"You're mistaken. What I just hid was my new teacup!"
Of course, Su Cheng's words were defiant, but he still bent down and placed the "tea-brewing shoe" on the ground beside Gu Ruoxue's feet, muttering softly, "You stop being afraid of heights when you're angry."
Gu Ruoxue shot him an exasperated glance before bending down herself. With slender fingers, she began putting on the shoe, grumbling under her breath, "Is this your only way to distract me? These ridiculous antics?"
Meanwhile, Su Cheng turned around and stood up, only to find Li Guanqi holding a camera, meticulously recording their interaction frame by frame.
Catching sight of this, he—who had just stepped out of the car—pretended to be shy, lowering his head and coughing lightly into a loosely clenched fist before casually brushing his hair back.
This smooth sequence of gestures reawakened the long-dormant hearts of two middle-aged women who had just exited the front carriage.
Before they knew it, the two women had wandered over to Su Cheng's carriage. One of them quickly resumed their conversation, "Oh, where were we just now?"
The other snapped back to reality, "Right, the shop went under. My son's shop closed down."
"What a shame."
"Tell me about it."
Though their exchange seemed ordinary, the two women had stopped right beside Su Cheng, scrutinizing him with such intensity it felt like their gazes could peel off his face mask.
Unnerved by their stares, Su Cheng took several steps back. It was downright creepy.
"Seems we’ve arrived without even noticing."
Gu Ruoxue straightened up after putting on her shoes and glanced at the sky. She didn’t scold Su Cheng for his teasing earlier—she understood that if he hadn’t done something, her legs would still be weak, requiring time to recover.
"I’ve captured that amusing moment on camera," Li Guanqi declared, lowering the camcorder and adopting a scholarly tone.
"Uh… should we get going?"
Su Cheng, thoroughly unsettled by the women’s stares, hastily suggested.
And so, the three of them walked in silence through the amusement park streets, each lost in their own thoughts.
By now, it was already afternoon. Though physically resilient, their mental exhaustion was undeniable.
More importantly, nightfall was approaching, marking the end of today’s outing. Yet, the unresolved tensions between them wouldn’t fade with time—if anything, they’d only grow more pronounced.
"Tick-tock, tick-tock—"
The massive pendulum clock atop the castle seemed to hammer against Su Cheng’s heart with each swing, amplifying his restlessness.
Just the thought of the decision awaiting him tonight made his chest tighten. He had no solution, leaving his mind tangled in endless worries.
Then, as they passed a fountain, the laughter of children playing nearby drew Su Cheng’s attention. He lifted his gaze toward the water.
The fountain was expansive, easily large enough for seven or eight people to bathe in. Its walls were adorned with intricate carvings that shimmered vividly under the rippling water.
Su Cheng, usually lively and cheerful, fell silent, his eyes fixed on the children splashing about.
This shift didn’t escape the notice of the two women.
But they didn’t intervene. They simply stood by quietly, neither disturbing him nor speaking.
They knew what Su Cheng was thinking about—what he yearned for was something neither of them could give.
This dilemma had festered for a week. He needed time to reflect, to sort through his thoughts, and ultimately make a choice.
So, the three of them lingered at the fountain’s edge, watching the carefree children, their innocent smiles stirring a shared pensiveness.
For the two women, any decision—whichever side he chose—would be better than this agonizing limbo, this night-before-the-verdict tension.
From the start, Gu Ruoxue had operated on the principle of "all or nothing." Even with the old system’s sudden resurgence forcing her to divert attention to emergencies, her stance remained unwavering.
If it wasn’t absolute, it couldn’t last.
She believed that wholeheartedly.
Li Guanqi, on the other hand, hoped her feelings and devotion would be reciprocated. She cared deeply about whether Su Cheng valued her—above all else. She wanted him happy, would go to great lengths to ensure it, and yearned for him to return the same depth of emotion.
But he was exhausting. His rise from obscurity to fame thrilled her—it proved his potential and her judgment—yet it also brought endless headaches. The rivals, the drama, today’s mess… She wasn’t entirely convinced about the so-called "system" threat Su Cheng and Gu Ruoxue mentioned, but since he took it seriously, she trusted it was real. She didn’t want to burden him further. If he didn’t choose her in the end, she’d quietly leave and find a secluded spot to cry her heart out.
"Hey…"
The silence stretched too long. Su Cheng was the first to break it, but he clenched his teeth mid-sentence, as though speaking would make everything unbearable.
