Nighttime
Tonight, Su Cheng's home was filled with sweetness and fragrance. On the coffee table in his living room were six slices of chocolate mille crepe cake.
The six slices were cut with remarkable precision, looking incredibly beautiful and tempting. Among them, three slices had rough little figures etched on their surfaces, along with the characters for "snow," "chess," and "yi."
After finishing this, he stored the cakes into his system space.
Then, he pulled out his phone once more to check the group chat messages.
The group chat was no longer just him talking to himself. Now everyone was active, and earlier, they had been enthusiastically discussing tomorrow's event.
However, a single message from Ji Qingyi had suddenly dampened the lively atmosphere in the group. Since then, no one had sent any messages.
He was also eagerly waiting for Ji Qingyi to speak up again, hoping her message would restore the lively vibe of the chat.
But when he checked his phone again, the conversation remained frozen at the same point.
Ji Qingyi: "@I-don’t-like-oranges, I’ve prepared a gift for you, and I want to give it to you in person."
Su Cheng: "A gift?! What is it?"
Initially, he thought Ji Qingyi might have gotten busy with something and couldn’t continue the conversation, so he decided to deal with the cakes first.
But even after more than ten minutes had passed, the group chat remained silent.
"A gift? And she wants to give it to me in person?"
This left Su Cheng feeling both excited and curious. What kind of gift could it be?
"It’s really making me itch with anticipation."
Staring at the still-silent group chat, he lay down on the sofa, gazing at the ceiling and muttering to himself, "Could it be something like mine?"
After all, Ji Qingyi had known that he was learning to make new desserts...
"Could it be that what she wants to give me is..."
He suddenly jolted upright from the sofa, his entire body tingling with excitement. Rubbing his hands together, he said with delight, "Could it be that since I’m going to visit her villa, she’s planning to cook for me herself?!"
He couldn’t help but imagine Ji Qingyi’s stunningly beautiful face, paired with an apron tied around her waist, exuding an air of gentle elegance and grace.
Just picturing the scene...
Su Cheng couldn’t help but swallow a mouthful of saliva.
Quickly, he sat back down on the sofa, opened Ji Qingyi’s private chat, and sent her a message: "What’s the gift you mentioned?"
Soon, Ji Qingyi replied, "You’ll know when you come. I can’t tell you now."
Seeing such a cryptic response, Su Cheng’s excitement grew even more intense. He was now certain.
In fact, he had already started fantasizing about seeing Ji Qingyi cooking for him.
Preferably in a maid outfit.
Hehehe...
*Slurp.*
"This is just so exciting and thrilling."
Su Cheng’s face was filled with anticipation. He couldn’t help but laugh out loud, his mood soaring with happiness. Then, he began pacing around the room cheerfully.
After all, tomorrow he’d get to spend an entire day at the amusement park with his female friends, and the day after, his fiancée had prepared a gift for him. Maybe she really would cook for him herself.
This kind of happiness was practically the pinnacle of life.
As he walked, humming a tune, he eventually arrived at his wardrobe.
He was very particular about what he would wear for tomorrow’s trip to the amusement park.
The only thing that bothered him was that he’d still have to wear a mask the entire time while having fun.
As a genius with top-level achievements in sports talent and an extraordinary appearance, either of which alone would draw countless attention and notice, let alone his current situation where both are combined.
If he were to enter without a mask, he would immediately attract everyone’s attention and notice, with countless people approaching to chat, ask for autographs, and take photos.
Even the media and social platforms would report on it.
If that really happened, the whole world would know he’s a player!
Taking two beautiful girls to an amusement park!?
It’s simply outrageous!
In conclusion, if he doesn’t wear a mask, he’ll become known to everyone as a player!
Therefore, he must wear a mask.
“Knock, knock, knock~”
Just as he was looking at himself in the mirror, a sudden knock on the door startled Su Cheng, leaving him puzzled as to who would come looking for him at this hour.
Opening the door, he was surprised to see a golden figure standing outside.
It was none other than Cornelia.
Su Cheng was slightly taken aback because ever since the incident with Cornelia’s mother, she hadn’t come to his house for a long time. She rarely even chatted with him.
Moreover, she hadn’t come over for the hot milk last time.
Could it be that she’s here to restock?
Is her craving for milk acting up again?
At this moment, Cornelia was dressed in her school uniform, with her usual snow-white over-the-knee socks. She was staring at Su Cheng with wide eyes, appearing somewhat worried and nervous, especially as she was tightly hugging some kind of medicinal jar in her arms.
Seeing that Su Cheng seemed to be in good health, she seemed to breathe a sigh of relief.
“What brings you here?”
Su Cheng was a bit surprised. He opened the door wider, allowing Cornelia to come in and gently closed the door behind her.
