The Sunset is Merciless, But People are Merciful

Saturday

Ji Family’s private hospital.

Several hours had passed since Su Cheng uttered the words, "President, I want to learn archery."

The president had already left.

Su Cheng remained seated on the bed in the same position, his eyes fixed blankly on the scenery outside the window as if he had lost his senses.

Regarding the matter of learning archery, Ji Qingyi had not given him a definitive answer. She only instructed him to focus on recovering first and to discuss it with her again once his injuries had healed. Su Cheng didn’t press further and simply accepted her decision.

"Ding ling ling~"

The phone on the nearby table suddenly rang, snapping Su Cheng out of his thoughts. He glanced at the screen, which displayed an unknown number.

At that moment, a steward entered the room, intending to turn off the communication device for him, but Su Cheng waved him away.

He answered the call. Before he could speak, the person on the other end spoke first.

"Su Cheng, did you change wards?"

The familiar voice of Xu Tianyi came through the receiver, jolting Su Cheng back to reality.

"Ah, I think I was transferred to a different hospital," Su Cheng replied, glancing around.

He realized he was now in a high-end private room—more like a luxurious studio apartment than a hospital ward, far more upscale than his previous one.

"Hmm?" Xu Tianyi sounded slightly puzzled but continued, "Why the sudden transfer?"

"I’m not sure," Su Cheng admitted. "I woke up and found myself in a different hospital."

"What about your condition now?" Xu Tianyi pressed, concern evident in her voice. Sudden hospital transfers usually indicated serious complications, so she couldn’t help but ask.

"Much better than yesterday," Su Cheng answered after assessing himself. Aside from fatigue and weakness, he didn’t feel any other discomfort.

"That’s great!" Xu Tianyi’s tone noticeably lightened before she quickly added, "Tell me your location. We’ll come visit you right away."

"Eh?" Su Cheng caught the keyword—"we"—and asked curiously, "Who else is with you?"

"Li Guanqi," Xu Tianyi explained after a brief pause. "She approached me this morning and said she wanted to visit you at the hospital together."

Li Guanqi?

Hearing the name, Su Cheng froze. He never expected Li Guanqi to seek out Xu Tianyi and propose visiting him.

Honestly, their acquaintance was shallow at best.

They had barely exchanged more than a few words.

If he had to describe their relationship, it would be "a chance encounter."

She had handed him a drink when he fainted, and later, he returned the favor with a bottle of water when she needed one.

On the surface, they were even. Yet, Su Cheng still felt deeply grateful to her. But that didn’t explain why she would sacrifice her precious holiday time just to visit him.

Xu Tianyi was here on behalf of their classmates and teachers, delivering exam papers.

But what was Li Guanqi’s reason?

What was her justification?

They didn’t even have each other’s contact information. Meeting now would only lead to awkwardness. Though he couldn’t make sense of it, he didn’t refuse.

"Got it. I’ll send you the address in a bit," Su Cheng replied after a brief hesitation.

After hanging up, he threw off the covers and got out of bed.

Since he didn’t know which hospital he was in, he had to ask the steward outside. Opening the door, he found a black-suited steward standing guard. The man immediately bowed respectfully upon seeing him.

"Young Master, how may I assist you?"

This steward wasn’t the same one from the previous hospital. His attire and demeanor were more formal and dignified, suggesting a higher rank among the staff.

"I’d like to know where I am," Su Cheng asked directly. "Could you tell me? A classmate wants to visit."

"I’m afraid I cannot disclose that, Young Master," the steward replied firmly. "The young lady explicitly forbade anyone from disturbing your rest. Violating her orders would result in disciplinary action. I apologize."

"In that case…" Su Cheng nodded calmly. "Could you connect me with the president? I’ll speak to her myself."

Reluctantly, the steward retrieved a communication device and dialed a number. Su Cheng waited patiently beside him.

Soon, the call connected.

The steward held the device to Su Cheng’s ear, and Su Cheng picked it up, greeting, "President."

Ten seconds later.

"What is it?" Ji Qingyi’s signature cool voice came through.

"President, it’s me," Su Cheng said.

"Oh? What do you need?" she countered.

"My classmates want to visit me," Su Cheng answered after a brief pause. "Could you tell me which hospital I’m in?"

"The Ji Family’s private hospital."

After answering, Ji Qingyi added, "Geographical information is strictly controlled, and it's not convenient for outsiders to come and go freely. Your only task now is to focus on recovering. Don't overthink anything else."

Hearing the club president's words, Su Cheng couldn't argue further and simply replied, "Mm, I understand."

