Walk Steadily and Surely

This time was different from before.

Ji Qingyi showed none of the previous flustered anger. Instead, her tone was icy, her expression dark, as if suppressing some deep fury.

He couldn’t understand—what had he done this time to upset her?

After the last incident with the meme, he’d learned to reflect on himself first. But after searching his conscience, he still couldn’t pinpoint any wrongdoing. A woman’s heart truly was as unfathomable as the ocean.

Could it be that the club president couldn’t stand anyone being smarter than her?

Petty, much?

She certainly seemed that way.

The more he thought about it, the more plausible it seemed.

Still, his first priority was to make a swift exit.

Su Cheng rose from his seat, about to leave, when Ji Qingyi spoke again.

"Sit down."

He froze, then obediently returned to his chair, sitting stiffly upright.

Ji Qingyi lifted her teacup, took a slow sip, then fixed her gaze on him. "You seem tense. That’s no good. You must learn to remain unshaken even if Mount Tai were to collapse before you."

The moment those words left her lips, Su Cheng felt an inexplicable pressure bearing down on him.

Just a second ago, she’d been seething.

Now she acted as if nothing had happened?

Was this the legendary capriciousness people spoke of?

Truly, serving a ruler was like serving a tiger.

He silently grumbled to himself, stealing a glance at Ji Qingyi, only to find her staring absently into space, not even looking his way.

"Um… President, was there something you needed?" Su Cheng ventured cautiously.

Ji Qingyi snapped out of her thoughts and replied coolly, "After club activities today… do you have any plans?"

"Plans?" Su Cheng blinked, then answered earnestly, "After school, it’s just dinner and exercise. Nothing else."

"Exercise?" Ji Qingyi nodded thoughtfully. "What kind of training regimen do you follow?"

"Just… jogging," Su Cheng admitted awkwardly, scratching his head. "I don’t know much about fitness."

"So you’ve never had a sports massage, then."

Ji Qingyi suddenly turned to him, her gaze oddly intense. "Your muscles are too tense. If this continues, you risk shortening them. You need to learn proper massage techniques."

Su Cheng was dumbfounded. "M-massage?"

"Mm." She nodded matter-of-factly. "Starting now, I’ll arrange two customized massage sessions for you each week. This will ensure your body stays in optimal condition and prevent long-term damage from exercise strain."

With that, she stood abruptly, stepped behind him, and clamped her hands onto his shoulders like iron vices.

Su Cheng stiffened instantly. "President, your status is far too exalted to personally massage me! This is far too humbling for someone like me."

"It’s fine." Ji Qingyi shook her head, unwavering. "Your health takes precedence over all else."

"But…" Su Cheng was both flustered and flattered. "Couldn’t you just assign this to a subordinate?"

"My possessions are not for others to touch." She loomed over him, her tone dripping with dominance as she laid claim. "You need only focus on enjoying it."

Su Cheng’s breath hitched. His heart pounded so loudly he was sure she could hear it.

Ji Qingyi slowly raised one hand, pressing her thumbs against the base of his neck. "This is the Fengchi acupoint," she explained softly. "Massaging here increases blood flow to the brain and eyes. It also helps with insomnia."

Then she pushed down hard.

"Nggh—!" Su Cheng stifled a groan as a jolt of electricity shot down his spine, followed by an agony so sharp it nearly tore a scream from his throat.

The Fengchi point was going to break!

His face contorted violently, sweat beading on his forehead as he fought to keep silent despite the torment.

Ji Qingyi observed his reaction, then shifted to another spot. "This is the Jianjing acupoint. Massaging here relieves shoulder and joint stiffness."

This time, before she even applied pressure, his body screamed in protest. The pain doubled instantly.

"Ah—!" This time, he couldn’t hold back. His lips trembled as he gasped out, "It hurts!"

He whipped his head around to glare at Ji Qingyi, eyes wide with shock and suffering. "I don’t want a massage anymore!"

"You can’t even handle this much?" Ji Qingyi withdrew her hands, her cold gaze piercing. "If you’re this weak, how do you expect to compete with others? Your skeletal alignment is already distorted. Without correction, even your posture will look disgraceful in competitions."

Su Cheng went rigid. His head dropped, fists clenched so tight his knuckles turned white, face burning with humiliation.

"I… I understand," he forced out through gritted teeth. "I’ll endure the pain. Please… correct me, President."

"Good." Ji Qingyi gave him a sidelong glance before leaning close to his ear. "Don’t move. Relax your body. Empty your mind. Don’t think about anything."

……………………

Ten minutes later

"President… is the correction done?"

"Correction?"

"My skeletal alignment?"

"Why would that need correcting?"

"You said my posture was disgraceful!"

"No correction needed. Just straighten your back."

"Then what was all that about?!"

