Art

That pink item—

It had brought nothing but trouble to both of them!

Just what was so absurd about that object that it plunged the two women—or at least one of them—into such a stifling and bizarre atmosphere?

"I'll go tidy up the room. You two talk."

The culprit, Su Cheng, seemed to sense an impending storm. Seizing the chance to escape, she stood up and headed toward the guest room, pausing midway to say to Liu Qingyue, "Senior, could you help clean up the other one?"

"Sure, I'll go right away!"

Liu Qingyue, ever the instigator, was more than happy to oblige. She rose to her feet but not before casting a glance at Gu Ruoxue and Li Guanqi, as if hinting that tonight’s drama would be worth watching.

As she followed Su Cheng out, the living room fell into silence once more.

Ji Qingyi sat quietly, while the other two remained standing.

The stillness didn’t last long.

"If you have questions, ask them now."

Ji Qingyi suddenly broke the silence, her tone cold and indifferent, as if their presence annoyed her.

"Senior..."

Li Guanqi sat on the sofa, her hands clenched tightly, her voice trembling as she met Ji Qingyi’s gaze. "I... I have something to ask you. May I?"

"Go ahead."

Ji Qingyi leaned back on the sofa, her expression detached.

Meanwhile, Gu Ruoxue also took a seat, resting her chin on her hand as she quietly observed the two, waiting for the situation to unfold.

"Senior, earlier... was that thing the first time he gave it to you? Did he offer it, or did you..."

Li Guanqi tensed up after speaking, pressing a hand to her chest as if bracing herself for Ji Qingyi’s answer. The pink item had shaken her so deeply that she could barely think straight, her only instinct being to hope Ji Qingyi would deny its significance.

She held her breath, her breathing growing heavier.

"You’re quite bold. Actually, I’d like to ask—was that thing on your hand something you asked for, or did he give it to you willingly?"

Ji Qingyi slowly opened her eyes, her gaze dark as she deliberately glanced at Li Guanqi’s right ring finger.

"This..."

Li Guanqi reached out and touched the teacup on the table, causing it to vanish momentarily before reappearing. She then looked at Gu Ruoxue and explained, "Su Cheng gave it to me. It’s the same as Senior Gu’s..."

"Is that so?"

Ji Qingyi remained unfazed, sipping her tea calmly. "Then you can rest easy. Mine isn’t a system item—just an ordinary thing."

"Ordinary..."

The moment those words left Ji Qingyi’s lips, Li Guanqi’s heart sank. Her hopeful expression crumbled, leaving her looking utterly defeated.

If it had been a system item, it wouldn’t have mattered. What terrified her was the thought of it being a normal, intimate gift—something the man she cared for had openly given to another woman right in front of her.

"Do you have anything else to ask?"

Ji Qingyi’s indifferent voice snapped Li Guanqi back to reality. She quickly shook her head. "No, nothing else. Thank you for answering, Senior."

With that, she lowered her head, lost in thought, while Gu Ruoxue sighed softly and turned to Ji Qingyi. "Have you used it before?"

At Gu Ruoxue’s question, Li Guanqi’s head shot up, her eyes desperate as she stared at Ji Qingyi, clinging to the hope of an answer.

"Naturally."

Ji Qingyi set down her teacup and turned to Gu Ruoxue, her gaze profound. "Su Cheng and I only used it once, but the effect was remarkable."

Hearing this, Gu Ruoxue frowned, studying Ji Qingyi’s expression closely. Her calm demeanor suggested there was more to the story.

Crack—

Li Guanqi’s heart seemed to shatter into pieces. She covered her mouth, her eyes wide with disbelief as her entire body trembled violently. "Senior, you’re just his former club president. How could you... with him?"

Her voice was laced with fury, pain, and accusation—along with an indescribable sense of injustice.

As his girlfriend, she hadn’t even gotten that far, yet this former president had already taken the crown without anyone noticing!

