Signatures and Sugar Figurines

On a highway, Su Cheng's expression grew increasingly solemn.

He occasionally glanced at the rapidly passing scenery outside the car window. Even though he couldn’t make out anything clearly, he couldn’t help but peek, his emotions a tangled mess.

At this moment, his feelings were a mixture of excitement and apprehension, because he was about to return home.

And Liu Qingyue had mentioned that his hometown had undergone a complete transformation, turning into a place he wouldn’t recognize.

But it had only been a little over a month.

How much could it have changed?

He didn’t know.

So his emotions were complicated.

Perhaps this was—“the closer one gets to home, the more apprehensive one feels.”

Finally, after roughly twenty minutes of driving, the car exited the highway. What should have been a bumpy, muddy dirt road was now smooth and unobstructed.

He noticed a signpost outside.

This was indeed the road leading to the county town, but now it was entirely different from what he remembered.

"The changes are remarkable. The driving experience is smooth and comfortable," Gu Ruoxue murmured softly, brushing aside the stray strands of hair on her forehead.

"Yeah..."

Su Cheng lowered his head and mumbled to himself.

"Not only is the road surface smooth, but it's also wider. This must be a newly built road, right?" Gu Ruoxue glanced around and continued, "And I remember the roadside used to be barren. Now it’s lush and green."

Hearing Gu Ruoxue’s words, Su Cheng snapped out of his daze and turned to look outside. Sure enough, the roadsides were lined with verdant trees.

"Should we head home first?"

Suddenly, Gu Ruoxue asked softly.

"No... no..."

Su Cheng quickly shook his head, collecting his thoughts and taking a deep breath. "I... I’m feeling a bit nervous... I’m not ready yet."

As he spoke, his voice grew increasingly subdued, as though something were stuck in his throat, making it hard to articulate.

She observed the anxious state of Su Cheng, who was experiencing psychological resistance, and fell into deep thought, beginning to analyze.

This was a manifestation of "homecoming anxiety."

Such anxiety might stem from his inability to let go of past self-perceptions and his discomfort with a new environment.

But more than that, it was likely that Su Cheng wasn’t yet prepared to face everything.

His elevated status brought both pressure and a sense of responsibility, while simultaneously fueling his desire for greater recognition and attention in his hometown. This blend of expectations and pressure left him feeling nervous and uneasy.

Additionally, he might feel that his identity and role had shifted, making him unsure of how to respond to the expectations and attention of his hometown's people. This uncertainty could also contribute to his nervousness.

Moreover, there might be lingering fears or insecurities within him—concerns that the reactions in his hometown might not align with his expectations, or worries that past experiences from his hometown might resurface, causing discomfort.

In summary, this nervousness and unease were likely the result of multiple complex psychological factors intertwining. Su Cheng needed to delve into his inner thoughts, gradually confront and resolve these feelings.

For now, he was using avoidance as a way to sidestep these issues.

Analysis complete.

Gu Ruoxue furrowed her delicate brows slightly as she looked at Su Cheng’s hand. A flicker of hesitation flashed deep in her eyes, but she quickly dismissed the thought. Her lips moved faintly, and she softly said, “Let’s go straight to the hotel then.”

After speaking, she shifted her gaze to the window, her expression gradually returning to calm, as though the hesitation just now had been an illusion.

But Su Cheng still couldn’t settle his emotions.

He sat uneasily, glancing backward through the rearview mirror from time to time. As he watched the scenery retreating behind them, he realized that not only the traffic, neighborhoods, environment, and buildings, but even the endpoints of every road were completely different from what he remembered.

He repeatedly questioned whether he had come to the wrong place. After all, how could the things he remembered change so drastically in just over a month?

Now,

What would his home look like?

The orphanage.

In his memory, the orphanage hadn’t been renovated for a long time, but the environment inside was clean, the living spaces were warm, and the lifestyle was somewhat similar to a boarding school. Food, clothing, shelter, and transportation were all provided.

If there was anything lacking, it was love.

“Actually, just taking one look is enough for me.”

Su Cheng suddenly blurted out this sentence.

Gu Ruoxue turned her head in surprise and looked at him, seemingly trying to decipher the meaning behind his words. She tilted her head slightly.

Regardless, she didn’t ask further.

After a long while,

The vehicle stopped in front of the hotel.

