Cute

On the coffee table in the living room, a red plastic bag was filled with oranges, filling the space with their fresh, citrusy fragrance. Yet the girls sitting on the sofa were enveloped in a quiet melancholy, sitting in silence.

Li Guanqi sat on the sofa, her face cool and composed as she meticulously peeled the white pith from an orange. Once done, she gently placed a segment into her mouth, savoring the sweet and tangy flavor before instinctively glancing at Gu Ruoxue beside her.

At that moment, Gu Ruoxue was engrossed in a small booklet, her brows occasionally furrowing before relaxing again, as if she were reading something intriguing.

However, Li Guanqi soon averted her gaze and lowered her head to continue eating the orange.

Though she was curious about the contents of the booklet, she refrained from asking, assuming it might be something private like a diary. Instead, she waited silently, letting time pass.

After finishing another slice, she looked up at Liu Qingyue sitting across from her, who was lazily sprawled on the sofa, flipping through TV channels with the remote in hand.

Li Guanqi then lowered her head again, slowly chewing and swallowing the remaining orange segments.

Su Cheng had probably bought the oranges because of her trip to purchase a watch earlier that day. She decided to eat a few more.

The guest room door opened, and Su Cheng stepped out.

"I’m heading back to my room first. Everyone, rest early."

With those words, he retreated back inside.

Click—

In the living room, Li Guanqi stared at the closed bedroom door, her eyes deep and unreadable, lost in thought.

"He’s probably going to write in his diary now. When did he pick up that habit?" Liu Qingyue remarked lazily from the side.

"Oh." Li Guanqi nodded, not elaborating. Instead, she picked up another orange from the table—but this time, she wasn’t planning to eat it. She took a pen and wrote a few words on the peel before storing it inside her ring.

Of course, her actions didn’t escape the notice of the other two girls.

"By the way," Gu Ruoxue suddenly spoke, closing her booklet with a calm tone, "the items you left with me—you should take them back now."

"Mm, alright."

Li Guanqi gave a slight nod, not refusing. In truth, she had intended to bring it up before bedtime, but since Gu Ruoxue mentioned it first, she felt a quiet relief.

After all, these items were extremely important to her.

If she suddenly lost her memory and forgot about them, it would be troublesome.

Beside them, Liu Qingyue set down the remote, stretched, and then fixed her gaze intently on the two, as if waiting to see what they would do next.

Gu Ruoxue’s slender fingers conjured a book out of thin air. The title was clear: The Basic Laws of Web Novel Male Leads.

Li Guanqi accepted it without hesitation and stored it in her ring. Then, Gu Ruoxue produced a series of other items—flowers, a Doraemon plushie, notes, a camera, a notebook, photos, a phone, and more—all of which Li Guanqi swiftly tucked away.

Liu Qingyue showed no reaction to most of these objects. After all, with a little thought, their significance was obvious, and she had no interest in them.

But one item stood out—a sleek, high-tech case made entirely of metal. It looked like something straight out of a sci-fi gadget catalog.

First, for someone like Li Guanqi—a reclusive, bookish girl—owning such a thing was completely out of character.

Second, even if Su Cheng had gifted it to her, he wouldn’t spend money on something so expensive, lacking in artistic or aesthetic appeal.

Therefore, only one conclusion made sense!

This had to be a system item!

Most telling of all, the moment the case appeared, Li Guanqi’s retrieval speed noticeably quickened. What did that imply?

She didn’t want Liu Qingyue’s attention drawn to it.

Even if Li Guanqi tried to hide it, the slight haste in her movements didn’t escape notice.

"Hey, junior."

Liu Qingyue suddenly spoke up, shifting closer to Li Guanqi with a gossipy whisper. "What’s that case just now?"

"Nothing."

Li Guanqi’s expression remained as impassive as ever. She shook her head dismissively, refusing to say another word. She even stood up, announcing, "It’s late. I’m going to wash up."

"Is it a system item?"

Liu Qingyue pressed, unwilling to let it go.

But Li Guanqi ignored her, stepping into the bathroom and shutting the door behind her.

"......"

Liu Qingyue watched her leave, then pouted before turning to Gu Ruoxue. "Did you look through the items?"

"I don’t make a habit of snooping through others’ secrets."

Gu Ruoxue smiled faintly, her demeanor elegant and composed, before reopening her booklet as if studying some profound text.

Seeing this, Liu Qingyue shrugged and dropped the subject, standing up to head back to the living room.

Time to report to the young mistress.