The two women exchanged glances, reading the same unspoken message in each other’s eyes, and deliberately looked away, pretending not to hear.
Yet he pressed on, his tone resolute. "We had a great time today, didn’t we?"
The question seemed random, but coming from him after such contemplation, it was like a stone dropped into still water, sending ripples across the surface.
Gu Ruoxue and Li Guanqi locked eyes again, mutual disappointment flashing between them before they averted their gazes.
To an outsider, it might have sounded like an ordinary remark. But its weight was only felt by those involved.
"Haha…"
Su Cheng forced an awkward laugh before dropping the subject. He checked the time. "It’s getting late. We should head to the next attraction."
After the brief pause, the three walked side by side toward a row of colorful wooden signs.
"Find Xiang Xiang."
The game’s objective was simple: photograph a panda in the bamboo grove to win a life-sized Xiang Xiang plush.
Behind the signs lay an actual bamboo forest, with a narrow path for parade floats to pass through.
The so-called floats were just decorated shuttle buses, their exteriors transformed into dazzling displays of bamboo and panda motifs—even the front was shaped like a panda’s head.
After presenting their passes, the trio entered and waited inside. Once everything was ready, staff escorted them onto the shuttle. They stood at the far end, and before long, other visitors began filing in.
Next, the staff handed out small cameras to everyone—these were for photographing pandas. Anyone who managed to capture a panda would receive a plush toy, so the cameras had to be returned upon leaving the vehicle.
Once everything was ready, the shuttle bus began its journey through the bamboo forest. The air grew fresh and moist, with bamboo leaves rustling continuously along the way. The faint, distinctive scent of bamboo enveloped everyone, immersing them in the serene atmosphere.
Gu Ruoxue held her camera with intense focus, keeping the lens trained on the spots where pandas might appear. She didn’t dare look away for even a second, afraid she might miss the perfect shot.
Meanwhile, Su Cheng and Li Guanqi admired the scenery of the bamboo forest, watching as the landscape rolled past. The only downside was the unbearable noise from the rowdy children on the bus.
"When will the pandas show up?!"
"Speed up! The shuttle in front is overtaking us!"
"Hey, stop blocking my view!"
"…"
The kids’ incessant chatter made Su Cheng’s head throb. He was sorely tempted to toss the little troublemakers off the bus and feed them to the ‘pandas.’
Li Guanqi, on the other hand, sat gracefully beside him, gently fanning herself with a small fan—a picture of elegance and poise. The only thing that slightly ruined the image was the lollipop in her mouth, making her look like an adorable little squirrel.
"Hey, want a snack?"
Li Guanqi’s sudden question snapped Su Cheng out of his thoughts and drew Gu Ruoxue’s attention as well. Li Guanqi extended her palm, revealing two candies.
Just as Su Cheng reached for one, the shuttle jolted abruptly, sending the candies flying out of her hand and onto the floor.
The unexpected bump made Li Guanqi’s pupils constrict. To her, this was far too coincidental—the ride had been smooth the entire time, so why the sudden jolt?
It reminded her of an incident long ago, when she had marked the "Protagonist’s Basic Laws" in her notebook. She had been about to place a checkmark next to the "Immortality Law," but—
Snap.
The moment her pencil touched the paper, the lead inexplicably broke, and the broken tip landed squarely on the word "Death."
Later, it turned out Su Cheng had indeed been in mortal danger.
"What’s wrong?"
Su Cheng waved a hand in front of her face, trying to snap her out of her daze.
"Nothing."
Li Guanqi shook her head, lowering her gaze before bending down to pick up the fallen candies. She dusted them off with her palm, blew on them lightly, and then handed them to Su Cheng. "Here."
"Thanks."
Su Cheng didn’t quite know how to respond, so he simply accepted the candies and turned to Gu Ruoxue. "Any luck? We’re almost at the end."
"Nope."
Gu Ruoxue sighed in frustration, staring at her camera. "Failed. What a shame."
Su Cheng chuckled. "Isn’t that normal? Those plushies aren’t easy to get."
Gu Ruoxue shrugged, falling silent as disappointment crept back onto her face. Clearly, not spotting a panda had left her disheartened.
"Why not ask the all-powerful me for help?"
Su Cheng’s words immediately drew the attention of both Gu Ruoxue and Li Guanqi, who stared at him in surprise.
