When You Come to a Place of Danger, You Cannot Avoid It

The authenticity of the marriage contract aside, based on Su Cheng's own understanding, the other party's intentions were simple: the Ji Family, or rather Miss Ji, did not want to cancel the engagement, nor did she demand that he fulfill the marriage. Instead, they had chosen an alternative approach.

This was not a humiliating rejection meant to wound his pride, nor was he being looked down upon. Contrary to the tropes often seen in novels, the other party had shown him kindness and patience—even offering to help him achieve his dreams.

Yet, precisely because of this...

Su Cheng found himself with a headache.

Unexplained kindness was far more tormenting than unexplained malice. After failing so many times, he had developed an extremely negative view of things like "manna from heaven."

For him, canceling the engagement might have been the cleaner solution.

At least it wouldn’t waste both parties' time, and he wouldn’t have to worry about future hurt. After all, she was the lofty Miss Ji of the Ji Family, while he was just a nobody. The vast difference in status was bound to create conflicts, and once those conflicts arose, they would inevitably lead to a chain of consequences.

In the end, the only one who would suffer would be him.

And so—

"Our ultimate goal is to cancel the engagement, right?" Su Cheng said solemnly, his gaze firm as he looked at Liu Qingyue.

Thunk— A crisp knock sounded as Liu Qingyue's temple twitched slightly. She tapped Su Cheng's head in dissatisfaction. "Could you please be a little more patient?"

"I’m not avoiding reality. On the contrary, I’m facing my ideals head-on," Su Cheng said, clutching his head in pain, his tone resolute. "I can say with certainty that I am not a match for your Miss Ji. There’s no need to waste time on this pointless courtship game."

"Is the outcome really that important?"

Liu Qingyue frowned as she asked.

"Yes, to me," Su Cheng murmured after a moment of contemplation, nodding lightly. "Extremely important."

Liu Qingyue responded softly, "In that case, why didn’t you choose to jump into the sea yesterday and end your suffering?"

Su Cheng was speechless.

"Alright," Liu Qingyue waved her hand, speaking earnestly. "Once you’re born, whether in joy or pain, you can’t escape experiencing all sorts of things. Might as well take it easy and enjoy the process. Why obsess over the result?"

"Yesterday, I was just lost. But the path is always beneath my feet."

Su Cheng opened his mouth but ultimately could only sigh.

"Miss Ji is giving you this opportunity. Why not give it a try?"

"Fine." Su Cheng sat down with a frown, lowering his voice. "Let’s be clear—I don’t know how to flatter people. What if I upset her? Will others be dragged into it?"

"Relax, our Miss Ji isn’t petty. Besides, if you really do anger her, you can always find a way to cheer her up." Liu Qingyue grinned, patting her chest. "Anyway, my Miss Ji is easy to handle. A few sweet words, a little coquetry, some aegyo—any problem can be solved."

"Coquetry? Aegyo?" Su Cheng shuddered and immediately shook his head. "I won’t debase myself for mere survival."

"Alright, sign it."

Liu Qingyue pushed the pen and paper toward him, smiling. "If not for yourself, think of the children at the orphanage. Sign, and we’ll start construction immediately."

At the mention of the orphanage, Su Cheng’s heart clenched.

The orphanage—those three words were branded deeply into his heart, the softest part of his soul.

He subconsciously glanced at the contract. Seeing the stack of documents at least five centimeters thick, he felt lost. He lacked the expertise to parse the legal terms and couldn’t afford a lawyer’s consultation fee. Yet, the bait the other party dangled was too tempting to refuse.

Just as he was scratching his head in frustration, a memory flashed through his mind. His eyes widened abruptly.

He recalled Cornelia once saying the orphanage had already been renovated and that Sister Xue had gotten prosthetic legs and was working outside. Back then, he thought she was spouting nonsense. But now, staring at this contract, his heart surged with shock.

Could it be...

Cornelia hadn’t lied!

Did that mean...

He, too, would become the famously beautiful youth everyone knew!?

"Hey, what are you spacing out for?"

Liu Qingyue waved a hand in front of his face. Seeing him still frozen in his seat, she raised an eyebrow in confusion.

"Oh, hold on." Su Cheng snapped out of it, taking a deep breath to suppress the excitement and surprise. He quickly pulled out his phone, intending to message Cornelia for confirmation.

Liu Qingyue lounged leisurely in her seat, as if everything was proceeding exactly as she had planned.

Su Cheng: "Did the Ji Family sponsor the orphanage in the future?"

Su Cheng: "Please answer truthfully. This is really important to me!"

Su Cheng: "I’ll discuss the details with you later. For now, just tell me the truth."

After sending the messages, he waited for Cornelia’s reply.

But—

Cornelia, who usually responded instantly, remained silent this time, making Su Cheng increasingly anxious.

Ding— Finally, a reply came.

Cornelia: "Yes."

Reading that single word, Su Cheng was nearly overwhelmed by euphoria. He bit his tongue hard, using the pain to stay composed.

Then, with trembling hands, he picked up the pen and prepared to sign.

He was afraid he might faint otherwise.

Liu Qingyue’s lips curled into a faint smile, her voice like a demon’s whisper: "Sign it."

Su Cheng’s fingers paused briefly before he lowered his gaze to the contract. After a long moment, he lifted his hand and slowly signed his name.

"By the way... is Cornelia someone you sent?"

After calming down, Su Cheng pieced everything together and realized Cornelia might have been a plant—a spy arranged by the Ji Family. The whole "reincarnation" and "future" thing could have been fabricated!

That possibility wasn’t zero.

But whether it was true or not, he would have signed anyway.

Because even a sliver of hope was worth the risk. Not to mention, this was a chance to fulfill the dreams of two lifetimes.

Still, after signing, he hesitated and asked, "Do I have persecution complex or something?"

Liu Qingyue couldn’t help but laugh, waving dismissively. "Sure, sure, she’s one of ours. When you get home, just tell her the mission’s over. Tell her to scram!"

Her attitude dispelled his last shred of doubt, allowing him to finally relax. After all, he’d already signed—there was no reason for her to keep lying. If Cornelia really were from the Ji Family, he might have even felt a little disappointed.

"Thank you," he said solemnly. "I’ll leave the orphanage matter in your hands."

"Don’t mention it."

Liu Qingyue smiled playfully, teasing, "You can report to the archery club tomorrow. Miss Ji is waiting for you—hope you’ll put on a good show."

"I’ll do my best..."

Seeing that their expressions hadn’t changed after his signature, Su Cheng’s tone lightened considerably as he nodded in agreement.

"Chief, there's a car tailing us," the driver said, glancing at the rearview mirror before turning to address them. "The license plate confirms it belongs to Yan City Culture Media Group. How should we handle this?"

"Xu Tianyi?" Liu Qingyue frowned, peering out the backseat window. "Why is she following us?"