Intoxicated Amidst Beauties at That Time

"Oh." Su Cheng rubbed his head where he'd been lightly knocked, his outward appearance resembling that of a chastened child while inwardly his mind was in turmoil.

He marveled at the club president's thoughtfulness while also feeling a twinge of resentment.

They had agreed today would be entirely his call, so what happened?

That domineering president's old habits were resurfacing, subtly reclaiming control again.

At this thought, his masculine pride flared up, and he couldn't help but speak up: "In that case, we can sit outside the dessert shop and have some cold treats while waiting for dinner time."

Ji Qingyi studied his earnest, solemn face, easily seeing through his little scheme but pretending otherwise. "Alright, you're in charge," she replied.

They entered the ice cream parlor. While the indoor seating was crowded, the shaded outdoor area stood empty—after all, with air conditioning inside, who'd foolishly sit outside to eat cold desserts?

After settling at a table, Su Cheng picked up the menu, glanced through the dessert options, then handed it to the president. "President, what would you like?"

Ji Qingyi had been surveying their surroundings. Hearing his question, she turned back to skim the menu before answering softly, "You choose one for me to try."

"Got it."

Su Cheng waved the menu toward the counter, and soon a server approached to take their order.

"President, how about we try this strawberry shaved ice?" He glanced at Ji Qingyi for confirmation and, seeing no objection, told the server, "Two strawberry shaved ices, please."

After the server left, Su Cheng noticed Ji Qingyi maintaining her composed demeanor—except now she was discreetly observing a newly arrived couple settling at another table. She seemed to be studying how couples interact during dates.

Unfortunately, the couple immediately pulled out their phones after sitting down, showing zero interaction.

With no reference material, Ji Qingyi reluctantly withdrew her gaze.

It was then that Su Cheng realized—the senior student had mentioned that the president simply wanted to experience an ordinary couple's dating routine. Apparently, it was true.

To liven the atmosphere, he initiated conversation: "President, have you had shaved ice before?"

"Of course," Ji Qingyi turned to him with a raised eyebrow, her tone teasing. "Why? Do I look like some provincial girl who's never seen the world?"

"No no! Actually, I'm the one who's never tried it," Su Cheng admitted awkwardly. "I don't really know how to eat it properly, so I thought I'd ask for your guidance."

Just then, their strawberry shaved ices arrived.

Though it appeared ordinary—just shaved ice topped with strawberry syrup and fresh berries—to Su Cheng, who grew up in the countryside, this qualified as a luxury item.

"You might appreciate watching first," Ji Qingyi said, picking up her spoon to gently stir the icy mound with practiced, elegant motions as if performing a familiar ritual.

As she stirred, she explained: "The mixing process builds anticipation. Approaching food with mindful participation creates the ideal tasting experience."

"Noted." Su Cheng lowered his gaze, intently watching the swirling ice, lips pressed into a straight line as he unconsciously swallowed.

"After thorough mixing, take a small spoonful and place it on the middle of your tongue. This delivers the flavor directly to your taste buds. Let it fill your mouth, then lightly press your lips—the layered flavors will bloom across your palate."

Ji Qingyi delivered these instructions patiently, tilting her head slightly as she observed Su Cheng with gentle encouragement. "Go ahead and try."

"President, you're such a connoisseur!" Su Cheng marveled.

"I had specialists explain these details during previous tastings," she replied offhandedly before removing her mask, revealing breathtaking features.

At that moment, two camera shutter sounds suddenly clicked.

Both instinctively turned, initially suspecting paparazzi, but realized the noise came from the couple photographing their own desserts.

This puzzled Ji Qingyi. Her delicate brows furrowed as she asked, "Why are they photographing food?"

Su Cheng hesitated before offering: "Well... President, maybe to commemorate their date? Or for social media? Different people have different reasons, I suppose."

While congratulating himself on the diplomatic answer, he noticed Ji Qingyi staring blankly at her now thoroughly mixed dessert, apparently regretting missing the photo opportunity with its pristine presentation ruined.

"President, you can have mine instead." Su Cheng pushed his untouched portion toward her while pulling her mixed one toward himself. "Actually this works out—you've already mixed it perfectly, and I'd probably mess up the consistency."

"You think I don't see through your ploy?" Ji Qingyi regarded his sheepish yet calculating smile and shook her head. "You expect me to play along with this charade just because I might be embarrassed?"

Caught red-handed, Su Cheng flushed. "President, I just thought you wanted photos, so—"

"So what?" Ji Qingyi interrupted. "I am interested in documenting moments, but not because they're rare. I'm assigning them value."

Her lack of protest relieved Su Cheng, though he wondered privately: "Why isn't the president being tsundere today?"

What he didn't know was the extensive preparations made the previous night to ensure this date proceeded smoothly.

Liu Qingyue had worried that if the young mistress lost her temper, the date might collapse—not an unfounded concern, having witnessed multiple instances where Ji Qingyi's embarrassment led to her ordering Su Cheng away in frustration.

Thus began an all-night rehearsal of countless possible scenarios. Today, Ji Qingyi would suppress her tsundere tendencies at all costs—this date held significance for them both.

Liu Qingyue had meticulously drafted two reference documents: "The Ji Household Guide" and "Date Protocols," detailing strategies for every conceivable situation down to specific dialogue exchanges.

Most crucially, they'd prepared responses to Su Cheng's cringeworthy pickup lines—the kind that would make ordinary girls recoil, but which the young mistress inexplicably adored.

Every time she heard those cheesy pickup lines, the young mistress would instinctively feel a mix of embarrassment and annoyance, masking her shyness with a display of temper—a signature trait of her tsundere personality.