Su Cheng stared at her in disbelief.

Ji Qingyi responded with a cruel smile, raising her hands as if to resume the so-called 'sports massage.'

"No!" Su Cheng recoiled instantly. "President, I was wrong! I shouldn’t have suggested such a terrible idea—"

Finally, it dawned on him. The massage was just a pretext. This was pure retaliation—Ji Qingyi venting her displeasure through this sadistic 'lesson.'

"It’s fine." Her voice was eerily calm. "Mistakes require consequences. We’ll end today’s session here."

She returned to her seat, picked up her now-cold tea, and took a graceful sip. "If you ever repeat such foolishness, we’ll have plenty more opportunities to continue."

"No, no!" Su Cheng shook his head vigorously, forcing a pained smile. "I promise it won’t happen again."

"Glad to hear it." Her tone was indifferent.

An awkward silence fell between them.

After a moment, Su Cheng assessed his condition. Despite the earlier agony, his neck felt remarkably looser, his muscles more supple than yesterday.

If he had to describe the sensation…

It was oddly refreshing?

Had the massage actually worked?

"Was my idea really that bad?" Su Cheng couldn’t help asking, stubborn and confused.

Even after the torture, he refused to concede without a proper explanation.

Ji Qingyi arched a brow at his persistence, her smile laced with mockery. "Do enlighten me—what gave you such confidence?"

"……"

Su Cheng was left speechless, tongue-tied.

It was Senior Liu who had given him the confidence.

But he couldn’t betray her.

After all, this mess was of his own making.

"When you came up with this idea, did you consider what it would bring to the Ji family once the truth came out? And what measures should be taken then to repair the damage to their reputation?" Ji Qingyi spoke slowly, her tone measured. "Or were you hoping the world would see me as someone who hides behind veils, even resorting to subordinates to cover things up? That would only make people laugh at my lack of confidence—and give my competitors the impression that I’m nothing special."

"……"

Su Cheng froze for a long moment before finally realizing just how terrible his idea had been. A thick wave of shame and regret welled up inside him.

"P-President," he stammered, swallowing hard. "I was thoughtless and shortsighted. I hope you can forgive me."

"Hm." Ji Qingyi gave a faint nod, not dwelling on the matter, and simply picked up her teacup again, sipping leisurely.

Her movements were practiced, elegant, and natural—like a scene from a painting, pleasing to the eye.

Meanwhile, Su Cheng fidgeted, his gaze darting around awkwardly, wishing he could vanish into the ground.

Just as his eyes dropped to the floor, they landed on Ji Qingyi’s legs—sleek and straight, encased in sheer black stockings. His breath hitched, and his heart pounded violently.

Ji Qingyi suddenly glanced up at him.

Su Cheng flinched and quickly averted his eyes.

Noticing his discomfort, Ji Qingyi narrowed her phoenix-like eyes slightly and murmured, "Want to do it again?"

"…No." Su Cheng shook his head immediately, abruptly changing the subject. "President, you’ve gone through so much trouble for me. Why don’t I help you relax in return?"

"Oh?" Ji Qingyi arched a brow at him.

"Um… I’d like to give you a massage." Su Cheng’s cheeks warmed, and he hesitated before mustering his courage. "You just gave me one, so it’s only fair I return the favor."

"…Are you sure?"

"Absolutely." Su Cheng didn’t hesitate.

Ji Qingyi pondered for a moment, then parted her lips slightly. "Very well. Let’s see how you do."

"Okay!" Su Cheng nodded eagerly, standing up and moving behind her. He raised his hands—then froze, unsure where to begin.

Should he press her shoulders?

Or her temples?

Maybe just knead them lightly?

Ji Qingyi noticed his hesitation. "What’s wrong?"

"Uh… I-I don’t know the first thing about massages," Su Cheng admitted in a low voice, his face flushing.

Ji Qingyi let out a soft hum. "Just do it your way. Don’t overthink it."

"Oh. Okay."

Following her instructions, Su Cheng placed his hands on her slender shoulders and began kneading stiffly, his movements slow and uncertain.

The faint fragrance of her hair filled his senses, and even through the fabric of her clothes, he could feel the warmth of her skin. His entire body tensed like a drawn bowstring.

Ji Qingyi seemed to sense his nervousness. She closed her eyes and murmured, "Nervous?"

"A little," Su Cheng admitted honestly, then added, "It’s my first time doing this for someone else. I’m probably terrible at it. Hope you don’t mind."

"It’s fine."

Her voice was calm, almost indifferent.

Su Cheng exhaled in relief, trying to focus and suppress the restless stirrings in his chest as he devoted himself to the task.

………………

Time slipped by unnoticed.

After nearly twenty minutes of effort, Ji Qingyi still hadn’t reacted—as if she’d fallen asleep.

