Night had fallen, and the sky was overcast with dark clouds. It was a little past eight o'clock, and there were already signs of rain, threatening to pour down at any moment.
Yet, by a stone table beside the lake, an extremely strange scene was unfolding: three people stood frozen like statues, motionless, maintaining their poses.
It wasn't until the balloon in Su Cheng's mouth gradually deflated that he finally snapped out of his daze. Subconsciously, he hid the deflated balloon behind his back.
At this moment, Su Cheng's mood and expression were extremely complicated—embarrassment and awkwardness flooded his heart. He never could have imagined that the scene just now had been caught red-handed by Cornelia's mother...
He felt like he was about to explode, wishing he could find a crack in the ground to crawl into.
At the same time, a sense of sorrow and resignation welled up within him.
Because he knew that ladies like her had a reputation for being talkative. Maybe by tomorrow, the whole neighborhood would know; the day after, the entire school; and the day after that, the whole world.
He had even already drafted the future news headlines:
【Archery Champion's Unusual Hobby Turns Out to Be...】
【Shocking! Su Cheng's Bizarre Perverted Hobby Exposed!】
And this incident would surely reach the club president too. When that happened, the president would definitely know what this was all about.
He had gone to such great lengths to protect the president's pride...
Now it seemed that effort had failed.
In fact...
He couldn't even protect himself right now.
"This plan has failed—such is fate!"
Su Cheng looked up at the dark clouds in the sky, an indescribable bitterness welling up in his heart. He couldn't help but laugh, his eyes filled with helplessness and melancholy, his heart desolate and sorrowful.
Now, when it came to erasing social connections, he had cast aside all doubts, leaving only determination.
At the same time, he realized this feeling seemed familiar. Thinking carefully, it was like the "time reversal" ability granted by using the skill "Deus ex Machina" during the competition.
Back then, after doing something embarrassing, he would reverse time.
This moment, this scene—hadn't he been here before?
Having figured this out, his embarrassment and shame gradually faded, replaced by a sense of relief and gratitude.
So, he lowered his head, met Cornelia's mother's gaze squarely and confidently, and offered a warm smile: "Hello, Auntie."
Cornelia's mother was standing under a tree. Hearing Su Cheng's greeting, her expression froze slightly. She then glanced at the sky lanterns on the table and the balloon in Su Cheng's hand, a complicated look flashing in her eyes. She nodded and slowly walked toward them.
"Mom, why are you here?"
Seeing her mother, Cornelia hurried over in a panic, her face filled with alarm.
"What are you two doing?"
Cornelia's mother didn't answer her question. Instead, she stared at the sky lanterns on the table in silence for a moment before suddenly asking suspiciously.
At her words, Cornelia's expression instantly froze, her face flushing bright red in an instant.
Because her mother had previously said these were dirty things that shouldn't be touched, and today she had snuck out to be here.
"We're just schoolmates, preparing to release our dreams by the lake together."
Su Cheng remained calm and composed, neither humble nor arrogant, as she explained, even pointing to the Kongming lantern on the table.
At that moment, Cornelia’s mother’s gaze suddenly fixed on the balloon in Su Cheng’s right hand.
Under such close scrutiny, Su Cheng once again took in Cornelia’s mother’s appearance. She was slightly larger in build than Cornelia but still petite.
She embodied the traditional femininity of Flame Country—graceful and elegant. Yet her complexion was solemn, and her eyes revealed a seriousness that made her seem quite cold.
Apart from the color of their pupils, the two looked remarkably alike.
“What is that thing in your hand?” she asked straightforwardly.
Hearing this, Su Cheng neither blushed nor faltered; without hesitation, she raised her hand and explained, “It’s a tool to make the Kongming lantern take flight.”
“Really?”
Cornelia’s mother’s eyes widened in surprise. The impression Su Cheng had given her from the start was completely different.
If at first Su Cheng seemed embarrassed and awkward, as if caught red-handed, now she was open and unapologetic, as if the object in her hand was simply part of the lantern’s materials.