Cornelia remained silent, skillfully changing into slippers, her cute white silk feet making a tapping sound on the floor, which was very endearing.
She placed the jar aside and was about to get her own special slippers when she suddenly froze.
She noticed there was an extra pair of slippers.
A new rival has appeared!
How could she stand still when a new enemy has emerged?
So, she looked up at Su Cheng, her lips moved, but she ultimately didn’t make a sound.
Because she came today to deliver something to Su Cheng, it wasn’t appropriate to argue or throw a tantrum.
“What’s wrong?”
Su Cheng sensed she had something to say, so he took the initiative to ask.
Cornelia kept her head down, still silent. Instead, she put on her slippers and then carried the jar to the living room, placing it on the coffee table.
After doing all this, she headed straight to the balcony to check on the crow she hadn’t seen in a while. To her surprise, when she saw the crow wearing a red sweater, she was momentarily stunned.
But fortunately, the crow recognized her and flew directly to her shoulder, affectionately nuzzling her, which brought Cornelia back to her senses. She then began feeding it while sneaking glances at Su Cheng sitting on the sofa.
Seeing that Cornelia was ignoring her, Su Cheng didn’t bother to make things awkward and simply sat on the sofa, playing with her phone.
"Did you buy this sweater for it?"
At this moment, Cornelia suddenly lifted her head and asked.
"No."
Su Cheng shook her head and explained.
"Really..."
Cornelia looked a bit disappointed, like a biological daughter who felt the sting of being well cared for by a stepmother.
Then, she glanced around the living room and noticed that some of the furnishings had been rearranged. She really hadn’t expected such a drastic change in her home after being away for less than half a month...
She sighed inwardly but quickly pulled herself together, saying, "By the way... the soup on the table is something I just made."
"Huh?"
Su Cheng was a bit taken aback by this and jumped up from the sofa, exclaiming, "Health, health soup? Are you saying you made this soup?"
He stared in shock at the pot of medicinal soup.
The last time Cornelia cooked in his house, it nearly summoned mold from another dimension to invade his home.
If he drank it, wouldn’t he end up with a stomachache tomorrow?
Wouldn't that ruin his Saturday amusement park trip?
Seeing his shock, Cornelia put her hands on her hips, looking proud and defiant, "What? Is there a problem?"
"No... I'm just surprised that you actually..."
Su Cheng was cut off by Cornelia, who said, "Don't get the wrong idea. I just happened to be practicing a bride training course with my mother today. So I got bored and made this pot of soup, but I couldn’t finish it. Then I remembered you weren’t feeling well today. So I brought it over, as a friend, hoping you get better soon!"
Cornelia explained, blushing and a bit flustered, before tossing her head and adding, "Hmph, if you don’t take care of yourself, don’t expect me to care so coincidentally next time!"
Seeing Cornelia, who hadn't had much screen time lately, revert to her tsundere golden-haired self, Su Cheng couldn’t help but chuckle.
Although every word she said was in a tsundere tone, her eyes, body language, and the way she spoke all conveyed a strong sense of care and concern.
It was undeniable proof of her genuine feelings.
A tsundere, after all, is understood by those who know.
"Thanks, even though I can't fully agree with your tsundere remarks, I'm still really touched."
"What? Tsundere remarks?!"
Cornelia puffed up in anger, her face turning red as she glared at Su Cheng, "Su Cheng! Say that again!"
"Nothing, I just wanted to ask if I can drink it now?"
Su Cheng pointed at the pot.
Seeing this, Cornelia softened her tone, restraining her temper, and patiently said, "Of course, you can drink it! Besides, it’s nothing special. You don’t need to be too grateful. I told you, I just brought it over because I couldn’t finish it and didn’t want to waste it."
She was still talking, but Su Cheng had already opened the lid, and as the aroma wafted out, he looked at Cornelia in disbelief.
The soup wasn’t some kind of bizarre concoction; in fact, it looked quite decent. Still, it was better to taste it first to be sure.
Seeing this, Cornelia tilted her head to the side, feigning indifference. But soon, she slowly turned back, her face full of nervous anticipation as she stared intently at Su Cheng sipping the soup.
Earlier today during the open lecture, she noticed Su Cheng looking unwell and heading to the school clinic, which made her very worried. However, when the class ended, she found that Su Cheng was neither at the clinic nor at home.
He wasn’t even responding to her messages.
This left her feeling uneasy after she returned home.
Just as she was about to activate her strategic-level causality ability—
Ordering takeout!
She planned to use the almighty power of her dog, Big Yellow, to locate Su Cheng. But just then, her mother appeared at the door.
Her mother noticed her odd behavior and immediately asked what was going on.
So, Cornelia explained everything about Su Cheng’s situation today.
Her mom comforted her, saying that when someone is sick, rest is the most important thing. She suggested that Su Cheng might be recovering at home or in a hospital, and there was no need to worry too much.