How could she accept this?

It was unbearable.

"Former president?"

Ji Qingyi’s eyebrows rose sharply. Narrowing her eyes, she seemed deeply displeased by the title. Her voice turned icy with anger. "As his fiancée, is it unreasonable for me to use a gift he gave me? Does it not suit my position?"

"Fiancée..."

All color drained from Li Guanqi’s face. Her petite frame shook uncontrollably as she parted her lips slightly, turning to Gu Ruoxue for help. When the latter gave a slight nod, Li Guanqi could only shut her eyes in despair.

"Calm down, Junior."

Gu Ruoxue walked over and patted Li Guanqi’s shoulder, speaking softly. "Things aren’t what you think. Even if you don’t trust Su Cheng, at least trust Ji Qingyi’s judgment."

"But that kind of thing..."

Li Guanqi still struggled to accept it. "But..."

"I understand how you feel, but the reality isn’t what you’re imagining. Please, calm down first."

Gu Ruoxue’s gentle persuasion finally made Li Guanqi nod weakly, though her heart remained heavy.

The overwhelming blow had robbed her of rationality, leaving her unable to think clearly.

But who could blame her? Girls in love often reacted this way—it was a raw, unfiltered reflection of her feelings.

"Heh..."

Ji Qingyi returned to her usual composed and elegant self, her posture graceful and poised. Her mood had clearly improved, the earlier imbalance now erased.

Gu Ruoxue studied Ji Qingyi. If things had truly been as Li Guanqi feared, Ji Qingyi wouldn’t be reacting this way. Her calmness suggested there was more to the story.

Regardless, as someone involved, Gu Ruoxue couldn’t stay out of it. Even if the truth defied her expectations, she had to get to the bottom of it.

"Senior Gu, will you stay here tonight?"

Li Guanqi glanced around before hesitantly asking Gu Ruoxue for reassurance.

After a brief pause, Gu Ruoxue agreed.

It reminded her of what Liu Qingyue had said earlier in the kitchen: "Even if you refuse me, Su Cheng will find a way to make you stay."

Gu Ruoxue looked at Li Guanqi again, sensing deeper secrets at play.

Though Li Guanqi had received the ring and was temporarily satisfied, at her core, she didn’t support Su Cheng. Given her personality, she might even rally everyone to stop Su Cheng’s plans.

However, after this incident, Li Guanqi was in no mood to unite everyone anymore. She was probably only concerned with uncovering the truth now, and might even start cooperating with Su Cheng's actions.

After all, what self-proclaimed girlfriend could accept that her boyfriend had a fiancée?

This move killed two birds with one stone—truly brilliant!

"Miss, your clothes are ready."

At that moment, Liu Qingyue walked out of the room, smiling cheerfully. "The bathtub is small, but it'll do. Let me show you how to use it first."

Ji Qingyi didn’t refuse and nodded. "Mm."

With that, she stood up and followed Liu Qingyue into the bathroom.

Watching Ji Qingyi’s retreating figure, Li Guanqi clenched her fists and bit her lower lip lightly, unsure of what to do. The sadness in her heart grew stronger. For an ordinary girl experiencing love for the first time, such a sudden situation was truly overwhelming.

"If you don’t understand her, then at least you should understand Su Cheng."

Gu Ruoxue spoke in a distant, calm tone.

Hearing this, Li Guanqi froze for a moment, regaining some composure before realizing the strangeness of the situation.

Su Cheng would never do something like this behind her back, and Ji Qingyi—someone with a hidden tsundere personality—would never casually mention such a thing, let alone boast about it.

So there was only one possibility.

What if she didn’t know how to use that item correctly? Or perhaps she didn’t even know what a safety item was?

That would make everything make sense.

Li Guanqi furrowed her brows, piecing things together. She pursed her lips and hesitantly glanced at Gu Ruoxue, murmuring softly, "Maybe… she doesn’t know how to use that item?"

