All Onlookers Sighed and Sobbed

Afternoon.

The sunlight was warm.

In a corner of Su Cheng's balcony,

A peony on the verge of blooming had captured his full attention. The buds were already showing signs of a deep red hue, as if heralding the arrival of some magnificent event.

Su Cheng stared intently at the peony, his eyes brimming with excitement and anticipation, like a lovesick fool, not even blinking as he fantasized about the beauty that would soon unfold.

"Wonderful! All the hard work hasn’t gone to waste!" he murmured to himself, his voice filled with joy. "It's finally about to bloom!"

As he spoke, Su Cheng suddenly realized that this was something worth sharing—and that Ji Qingyi absolutely had to know.

He grabbed his phone, scrolled to Ji Qingyi's contact, and quickly typed out a message:

OrangeHater: "President, the flower is about to bloom."

………………

Meanwhile.

By the lotus pond at the Ji Family Mansion.

Ji Qingyi held her phone, sitting stiffly at the stone table as she stared blankly at Su Cheng’s message, her expression puzzled.

After a long silence,

She handed the phone to her maid, Liu Qingyue, standing beside her.

Liu Qingyue leaned in to read the message, her brow furrowing slightly as if deep in thought. After a moment, she looked up at Ji Qingyi and exclaimed excitedly, "Congratulations, Young Mistress! This is cause for celebration!"

"What exactly is there to celebrate?" Ji Qingyi felt a faint tremor in her heart but suppressed it, maintaining her usual haughty tone.

"Undoubtedly, Young Mistress must have shown Su Cheng your gentle and understanding side this afternoon, leaving such a deep impression that he couldn’t stop thinking about you the moment you parted!" Liu Qingyue hurriedly explained. "But since he’s so reserved by nature, he could only express his longing in such an obscure and subtle way."

"I doubt that’s the case." Though Ji Qingyi found her reasoning plausible, she dismissed it and offered an alternative. "Wasn’t he cultivating a peony? Maybe it’s just that the peony is about to bloom."

"That’s impossible."

Liu Qingyue shook her head firmly. "If it were about the peony blooming, he would’ve sent a photo along with the message. But he only sent text—clearly, there’s a hidden meaning here."

"Then... how should I reply?" Ji Qingyi picked up her phone again, hesitating as she stared at the words.

"I have three strategies for you to choose from: the Upper Strategy, the Upper-Upper Strategy, and the Upper-Upper-Upper Strategy."

Liu Qingyue launched straight into her explanation. "The Upper Strategy is the most straightforward and proactive approach. The Upper-Upper Strategy is even bolder, and as for the Upper-Upper-Upper Strategy... well, that depends on Young Mistress’s courage and resolve."

Normally, the "Upper, Middle, Lower" strategies corresponded to "radical," "moderate," and "conservative."

But!

Liu Qingyue never dealt in "Middle" or "Lower" strategies—hers were a trio of escalating radicalism!

Each one more aggressive than the last, each one more effective.

Ji Qingyi seemed long accustomed to her "Upper-Three Strategies." After a moment of contemplation, she said, "Let’s hear your Upper Strategy first."

"The Upper Strategy is this: Young Mistress directly points out the hidden meaning in his words, then responds in a similar fashion, expressing your own longing for him."

Liu Qingyue beamed, her tone enthusiastic. "This way, the two of you will share an unspoken understanding, and from now on, there’ll be no need for veiled words—your communication will become far more intimate and harmonious!"

"That’s certainly bold and direct." Ji Qingyi’s expression turned serious, as if weighing the risks.

"In my opinion, this is a critical moment." Liu Qingyue carefully chose her next words. "If Young Mistress doesn’t act now, you might miss the perfect opportunity to capture Su Cheng’s heart. After all, according to recent intel... Gu Ruoxue has already begun making moves. It seems she’s trying to enter Su Cheng’s line of sight..."

At this, Ji Qingyi’s brow furrowed. If that were true, then Gu Ruoxue was indeed laying her own groundwork—this couldn’t be taken lightly.

During the incident at the equestrian club, Gu Ruoxue had publicly claimed in the Practice Department that Su Cheng had suffered memory loss. If this reached Su Cheng’s ears, it would undoubtedly spark his suspicion and curiosity. He would inevitably seek her out for answers, digging deeper into the matter.

Gu Ruoxue wasn’t openly confronting them, but this kind of subtle manipulation—guiding Su Cheng toward her own designs—was far more troublesome than any overt enemy.

