Su Cheng’s hometown?" Xuan Ying asked softly.

"Yeah," Li Guanqi nodded.

"Then after the open class this afternoon, we’ll head straight to the airport."

"Okay."