This was the best hotel in the entire county. Its service and environment were excellent, and the prices were quite reasonable—affordable even for ordinary working-class families.

Su Cheng and Gu Ruoxue entered the elevator.

With their room cards in hand, they arrived at their rooms.

301 and 302.

“Ding-dong~”

The elevator reached the third floor, and the doors slowly opened. Both of them walked to their respective room doors. Just as Su Cheng was about to swipe his card and enter to charge his phone,

Gu Ruoxue suddenly spoke up, “Get a good rest tonight. Tomorrow morning, we’ll visit the school.”

“Alright,” Su Cheng nodded.

Then, Su Cheng swiped his card to enter his room. He inserted the card into the slot by the door, and the room lights immediately lit up.

This was a suite, complete with a living room, sofa, television, computer, balcony, and other amenities. The decor was elegant and luxurious, simple yet refined.

“I didn’t expect the place to have such a high standard.”

Su Cheng glanced around, silently marveling to himself. Though he had never been to this location before, he hadn’t imagined that a hotel in a county could be so clean and well-maintained.

He changed into slippers and walked straight to the power outlet to charge his phone.

Urgent!

Find Pingfan and Xiao Qiqi!

How are they doing?

Did they settle down in the city?

…

Meanwhile, outside the hotel, a business car was parked. A short-haired woman in an OL uniform stepped out of the hotel entrance.

She glanced at her watch, then moved her slender, straight legs toward the car. As she approached, the car door automatically opened, revealing four young women sitting inside.

“They’ve checked in and booked two rooms.”

Liu Qingyue explained to the four women inside the car.

As her words fell, the atmosphere in the car seemed to freeze for a moment before a collective sigh of relief broke the tension.

“Phew… That scared me.”

“In that case, why don’t we stay at this hotel too?”

Xuan Ying patted her chest and said, although her face was full of exhaustion, it couldn't hide the excitement and joy of receiving good news.

"But won't it be easy to bump into Su Cheng and the others? How are we going to explain it then?"

Zhao Yan frowned, her expression somewhat odd as she said, "Are we supposed to tell them we're here to catch someone cheating?"

"Ugh, ugh, ugh, what catching someone cheating!"

Xuan Ying stuck out her little tongue.

At that moment, Li Guanqi, standing in the corner, suddenly felt her phone vibrating, so she hurriedly spoke up, "Senior Liu, are there any other hotels nearby? Even closer would be fine; we don't want to run into Su Cheng."

Upon hearing this, all the women turned their gaze to Liu Qingyue.

Liu Qingyue pursed her red lips, pondered for a moment, and said, "About five kilometers from here, there is a standalone villa, very suitable for your stay, but the price is a bit high."

Upon hearing this, Zhao Yan and Xuan Ying, who had plenty of money, immediately said, "No problem."

Soon, the five women arrived at the villa area, guided by Liu Qingyue, and stood in front of the villa, beginning to communicate with the owner.

The owner was also a woman, with a poker face.

Li Guanqi really didn't want to stay any longer!

She desperately wanted to voice her complaints!

She couldn't stand the drama between the master and servant duo!

This was a standalone villa surrounded by gardens, with white ceramic tiles on the exterior walls, looking very warm, especially as everyone took a tour.

Swimming pool, screening room, gaming room, barbecue pavilion, KTV, gym, and other facilities were all available, practically tailor-made for them, only a fool wouldn't stay here.

And the daily rent was just over a thousand!

"Great! I didn't expect this county to have such a guesthouse."

Zhao Yan said with some surprise.

Xuan Ying nodded in agreement, smiling and saying, "I really didn't expect our luck to be this good."

However, Li Guanqi remained silent, unable to take out her phone to reply to Su Cheng because Ji Qingyi was standing right next to her!

"Since everything's settled, Wang Jie and I will head back to the city."

After exchanging pleasantries with the group, Liu Qingyue prepared to take her leave.

"Wait, Senior, stay with us. We're unfamiliar with this place."

Xuan Ying called out, blinking as she hurried over, affectionately wrapping her arm around Liu Qingyue's, and said coquettishly, "I have so many questions to ask you, please stay and accompany us."

"This..."

Liu Qingyue feigned a soft-hearted expression, looking somewhat at a loss.

Beside her, Ji Qingyi spoke up, "Since it's the weekend tomorrow and the day after, and there's nothing going on, why not stay here with your junior?"

