"You really don’t know?"
Ji Qingyi raised an eyebrow, a faint trace of confusion flashing in her eyes before she continued, "Legend has it that only the celestial auspicious rabbit knows of this. It ensures you a good night's sleep—a deeply symbolic gesture. And..."
She paused briefly before adding, "Isn’t this something you’re supposed to give guests when they stay overnight?"
Su Cheng was utterly dumbfounded.
A sky lantern? An auspicious rabbit?!
He knew about the rabbit—some kind of deity, wasn’t it? It was said to guide dreamers into beautiful visions, offering solace and healing to the soul.
But this… a sky lantern, a rabbit…
What kind of absurd connection was this?
Was this some new capitalist marketing gimmick?
The sheer ridiculousness of the answer finally snapped Su Cheng out of his shock.
"Did… did the senior tell you this story?" he ventured cautiously.
"Yes," Ji Qingyi nodded lightly.
At that moment, it all clicked. He understood everything now—that wicked woman must have put her up to this!
Earlier, he’d been too stunned to recall Ji Qingyi’s character properly. But now, calm and collected, he remembered: the club president was utterly clueless about certain… adult matters. Even a grade-schooler would know more.
Relief washed over him. That was close—his reputation could’ve been ruined!
Who’d have thought that sadistic troublemaker would go so far as to trick her own superior? How devious!
Stealing a glance at Ji Qingyi, he noticed she showed no change in expression after speaking, her gaze simply lifting toward the moon.
Now that he knew the truth, he had no intention of exposing it.
Doing so would undoubtedly become a black mark on the president’s life—one she’d never live down.
Besides, her pride was immense. Who knew how she’d react if she found out?
And this… this could actually work in his favor. He could use it to pressure the senior into confessing her feelings and claiming his reward.
He’d been struggling to find the right words, but now…
For example, he could message her later: Senior, you wouldn’t want the president to find out what that thing really is, would you?
A brilliant scheme began taking shape in his mind.
"What are you thinking about?"
Ji Qingyi’s voice abruptly shattered his reverie.
Snapping back to reality, Su Cheng flashed a bright smile and shook his head. "Nothing."
Seeing him composed again, Ji Qingyi relaxed slightly before pressing on, "Why are you so against it?"
"Because it’s greasy. Only kids would like this sort of thing," Su Cheng explained.
"I see."
Ji Qingyi studied him, satisfied that he wasn’t lying, then conceded, "Very well. If you’re unwilling, I won’t force you. You just needed to explain."
"Actually, it’s not for guests staying overnight," he continued, seizing the chance to expand on the fabricated lore with a solemn tone. "It’s for when someone you consider exceptionally important visits your home. And you can only give it once in a lifetime. Any more, and it loses its power—might even give the recipient nightmares."
Su Cheng lifted his gaze, locking eyes with Ji Qingyi, his expression unwavering and earnest.
"I’ve never heard that before," Ji Qingyi admitted, tilting her head slightly. "Is this another reason you’re against the charm?"
"Yes," Su Cheng confirmed with a nod.
A small smile curved Ji Qingyi’s lips. "To me, you are someone exceptionally important. That’s why I wanted to give it to you. But I feel like you’re hiding something from me."
The words struck Su Cheng like a physical blow, freezing him in place. Then, slowly, he turned to face her, his eyes burning with resolve. "If it doesn’t bother you… then I’ll accept it."
With that, he snatched the wooden box from the table, pulled out the charm inside, and—without hesitation—popped it into his mouth.
For the sake of the president’s dignity and pride, he’d throw caution to the wind. Even if the whole world laughed at him, so be it.
Just as Ji Qingyi had said earlier—a meaningless gift gained value in the right hands.
And now?
His mission was clear:
Give this thing meaning and worth!
Soon, Su Cheng’s cheeks were puffed out like balloons, his lips glistening with oil as he held the inflated charm triumphantly in front of her. "Look! All done!"
"Mm."
Ji Qingyi acknowledged him with a slight nod, then snapped her fingers. Instantly, a figure emerged from the nearby trees.
Su Cheng yelped, hastily shoving the "balloon" behind his back. The newcomer was someone he recognized—Xia Ze, the attendant.
She carried a sky lantern in both hands, ignoring Su Cheng entirely as she placed it on the table and strode away without so much as a pause, her steps crisp and assured.
Su Cheng: "…"
Had she been there the whole time?!
"Gulp~"
Su Cheng swallowed hard, then glanced at Ji Qingyi, only to find her running her fingers along the base of the sky lantern as she said, "Tie it here."
"Let me do it."
Su Cheng quickly stepped beside her, ready to fasten the balloon to the lantern's base. He first tied a knot at the opening, then secured it firmly with the rope. Once done, he let out a relieved sigh and wiped the sweat from his forehead.
"Here."
