The Archery Club.
Ji Qingyi's private domain.
This was a place no outsider could trespass upon. Even among the club members, few were granted a glimpse inside. Unless permitted by Ji Qingyi herself, not even the heavens themselves could force their way in.
Yet, there was one exception.
"Go in. The young mistress is waiting in the dining hall."
After the two entered, Liu Qingyue spoke to Su Cheng, who stood beside her, visibly nervous and uneasy.
However, upon hearing this, Su Cheng hesitated, torn between speaking up and holding back.
Yesterday, he had sent the club president those annoying and embarrassing stickers—how was he supposed to face her now?
He might already be labeled as frivolous and rude in her eyes. The memory of Ji Qingyi's flushed, furious expression still sent a shiver down his spine.
"Come on, the food's getting cold."
Liu Qingyue gave him a push, urging him forward. "If you keep dawdling, the young mistress really will get angry."
Su Cheng jumped at her words and hurriedly knocked on the door.
Knock, knock, knock.
"Come in."
Hearing that familiar, icy voice, he turned the knob and stepped inside.
...
Before him was a dining table, laden with an array of exquisite and delicious dishes.
At that moment, Ji Qingyi sat at the head of the table. Dressed in her school uniform, her jet-black hair cascaded like a waterfall, her beauty as ethereal as ever—aloof, untouchable, noble and transcendent.
When she noticed his arrival, she merely cast a fleeting glance in Su Cheng's direction before rising from her seat. She brushed past him, leaving behind a faint, intoxicating fragrance, as elusive as mist.
Only after Ji Qingyi had left did Su Cheng snap out of his daze.
The silent treatment—this must be the legendary silent treatment!
He thought to himself, feeling both wronged and confused. He had already properly explained himself over text and apologized to the club president. Why was she still giving him the cold shoulder?
With that in mind, he took a look around the dining hall—no, not a dining hall, more like a cold palace. The room was a classic, antique-style space, meticulously decorated. At first glance, it appeared ordinary, but upon closer inspection, every piece of furniture, every utensil, was of immense value, crafted from rare and luxurious materials—understated yet elegant, enough to leave anyone in awe.
"It seems you'll have to find a way to cheer her up."
Just then, Liu Qingyue placed a large bowl of rice in front of Su Cheng, speaking with a tone of earnest advice.
"Oh? Where did the president go?" Su Cheng instinctively accepted the rice, then pointed at the untouched dishes on the table. "She didn't even take a bite—is she already full?"
"The young mistress waited for you for ten minutes, so she ate by herself. She only ever eats to taste, not to fill up."
Liu Qingyue pulled out a chair and sat down at the table, adding, "So next time, make sure to come straight to the club after class. Otherwise, she might get upset again."
"Uh, got it."
"Then, this servant shall take her leave. Please enjoy your meal, young master."
Liu Qingyue smiled.
"What kind of self-introduction is that?"
Su Cheng stopped her. "Aren’t you going to eat with me?"
"A 'servant' refers to someone who has lost their freedom and labors for their master without compensation," Liu Qingyue explained matter-of-factly. "So you can think of me as a maid. Feel free to order me around as you please."
"You say it so seriously," Su Cheng said suspiciously, "but something feels off."
Liu Qingyue grinned. "What feels off?"
Su Cheng pondered for a moment. "It's like... there's a wave of resentment filling the entire room."
"Is there?" Liu Qingyue replied nonchalantly. "Must be your imagination."
"Is that so?"
Su Cheng pretended to think it over before suddenly realizing something. "Want to eat together?"
"Servants aren’t allowed to dine with their masters. It's the rules." Liu Qingyue shook her head. "This servant will excuse herself now. Please take your time, young master."
With that, she turned and left the dining hall.
"Hey—" Su Cheng sighed in frustration and sat down to eat.
He found Liu Qingyue's sudden self-proclaimed "servant" act very strange.
Does she not like this job?
