Ji Family Mansion.
Ji Qingyi sat at the tea table, while across from her was a short-haired girl dressed in a maid outfit. The girl kept her head lowered, fingers nervously twisting the hem of her clothes, as if afraid to look up.
"You came back. Why didn’t you tell me?"
Ji Qingyi spoke, her voice calm but laced with a subtle pressure and a trace of anger.
The reason for her displeasure was simple—outsiders knew Liu Qingyue had been staying at Su Cheng’s place, yet she, the actual master, had been kept in the dark.
"Su Cheng told me not to inform you."
Liu Qingyue wasted no time shifting the blame.
"Is he your master, or am I?"
Ji Qingyi’s expression darkened as she posed the pointed question.
"He’s the young master-to-be."
Liu Qingyue lifted her head, widening her eyes in an exaggerated display of grievance. "Of course, you’re the master. But he’s practically the future head of the household, and I’m just a servant. In that situation, how could I dare defy his orders?"
"..."
A faint vein seemed to twitch on Ji Qingyi’s forehead as she fell silent, seemingly deep in thought.
Liu Qingyue kept her head bowed but stole glances at her.
"Have you… mentioned this 'young master' matter to him?"
Liu Qingyue quickly shook her head. "Not yet."
Ji Qingyi exhaled in relief, though her expression soon turned stern again. "You owe me a satisfactory explanation."
Liu Qingyue cautiously peeked at Ji Qingyi before averting her gaze. "Go ahead."
"Why did Su Cheng insist on keeping you at his place?"
Ji Qingyi cut straight to the point.
"He wanted to get rewards from me."
Liu Qingyue answered without hesitation.
"And do you know what reward he was after?"
Ji Qingyi pressed further.
This question gave Liu Qingyue pause.
After a moment of thought, she replied, "I’m not entirely sure, but I’d guess it’s some kind of tool to help him out of his current predicament?"
Ji Qingyi remained silent for a beat before countering, "What predicament?"
"What else? He’s probably backed into a corner."
At this, Ji Qingyi’s expression turned noticeably colder, her eyes narrowing in displeasure at Liu Qingyue’s bluntness.
Seeing this, Liu Qingyue hastily corrected herself. "I mean—"
"Enough!"
Ji Qingyi cut her off with a sharp command.
Liu Qingyue immediately clamped her mouth shut.
Taking a deep breath, Ji Qingyi continued, "Did you confess to him?"
"No."
Liu Qingyue shook her head. "During the two days I spent with him, he’d already used up all his chances."
Hearing this, Ji Qingyi nodded thoughtfully.
"Those two just confronted me earlier."
She then recounted verbatim what the two women had said to her in the park.
Throughout the retelling, Liu Qingyue showed no surprise, as if she had anticipated it all. Once Ji Qingyi finished, she remarked calmly, "So, you’re planning to handle Su Cheng’s situation yourself?"
"Correct."
Ji Qingyi confirmed. "I’ve already turned down their offer to collaborate."
"Oh~"
Liu Qingyue drew out the syllable, feigning astonishment but maintaining a neutral expression. "Since you’ve refused them, how does the young mistress intend to proceed?"
"I’d like to hear your opinion first."
Ji Qingyi lifted her gaze to meet hers.
"My opinion..."
Liu Qingyue lowered her head in thought before responding, "If the attribute points were really allocated to intelligence and unlocked a new skill, then this situation is far more complicated than we anticipated. I’d advise against acting rashly."
"So, you’re suggesting I give up?"
Ji Qingyi arched an elegant brow, her lips curling into a faint, dangerous smile.
Liu Qingyue met her gaze with unwavering loyalty and urged, "The key issue is that they have golden rings for protection, while we have nothing. Right now, young mistress, it’s unwise to act out of frustration."
As she spoke, Liu Qingyue subtly observed Ji Qingyi’s reaction—unsurprisingly, her expression grew frostier, her gaze sharper.
In the next moment, Ji Qingyi pulled a contract from her pocket and placed it on the table, her tone resolute. "If the rings are system artifacts, then isn’t this contract the same?"
Her words were firm, each syllable weighted. "Even if I do nothing, I’ll remain unharmed in the end."
"Well… Su Cheng has known about the contract all along."
Liu Qingyue’s revelation struck Ji Qingyi like a hammer blow. Her hand, still holding the marriage agreement, trembled slightly as she momentarily lost her voice.
After a long pause, she finally managed, "How does he know about it?"
"Because..."
Liu Qingyue suddenly recalled that she had been the one to inform Su Cheng about the contract. But she had no intention of admitting it, instead shifting the blame to the system. "Because his system profile lists him as the Ji family’s future son-in-law."
Hearing this, Ji Qingyi quietly tucked the contract back into her pocket.
"If Su Cheng is reclaiming the rings,"
Liu Qingyue continued, "then it’s only logical he’d reclaim the contract too."
Ji Qingyi fell silent once more.
She had initially believed she could stay uninvolved, but now it was clear the matter was beyond her control.
"What do you think I should do?"
After a prolonged silence, Ji Qingyi spoke again, her expression conflicted.
"Collaborate with them."
Liu Qingyue answered, then added an unexpected suggestion. "Or persuade Su Cheng."
"..."
Ji Qingyi was stunned.
This was a possibility she had never considered.
"This whole mess is a farce orchestrated by those two women. If they had just swallowed their pride and coexisted peacefully from the start, none of this would’ve happened."
Liu Qingyue explained, her voice calm yet laced with a simmering excitement.
