Do what you can and await the outcome

"Roar—"

The sound of an airplane soaring overhead reached Su Cheng's ears, stirring something within him. He abruptly halted his steps and looked up at the sky.

In the end, he shook his head, forcing himself to dismiss that possibility: "No way... I can still make it..."

Su Cheng sprinted toward the terminal, his eyes locked onto the flight information scrolling across the large screen. The frantic search across multiple locations had already drained his frail physique.

Beads of sweat rolled into his wide-open eyes, the sting forcing him to blink involuntarily. But the flight details on the screen wouldn’t pause for him. Desperate, he pried one eyelid open with his fingers while rubbing the other, alternating between them in a frantic rhythm.

"Albion... Albion... There!"

His left eye finally caught the destination he’d recited in his mind countless times. But before relief could settle in, his gaze darted to the right—where the glaring words "Boarding Closed" sent a wave of dizziness crashing over him.

"No... This can’t be happening. I was supposed to make it! This isn’t how it’s supposed to go!"

After his first failed attempt at another airport, Su Cheng had snapped out of his panic and realized he couldn’t brute-force his search. He racked his brain, piecing together the timing of the messages he’d received and the location of Cornelia’s homeland to narrow down possible flights. After filtering options on his phone, he concluded this airport’s departure was the closest and urged Driver Ye to rush here at breakneck speed.

Now, faced with this outcome, he could only curse his earlier recklessness.

His last hope was that Cornelia’s plane hadn’t taken off yet. He turned, staring out the window at the distant specks vanishing into the sky. A mix of regret and stubborn hope drove him to pull out his phone, dialing Cornelia’s number again and again, sending message after message.

"I’m at the airport. Where are you? I’ll come find you."

"Can you see my texts? I’m here. At least give me a chance to explain!"

"Ma’am, if you’re holding Cornelia’s phone, I need to tell you something—you can’t unilaterally decide her future. That’s not fair!"

Yet every attempt vanished into silence, unanswered.

"Of course... Of course I can’t do anything right..."

Su Cheng wandered aimlessly through the terminal, memories of Cornelia flooding his mind—moments that had mostly brought him chaos but also unexpected joy. Now, those very memories twisted into agony.

He didn’t even understand why it hurt so much. Cornelia had barged into his life uninvited, upending his plans and dragging him into endless trouble. Now that she was gone, there’d be no more surprises, no more headaches, no more messes to clean up. Shouldn’t that be a relief? Shouldn’t he be celebrating?

But.

But.

"I’m your future wife, the girl who suits you best."

"From now on, I’ll help you become even greater—greater than the version I remember. That’ll prove I’m the one who deserves you."

They’d known each other for less than a week.

Yet in his memory, no girl had ever been so relentless in pulling him into her world, undeterred even by his repeated rejections. For Su Cheng, that alone made her irreplaceable.

Was that why her departure had left him so desperate?

"I’m... so pathetic."

Exhausted, he slumped into a chair. The cold metal barely registered as he mindlessly clenched and unclenched his phone.

Then—a ringtone shattered the silence. Su Cheng snatched up his phone, heart lurching at Cornelia’s name on the screen. He answered instantly.

"Hello, is this Su Cheng?"

A gentle woman’s voice spoke. Su Cheng recognized it as Cornelia’s mother. His mind raced, scrambling for words to sway her.

But before he could speak, she struck first.

"I’ve heard everything. My apologies for the trouble Cornelia caused you."

"No, no—it wasn’t trouble! Well, it was, but—Ma’am, please listen—"

His throat tightened. Though he couldn’t pinpoint why, her polite tone felt like a trap.

"Su Cheng, I understand you grew up in an orphanage, and your dream is to revitalize it and its surrounding community. Is that correct?"

"That’s true, but what does this have to do with—?"

The sudden tangent threw him off. He reflexively countered, only to hear a soft chuckle on the other end.

"Impatience doesn’t suit a young man. Allow me to confirm something else: The recent large-scale project funding your orphanage received—was that your own doing?"

Su Cheng nearly said yes. After all, as Cornelia’s fiancé, wasn’t her family’s support his by extension? But the words died in his throat. He remembered the origin of that engagement contract. Without it, would he have succeeded?

He wasn’t sure.

"Honesty is admirable. You see it now, don’t you? Though you’ve never met him, your grandfather—your family—has given you immense aid. And if you’ve benefited from their legacy, shouldn’t you repay that debt? Just as you wish to repay your orphanage."

"That... makes sense. What are you suggesting?"

Her words confirmed she knew about his ties to Ji Qingyi. His confidence withered further.

"Your grandfather made a promise with a certain benefactor—a promise that granted your wish. So, Su Cheng, wouldn’t upholding that agreement make you a good son? A good heir?"

Her argument was razor-sharp. Against it, any protest felt feeble. And she wasn’t finished.

"On our side, it's the same as yours. Whether it's Cornelia or us as her parents, we've received many favors from the family to get this far. It’s even because of this that she had the chance to meet you. So..."

"So...?"

"So even if we can't repay these favors right away, at the very least, we shouldn’t cause harm to them, should we? Despite all the regrets, as Cornelia’s mother, I’d love to support her in pursuing her own happiness. But right now, we all have our obligations to fulfill."

