Finally, He Found the Correct Answer

When Su Cheng returned to the hotel, it was almost ten o'clock. Before he could even settle down, his phone rang. He pulled it out and saw a message from Li Guanqi.

Li Guanqi: "I'm outside your room."

The moment Su Cheng read the message, his expression changed abruptly. The distance between her place and the hotel was about five kilometers—a nearly hour-long walk at her usual pace.

Since it was a villa, it naturally belonged to the suburbs, surrounded by a peaceful and comfortable environment.

With minimal traffic, it was highly likely that Li Guanqi had walked here alone—and late at night, no less.

Leaving aside the eerie silence of the night, the fact that a young woman had trekked through the deserted outskirts to find him was something he couldn’t quite comprehend.

Still, despite his confusion, he immediately rushed to the door and opened it. Sure enough, a girl with long, straight black hair stood rigidly outside, her calm exterior masking a stubborn determination in her eyes as she stared at him.

Su Cheng didn’t speak. He simply stepped aside, gesturing for her to enter.

Li Guanqi walked in without a word, her expression unreadable, and glanced around the room as Su Cheng closed the door behind her.

"You walked here?"

The first thing Su Cheng did after shutting the door was guide her to sit on the bed before asking, though his tone was slightly raised.

Li Guanqi sat on the edge of the bed, her back resting against the frame, arms resting on her knees. She pressed her lips together and answered softly, "Mm."

"Tired?"

Su Cheng’s gaze was complicated. Something felt off—Li Guanqi wasn’t the type to deliberately provoke him, especially not like this.

"Not tired. Just walked off dinner."

Li Guanqi lifted her head to look at him, her dark pupils unfathomable. But this time, she seemed almost guilty, quickly averting her gaze to her hands on her knees.

Her unnatural demeanor only deepened Su Cheng’s concern. He wanted to press her for answers—what was going on?

But he also knew Li Guanqi wouldn’t hide things from him without reason. There had to be something she couldn’t voice. Suppressing his urgency, he softened his tone.

"It’s so late, and this place is unfamiliar. Weren’t you scared walking here alone?"

Li Guanqi shook her head. "People are usually the ones scared of me."

Su Cheng’s lips twitched. She had just casually admitted to her habit of startling others with her silent presence.

"What about ghosts? Weren’t you afraid of them?"

Su Cheng pressed further.

"There are no ghosts in this world." Her reply was as concise as ever.

"Says who?"

Su Cheng frowned.

"I just did."

Li Guanqi met his eyes.

"Oh yeah? Well, here comes the lustful ghost~"

With a cold snort, Su Cheng pulled out a "ghost blade," activating its invisibility, then pinned Li Guanqi onto the bed, hovering over her. "This is what they call ghostly bed-pressing!"

Li Guanqi lay beneath him, staring at his translucent form with an expression that seemed to say, "Do as you please," but remained silent.

Su Cheng, looking down at her slightly flushed face, fought back his impulses but couldn’t resist leaning down to press a gentle kiss to her forehead.

"Did something happen?"

After speaking, he pulled away. Yet Li Guanqi stayed motionless, blinking slowly before closing her eyes as if unwilling to speak.

Su Cheng exited his invisibility and looked at her. The way her skirt had ridden up from being pinned down revealed the snug black stockings around her thighs—an undeniably tempting sight. But he had no mind to appreciate it, too preoccupied with confusion.

Li Guanqi eventually sat up, straightening her disheveled clothes before turning to him. Her voice was calm.

"Nothing’s wrong. I just wanted to see you."

Hearing this, Su Cheng reached out, one hand wrapping around her slender waist, the other gripping her legs, and pulled her onto his lap. He gently stroked her glossy black hair, his voice low.

"Then stay the night?"

Li Guanqi nestled obediently in his arms, looping her hands around his neck and nuzzling against his collarbone before whispering into his ear, her voice as soft as a mosquito’s hum,

"No. Otherwise, the others will turn the whole town upside down looking for me."

"Ah."

Su Cheng responded but didn’t press further.

At that moment, it struck him—he didn’t truly understand Li Guanqi at all. He couldn’t even begin to guess what she was thinking right now.

