No. 14 Lawn.
To the students of the school, this patch of grass was no different from any ordinary lawn.
If there was one distinction, it was its distance from the classroom buildings, making it unusually quiet and deserted at noon, with few people venturing here.
But exceptions did occur—like young couples choosing this spot for their dates. After all, the lush greenery and the gentle murmur of a nearby stream created a poetic and romantic atmosphere.
Like today, for instance.
A third-year couple sat nestled together, lost in each other’s gaze.
"We’ve been together for a year now. We should celebrate."
Suddenly, the boy pulled out an exquisite necklace from his pocket. He opened the pendant to reveal a small card inside, inscribed with just a few words: "Eternal Love."
He fastened the necklace around the girl’s neck. Her face lit up with delight as she touched the pink diamond embedded in the pendant, her eyes shimmering with sweet happiness.
The boy smiled warmly, cupping her soft, smooth cheeks in his hands, about to—
"No… not here. What if someone sees us? It’d be embarrassing…"
Her rationality snapped back, and she quickly grabbed his arm to stop him, her cheeks flushing as she glanced around nervously.
"There’s barely anyone around. I checked earlier…"
The boy frowned slightly, scanning their surroundings, but before he could finish—
"Ahem."
A crisp, polite cough abruptly snapped the couple out of their sweet reverie. Their heads whipped around, eyes widening in shock.
"Eh?!"
"Huh!?"
They gasped in unison.
Not far from them sat a girl who exuded an air of literary grace, her school uniform and black stockings accentuating her slender legs. Her expression was impassive, as if indifferent to everything around her.
This beautiful girl had been sitting nearby the entire time—and they hadn’t even noticed when she arrived!
"My apologies for interrupting."
Li Guanqi sat elegantly on the grass, a book in hand, her tone calm and apologetic. After speaking, she simply returned her gaze to the pages.
"A-Ah, it’s you again!"
The couple quickly straightened up, clearly familiar with this scenario. Too embarrassed to linger, they hastily left, seeking a more private spot.
"An anniversary gift…"
Once they were gone, Li Guanqi’s delicate brows furrowed slightly, as if pondering something. She murmured to herself, "They’ve barely known each other half a year…"
Then, shaking off her thoughts, she resumed reading, her expression serene once more.
Despite her aloof demeanor, the carefully arranged lunch spread beside her revealed her meticulous nature. The aroma of delicious food wafted through the air—fresh bread, jam, milk, and an assortment of fruits, a perfectly balanced meal.
She sat quietly, waiting for someone, as if the world consisted solely of her and her anticipation.
The breeze rustled the grass, sunlight casting a tranquil glow over her motionless figure.
Finally, footsteps approached.
She closed her book with one hand and lifted her gaze to meet the newcomer. In her vision, a familiar figure came into view—though this time, he carried a pastry box from a well-known shop.
"Sorry I’m late. I stopped by the dessert store."
Su Cheng sat down beside her, placing the box on the picnic blanket.
Li Guanqi stared at the familiar packaging, momentarily stunned before regaining her composure.
She looked at Su Cheng, her eyes flickering with something unreadable before she averted her gaze and said, "I prefer the ones you make yourself."
"I know."
Su Cheng cut her off. "This one’s actually for me."
With that, he produced another box—this one containing dango—and handed it to her with a smile. "This is yours."
Li Guanqi froze, staring at the box without taking it. After a long pause, she finally asked, "But… doesn’t this go against your rules?"
As she said, he would never splurge on high-end desserts for her.
"True."
Seeing her hesitation, Su Cheng set the dango box on the blanket and explained, "I originally planned to buy one for you, but the store’s ‘buy one, get one free’ deal ended today. So I had to settle for just getting my own."
"Buy one, get one free?"
The phrase triggered a memory—back when she had mentioned to him that the bakery used to give away free sandwiches with cake purchases.
Had he really remembered that all this time?
Su Cheng chuckled and continued, "Before, I might’ve thought that afternoon we spent here was just an ordinary lunch. But now, it’s one of the most special memories I have."
He opened the pastry box, revealing a sandwich inside—identical to the one she had once given him.