The stark contrast made Cornelia’s mother feel as if she had misjudged Su Cheng from the beginning.
Yet Su Cheng appeared genuinely clueless about the balloon’s true purpose, which only deepened her mother’s suspicion.
However, she was not one to jump to conclusions. Instead, she decided to test her assumptions.
Slowly turning to her daughter, she asked, “You really were releasing Kongming lanterns?”
“Yes! This isn’t the dirty thing you said it was. It’s an important part that helps the lantern fly!” Cornelia quickly and excitedly explained.
“Where did this come from?” her mother pressed on.
“Su Cheng asked Da Huang to buy it!” Cornelia replied without hesitation, pride evident on her face. “Su Cheng just wrote a note on paper and clipped some money to it. Da Huang carried it to the store, and before long, he came back with it!”
Cornelia’s mother narrowed her eyes. She knew well that Da Huang was an extremely clever dog, but Su Cheng’s behavior didn’t prove she understood what the balloon was for.
Otherwise, there was no way the dog could have bought it.
Yet Su Cheng stubbornly insisted that this was material for the Kongming lantern. Why? Because it was for Cornelia!
This unusual behavior spoke volumes. First, Su Cheng hadn’t mocked Cornelia for mistaking a small umbrella for the lantern’s balloon.
Second, even knowing what it really was, she still blew on it with her mouth, willing to sacrifice her own dignity just to play along with Cornelia.
And finally, when caught, she still tried to cover it up, even at the expense of her own image and reputation, choosing to continue the deception rather than let Cornelia learn the truth.
Cornelia’s mother only had to ask two simple questions to piece everything together, even guessing Su Cheng’s inner thoughts—and thus, she understood everything.
She found herself admiring Su Cheng’s courage and composure.
She even respected her psychological resilience.
After all, if it had been any other boy in that embarrassing situation, he would have long since slunk away in shame.
Who in their right mind would refuse to entrust their daughter to such an outstanding man who always thinks of others?
“So that’s what the sky lanterns are made of.”
She quickly slipped back into the role of the perfect wife, gently touching her cheek with an apologetic smile before turning to Su Cheng and expressing her gratitude, “Thank you so much, Su Cheng. On behalf of Cornelia, I really appreciate your help.”
Su Cheng was momentarily taken aback. He had been bracing himself for a scolding, but instead, she cooperated with him and even thanked him. It was both surprising and unexpected.
He quickly composed himself, shaking his head slightly and replying softly, “Auntie, there’s no need to be so polite. This was a joint effort between Cornelia and me, not a favor from one to the other.”
“Hmph, I knew it was the material for the sky lanterns!”
Cornelia, standing nearby, suddenly crossed her arms with a proud grin. But then she caught herself, pushing her mother gently as she playfully pleaded, “Alright, Mom, why don’t you just stay out of this? We’ll head back right after we finish.”
“Hehe~”
Cornelia’s mother gave Su Cheng an awkward but polite smile as she was nudged away, yet she couldn’t help but glance back at him a few more times.
Once they had walked a little distance, she finally lowered her voice to ask her precious daughter, “Couldn’t Mom join in too?”
“No!”
Without a second thought, Cornelia firmly refused, “This is something between me and my friends. Why do you want to tag along?”
“I just want to get to know Su Cheng a little better.”
Cornelia’s mother smiled warmly. “Besides, don’t you want Mom to be able to help you out in the future?”
“…Alright, just this once.”
Cornelia hesitated for a moment but couldn’t resist her mother’s gentle gaze and finally relented.
“Then let’s head back.”
Seeing her daughter give in, Cornelia’s mother’s face lit up with satisfaction and joy.
So, the mother and daughter duo returned to the stone table.
Su Cheng quickly stood up politely.
“I’m sorry for disturbing you while you were releasing the sky lanterns.”
Cornelia’s mother smiled warmly.
“It’s no trouble at all.”
