The tongue is sharper than the sword.

The moment these words were spoken, the hospital room plunged into dead silence.

Xu Tianyi froze for several seconds before snapping back to reality, her face filled with astonishment. "W-what?!"

Beside her, Li Guanqi's beautiful eyes narrowed slightly, a rare hint of bewilderment flashing across her expression before she quickly masked it, her delicate brows furrowing as if deep in thought.

Ji Qingyi said nothing more after her declaration, merely shifting her gaze to the boy on the hospital bed—the subject of her announcement—her thoughts unreadable.

Seeing this, the two girls turned their attention to Su Cheng, their eyes filled with curiosity, as if demanding an explanation.

Under the weight of their three stares, Su Cheng felt as though needles were pricking his back.

He had thought the club president had already left, but to his shock, President Ji not only stayed—she outright announced their engagement!

This was nothing short of a bolt from the blue for him!

If this got out at school, what would he do?

Just imagining the loss of his anonymity, the endless pestering from people, the invasive questions, and the inevitable negative rumors made his heart feel like it had stopped from sheer terror.

But right now, the most pressing matter was responding to his classmates' confusion...

With that in mind, Su Cheng swallowed hard and slowly lifted his gaze, his voice strained. "Um... about this... I only found out recently too."

Hearing his admission, the two girls still found it hard to believe.

Especially Xu Tianyi. She took a deep breath, struggling to maintain her composure.

"No wonder you were so indifferent about exam results. I thought you got in purely on merit, but now..."

She trailed off, glancing at Li Guanqi before adding softly, "I always wondered why you joined the Archery Club. Now it makes sense."

Li Guanqi remained silent, her gaze lingering on Su Cheng with an inscrutable expression.

"Thank you both for taking the time to visit Su Cheng on behalf of your class."

Ji Qingyi's voice was calm and measured, devoid of any emotion, like a robot delivering a script.

Xu Tianyi, flustered by the sudden gratitude, shook her head humbly. "President Ji, you're too kind."

As Li Guanqi returned the courtesy, her mind raced—had Ji Qingyi subtly emphasized their roles as mere classmates? Was there a hidden meaning?

"The hospital is quite far from the city. You must have had quite the journey. Allow me to arrange a simple meal as a token of appreciation."

With that, Ji Qingyi gracefully exited, though not without pausing briefly at the door to cast one last glance at Su Cheng.

That look held an unfathomable depth—a silent warning, perhaps, not to get too close to other women.

Was it a reminder, or thinly veiled jealousy?

Once Ji Qingyi left, the room fell quiet again.

Li Guanqi and Xu Tianyi stared at Su Cheng, each lost in their own thoughts, neither speaking for a long moment.

"Ah, I almost forgot—please, have a seat. Standing like this feels a bit awkward."

Su Cheng forced a smile, gesturing for them to sit. Once they did, he broke the silence. "About... what just happened... I’d appreciate it if you could keep it confidential. Please don’t tell anyone else."

"...Understood." Li Guanqi nodded, her expression as unreadable as still water.

Xu Tianyi also nodded, forcing a lighthearted smile. "I get the pressure. After all, it’s the Ji Family we’re talking about. If word gets out, it won’t just shake the school—it’ll send shockwaves across the country."

"Nah... just lucky, I guess. Ancestral blessings."

Su Cheng scratched his head awkwardly, laughing nervously.

Hearing this, the two girls paused, quickly piecing together the nature of his relationship with Ji Qingyi—an arranged marriage, likely decided before birth.

"Not quite." Xu Tianyi shook her head, her eyes glinting with insight. "You say you only found out recently, but judging by President Ji’s reaction, it doesn’t seem like you two just met. Have you known each other for a while?"

"Uh... well..."

Su Cheng hesitated, at a loss for words. The more he tried to explain, the more tangled things became.

"How’s your recovery going?"

Li Guanqi suddenly interjected, shifting the topic. She glanced at Su Cheng, her tone carrying just the right amount of concern.

"I’m pretty much back to normal," Su Cheng replied, waving his arms enthusiastically to prove his point. "I think I can return to school with everyone tomorrow."

