Knowing to Cherish, Yet Ultimately Letting Go

Ji Family Residence.

Bedroom.

Seated on the edge of the bed, Ji Qingyi slowly closed her eyes, her thoughts restless. After what felt like an eternity, she reopened them and retrieved a photo frame from her ring. The picture inside was a certain group photograph.

She gazed at it for a long time, gently tracing the image with her fingers before letting out a soft sigh and placing it on the nightstand. Rising to her feet, she walked to the window and stood silently, taking in the distant nightscape.

Outside, darkness had already fallen, with only a lonely remnant of sunset clinging to the far western horizon.

Ji Qingyi lifted her gaze, sinking into another prolonged silence.

Eventually, she lowered her eyelids, veiling the turbulent emotions beneath, and murmured while stroking her ring, "Just what are you trying to do?"

From the fragmented hints in their earlier conversation, she had pieced together a rough idea of the situation. Though there was no concrete evidence, she could make an educated guess.

Perhaps Su Cheng’s system had undergone changes—or maybe he no longer had one—leading to the altered course of events.

"Ding-dong~"

She pressed the button to summon a servant, but this time, the wait was longer than expected. A full five or six minutes passed before movement could be heard at the door.

After all, she rarely used this button within the residence.

"Young Mistress, an attendant requests an audience at the door."

A maid’s voice, laced with deference, reached her ears.

Ji Qingyi replied indifferently, "Have her come to the window."

"Yes."

A minute later, a stern-faced, older female attendant appeared by the window. Her expression was icy, her demeanor rigid—almost like an emotionless machine.

"Greetings, Young Mistress!" She bowed slightly, her tone neither subservient nor arrogant.

Ji Qingyi gave a faint nod. "I have a task for you."

"At your command."

The attendant’s voice remained flat, devoid of inflection.

"This year, there’s a first-year student at the academy named Su Cheng."

Ji Qingyi spoke slowly, "Investigate his background and compile a detailed report on his current situation. Additionally, personally oversee surveillance on him. I want regular updates on his whereabouts—everything he does, at all times."

Here, she paused before adding, "Also, while ensuring his safety, if any female peers get too close to him, find a way to separate them discreetly—without being detected."

"Understood."

Without hesitation, the attendant bowed again and departed.

Once the attendant left, the room plunged back into silence.

Even after delegating such tasks, Ji Qingyi still felt it wasn’t enough. A sense of urgency gnawed at her.

Was it because his heart condition had returned? No, the Ji Family could mobilize some of the world’s rarest medical resources. Even with a terminal illness, they could prolong life for over two years purely through sheer resource allocation—let alone a relatively common disease like this.

On this point, she could confidently say: if even the Ji Family’s resources couldn’t save someone, then no one in this world could—barring that so-called "system."

Then, if not his illness, was it the threat of rivals?

Possibly.

In the physical world, she held near-absolute advantage.

But in matters of the heart? That was far less certain. Especially now, when circumstances seemed to favor her—yet Cornelia had already shown signs of awakening.

If the remaining rivals also awakened and entered the fray, it would be like watching others snatch the dish she had already placed in her bowl, ready to savor.

This—she could not tolerate. Would never accept.

What she claimed as hers must remain firmly in her grasp.

With this thought, Ji Qingyi abruptly stood and strode toward the door—only to nearly collide with Liu Qingyue the moment she opened it.

"Young Mistress, you seem in quite the hurry."

Liu Qingyue’s first words upon returning. Then, after a brief pause, she added, "Are you planning to go see him?"

Hearing this, Ji Qingyi realized that Liu Qingyue had regained her original memories. Instead of answering, she turned back into the room, with Liu Qingyue following close behind.

"Speak." Ji Qingyi sat at the tea table, her tone grave and serious. "His current condition, and your thoughts on it."

The fact that she hadn’t first ordered tea served indicated just how urgent—how critically important—this matter was to her.

"Young Mistress, first I must confirm something." Liu Qingyue took a seat diagonally across from her and asked, "Before sleeping, did you consume anything he gave you?"

"Tanghulu and milk."

Ji Qingyi answered without hesitation.

"As I thought."

Liu Qingyue nodded, pausing briefly before continuing, "If nothing else, the milk is likely responsible for the current situation."

"So you drank it too."

Ji Qingyi mused, then asked, "Then in your opinion, is this a dream—or reality?"

"Unclear." Liu Qingyue explained, "But whether dream or reality, my intuition tells me that here, injuries and death are real. So we should treat this as reality."

"What game is he playing at?!"

Ji Qingyi’s expression darkened with barely restrained fury.

It wasn’t anger at Su Cheng for dragging her into this strange scenario—after all, everyone had entered willingly. No, her rage was directed at the rules of this game, which she found utterly loathsome.

"Young Mistress, perhaps we can reframe this. Doesn’t this actually work in our favor?"

Liu Qingyue suddenly smiled, her tone lightening. "Right now, he’s not only at his weakest but also his most malleable. You could shape him into anything you desire."

"What about Cornelia?"

Ji Qingyi frowned. "Why is she affected? She didn’t stay overnight, nor did she drink milk."

"No, but she drank some during dinner."

