In the Past

This was the Moment of the Sinking Moon—

The bowstring curved like a full moon, and in the next instant, an arrow as dark as ink shot from her fingertips like a meteor. Surely, this arrow, fired in unison, would pierce the pitch-black sky.

"Whoosh—"

The fletching sliced through the void, vanishing into the clouds in the blink of an eye, until it disappeared entirely into the night. At the same time, the faint glow of the sky lanterns flickering above also vanished without a trace.

Just as expected—it hit its mark.

"President, your divine might transcends the moon itself, undiminished in its power. Su Cheng bows in admiration!"

Su Cheng quickly withdrew his arm, took a few steps back, and then, with practiced ease, delivered a sincere and heartfelt compliment—his voice brimming with earnest flattery.

"It was a joint effort, not my achievement alone."

Ji Qingyi returned to her usual aloof demeanor, tilting her delicate chin slightly upward. Her tone carried an air of solemnity that brooked no further praise, instinctively silencing any further attempts at adulation.

Having said this, she raised her head once more to gaze at the sky, her fingers tightening around the Sinking Moon bow in her grasp.

The night was quiet, the stars sparse, and the gentle breeze tousled her raven-black hair, lending her an indescribable aura of solitude and frosty elegance.

"What a pity…"

She spoke softly.

It was unclear whether she regretted the lost sky lanterns or the fleeting moment of shared archery—but her voice was thick with unmistakable sorrow.

"The sight of you drawing your bow just now made my heart race."

Su Cheng chimed in again from the side.

At his words, Ji Qingyi's expression stiffened slightly. She lowered her gaze to look at him, only to find him unwrapping another pink package and pulling out a balloon, which he began inflating.

"President, are you ready to make a wish?"

Noticing her gaze, Su Cheng paused his blowing and fixed her with an intense stare, as if searching for an answer in her eyes.

Ji Qingyi pursed her lips, glanced at him, then turned her eyes back to the sky. After a brief silence, she remarked, "You’re nothing like the timid, insecure boy you used to be. Now, you’re more like a scheming, calculating fox."

Her tone was calm, but the words carried a sharp edge.

"Does that mean you preferred the old me?" Su Cheng asked with a smile, his eyes gleaming with anticipation.

"How can you be so direct?"

Ji Qingyi arched a brow, shooting him a look.

"I… actually miss who I used to be, too."

Su Cheng smiled, but his eyes gradually dimmed.

"What do you mean by that?" Surprisingly, Ji Qingyi seemed genuinely intrigued.

A sudden "whoosh—"

The balloon in Su Cheng’s hand deflated, spiraling through the air before landing with a loud "pop."

The two exchanged awkward glances, neither knowing what to say next.

Finally, Su Cheng broke the silence. "For example, I don’t feel excitement like I used to. Life has become… dull."

"Hmph. That’s the price of abusing your abilities."

Ji Qingyi’s face showed no trace of sympathy or comfort—only mockery as she continued, "So, in your search for thrills, you even dared to drag me into your schemes?"

"You could say that."

With a sigh, Su Cheng conjured another pink package out of thin air, unwrapped it, and pulled out a transparent balloon, offering it to Ji Qingyi. "President, why don’t you give it a try?"

"……"

Ji Qingyi glanced at the balloon in his hand and shook her head.

The greasy, pungent smell of the balloon was unbearable. Putting it in her mouth to blow?

Absolutely revolting.

Only a fool would do that.

"President…"

Seeing her refusal, Su Cheng sighed. "If you blew it up, I think my mood would lift."

"And why is that?"

Ji Qingyi raised a brow, clearly intrigued.

"Because I think it would be adorable."

Su Cheng answered her question but then shook his head and began inflating the balloon himself. His movements were practiced—clearly, he’d done this at least three times before to achieve such skill.

"Adorable…?"

Ji Qingyi’s expression stiffened. He had called her "adorable" before, during the scrambled eggs incident, and it had irked her then, too.

"Alright, now it’s my turn to ask you something."

Once the balloon was inflated and tied, Su Cheng turned to Ji Qingyi again. "President, do you understand me?"

Under Su Cheng’s expectant gaze, Ji Qingyi averted her eyes, slightly flustered. "Understand what?"

"The old me."

"At least more than the current you."

Having said this, Ji Qingyi looked back up at the sky.

Su Cheng silently studied her profile before speaking. "Then, do you like—no, do you appreciate anything about the old me? Can you honestly put your feelings into words now?"

He was practically begging—deliberately replacing "like" with "appreciate" to spare her pride, yet still making her uncomfortable.

His burning gaze and aggressive phrasing stirred a competitive fire in her as she stared at the moon.

"The old you brought me more amusement. Unlike now, when all you do is add to my troubles."

Ji Qingyi turned her head to look at him, as if waiting for a reaction.

"Hah, so I should count myself lucky? A blessing in disguise?"

Su Cheng chuckled, then took out a sky lantern and secured the balloon to its base. "Then, President, do you think tonight has been amusing for you…?"

Ji Qingyi watched his actions, then after a few seconds, smiled dangerously.

"Oh? You’ve got quite the nerve tonight. Trying to wheedle a reward out of me to further your ridiculous plans?"

Ji Qingyi set down her bow, stepped toward Su Cheng, and placed a foot on his, pressing down slightly. Her teasing gaze warned him that one wrong move would bring consequences.

Su Cheng glanced at the delicate foot resting on his, then conjured a ring out of thin air, presenting it to her on his palm.

"Might this small gift appease my dear President’s displeasure? Or perhaps bring her enough amusement?"

Ji Qingyi picked up the ring, examining it briefly. It seemed identical to the ones given to the other two. She let out a soft laugh and tossed it back into Su Cheng’s hand, enunciating each word clearly.

"Hah. You’ve certainly grown bold—daring to fool multiple people with the same trick. But fine, I’ll play along. Let’s see how you plan to wrap this up."

As she spoke, her hand flipped palm-up, extending toward him. Su Cheng, still with one foot pinned, knelt on one knee, gently took her hand, and slid the ring onto her ring finger.

"Now we have both promise and proof."

"Think carefully. I’m not as easily fooled as the other two. Once this is settled, I’ll make sure it’s mine—completely."

Though her competitive pride kept her demeanor haughty, Ji Qingyi’s heart couldn’t help but skip a few beats.

Su Cheng's movements didn't falter for a second. As he slid the ring fully onto his ring finger, he lifted his gaze to Ji Qingyi. She stood with her back to the moonlight, her expression veiled by the night's dark shroud. Holding that position, he asked,

"President, what wish do you want to make tonight?"

"...What I desire most right now is to go back to how things were—to have you return to your old self, that infuriating version of you who brought me a new kind of amusement every single day!"