Operations Often Meet Stronger Opponents

After ending the video call, Su Cheng remained unsettled, his emotions in turmoil.

Based on his senior's words, he had clearly picked up on the underlying implications—this matter wasn’t as simple as it appeared on the surface.

First, this wasn’t the first time his senior had impersonated the club president to talk to him. Second, she always made sure to clarify beforehand that she was the one operating the president’s phone.

This approach seemed rather evasive, almost as if she were trying to cover something up.

Lastly, judging by today’s events, if the goal was truly to advance their relationship, why had she revealed her identity in the end?

She could have easily kept pretending to be the president. If problems arose later, any conflict would have been between him and the president, not her. Right?

Yet she had repeatedly left obvious clues, practically sabotaging her own efforts. What was the point?

Su Cheng kept replaying his senior’s final words in his mind, searching for deeper meaning...

Frowning in thought, he suddenly had an epiphany—a startling possibility.

What if all the messages had actually been sent by the president herself, with his senior merely taking the blame?

If that were the case, just how tsundere was the president being?

Su Cheng was utterly shocked. Without thinking, he walked to the balcony, staring into the distance as he muttered to himself, "Even though I’ve figured it out, I’ll have to keep it to myself. Knowing her temperament, if I anger her, she might subject me to another 'massage punishment'..."

He sighed gloomily, rubbing his temples as frustration and helplessness welled up inside him.

Just as his senior had pointed out, there were no real obstacles between him and the president anymore. The biggest hurdle now was their mutual reluctance to take the initiative.

He had been too passive, leaving all the agency to the president.

This approach was clearly flawed—no wonder his senior was so exasperated with them. He really had been too hesitant.

But then, a new problem arose.

Their social standings were worlds apart.

As the old saying went, "A poor boy’s advances are like a plump woman’s bosom—worthless." So how could someone like him, a nobody, possibly make the first move?

Su Cheng stroked his chin, deep in thought, until his gaze landed on his phone’s chat history. His eyes suddenly lit up!

He could turn the tables—directly call out the president for making his senior take the fall. Then, when she flustered in embarrassment, he’d confess his feelings and boldly ask her out.

This way, they’d reach an unspoken understanding. No more beating around the bush—their interactions would become smoother, more intimate.

Plus, a date invitation would live up to his senior’s expectations, marking a huge step forward in his courage to openly express his love for the president!

The more he thought about it, the more excited he became. He immediately returned to his room, drafting a detailed plan. After listing out all possible scenarios and deeming it flawless, he finally set down his pen, nodding in satisfaction.

"Oh right, I still need to respond to Li Guanqi."

Remembering this, he casually pulled a book from his shelf and began writing.

First, he apologized for yesterday’s incident, then reaffirmed that he had indeed suffered from amnesia before.

After all, this was the backstory his senior had crafted for him—he couldn’t very well undermine it now.

Once finished, he closed the book, only to realize it was The Basic Laws of Web Novel Protagonists.

His expression instantly soured. While the message itself was what mattered, using this book to communicate with Li Guanqi felt unbearably awkward.

Thinking about it, not only would it ruin his image if she were seen holding it, but she’d probably cringe just reading the title.

Silently, he placed the book on a pile in the corner and fetched a more mainstream literary classic from the shelf instead.

After rewriting his response, he stuffed the classic into his backpack by his feet, changed into workout clothes, and headed out for exercise.

However, unbeknownst to him, a small black figure perched on a telephone pole outside his bedroom window.

From its vantage point, it had a clear view of everything inside Su Cheng’s room.

It suddenly glanced down toward the apartment entrance, watching as Su Cheng stepped out in his sportswear. Its little head tilted, as if weighing some dilemma, its expression eerily human-like.

Finally, it spread its wings, gliding down to land on Su Cheng’s windowsill. With nimble movements, it hopped inside, gracefully landing on the desk.

Tilting its head, it used its beak to grab The Basic Laws of Web Novel Protagonists from the pile, flipping through the pages with its claws and beak until it found the section with Su Cheng’s writing.

After a moment of scrutiny, it tried to close the book—only for the heavy tome to slip and topple onto the backpack below.

Panicked, it fluttered down, attempting to lift the book back up with its beak. But despite its questionable content, the book was deceptively dense—far too heavy for the little creature to carry.

Seeing that the book couldn't be put back, its little eyes rolled around mischievously before it simply shoved the book into the backpack and thoughtfully zipped it up, then flew away.

………………

The next day, on the bus.

On their way to school, Liu Qingyue and Su Cheng sat side by side as usual after breakfast.

To outsiders, they looked like the picture-perfect campus couple, the envy of everyone around them.

Su Cheng leaned against the window, while Liu Qingyue sat beside him.

She glanced at him and noticed his serious expression, brows furrowed, clearly lost in thought.

She could tell at a glance that Su Cheng must be plotting something significant. Had her advice from yesterday finally gotten through to him?