And since Cornelia's dad wasn’t home today, her mom proposed making a nourishing soup to take to Su Cheng, and suggested that Cornelia could look after him for a while.
As for not being able to find him?
Impossible. She had the magical Big Yellow!
Even if Su Cheng had descended into hell, she could lead Big Yellow to the underworld. If the Monkey King could storm the gates of hell and tear up the Book of Life and Death, then Cornelia could do it too!
And so, the soup-making plan began.
Her mom stayed by her side, teaching her step by step.
Cornelia followed along, learning as she went.
Although she had never been fond of cooking since she was little, the thought of helping Su Cheng recover gave her the motivation to put her heart into it. She carefully followed her mom’s instructions to make a pot of soup.
Even though she had been restraining herself from visiting Su Cheng lately, her concern and affection for him hadn’t lessened; in fact, they’d only grown deeper.
So, this soup wasn’t just any ordinary soup—it symbolized the care and love she had been quietly hiding all this time.
While it was, at its core, food, to her, it carried a meaning far beyond that. It was the taste of love, expressed through a simple bowl of soup.
At this moment, Su Cheng walked out of the kitchen with a ladle in hand. The instant Cornelia saw him holding the ladle, her heart leapt into her throat. She stared at him nervously, her entire body stiff with tension.
Soon enough, Su Cheng took a sip. His face lit up with surprise as he looked up at her.
Cornelia quickly masked her thoughts and pretended to be nonchalant. “Don’t expect too much from the taste. This is my first time making soup.”
“No, it’s actually pretty good. It tastes nice.”
Su Cheng smiled. While the flavor wasn’t exactly mind-blowing—just average, really—this was Cornelia’s first attempt. How could he not appreciate her effort?
Besides, the soup was already quite decent. The seasoning was just right, and he could easily polish off three bowls of rice with just this soup!
“Really?”
Hearing his praise, Cornelia couldn’t keep up her act anymore. Her face lit up with joy, though she quickly lowered her head shyly. “It’s just ordinary, nothing worth complimenting.”
“No, really. It’s very good. Super tasty.”
As he spoke, Su Cheng took several more spoonfuls.
“Well then, finish it all. Don’t waste any.”
Cornelia watched him eat with great enjoyment, and felt immensely satisfied, the curve of her lips gradually widening.
"It won't go to waste, really!"
"Mm."
After ten minutes
Su Cheng couldn't drink anymore, though Cornelia stayed by his side, seemingly interacting with Ya Ya, but her eyes never left him as he drank.
"Um... I really can't drink anymore."
"Oh, I see..."
Cornelia glanced at the remaining half of the soup but still gave Su Cheng an encouraging look, urging him to continue drinking.
"Want to play games?"
Su Cheng, unable to eat any more, tried to change the subject.
"No need."
To his surprise, Cornelia, unlike the internet-addicted girl she used to be, shook her head and refused, saying, "You should rest well today. I'll come to see you when I have time."
This unusual behavior from Cornelia made Su Cheng feel very strange. The Cornelia of the past was hard to get rid of, but now she seemed eager to leave?
An inexplicable feeling of a daughter growing up surged in his heart.
"You're leaving?" Su Cheng hesitated, watching Cornelia stand up, suddenly asking.
"Hmph, I won't cling to you like others do. You take care and recover, I'm leaving now."
With that, Cornelia waved to Su Cheng and turned to leave, her walking posture more graceful than usual. Though she still spoke in a proud manner, her personality seemed to have transformed.
But, in that instant—
He watched Cornelia's departing figure, his eyes widening, because he felt a strange illusion from her back, a sense of familiarity...
Su Cheng stared blankly at Cornelia's retreating figure, an unreal feeling, as if for a moment, he was looking at another person he was very familiar with, and this feeling grew stronger...
Until—
Cornelia suddenly stopped, her back to Su Cheng, her voice somewhat deep: "I say..."
"What is it?"
"Do you remember our promise?"
Su Cheng's body suddenly shook, not because of the words, but because he saw another shadow from Cornelia, and then the two shadows suddenly overlapped.
This scene left Su Cheng very shocked, bringing him a sense of bewilderment, as if at that moment, he transcended distance and space, speaking to an existence a thousand miles away...
It was an indescribable, wonderful feeling.
"Promise?"
Su Cheng repeated dumbly, but couldn't shake off the emotion, instead, he felt more awake, even his thoughts became clear, remembering exactly what he had promised and what he had said.
"Yes, the promise!"
Cornelia's voice came again, he snapped out of it, looking at Cornelia with a puzzled expression.
She waited expectantly for his answer.
"Remember, of course I remember."
Su Cheng regained his composure and nodded immediately.
Last time, he promised to heat up some milk for her to drink when she came back, but she still hasn't taken it.
But was it really a promise?