Gu Ruoxue has activated her skill: Repeating Old Tricks

Thus, this wasn’t something she and her maid could easily interfere with.

As the saying went: Leave some room for retreat.

Otherwise, pushing someone too far would only lead to disastrous consequences.

"Fine, I’ll follow your suggestion—but I’ll adjust the wording slightly." After a moment’s thought, Ji Qingyi began typing her reply, then pressed send.

"The flower is blooming again."

A response mirroring Su Cheng’s original message, laden with hidden implications, leaving much to the imagination.

Liu Qingyue, seeing this, made a triumphant gesture. "Brilliant move, Young Mistress!"

"Now, he should understand, right?" Ji Qingyi set her phone down on the table, waiting for Su Cheng’s reply, ready to directly address the unspoken meaning behind his words.

She could already picture Su Cheng’s elated, overjoyed expression upon receiving her message.

However, Ji Qingyi waited and waited... but Su Cheng’s reply never came. Unable to hold back any longer, she started typing again:

"From now on, don’t use such roundabout ways to express your feelings for me. We should communicate more directly, more openly, conveying our emotions clearly and concretely. Only then can we strengthen our bond and deepen our connection—"

But just as she hit send, Su Cheng’s new message suddenly appeared:

OrangeHater: [Image Attachment]

OrangeHater: "Sorry, President. My phone camera isn’t great—I had to take dozens of shots before finally capturing a somewhat clear image of the peony’s deep red hue."

"..."

Ji Qingyi stared at the conversation log on her screen, her face instantly turning ashen. Her hand trembled slightly as she clenched the phone, humiliation and fury creeping onto her delicate features.

OrangeHater: "Huh?"

Finally, after seeing her message, Su Cheng sent a seemingly baffled response.

This was the last straw for Ji Qingyi.

She hurled the phone at Liu Qingyue—her designated scapegoat—and stormed out of the lotus pond area, striding briskly toward the main residence of the mansion.

Liu Qingyue caught the phone, glanced at the screen, and immediately grasped the situation. Without hesitation, she tapped the video call button, dialing Su Cheng.

Soon, Su Cheng’s face appeared on the screen. Seeing Liu Qingyue, he looked surprised. "Huh? Senior, it’s you?"

"Surprise! I was the one playing with the phone just now." Liu Qingyue held the device up to her mouth, spinning her lie with a straight face. "I’ve been worrying myself sick over your relationship with Young Mistress. Remember to nurture your bond properly and keep in touch with her more often, okay?"

"Oh..." Su Cheng paused for a moment, seemingly piecing things together, and couldn't help but scratch his head in frustration before sighing helplessly, "I thought it was the club president sending some weird message. Turns out it was you, my eccentric senior, causing trouble again!"

"You have the nerve to blame me? I’ve been working tirelessly behind the scenes for your romance," Liu Qingyue scolded. "I’ve been pulling strings to create opportunities for you, yet you’re still completely clueless! You didn’t even pick up on such obvious hints. It’s infuriating how dense you are."

"Senior..." Su Cheng gave a bitter laugh, then his gaze landed on the white hair accessory atop Liu Qingyue’s head. "Senior, are you wearing a maid outfit?"

"Correct. Care to guess—black stockings or white ones today?" Liu Qingyue angled the camera downward, revealing the black-and-white maid dress in full view.

She threw Su Cheng a sultry glance, her seductive voice practically whispering in his ear, "Thigh-highs or garters? Or should I lift the skirt and show you~?"

Su Cheng’s face instantly flushed crimson. He quickly averted his eyes, stammering, "S-Senior, wh-what are you doing? Have some self-respect!"

"Tch, so easy to tease. Utterly clueless," Liu Qingyue scoffed, shaking her head dismissively before abruptly shifting to a serious tone. "Listen, I’m doing all this to push you and the young mistress closer. There’s no real obstacle between you two anymore—the only problem is how passive you both are."

With a stern, lecturing tone, she addressed Su Cheng’s bewildered expression. "Can’t you see how the young mistress feels about you? Are you really going to leave things like this? Ridiculous!"

Su Cheng fell silent, memories of recent events flashing through his mind. Finally, he took a deep breath and spoke solemnly, "Senior, I’ll put in the effort. But no matter what, you don’t need to worry."

Seeing his resolve, Liu Qingyue said nothing more, simply nodding. Soon after, she ended the video call.

Staring at the darkened phone screen, Liu Qingyue sighed and muttered to herself, "Such a blockhead. When will he finally wake up…?"