The Outcome of the Journey Remains Uncertain

Upon hearing these words, Ji Qingyi closed her eyes. She returned to her seat, picked up her teacup, and took a sip, her gaze half-lidded as if to conceal the turbulent emotions swirling within.

"Better to be a shattered jade than an unbroken tile."

This phrase suited Su Cheng perfectly—his innate pride and stubbornness were so resolute they could be terrifying, yet undeniably awe-inspiring.

But it was precisely this temperament that drew her to him. If he were the type to blindly follow others' words, adhering rigidly to rules and routines, then this version of Su Cheng wouldn’t be the one she admired.

Though she couldn’t change his mind with words alone, Ji Qingyi was willing to give him time, gradually guiding his thoughts through subtle influence, pulling him into the framework she had set.

Of course, the prerequisite was that he had to recover his health first.

……

However, for Su Cheng, even though he had never been in a relationship, he knew that equality was essential in love.

That meant equality in character—no room for male superiority or female dominance, nor any sense of oppression. Otherwise, even if they forced themselves together, the relationship would inevitably collapse, leaving behind irreparable regrets.

Winning the archery championship wasn’t just about proving he could stand on the same level as the club president in one aspect—that was only part of it.

The other reason was to bring Cornelia back from abroad. And now, these two goals could be achieved simultaneously. To describe the feeling? Pure, unadulterated joy!

How could he not be thrilled?

How could he possibly give up now?

So, even if his body couldn’t take it, he refused to back down.

Taking a deep breath, he raised his head again, his gaze resolute and unwavering.

"President," he said solemnly, "please teach me archery. I won’t let your guidance go to waste."

The conviction reflected in his eyes was his hope and longing for the future.

But the return to the formal "you" made Ji Qingyi’s brow twitch, her displeasure deepening.

Because Su Cheng’s message was clear: until he won the championship, he wouldn’t acknowledge their relationship publicly, nor would they take a step further.

On the surface, it was just a change in address, but his determination was unshakable.

Ji Qingyi narrowed her eyes slightly.

If she refused now, he would likely keep using honorifics with her—a thought that irritated her immensely.

This was his way of resisting her, of rejecting the bond between them.

"Fine."

Setting down her teacup, her expression cool and detached, Ji Qingyi stood. "I see your mind is made up. In that case, let’s see how far you can go on your own."

"Thank you, President. Then let’s not waste any time."

Su Cheng’s face lit up with excitement. "Please teach me archery now. I’m begging you!"

"Yesterday, I already told you," Ji Qingyi said sternly. "You must first understand your heart before touching a bow. Impatience will get you nowhere. In competition, what matters are posture, conduct, and attitude."

Su Cheng stiffened, opening his mouth to argue, but Ji Qingyi cut him off. "What you need now is to calm down and observe your own physical condition."

She paused. "At the very least, you must understand your own heart before you’re qualified to receive my training."

"……"

Su Cheng wilted, lowering his head in defeat.

"Don't be discouraged," she patted Su Cheng's shoulder. "First, follow me in calming your mind. Once you’re no longer affected by external distractions and your emotions are steady, it won’t be too late to resume archery."

"Alright."

Su Cheng responded gloomily and fell silent.

If he couldn’t overcome this hurdle, then he might as well do as the club president suggested—quiet his mind before returning to the study of archery.

But after sitting with his eyes closed for a while, he felt as if ants were crawling all over his body, his restlessness growing unbearable.

"Try to silently recall happy, triumphant moments from your past. It will bring balance to your mind, and the sadness and chaos will gradually fade."

Suddenly, Ji Qingyi offered timely words of encouragement.

Su Cheng frowned, forcing himself to stay calm. He took a deep breath and tried to summon those pleasant memories.

Yet soon, those recollections burst like bubbles, leaving behind only boundless pain and sorrow.

Because, in truth, he had no happy memories to speak of.

He said nothing, instead sinking deeper into his thoughts.

At least it helped him focus, even if it hurt.

Just then—

"Knock, knock, knock—"

A sound came from the door.

Both opened their eyes and turned their gazes toward the entrance.

"Young Mistress, Miss Si is here to see you."

The attendant outside reported softly.

Hearing this, Su Cheng raised an eyebrow. Miss Si?

Another young heiress from a conglomerate, like the president?

"Let her in."

Ji Qingyi replied indifferently.

"President, I won’t disturb you further."

Seeing that Ji Qingyi was about to receive a guest, Su Cheng tactfully prepared to excuse himself. But as he stood up, Ji Qingyi called out to him, her voice clear and crisp: "You may stay and observe the game."

"Observe the game?" Su Cheng was puzzled.

"She’s here to play a match with me." Ji Qingyi glanced at him, took a sip of tea, and then added leisurely, "I don’t mind if you watch."