Su Cheng couldn’t help but feel disheartened.

"Not bad. Just a bit too light."

Ji Qingyi opened her eyes when she noticed the movements behind her had stopped, catching Su Cheng’s dejected expression. She gave a slight nod. "Take a break."

"Sure." Su Cheng sat back down, and Ji Qingyi poured him a cup of tea. Just as he reached for it, the club dismissal bell rang.

"President, I need a bit more time to recover," Su Cheng said after taking a sip, slumping into his chair with a tired sigh. "I’ll head home once I’ve rested."

"Don’t stay too late." Ji Qingyi didn’t press him, standing up and leaving the room.

Once she was gone, Su Cheng finally rose from his seat. He brought his hands to his nose, inhaling the lingering scent of her perfume, and couldn’t help grinning foolishly. "So nice…"

Unfortunately, the office door swung open at that exact moment—revealing Ji Qingyi, who had returned and now stood there, frowning slightly at the sight of him.

Su Cheng hastily shoved his hands behind his back and cleared his throat, feigning nonchalance. "President, you’re still here?"

Ji Qingyi replied flatly, "Leaving now."

Su Cheng nodded, watching her walk away.

…………………………

The next morning.

Liu Qingyue brought him breakfast.

"How’d it go?" she asked.

"Don’t even ask," Su Cheng groaned, his face twisted in misery. "The president gave me a scolding yesterday."

"Oh? Failed, huh?"

Liu Qingyue couldn’t hide her amusement, though she pretended to be sympathetic. "Honestly, the young mistress could’ve just said no. No need to lecture you over it."

"Did you already know how it would turn out?"

Su Cheng fixed her with a stern look, speaking slowly. "Were you just setting me up for failure?"

"W-What? How could you think that of me?!"

Liu Qingyue’s eyes widened in exaggerated shock, as if on the verge of tears. "How dare you accuse me like this?"

Her expression was so convincing that Su Cheng faltered—but then he remembered her penchant for mischief. This act might just be another one of her games.

His guard went up. "Senior, if you don’t come clean, I’ll tell the president this afternoon that it was your idea for me to propose that plan!"

"W-What?!" Liu Qingyue paled. "Not only are you falsely accusing me, but you’d also sell me out?!"

She brandished the breakfast bag at him indignantly. "I woke up at five to buy this for you, and this is the thanks I get? Unbelievable!"

"Uh…"

Su Cheng wavered—then reached for his phone, pulling up Ji Qingyi’s contact.

Seeing this, Liu Qingyue instantly switched tactics, snatching the phone from him. "Alright, alright, enough joking around. Let’s just eat before the food gets cold."

"Then promise you won’t mess with me again!"

Su Cheng stood in the shadows as he spoke, his eyes hidden, leaving only his mouth visible. His voice dropped. "Or do you want the young mistress to find out it was you who encouraged me?"

"Don’t tell her. I’ll do anything."

With that, Liu Qingyue quickly unwrapped the breakfast, pulling out a steamed bun. She blew on it gently, then held it out to him with a pitiful pout. "I was wrong. I’m sorry. It won’t happen again."

"Hmph. That’s more like it." Su Cheng snatched the bun and took an aggressive bite, chewing as if taking out his frustration on her.

………………

Classroom.

Li Guanqi sat in his usual spot, calmly flipping through a book, his expression serene. Occasionally, he would glance toward the door, his gaze deep and distant, as if waiting for someone.

A moment later, Su Cheng walked in. After nodding in acknowledgment, he went straight to his seat, pulled out the chair, and began rummaging through his student bag for a book.

It was their daily ritual—exchanging books.

Today, Su Cheng had chosen an academic text, its yellowed cover bearing the marks of time. It was one of his most treasured possessions, bought long ago from a scrap collector for just five yuan.

Even Li Guanqi paused for a moment when he saw the book, lifting his head to stare at Su Cheng expressionlessly.

Their eyes met.

Su Cheng wore a faint look of confusion.

"Do you only have the first volume of this calligraphy history?" Li Guanqi asked quietly, gathering his thoughts.

"Yeah," Su Cheng replied, slightly embarrassed. "This book had a very limited print run, but its academic value is exceptionally high. I couldn’t find the second volume anywhere."

"I happen to have the second volume at home," Li Guanqi said, taking the book and speaking plainly. "I’ll bring it tomorrow."

"Really?"

Su Cheng’s face lit up with joy. "Thank you."

"No need. We each have something the other needs."

Li Guanqi lowered his head and retrieved the book Su Cheng had given him the day before, handing it back. He looked up and added, "I left some notes inside. I’d appreciate it if you took a look."

"Notes?" Su Cheng accepted the book and returned to his seat, flipping through the pages curiously.

The first thing he saw was a short line of text:

"I heard you lost your memory once?"