Seeing his energy, Li Guanqi nodded in approval.

Xu Tianyi arched a slender eyebrow, intrigued. "Does that mean you’re up for some problem-solving today?"

"Sure, no problem."

Without hesitation, Su Cheng pulled the hospital bed’s tray table over, ready to use it as a desk.

Xu Tianyi quickly retrieved a test paper and stationery from her bag, standing to spread them out before him.

"Then let’s start with one this morning."

"Got it." Su Cheng picked up a pen and immediately dove into the questions.

As Li Guanqi, seated on the sofa, began removing her ring to place it in her bag—

A steward knocked and entered, addressing the two girls respectfully. "Young ladies, the young mistress has prepared tea. Please follow me."

The two exchanged a glance.

"You two go ahead. The scenery here is nice," Su Cheng encouraged without looking up, his pen still flying across the paper.

Nodding, they left their belongings behind and followed the steward out.

Only when they were gone did Su Cheng finally relax, exhaling deeply before refocusing on the test.

The questions were laughably easy—so simple he barely needed to think, allowing him to finish at breakneck speed.

In no time, he completed the entire paper, checked it once, and set it aside before calling for the steward again.

"Young Master, how may I assist you?"

"I’m done. Could you let my classmates know?"

"Of course."

The steward left, and soon after, Xu Tianyi returned. The moment she saw the completed test, her eyes widened in disbelief. Without even checking, she blurted, "Shouldn’t you... review it again?"

It hadn’t even been half an hour—she hadn’t finished her tea—and Su Cheng was already done?

This was beyond ridiculous!

"No need. Bring the next one."

Su Cheng smiled faintly.

"You... sigh... fine."

Xu Tianyi sighed in resignation, collecting the paper and skimming through it. To her shock, every answer was correct.

Only then did she fully concede, handing him the remaining tests before returning to her tea.

Another seven or eight minutes passed.

Suddenly, Li Guanqi reappeared at the doorway—whether because she had finished her tea or had another reason to return, it was unclear.

Perhaps due to other reasons, she entered and went straight to her bag.

Since the movement was subtle, Su Cheng didn’t notice anything unusual and remained focused on answering the questions.

Then, Li Guanqi rummaged through her bag, accidentally dropping a lipstick with a soft click.

Su Cheng instinctively turned his head at the sound.

He saw Li Guanqi bending down to pick it up. She straightened and looked at him, her tone apologetic. "Sorry, I dropped something and disturbed you."

Li Guanqi, who usually wore a school uniform, gave off the impression of a quiet, unassuming literary girl. But now, dressed in a black dress, she exuded a composed, conservative charm—almost with a hint of ascetic allure—that made one’s heart skip a beat.

Was she born with the aura of a widow?

Regardless, Li Guanqi was undeniably beautiful, the kind whose beauty grew more apparent the longer one looked.

Wait, why wasn’t she wearing her ring again…?

Suddenly, Su Cheng’s pupils contracted as a bold thought crossed his mind. Li Guanqi was dressed entirely in black—even her legs were covered in thick black stockings.

And the ring that had once adorned her ring finger was now gone.

From these two details, one thing was certain:

Either she had broken up, or her boyfriend had died.

"Though it might be rude, I feel like you’re thinking something inappropriate."

Li Guanqi tilted her head slightly, casting a puzzled glance at Su Cheng. Her voice was calm but tinged with confusion, as if she had noticed his expression shifting as though he’d uncovered some secret of hers.

"...Uh, nothing."

Su Cheng stiffened for a moment before forcing an awkward smile, suppressing the strange feeling in his chest. "Well… thanks for coming all this way to visit me."

"You’re welcome. We’re classmates."

Li Guanqi shook her head, then pressed her lips together before adding, "I also happened to have nothing to do this weekend."

Su Cheng froze for a second before sighing in relief. So it wasn’t special treatment—just her usual courtesy.

He grinned and asked, "Then, do you usually visit other classmates when they’re hospitalized too?"

"No."

Li Guanqi answered earnestly.

"......" Su Cheng was left speechless and quickly changed the subject. "By the way, why aren’t you wearing your ring anymore?"