No freedom?
Well, it does seem pretty restrictive.
But... unpaid labor?
Ah, right—her salary got docked because of me!
Is she hinting that I should talk to the president for her?
Yeah, that must be it.
Lost in thought, he picked up his chopsticks and took a bite.
But after just a few mouthfuls, he frowned.
Because it was delicious.
He set the dish aside and tried another. Yet the more he ate, the more conflicted he felt.
Why does it have to taste this good?
I'm supposed to be cutting back on carbs for training—how am I supposed to resist eating more bowls of rice when it's this tasty?
About fifteen minutes later, he finished his meal and stepped out of the dining hall, spotting Ji Qingyi seated at the tea table.
She sat gracefully, quietly brewing tea.
"P-President..."
Su Cheng called out timidly.
"Sit."
Ji Qingyi spoke without looking up, continuing to focus on the tea.
"Uh, okay."
Su Cheng shuffled over and took a seat across from her.
He watched her movements, unconsciously swallowing hard. Truth be told, the way she prepared tea was truly refined. The liquid was a clear, jade-green, flowing like a gentle stream, the leaves releasing a fragrant aroma.
"President, about those stickers yesterday..."
Su Cheng tried to explain, but Ji Qingyi simply handed him a cup of tea, signaling for him to drink first.
Not daring to refuse, Su Cheng obediently took a sip.
Instantly, a rich, intoxicating tea fragrance enveloped his senses.
"Amazing tea, amazing tea, amazing tea!" he praised three times in a row, unable to hold back. "You're incredible, President!"
Yet Ji Qingyi remained silent.
Su Cheng coughed awkwardly and finally wiped the smile off his face. If she was going to be cold, he wasn’t about to keep groveling.
After all, he had his pride too.
"Then tell me—what makes this tea good?"
Ji Qingyi lifted her own cup, blew lightly on the surface, and took a small sip. Her tone carried no discernible emotion as she posed the question directly.
"Uh..." Su Cheng was stumped.
Since when do I know anything about tea?!
He racked his brain for words to describe it.
"This brew... sweet but not bitter," Su Cheng began, lifting his cup and pretending to savor the aroma. "Smooth, not astringent. The color is light, yet the flavor is rich. Even before drinking, the fragrance already fills the lungs."
Ji Qingyi let out a soft scoff. "Weren’t you the one who once claimed you never flattered others? Look at you now."
At this, Su Cheng's face paled, then flushed with embarrassment. He took a deep breath, forcing himself to stay composed. "President, this isn’t flattery. I just wanted to make you happy, so I tried my best to find the right words. Besides... didn’t we sign a marriage agreement?"
At the mention of marriage, Ji Qingyi turned to face him, her gaze flickering. "That document is nothing but empty words. We both know that."
With that, she stood up, hands clasped behind her back, and circled the tea table until she stood right in front of Su Cheng. "Since you brought it up, let me ask you this—are you satisfied with the arrangement now?"
Su Cheng froze for a moment, then lowered his gaze, avoiding eye contact as he replied softly, "Of course, it’s agreeable."
"Since you have no objections, we’ll proceed with arranging the engagement first. After that, you’ll go for recuperation and training, followed by lessons in etiquette and duties."
Su Cheng was stunned. Hadn’t he just come for a meal? Why had things suddenly escalated to such a significant matter? Was this the consequence of her anger?
Flustered, he quickly asked, "W-why are we suddenly talking about an engagement? President Ji, didn’t you say you wanted to evaluate things first?!"
"Even marriages can end in divorce, let alone an engagement. At its core, this is just a statement of intent."
Ji Qingyi fixed him with a cold smile before shifting her tone. "More importantly, do you remember your promise to stay away from other women?"
"I… I remember. What about it?"
"If you remember, then think carefully—have you kept that promise these past few days?"