Hearing her words, Liu Qingyue's eyes moved slightly, then she gently bit her lip, showing a look of struggle.

Seeing this, Zhao Yan quickly chimed in, "Yeah, we need you and Wang Jie to be our guides."

The more they persuaded, the more conflicted Liu Qingyue's expression became.

Meanwhile, Li Guanqi watched the master and servant duo's drama from the corner, saying nothing.

"Alright then, but I need to call my husband first to let him know so he won’t worry," Liu Qingyue hesitated for a long time before finally agreeing, though her face still showed traces of uncertainty.

"Thank you, Liu Qingyue!"

Xuan Ying immediately beamed with joy, hugging Liu Qingyue’s arm and shaking it playfully. "I knew Liu Qingyue is the best to us, hehe."

"Okay, let go of me for a moment. I’ll make the call."

Liu Qingyue waved her hand.

Xuan Ying obediently let go, and Liu Qingyue took out her phone to call her husband.

For some reason—whether intentionally or accidentally—she walked over to Li Guanqi’s side and directly dialed Su Cheng’s number.

Li Guanqi noticed this and a shadow flickered in his eyes.

"Hello, hubby~"

Liu Qingyue’s tone was sweet and carried a hint of coquettishness. She spoke as she walked out of the villa’s front door, her voice gradually fading away.

"I’m really envious of Liu Qingyue," Xuan Ying said sincerely as she watched Liu Qingyue’s departing figure. "She seems so happy with her husband. It’s really admirable."

"Yeah, I hope they stay happy together for a long time," Zhao Yan chimed in.

However, this made Li Guanqi’s expression grow increasingly strange. Her small fists clenched tightly, and she bit her lip unconsciously, as if trying to suppress some emotion.

If only Xuan Ying and Zhao Yan knew that the "husband" Liu Qingyue was referring to was Su Cheng—what would they think?

What kind of expressions would they show?

And they even offered their blessings!

Li Guanqi’s urge to vent her frustration was practically bursting at the seams!

"Hey, Wang Jie, what kind of person is Liu Qingyue’s husband?"

After a moment, Xuan Ying turned to Ji Qingyi and asked curiously.

As soon as she spoke, everyone’s attention shifted to Ji Qingyi.

Noticing the gazes of the group, Ji Qingyi slowly replied, "I don’t know much about him either. She’s only mentioned in passing that he works hard and has a stable income."

"Oh."

Xuan Ying seemed a little disappointed but didn’t press any further.

Soon after, the group began selecting rooms, organizing their belongings, and settling in. Before they knew it, it was already past ten o’clock, and night had fallen.

Xuan Ying then suggested going out for a stroll. After all, she had noticed how lively and beautiful the streets were when they arrived. Everyone agreed enthusiastically.

Except for Li Guanqi.

She declined, claiming she felt tired and wanted to rest instead.

Thus, the four other women, chatting and laughing, headed to the bustling streets of the county. The sounds of chatter and commotion filled their ears as they walked.

The beauty and charm of the four women were undeniable—each of them could easily draw attention on her own, but together, their combined presence was simply overwhelming. Even though they wore masks, they still attracted countless stares as they walked.

Soon, the group arrived at a park square and began to wander around separately. Ji Qingyi, intrigued by the small stalls scattered around, decided to explore them on her own.

Meanwhile, Xuan Ying, Zhao Yan, and Liu Qingyue stuck together and stopped by one of the stalls. Xuan Ying seemed particularly interested in one of the entertainment activities there.

"Am I seeing this right?"

Xuan Ying rubbed her eyes in disbelief and said blankly, "Is that... for real?"

Liu Qingyue, standing nearby, explained, "Because of Su Cheng, this entertainment booth became indirectly popular."

It was a standard archery booth, where hitting the bullseye blindfolded would earn you Su Cheng's autograph!

The booth owner was just about to pack up when he saw the three girls approaching. He quickly put down what he was doing, took out a toy bow and arrow, and gestured, "Ladies, would you like to try? Ten bucks for two shots. Prizes include dolls, snacks, toys..."

However, Xuan Ying, looking at the laminated autographed photo on the stall, exclaimed excitedly, "Is this autograph real?!"

The booth owner chuckled, "Of course, it's absolutely genuine!"

Hearing this, Xuan Ying became even more excited and quickly turned to the girls, "Wait for me, I have to get this autograph!"

