The wise fear dangers before they become apparent.

The sudden concern of others always made me uneasy.

Especially when it came from someone like Li Guanqi, a girl so perfect she seemed straight out of a romance novel, it was easy to fall into the delusion of being the male lead.

"Dark circles..."

Su Cheng adjusted his glasses, though the frames hid them well. Yet, she had noticed through the lenses anyway—proof of her sharp observation skills.

But he had a fiancée. He had to keep his distance and remain loyal. Always.

"Thanks for your concern. I’ll make sure to rest."

So, Su Cheng responded plainly, showing no particular reaction before gathering his things and walking away, leaving Li Guanqi with nothing but a distant figure.

Soon, he found a quiet, secluded spot. After scanning the area, he settled onto a clean patch of ground.

He unwrapped his food and opened a book, eating while absorbed in his reading.

One minute passed... then two...

Five minutes later, he finished his meal, tossed the wrapper into a trash bin, and stood up, heading for the school gate. He had ordered a potted plant online, and it should be arriving soon.

This flower was meant for Gu Ruoxue.

Logically, returning the pot alone would suffice. But since he was buying one anyway, he figured he might as well get a lily plant—a gesture of gratitude.

Sure enough, as he walked toward the gate, his phone rang. The florist confirmed the delivery was waiting for him outside.

Su Cheng hurried over, collected the potted lily, and left his book with the security guard before carrying the white blooms toward the club building.

Walking with a potted plant, however, drew far too much attention. He kept his head down, pretending not to notice the stares. If he didn’t acknowledge them, they didn’t exist.

Unfortunately...

Just a few steps in, a familiar voice called out, "Hey, who in their right mind gifts a whole potted plant?"

Su Cheng stopped and turned. It was Xuan Ying, his classmate, her round, cherubic face scrunched in annoyance, looking ready to interrogate him.

Beside her stood Zhao Yan, her golden hair gleaming under the sunlight like a miniature sun, radiating warmth. Her long, pale legs, encased in sheer stockings, were impossible to ignore.

Noticing his gaze, Zhao Yan smiled warmly and nodded.

"Seriously, you’re not actually planning to give this to someone, are you?" Xuan Ying stepped closer, her tone dripping with disdain. Ever since the incident where she’d torn up a love letter in front of him, she’d held a grudge. Now, seeing him do something so ridiculous, she couldn’t help but speak up—though her voice stayed at a normal conversational level.

"Is there a problem?" Su Cheng tilted his head, genuinely confused.

Xuan Ying stiffened, her expression darkening. "Uh, hello? People give bouquets, not potted plants. Have you ever seen anyone haul a whole pot around as a gift?"

"Huh?" Su Cheng blinked.

Xuan Ying clutched her chest as if struck by an invisible blow. This guy was denser than a block of wood. If she hadn’t been involved in the whole love letter mess, she wouldn’t have bothered.

Since they’d delivered that letter, both girls felt somewhat responsible. They didn’t get what their senior saw in him, but they still hoped things would work out. Seeing him with flowers, they figured they’d offer some advice.

"What she means is, if you’re giving flowers, you should ditch the pot. You can’t expect a girl to lug this thing home," Zhao Yan chimed in, pointing at the oversized planter in his arms.

Oh. That made sense.

"Thanks for the tip."

Xuan Ying exhaled in relief. At least he wasn’t completely hopeless.

But just as they turned to leave, Su Cheng spoke again. "I’m giving it as a potted plant."

"Ugh! Look at him!" Xuan Ying stomped her foot, her black stockings wrinkling as she glared. "No wonder you ran outside during that downpour. You absolute moron!"

"Wait, isn’t this for the senior who gave you that letter?" Zhao Yan eyed the pot, curiosity flickering.

"No, it’s for the Social Practice Club."

Su Cheng shook his head, not bothering to hide it.

To his surprise, instead of embarrassment, the girls exchanged shocked, almost pitying looks.

"Don’t waste your time," Xuan Ying groaned. "She’d never accept something like this."

"Her club has rules—no gifts to avoid conflicts of interest. Especially not potted plants," Zhao Yan added gently, though her expression said, Just give up already.

"I know she might refuse. But as long as she feels my gratitude, that’s enough." Su Cheng smiled sincerely. "Just like how you two, knowing how stubborn I am, still went out of your way to warn me. Even if I didn’t listen, I’m touched."

Xuan Ying’s mouth opened, then shut. She turned away, at a loss for words.

Zhao Yan, however, beamed and nodded. "Well then, we won’t hold you up. Go ahead."

"Thank you."

With a polite nod, Su Cheng continued toward the club building, the potted lily in his arms. Behind him, the girls fell into silence, Xuan Ying’s face unreadable.

"Didn’t expect that blockhead to make sense for once," she muttered, then shook her head. "Whatever. Not my problem."

"Told you he had his moments," Zhao Yan teased. "Quiet on the outside, but secretly a tsundere. Just... subtle about it. Called it."

Xuan Ying glanced at her, snorted twice without denying it, then deliberately changed the subject with a dismissive tone: "Pfft, a boy who doesn’t care about his appearance and lacks masculinity—if he weren’t a classmate, I wouldn’t even bother with him."

Zhao Yan pursed her lips and smiled noncommittally. Then, the two began strolling leisurely along the street.

Their pairing was quite eye-catching on campus. After all, Xuan Ying had a sweet and adorable charm, while Zhao Yan exuded an elegant, mature aura. The two contrasting styles somehow blended perfectly together. Especially when Xuan Ying and Zhao Yan chatted, the scene was nothing short of delightful.

…………………

Su Cheng stepped into the Social Practice Club’s floor of the student activity building once again.