Thanks to those two "secret manuals," Ji Qingyi could now maintain her composure when faced with Su Cheng's occasional flirtatious advances.

Just as Su Cheng was about to reach for his spoon, Ji Qingyi suddenly stood up with her phone in hand and walked over to his seat. Before he could react, she nudged him aside with surprising force, leaving him half-perched on the edge of his seat.

Click~ The shutter sound captured a photo of a beautiful girl leaning toward a young man, both holding a bowl of shaved ice. The contrast between the girl's smile, the boy's startled expression, and the intimate distance between them made for a perfect shot.

"See? This is its true value," Ji Qingyi said as she set down the shaved ice and returned to her seat across from him, smiling as she explained the deeper meaning behind her words.

She planned to post it on her social media.

But then she hesitated, realizing she had never paid much attention to her phone settings. Neither The Ji Family Guide nor The Dating Handbook had covered this topic.

"How do I post this photo on my feed?" She looked up at Su Cheng, her eyes silently pleading for help.

This snapped Su Cheng out of his daze.

"Easy!"

Determined not to let the club president seize the initiative, Su Cheng decided to launch another round of cheesy flirtation. He picked up his phone, stood up, and sat down right beside Ji Qingyi—so close that the slightest movement would make their shoulders brush.

"Look, President," he said, placing the phone on the table and tapping the screen to switch to the front camera.

Just as Ji Qingyi leaned in to see, their faces appeared side by side in the frame. Seizing the moment, Su Cheng quickly pressed the shutter, capturing an undeniably intimate snapshot.

Their heads were tilted close together, their breaths warm against each other's necks, ears, and noses, sending faint tingles down their spines.

In the photo, they looked like a couple sharing a sweet, private moment, as if admiring something delightful together.

"You were right earlier, President. This is what makes a photo truly valuable," Su Cheng remarked casually before swiftly switching apps to teach her how to post on social media.

Though Ji Qingyi knew he was retaliating for her earlier teasing, she didn’t call him out. Instead, she followed his instructions attentively. After posting, she took another photo of the shaved ice.

Su Cheng returned to his seat.

Watching Ji Qingyi smile at her phone screen, he mentally gave himself a pat on the back.

Ji Qingyi set her phone down and slid the untouched bowl of shaved ice back to Su Cheng, expecting him to take a photo of it. But to her surprise, he shook his head.

"I already got the shot I wanted," he said, holding up his phone—the screen displaying the accidental-yet-perfect selfie they had just taken.

Even though she had braced herself, Ji Qingyi still felt heat rising to her cheeks at the sight of the photo.

This scenario was completely outside the scope of The Ji Family Guide and The Dating Handbook.

Su Cheng’s move wasn’t just some run-of-the-mill cheesy line—it was a masterfully calculated charm offensive, catching both her and Liu Qingyue completely off guard.

Fortunately, after countless practice sessions, Ji Qingyi knew better than to let her embarrassment show.

She took a deep breath, cleared her throat, and forced an air of nonchalance as she called him out: "Are you trying to say I’m as tempting as food? Equating me with dessert?"

But Su Cheng’s response stunned her once again.

"President, can I post this on my feed too?" he asked with genuine sincerity.

Truthfully, he didn’t have many friends in Yancheng—just Ji Qingyi, his senior Liu Qingyue, and Li Guanqi, whom he’d only recently added. So he wasn’t worried about word getting out.

"Aren’t you afraid of people finding out?" Ji Qingyi asked, surprised.

If this went public, it would essentially announce their relationship. Wouldn’t that just invite more trouble for him? Since when did he stop caring about complications?

"Don’t worry, I don’t have many friends here," Su Cheng reassured her with a smile. "And my friends back home don’t know you. At most, they’ll just think I’ve landed a stunning girlfriend."

"Go ahead, then," Ji Qingyi replied, lowering her head to stir her shaved ice again.

Her gaze flickered briefly before she regained her composure, focusing entirely on her dessert and ignoring him.

With that, Su Cheng began editing his post. Once done, he set his phone aside and prepared to dig in.

But just as they were about to enjoy their dessert—

His phone buzzed several times.

Then—

Liu Qingyue liked the newly posted photo.

Li Guanqi also liked it.

………………

As the two were about to start eating, the couple seated nearby suddenly began arguing.

"Why didn’t you let me have the first bite?" the girl complained, her tone laced with displeasure.

"Sorry, sorry, I forgot!" the boy immediately apologized, scrambling to appease her.

"What’s that about?" Ji Qingyi asked Su Cheng, tilting her head curiously. "Is it some dating rule that the girl gets the first taste?"

"Uh…" Being just as inexperienced in romance, Su Cheng scratched his head and thought for a moment before answering. "Maybe it’s a romantic gesture? Or perhaps letting your loved one have the first bite shows deeper affection, making them feel cherished?"

"Ridiculous," Ji Qingyi scoffed. "We each have our own serving. Why insist on sharing?"

But even as she said this, her hands moved on their own. She scooped up the lone strawberry from her shaved ice and held it out to Su Cheng.

However, the moment she looked up, she froze.

Because at that exact instant, Su Cheng was also extending his spoon toward her—offering the strawberry from his own bowl.

They sat there in silence, spoons poised midair, an inexplicable warmth filling the space between them. The noise around them seemed to fade into silence, time itself standing still.

Click.

The sudden sound of a camera shutter shattered the moment. Both turned toward the source—only to find Liu Qingyue standing outside, camera in hand, having captured the sweet scene.

"Sorry, I’m just a passing photography enthusiast," Liu Qingyue explained with a grin, seeing their slightly flustered expressions. "The way you were feeding each other was too adorable—I couldn’t resist. I’ll send you the photo later."