Su Cheng gazed at the club president's expression—serious yet tender—and couldn't help but feel a surge of emotions. He gained a deeper understanding of just how extraordinary a place this "old friend" held in her heart.
Lost in thought, he grew increasingly curious about this mysterious figure. Just who was this so-called old friend?
The president had never mentioned them, yet they were clearly never far from her mind.
From what he knew, only one person fit the definition of "old friend."
He’d once heard from a senior that the president had no close relationships—except for one that traced back to her childhood: Gu Ruoxue.
But due to ideological differences, the two had eventually parted ways.
Yet as the saying goes, the deeper the love, the sharper the hatred.
Gu Ruoxue perfectly matched the description.
Su Cheng subtly observed the president’s expression, relieved to find her demeanor as composed as ever, with no visible signs of distress.
He wondered if there was something he could do—perhaps help them reconcile?
The tenderness and nostalgia the president had just shown were proof enough that she still cherished her former friend.
The president had done so much for him, and he’d never been able to repay her.
Maybe this was his chance.
Su Cheng clenched his fists, wrestling with his thoughts for a moment before opening his eyes with newfound resolve.
He was determined to help the president fulfill this wish. After all, he too wanted to see her happy.
Just as Su Cheng lifted his head, Ji Qingyi caught the fleeting look in his eyes.
She immediately added, "I was overthinking things. We’re on a date—I shouldn’t let my mind wander."
"Ah, right." Su Cheng snapped back to the present, quickly refocusing on the date.
"What were you just thinking about?" Ji Qingyi studied his face, as if fascinated by the shifting emotions she found there.
Su Cheng hesitated, then shook his head. "Nothing."
Ji Qingyi narrowed her eyes, testing him. "I thought you might be upset that I mentioned someone else."
"Not at all!" Su Cheng waved his hands dismissively. "Everyone has a past—myself included. I’m not the petty type, and besides, you’ve done so much for me..."
"Enough." Seeing no hint of deception, Ji Qingyi cut him off. "Today, let’s keep our conversation light—just sweet nothings."
With that, she gracefully lifted her slender, porcelain-white hand.
Su Cheng paused before placing his palm against hers, their fingers slowly intertwining as he gave a gentle squeeze.
The president’s hand was soft, exuding a faint, delicate fragrance, her skin smooth as silk. He lowered his gaze to their joined hands, suddenly overcome by an inexplicable flutter in his chest.
In that moment, it was as if they were the most intimate couple in the world.
His breath hitched.
This feeling… was utterly intoxicating.
Earlier, in their rush, he hadn’t had time to savor it. Now, with his mind at ease, the sensation was nothing short of magical.
He unconsciously licked his lips, only to find them parched. That’s right—he’d meant to buy an iced cola but forgotten.
Ji Qingyi had been watching his reactions from the corner of her eye. Noticing his discomfort, she picked up her bottle of white tea and offered it to him. "Here, wet your throat first."
"No need, I’m not thirsty. You should drink it, President."
Su Cheng hastily declined, waving his hands.
If he drank it, what would she have?
He couldn’t let her go without during their date.
But Ji Qingyi seemed to see through his stubbornness. She released his hand, unscrewed the cap, and took a small sip after removing her mask. Even the simple act of drinking was executed with an elegance that left him in awe.
"Now you can have some," she said, handing the bottle to Su Cheng.
Staring at the drink now carrying her essence, he froze for half a second before accepting.
He took a few gulps, his throat instantly soothed, then set the empty bottle down, about to speak.
But then he remembered—hadn’t the president said they should stick to sweet nothings?
So he launched into a cheesy pickup line: "This drink is amazing—practically a national treasure!"
"That exaggerated?" Ji Qingyi eyed him skeptically.
"After you drank from it, every drop turned into a vintage reserve!" Su Cheng grinned, blinking playfully.
"Such nonsense."
Ji Qingyi had been dabbing her lips with a tissue. At his words, she paused mid-motion before shaking her head with a resigned smile and handing him the crumpled paper, expecting him to toss it.
Instead, Su Cheng wiped his own lips with it and absentmindedly tucked it into his pocket.
Ji Qingyi said nothing, simply putting her mask back on and extending her hand once more.
Su Cheng understood immediately, clasping it tightly as they resumed their stroll.
