Willfulness and Mobile Phones

Cornelia's hands trembled slightly as she held the figurine, her face brimming with excitement. Slowly extending a finger toward Su Cheng's retreating figure, she gasped involuntarily, "Oh my god, is that a life-sized figurine!?"

No sooner had the words left her mouth—

The older mixed-race woman beside her looked utterly shocked. She turned her head slowly toward Cornelia, her bewildered eyes filled with doubt.

She was now convinced that Cornelia had not only lost her mind but also her eyesight. Finally, she understood why her mother had insisted she accompany this fool!

"Wait, wait—"

The girl referred to as Sister Xue quickly stepped forward, pressing Cornelia's impolitely raised hand down while hastily explaining, "That's just another customer in the store, not some figurine you're imagining."

However, right at that moment, Su Cheng suddenly moved, placing the figurine in his hand back on the counter.

Cornelia, still processing Sister Xue's words, was stunned. Her mouth fell open in disbelief—especially since the figure's every movement bore an uncanny resemblance to Su Cheng.

Her hand, which had just been pushed down, shot up again, trembling as she pointed at Su Cheng's back. "H-he… he's… r-real… Su… Su… Su…!"

The older mixed-race woman, Andrea, immediately clamped a hand over Cornelia's mouth and dragged her aside. Glancing nervously at the nearby duck-themed store, she whispered urgently, "It's not a mouse, it's a duck!"

The surrounding customers and shop assistants suddenly understood—this foreign visitor had mistaken the little ducks for mice!

"What are you doing?! He's right there in the store!"

Cornelia broke free from Andrea's grip, shooting her an annoyed glare before turning to rush toward Su Cheng. But Andrea caught her again.

"Calm down. Remember where we are."

She shook Cornelia's shoulders vigorously, hoping to snap her out of it.

"Ugh…"

Cornelia finally quieted down, though her wide eyes still betrayed confusion over why she was being stopped.

Andrea sighed in relief. Seeing Cornelia's expression, she leaned in and patiently explained in a hushed tone, "This is Su Cheng's hometown. His influence here is enormous. If the public recognizes him, it could cause a huge uproar. Not only would it alert the local officials, but reporters, paparazzi, and influencers would swarm the place, turning it into a media circus. It could even disrupt the welfare home’s operations. We have to avoid that at all costs."

"Mm…"

Hearing this, Cornelia finally realized her mistake. She bit her lip regretfully, then cautiously glanced around to make sure no one was paying attention before letting out a quiet sigh.

Andrea chuckled. "Alright, now that you've calmed down, we can go say hi properly—just don’t call out his name."

Cornelia pouted slightly and muttered under her breath, "I know, I won’t say anything stupid."

But when they returned to the store, Su Cheng was already gone. Only Sister Xue remained, staring blankly at the back door as if lost in thought.

"Sister Xue, did he leave?" Cornelia asked, her voice tinged with disappointment.

Sister Xue snapped out of her daze. She gave Cornelia a puzzled look before offering a faint, bittersweet smile. Gently patting Cornelia’s arm, she said softly, "Yes, he’s gone. But remember—don’t tell anyone, okay?"

Her voice was warm and soothing, like winter sunlight, instantly easing Cornelia’s earlier embarrassment. Cornelia nodded obediently but couldn’t help asking, "But… he clearly came back…"

She didn’t understand—neither she nor Sister Xue would have revealed his identity.

In response, Sister Xue simply smiled. "He must have his reasons. Still, just seeing him again is more than enough for me. At least he still remembers me, right?"

"……"

After a long silence, Cornelia finally nodded firmly. "Yeah!"

With that, she began browsing the store’s collection of Su Cheng figurines, deciding to message him later and let him know that three of his troublesome classmates had also arrived in town.

…………

Back at his hotel, Su Cheng gazed out the window at the bustling streets below, his expression complicated.

There was no doubt—he’d been recognized earlier.

Fortunately, Cornelia and Andrea had reacted quickly, allowing him to slip away unnoticed.

Ding-dong~

His phone chimed. Su Cheng pulled it out to find a message from Cornelia.

Cornelia: "Why are you back here too?"

Su Cheng typed a quick reply: "I was about to ask you the same thing. What brings you here?"

Cornelia: "I found out your classmates came here, so I followed them. Wanted to see what they’re up to!"