Liu Qingyue recalled, "And this time, Su Cheng’s condition is unusual. He hasn’t just forgotten everything—his personality, habits, even his thought patterns have drastically changed. It’s like he’s become a completely different person."

Ji Qingyi’s brows furrowed deeper.

"You’ve likely already considered this: at this point, there’s a high chance he no longer has his system."

Liu Qingyue sighed, her tone tinged with regret. "Meaning he can no longer perform miracles."

Hearing this, a faint smile flickered across Ji Qingyi’s lips—quickly suppressed—as she pressed further.

"And his symptoms?"

"I happened to run into him earlier."

Liu Qingyue gave a wry smile. "He was in a hospital gown. He’s already learned about his heart condition but chose to escape reality, unable to accept it."

"In my eyes, the current Su Cheng no longer embodies hope or miracles—only decay and ruin."

Ji Qingyi arched a brow, curious why Liu Qingyue wasn’t defending him as usual. "What exactly happened to him?"

"Don’t rush, Young Mistress."

Liu Qingyue raised a hand in a calming gesture. "Let me explain properly."

She paused, carefully choosing her words before continuing, "The biggest difference between him now and before is this: In the past, he got into Flame City Private Academy through hard work and a bit of talent. But now, aside from effort, he’s relying on stimulants to stay alert—essentially pushing his body to the limit just to get in."

"Stimulants?"

Hearing this, Ji Qingyi frowned slightly. It seemed Su Cheng had gone to great lengths this time to get into the school. She asked, "Are you saying his heart condition is worse than the tests showed, or that there are other undiagnosed issues?"

"Exactly. The current situation is likely more severe than before—I just checked."

Liu Qingyue answered gravely, "If his emotions spiral out of control or he faces sudden stress, he could be in life-threatening danger at any moment."

After listening, Ji Qingyi fell silent for a while, even though she’d expected this. Finally, she said, "Do you think he pushed himself this hard because that’s just who he is, or was it all a performance for us?"

"I think… both."

Liu Qingyue pondered before replying, "He wanted to show everyone how pathetic he is without the system, while also flaunting how different he is from ordinary people."

Her tone carried a hint of mockery. "After all, he’s always believed everything he has was given to him by the system."

At this, Ji Qingyi’s lips twitched as if she wanted to say something, but in the end, she stayed silent. Because Su Cheng had indeed raised this question before.

Back then, she had outright denied it.

Now, with him orchestrating this scenario, it was hard not to see it as partly fueled by spite—not just to torment himself and everyone else, but to make them witness his decline and suffering firsthand.

"Besides, I don’t think the young mistress would still like a boy with no future, destined to die young."

Liu Qingyue’s calm voice reached Ji Qingyi’s ears, making her glance sideways. "Young Mistress, I hope you’re mentally prepared when you see him. Because you’ll be disappointed."

A moment later, Ji Qingyi reined in her emotions, her usual aloof demeanor returning as she scoffed, "Weren’t you the one who always admired people like him? What was it you called them—'the most important qualities are effort and integrity'?"

"Effort without a shred of luck or talent isn’t a virtue—it’s obsession."

Liu Qingyue sneered. "I admit his hard work and integrity are commendable, but this time, he truly has no luck left. He’s destined for a tragic end."

"Enough."

Ji Qingyi snapped, her gaze sharp as it cut toward her. "Even the Yellow River clears one day—how can a man never have his time to shine?"

"But I genuinely believe you won’t like him like this."

"Too late. What’s done is done. If I’ve set my sights on something, even if I don’t like it, I won’t let anyone else have it. How I handle it is my business." Ji Qingyi’s tone was unyielding. "If he’s to be buried, it’ll be by my hands."

"The problem now is, without the system, we can’t guarantee we’ll cure whatever other rare conditions he might have."

Liu Qingyue’s expression was equally stubborn. "Even if you forcibly extend his life, his nature won’t change. Eventually, he’ll return to the same path and leave this world."

"What’s gotten into you? Has something possessed you? Why are you being so dense?"

Faced with her maid’s repeated objections, Ji Qingyi shook her head, deciding to end the discussion.

"You think I’d look down on him now—but does that mean I’d look up to anyone else? Is he really worthless in your eyes without the system? Fine then."

She paused, her voice leaving no room for argument. "Then I’ll become his system!"

"It seems the young mistress has made up her mind. I’ll say no more."

Liu Qingyue bowed her head in submission. From an angle Ji Qingyi couldn’t see, a bitter smile flickered across her lips.

When she first regained her memories, she had considered simply running away with Su Cheng, leaving everything behind. Based on the initial diagnosis, while his coronary artery occlusion was serious, it wasn’t untreatable yet.

If that had been the only issue, her personal wealth and methods would’ve made the plan highly feasible.

But when she saw Su Cheng as he was now, Liu Qingyue abandoned the idea—not just because of potential hidden health risks, but because she knew him too well, loved him too much.

If the problems between everyone remained unresolved, they would become a permanent burden on his heart.

She cared more about his happiness than her own. So she let go, handing him over to Ji Qingyi, pushing her to use the Ji Family’s resources to solve his problems.

Because she loved him, she released him.

That was her confession.