Stars Shine Bright, Hometown Glows: Gathering of Stars in Hometown

Ji Qingyi sensed what was going through his mind at that moment, which in turn made Su Cheng fall silent.

Being with Ji Qingyi meant there was no need to put on a brave front or lie—she could always tell.

From the back seat, Gu Ruoxue also glanced over at him, her eyes scrutinizing, clearly having heard Ji Qingyi’s earlier words.

“Where’s the thing on your wrist?”

Ji Qingyi asked again.

Su Cheng froze, then looked down. The small hairband the club president had given him last time had been put away, leaving his wrist bare. He explained, “I put it away.”

“I see.”

Ji Qingyi’s tone was unreadable, yet it sent a shiver down Su Cheng’s spine.

He wasn’t sure if it was just his imagination, but Ji Qingyi seemed slightly displeased, as if she wasn’t happy about him not wearing the hairband.

The two of them fell silent over the matter.

The rest of the class passed in agony until the bell finally rang.

Xuan Ying and her two friends immediately got up and rushed out as if they had something urgent to attend to. Even Li Guanqi only gave him a glance before leaving the classroom with the others.

Surprisingly, Cornelia and Ailiya didn’t linger either, merely shooting him a few looks before carrying their absurdly large bouquet and walking out.

After bidding Ji Qingyi farewell, Su Cheng headed to the Social Practice Club.

“Good afternoon.”

Just as he was about to open the clubroom door, Gu Ruoxue’s voice came from beside him—softer than usual, lacking her usual sharpness and coldness, instead carrying a quiet, composed serenity.

Su Cheng paused mid-motion and turned to look at her. Dressed in her school uniform, she was as stunning as ever, as if she existed in a completely different world from ordinary people.

Especially now, with sunlight streaming in from outside and casting a faint glow on her face, making her almost radiant. Su Cheng found himself momentarily dazed.

This girl really knew how to set the scene!

He snapped out of it and replied, “Good afternoon.”

Then, he pushed the door open, while Gu Ruoxue lifted her long, straight legs—clad in black thigh-high socks—and stepped inside.

“After tea, we’ll head out,” Gu Ruoxue said, walking over to the cabinet and neatly arranging the tea set, her movements unhurried.

“Oh, sure.”

Su Cheng nodded and took his usual seat.

Soon, the aroma of tea and the sound of her brewing filled the clubroom.

He watched her meticulous movements with surprise—usually, she was much more straightforward.

Now, she stood before the steaming kettle, elegantly pouring hot water over the tea leaves. The sunlight filtering through the window refracted off the steam, casting a golden glow on her face and making her breathtakingly beautiful.

Impossible to replicate. Absolutely impossible.

Her ability to find the perfect backdrop was just too overpowering.

Why was it that among all humans, only she came with special effects?

Su Cheng squinted, secretly memorizing the time, angle, and pouring technique, determined to show off in front of Ji Qingyi and Li Guanqi someday.

Just then, she seemed to sense his gaze and looked up, tilting her head slightly as if silently asking, Is something wrong?

“No,” he shook his head.

“Here’s your tea.”

By the time he averted his eyes, Gu Ruoxue was already handing him his mug, her lips parting slightly as she spoke.

“Thanks.”

He took the cup and took a sip.

The tea was sweet and mellow, its fragrance enveloping him, making his eyes close involuntarily.

Huh, she’s actually pretty good at this.

Su Cheng marveled inwardly before glancing at Gu Ruoxue again—only to catch a fleeting look of satisfaction on her face.

But she quickly schooled her expression, sat down, and picked up a book as usual. Her fingers turned the pages gently, her focused gaze making it seem as if she wasn’t reading words but flipping through a long-sealed photo album.

“Wait a second!”

Su Cheng jolted in shock—because the book in her hands was a photo album. Unable to hold back, he shot up from his seat, causing Gu Ruoxue to close it.

“What’s wrong?”

She frowned at him.

“That album… it’s not full of old photos of us, is it?”

Su Cheng asked in disbelief.

At that, Gu Ruoxue pressed a hand to her temple as if warding off a headache, then wordlessly opened the album and held it up. “What do you think?”

Inside were various pictures of cats.

Su Cheng coughed awkwardly and forced a laugh, quickly changing the subject. “My bad, got a little carried away.”

“Hm.”

Gu Ruoxue responded indifferently and went back to reading.

Soon, he finished his tea in silence.

“I’ll pick you up at your place at five. I’m leaving first.”

With that, she walked out of the clubroom.

Su Cheng tidied up, locked the door, returned to the classroom to stash all the chocolates in his system inventory, then rode his bike home.

The moment he arrived, a message from Li Guanqi came through:

"About to board the plane."

Along with flight details.

After giving a few instructions to his pet crow, he changed clothes, packed a light backpack, and waited outside his apartment for Gu Ruoxue.

Ding-dong~

His phone buzzed again.

Su Cheng pulled it out and saw the caller ID: Ji Qingyi.

For some reason, his heart tightened.

After hesitating for a few seconds, he swiped to answer and held it to his ear.

“Su Cheng.”

Ji Qingyi called his name, then said, “I’ll be disguising myself and staying with Ji Yuewu and the others.”

“Got it.”

The moment he replied, the line went dead with a series of beeps. Su Cheng blinked in confusion.

Liu Qingyue was picking up Xuan Ying…

Which meant Ji Qingyi would be with them too?

Xuan Ying’s trio and the master-servant pair—that shouldn’t be a problem, right?

He gulped nervously, but with Li Guanqi around, nothing too crazy should happen… right?

Reassured, he stuffed his phone back into his pocket.

Then it buzzed again.

Li Guanqi: "Cornelia and a woman in her twenties just showed up at the airport."

“Huh?!”

Su Cheng stared at the message in shock.

Was Cornelia heading to his hometown too?

No way it’s a coincidence, right?

He never told her!

It had to be a coincidence!

Just then, a car pulled up abruptly beside him. In the back seat sat Gu Ruoxue. He opened the door, placed his bag between them, and climbed in, buckling his seatbelt.

“Where are we going?”

“The airport.”

Gu Ruoxue replied, now wearing oversized sunglasses and a hat that obscured her striking features.

Su Cheng raised an eyebrow. “Did you buy tickets?”

“Yes, already booked.”

“Wait—you know my ID number?!”

Su Cheng was stunned, but more than that, a sense of foreboding crept over him.

This couldn’t be happening, right?

Please don’t tell me they’re on the same flight as Li Guanqi…