"But I don’t understand Go at all."

Su Cheng quickly waved his hands. "I’d better not intrude."

Ji Qingyi sipped her tea without another word.

"I’ll come back in the afternoon."

With that, he turned to leave.

Ji Qingyi didn’t stop him again, only tossing out one last remark just as he was about to step through the doorway.

"No one will disturb us anymore from now on."

"Understood."

After replying, Su Cheng opened the door and walked out—only to nearly collide with a disheveled young woman carrying a Go board. Her aura was eerie, like a ghost trapped inside an old television, radiating an unsettling chill.

Su Cheng froze in shock.

But he quickly steadied himself, reasoning that this must be the so-called Miss Si. He avoided staring and kept his gaze forward as he continued walking.

Yet when they passed each other, a single glance from her made his body temperature plummet, as if she had stolen his warmth. Every cell in his body tensed, ready to defend itself.

No doubt about it—this woman was dangerous.

Su Cheng heightened his guard internally and reached the stairwell.

Glancing back, he saw the young mistress standing at the doorway, turning her head slightly. Through the strands of her hair, a single eye became faintly visible—not bloodshot as he’d imagined.

Instead, it was starkly black and white, clear and pristine, but the gaze directed at him was filled with intense curiosity and scrutiny, as if he held some great fascination for her.

However, in the moment Su Cheng was still puzzled, Miss Si suddenly stumbled headfirst into the doorframe, producing a crisp, sharp sound.

"Thud—"

Su Cheng: "..."

He quickly averted his eyes, suppressing the urge to laugh at the impropriety, and sped up his pace, swiftly exiting the archery club.

There was still plenty of time before afternoon P.E. class.

Su Cheng wandered aimlessly around the campus. Whether it was subconscious or not, he found himself walking down a familiar path until he stopped in front of a patch of grass he recognized.

Only, the girl from before was nowhere to be seen.

Su Cheng paused for a moment, scanning his surroundings a few times. After confirming that Li Guanqi wasn’t there, he stepped onto the grass, deciding to rest for a while and soak up some sun.

He sat down on the lawn, tilting his head back to watch the clouds drift across the sky, his thoughts wandering.

Eventually, drowsiness overtook him. He set an alarm, then lay down on the soft grass and fell asleep.

In his half-conscious state, he felt as though someone had draped a blanket over him, sitting beside him to shield him from the sunlight while gently fanning him.

Moreover, a familiar, delicate fragrance lingered in the air—a faint, soothing scent that eased his mind. Su Cheng relaxed, nuzzling slightly in his drowsiness before sinking deeper into sleep.

Time passed slowly until the alarm rang.

He woke up.

Su Cheng rubbed his eyes and sat up, finding himself still lying on the grass with nothing around him changed.

Had it all been a dream?

Still… that had been an incredibly restful nap.

……………………

Afternoon P.E. class.

As Su Cheng ran the three-kilometer course, he could distinctly feel a slight improvement in his stamina. It was subtle, but it was a real, tangible change!

Even though he was still the last to finish—just as he always had been—at least he didn’t fall behind this time. That alone was progress.

Su Cheng’s spirits soared!

By the time he finished running, he was still panting heavily, but this time, his heart was brimming with excitement.

Any improvement, no matter how small, was a success!

During free time, he found a large tree to lean against, closing his eyes to rest and recover from the exhaustion.

But soon, he sensed someone sitting down beside him.

He opened his eyes and saw a somewhat awkward-looking boy perched next to him, hands on his knees, also breathing hard and sweating—clearly having just finished exercising.

Yet, his face was lit up with surprise and delight.

"Su Cheng?"

The boy spoke up excitedly the moment Su Cheng opened his eyes.

"Huh?" Su Cheng blinked in confusion, feeling a vague sense of familiarity as he tried to recall.

Then it hit him—this was Zhao Feifei, one of the few fellow scholarship students who had gotten into this prestigious school with him. He even had a loving girlfriend, and the two had enrolled together, becoming the envy of many. That was why Su Cheng remembered him so clearly.

In a way, they shared a kind of kinship—both outsiders in this elite world.

Su Cheng stood up and greeted him politely. "Zhao Feifei? What a coincidence running into you here."

"Yeah, it’s been a while since we last met," Zhao Feifei replied, scratching his head with a sheepish grin. He admired Su Cheng—not only did he score higher on exams, but he was also humble and easygoing, qualities Zhao Feifei looked up to.

As the two were catching up, a girl approached from not too far away.

Zhao Feifei spotted her and waved, calling out, "Little Mei!"

"Feifei!"

The girl jogged over and stopped in front of them.