Cornelia: "Also, Sister Xue recognized you. I’m staying at the welfare home now—you’re not planning to come back, are you?"

Su Cheng sighed and continued typing.

Su Cheng: "Let’s not dwell on it."

Cornelia: "You’re not even curious about your classmates being here?! Did you already know?"

Su Cheng: "Yep. Just like you, I sneaked over to see what they’re plotting!"

Cornelia: "Ohhh, so we had the same idea! Heh… When are you heading back?"

Su Cheng: "This weekend."

Cornelia: "Got it. But Sister Xue really misses you. Can you meet her for dinner tonight?"

Su Cheng: "I’ve got other things to handle, and I’m not mentally prepared yet. Tell her I’ll visit properly during summer break."

Cornelia: "Sigh… fine."

Su Cheng: "Alright, I’ve got stuff to do. Talk later."

Ending the chat, Su Cheng turned off his phone and lay down for a moment. But when he checked the time and saw it was almost 9 p.m., he bolted upright, hurried to the bathroom to freshen up, and rushed to the door.

Seeing no sign of Gu Ruoxue outside, he exhaled in relief. Noticing he still had a few minutes before nine, he began waiting by the door.

To pass the time, he started planning his next move—scouting for the perfect backdrop to enhance his "special effects."

"How about standing under this white sensor light?"

With that thought, he quickly positioned himself beneath the glowing fixture.

Instantly, the light reflected off his hair in halo-like circles, illuminating the back of his head with a translucent glow. His tousled locks seemed to shimmer under the light, accentuating the sharp contours of his face. He adjusted his clothes, smoothing out the faint wrinkles with his hands before nodding in satisfaction.

There was an inexplicable aura of solemnity and compassion about him, reminiscent of the beauty of Guanyin, the Goddess of Mercy.

This special effect perfectly captured Su Cheng’s spiritual state—his "wisdom to see all living beings, his profound vows as radiant as his hair, fearless and unburdened, free from desire, sorrow, joy, anger, or delusion. His heart untethered, his body unshackled."

Meanwhile, at exactly nine o'clock—

Click.

The door to Gu Ruoxue’s room swung open. The moment she stepped out, she noticed Su Cheng standing there. She crossed her arms, her sharp gaze sweeping over him before finally settling on his eyes. Slowly, she spoke, "Why are you standing under the motion-sensor light?"

Faced with the abrupt question, Su Cheng remained unruffled. "Ah, I didn’t notice. I was just waiting for you," he replied casually.

"Oh?"

Gu Ruoxue raised an eyebrow, then said with amusement, "There are a lot of bugs crawling on that light. Didn’t you notice?"

Su Cheng’s eyes widened in alarm, and he hastily patted his head, only to find no bugs whatsoever. "What bugs? There aren’t any!"

Gu Ruoxue seemed to have expected this reaction. She gave him a disdainful glance before turning on her heel and heading toward the staircase. Over her shoulder, she remarked coolly, "Figure it out yourself."

With that, she walked toward the elevator.

"Hey, you’re saying weird things again. Didn’t you find it impressive just now?" Su Cheng called after her.

But the only response was the hollow silence and the hum of the descending elevator. Gu Ruoxue ignored him, standing motionless inside with her eyes closed, waiting for it to reach the first floor.

A moment later, the elevator arrived.

Click.

Accompanied by a sharp buzz of electricity, Gu Ruoxue stepped out first, her long, slender legs carrying her forward with effortless grace.

Today, she was dressed in casual attire again, though her hair—unlike usual—was left loose, cascading like a waterfall down to her waist. Even with a mask on, her innate elegance and poise were unmistakable. The moment she exited the elevator, she drew countless gazes.

After leaving the hotel, she realized Su Cheng hadn’t followed. She paused, listening carefully, but when no sound came, a faint frown creased her brow.

She turned around and saw Su Cheng standing in the middle of the road. When he noticed her looking, he tossed his head defiantly, clearly sulking.

With a resigned sigh, she walked back toward him. "What’s the tantrum about now?" she asked flatly.

"If you don’t tell me, I’m not moving today!"

Su Cheng crossed his arms and lifted his chin haughtily, refusing to back down.