With that, Xuan Ying prepared to pay.

The other two girls nodded, their expressions varied. Liu Qingyue was somewhat surprised; wasn't Xuan Ying in the same class as Su Cheng?

Why was she so interested in his autograph?

As for Zhao Yan, she stared at the booth owner with a perplexed expression because she doubted the authenticity of the autograph. After all, to her knowledge, Su Cheng had never given out autographs publicly.

However, after a few minutes...

Xuan Ying, blindfolded, shot dozens of arrows, her arm sore from the effort, and most of her shots missed the target entirely, let alone hitting the bullseye. She hung her head dejectedly, looking utterly defeated.

She was completely worn out.

This archery booth had really gotten the better of her!

The booth owner was grinning from ear to ear, picking up the toy arrows.

Seeing Xuan Ying's state, Zhao Yan patted her shoulder comfortingly and whispered, "It's okay. In a few days, I'll help you get an autograph from Su Cheng."

"No, I want this one. Yan, could you shoot for me? I really can't do it anymore."

Xuan Ying lifted her head, looking at Zhao Yan with hopeful eyes.

"Uh... alright, then."

Zhao Yan, feeling a bit awkward, took the arrows and started shooting, while Xuan Ying cheered her on and helped correct her stance and posture.

Meanwhile, Liu Qingyue watched the two girls having fun while keeping an eye on her own mistress.

At that moment, Ji Qingyi had been standing at a cotton candy stall for a while, seemingly very interested in the cotton candy.

After a while, losing interest, she moved over to a sugar figurine stall.

She stood there, carefully examining the sugar figurines made by the vendor—rabbits, bears, cats, and even tigers, all incredibly lifelike.

Most notably, there was a small sugar figurine of an archer.

She immediately recognized it as Su Cheng.

With an expressionless face, Ji Qingyi pointed at the Su Cheng figurine and said, "I'd like to buy this one."

"Alright."

The vendor, an elderly lady, warmly greeted Ji Qingyi and handed her the small sugar figurine, "That'll be twenty bucks, dear."

Ji Qingyi took out her wallet and pulled out a twenty-dollar bill.

After paying, she left with the little sugar figurine in one hand, but she didn't choose to eat it. Instead, she planned to have it sealed up later.

She had already decided to treat it as a keepsake.

Soon, she arrived at the archery stall where the three women were, and found Zhao Yan and Xuan Ying sitting breathlessly in chairs, clearly worn out from their efforts.

"What happened?"

She asked Liu Qingyue beside her, but Liu Qingyue was staring at the Su Cheng sugar figurine in her hand, lost in thought, prompting Ji Qingyi to instinctively hide the figurine behind her like a protective mother.

"Tsk."

Liu Qingyue secretly pursed her lips, but outwardly she patiently explained the situation with the autograph photos.

"Oh."

Upon hearing this, Ji Qingyi glanced at the target, then withdrew her gaze, standing quietly by the side without saying anything further.

At this moment, Xuan Ying suddenly thought of something and said to Liu Qingyue, "Sister Qingyue, can you give it a try? We're really out of energy."

"I'm clueless about archery, probably just as much as you all are, so I won't waste any money."

Liu Qingyue feigned an 'I'm not capable' look and shook her head.

Just then, Xuan Ying's hopeful eyes turned to Ji Qingyi, but she ignored them, maintaining a calm and composed demeanor.

"But Sister Wang has always had good luck."

Liu Qingyue suddenly stoked the fire, causing Xuan Ying to perk up, her eyes sparkling as she looked at Ji Qingyi.

She even seemed ready to grab her arm and plead.

Ji Qingyi frowned slightly, displeased, and shot a glance at Liu Qingyue beside her. Then she sighed silently and reluctantly handed the sugar figurine to Liu Qingyue, heading towards the shooting area.

Yet, the mischievous maid took advantage of her master's back being turned and immediately stuffed the sugar figurine into her mouth, even muttering, "Mmm... so sweet, so sticky..."

"Thank you so much, Sister Wang~"

Xuan Ying happily clung to Ji Qingyi's arm, shaking it back and forth. Ji Qingyi took the bow and arrow, and Zhao Yan helped her put on the blindfold.

But just as she was about to swiftly hit the bullseye—

"Sister Wang, your posture is not right. It's clear you've never done this before. Let me help you correct it."