The physical education class had ended, and Flame City Private Academy was bathed in the glow of the setting sun. The campus grew quieter as the crowd thinned, leaving behind a serene and peaceful atmosphere.
Yet, Li Guanqi's heart remained unsettled. Several hours had passed since noon, and she still couldn't decipher the deeper meaning behind Su Cheng's actions and words.
What was he insisting on?
What exactly was Su Cheng planning to do?
The statement lacked too many critical elements for judgment. She wanted to know more—what trouble was Su Cheng trying to resolve?
After long contemplation, Li Guanqi still couldn't guess the answer. For now, she could only turn to the diary, hoping to find some clues.
She had initially thought, as Gu Ruoxue had said, that she might understand the situation better. Instead, the problem had grown increasingly complex, making everything even more elusive.
With a sigh, she continued walking forward. Just as she stepped out of the teaching building's entrance, she suddenly felt an intense gaze from the side. She halted and slowly turned her head, meeting a familiar face.
"Good afternoon, junior."
It was Liu Qingyue, leaning against the wall as if she had been waiting for a while. Seeing Li Guanqi look her way, she greeted her with a smile.
"I was just about to head over."
Li Guanqi's expression remained indifferent, her tone just as calm. Of course, she knew why Liu Qingyue was looking for her—it was undoubtedly to discuss the events of noon at the Archery Club.
"So? Any leads?"
Liu Qingyue cut straight to the point, making no attempt to hide her intentions.
Li Guanqi shook her head.
Liu Qingyue frowned, pausing in thought for a moment before studying her for another two seconds. "What a shame. Let's go to the dojo first," she finally said.
With that, she led the way toward the Archery Club.
Li Guanqi followed closely behind. The two entered the private dojo through a hidden passage, where they found Ji Qingyi brewing tea at the table, the fragrant steam rising gently.
Noticing their arrival, Ji Qingyi gave a slight nod in greeting before gesturing for Li Guanqi to sit and enjoy the tea.
Li Guanqi nodded and walked straight to the seat opposite Ji Qingyi, sitting upright with her back straight, her gaze fixed on her.
Ji Qingyi's tea-making movements were elegant, her posture flawless, each pour precise—a sight that was pleasing to the eye.
Soon, a cup of tea was placed before Li Guanqi.
She picked it up, examining the color and shape of the leaves before taking a small sip.
Seeing her drink, Ji Qingyi went straight to the point. "What did the two of you discuss at noon?"
At the question, Li Guanqi raised her eyes to meet Ji Qingyi's scrutinizing gaze before lowering them again to the tea in her cup.
Ji Qingyi wasn’t in a hurry, waiting patiently.
Li Guanqi had a theory—that Su Cheng knew about her current predicament of being caught between multiple sides.
That was why he had deliberately kept things vague.
Perhaps the matter Su Cheng was dealing with was something he couldn’t share with Ji Qingyi, Liu Qingyue, or even Gu Ruoxue, which was why he hadn’t told her.
But then again, since she had chosen to help Su Cheng, she would naturally side with him and wouldn’t disclose anything to anyone else.
The problem was, Su Cheng still hadn’t chosen to confide in her.
So this theory remained just that—a baseless guess. After all, Ji Qingyi and Liu Qingyue had no means to force the truth out of her.
Staring at the tea leaves, Li Guanqi’s thoughts swirled endlessly. Finally, she lifted her head and looked at Ji Qingyi, parting her lips to speak clearly. "Regarding noon, he didn’t reveal anything more to me."
"Oh?"
Ji Qingyi lightly pressed her red lips together, crossing her black-stockinged legs elegantly. Resting her chin on a delicate hand, her deep and luminous eyes seemed capable of piercing through layers of fog to uncover the truth, leaving nothing hidden.
From Ji Qingyi’s body language, Li Guanqi could analyze her current state of mind—the unconscious crossing of legs indicated a dismissive attitude, while her gaze sought to detect any lies.
So, Li Guanqi met her stare openly, her expression calm and composed, revealing nothing of her true emotions.
The two locked eyes for a full ten seconds before Ji Qingyi relaxed her posture, returning to her usual poised and graceful demeanor. Her cool, gentle voice broke the silence. "Then do you know the reason?"
"No. Pressing him was useless."
Li Guanqi shook her head, answering just as bluntly.
Ji Qingyi’s delicate brows lifted slightly in surprise, as if she hadn’t expected such a direct response.
Li Guanqi lowered her eyes to the tea again, pausing briefly before adding, "Maybe it’s because he knows about my current situation, which is why he didn’t tell me anything."