In contrast, Li Guanqi seemed to know him inside and out, down to his temper and personality. She probably already knew exactly what was going through his mind.

The only thing he knew for certain was that Li Guanqi was incredibly patient with him—even willing to change her habits for his sake, flawless to the point where no one could find fault in her.

Even after their nighttime confession on campus, shouldn’t normal people make their relationship public?

Yet she hadn’t. For his sake, she chose to keep it hidden, even considering him in such a situation—but what about him?

Though they had always supported each other, now that he could clearly sense something was off about her, he felt utterly helpless. It left him adrift in confusion.

He even began to resent himself a little.

Why was he so oblivious? How could he not notice her troubles? Had he missed every sign? Could it be that his confession back then had been a mistake from the start?

Was her reluctance to make their relationship public tied to this very reason?

As this thought surfaced, his confusion deepened, and he started doubting himself.

But just then, Li Guanqi’s soft voice reached his ears: "I should head back."

She seemed to notice Su Cheng’s unusual demeanor and lifted her gaze to study his profile before calling out gently.

"Yeah."

Su Cheng reined in his thoughts, suppressing his emotions as he picked her up and set her down lightly. "I’ll walk you."

"Okay."

She seemed to know refusing would be pointless, so she agreed.

They left the room, took the elevator down to the hotel lobby, and stepped outside. It was nearly midnight, and the streets were mostly empty, though the occasional passerby still drifted by.

Hand in hand, they walked toward the villa, neither speaking. After about five minutes, Li Guanqi suddenly stopped. Her legs had been pushed to their limit these past few days, and one of them involuntarily stiffened.

"What’s wrong?"

Seeing her pause, Su Cheng halted as well.

Li Guanqi turned to him, her delicate face tinged with a faint blush from the strain of her cramping right leg—an oddly endearing sight. "I forgot the way. Let me figure it out…"

But as he took in the scene, he realized this wasn’t the first time he’d seen her like this. The last instance had been at the swimming pool. He drew a deep breath, steadying himself.

Li Guanqi seemed to pick up on his tension and tilted her head. "Are you feeling unwell?"

"N-no, it’s nothing."

He shook his head, then crouched down and scooped her up in a princess carry without warning.

Li Guanqi was caught off guard by the sudden move, freezing for a moment before snapping back to reality. "Wha—?"

Before she could finish, Su Cheng ignored her and strode forward, stopping only when he reached a bench outside a closed shop.

Carefully, he set her down and took a seat beside her. Without hesitation, he lifted her slender, black-stockinged leg onto his lap and began massaging it, gently stretching to ease the cramp.

Li Guanqi stared at him, momentarily stunned by the sight of her leg resting on his knees. Flustered, she averted her gaze, her lashes lowering as she watched his fingers work.

"Stretch your toes," Su Cheng instructed abruptly.

"Okay."

She nodded obediently. Soon, under his ministrations, the stiffness in her leg faded, and feeling gradually returned.

"It’s fine now," Li Guanqi murmured.

Su Cheng hummed in acknowledgment but hesitated before letting go. Truth be told, the texture was delightful—so he couldn’t resist giving it a few extra squeezes.

Reputations were fickle things.

What was once just "him" was now "him, the pervert."

Pervert Cheng set her leg down and stood, turning his back to her before bending slightly. "Hop on. I’ll carry you back. If you think this is too embarrassing, I can also fireman-carry you. Or even piggyback."

His system inventory had a bicycle—a birthday gift from someone—but it was a single-seater.

"All of those are way too embarrassing!"

Li Guanqi briefly imagined the alternatives before decisively looping her arms around his neck, pressing her body against his broad shoulders, and wrapping her stockinged legs around his waist.

Su Cheng hooked his arms under her thighs, only to immediately register the soft pressure against his back. Hurriedly, he deflected, feigning annoyance. "You said you weren’t tired, and now you’re cramping up!"

In response, Li Guanqi leaned close to his ear and whispered, "Girls can be stubborn too, you know."

The words made Su Cheng freeze mid-step.

In that instant, everything clicked.

It was like clouds parting to reveal the sun—a sudden, dazzling clarity flooded his mind.