Finally, she could escape the stifling, awkward atmosphere between those two gloomy girls.

It was unbearable!

Knock knock—

Liu Qingyue rapped on the door. "Young Mistress."

"Come in."

Ji Qingyi’s voice came from inside, but unlike her usual cool and composed tone, there was a hint of… fluster?!

Hearing this, Liu Qingyue blinked in surprise. Had something happened just now?

Curious, she pushed the door open and entered.

After closing the door behind her, she leaned against it, observing Ji Qingyi, who stood by the window with her back turned.

"Young Mistress, did something happen earlier?"

Liu Qingyue asked cautiously.

"...Nothing. What’s the situation outside?"

Ji Qingyi kept her gaze fixed outside, not turning around, but her voice carried an odd tension.

"Really?"

Liu Qingyue found her behavior unusual. Instead of her usual calm, Ji Qingyi seemed almost… shy?

Ahem.

Ji Qingyi cleared her throat pointedly, signaling for her to get on with it.

"Right."

Liu Qingyue paused before continuing. "Li Guanqi has another system item—a metal case."

At this, Ji Qingyi finally turned around, her cheeks tinged pink with surprise. She frowned. "What’s inside?"

"Young Mistress, you look… well."

Liu Qingyue noted Ji Qingyi’s reaction, silently deducing that Su Cheng must have said something strange to unsettle her like this.

"Never mind that. Focus on what you saw."

Ji Qingyi waved a hand, suppressing whatever emotion was stirring inside her, and urged Liu Qingyue to continue.

Liu Qingyue studied her for a moment before replying, "I don’t know the details. Li Guanqi was deliberately hiding it. Pushing further might backfire."

"Hmm..."

Ji Qingyi gave a slight nod before falling into deep thought, seemingly processing the information she had just received. After a long pause, she noticed Liu Qingyue’s scrutinizing gaze from the corner of her eye and frowned slightly, her tone laced with caution. "What are you looking at?"

"Nothing."

Liu Qingyue shook her head. "By the way, they’ve stored all the items Su Cheng gave them, as well as anything connected to him, inside rings. Would you like to do the same, Young Mistress?"

"Arrange for it immediately!"

Ji Qingyi’s eyes flickered briefly before she issued her command. "I need you to personally—no, I’ll go myself."

"But at this hour… Young Mistress."

"The situation is urgent. Proceed under the Ultra-Top Priority protocol!"

"Yes."

There were four levels of urgency: Top Priority, Special Priority, Urgent, and Routine.

The so-called "Ultra-Top Priority" was a classification Ji Qingyi had personally added, as the standard Top Priority allowed a one-day response window.

In this case, one day was far too slow—hence the Ultra-Top Priority, demanding completion within an hour, requiring swift, all-out action.

Soon after, the two left Su Cheng’s residence and split up. Liu Qingyue stormed into the school with the attendants in tow, retrieving every piece of footage related to Su Cheng—from the school’s surveillance to archery club records—and even copying all documents mentioning him.

"This is the last of it."

Liu Qingyue glanced at the time, realizing only half an hour had passed, then her eyes landed on a photo frame on the desk—a group photo from their last outing.

She took it before returning to Su Cheng’s place, where even Li Guanqi hadn’t finished washing up yet. The efficiency of the Ji family was nothing short of astonishing.

When Liu Qingyue returned to the guest room, she found Ji Qingyi already back from the estate, standing by the window waiting for her. The moment she entered, Ji Qingyi turned around.

"Young Mistress, everything is here. Please inspect it."

Liu Qingyue lifted what resembled a suitcase onto the desk, unzipping it to reveal its contents.

Ji Qingyi wasted no time, sweeping a glance over the items before storing them in her ring. While storing the entire suitcase would have been more efficient, forgetting the concept of the "suitcase" itself would render its contents irretrievable.

But with individual items, the margin for error was much higher.

After all, some were everyday objects.

If one knew about the storage ability, even if they forgot what was inside, they might accidentally retrieve something useful.

With that done, Ji Qingyi turned to Liu Qingyue, a trace of appreciation in her eyes. "You’ve worked hard."

"It’s my duty."

Liu Qingyue bowed slightly, her demeanor humble and polite, then asked, "How do you plan to handle the marriage contract?"

"That’s none of your concern."

Ji Qingyi shook her head, offering no specifics, though she added softly, "I’ve already secured it properly."

"I see."

Liu Qingyue nodded, refraining from further inquiry. She had already explained the stakes to Ji Qingyi, and she trusted the Young Mistress understood them better than anyone.