After hanging up, he shuffled back to bed and sent Xu Tianyi a message apologizing and explaining that visits weren’t convenient.

Having severed that lingering thought, he stared blankly out the window, his mind adrift in uncertainty, lost in a haze of confusion.

He pondered the future Cornelia had mentioned to him.

Archery champion… a beautiful young man.

If he could achieve those two things in the future, would her mother finally accept him?

And then… would Cornelia come back?

……

Noon.

Ji Qingyi arrived with food to visit.

When she reached the door, she saw Su Cheng leaning against the hospital bed, lost in thought. Her brows furrowed slightly.

"Has he been like this all morning?"

She asked the attendant softly.

"Yes."

The attendant lowered his head. "Aside from stepping out once to ask about an address, he’s been in a daze all morning. And…"

He paused before continuing, "He seems a bit agitated. Just now, he set his cup down rather forcefully."

"Understood. Prepare a Go board for us," Ji Qingyi said before stepping into the room and walking straight toward Su Cheng.

She planned to spend the afternoon keeping him company.

"President."

Su Cheng snapped out of his thoughts the moment he saw Ji Qingyi, quickly composing himself and forcing a weak smile. "You’re here."

Toward the president, he felt nothing but deep gratitude and respect, so every time he saw Ji Qingyi, he couldn’t help but show genuine reverence and nervousness.

Ji Qingyi didn’t speak. Instead, she walked directly to his bedside, set the food on the nightstand, and then reached out to touch his forehead.

Feeling the slight warmth of her fingers, Su Cheng flinched, instinctively turning his head away to avoid her touch.

"What are you avoiding?"

Ji Qingyi gazed at him calmly, her tone even. "Or… do you dislike me?"

"N-no!" Su Cheng waved his hands in a panic. "It’s just… I’m not used to being touched by others."

Ji Qingyi placed her hand on his head again, gently this time. "I’m not ‘others.’"

As she spoke, she checked his temperature and found his fever had mostly subsided. Relaxing slightly, she instead watched his adorable reaction with mild amusement.

Su Cheng could only stiffen, doing his best to cooperate as she continued to massage his head with surprising tenderness.

After a moment, Ji Qingyi withdrew her hand and turned to unpack the food, preparing it for him.

Noticing this, Su Cheng dutifully raised the bed rails and set up the small table between them—his makeshift dining tray.

Hearing the sound of the table being adjusted, Ji Qingyi’s movements paused briefly before she resumed her task.

She arranged the meal on the table and sat beside him.

Su Cheng began eating.

Ji Qingyi, not one to sit idle, picked up a peeler and an apple, meticulously removing the skin with astonishing skill—not a single sound, not a single break in the peel.

Su Cheng noticed this. Just yesterday, she hadn’t known how to use a peeler, yet here she was now, handling it with practiced ease.

Could it be…

She practiced… for him?

The thought left him speechless.

Such kindness was beyond repayment.

Words of gratitude felt too shallow now. The only way he could express his sincerity was through actions—by dedicating the rest of his life to repaying the Ji Family’s grace.

Silence lingered between them, neither willing to break it.

After a while, Ji Qingyi finished cutting the fruit into small pieces, placing them on a plate and setting it on the table. Su Cheng thanked her politely before picking up a fork to eat.

Too weak to hold chopsticks, he had specifically requested cutlery—otherwise, he’d have to be fed again.

Once he finished, the attendant came to clear the dishes. Ji Qingyi then asked, "You spent the whole morning lost in thought, didn’t you?"

Su Cheng wiped his mouth with a napkin and nodded slightly. "Yes… I didn’t know what else to do, so I just let my mind wander."

"In that case," Ji Qingyi considered, "since you have nothing to do, I’ll accompany you this afternoon. Would you prefer to get some sun, or would you rather pass the time indoors?"

Su Cheng looked at her in surprise, then suppressed his bewilderment and asked softly, "You shouldn’t waste your precious time on me, President. I can just play mobile games to pass the time."

Ji Qingyi lightly tapped Su Cheng’s forehead. "Your priority right now is to rest and recover. While I haven’t forbidden you from using electronic devices for now, you should exercise some self-discipline. If you can’t control your screen time or avoid excessive emotional fluctuations during your recovery, I’ll have to resort to stricter measures."

Just then, there was a soft knock at the door. Ji Qingyi walked over and opened it, accepting the medication delivered by a nurse outside. She poured a glass of warm water from the corner dispenser, checked the temperature, and handed it to Su Cheng. "I happen to have nothing scheduled this afternoon. Consider this a way to keep me company," she explained.

