Nighttime.
The Special Compound.
By the small stream, two figures sat on a stone bench beside the water, watching it flow silently for a long while.
"Have you guessed something?"
Finally, Li Guanqi broke the silence, her gaze sharp as she looked at Gu Ruoxue across from her.
She had just relayed to Gu Ruoxue the details of Su Cheng’s newly acquired intelligence attribute points and skill effects. But unexpectedly, Gu Ruoxue seemed lost in an unprecedented contemplation.
"I’m not sure."
Gu Ruoxue lowered her eyes, her voice cool, husky, and soft. After speaking, she suddenly bowed her head, pressing her lips together with a hint of melancholy, as if wrestling with something—or perhaps unsure how to voice it—before finally letting out a sigh.
"Even if you’re not sure, I still want to hear your thoughts." Li Guanqi’s eyes burned with intensity. "As one of the people who knows him best, even an uncertain opinion holds some reference value, doesn’t it?"
At these words, Gu Ruoxue tucked a strand of hair illuminated by the moonlight behind her ear and lifted her head. Her expression was calm, but the worry deep in her eyes was impossible to conceal.
"Tomorrow at noon, you two—"
"Senior!"
Li Guanqi cut off Gu Ruoxue’s attempt to divert the topic, her voice firm and serious. "I want to hear what you think. To me, your opinion is the most important. No changing the subject!"
"No, I wasn’t trying to divert."
Gu Ruoxue lightly bit her cherry-red lips, her long lashes casting faint shadows under the moonlight. Eventually, her gaze drifted to the book on the table in front of Li Guanqi. After a moment, she met her eyes again and spoke slowly, "I think… after you spend noon with him tomorrow, you’ll understand better than I do."
With that, she fell silent once more.
Li Guanqi lowered her head, recalling how Gu Ruoxue had been staring at the book pensively. She too looked down, her gaze deepening as it settled on the title: The Basic Laws of Heroines.
Though her confusion only grew, she decided to respect Gu Ruoxue’s words and press no further.
This wasn’t like her.
Now, all answers seemed to point to tomorrow at noon.
Silence settled between them again, broken only by the dappled moonlight casting elongated shadows across the stone table, enveloping the two figures like twin stars. The book on the table was swallowed by the night, save for the words "Heroine," which gleamed under the moon’s glow.
…………………………
Morning.
Flame City Private Academy.
At the shoe lockers near the school building’s entrance, only a few scattered students were changing into indoor shoes—likely due to the early hour.
Among them was Zhao Yan, who had arrived unusually early today. She bent slightly to smooth her damp hair before slipping her feet, clad in skin-toned stockings, into her indoor shoes.
After neatly tucking in her other foot, she gave a little stomp to adjust them, then straightened up with satisfaction.
Her mood was particularly cheerful as she quickly scanned the crowd for familiar faces. Just as she was about to leave, thinking no one she knew was around—
Clang!
A sharp sound made her pause.
She turned toward the noise and spotted a familiar figure with long, straight black hair.
Not far away, Li Guanqi stood sideways to her, pulling a pair of shoes from her locker and bending to place them on the floor.
"Guanqi, good morning!"
Zhao Yan called out, surprised.
"...Mm."
After changing her shoes, Li Guanqi straightened up and responded indifferently, her face expressionless as she adjusted her school bag, clearly heading to class.
To Zhao Yan, Li Guanqi was an enigma—like a rare, weighty tome hidden in the quietest corner of a library, exuding an aura of elegance and mystery.
Graceful, beautiful, reserved, composed, brilliant.
Yet despite her striking qualities, she paradoxically blended into the background, almost like a shadow, unnoticed by most.
It was strange, yet somehow, she seamlessly wove herself into the fabric of Zhao Yan’s mundane daily life.
"Why are you here so early today?"
Zhao Yan couldn’t help but ask.
"Because I came early."
Li Guanqi’s eyes swept over Zhao Yan before glancing around, as if searching for another familiar face. Finding none, she said nothing further.
Zhao Yan, however, wasn’t bothered by the curt reply. Used to it by now, she simply fell into step beside Li Guanqi, chatting idly as they walked toward the classroom.
When they arrived, Zhao Yan suddenly stopped, her gaze drifting to Su Cheng’s empty seat.