A chill ran down Su Cheng’s spine. Upon reflection, he had indeed interacted frequently with female classmates recently. But in his view, it was just normal socializing—most of the time, they approached him, leaving him little choice. Just as he was about to argue, Ji Qingyi cut him off.
"Of course, I understand not all the blame falls on you. So, I’ve decided to use this opportunity to clarify your status—to give them a sense of propriety."
With that, she stepped closer, lifting his chin with her fingers, forcing him to meet her gaze.
"And to give you a legitimate reason to turn them away—openly and without guilt."
ions, keeping it grounded and realistic】 After quitting his job, office worker Su Yang accidentally binds with the "Enjoy Life System." As the name suggests, simply by indulging in life's pleasures, he can earn random rewards from the system—no need to spend money on beautiful women or grovel before anyone. Just enjoy, and the money follows, making it all about effortless fun. The system comes with a scanning feature, allowing him to establish a favorability bond with women rated 85 points or above. Every 20-point increase in favorability unlocks additional rewards. After suffering through over twenty years of hardship, Su Yang trembles with excitement, his dull eyes suddenly gleaming with newfound hope. "Enjoy life? How hard could that be?"
ive and Ruthless] Before his transmigration, Ye Xuan was playing a game called "Severing Emotions to Attain the Dao." The game's core wasn't about leveling up by fighting monsters, but about conquering various "bad women" with wicked personalities and cold, fickle natures. There was only one method to conquer them: stay unwaveringly by their side, then die at a critical moment, driving them to madness after losing the protagonist. The higher their level of regret, the higher the player's score. To dominate the server, Ye Xuan conquered all the bad women. In the early stages, he showered them with boundless tenderness, only to choose to sacrifice himself for them later, making them weep bitterly and drown in regret. Among them were: Xia Lengyue, the unfaithful immortal wife who chased after powerful men and discarded her husband like trash. Ye Qingcheng, the Demonic Venerable of the Joyous Union Sect, who appeared pure and innocent but was, in reality, promiscuous. Wu Lingxiao, the Empress of the Great Xia Dynasty, who lusted after men and loved maintaining a harem. Bai Qiangu of the Endless Demonic Sect: a bloodthirsty mass murderer. However, when the protagonist transmigrated into the game world, he made a horrifying discovery. Eight hundred years had already passed. The bad women he had conquered had now each become deities and revered ancestors. Faced with the endless stream of toxic women coming for him, Ye Xuan could only rely on his god-tier acting skills to carve a path of survival through this world of treacherous women.
he colors of other people’s emotions. Light red meant anxiety. Gray meant exhaustion. Orange meant excitement. Yellow... meant repression. At the same time, he could gain unlimited control over one of those colors. Pale cyan: relaxation. Using this ability, he started offering “two-yuan hugs,” spending an afternoon exchanging emotional-color experiences with others. Then came his final female customer of the day— a girl whose emotional color was pure black... —— A week later, Xu Chuan had become skilled at using pale cyan—Relaxation—treating it like a bottle of menthol balm whenever he needed it. That was when he discovered he had unlocked another unlimited emotional color: Purple, the color of fear. So these emotional colors refresh every week? Fine, I take it back—I’ll never call you useless again... —— Much later, after Xu Chuan had accumulated countless emotional abilities, one night, he suddenly found himself inside someone else’s dream. There, he could use the emotional colors he possessed to paint. And in her dream, he painted her a shower of pink shooting stars, spreading across the depths of the night sky...
d intelligence to keep the plot moving, and sometimes even the protagonists are forced into absurdly dumb decisions. Why does the A-list celebrity heroine in urban romance novels ditch the top-tier movie star and become a lovestruck fool for a pockmarked male lead? Why do the leads in historical tragedy novels keep dancing between love and death, only for the blind healer to end up suffering the most? And Gu Wei never expected that after finally landing a villain role to stir up trouble, she’d pick the wrong gender! No choice now—she’ll just have to crush the protagonists as a girl!
