The Guest Room.
"Ding—"
Li Guanqi lay sprawled on a bed, her gaze fixed on an old-model phone resting on the pillow.
She simply stared at the black screen.
For over ten minutes, she remained utterly absorbed in this motionless observation.
After retrieving the phone from Su Cheng's possession, she hadn’t attempted to unlock it or snoop through his private messages. Instead, she just kept watching it, as though expecting something.
Ever since Ji Qingyi had sent a message earlier, the phone had remained dark—no further notifications, not even another word from Ji Qingyi. The device seemed to have lost its vitality.
It was worth noting that back in Su Cheng’s room, she hadn’t clearly seen the content of Ji Qingyi’s message—only catching a glimpse of the sender’s name.
"It’s almost half past midnight. Surely no one else will message him now?"
With that thought, Li Guanqi reluctantly tore her eyes away and turned toward the ink-black night outside the window.
But as luck would have it, the moment she turned her head, the phone’s screen lit up on its own, vibrating loudly enough to echo through the room.
Li Guanqi whipped back around, only to see a notification pop up on the screen.
Ling Ning: "Junior, are you asleep?"
Just as she frowned, puzzling over the message, several more followed in quick succession, fueling her irritation.
Ling Ning: "I can’t sleep."
Ling Ning: "Can you tell me a story?"
Ling Ning: "Is that okay?"
Li Guanqi’s expression darkened further as she read. Asking for Su Cheng’s voice in the dead of night—the intention was glaringly obvious.
Hell, even she had never heard Su Cheng tell a story before!
Her small fists clenched, a strange, icy sensation spreading through her chest, impossible to suppress.
She had anticipated this kind of scenario, but facing the reality head-on was still unbearable.
Ling Ning: "Are you busy right now?"
Li Guanqi took a deep breath, forcing herself to calm down.
She knew full well that Ling Ning’s value lay in the ring now adorning her own ring finger. So, in essence—
Su Cheng was merely playing along with her.
Yet, the thought of him soothing someone else to sleep with a story in the middle of the night filled her with an indescribable frustration.
She was tempted—no, desperate—to unlock the phone and scour their chat history, to confirm exactly how many "rewards" Su Cheng had extracted from Ling Ning.
Currently, she knew of two additional rings in Su Cheng’s possession.
Meaning he had received two rewards from Ling Ning.
But the actual number remained uncertain.
Her fingers inched toward the phone.
However…
Just before she could touch it, she stopped, ultimately withdrawing her hand and abandoning the idea of opening the chat.
Because the guest room door suddenly creaked open, and Gu Ruoxue stepped inside, dressed in sleepwear. But what left Li Guanqi utterly stunned was the sight of a ring on her left hand.
Li Guanqi’s gaze immediately dropped to Gu Ruoxue’s chest, searching for something—only to find that the usual imprint of a necklace was gone.
Meaning she had taken off the ring that had once hung from it… and was now wearing it on her finger.
This discovery rooted Li Guanqi in place, her mind flooded with questions.
What had changed?
Why was she wearing it now?
This was the first time she had ever put on a ring.
And not just any finger—her left index finger.
Unlike Li Guanqi and Ji Qingyi, who wore theirs on the ring finger (symbolizing being in a committed relationship), the left index finger signified being unmarried and single.
Confusion swirled in Li Guanqi’s heart, but no matter how she turned it over in her mind, she couldn’t find an answer.
Logically, if she wanted to reject the ring Su Cheng had given her, she could have just returned it.
There was no reason to wear it on her index finger.
Yet here she was—not returning it, not keeping it as a necklace, but deliberately choosing to wear it in a way that contradicted romantic implications.
How was Li Guanqi supposed to interpret such a contradictory act?
"Senior, did Su Cheng just go see you?"
After some deliberation, Li Guanqi concluded that this sudden change must be related to Su Cheng.
So she lifted her head and addressed Gu Ruoxue directly, who stood by the doorway.
"Yes."
Gu Ruoxue nodded, walking over to the bed and beginning to tidy the sheets and blankets. But the ring on her finger gleamed under the light, impossible to ignore, prompting Li Guanqi to press further.
"Why… did you choose to wear the ring on your index finger?"
She couldn’t hold back the question, immediately adding, "Did he—"
Before she could finish, Gu Ruoxue paused her tidying and turned to face her, answering with quiet certainty, "I chose to wear it this way myself. It has nothing to do with him."