"As expected, he’s not here this early," she remarked.
Li Guanqi settled into her own seat, organizing her bag before following Zhao Yan’s line of sight to Su Cheng’s desk. After a brief silence, she asked, "Do you need something from him?"
"I’m surprised you guessed."
Zhao Yan laughed without restraint, her eyes sparkling with amusement. "It’s nothing major, really. Just wanted to thank him for something. I was planning to treat him to lunch today."
At the word "noon," Li Guanqi’s delicate brows furrowed sharply, as if triggered by a keyword. She stopped what she was doing and looked up at Zhao Yan with unusual seriousness.
"He’s busy at noon. Pick another time."
Zhao Yan blinked, puzzled.
"How do you know he’s busy?"
"Because he has plans with me."
Li Guanqi’s tone was matter-of-fact as she resumed organizing her books.
"He… has plans… with you?"
Zhao Yan’s brow twitched slightly. For some reason, the words left an unpleasant aftertaste—almost like a thinly veiled challenge that rubbed her the wrong way.
Thud. Thud.
Footsteps echoed from the hallway, followed by the voices of Wang Guancong and Su Cheng in conversation.
"Hey, give my horse a cool name too, will ya?"
"Is it male or female?"
The sudden interruption made both Zhao Yan and Li Guanqi freeze momentarily before they schooled their expressions back to normal.
Zhao Yan retreated to her seat but kept her ears pricked, listening to the exchange outside.
"Female."
Wang Guancong’s voice carried in again.
"How about… UMA Musume? What do you think?"
As Su Cheng’s suggestion rang out, the four boys—Wang Guancong, Su Cheng, Chai Hao, and Gao Ye—strolled into the classroom together.
Zhao Yan glanced over just in time to see Wang Guancong mouthing the name UMA Musume before clapping his hands in delight.
"This is perfect! Fits my horse’s vibe exactly!"
"Now do mine! It’s a male," Chai Hao chimed in eagerly.
"Tyrant Steed."
"Ugh, that’s so lame… and kinda cringy."
"Pfft—HAHAHA!"
The group clustered around Su Cheng’s seat, their laughter and banter filling the room with the easy camaraderie of classmates teasing one another.
Zhao Yan turned her gaze toward Li Guanqi in the corner, only to find her eyes also fixed in Su Cheng's direction. Her expression remained as impassive as ever, devoid of any emotion, as if she had merely glanced casually before looking away.
However, Li Guanqi's earlier remark—"He asked me out"—seemed to strike a nerve with Zhao Yan, prompting her to suddenly rise to her feet. Without hesitation, she strode over to Su Cheng, sweeping a glance at the other three people nearby.
Sensing the tension, the trio tactfully averted their eyes.
"Su Cheng, there's something I'd like to ask you," Zhao Yan said softly, standing beside him as he sat in his chair.
"What is it?" Su Cheng tilted his head slightly, looking at her with curiosity.
"It's not convenient here. Let's talk outside."
Zhao Yan gestured toward the classroom door and walked out first. Su Cheng had no choice but to follow.
They stopped just outside the classroom, separated from Li Guanqi by only a thin wall—ensuring that whatever they discussed, Li Guanqi could easily overhear.
Clearly, this was intentional.
"Yesterday..." Zhao Yan began, pulling a chess piece from the pocket of her pleated skirt and holding it up as evidence. "Was it you who helped me yesterday afternoon?"
She stared straight at him, waiting for an answer.
"Yeah, just helping out a classmate. No big deal."
Su Cheng glanced at the chess piece and nodded, his tone indifferent, as if it had been nothing more than a trivial favor.
Zhao Yan's eyebrows lifted slightly, a flicker of surprise crossing her eyes—she hadn't expected him to admit it so readily. But she didn’t lose sight of her purpose. "Are you free at noon? We’d like to treat you to lunch as thanks."
"Sure."
Su Cheng agreed without a second thought.
On the other side of the wall, Li Guanqi heard every word. Her hands stilled for a moment, a storm of emotions swirling inside her—disbelief, hurt, disappointment.
But then, just as quickly, her mood shifted.
Because Su Cheng spoke again.
"If it's your way of showing gratitude, there's no need to rush it today. Let’s plan it properly. How about this weekend? There’s a class gathering—everyone will be there."