Yet Ji Qingyi hesitated.

Liu Qingyue’s mention of the marriage contract reminded her of how earnestly the maid had demanded it earlier.

Perhaps… she should reveal a little more?

After a moment of deliberation, Ji Qingyi decided to confide in her.

"Su Cheng came by earlier," she said.

"I know. Did something happen?"

Liu Qingyue looked at her curiously.

"..."

Ji Qingyi fell silent briefly before murmuring, "He called me ‘cute’ again."

Liu Qingyue, recalling Ji Qingyi’s flushed expression when she opened the door, instantly understood. "So that’s why your face was—"

Before she could finish, Ji Qingyi cut her off.

"Yes, because he infuriated me."

She adopted an exaggeratedly displeased tone. "What part of me could possibly be ‘cute’? It’s utterly absurd!"

She had revealed something—but only a sliver. In truth, she wanted Liu Qingyue to pinpoint what exactly made her "cute."

"Ahem."

Liu Qingyue cleared her throat, seemingly seeing through Ji Qingyi’s ploy—after all, the initial flustered irritation had been genuine.

She quickly soothed, "Please calm down first."

"He keeps mocking me over and over..."

Ji Qingyi trailed off, sitting down and massaging her temples as if exasperated—though in reality, she was waiting for Liu Qingyue to say something satisfying.

"...Young Mistress, I think you may have misunderstood."

Liu Qingyue pondered before tentatively offering, "The word ‘cute’ carries many meanings. In fact, I’d argue Su Cheng used it quite accurately—not as an insult."

"Oh?!"

Ji Qingyi’s eyes snapped open as she stared at Liu Qingyue in surprise.

Liu Qingyue smiled calmly. "It can describe someone pure-hearted, innocent, and beautiful in spirit—qualities you embody perfectly."

"Don’t patronize me."

Ji Qingyi scoffed, though secretly craving more.

"Young Mistress," Liu Qingyue continued evenly, "it can also express admiration, respect, or affection for someone held in high regard. Again, this applies to you."

"Hmm..."

Ji Qingyi mulled it over before asking thoughtfully, "You truly believe the label ‘cute’ suits me?"

"Absolutely."

Liu Qingyue nodded seriously. "Especially right now—your unguarded, uncharacteristically flustered self is the cutest!"

Silence—

The room plunged into dead quiet. Liu Qingyue felt a chill crawl up her spine but pressed on. "Of course, if you’d rather not acknowledge it, I won’t insist. But the fact that you chose to share this with me today is an honor. It makes me very happy."

Finally, Ji Qingyi sighed deeply, her gaze softening with resignation. She exhaled slowly before murmuring, "Fine. Perhaps I should be clearer with you about certain things. So—what’s your take on this?"

She was referring to Su Cheng’s late-night visit under the pretense of delivering oranges, only to call her "cute."

"Well..."

Liu Qingyue paused briefly. "I doubt it was spontaneous. To me, it seems premeditated."

"Oh? Evidence?"

Ji Qingyi arched a brow, clearly eager for her maid’s analysis.

"Every romantic comedy follows an arc."

Liu Qingyue drew a parallel. "Take Cinderella—it began with a lost glass slipper. I think ‘cute’ is your starting point."

Ji Qingyi motioned for her to continue.

"As I said earlier, your tsundere nature is undeniably charming. He likely thinks so too."

Liu Qingyue hesitated before adding, "By pointing out your ‘cuteness,’ he might be signaling a desire to connect with you more openly."

Hearing this, Ji Qingyi frowned slightly. "This is just speculation. His intentions might not have been like that."

"I don’t think he would go out of his way, in the middle of his busy schedule, to call you cute for no reason—only to get kicked out by you afterward, right?" Liu Qingyue said seriously. "What do you think?"

Ji Qingyi pondered for a moment, then suddenly looked up, locking eyes with Liu Qingyue before lowering her gaze with a soft sigh. "Let’s drop it. There’s no point in discussing this now."

Though she privately acknowledged the likelihood, she would never admit it aloud.

"No."

Liu Qingyue cut her off. "Miss Ji, he gave you a ring on the rooftop. You haven’t returned the gesture. In my opinion, your honesty with him would be the most romantic response."

"It’s too late. It’s already too late." Ji Qingyi waved her hand dismissively. "I just sent him away."

"It’s already midnight."

Liu Qingyue pulled out her phone and checked the time. "The system has reset the count. You can still confess to him right now—using your phone as the medium!"