This riddle-spewing woman had been cryptic in Flame City, and now she was doing it again back home. Had they returned for nothing? If he didn’t put his foot down now, she’d only get worse!

Seeing him on the verge of throwing himself to the ground in protest, Gu Ruoxue massaged her temples in exasperation.

She sighed, glancing around at the curious onlookers before lowering her voice. "There’s no hidden meaning. I was just teasing you."

Su Cheng blinked, momentarily stunned by the blunt answer. But he quickly recovered. "Fine, let’s go! Just don’t say weird stuff like that again!"

Without another word, he strode ahead decisively. Gu Ruoxue watched him go, rubbing her temples as if to soothe a headache, and let out another quiet sigh.

"By the way, where are we going this time?" Su Cheng suddenly asked, curiosity getting the better of him.

"You’ll find out soon enough," Gu Ruoxue replied, glancing at him before continuing forward.

But then, Su Cheng stopped in his tracks again.

Gu Ruoxue’s voice was calm but pointed. "School."

"Oh." Su Cheng nodded and resumed walking, though he pulled out his phone to check a shared location.

Then he froze.

Because according to the location, Li Guanqi was at the school!

"......" Gu Ruoxue remained silent.

After a long pause, she finally snapped, "You need to learn when to stop. Push too far, and you’ll only annoy people."

"No."

Su Cheng suddenly turned and pointed at a phone store. "I want to buy a new phone. Can you wait for me?"

Gu Ruoxue studied his back, sensing something off about his sudden decision. But after a moment, she pressed her lips together and said coolly, "Fine. Just don’t take too long."

Su Cheng nodded. "Got it! You can sit inside and rest while you wait."

Gu Ruoxue agreed, and the two entered the store together.

Once inside, Su Cheng hurried to the counter.

His original plan had been to stall for time, but the moment he stepped into the shop, an inexplicable urge overtook him.

"What model are you looking for?" The female clerk’s voice was warm and polite.

Su Cheng quickly snapped out of his thoughts and pulled out his phone. "Do you have the latest version of this brand?" he asked seriously.

"Ah, this brand went bankrupt last year. There aren’t any new models available now," the clerk replied, shaking her head.

Su Cheng’s face fell as he put his phone away. "Is that so..."

Meanwhile, Gu Ruoxue sat on a chair by the counter, quietly observing the array of smartphones on display.

"However, we do have some leftover stock. Just a heads-up—this model can’t handle heavy games. It definitely won’t run that popular open-world game everyone’s playing right now. Are you sure you still want it?"

At the clerk’s words, Su Cheng’s eyes lit up. "Yes!"

Even if it couldn’t run games, it had all the other functions he needed!

The clerk smiled and retrieved a blue box from the display, dusting it off before handing it to him. "This phone originally sold for 2,500 yuan, but we’re offering it for 1,000 now. How does that sound?"

"Scan this." Su Cheng took the box and immediately paid via QR code before leaving the store with Gu Ruoxue.

Once outside, he checked the shared location again.

Li Guanqi was still at the school.

So—

"Here."

Su Cheng suddenly held out the phone to Gu Ruoxue. "A lot of places require QR codes now, even restaurants for ordering. I thought you could use a spare phone to make things easier. Plus, you’ve been covering all the expenses for this trip, and I feel bad about it."

Gu Ruoxue froze for a moment, yet she didn’t take it. Instead, she wordlessly pulled out a tablet from her own bag—its back even had a portable Wi-Fi sticker attached. Though she said nothing, an awkward tension hung in the air.

"You… don’t use smart products, do you?"

Su Cheng was instantly rendered speechless by the awkwardness, his eyes widening in shock as he stared at Gu Ruoxue.

"I just don’t use smartphones. I never said I avoided these kinds of devices. So, don’t waste your money in the future."

After saying this, Gu Ruoxue tucked the tablet back into her pocket and fixed Su Cheng with a scrutinizing gaze for a few seconds.

"Do you at least have a messaging account?"

"No, I don’t."

Su Cheng weakly held up the new phone, hesitating. "Then… what about this phone?"

"I’ll pay you back later." Gu Ruoxue arched her willow-leaf brows, took the phone, and slipped it into her bag. As she started walking upstairs, she added, "I’ll keep it as a spare, I suppose. As for those messaging accounts you mentioned? I’ll register for them later."