By this point, Su Cheng understood that he could hardly persuade her anymore. Yet, thinking of the sorrowful emotions in Cornelia’s message, he clenched his teeth, his voice trembling with desperation.

"Auntie, please believe me—I can prove everything she said is true. At first, I didn’t believe her either. But soon, everything she predicted came true for me, one after another. I had no choice but to believe her. So please, give me some time—just a chance to prove her words!"

"Though it’s difficult, I’d be willing to give you that opportunity. But Su Cheng, under what identity are you making this request?"

"I..."

The question left Su Cheng speechless. At this point, what identity could he claim? Classmate? Close friend? Rival? Husband?

None of these were enough, and he knew it. The only answer that might have held a sliver of hope had already been shut down by Cornelia’s mother earlier.

"So, I think you understand now. For the time being, we should prioritize fulfilling our respective obligations. I believe that in the near future, we—you and her—will still have a chance to meet again."

"Auntie, wait—"

"Oh, by the way, I’m calling you from a plane! Technology really advances so fast, doesn’t it? Back in the day, we couldn’t even turn on our phones, but now we can browse the internet and make calls. I really feel old, unable to keep up with the times anymore. Hehehe..."

"That’s not possi—"

Su Cheng instinctively wanted to refute, but then he remembered a recent phone ad boasting satellite communication. If that was true, then calling from a plane wasn’t so strange after all. Wait—that wasn’t the point.

Before he could gather his thoughts to continue, the call ended with a sharp beep.

He stared at his phone screen in disbelief.

Then, Su Cheng’s world fell into complete silence. Clutching his phone tightly, raindrops slid from the corners of his eyes as he was overwhelmed by an unprecedented loneliness and pain.

Time seemed to freeze. Su Cheng sat there, motionless.

"Finally found you. Running off so far without waiting for me."

A woman’s voice came from behind—it was Driver Ye, who had finally caught up to him. But Su Cheng had no energy left to respond.

His heart was filled with nothing but loss and emptiness. He didn’t know what to think, say, or do. Moments later, a sharp pain struck his chest like a hammer, making it almost impossible to breathe.

In the end, he couldn’t withstand the blow. His vision darkened as if all strength had left him, his legs giving way. Luckily, Driver Ye caught him just in time.

"We’ve found the Ji Family’s son-in-law! Quick, call their people!"

"The Ji Family’s son-in-law?"

Though confused, Driver Ye didn’t hesitate for long, pulling out her phone to dial for an ambulance.

Then—an abrupt change.

The dim surroundings suddenly brightened, the blinding light forcing Driver Ye to squint and shield her eyes. The screech of brakes echoed as over a dozen cars came to a halt. Through the glare, she could make out women in black suits stepping out.

"Found the young master."

"He’s unconscious."

"Bring a stretcher, hurry!"

Amidst the urgent shouts, two white-coated medical staff rushed toward Su Cheng with a stretcher. Within seconds, he was loaded in, and the entire group swiftly departed in their vehicles.

It all happened too fast. Before Driver Ye could process it, the cars were already gone, leaving only her and a few bewildered onlookers behind. They exchanged glances, each seeing different emotions reflected in the other’s eyes.

……………………

Ji Family’s private hospital.

6:30 AM.

Located in the suburbs, this high-end private hospital was nestled atop a hill, surrounded by lush forests and winding green pathways—a serene and picturesque retreat.

At this moment, Su Cheng sat propped up in bed, clad in a white hospital gown. His face was as pale as paper, lips devoid of color, his dark bangs slightly disheveled over his brows, making his delicate features appear even more fragile. His vacant eyes stared blankly at the scenery outside, as if lost in thought—or perhaps thinking nothing at all. His entire being radiated a soul-crushing desolation.

Outside the ward.

"Has he woken up?"

At the door, Ji Qingyi quietly asked the attendant.

"Yes, just now."

The attendant bowed respectfully.

Without hesitation, Ji Qingyi pushed the door open and stepped inside. Su Cheng remained seated by the window, motionless, his hollow gaze fixed on the view—so still he seemed like a statue, exuding an aura that made others reluctant to approach.

Hearing footsteps, Su Cheng finally stirred. Slowly, he turned, the emptiness in his pupils gradually focusing as his eyes settled on Ji Qingyi. Yet those eyes were dark and lifeless, as if they could drag anyone into the abyss of his despair, evoking nothing but negativity.

"Those eyes..."

Ji Qingyi’s expression faltered for a moment, her heart inexplicably tightening. Even without the system now, Su Cheng had still awakened this unique ability.

Recognizing Ji Qingyi, Su Cheng’s gaze instantly dulled again. He lowered his head, as if unable to face her—or perhaps weighed down by guilt. His lips trembled slightly, but no words came out.

Silently, Ji Qingyi walked to the bedside and sat in the chair beside him. She didn’t speak, simply watching him with quiet patience, waiting for him to break the silence.

After a long pause, Su Cheng finally looked up at her and uttered a sentence that stunned her to the core.

"President, I want to learn archery."