Don't Let the Troubled Heart Go Astray

For Su Cheng, the current situation's complexity weighed heavily on him.

Not only had Li Guanqi mentioned Gu Ruoxue, but even his closest classmates had brought her up. What had started as a momentary impulse on his part had somehow been exploited to this extent—unsurprising, given that she was someone capable of opposing the club president.

Under normal circumstances, regardless of intent, if someone helped him out of a tight spot and dropped hints about things related to him that he wasn’t aware of, gratitude and curiosity would likely drive him to seek them out for answers.

This would, intentionally or not, increase his interactions with them, deepen their exchanges, and raise the chances of him being influenced.

And if they grew familiar enough, then if that person casually asked him about certain things or requested small favors, he probably wouldn’t refuse. That would undoubtedly give one side in a standoff more information and leverage.

And if she could do even more than that… the implications were unsettling to dwell on.

If not for his senior’s warning, he might have fallen right into the trap.

"Just like she said, the pressure’s no joke," Su Cheng muttered helplessly, rubbing his temples as Gu Ruoxue’s appearance, demeanor, and mannerisms surfaced in his mind.

Who would have thought someone with such a sterling reputation would use his own classmates to achieve her goals? It really was true what they said—you never truly knew a person’s heart.

To fabricate such an absurd lie, too.

He had amnesia?

He’d initially thought it was just his senior’s twisted sense of humor adding to the setting.

But now, it seemed there might be more to it.

From his perspective, his memories from the moment of transmigration up to now flowed seamlessly, with no jarring gaps. So, to him, this was more likely a deliberate falsehood.

But if her reputation at school was genuine, then maybe she was telling the truth. If so, what period of his memories had he lost?

Alternatively, was his status as the Ji Family’s son-in-law really so valuable that she’d take such risks?

The headache from overthinking made it hard to decide where to start. For now, the most pressing matter was the midday meeting.

Su Cheng took a deep breath and readjusted his mindset.

Since Zhao Yan had repeatedly insisted on expressing her gratitude, refusing any further would come off as pretentious and performative.

But where exactly was Lawn No. 14?

......

As soon as morning classes ended, Su Cheng began moving across the campus lawns, checking them one by one in search of the spot Zhao Yan had mentioned.

To his surprise, Lawn No. 14 turned out to be his usual lunchtime resting place.

The coincidence made him pause.

Was this section of the lawn designated for their class?

With that doubt in mind, he scanned the area. Since he’d arrived early, the lawn was empty except for him.

Just as he decided to wait a while, a female voice called from behind—likely Zhao Yan’s.

"Su Cheng, sorry about that."

Hearing this, Su Cheng turned to see Zhao Yan walking toward him at a leisurely pace, a familiar black bag slung over her shoulder.

She was alone.

That bag… he felt like he’d seen it somewhere before, but couldn’t quite place it.

Maybe just the color looked similar.

"It’s fine. I just got here too," Su Cheng replied politely as she approached.

"Sorry, I should’ve been the one waiting for you." Zhao Yan smiled apologetically. A breeze swept past, tousling her golden hair, which she tucked behind her ear before gesturing to a nearby bench. "If you don’t mind, let’s sit and talk."

"I have something important later, so let’s keep it brief."

Though unsure why Zhao Yan had specifically chosen this spot, Su Cheng figured straightforwardness was best.

After all, his fiancée was waiting for him.

Zhao Yan didn’t seem fazed by his curt response. Instead, she pressed her lips together. "I don’t like beating around the bush either, but standing like this—"

Without waiting for the wind, she brushed her hair back with one hand while the other held down her skirt, making it clear she was at risk of an embarrassing mishap.

"Huh?"

Su Cheng glanced down and suddenly noticed—Zhao Yan’s uniform skirt had been altered. The standard length covered the knees, but hers stopped right at them.

"My bad." Seeing her discomfort, Su Cheng murmured an apology and quickly moved to the bench. "So, Zhao Yan, what did you want to talk about?"

Without hesitation, she sat beside him, placing her bag on her lap before turning to stare at him intently.

The two were now seated close enough that Su Cheng could faintly catch the scent of her perfume.

For some reason, it struck him as exceptionally well-crafted—a high-end fragrance he’d never encountered before.

It permeated every breath, teasing his senses with every passing second.

Rich kids really didn’t hold back, even with perfume.

After a brief silence, Su Cheng cleared his throat. "Ahem. Zhao Yan, I really am pressed for time. Could we hurry this along?"

"Actually… I came to apologize!"

Her words hit like a bombshell, jolting Su Cheng to his feet as he gaped at her. "What? Apologize for what?"

He’d expected gratitude over the earlier misunderstanding, but an apology?

"Su Cheng, you must be so disappointed in me, right?"

Zhao Yan turned away, idly smoothing her hair as her gaze fixed emptily on the scenery ahead. Her voice grew somber. "I’ve been reflecting on myself ever since that day."

What was she talking about? Disappointed?

Since when did he have any expectations of her?

Su Cheng was utterly lost. "That incident was just a misunderstanding. You don’t need to feel sorry or thankful, let alone apologize!"

"No! That’s not it!" she protested vehemently, her expression resolute. "You stepped in to save me that day, but when everyone doubted your motives, I didn’t stand by you. Instead, I doubted you too. When I think about it now, I’m just… terrible."

"That’s not your fault!" Su Cheng frowned, quick to reassure her. "If anything, I’m the one who’s awkward and bad at communicating. It’s easy for people to misunderstand me."

Yet Zhao Yan ignored his defense, murmuring to herself, "You must have been so disappointed in me back then…"

"Ah—" Su Cheng let out a sigh and reluctantly admitted, "I was a bit upset, but it wasn’t your fault. None of you knew the full situation back then, so ignorance is forgivable."