Asking outright if her boyfriend had died seemed too blunt, so he opted for a roundabout approach.

Hearing this, Li Guanqi lowered her head and retrieved the ring from her bag. "You mean this one?"

She held it up as she walked toward Su Cheng, who stared at it silently before nodding.

"Oh, for certain reasons, I don’t need to wear it when I’m visiting you, so I took it off." She slipped the ring back into her bag, then lifted her gaze to meet his. "Is there a problem?"

Su Cheng was utterly baffled. What did she mean by not needing to wear it around him?

"What do you mean by that…?"

Just as he pressed for an answer, a butler entered with tea, interrupting their conversation.

Li Guanqi immediately stopped talking and moved aside, sitting down and rummaging through her bag again.

After serving Su Cheng his tea, the butler turned to Li Guanqi. "Your classmates were asking about you earlier. Please return soon so they don’t worry."

"I’ll head back shortly."

Li Guanqi nodded, and the butler withdrew.

Su Cheng stretched, took a sip of the medicinal tea, and then glanced at Li Guanqi. "So, what did you mean earlier?"

"I happened to have some snacks in my bag."

Seeing his fatigue, Li Guanqi stood and placed a few treats on his desk. "These should help you regain some energy."

"Ah, thanks."

Su Cheng eyed the dried fruits and fish snacks curiously. "Do you usually eat these?"

"Yes."

Li Guanqi nodded, then scanned the room. She noticed the variety of fruits on the bedside table—except for oranges.

Her brows furrowed. Considering Su Cheng’s name contained the word "orange," she had assumed he liked them and had bought some for him.

But they were all stored in her ring.

"You don’t like oranges?"

Li Guanqi studied him.

"...Not really."

Su Cheng forced a smile. "The peel’s too hard to remove. I prefer tangerines."

"Tangerines…"

She realized she hadn’t bought any—or rather, she hadn’t even seen them at the store.

Had she misremembered?

Or overlooked them?

Her gaze drifted to the fruit basket, confirming the absence of tangerines, before finally settling on Su Cheng’s face.

Startled by her sudden scrutiny, Su Cheng averted his eyes and resumed his homework.

Knock knock—

The door opened, and Xu Tianyi walked in.

"How’s it going?" Xu Tianyi asked, while Li Guanqi stood and nodded in greeting.

"About halfway done." Su Cheng replied before burying himself in his unfinished test again.

Xu Tianyi turned to Li Guanqi. "President Ji asked us to stay for lunch before heading back. What do you think?"

"Sure."

Li Guanqi agreed softly.

The two then left the room to avoid disturbing Su Cheng further.

Not long after, Su Cheng finished his test.

Xu Tianyi returned, leaving only Ji Qingyi and Li Guanqi at the tea table.

They sat across from each other.

Li Guanqi lowered her eyes, studying the tea leaves in her cup.

Ji Qingyi took a slow sip.

The silence was palpable.

After a few minutes, Li Guanqi finally spoke. "Senior Ji, there’s something I’ve been curious about. May I ask?"

"Go ahead."

"From what I know, the Ji Family hasn’t experienced any major upheavals in decades. So… was this engagement of yours truly arranged by your elders?"

Ji Qingyi set her cup down leisurely and met Li Guanqi’s gaze. "I’ve also been curious about the incident involving the Li Family forty years ago. Would you care to satisfy my curiosity?"

"......"

After a moment of thought, Li Guanqi understood the implication behind Ji Qingyi's words—every family, every individual had their own closely guarded secrets. To pry into them recklessly would be tantamount to declaring oneself their adversary. By framing this matter within the context of the Ji Family's hidden history, it was no longer just a personal affair.

Yet Li Guanqi remained deeply suspicious of this marriage.

Because there was a crucial connection between Su Cheng and the ring.

Both of them knew this.

But as for the specifics, Li Guanqi wasn’t entirely clear.

So she believed it was highly possible that the Ji Family had fabricated this marriage. Their goal? To ensure Su Cheng belonged solely to them—only then could they slowly uncover the secrets he was hiding.