Pursing her lips, she asked softly, "You look so preoccupied today. What’s on your mind?"

"Nothing," Su Cheng shook his head slightly, resting his forehead against the glass as he gazed absentmindedly at the scenery outside, saying no more.

"Really?" Liu Qingyue said with a pained expression. "Being so cold to a beautiful girl first thing in the morning is making me question my own charm."

She pulled out a small mirror and examined her face for a moment before sighing dramatically. "Even this flawless face can’t move you. Am I coming on too strong? Does it make me seem cheap?"

Su Cheng remained silent, his eyes still fixed outside as if he hadn’t heard her.

"What a blockhead."

After muttering under her breath, Liu Qingyue stared intently at Su Cheng until he finally grew uncomfortable and turned to look at her, his face full of resignation.

"Yay, I win!" Liu Qingyue cheered as if she’d just won a game of "who looks away first loses." She clapped her hands happily before leaning in close to Su Cheng’s ear and whispering, "By the way, who do you think is the prettiest girl at school?"

Suddenly, she pulled out a voice recorder and turned it on.

Seeing this, Su Cheng froze for a second before quickly answering out of sheer self-preservation: "Of course, it’s our club president! She’s the undisputed campus goddess of our college—unmatched in both talent and beauty, truly deserving of the top spot!"

"Oh? You’ve got good taste," Liu Qingyue said with a teasing smile before pressing further. "Then who’s the second prettiest?"

"Ji Qingyi," Su Cheng replied without turning his head, then shot a wary glance at his senior, afraid she might spring another trap.

Sure enough, Liu Qingyue shook her head. "No repeating names. I want your honest opinion—who’s the second prettiest?"

"I’m blind to beauty," Su Cheng deflected. "I don’t know."

"Fine, let’s focus on inner beauty then," Liu Qingyue said with a sly grin. "For example… yesterday, when you were with—"

"Ah!" Su Cheng’s expression changed, and he quickly cut her off. "Delete that recording! And no more of this!"

"Haha, just kidding," Liu Qingyue winked at him. "It’s just a regular pen."

"Phew…" Su Cheng exhaled in relief before asking cautiously, "Senior, about what happened during lunch break yesterday… the president doesn’t know, right?"

Yesterday, he’d been with Li Guanqi—even grabbing her stocking-clad calf. If the president found out, he couldn’t even imagine the consequences.

"Relax, your secret’s safe with me," Liu Qingyue said, putting on her most trustworthy expression and winking. "We’re friends, after all. Keeping secrets for you is only natural."

Though still skeptical, Su Cheng chose to trust her promise. What else could he do?

"Alright, back to the main topic," Liu Qingyue said seriously, her tone brimming with curiosity and gossip. "I swear I won’t tell a soul—so, who do you really think is the prettiest at school?"

"Senior, do you actually have a voice recorder this time?"

"Oh, I do."

"Then turn it on."

"Go ahead," Liu Qingyue started recording and asked, "Who do you think is the prettiest at school?"

"Obviously the president," Su Cheng declared firmly. "In terms of beauty, she’s the undisputed goddess of our college. In terms of talent, she’s peerless! In short, no one in the entire school can compare to her. Her intellect, looks, and aura—she’s undeniably number one in every way!"

After finishing, he motioned for Liu Qingyue to turn off the recorder.

Once she did, he added, "Make sure to play that back for the president later."

"I will," Liu Qingyue pocketed the recorder before continuing, "But now, be honest—who’s the second prettiest?"

"Well…"

Su Cheng racked his brain, images of several beautiful girls flashing through his mind. Finally, he answered hesitantly, "Probably… Gu Ruoxue from the Practice Department?"

On this point, he simply couldn’t lie—because anyone who had seen Gu Ruoxue’s breathtaking beauty, even if they weren’t obsessed with looks, would undoubtedly find themselves unable to look away.

Liu Qingyue, witnessing this, immediately flared up in anger. "Oh, so you’re still thinking about another woman? What a scumbag!"

"You were the one who told me to be honest!"

Su Cheng grimaced, feeling his body stiffen under her glare. He quickly tried to salvage the situation. "But now that I think about it, Gu Ruoxue and the President do share some similarities. Their auras are alike, yet fundamentally different."

"Oh? How so?" Liu Qingyue raised an eyebrow, intrigued.

"Well… Gu Ruoxue and the President…" Su Cheng pondered for a moment before slowly explaining, "If I had to describe it, it’s like snow and a glacier. Both are made of ice, but the chill they give off is worlds apart. The former might leave you cold for a while, but the latter—if you touch it, you might get hurt."

"That’s actually a pretty fitting analogy." Liu Qingyue tapped her delicate chin thoughtfully. "No wonder you never dare to take the initiative with the President. You’re afraid of getting hurt, aren’t you?"

"Uh…" Su Cheng chuckled awkwardly.

