A Storm Does Not Last All Morning

"Welcome to 'Yancheng Weather Report.' Today is Thursday. From tonight to tomorrow daytime, the weather will be clear, with a minimum temperature of 11 degrees Celsius and a maximum of 24 degrees Celsius. South wind, 3 to 4 on the Beaufort scale. Over the next three days, the weather will be partly cloudy with southeast winds of 3 to 4, and temperatures ranging from 15 to 25 degrees Celsius."

The evening weather forecast played on the television, and Su Cheng sat attentively on the sofa, watching. Only after hearing that the weather would remain clear for the next few days did he finally smile.

Today, after club activities ended, he bid farewell to President Ji and returned to the small garden shed to bring the peony home, carefully placing it on the balcony.

As a flower enthusiast, checking the weather forecast was crucial to avoid risks to the plants. If a thunderstorm hit and the pots accumulated rainwater, irreversible damage could occur—a devastating blow to the peonies.

That’s why watching the weather forecast was especially important. During the day, he still had to attend school, so he couldn’t carry the peony with him. Besides, peonies needed to be placed in a spot with partial shade and shielded from direct wind. Fortunately, his balcony met these conditions perfectly.

From now on, he had to make checking the weather a habit.

"Ding dong~"

His phone on the table chimed. He picked it up and saw a message from Senior Liu Qingyue.

Liu Qingyue: "Junior, I created a discussion group. You can ask any questions you have in the group."

『Group ID: 672351716』

Liu Qingyue shared a link to a WeChat group.

Without hesitation, Su Cheng joined the group and entered the chat interface, only to find three people inside.

Apart from him and Liu Qingyue…

"Is this President Ji?"

His gaze lingered on one member’s profile—a default avatar, no username, and no personal information. It was highly likely to be Ji Qingyi.

OrangeHater: "Good evening, everyone!"

As the newcomer, he politely greeted the group. Soon, Liu Qingyue replied: "Good evening, junior!"

However, Ji Qingyi didn’t respond to his greeting.

This was perfectly in line with her cold and aloof personality.

She probably didn’t even check the group messages—or maybe she didn’t use social apps at all.

Su Cheng didn’t mind. After exchanging a few words with Liu Qingyue, he prepared to exit the group.

But just as he was about to leave, an awkward and suffocating notification popped up in the chat.

『Patted "OrangeHater" and called him "bro."』

Seeing this, Su Cheng froze instantly. A chill shot up his spine, spreading throughout his body, as if the temperature around him had dropped drastically.

Because President Ji was the one with no username!

It was President Ji who had patted his profile!!!

A long time ago, after repeatedly being teased by classmates for patting their profiles, he had changed his settings to this out of frustration—and then completely forgotten about it.

After all, he rarely chatted with anyone.

But now, of all people, President Ji had patted him?!

Su Cheng wanted to die on the spot. He was utterly speechless.

This was just… un-freaking-believable!!!

………………

A few minutes earlier.

Ji Family Mansion.

On a luxurious bed.

Ji Qingyi sat on the edge, holding her smartphone with both hands, her gaze calm as she watched Su Cheng and Liu Qingyue interact on the screen. Her expression remained indifferent.

Beside her, Liu Qingyue—dressed in a maid outfit—was typing a reply to Su Cheng in the group. After sending the message, she looked up at the young mistress on the bed.

"Young Mistress, why don’t you say something in the group too?" Liu Qingyue couldn’t help but suggest.

"Say something?"

Ji Qingyi seemed unfamiliar with the term. She frowned slightly and asked, confused, "What do you mean?"

"Uh, well…"

Liu Qingyue thought for a moment before finding the right words. "If you don’t speak in the group, it’s called 'lurking.' And 'popping up' just means occasionally saying something to show you exist."

"I see."

Ji Qingyi nodded thoughtfully but still shook her head. "No need. There’s nothing to say."

"Does the Young Mistress not want to receive someone’s 'goodnight' messages every day like before?" Liu Qingyue probed carefully.

Hearing this, Ji Qingyi’s eyes flickered slightly.

"Should I have him add you as a friend?"

Liu Qingyue seized the opportunity to press further.

"No need. He’ll add me himself."

Ji Qingyi was confident. Back then, Su Cheng had taken the initiative to add her and had never missed a single "goodnight" message. All she had to do was wait patiently.