"Young mistress, you’re different—you’re innocent in this. You can use that as leverage to reason with him."
"How?"
Ji Qingyi pondered, recognizing the immense difficulty. Given how extreme Su Cheng’s measures had been, it was clear he had been pushed to his limits.
Back then, he had been willing to sacrifice his life to fulfill his championship promise. His determination was unshakable.
How could someone like that be easily swayed?
The thought alone gave Ji Qingyi a headache.
"In my opinion, Su Cheng’s biggest flaw is his stubbornness. So, the solution must be fundamental, simple, and effective."
Liu Qingyue shared her idea.
Ji Qingyi considered it before asking, "What do you propose?"
"It’s straightforward."
Liu Qingyue smiled. "If the young mistress is willing to compromise slightly, many problems will resolve themselves."
"Explain clearly."
Ji Qingyi frowned, shooting her a displeased glare.
"Blunt his edge, dissolve his resentment, harmonize his light, and blend with his dust."
Liu Qingyue spoke solemnly, locking eyes with Ji Qingyi. "Move in with him. Confess to him every night right before the reset, ensuring he never has any chances left. The problem will naturally disappear."
Yes, solving it at the root—if he never had any confession attempts left, how could he possibly earn those so-called rewards?
"What nonsense are you spouting now?"
Ji Qingyi stared at her in disbelief, raising her delicate hand to rap sharply on Liu Qingyue’s forehead. "Do you even realize what you’re saying?"
"I knew the young mistress would never lower herself to admit it."
Liu Qingyue rubbed her forehead, unfazed, and replied, "However, I still have three strategies. The young mistress may choose whichever suits her."
"Start with the worst one."
At this, Ji Qingyi adjusted her posture, sitting elegantly with a composed expression as she waited for the plan.
"My apologies, young mistress."
Liu Qingyue shook her head. "In my book, there are only mid-tier, high-tier, and supreme-tier strategies—no ‘worst’ ones."
Ji Qingyi’s irritation flared, but she suppressed it, shooting a cold glance before uttering, "Supreme-tier, then."
"The supreme-tier strategy is mutual cooperation—"
Before Liu Qingyue could finish, Ji Qingyi abruptly cut her off. "High-tier."
Clearly, the supreme-tier plan didn’t satisfy her.
Liu Qingyue had no choice but to relent. "Young mistress, this strategy carries risks. I urge you to consider it carefully."
"I don’t need your guidance."
"But you must think it through."
Here, Liu Qingyue paused, her tone turning grave. "Before executing this plan, I insist you disclose everything to Su Cheng—including Li Guanqi and Gu Ruoxue’s plea for help."
She studied Ji Qingyi’s furrowed brow before continuing, "This way, you and Su Cheng can stand united. Even if he erases memories or severs social ties, demand that he leaves you unaffected."
Without stopping, Liu Qingyue meticulously laid out the entire scheme, her voice persuasive. "If he refuses and insists on reclaiming the contract, then our plan can proceed."
There were even preconditions?!
Ji Qingyi’s expression darkened. "What exactly is this plan?" she demanded, each word deliberate.
"Why not take a guess, young mistress?"
Ji Qingyi’s heart skipped a beat. Her gaze sharpened with suspicion as she snapped, "Stop playing games."
Liu Qingyue chuckled lightly, evading the question. "Do you recall what item Su Cheng once gave me?"
"An item?"
Ji Qingyi blinked, then realization dawned. "You mean the cigarette?"
Her eyes widened in shock as she stared at Liu Qingyue, disbelief creeping into her voice. "You can’t possibly mean—"
"Correct. I’ve kept it hidden all this time, even lying about having used it. Su Cheng himself doesn’t know."
Liu Qingyue retrieved a small box from her skirt and handed it over, smiling faintly. "The world operates on motion. If rules remain static, even systems will have loopholes."
"You intend to control Su Cheng?"
Ji Qingyi’s voice turned grave as she straightened in her seat, the gravity of the situation settling over her.
Liu Qingyue didn’t deny it. "As far as I know, Su Cheng can’t use system items to manipulate others for personal gain—"
"So you plan to control him first, then…"
Ji Qingyi was visibly unsettled.
Su Cheng couldn’t exploit items to influence others for rewards—but the reverse was possible. Someone else could use an item to control him!
In short, Liu Qingyue could use the cigarette to manipulate Su Cheng, then confess her feelings. Any rewards gained would naturally fall under her control.
However, the nature of the rewards remained uncertain.
Would they align with Su Cheng’s desires, or with Liu Qingyue’s wishes while he was under her influence?
That was the question.
But suppose the reward was an item capable of erasing existence. Under control, Su Cheng could be compelled to surrender it and explain its effects in detail.
If the erasure was selective, Liu Qingyue could choose which relationships to sever—ensuring everyone forgot except for them.
"No wonder she calls you the ‘wicked woman.’"
Ji Qingyi murmured, her delicate brows knitting. She knew full well that Su Cheng would never forgive her for this.
"Technically, this cigarette originated from you."
Liu Qingyue opened the box, plucked out a cigarette, and brought it to her lips for a brief inhale before continuing calmly, "Young mistress, remember—you are the only true victim here."
She returned the cigarette to the box, closed it, and set it on the table before stepping back. "This is an effort to preserve the memories you’ve shared."
Ji Qingyi fell silent.
After a moment, she picked up the box and tucked it into her sleeve—not as agreement, but to prevent Liu Qingyue from acting without her consent.
"Young mistress, I’ll return to Su Cheng’s home now."