As usual, this floor was eerily quiet compared to the others, with almost no signs of activity.

The moment he entered the hallway, a cold and unsettlingly serene atmosphere crept over him, making him slightly uneasy. The strange environment put him on edge, and he instinctively quickened his pace, heading straight for the Practice Department’s door.

Knock, knock.

He rapped on the door and waited a moment before hearing a cool, composed voice from inside: "Come in."

Hearing this, Su Cheng took a deep breath, cradled the flowerpot in one arm, and pushed the door open. His gaze immediately landed on the figure seated at the computer desk.

A breathtakingly beautiful profile came into view, and though he had braced himself, his heart still skipped a beat.

Su Cheng slowly approached, stopping a short distance from the desk. Lowering his eyes slightly, he spoke softly: "I hope I’m not disturbing you, Department Head Gu."

Gu Ruoxue slowly lifted her gaze, her cool eyes settling on him, unreadable.

After a long pause, she spoke indifferently: "What is it?"

"I came to return your flowerpot," Su Cheng replied, placing the pot at the foot of the desk before looking up at her. "Back then, you lent me the pot and soil. Today, I’ve brought it back for you. Please check it."

"Oh?" Gu Ruoxue tilted her head slightly to glance at the pot, then fixed her eyes on Su Cheng. "Are you sure this is mine?"

"No."

Su Cheng shook his head firmly. "The original pot is still in use. I’m a bit clumsy, so I was afraid of damaging the roots when transplanting the flower. This is a new one I bought. I didn’t know how else to thank you, so I took the liberty of doing this. I hope you’ll accept it."

As he spoke, he met Gu Ruoxue’s gaze directly. She sat perfectly upright, her posture elegant, exuding an air of cool detachment.

"You’re quite meticulous," Gu Ruoxue remarked, studying the pot before suddenly asking, "How much did you spend on this?"

"Huh? The price?"

Su Cheng was momentarily caught off guard. Scratching his head, he answered honestly, "I bought it together with the flower for about 300. The pot itself… probably around 30?"

Then, he watched as Gu Ruoxue pulled out her phone, held it up to the pot for a few seconds, and nodded.

"Mm, you answered truthfully. The price does fall within that range." Su Cheng finally realized—she must have used a shopping app’s image search to find the same product. Would she have refused if he had lied about the price?

Just as he was about to ask if she intended to reject the pot, he saw her walk over, pick it up, and carry it to the balcony.

"Ah, Department Head, if you needed it moved, you could’ve just told me. No need to trouble yourself!"

Su Cheng was momentarily stunned. He had prepared himself for rejection, never expecting Gu Ruoxue to simply take it to the balcony.

After setting the pot down, Gu Ruoxue turned to rummage through some items nearby, her tone still calm: "Since you’re restless, fetch me a large plastic bag from the second cabinet on the left, second shelf from the top."

"Right, sure…" Su Cheng, puzzled, followed her instructions and retrieved the bag. When he reached the balcony, however, he found Gu Ruoxue had already dug out the flower.

"Department Head, what are you doing?"

Standing at the balcony door with the bag in hand, Su Cheng watched her actions, then glanced at the bag. A vague idea formed in his mind.

"Don’t just stand there. Open the bag."

Gu Ruoxue cradled the flower’s root ball, raising an eyebrow at his dazed expression. Su Cheng quickly obeyed, holding the bag open as she placed the flower and soil inside. She even sprinkled a bit of water in before sealing it and handing it back to him.

"Since this pot’s value is similar to mine, we can consider it an even exchange. As for the flower, take it back and care for it properly. It’s quite pleasant to look at."

Gu Ruoxue dusted off her hands and gave him a cool glance. "Any objections?"

"N-no… Alright, then."

Su Cheng shook his head. At least she had accepted part of it—that counted as returning what was borrowed.

With that, Gu Ruoxue turned and walked to the kitchen. The sound of running water soon followed.

Su Cheng sat back down in the lounge, unsure where to direct his gaze. He discreetly surveyed the surroundings until Gu Ruoxue returned with a tray, snapping him back to attention.

A steaming mug of black tea was placed before him, its rich aroma instantly refreshing him.

"How is your peony doing?"

Gu Ruoxue had resumed her seat, her tone as aloof as ever.

Su Cheng quickly focused on her, replying with slight nervousness: "It’s recovering well. I think it’ll bloom again in less than half a month."

Gu Ruoxue gave a slight nod, offering no further comment.

In the silence, Su Cheng took a sip of tea. Though he wondered why a mug was used for serving guests, he chose to ignore it. Setting the cup down, he gathered his courage and said, "Well… I won’t take up any more of your time, Department Head Gu."

Gu Ruoxue remained silent.

Taking this as his cue, Su Cheng prepared to leave.

"Wait."

Just then, Gu Ruoxue suddenly called out to him.

Su Cheng froze.

Her icy voice cut through the air: "To settle the remaining difference, I’ll give you an additional warning. That special ability of yours isn’t just dangerous to ordinary people—every time it flares up, it erodes a part of your will. Eventually, you’ll lose control entirely. I suggest you learn to manage your emotions."

Her words struck him like a physical blow, freezing him in place.

How did she know about his awakened ability?

"D-Department Head… How did you…?" His throat tightened, his Adam’s apple bobbing as he forced out the question.

"If even Ji Qingyi's subordinates are aware of this matter, it's hardly surprising that I know about it too. Should you truly lose control to the point of triggering a large-scale incident, even if Ji Qingyi protects you..."

Here, the gaze turned sharp as the speaker continued, "I won't hesitate either. I hope you’ll tread carefully and avoid forcing us into making difficult choices."