But then, Su Cheng suddenly sent a message in the group: "Senior, you should rest early too. I have things to do. Goodnight."

Seeing this, she couldn’t hold back anymore. In her agitation, she accidentally tapped Su Cheng’s profile…

And then…

Well, you know what happened next.

Because the group notification displayed something… unusual.

Her face turned pale, then red. Humiliated and furious, she looked up at Liu Qingyue, who was staring at her with a strange expression—both shocked and bewildered.

"Young Mistress, this is his 'patted' setting. If you tap his profile, this message pops up. Maybe he forgot to remove it when he joined the group in a hurry."

"Then… can he see it?"

"Yes."

"Fix this!"

Ji Qingyi threw her phone at Liu Qingyue, then flopped onto the bed, turning her back in sheer embarrassment. Even the tips of her ears were tinged with a faint, furious blush.

…………………………

Meanwhile.

Just as Su Cheng, trembling, picked up his phone to explain and apologize, a new message suddenly appeared, freezing him in place.

Liu Qingyue: "Junior, you’re so childish! Setting something like this—do you really enjoy teasing people like that?"

OrangeHater: "I’m so sorry, Senior! I set this up a long time ago and forgot about it. Please forgive my carelessness, President and Senior!"

Liu Qingyue: "Relax, relax. The President never touches electronics. I was just logged into her account setting things up and accidentally tapped your profile. Don’t worry about it."

Su Cheng let out a sigh of relief. Thank goodness.

Otherwise, he wouldn’t have been able to sleep tonight.

Liu Qingyue: "By the way, I was planning to tell you this tomorrow on the bus."

Su Cheng: "What is it?"

Liu Qingyue: "The Young Mistress never uses electronics. I hope that during tomorrow’s club activities, you can bring this up with her and, if possible, teach her how to use a smartphone."

Now that he thought about it, he had never seen the President use a phone before. So he didn’t overthink it and immediately agreed.

Just as he was about to take a shower and go to bed, another message arrived—this time from Cornelia.

Cornelia: "My mom doesn’t believe I’m a reincarnator—she even thinks I’ve hallucinated from playing too many games! She’s taking me to see a psychologist tomorrow!!"

Su Cheng: "Then just show her proof."

Cornelia: "I… tried, but she won’t accept it! She thinks I’m talking nonsense!"

Su Cheng: "Anyone would need time to process something like this. Give your mom some space to digest it. There’s no rush—you can take it slow."

Cornelia: "Alright, I’ll talk to her again tomorrow."

…………………………

Friday.

Early morning.

After carefully arranging the peonies, Su Cheng left home and headed for the bus stop.

Though he couldn’t tell if the people surveilling him had withdrawn, the club president had assured him they were gone.

So now,

he felt completely at ease, walking with a light step.

"Junior!"

At the bus stop, a familiar figure stood waiting.

Liu Qingyue, dressed in her school uniform, waved cheerfully at Su Cheng.

"Good morning, Senior."

Su Cheng walked over and greeted her.

"You seem to be in a good mood."

Liu Qingyue blinked playfully as she spoke.

"I finally got a good night’s sleep for once."

A faint smile tugged at Su Cheng’s lips before his expression turned serious. "Senior, how’s the progress with the orphanage?"

"Construction’s already started! Don’t worry, you don’t need to stress about it."

At the mention of the orphanage, Liu Qingyue’s face lit up with a warm smile. She patted her chest confidently. "When you go back during summer break, I guarantee you’ll be amazed!"

As they chatted, the bus arrived, and the two boarded together.

"You didn’t forget what you promised me yesterday, right?"

Once seated, Liu Qingyue turned to Su Cheng.

"I didn’t."

Su Cheng nodded but then tilted his head. "Though I’m curious—why do you need me to convince her?"

"Ah…"

Liu Qingyue sighed helplessly. "My young mistress absolutely despises electronics. Even seeing me use them puts her in a bad mood, so I was hoping you could talk her into it."

"But I’ve only known her for a day," Su Cheng frowned slightly. "Wouldn’t it be awkward for me to intervene?"

"Just give it a try~"

Liu Qingyue clung to his arm, her voice dripping with a playful tone. "Pleaaase? I’ve already prepared a phone for her—even set up an account and password yesterday. You’re the final push she needs!"