"Ah… well, thank you, President Ji," Su Cheng hesitated before taking the medicine and swallowing it with the water.

As expected of a private hospital—even the water tasted premium, carrying a natural, refreshing sweetness.

"Good. Now, what shall we do to pass the time?"

Pleased by Su Cheng’s compliance, Ji Qingyi gave a slight nod.

Su Cheng answered without thinking. "Anything is fine."

Ji Qingyi immediately instructed an attendant to bring a chessboard, signaling for Su Cheng to take black and make the first move. But by the third move, she noticed something off about his strategy. After the fourth, she realized—Su Cheng didn’t know how to play Go at this point in time, so she adjusted the game to simple Gomoku (Five in a Row).

Amused inwardly, Ji Qingyi played along seamlessly. To an outsider, her every move would appear deliberate and calculated, while Su Cheng relied on intuition and luck, occasionally surprising her. A warm, comfortable atmosphere settled between them.

…………………………………

"President Ji is truly impressive," Su Cheng mused, leaning back against the hospital bed as he gazed out the window. He pulled out his phone to check his messages and was surprised to find a reply from Xu Tianyi sent hours earlier.

[If today isn’t convenient, how about tomorrow?]

Just as he was about to respond, the door opened, and Ji Qingyi walked in again, her expression as unreadable as ever. "The sunset outside is quite beautiful. Would you like to take a walk?"

"Sure." Su Cheng blinked in surprise before pushing aside the covers, slipping on his shoes, and following her out.

Side by side, they stepped out of the hospital, and Su Cheng realized they were atop a mountain. The entire landscape was bathed in golden-red twilight, a breathtaking sight that lifted his spirits.

"I’ve never seen a view like this before."

Su Cheng couldn’t help but marvel.

"It is pleasant," Ji Qingyi remarked mildly, then pointed westward, guiding Su Cheng’s gaze.

In the distance, layers of clouds swirled as the sun dipped halfway below the horizon, painting the sky in hues of gold and white—utterly mesmerizing.

"Truly, ‘the boundless beauty of sunset,’" Su Cheng sighed before asking, "How far is this place from downtown Flame City?"

"Not close. Quite far, actually."

Ji Qingyi frowned slightly.

"Is that so?"

Su Cheng lowered his eyes, masking his disappointment.

"I know what’s on your mind," Ji Qingyi said after a pause. "Still waiting for your classmates to visit?"

Su Cheng pressed his lips together and nodded quietly. "Yes."

"If you’re so insistent," Ji Qingyi replied softly, "I’ll arrange for someone to bring them here tomorrow."

Su Cheng looked up, startled. "But isn’t this place inconvenient?"

"Brooding won’t help your recovery."

Ji Qingyi shot him a sidelong glance, her tone matter-of-fact.

Su Cheng immediately brightened. "Then I’ll thank you for your consideration, President Ji."

"No need for formalities."

"President Ji…"

Su Cheng hesitated. "If you send someone to fetch them, wouldn’t that reveal our… relationship?"

"Is our relationship something to be ashamed of?"

Ji Qingyi arched a brow, her lips quirking slightly.

"No, it’s not that," Su Cheng quickly shook his head. "I’m just worried it might cause trouble for you. After all, you’re still evaluating and observing me. If word gets out that I’m your fiancé, it might…"

His voice trailed off, his head bowing further. "It might affect you."

Bathed in the sunset’s glow, Su Cheng’s profile looked paler than usual, his weariness stark. Yet his eyes burned with quiet resolve—he knew exactly what he was doing.

"The decisions I make are mine to bear. Besides…"

Ji Qingyi studied him in silence, her gaze so intense it unnerved him before she finally spoke. "In this world, there has never been—and never will be—anyone with the right to question my choices."

"You’re right."

Su Cheng chuckled softly. Perhaps he was overthinking it. In a world where a colossal conglomerate like the Ji Family existed, it was already unbelievable. As its designated heir, who would dare criticize Ji Qingyi?

But the problem was—she hadn’t directly answered his question.

"Let’s walk a little further."

Ji Qingyi didn’t address his doubts, but the hand she extended spoke volumes. She took Su Cheng’s right hand, guiding him forward without another word.

At this moment, Su Cheng froze completely, the warmth and pressure from the hand gripping his own leaving him utterly stunned. That soft, smooth touch sent his mind into a daze, leaving him completely at a loss.

Before he could even process it, he was being pulled forward.

Gradually—

The slanting rays of the sunset cast long shadows of the two figures as they walked away, their silhouettes slowly swallowed by the evening glow.