"That’s possible."

Gu Ruoxue gave a slight nod, then looked at Li Guanqi with a hint of sympathy. "I understand how you must feel right now. Anyone would be upset in this situation."

"I’m sorry, I lost my composure earlier."

Li Guanqi apologized with a dim expression, but then her tone shifted as she asked, "So… have you ever felt this way before, senior?"

"No, I don’t have such an exaggerated romantic mindset like you."

"……"

"Next, who’s going to shower first?"

Liu Qingyue’s untimely reminder broke the brief awkwardness between the two girls.

Li Guanqi tried to maintain a normal demeanor. Though her face remained expressionless, her voice softened as she spoke to Gu Ruoxue, "Senior, I didn’t bring any spare clothes today. You go first."

"It’s fine."

Liu Qingyue chuckled, suddenly darting to the balcony to retrieve one of Su Cheng’s white shirts from the clothesline. She handed it to Li Guanqi. "You can wear this as a dress later."

"Senior, stop joking around."

Li Guanqi stood up, took the shirt, and walked to the balcony, using a clothes hanger to hang it back up.

"So lacking in fun."

Liu Qingyue muttered, plopping onto the sofa and pouring herself a cup of tea. After taking a sip, she grinned at Gu Ruoxue beside her. "So, you’re staying now?"

Gu Ruoxue silently sipped her tea, neither speaking nor responding.

"Ahh~"

Liu Qingyue sighed, shaking her head. "Looks like I won’t get to spend a lovely night with little Guanqi."

"That earlier misunderstanding was your doing, wasn’t it?"

Gu Ruoxue suddenly set down her cup, fixing Liu Qingyue with a serious gaze.

"How did you know?"

"You’re the only one with that kind of twisted sense of humor."

"How dare you slander me like this?"

Liu Qingyue blinked innocently. "Also, I don’t like your tone. If I were Su Cheng, I’d find a way to make you allergic to cat fur—just to keep you away from cats!"

Gu Ruoxue’s expression stiffened, but she maintained her usual demeanor, coldly retorting, "You knew this would ruin everyone’s relationships, yet you deliberately stayed silent and let things escalate."

At that moment, Li Guanqi also walked over and sat beside Gu Ruoxue. She frowned slightly at Liu Qingyue, her tone sharp. "Senior, I really hoped we could all get along peacefully during our remaining time together."

Liu Qingyue shrugged, unfazed by their glares, and spread her hands. "You talk about getting along, but have either of you ever considered Miss Ji’s feelings? Have you thought about how she might feel?"

Her words were light, devoid of any hostility—just an offhand remark. Yet, hearing the faint grievance in her voice, both Gu Ruoxue and Li Guanqi fell silent.

"The next scene belongs to my young miss."

Liu Qingyue composed herself, her tone turning sincere. "Later, they might go to the rooftop to release sky lanterns. I hope you won’t disturb them during that time."

"Sky lanterns?"

Li Guanqi and Gu Ruoxue exchanged puzzled glances.

"Yes, exactly—sky lanterns. Su Cheng will inflate the ‘balloon,’ place it under the lantern, and release it along with their wishes."

Liu Qingyue’s brief explanation was riddled with absurdity, yet she continued nonchalantly, "Legend says that’s the only way for wishes to come true… and to ensure a good night’s sleep."

"Where did you hear that legend?"

"I made it up!"

Li Guanqi imagined the scene and immediately cringed, joining in the complaints. "Senior, did you get sponsorship money for this?"

Beside her, Gu Ruoxue also frowned, clearly repulsed by the bizarre theme of the lanterns. After a moment of hesitation, she slowly said, "I remember… she mentioned doing this once with Su Cheng before?"

"Uh, yeah… that’s right…"

Liu Qingyue coughed awkwardly before spreading her arms dramatically. "And thus, it has become art!"

The living room fell into dead silence once more.