On the other side.
Su Cheng's home.
The living room was unusually quiet despite two beautiful girls sitting on the sofa, both silent as if deep in thought or waiting for something.
They were Li Guanqi and Gu Ruoxue.
However, the sound of running water and cheerful music from the bathroom revealed the user's pleasant mood.
It was Liu Qingyue.
Click—
The door opened, and Ji Qingyi walked in, dressed in a pristine white gown. Today, she wore a long-sleeved white dress that ended just above her knees. Her snow-like skin and waterfall of black hair cascading down her back made her look strikingly elegant and noble.
Her arrival broke the silence. Both girls turned their eyes toward her, and Ji Qingyi responded with a calm, indifferent gaze.
No one spoke.
Yet, Ji Qingyi noticed something odd in their expressions, though she paid it no mind. She walked straight to her usual spot on the sofa, picked up the teapot from the coffee table, poured herself a cup, gently blew on it to cool it, and took a sip.
Of course, it was impossible to ignore the dazzling, eye-catching ring on her slender, jade-like finger, shining even brighter against her fair skin.
But what was worth noting was that each of the three girls on the sofa had an identical one.
Gu Ruoxue wore hers at her chest.
Li Guanqi wore hers on her ring finger.
However, the ring paired with Ji Qingyi’s dignified and noble aura gave off an antique charm.
Though no words were spoken, the ring on Ji Qingyi’s hand spoke for her.
"President Ji, where is Su Cheng?"
Finally, Li Guanqi broke the silence, her voice weary as if she had exhausted all her energy overnight, devoid of any youthful vigor.
"He said he went out to buy something," Ji Qingyi replied nonchalantly.
Her words struck the others as strange. At such a critical moment, every move Su Cheng made carried deeper meaning—going out to buy something so late at night seemed far too flimsy an excuse.
Lost in thought, they fell into silence again.
Just then, the bathroom door opened. Liu Qingyue stepped out, wrapped in a white towel. The three turned to look at her in unison; Ji Qingyi’s eyes flashed with displeasure—how dare she expose herself so shamelessly?
"Have you no shame? Put some clothes on at once!" Ji Qingyi snapped coldly, her tone sharp as if scolding an unruly child.
"I’ll get dressed once I’m in my room," Liu Qingyue said, heading to the fridge to pour herself a glass of iced cola. Despite her words, she showed no concern about being clad in nothing but a towel. After finishing her drink, she leisurely turned and sauntered toward her room.
A few minutes later—
"I’ll excuse myself first." After finishing her tea, Ji Qingyi also rose from the sofa, nodding at Li Guanqi and Gu Ruoxue before following Liu Qingyue into her room.
"You... don’t have to be so disheartened."
Seeing Li Guanqi in such a state, Gu Ruoxue attempted to console her, though it didn’t seem to help much.
Li Guanqi kept her head down for a long while before muttering in a muffled voice.
After all, her ring hadn’t even warmed up before Su Cheng went and gave another one to someone else. Who could stand that?
Did he think these rings were wholesale goods or something?!
"Thank you, senior. I’ll be fine. I’ll pull myself together by tomorrow."
Gu Ruoxue sighed softly. Of course, she understood why Li Guanqi had crumbled so completely in less than a night.
With no way to stop Su Cheng’s plans, allowing Ji Qingyi to receive the ring—and thus his promise—meant she had already secured an unbeatable position.
If the reset succeeded, among them, Ji Qingyi, with her vast social resources, would have the most means at her disposal—and the greatest ability to elevate Su Cheng’s status.
There’s a saying that cuteness can’t defeat sexiness. But for Li Guanqi now, gentleness couldn’t defeat capability.
With Gu Ruoxue, she could at least trust that her personality wouldn’t lead her to force anything. But Ji Qingyi, who had already come this far? Li Guanqi had no faith she would ever let go.
In other words, from this moment on, in Gu Ruoxue’s eyes, Li Guanqi had practically lost any chance of becoming Su Cheng’s one and only. At best, she’d be forced to watch him enter and leave the world of the elite, staying out all night.
After giving so much, she was now doomed to face a broken ending. How could she not be devastated?
Faced with her greatest rival’s crushing defeat, Gu Ruoxue felt no joy as an opponent—only pity.
Though she didn’t approve of winning affection through one-sided devotion, Li Guanqi was undeniably a good person, a good girl. Good people shouldn’t suffer like this.
But what Gu Ruoxue didn’t know was that the diary they had discussed earlier on the rooftop—the question of its ownership—had already been decided.