"Oh, Su Cheng, you're here too," the girl said upon noticing Su Cheng, first surprised, then slightly flustered as she hid the water bottle in her hand behind her back. "I didn’t know you’d be here, so I only bought one bottle..."

"It’s fine, I’m not thirsty. Don’t worry about it," Su Cheng replied, shaking his head to reassure her.

"In that case, I won’t hold back!" The girl stuck out her tongue playfully, handing the water to Zhao Feifei before turning back to Su Cheng. "By the way, do you have any recommendations for clubs?"

Zhao Feifei took a sip of the water and passed it to Chen Mei'er, then also looked at Su Cheng expectantly, as if this question had been weighing on both of them for a while.

Su Cheng thought for a moment before shaking his head honestly. "I don’t really know much about clubs. I’ve never really considered joining one myself."

Chen Mei'er pouted, looking a little disappointed. "That’s a shame. I was hoping to hear your thoughts..."

Zhao Feifei patted her shoulder reassuringly. "Let’s hold off on joining a club for now. It’s not like we have any special talents anyway."

Then, as if forgetting Su Cheng was there, the two of them slipped into an obnoxiously sweet display of affection, sharing the same bottle of water.

Chen Mei'er even started massaging Zhao Feifei’s shoulders to help him relax after their gym class.

The sudden shift in atmosphere caught Su Cheng off guard. He awkwardly closed his eyes, pretending to take a nap.

He realized there was no shared misery here—these two might as well have had "couple goals" written all over their faces.

Meanwhile, Zhao Feifei was thoroughly enjoying Chen Mei'er’s attention, his face glowing with happiness. If Su Cheng hadn’t been there, he probably would’ve pulled her into a tight hug.

He even shot Su Cheng a smug glance.

But his triumph didn’t last long.

Because just then, two girls with an air of elegance and nobility began walking toward them.

He and Chen Mei'er immediately stopped what they were doing, straightening their clothes and waiting respectfully as the girls approached.

"Su Cheng, so this is where you’ve been."

Xuan Ying strode over with light steps, a sweet smile on her face, followed closely by another tall, strikingly beautiful girl—Zhao Yan.

"They’re here for Su Cheng?" The realization left the other two wide-eyed in disbelief.

These girls were clearly from wealthy families—no, more like high-society heiresses!

And they seemed to have a very favorable impression of Su Cheng!?

"Uh… these are my classmates," Su Cheng said awkwardly, standing up to introduce them.

Xuan Ying handed him a bottle of juice with a grin. "Brought this just for you. No refusing."

Beside her, Zhao Yan offered a towel, her voice soft and gentle. "You just finished running, right? Wipe off your sweat."

The way Xuan Ying and Zhao Yan doted on Su Cheng left the other two utterly dumbfounded, staring at him in stunned silence.

Just what kind of guy was he, to attract such enthusiastic attention from two young ladies of their status?!

Their minds were completely blown.

Because they were all carefully treading the edges of school life, afraid of offending some big shot, yet Su Cheng had managed to reach this level?!

"Thank you," Su Cheng replied somewhat cluelessly, but still reached out to take the towel. After expressing his gratitude, he lowered his head again to wipe the sweat from his neck.

"Then we won’t disturb you two any longer."

Zhao Yan nodded politely at the two of them before turning away with Xuan Ying in tow.

Once the two girls were gone, Chen Mei'er couldn’t resist asking Su Cheng, "Classmates? How did you get to know them?"

"Uh… just classmates. Everyone’s been really friendly to me," Su Cheng answered vaguely, though it was the truth.

"No way?" Chen Mei'er eyed Su Cheng skeptically, then glanced in the direction the two girls had left, frowning in thought. "How could such beautiful young ladies be so nice to you?"

"They’re really just ordinary classmates," Su Cheng emphasized again.

"Maybe he impressed them academically," Zhao Feifei chimed in to explain on his behalf.

"Oh, so that’s how it is," Chen Mei'er nodded thoughtfully.

"I’m so jealous. I wish my classmates were that friendly," Zhao Feifei sighed, looking at Su Cheng with undisguised envy.

Su Cheng couldn’t help but smile faintly at this but didn’t say anything more. Instead, he lowered his gaze to the drink and towel in his hands, lost in thought.

Did they come over just now because they saw me in an awkward situation?

Though he felt it was completely unnecessary, at this moment, he didn’t know how to describe the emotions swirling inside him—gratitude, warmth, something indescribably strange.

But the next second, the couple beside him resumed their public displays of affection.

Su Cheng quietly collected himself. When he looked up again, the two were still glued together, flaunting their relationship. He shook his head slightly, thinking to himself how determined they were.

"Junior~"

Just as Su Cheng decided to leave, a clear, melodious voice called out from behind him. Then, his eyes were covered by a pair of hands, followed by a familiar fragrance.

"Guess who I am?"