Su Cheng shook his head quickly, but inwardly he grumbled—clearly, she just wanted to watch me blow bubbles, right!?
“I often hear your name from Cornelia.”
Cornelia’s mother looked at Su Cheng with a serious yet sincere expression. “Meeting you today, you truly are a remarkable young man. To have achieved so much at such a young age is no small feat.”
Hearing the praise, Su Cheng felt a bit flattered. He waved his hand and said, “You’re too kind. At first, I thought you were Cornelia’s older sister. But looking closely now, you actually resemble her more!”
“Hehe, you’re quite the smooth talker.”
Cornelia’s mother’s face brightened with delight as she covered her mouth and chuckled softly, “What a charming young man you are.”
“Mom!!!”
Cornelia saw the two of them chatting and laughing, her cheeks puffing up like a pufferfish. She stomped her foot and scolded, "We still have to release the sky lanterns! What are you doing here just chatting nonsense?"
"Yes, yes, yes."
Cornelia's mother slapped her forehead and teased with a smile, "You little girl, always so jealous. Su Cheng was just complimenting me once, and you’re already all worked up."
"Who would be jealous of you?!"
Cornelia flared up.
Su Cheng, standing nearby, also looked a bit awkward.
"Then why are you angry?"
Cornelia’s mother poked her on the forehead, then turned around and gave Su Cheng a slight bow from behind, saying, "Sorry to make you the butt of the joke. I’ll just watch quietly and not interfere. You two go on and have fun."
Su Cheng nodded in response and pointed to a stone stool by the stone table. "Auntie, you can sit here."
Then he took out some tissue from his pocket and began carefully wiping the stool, looking very earnest.
"What a good boy. Auntie likes you more and more the longer I look at you."
Cornelia’s mother smiled as she sat down, then turned to Cornelia with a tone that was half reproachful, "If only you were half as sensible as him, I’d be so relieved."
"Stop talking already, ahhhh!"
Cornelia was even more embarrassed and angry. She stomped her foot hard, then sulked, sitting back down in her previous spot with her back to her mother. Her fists clenched tightly as she pounded her white silk-covered legs, clearly very upset.
"Alright, alright."
Seeing this, Cornelia’s mother quickly raised a white flag in surrender, coaxing her while saying, "I won’t say another word, I won’t. Aren’t you mad anymore?"
Hearing this, Cornelia finally stopped, then turned around and gave her mother a dark look.
Su Cheng sat down as well and began fiddling with the sky lanterns on the table. The mother and daughter quieted down and both turned to watch Su Cheng’s handiwork.
Cornelia’s mother thought to herself as she watched Su Cheng’s focused hands.
From the side, the young man was indeed very handsome, with a kind of indescribable charm that made it hard not to notice him.
More importantly, he seemed to carry a warm and comforting aura, a strange sense of reliability, as if any problem could be effortlessly solved in his presence.
But then, the next moment, she found herself unable to look directly, quickly shifting her gaze and pretending to focus intently on the sky lanterns on the table.
Because at this moment, Su Cheng was blowing on a tiny paper umbrella.
The incongruous scene made her suppress a chuckle, but she couldn’t help sneaking glances at Su Cheng. And when her eyes caught his serious expression, a wave of admiration quietly rose in her heart.
Meanwhile, Su Cheng was brewing a daring idea in his mind.
How daring?
He wanted Cornelia’s mother to blow on a tiny paper umbrella too. If she became an accomplice, then this little secret wouldn’t get out!
So, suddenly, he released his grip. The balloon he’d blown up traced a beautiful arc through the air before landing straight into the lake.
"Oh no, I’m so careless."
Su Cheng rubbed his head in frustration, looking utterly regretful.
"Su Cheng, how could you be so careless!?"
Cornelia couldn't help but glare at him with a scolding look. Then she stood up and said, "I told you to blow it, and look what happened. Let me have the next turn, okay?"
"No way, I’ll do it."
"No, let’s be fair—one each."