Li Guanqi stared at it, recalling how she had handed Su Cheng that sandwich back then, claiming she didn’t eat freebies.
As for the promotion?
She had been the one who sponsored the bakery’s deal in the first place.
So he knew.
He was cherishing their past, recreating that moment with gratitude.
"How nice."
Li Guanqi looked away, gazing into the distance as she murmured, "Are you trying to relive it?"
"You could say that."
Su Cheng grinned, lifting the dango box again. "Just a heads-up—one of these is spicy. Be careful."
"Mm."
She nodded, accepting the box before starting to prepare a jam sandwich.
The two ate in comfortable silence, just like before, the scene peaceful and nostalgic.
"You should eat too."
"Alright."
Li Guanqi finally set down her sandwich and opened the dango box, hesitating slightly at the sight of the six dumplings inside.
"Are they… very spicy?"
"Same as last time."
A memory flashed in her mind—her past self sneaking a bite and nearly choking from the heat. But after a brief pause, she picked one up and took a bite.
"Mmm…"
Li Guanqi took a bite and found the texture sweet, sticky, and pleasantly soft. A small thrill of delight ran through her as she looked up and mumbled with her mouth full, "Not spicy~"
"Mm."
Su Cheng responded softly before lowering her head again to continue eating her heart-shaped jam-filled bun, saying nothing more.
However, after finishing just one, Li Guanqi closed the box of glutinous rice balls and placed it neatly on her lap, deciding not to eat any more. She reached for her bag beside her and pulled out two books.
The Fundamental Laws of the Male Lead
The Fundamental Laws of the Female Lead
Su Cheng turned her head to look at the books in Li Guanqi’s hands, surprised. "Are these what you wanted to give me?"
"Mm."
Li Guanqi nodded and handed her The Fundamental Laws of the Female Lead. "Here."
"Oho, couple books? You really put thought into this."
Su Cheng took it and flipped open the cover, scanning the title page before turning to the contents. She noticed that every page was filled with Li Guanqi’s handwriting—until she reached the latter half, where the pages were completely blank.
"I didn’t have enough ideas to fill it out back then," Li Guanqi explained softly, glancing at the book before lowering her eyes. "So I decided to add more later."
"I see."
Su Cheng thoughtfully ran her fingers over the blank pages before stopping at one. "Then… how about I finish writing the rest of the book’s content?"
"That’s fine, but I spent a long time researching and thinking about—"
Before Li Guanqi could finish, Su Cheng had already picked up a pen and started scribbling furiously on the empty page.
Li Guanqi froze, staring blankly.
"What… are you writing?" she asked, curiosity getting the better of her.
"You’re the female lead, so I just have to write about you."
Su Cheng’s simple reply left Li Guanqi momentarily stunned, but she quickly understood what Su Cheng meant.
"Is that so…"
She murmured the words softly, pressing her lips together before asking, "Then… what exactly are you writing about me?"
"About the Guanqi I see."
Su Cheng didn’t pause her writing, her pen flying across the page as she answered. "From the moment we met until now—how I see you, every little detail, your emotions, your personality, your habits…"
Here, Su Cheng lifted her head and met Li Guanqi’s eyes. After a brief, charged pause, she looked back down and continued writing. "Every word I want to say to you could be written in countless ways. Half a book isn’t nearly enough. Who knows? Maybe I’ll end up writing a million-word romance novel."
Su Cheng’s words trailed off, and Li Guanqi, unable to resist her curiosity, leaned in slightly to peek at the page.
What she saw were dense annotations—variations in tone, phrasing, word choices—covering the once-blank sheet.
But then, in the next second, Su Cheng began crossing out everything she had just written.
"…You—?"
Li Guanqi was so startled by the sudden action that she nearly spoke up, bewildered as to why Su Cheng would erase what she had so carefully written. She waited in silence for an explanation.
"I realized… there’s one way that’s the most direct, the most efficient way to express my heart, my feelings, and everything I think about you."
Su Cheng looked up, meeting Li Guanqi’s gaze steadily as she spoke slowly. "It only needs one page. And just two words. See for yourself."
She held up the book. Both pages were covered in dense writing—except for two enormous, deliberately blank spaces in the center, forming two unmistakable characters:
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