"What are you planning?"
Gu Ruoxue eyed him warily, half-expecting him to pull some ridiculous stunt—like turning invisible to find a panda, stopping time to search, demanding a panda give him face, or even transforming and flying off to hunt one down.
"Come on."
Su Cheng sighed, glancing between Gu Ruoxue and Li Guanqi. "What are you two imagining?"
The two girls exchanged puzzled looks, unsure why Su Cheng would react this way.
"I mean a second ride!"
Su Cheng explained, "There’s still plenty of time before the fireworks show. Let me try—I’ve always had good luck."
And so, after disembarking, the trio presented their passes again and boarded for a second round.
This time, Su Cheng was the one in charge of photographing pandas, with three small cameras hanging around his neck.
Gu Ruoxue and Li Guanqi, meanwhile, chatted quietly while occasionally stealing glances at him.
"Really regret not bringing Ya-Ya along," Su Cheng muttered halfway through the ride, still panda-less.
"You always rely on unfair advantages."
"Don’t treat Ya-Ya like a tool!"
His lament earned him immediate teasing from the two girls.
"I’m starting to think there aren’t any pandas in this forest!"
Su Cheng turned to them, frustration clear on his face. After focusing so hard for so long, he hadn’t even caught a glimpse of a panda. With the ride nearing its end, he was getting desperate.
"Reviews say the odds are one panda sighting per five rides," Li Guanqi added, noticing his expression.
"Five rides?! Who has time for that?"
Su Cheng was practically fuming now.
"Didn’t someone claim to have great luck?"
Gu Ruoxue smirked while continuing to scan their surroundings.
"Alright, ladies. You’ve successfully provoked me."
Su Cheng took a deep breath, then calmly set down his cameras and struck a dramatic pose—arms outstretched, as if stopping time—declaring in a domineering tone:
"I’ll make sure the entire universe knows—this bamboo forest’s panda photos are now exclusively yours!"
But the moment those absurd words left his mouth, a commotion erupted up ahead. A passenger pointed excitedly toward a patch of bamboo.
"Panda spotted! Quick, take pictures!"
Gu Ruoxue and Li Guanqi froze, their eyes widening in shock as they stared at Su Cheng.
For a split second, they were convinced he had used some supernatural ability—like stopping time—to personally haul a panda into view. Otherwise, how could this be such a perfect coincidence?!
Even Su Cheng was stunned. After a brief pause, he snapped back to reality.
Pictures first!
He whipped around, frantically snapping shots with each of his three cameras, making sure to capture the panda from every angle.
But when he turned back, Gu Ruoxue and Li Guanqi were giving him the strangest looks.
"Listen… I didn’t do anything. Believe me?"
"Think about it—what are the odds we’d actually believe that?"
Gu Ruoxue then shifted her gaze to the staff’s panda plushies, clearly enamored even if they were just props.
Still, judging by Su Cheng’s expression, this really did seem like pure coincidence.
Not that she’d let him off the hook that easily.
"I believe you."
Li Guanqi, however, wasn’t concerned about the panda. She knew Su Cheng’s tells when he lied—and this wasn’t one of them.
"I’ve made up my mind! Decision time!"
While no one was looking, Su Cheng took a few deep breaths, cleared his mind, and then pointed at the two girls with a determined expression.
They stiffened, hearts racing—this guy was full of surprises today.
"I've made up my mind! No abandoning, no giving up! Not a single one can be left behind—I want them all!"
As he spoke, he raised a fist and slowly clenched it, knuckles cracking, striking an almost meme-worthy pose.
"Huh? Did sacrificing 90% of your EQ summon that panda? Even if you turn into an idiot trying to guilt-trip me, I won’t agree. Don’t even think about it!"
Gu Ruoxue looked at Su Cheng, torn between laughter and exasperation as he spouted such absurdity with a straight face. She had anticipated he might choose this self-destructive option, but it still stung—proof that she wasn’t the only one in his heart. Shaking her head, she said, "Since you’ve made your choice, it’s only proper I respond. Su Cheng, I understand the pressure you’re under with old enemies possibly resurfacing. When there’s a mission, I’ll still cooperate as much as I can. But this is as far as you go. No further. Come talk to me again when you’ve figured things out."
"I think Senior’s right. This isn’t something a good person would do, you know?"
Li Guanqi, surprisingly, chimed in as well.