Ji Qingyi handed him a moist towelette gently, her tone laced with affection. "Do you have a wish?"
Su Cheng took the towelette, considering that if it were an ordinary wish, Ji Qingyi might actually make it come true for him. He wiped the grease from his hands and lips before tossing the used towelette aside with a grin. "World peace."
"Mm."
Ji Qingyi picked up a match from nearby, while Su Cheng hurriedly carried the lantern toward the pavilion's edge.
"Scratch~"
She struck the match, igniting the lantern's oiled cloth. Slowly, the paper cylinder filled with warm air, swelling like a hot-air balloon.
Su Cheng felt the lantern tugging upward in his hands and gradually released his grip. The lantern rose steadily, floating mid-air like a miniature balloon.
The two stood so close that each could feel the other's breath, especially with her delicate fragrance drifting into his nostrils, stirring his thoughts.
Side by side, they lifted their gazes to the sky, watching the lantern—now carrying its peculiar cargo—float higher. Unconsciously, faint smiles touched their lips, their moods clearly lifted.
The lantern grew smaller and smaller in the sky, resembling a distant star before vanishing entirely. Yet Ji Qingyi remained still, her eyes fixed on the boundless night, as if silently praying for her heartfelt wish to be granted.
"Thank you, President."
"Mm."
close your eyes and open them again, only to find yourself transmigrated into the role of a villainous male supporting character. Readers familiar with urban wish-fulfillment novels know that it is only through the relentless antics of the villainous male supporting character that the plot between the male and female leads can progress. As the villainous male supporting character, Long Aotian not only has to bully the female lead, harass the second female lead, and flirt with the third female lead, but he also has to go all out to antagonize the male lead. In the end, when his body is discovered, he is still clutching half a moldy fried dough stick in his hand. Fully aware of the plot, Long Aotian is determined to change his fate, starting with the female lead! In the beginning, the female lead lacks confidence: "Big brother, I hope I didn't scare you?" In the middle, the female lead treads carefully: "Brother Long, please don't hit me, okay?" Later on, the female lead becomes coquettishly clingy: "Aotian, it's time to pay the 'public grain' tonight." Long Aotian's legs go weak, and he feels like crying: "I taught you to be thick-skinned, not shameless!"
lanned to earn money steadily and take life at a slower pace. But he never expected... his father's remarriage, and the stepmother bringing along a dependent, would completely disrupt his life's plans...
] [Lone Wolf, No Male Gaze] [Protagonist is pursued early on; extreme protagonist-stans, stay away!] The "Carnival Paradise" descends and slowly devours the real world in the form of a game. By chance, Zhu Yan awakens the talent [Roleplay], becoming one of the first beta players. He thought he could develop safely, but after clearing the first instance, he is branded by humanity as the chief culprit behind the game's spread—a traitorous villain. A villain? Who would ever... become one! He'll be the villain! From then on, Zhu Yan is not only a player but also a lackey for the Carnival Paradise. Between the straight path and the crooked path, he chooses the con. With his left hand, he dons the villain's mantle, staging scenes within instances, infuriating players who decry him as a despicable traitor, all while the game happily promotes him. With his right hand, he joins the non-human organization "Fangcun Mountain," which opposes the Carnival Paradise, transforming into a mysterious player who slaughters game bosses, earning cheers of "Long live the expert!" from fellow players. Gradually, Zhu Yan rises to become an S-rank human player in Fangcun Mountain's archives, while also being the Carnival Paradise's certified top game Boss. But when the final war erupts and both major factions place their hopes in him— Players tag his various aliases: "Experts, this offensive depends on you." The Carnival Paradise's supreme Boss throws an arm around his neck: "Bro, you're the iron, I'm the steel; you can't let me down again!"
ut it can buy an entire year of absolutely perfect training results! Su Yu stared at his empty wallet and decisively opened up various online loan platforms. “Borrow a thousand bucks! Recharge my vitality!” Boom! His vitality broke a hundred points, shattering the limits of the human body! “Borrow ten thousand bucks! Recharge my combat skills!” Boom! A basic punching technique so common it was everywhere instantly maxed out, revealing the ultimate assassination technique of Five Elements Unity—Inner Force! When a rich kid hired assassins for a midnight ambush, aiming to break both of his legs, they instead ran headfirst into a monster—a human-shaped tyrannosaur, brimming with dragon-like vitality. With just two fingers, Su Yu snapped a steel staff reinforced with alloy. Staring at the killer’s stash of stolen cash—a staggering quarter-million dollars—he showed a corporate-sincere smile: “Thanks for the pre-exam gift pack, Mr. Zhao! I’m gonna go re-invest this!” Three days later, at the National Martial Arts College Entrance Exam, while everyone else struggled just to reach the passing line, Su Yu threw a single punch—and more than a thousand vitality points literally detonated the entire arena!