"…Oh."
Li Guanqi hesitated before murmuring, "But since he gave it to you… wouldn’t he feel hurt seeing it like this?"
"If he does, then he deserves it."
Gu Ruoxue’s lips curled into a soft, almost playful smile—so unlike her usual cool demeanor that Li Guanqi found herself momentarily stunned, staring blankly.
A face that could charm anyone, male or female, truly had no limits.
But then Gu Ruoxue simply chuckled lightly and resumed straightening the bed.
Just then—
"His request isn’t finished yet."
Gu Ruoxue dropped another cryptic remark.
Li Guanqi blinked, then comprehension dawned—followed by a sinking feeling in her chest.
"I’m not happy about it, but I can’t let that affect everyone’s safety."
As she spoke, Gu Ruoxue sat on the edge of the bed, idly tracing the ring with her fingers, her expression resigned.
Finally, Li Guanqi understood.
No wonder Gu Ruoxue had worn the ring this way.
Su Cheng hadn’t asked for her participation in this competition under the pretense of romance.
Instead, he had invoked an old, unfinished promise—
A request for Gu Ruoxue’s help.
Li Guanqi opened her mouth, wanting to say something, but the words died in her throat.
Because this was Gu Ruoxue and Su Cheng’s story.
Their shared battle against the system.
And yet, realizing this only made her heart grow colder.
Back then, the system’s tasks had ten stages.
At that time, Su Cheng and Gu Ruoxue had only reached the third.
Now, Su Cheng’s relationships with everyone else were also hovering around stage three.
If one day, any of them progressed beyond that point—
Would the system change again?
No one knew.
But at the same time, she finally grasped why Su Cheng was so determined to walk this path.
Because his system was like the Sword of Damocles—
No one knew when the thread would snap, when the blade would fall.
Or perhaps the system had already begun shifting.
"Would Su Cheng… lose his memories too?"
After a long silence, Li Guanqi abruptly voiced the question.
Gu Ruoxue seemed genuinely surprised, clearly not expecting Li Guanqi to piece things together so quickly and arrive at such a conclusion.
But she didn’t evade the question, shaking her head honestly.
"It’s possible, but I don’t actually know the specifics."
Then, she countered with a question of her own:
"Why would you ask something like that?"
"I..." Li Guanqi fell silent, then gave a bitter smile. She explained, "Su Cheng once told me about your situation. It's because you erased your memories that the system switched to gentle mode, so..."
"I understand."
Gu Ruoxue nodded and continued, "Your concerns are valid. But what he chooses to do next is his own decision. I believe if he made this choice, he must have his reasons."
"So it seems we're still competitors."
Li Guanqi stared intently at Gu Ruoxue.
Gu Ruoxue gave a slight nod.
"Is that so..."
Li Guanqi murmured to herself, then lightly touched the ring on her finger, smiling as if mocking herself. "But I won't lose."
Though the decision was steeped in bitterness, pain, confusion, and worry, the last flicker of hope at the bottom of the box inexplicably shone brightly.
With that, Li Guanqi closed her eyes.
"Ding dong~"
Her phone vibrated again with a notification, startling her. She hurriedly picked it up—only to see a message from Ji Qingyi.
Ji Qingyi: "?"
Though it was just a simple question mark, its layered implications were unmistakable.
Like asking why she hadn’t replied.
Like expressing anger.
Like demanding an answer...
As Li Guanqi froze, phone in hand, Gu Ruoxue, who had been about to go to bed, noticed and paused. "What's wrong?"
"This is Su Cheng's phone."
Li Guanqi's expression stiffened as she turned to Gu Ruoxue.
"..." Gu Ruoxue immediately understood.
"Is it a message from Miss Ji next door?"
Li Guanqi nodded calmly. "Yes, it's the second one now. Don’t you think it’s better to reply?"
As she raised the phone to show her, another notification popped up—perfect timing.
Ling Ning: "Already asleep? Then I'll tell you the story tomorrow."
……………………………………
Next door.
Ji Qingyi sat on her bed, clutching her phone, her eyes fixed unblinkingly on the screen. Her face was tense, her body trembling slightly.
Because—she had reached out to Su Cheng first!
And Su Cheng had ignored her!!!
The chat log read:
Ji Qingyi: Still busy?
Ji Qingyi: ?
"Miss, you've been staring at your phone for over ten minutes. I suggest you just go knock on his door and talk to him directly."