A weight lifted from his shoulders, and it felt as though a beautiful melody and vibrant imagery burst to life in his heart. The universe seemed to align, every detail sharpening into focus, bringing with it profound understanding.

He had found his answer. At last, he could truly comprehend Li Guanqi—no, more than that. He now saw her in a new light, one that allowed him to understand her more deeply than ever before.

He had idealized her in his mind, forgetting that she was just a girl his age. Of course she would feel frustration, loneliness, anxiety, helplessness, worry, insecurity—even jealousy over his trip back home with Gu Ruoxue.

She was new to love too.

Just like him.

She wasn’t a saint. She wasn’t perfect. She had her flaws, her moments of pettiness, her little jealousies.

All of it was hidden beneath her composed expression. If one peeled back her perpetually calm exterior, at her core, she was still someone who struggled with emotional expression and carried a hint of insecurity.

So…

This time, she came looking for him in the middle of the night—

Seeking solace!

In such a situation, she instinctively sought comfort as a coping mechanism, a way to ease her pain and discomfort, to regain psychological and emotional balance and reassurance.

She, too, had emotions, a spiritual side.

Moreover, Li Guanqi’s calm rationality often became even more detached under his own expectations, as if she were striving to become the heroine he envisioned.

But amid the uncertainty with Gu Ruoxue, she had, in the end, subconsciously run to him.

Even if she held no expectations, she still came. Beneath that composed facade, she desperately wanted to be cared for.

He frowned in frustration, silently scolding himself for not realizing it sooner. But thankfully, it wasn’t too late now.

“What’s wrong?”

Li Guanqi noticed Su Cheng standing frozen in place and asked in confusion.

“Oh, nothing.”

Su Cheng snapped out of it, shaking her head with a smile before walking forward. Her steps now seemed lighter and more resolute, as if she had shed some invisible weight, leaving her buoyant and at ease.

About ten minutes later, they left the town behind and arrived at the outskirts. The suburban surroundings were serene, with a small stream and fireflies flickering and dancing like stars against the night sky, adding a touch of brilliance to the darkness.

Suddenly, a firefly flitted past the two of them. Li Guanqi instinctively reached out to catch it, but Su Cheng stopped him in time.

She shook her head gently at him. “Even though they glow, these things smell awful. And the elders say if you catch one, you’ll wet the bed at night.”

“Oh…” Li Guanqi nodded obediently, though not entirely convinced. Then he looked at her, eyes earnest. “Actually, this is my first time seeing one of these legendary creatures. I’ve only ever seen them in biology books before. So I was curious.”

“That makes sense. You really don’t find these in the city, but they’re common in the countryside. If you want, I can catch a whole jar for you right now.”

Su Cheng finally understood and made a move to catch some fireflies—who cared about bedwetting? If he liked them, that was enough!

But Li Guanqi shook his head, his expression serious. “No, it’s too much trouble. And it’d be hard on you. They don’t live more than a few days anyway, so let’s not waste the effort.”

Su Cheng nodded. “Alright.”

The two continued walking along the river.

With about a kilometer left, just before reaching the villa, Su Cheng slowed her pace, strolling through a small grove of trees. A gentle breeze carried the scent of grass and leaves—and something distinctly Li Guanqi. She took a deep breath and closed her eyes.

Though neither spoke, both could sense something intangible brewing in the air between them.

Finally, as the villa came into view, Su Cheng stopped and let go of him.

“Do you think there’s something that exists beyond the physical and the soul?”

Abruptly, he asked in a voice so soft it was almost tender.

Li Guanqi lifted his gaze to meet his, lips parting as he answered deliberately, “Yes. There is something that truly transcends both matter and spirit.”

“Then what kind of phenomenon is memory?”

Su Cheng pointed to her head, murmuring the question in quiet confusion.

Li Guanqi fell silent for a long moment before replying softly, “In a way, you could call it a physical phenomenon.”

“Hmm. What I mean is… I might be a little slow, but even I can tell that right now, our feelings are the same. From the very beginning, this has been a mutual dance of testing the waters, both of us waiting for the right moment. But now, I suddenly realize—without even noticing, we’ve already become part of each other’s inner worlds.”

He paused, then continued, “So even if memories fade, love never will.”