As she spoke, she took another sip of tea, though her peripheral vision was fixed on Ji Qingyi. She noticed the subtle shift in her expression—so minute it was almost imperceptible—before Ji Qingyi even glanced back at Liu Qingyue behind her.
Li Guanqi caught the silent exchange instantly. Without hesitation, she seized the moment to stand. "Senior, I’ll take my leave now."
Because she had just confirmed her earlier theory was correct!
With that, she turned to leave.
"Wait."
Ji Qingyi’s voice, though soft, carried undeniable authority, its echo lingering in the dojo.
Li Guanqi stopped and turned back, her face impassive.
"You seem afraid?"
Ji Qingyi rose as well, her gaze unwavering as she took graceful steps toward Li Guanqi.
The two now stood facing each other, barely three feet apart. Li Guanqi didn’t back down. Tilting her chin up, she met Ji Qingyi’s eyes steadily.
"I know why he didn’t tell you."
Ji Qingyi reached out, placing a hand on her shoulder while the other gently stroked her smooth hair. With a soft laugh, she said, "I can tell you—on the condition that we continue working together. If you refuse, you’re free to leave now."
Li Guanqi stiffened for a moment before regaining her composure. "I apologize, but I decline," she replied coolly.
Without another word, she pulled away and walked off.
"Junior, don’t fall for his tricks."
Liu Qingyue suddenly stepped in, rushing forward to block Li Guanqi’s path. "We have no intention of resorting to extreme measures with you. There’s no need to worry."
Li Guanqi swept a calm glance around the room before meeting Liu Qingyue’s eyes. "Thank you, but I have my own judgment. However, I can give you one piece of advice—tomorrow, Ling Ning will go to see Su Cheng."
Having said that, she left without another word.
Liu Qingyue and Ji Qingyi exchanged a look. With a sigh, Liu Qingyue muttered, "She’s been turned."
Ji Qingyi sat back down, lightly tracing the rim of her teacup. "What did he offer her?"
"What else? He chose her."
Liu Qingyue slumped her shoulders, her tone tinged with envy. "While the rest of us might as well have amnesia or something."
Ji Qingyi let out a soft scoff. "And what about all that talk of equality and confessing your feelings earlier?"
"No, that part was real."
Liu Qingyue’s expression turned unusually serious. "Miss Ji, you should really consider it. If you make a move, you might just overtake everyone and claim victory."
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!
ap a wealthy young lady? Or else I'll be eliminated by the system? Ye Feng, who awakened the Kidnapper System, originally wanted to live a peaceful life but never imagined he would become a kidnapper of young women. However, after some time, he discovered that all the girls the system ordered him to kidnap were far from ordinary. "Big brother Ye Feng~ You've kidnapped my heart, and now you're not allowed to leave me ever again~" "Ye Feng~ You kidnapped me back then, now it's my turn to capture you♡" "Little Feng, you're mine! You can only be mine!" "Ye Feng, none of them deserve you. Only I love you the most♡" ... This is madness, they've all gone mad! Wait, what? Why are all the girls I kidnapped yanderes?!
ing gift was a patch of barren land, and disciples were all picked up along the way. He spent fifty years diligently building three "ramshackle little sects," thinking he could finally live a carefree life relying on his disciples. But right at the fifty-year mark, he was suddenly swept away by a spatial rift and exiled to the Chaos Desolation, the Disorderly Ruins. There was no spiritual energy there, only slaughter. Relying on the cultivation feedback from his disciples, Gu Changyuan hacked his way through a sea of blood for eleven hundred years. When the system finally fished him back out, he discovered the ramshackle little sects he'd built back then had developed a rather... unusual style. Hold on... I vanished for a thousand years, so how did my ramshackle little sects become holy lands?!
iemie, male, Race: Moon. Hobby: Collecting anomalies. At first, he thought he possessed two systems: the Crimson Rainbow Moon and the Clear Cold Frost Moon. One day, he discovered that he himself could also become a system for others, holding the chessboard of fate. The Eighth Epoch, also known as the Eternal Moon Epoch. Humans, witches, elves, bloodline descendants, specters, demons, and spirits together compose a new history. Walking the path on behalf of the moon, before he knew it, Chen Miemie's footsteps were followed by all manner of strange and wondrous anomalies. As time passed, many titles circulated about him—The King in Yellow, Lord of Anomalies, Heart of the Eternal Moon, and more. "Me? I'm just a traveler who enjoys collecting interesting creatures," Chen Miemie said.