From the floor, Liu Qingyue, already tucked into her makeshift bedding, spoke in a muffled, exhausted voice.
"Are you sure his light is still on?"
Ji Qingyi turned to ask.
"Positive. He's awake."
Liu Qingyue pulled the blanket down just enough to peek out. "He's writing in his diary."
Ji Qingyi fell silent for a few seconds before nodding. "Then I'll wait a little longer. You can sleep first."
With that, she resumed her statue-like posture, eyes glued to the screen—a perfect "waiting-for-husband" stone.
Liu Qingyue didn’t push further. The fact that her proud mistress had mustered the courage to confess via text was progress enough. The outcome wasn’t her concern.
What mattered most was that her mistress had openly admitted her feelings for Su Cheng in front of her. That alone made her happy.
With that thought, she closed her eyes.
She pretended to sleep.
Because she knew her mistress would pester her again soon.
Sure enough, minutes later, she felt her blanket being yanked away—only to see Ji Qingyi looming over her.
"Go check if Su Cheng is really asleep!"
After delivering the order, Ji Qingyi returned to her perch on the bed, phone in hand, ready for a long vigil.
"Ugh..."
Liu Qingyue rubbed her bleary eyes, sluggishly freed an arm from the covers, and dragged herself up before shuffling out of the room.
A minute later, she stood outside Su Cheng’s door and knocked.
Knock knock knock.
"Come in. It's unlocked."
Su Cheng’s slightly hoarse, lazy voice answered. Without hesitation, she turned the knob and stepped inside.
There he was—hunched over his desk, hard at work. For some reason, the sight of him instantly lifted her mood, her eyes brightening.
This was Su Cheng, the human embodiment of healing energy!
"Senior, why are you still up so late?"
Hearing footsteps, Su Cheng turned and stood to greet her.
"Someone’s bothering me so much I can’t sleep."
Liu Qingyue grumbled as she plopped onto his bed. "By the way, the mistress is waiting for you in her room."
"Got it. I’ll head over now."
Su Cheng nodded and walked toward her, then—as if by magic—produced a steaming cup of milk. "Here, drink this. Helps with sleep."
She blinked in surprise before accepting it with a smile. "You’re the best, junior. Thanks."
She downed the entire cup in one go, licking her lips afterward. "Unlike a certain terrible mistress who has zero consideration for others."
"Let’s go. See what she wants."
Su Cheng chuckled and led the way out.
Liu Qingyue set the cup down and followed, deliberately muffling her footsteps.
Soon, they stood outside the guest room.
Su Cheng glanced at her, and she nodded—just go in. So he pushed the door open.
Creak.
Ji Qingyi remained seated on the bed, still fixated on her phone. Assuming it was her maid, she didn’t even look up, her tone icy.
"Is Su Cheng asleep?"
"Uh... I'm awake."
Hearing his voice, Ji Qingyi’s head snapped up in shock. She hastily hid her phone behind her back, eyes wide as she struggled to compose herself.
"Who told you to come in?!"
"Senior did. She said you wanted to see me."
Su Cheng pointed at Liu Qingyue behind him, then asked, "What did you need, President?"
Before Ji Qingyi could react, Liu Qingyue moved—she shoved Su Cheng inside, slammed the door shut, and jammed something into the handle to lock it from the outside.
A flawless, split-second maneuver.
"Now that’s efficiency."
She dusted her hands off, admiring her handiwork.
"Exhausted..."
With that, she returned to Su Cheng’s room, locked his door too, then flopped onto his bed.
She burrowed under the covers, inhaled deeply, and rolled over with a contented sigh.
"So cozy~"
"Hm?"
Her hand brushed against something unfamiliar. Curious, she reached for it—it felt like a phone-sized object, lightweight, probably cardboard.
"What’s this?"
She picked it up curiously and found a red-and-black striped gift box. After examining both sides carefully, she noticed four black characters on the side of the box:
—For Senior Liu.
Seeing this, she froze. Her drowsiness vanished instantly, replaced by a dazed disbelief. She couldn’t believe she had received something like this—and in such a manner.
After a moment, she snapped out of it and let out a soft laugh, then opened the box with mixed emotions.
Inside lay an IC card—more specifically, a
『Bus Pass』
Liu Qingyue gently traced her fingers over the card’s surface. The design depicted a familiar place—the bus stop where the two of them had once shared a pivotal moment.
"Will there still be irreplaceable intersections between us…?"