Afternoon.
Open lecture.
The front rows of the tiered classroom were packed with students, while the back rows were noticeably sparse, occupied only by seven girls and one boy.
Without exaggeration, this boy stood out like a dazzling gem, surrounded by stunning beauties.
Among them, Ji Qingyi sat with perfect posture, ethereal and untouchable like a celestial being, inspiring both admiration and reverence.
Yet, at this moment, her eyes subtly flickered toward Su Cheng, watching as he took notes in his notebook.
Beside Su Cheng, Li Guanqi sat just as composed, her long, straight black hair and expressionless face giving off an air of quiet aloofness. However, the occasional complex glance she cast toward Su Cheng’s notebook betrayed her curiosity and anticipation—as if she were waiting for him to write something.
But alas, it was just lecture notes.
Behind them sat Gu Ruoxue, her breathtakingly beautiful face so mesmerizing that one glance could make anyone lose themselves. Yet, the moment her cold, indifferent eyes met theirs, people would snap back to reality, not daring to tarnish her sacred beauty.
Unlike the others, she paid no attention to Su Cheng, instead focusing entirely on the professor’s lecture, occasionally jotting down notes.
Apart from these two rows, four other girls sat in front of Su Cheng—Xuan Ying, Zhao Yan, Cornelia, and Ailiya.
They weren’t seated together, instead keeping a noticeable distance between each other. But they shared one thing in common: their attention was fixed on Su Cheng in the back. Though they couldn’t see what he was doing, their frequent glances back at him laid bare their girlish thoughts.
"You’re really planning to go to her birthday party?"
Ailiya shot an annoyed look at Xuan Ying and Zhao Yan before complaining to Cornelia beside her.
She absolutely despised those two, but Cornelia had somehow befriended them.
In Ailiya’s eyes, Xuan Ying had no real interest in friendship—she was just after Cornelia’s figurines.
Like this time, Xuan Ying had specifically invited Cornelia to her birthday party, clearly angling for her Su Cheng figurine. Shameless.
"Mhm…"
Cornelia nodded, her twin ponytails swaying cutely as she fiddled with her fingers and murmured, "Su Cheng will be there too. I want to go with him."
"Pfft, as if that harem king needs you to accompany him?"
Ailiya couldn’t help but laugh. Su Cheng was literally surrounded by untouchable goddesses right behind them—did he really lack female company?
"Alright, stop it."
Cornelia cut her off, glancing at Xuan Ying and Zhao Yan, who were staring at her, before whispering, "My mom told me Su Cheng has never been to this kind of party before. I can go as his plus one tomorrow."
At this, her face flushed red with embarrassment. After all, actively volunteering to be Su Cheng’s date was still a little mortifying.
"Did you forget about the invisible girl next to him?"
Ailiya turned to glance at the strange, expressionless girl beside Su Cheng and smirked. "She’s practically glued to him. They’re even sitting together now, and since they’re classmates, she’s definitely invited too. You really think he needs you?"
"My mom’s taking me to see Su Cheng this afternoon…"
"Wait, your mom knows about this too?"
"Yeah."
"Besides, you know how Su Cheng feels about me."
"That’s true."
Ailiya nodded without thinking, but then she glanced back again and pressed, "Then what’s up with that poker-faced girl and Su Cheng?"
Cornelia immediately drooped her head in frustration, mumbling, "Nothing. They’re just friends."
………………
While the front rows buzzed with hushed conversations, the back was so quiet you could hear a pin drop—even the sound of Su Cheng scribbling and erasing in his notebook was crystal clear.
Finally, Su Cheng stopped writing. He closed his notebook and lifted his head, instantly drawing the attention of every girl around him.
"Minister, I won’t be attending club activities today."
Su Cheng set down his pen, leaned back in his chair, and addressed Gu Ruoxue behind him, waiting for her response.
"You should tell your club president."
Gu Ruoxue gave him a cold glance before uttering those words and turning away.
"Oh, right, I almost forgot…"
Su Cheng blinked, then awkwardly straightened up and turned to Ji Qingyi beside him, who was clearly still in a huff. "Um… President, I have something to do this afternoon. Can we practice next week?"
Ji Qingyi slowly turned her head, her beautiful eyes fixed on Su Cheng like stagnant water. After a long pause, she finally let out a soft "Hmph."
Then she looked away, returning her gaze to the lecture, ignoring Su Cheng as if she were either sulking or deep in thought.
Li Guanqi observed the exchange between Su Cheng and the two girls but remained unfazed, continuing to listen to the lecture with a calm expression, occasionally taking notes with meticulous focus.
But soon, something caught her attention.
After finishing his conversation with the minister and president, Su Cheng stuck his finger in his mouth and licked it.
That alone wasn’t strange—but Ji Qingyi’s reaction was what puzzled her.
Ji Qingyi’s shoulders trembled as if in anger, and her hands clenched into fists.
This discovery only deepened Li Guanqi’s confusion.
Was there some special meaning behind this action?
Frowning, she glanced back at Gu Ruoxue, only to find her also staring at Su Cheng with the same bewilderment.
Meanwhile, Ji Qingyi was deliberately putting on an act. Having been coached by Liu Qingyue, she played her role flawlessly—even her anger was convincing, though it only made her already stunning face slightly flushed.
But this was definitely an "angry" state!
Still, she didn’t act immediately. To achieve her goal, she needed privacy—so she decided to drag Su Cheng out of the classroom.
Just as she reached for his wrist to pull him toward the back door, Li Guanqi moved faster, lightly tapping Su Cheng’s hand.
"That’s dirty."
Li Guanqi stopped him from licking his finger, pulling out a tissue to wipe his fingertips as she said flatly, "Don’t bite your fingers. It’s unhygienic."
"For some reason, my fingers taste extra sweet today."
"Extra sweet?"
"Yeah. Want to try?"