Cornelia insisted firmly, "I definitely won’t let it get away like you did!"
"No."
Su Cheng pulled one out from his pocket, tore open the package, and was about to put it in his mouth. Seeing this, Cornelia panicked, "How can you be like that? It’s not fair. There are only three, what if it escapes again?"
As the two of them bickered, Cornelia’s mother, caught in the middle, wore a very strange expression.
In her heart, she was sighing over how thoughtful Su Cheng was, worrying so much for Cornelia...
But in the next moment, her body suddenly shuddered.
“Since you want it to be fair, then how about Auntie blows this one? There are three in total, so each of us blows one. That sounds fair, right?”
Seeing how determined she was, Su Cheng handed the last one to Cornelia’s mother and asked, "Auntie, do you want to give it a try?"
Her expression stiffened, her eyes blank, and she didn’t respond for a long time. It wasn’t until Su Cheng urged her again that she suddenly snapped out of it.
She looked at the object in Su Cheng’s hand, then glanced up at him, a faint blush of embarrassment and annoyance crossing her face. She shook her head, "I’m too old to play with these things."
"My mom won’t blow it, then I will!"
Cornelia reached to snatch the little umbrella from his hand but was stopped by her mother: "Stop that. Girls shouldn’t be so rough!"
Scolded by her own mother, Cornelia withdrew her little hands but still looked at Su Cheng with a dissatisfied pout.
Cornelia’s mother smiled warmly at Su Cheng and said, "You just keep doing what you’re doing. Don’t mind her."
Yet, the fact that she had said she would blow it—whether to stop Cornelia or genuinely to take a turn—showed that Su Cheng wasn’t as well-behaved as he seemed on the surface.
She decided it was time to reassess him thoroughly.
She needed to observe him carefully!
"Then I’ll keep blowing."
Seeing this, Su Cheng could only continue fiddling with the little umbrella.
Nearby, Cornelia’s mother reached out her delicate, jade-like hand to feel the temperature of the breeze. She noticed it was about to rain. Judging by the humidity, it would probably start in about fifteen minutes.
It took five minutes to walk to Su Cheng’s place, and ten minutes to get home. So if it rained, they would definitely choose to take shelter at Su Cheng’s house first. Once there, she could easily get a sense of Su Cheng’s personality and behavior patterns.
A few minutes later.
Under the watchful eyes of the three, the sky lantern was successfully released into the air.
The three of them looked up quietly, gazing at the lantern flickering in the dark until it disappeared from sight.
"Beautiful..." Cornelia whispered softly.
"Yes, very beautiful."
Cornelia’s mother smiled in agreement but then fell silent.
At that moment, raindrops began to fall from the sky, soaking the collars of the two women’s clothes.
Just as Cornelia’s mother lowered her head and glanced sideways at Su Cheng, her pupils suddenly contracted. She noticed that, somehow, Su Cheng was holding an umbrella in his hand.
“Auntie, here you go. Don’t catch a cold.”
Su Cheng handed the umbrella to Cornelia’s mother.
When did this happen?
Cornelia’s mother gave him a quick look, then glanced down at the umbrella in her hand, a sense of bewilderment rising in her chest. She couldn’t help but ask, “How did you know it was going to rain?”
After speaking, she looked around but saw no bags or anything else on Su Cheng.
So where did this umbrella come from!?
Facing Cornelia’s mother’s sharp question, Su Cheng just smiled lightly and said, “I checked the live weather forecast before coming out, so I brought an umbrella.”
“Well, we took it. What about you?”
“That’s simple.”
Su Cheng said, “I can run home in a minute!”
With that, he opened the umbrella and placed it in her hand, then turned and took off running.
The mother and daughter watched Su Cheng’s retreating figure, momentarily at a loss for how to react. Cornelia’s mother looked after him thoughtfully and couldn’t help but think, “This kid…”
“Let’s go. I’ll teach you how to make ginger soup when we get back.”
“Why make ginger soup?”
“How can you be so clueless?!”