Turns out, it was just stubborn pride. She wants to drink milk but is too embarrassed to say so!
Cornelia flashed a bright smile, looking relieved: "Well, I'm off. Make sure you get some good rest."
With that, Cornelia turned and headed towards the door.
"Hey, wait a minute!"
"Is there something else?"
Cornelia stopped and looked at Su Cheng.
"Um..." Su Cheng handed her a cup of hot milk, "How about drinking this before you go?"
Cornelia stared blankly at the eight walnuts for a moment, then her eyes lit up. She snatched the hot milk from Su Cheng's hand, gulped it down, wiped her mouth, and was ready to leave.
But before she took a few steps, Su Cheng called out to her again: "Hold on!"
Cornelia paused, turned to look at him, her cheeks puffing up in annoyance: "What is it now? Can you just say everything at once? Stop dragging it out!"
Clearly, Cornelia was displeased, her tone laced with complaint.
"Just a moment."
Su Cheng returned to the kitchen and came back with a chocolate mille-feuille cake in a gift box, offering it to Cornelia: "I made a little cake."
The cake was divided into six pieces, three with names and three without any design or name.
This piece was one of those without anything on it.
Cornelia looked at the chocolate mille-feuille, her eyes lit up again, and she couldn't take her eyes off it.
Especially since it was made by Su Cheng himself. She hadn't expected him to personally make a cake for her, and a sweet feeling filled her heart.
So,
Cornelia took the mille-feuille cake and put it in her bag.
"Thank you."
Cornelia said, turning to leave.
"Take care."
Watching Cornelia's distant figure, he couldn't help but sigh, "It seems Cornelia is getting along well with her."
He knew Cornelia had met Sister Xue when she returned to his hometown, but now it seemed their relationship was quite special.
"Could Cornelia be the protagonist?"
This plot seems like one where a group of prodigies goes on an adventure to seize treasures, and Cornelia ends up getting both the artifact and the legacy, becoming the ultimate winner?
……………………………
Saturday
This is a special day.
The amusement park trip is finally happening!
Five o'clock.
"Yay!"
Su Cheng woke up early in the morning, full of energy, and his excitement and enthusiasm were evident, sweeping away the usual gloom.
At six o'clock, he repeatedly checked himself in the mirror, ensuring he was properly dressed, then put on his hat, sunglasses, and mask, and left the house with excitement.
Heading towards the apartment entrance.
But to his surprise, as soon as he reached the entrance, he found two familiar figures standing there!
He quickened his pace, and sure enough, the two dates for today were waiting for him at the apartment lobby entrance.
"Wasn't it supposed to be six-thirty? Why are you here so early?"
Su Cheng walked in, surprised, and immediately stared at Li Guanqi, his eyes suddenly narrowing. He sensed that today's Li Guanqi was somehow different from usual.
Li Guanqi was dressed in light casual clothes, but what caught the eye most was the beret on her head, adding a playful touch.
What puzzled him most was that today, Li Guanqi seemed inexplicably dazzling, her presence so strong that he almost couldn't react.
In the past, if he didn't interact with her, he couldn't tell if she was behind him on the left or right side. But now, it was completely different; he could clearly feel her presence.
"Ah, youth is wonderful, bringing along two young ladies so early in the morning."
At this moment, the security guard at the door, yawning, teased, "So young and already so charming."
"Two young ladies?"
This surprised Su Cheng once again, not expecting even outsiders to notice Li Guanqi's presence so clearly.
"Arriving early is the most basic courtesy."
At this time, Gu Ruoxue naturally responded, but her gaze was darting back and forth between Su Cheng and Li Guanqi, her beautiful eyes slightly narrowed, clearly having already noticed Li Guanqi's unusualness today.
Her outfit was more convenient for action, a white T-shirt paired with loose jeans, flat shoes, her hair styled up, and she also wore a black beret.
Wait, why are they both wearing berets?
Su Cheng's gaze swept over the two women's heads, causing them both to instinctively lower their heads to check.
"A hundred years to achieve such synchronization?"
Su Cheng couldn't help but quip, then remembered he was the one in charge today, so he cleared his throat, "Ahem, since we're all here, let's head out directly."
"Isn't the bus at seven?"
Li Guanqi glanced at the time, asking with some confusion.
After all, knowing Su Cheng's character, shouldn't he first ask if they had eaten?
Then take them to a nearby tea house for breakfast, and after eating, catch the bus to the subway station.
According to the plan, they should first take the bus to the subway station, then take the subway to the amusement park.
"Oh, it seems you have made thorough arrangements?"
Gu Ruoxue raised her eyebrows, looking at him with a teasing smile.
"Not at all, where's the driver who brought you over?"
"Didn't you keep a car for yourselves?"
Su Cheng's few words suddenly plunged the atmosphere into silence.