Su Cheng stiffened at her coquettish antics, swallowing hard as he pried his arm free. "Fine, I’ll do my best. But no promises."

……………………

The moment Su Cheng stepped into the classroom that day, he sensed an unusually tense atmosphere. Scanning the room, he saw everyone buried in notes and textbooks, the air thick with focus—the only chatter being hushed discussions about revision. It was clear they were prepping for an exam.

Then it hit him: today was the placement test.

"Thanks for yesterday."

"Hm?"

Just as he was observing the class, a voice from the corner caught his attention. He turned to look.

Li Guanqi was watching him, the practice workbook he’d given her the day before resting on her desk.

Their eyes met, gratitude shimmering in hers.

"Don’t mention it. You’ve helped me too."

Su Cheng shook his head dismissively and headed to his seat without another word.

Li Guanqi watched him go, then lowered her head back to her workbook, lost in thought.

The bell rang.

The teacher entered with test papers, surveyed the room, and launched into a rundown of instructions before distributing the exams.

Glancing at the questions, Su Cheng found them laughably easy—no challenge at all.

"Begin!"

As the teacher’s voice rang out, the classroom erupted in the rustling of papers and the frantic scribbling of pens.

Su Cheng glanced up at the podium and was surprised to see Xu Tianyi not looking at her paper but staring straight at him, as if gauging his state.

He blinked, then calmly averted his gaze and dove into the test, though a thought nagged at him:

『Does she like me?』

The first exam ended. During the break, students huddled to compare answers and mark mistakes in their notebooks, while Su Cheng sat quietly by the window, waiting for the next test.

"Hey, why aren’t you jotting down the tough questions?"

A top student’s voice snapped him out of his daze.

Before he could respond, Xu Tianyi, sitting in front, cut in: "Isn’t it obvious? He doesn’t need notes. He’s already internalized everything—can deduce any answer on the spot."

"Tsk—"

The class collectively gasped, staring at Su Cheng like he was some kind of monster.

I didn’t say that! Stop putting words in my mouth!

Su Cheng’s scalp prickled with embarrassment.

"It’s not like that. I just forgot my notebook today."

He coughed awkwardly, trying to downplay it.

Xu Tianyi shot him a sidelong glance but stayed silent.

The class, mollified by his humble deflection, let it go—but the distinction was clear.

Average top student: Meticulous notes, error logs, constantly reviewing.

True prodigy: "Nothing to memorize."

True prodigy: "No mistakes to correct."

True prodigy: "Just vibing with the scenery."

The break flew by, and Su Cheng threw himself back into the exam. The questions were a breeze; he skimmed through them and began answering with precision.

So absorbed was he that he didn’t notice the gathering storm outside.

"BOOM—"

A thunderclap split the air.

The class shrieked, whipping their heads toward the windows.

Dark clouds blotted out the sky, lightning flashing as a downpour loomed.

"Wh-what’s with the sudden thunder?!" A girl trembled, hugging herself.

"Pretty sure a storm’s coming next!" a boy blurted.

"Quiet!" The teacher slammed the blackboard, silencing the room.

But Su Cheng’s mind was anything but calm. Gazing at the brooding sky, his thoughts swirled with poetic musings.

Weather forecasts? More like weather miscasts!

Grass (the plant!)—the forecast failed me!

Suddenly, Su Cheng bolted upright. Ignoring the stunned stares of his teacher and classmates, he snatched his paper and sprinted for the podium.

Under the teacher's stunned and bewildered gaze, he set down his exam paper and said urgently, "Teacher, I’m turning in my test early. I forgot to bring in the laundry at home—I need to go back."

"Hey! I didn’t say you could leave yet!"

"Be careful not to trip!"

The teacher called out, trying to stop Su Cheng, but he only ran faster, eventually disappearing from sight.

By now, the thunderstorm had arrived in full force, the downpour slamming into the ground and turning it into a muddy mess. A classmate near the window watched as Su Cheng dashed out of the school gates amid flashes of lightning and claps of thunder, muttering worriedly, "He just ran straight out into the storm… I hope he’s okay."

The words spread through the classroom, and curious onlookers crowded by the windows to watch. Just then, a streak of violet lightning split the sky, illuminating the dim world—and casting a stark light on Su Cheng’s lone, bedraggled figure, evoking an involuntary pang of sympathy.