Seeing this, Liu Qingyue sighed and gazed at him with pity, speaking in a solemn tone. "But have you ever considered that even the coldest glacier, if warmed enough, will eventually melt into a soothing hot spring?"

"A hot spring?" Su Cheng blinked, his mind conjuring an image of President Ji Qingyi blushing and steaming in a hot spring out of sheer embarrassment. He immediately shook his head to dispel the thought. That couldn’t possibly happen… right?

"By the way, there’s something I need to tell you."

"Xu Tianyi and Li Guanqi from your class already know about your engagement with the President, don’t they? They found out when they visited you in the hospital."

"Yeah, you were there too. What about it?"

"During the incident at the equestrian club, those two went to consult Gu Ruoxue." Liu Qingyue reclined lazily in her seat, staring ahead nonchalantly. "The President and Gu Ruoxue used to be close friends, but due to a clash in their families’ ideologies, they’ve since gone their separate ways."

"Wait, they had that kind of history?!" Su Cheng’s eyes widened in shock.

"Though they act like strangers now…" Liu Qingyue’s expression suddenly turned grave. "In recent years, the rivalry between their families has intensified behind the scenes, which has only deepened the conflict between them."

"What? They’ve developed a serious grudge?" Su Cheng was stunned once more.

But after calming down and thinking it over, he recalled that the President had once mentioned a "rival." At the time, he assumed it was just some family matter and didn’t probe further. Now, hearing Liu Qingyue bring it up, it finally clicked—the rival the President had referred to was none other than Gu Ruoxue!

"And the Li Family has a good relationship with the Gu Family—they could even be considered allies. So, you could say Li Guanqi is relatively close to Gu Ruoxue. Therefore…"

"At this point, there’s a high chance your engagement with the President is already known to her." Liu Qingyue’s tone grew uneasy. "Worst-case scenario, she’ll definitely try to exploit this connection for her own ends. So, Su Cheng, you need to stay vigilant and guard against these people—not just for the President’s sake, or the Ji Family’s, but for your own safety as well."

Hearing this, Su Cheng’s expression turned serious.

After a long silence, he suddenly looked up at Liu Qingyue and spoke firmly. "Understood. Please tell the President not to worry. I’ll be careful with my actions and avoid any unnecessary involvement with them."

"That’s the right attitude." Liu Qingyue patted his shoulder approvingly, her voice heavy with meaning. "As I expected, Li Guanqi will likely try to create opportunities for you and Gu Ruoxue to cross paths. When that happens, the pressure on you won’t be small."

………………

Class 1-2.

As Su Cheng entered the classroom, Liu Qingyue’s words still weighed heavily on his mind. He never imagined that Li Guanqi’s approach toward him had ulterior motives.

Seated in the corner, Li Guanqi noticed Su Cheng’s unusual demeanor today, stirring an inexplicable unease within her.

Especially when Su Cheng turned to glance at her, the faint sense of alienation and hostility made her delicate brows furrow involuntarily.

"Su Cheng." Just as he was about to leave, she finally called out to him.

Su Cheng paused mid-step and turned to look at her.

"I finished reading the book from yesterday."

Li Guanqi stood up, retrieving a book from her desk and handing it to him solemnly. "Here you go."

The book still bore her annotations.

"Oh, right."

Su Cheng hurriedly reached into his bag to pull out the book—only to freeze when he saw that it had somehow transformed into The Fundamental Laws of Web Novel Protagonists. His mind short-circuited.

Am I losing my mind?

Wasn’t this supposed to be a literary classic?

How did it turn into a web novel guide?!

I remember this clearly!

What’s going on?

Is this some kind of supernatural phenomenon…?

He abruptly snapped the book shut and shoved it back into his backpack. Upon closer inspection, he noticed another book inside and hurriedly pulled it out, awkwardly saying, "Uh... I grabbed the wrong book earlier. My bad."

"It's fine."

Li Guanqi's expression remained blank, her tone flat. "Did you leave your notes in the previous one?"

"Uh, yeah, I did."

"Then I want that one instead."

"Well..."

Su Cheng hesitated briefly, but then it struck him—if the other party had ulterior motives, why should he care about her feelings?

With that thought, Su Cheng relaxed.

"In that case, here you go." He retrieved The Fundamental Laws of Web Novel Male Leads and presented it with both hands.

Li Guanqi accepted the book, tilting her head slightly as she examined the cover and title, as if puzzled by its contents.

After the exchange, they returned to their respective seats and began flipping through the books, studying them intently.

Su Cheng's mood was heavy as he turned to the first page, only to exhale in relief upon reading:

"To repay you for saving me yesterday, I’ve prepared a lavish lunch on the lawn, awaiting the arrival of my lifesaver."

Whether to go or not became the pressing question.

But for now, the priority was turning the page. The moment he did, his heart sank—just as his senior had predicted, the text inevitably mentioned Gu Ruoxue.

"I heard about your amnesia from the Practice Department’s Minister Gu. Judging by her tone, it seems the two of you share quite a history."