"I regret it so much." Zhao Yan bit her lip and turned to him, her voice thick with guilt. "Lately, I’ve been constantly thinking… if only I’d been as brave as Li Guanqi and Xu Tianyi, if I’d firmly followed you that day, maybe things would’ve turned out differently."

Hearing this, Su Cheng froze for a moment, his mind flashing back to that afternoon at the equestrian club—when he had stormed out, and Li Guanqi and Xu Tianyi had chased after him.

The memory stirred a complicated mix of emotions in his chest.

How could he ever forget that scene?

He was deeply grateful to Li Guanqi and Xu Tianyi, but that was also why it had hurt so much when he later discovered that Li Guanqi’s motives might not have been pure, that there had been ulterior intentions behind her actions. The disappointment, anger, and even heartache had been overwhelming.

Now, hearing it brought up again, his feelings were still tangled.

Su Cheng shook his head, forcing the chaotic thoughts away. He took a deep breath and steadied himself. "But what’s done is done. No point dwelling on it. We can still be friends."

Zhao Yan blinked in surprise, then broke into a bright smile. "Yes, friends! I’d love that."

She extended her fair, delicate hand, and Su Cheng shook it briefly before quickly pulling away, his expression turning serious. "Well, if there’s nothing else, I should get going."

"Wait!" Zhao Yan hurriedly rummaged through her bag and pulled out some food, her eyes hopeful. "I thought you might not have had lunch yet, so I brought something. If you don’t mind, please have some."

She handed him a sandwich.

"No, no, I’m about to grab lunch myself," Su Cheng waved his hands in refusal. "You should eat it."

But Zhao Yan stubbornly pushed it into his hands. "If you don’t take it, it’ll just go to waste. You can at least have a little."

Seeing her insistence, Su Cheng gave a resigned smile. "Thanks."

"You’re welcome."

Zhao Yan beamed, then pulled out a carton of milk from her bag. As soon as Su Cheng took a bite of the sandwich, she handed it to him, asking warmly, "Would you like some?"

Su Cheng paused, looking up at her.

"Don’t like milk? I have juice too."

"No, no, milk’s fine." Su Cheng took the carton, took a sip, then quickly finished the sandwich and downed the rest of the milk in one go, wiping the traces from his lips afterward.

Zhao Yan handed him a tissue with a gentle smile. "Here, use this. Don’t be shy."

"Thanks." Su Cheng wiped his mouth, then met her gaze again, studying her delicate features before speaking slowly. "I’ll head off now?"

"Aren’t you curious how we cleared up the misunderstanding later?" Zhao Yan tilted her head slightly, her tone earnest.

"Go on, then." Su Cheng raised an eyebrow. Initially, he had assumed Senior Liu had impersonated Gu Ruoxue, adding an "amnesia" plot twist while somehow connecting it to the horse he and the club president had bought.

But given Senior Liu’s earlier warning, that hadn’t been the case—Gu Ruoxue herself had responded, which was why Liu Qingyue had given him a heads-up.

"After you left, we went to the Practice Department."

Zhao Yan then briefly recounted the events of that day.

Listening, Su Cheng nodded. He noted that according to Zhao Yan’s account, their group had indeed gone to Gu Ruoxue’s clubroom together, but they had returned in two separate groups—Xu Tianyi and Li Guanqi had come back later. That likely meant they’d had a separate conversation with Gu Ruoxue, further supporting the idea that they’d been scheming.

So sneaky. I’ll have to be more careful.

…………………………

Meanwhile, elsewhere.

Li Guanqi was with Liu Qingyue.

Keeping Liu Qingyue occupied was crucial for her plan to work.

Right after class, she had sought out Zhao Yan. Since Zhao Yan already carried guilt, Li Guanqi had skillfully shifted her from "wanting to thank Su Cheng" to "wanting to apologize to Su Cheng."

Then, with a pleading tone, she convinced Zhao Yan to recount the entire incident at the equestrian club to Su Cheng.

Though Zhao Yan was a little puzzled, she agreed—and deep down, she seemed to have an inkling of what was going on.

But with time pressing, she didn’t ask questions.

Li Guanqi had gone to such lengths so that Su Cheng could cross-verify the facts and realize she hadn’t lied—that she had been unaware of the truth and had always been on his side.

As for Liu Qingyue? Keeping her away ensured she wouldn’t interrupt Su Cheng and Zhao Yan’s conversation, ruining Li Guanqi’s carefully laid plans.

……………………

Ding—

Ding—

Both their phones chimed simultaneously, interrupting their "friendly" chat.

Li Guanqi glanced down and saw a message from Zhao Yan:

"OK, mission accomplished!"

Reading it, Li Guanqi exhaled in relief, the tension in her expression easing slightly.

But on the other side, Liu Qingyue didn’t seem surprised by the sudden interruption.

She pulled out her phone and sent a message:

"Miss, Su Cheng’s little heart-to-heart should be over now. He’ll probably come find you for lunch soon."

Then she looked up at Li Guanqi with an amused smile. "Junior, seems like you’re in a good mood today?"

"No need for your concern, Senior. Though you might have a busy schedule ahead." Li Guanqi stood up, ready to leave, no longer interested in engaging.

"Just a friendly reminder, Junior," Liu Qingyue said lightly, unbothered by her hostility. "Don’t forget his status as the Ji Family’s son-in-law. Getting this close without the young miss’s permission won’t just put pressure on you—others will suffer too."

She pocketed her phone, her tone almost cheerful. "I recall… wasn’t there an elder in the Li Family who nearly got the family erased for chasing 'true love'? Seems like you admire that elder quite a bit, trying to follow in their footsteps?"

"I just… want to know the truth."

Li Guanqi’s voice wavered slightly, but she didn’t turn back as she walked away.