However, as noon approached, the sun grew harsher, its rays scorching.
The silver lining was that the crowds had thinned—though the downside was Su Cheng’s body struggling to cope. Beads of sweat dotted his forehead, his cheeks flushing pink.
Noticing this, Ji Qingyi stopped in front of a shop with shaded seating. They settled down to rest.
The moment Su Cheng sat, Ji Qingyi pulled a handkerchief from her bag and gently dabbed his forehead, her voice soft with concern. "Tired?"
The intimate gesture sent his heart racing, his breath catching.
But he didn’t indulge in it, politely declining instead. "President, I can manage."
"Isn’t it only natural for me to take care of you?" Her tone was even, betraying no emotion.
Su Cheng’s pulse pounded. He swallowed hard, forcing a smile. "Thank you, President. I’m just not used to it yet..."
"Then get used to it slowly." With that, Ji Qingyi retrieved a folding fan from her bag, snapping it open with a crisp flick. "I didn’t expect it to come in handy so soon."
She fanned him gently, cooling the air. "Better?"
Overwhelmed, Su Cheng pointed to a dessert shop nearby. "Uh—that place has AC! Let’s go there instead."
Thwack!
Ji Qingyi shut the fan and lightly bonked him on the head, the sound crisp but harmless.
"Ow!" Su Cheng rubbed his forehead, wide-eyed. "President?"
Her voice held a mix of reproach and fondness. "Must you be so impulsive?"
"What did I even do?"
Su Cheng blinked, utterly bewildered.
Ji Qingyi tapped her fan lightly against her palm and admonished with grave concern, "The drastic temperature difference between indoors and outdoors can cause sudden blood pressure fluctuations, straining your blood vessels. Are you trying to have a heart attack in the middle of your date?"
m back to his original world. In the end, he realized he had overthought things. [Hey, why is Shen Manni, the female lead, acting strange? Shouldn't she be fawning over the male lead at this point?] [Zhou Qiaoqiao, are you sick? Weren't you supposed to break off your engagement today?] [Damn it! An Youyi, please do your job as an undercover agent and sell my information to the protagonist, you idiot!] ... At this moment, Xu Mo himself didn't know that these female leads had already heard his inner thoughts. Then they decided not to play by the rules. Xu Mo: Please respect my profession as the big villain!
ing gift was a patch of barren land, and disciples were all picked up along the way. He spent fifty years diligently building three "ramshackle little sects," thinking he could finally live a carefree life relying on his disciples. But right at the fifty-year mark, he was suddenly swept away by a spatial rift and exiled to the Chaos Desolation, the Disorderly Ruins. There was no spiritual energy there, only slaughter. Relying on the cultivation feedback from his disciples, Gu Changyuan hacked his way through a sea of blood for eleven hundred years. When the system finally fished him back out, he discovered the ramshackle little sects he'd built back then had developed a rather... unusual style. Hold on... I vanished for a thousand years, so how did my ramshackle little sects become holy lands?!
ut it can buy an entire year of absolutely perfect training results! Su Yu stared at his empty wallet and decisively opened up various online loan platforms. “Borrow a thousand bucks! Recharge my vitality!” Boom! His vitality broke a hundred points, shattering the limits of the human body! “Borrow ten thousand bucks! Recharge my combat skills!” Boom! A basic punching technique so common it was everywhere instantly maxed out, revealing the ultimate assassination technique of Five Elements Unity—Inner Force! When a rich kid hired assassins for a midnight ambush, aiming to break both of his legs, they instead ran headfirst into a monster—a human-shaped tyrannosaur, brimming with dragon-like vitality. With just two fingers, Su Yu snapped a steel staff reinforced with alloy. Staring at the killer’s stash of stolen cash—a staggering quarter-million dollars—he showed a corporate-sincere smile: “Thanks for the pre-exam gift pack, Mr. Zhao! I’m gonna go re-invest this!” Three days later, at the National Martial Arts College Entrance Exam, while everyone else struggled just to reach the passing line, Su Yu threw a single punch—and more than a thousand vitality points literally detonated the entire arena!
lanned to earn money steadily and take life at a slower pace. But he never expected... his father's remarriage, and the stepmother bringing along a dependent, would completely disrupt his life's plans...