The diary was meant for Li Guanqi.
And Li Guanqi knew it.
Meaning, Li Guanqi would still have a diary of her own.
All things considered—
Gu Ruoxue herself was the one most deserving of pity!
………………………………
Congratulations, young mistress.
As Ji Qingyi entered, Liu Qingyue, now dressed in pajamas, smiled and offered her felicitations.
"There’s nothing to congratulate."
Ji Qingyi shook her head dismissively before walking to the window, gazing down at the bustling streets below with a sigh full of melancholy.
"But… with such an overwhelming advantage now, why aren’t you happy?"
Liu Qingyue approached, standing beside her, though her eyes were fixed on the ring on Ji Qingyi’s hand, her tone tinged with envy. "I don’t need to explain what the ring symbolizes, do I?"
Yet Ji Qingyi remained expressionless. "He insisted on giving it to me. I couldn’t refuse, so I wore it. That’s all. I don’t feel much about it."
"However," she paused for a few seconds before continuing, "after personally stepping in to help him so many times, it’s only right that he finally recognized who truly has his best interests at heart—and who can offer him the most support."
As she spoke, she raised her hand, lightly tracing the ring with her fingers, a rare soft smile gracing her lips.
Seeing her young mistress in such an uncharacteristically tender mood, Liu Qingyue’s eyes gleamed with sudden understanding. After a moment’s thought, she could only echo, "Then I congratulate the young mistress on finally reaping the rewards…”
"Enough flattery. It’s not settled yet," Ji Qingyi chided, though her tone was noticeably gentler.
"So… did anything happen between you two?" Liu Qingyue asked curiously.
"Anything?" Ji Qingyi glanced at her, puzzled.
"You know… intimate moments, that sort of thing."
Liu Qingyue’s face lit up with gossipy excitement, cheeks flushed as she waited eagerly for an answer.
Hearing the question, Ji Qingyi froze momentarily before lifting her gaze back to the cityscape outside. After a long silence, she finally murmured, "No. Nothing happened at all."
"What? How is that possible?"
Liu Qingyue couldn't believe it: "Miss Ji, after giving you a ring, he should have at least kissed your hand, right? A ring carries such profound meaning!"
"Hmph."
Ji Qingyi let out a light laugh. "How would he dare act presumptuously?"
"Alright then..."
Liu Qingyue sighed helplessly before slowly backing toward the door. "I won’t disturb your rest any further, Miss Ji."
"Mm."
With that, Liu Qingyue left, closing the door behind her.
Now alone in the room, Ji Qingyi stood by the windowsill, her hands resting on the glass as she gazed at a nearby decorative item, her eyes flickering with an inscrutable, complicated light.
Then, she reached out with her ring-adorned hand and lightly touched the ornament. In an instant, it vanished, only to reappear—a trick she repeated three times, amusing herself endlessly.
After a while, she withdrew her hand and walked to the bed, sitting down as she raised her hand to admire the ring. A faint smile curved her lips, and the dullness in her eyes gradually faded, replaced by a soft, warm glow.
Soon, as if remembering something, she reached into the front of her dress and pulled out a letter. Unfolding the paper, her gaze shifted repeatedly between the ring and the words on the page.
Moments later, she lay back on the bed, one hand holding the letter while the other remained raised, alternating between the two before finally clutching both close to her chest. Closing her beautiful eyes, she began reminiscing about the scene on the rooftop—Su Cheng slipping the ring onto her finger...
At the memory, a faint blush spread across her cheeks.
But then, she recalled her own reaction at the time, and her face burned even hotter—whether from shame, regret, or a mix of both, she couldn’t tell. In any case, she hugged the objects tightly and instinctively rolled around on the bed, as if the motion could somehow lessen her embarrassment.
"Miss Ji, I’m back."
Just as she was lost in her flustered squirming, Liu Qingyue’s voice rang out. The door was pushed halfway open, and there she stood, expressionless, watching from the doorway.
Hearing this, Ji Qingyi froze mid-motion and opened her eyes to look.
Their gazes met.
An eerie silence filled the air.
Liu Qingyue remained impassive, while Ji Qingyi’s cheeks warmed slightly.
Quickly, she sat up, instantly reassuming her usual dignified and graceful demeanor. Lifting her chin, she spoke coolly, "What is it?"
"I saw everything you were doing just now. What can I say? Truly befitting of Miss Ji. Anyone else would’ve panicked, but you managed to compose yourself in an instant. Unshaken even if Mount Tai were to crumble before you."