To be a beauty, winning or losing is a common affair.

Su Cheng had a clear understanding of his own limitations—whether in terms of innate talent or family background, the gap between him and the club president was absolute.

Because of this, Su Cheng knew that unless he possessed something comparable to her, he would forever remain a side character in her life—if not something even less significant.

Perhaps one day, he too would become just another ordinary person in her eyes. The way she looked at ordinary people, with that indifferent gaze, flashed repeatedly in his mind.

There were countless reasons to like someone, and even more reasons to dislike them.

Given enough time together, every flaw would inevitably surface. Slowly, the person you admired would begin to diverge from the image in your mind, and disappointment would grow with each passing day.

Just like this time.

He didn’t want to let the president down.

"If I end up holding her back this time..."

The fading sunlight cast long shadows over the slender boy, making him appear even frailer. In the distance, the tower clock ticked away, each second slipping through his fingers.

Su Cheng stared blankly at Li Guanqi’s retreating figure.

"What was she trying to do? Why did she take out a cigarette, hesitate, then put it back and apologize to me?" The question lingered in his mind, refusing to fade.

Not far away, Li Guanqi lowered her head, biting her lip as she quickened her pace, afraid Su Cheng might catch up and ask for an explanation.

Ever since she had asked Gu Ruoxue about the key to unlocking the truth behind her memory loss and the source of her emotional turmoil—both of which seemed tied to Su Cheng—she had been trying to get closer to him without provoking Ji Qingyi’s suspicion. But so far, she had found no leads.

Left with no other options, she turned to Gu Ruoxue again, hoping for more clues. Though she had prepared herself for rejection, the actual dismissal still left her disheartened.

Perhaps sensing her mood, or perhaps for some other reason, Gu Ruoxue conjured a pack of used cigarettes in front of her, took one out, and slid it across the table.

"Senior Gu, what does this mean?"

Li Guanqi picked up the cigarette, examining it carefully, but found nothing unusual. She looked up at Gu Ruoxue in confusion.

"Given the circumstances, I’d like to conduct an experiment. Consider it payment for your earlier consultation."

"An experiment?"

The cigarette pack vanished from Gu Ruoxue’s hand—a move Li Guanqi noted with quiet admiration.

"That cigarette in your hand belongs to the same category as these rings. If you offer it to someone, light it for them, and say, ‘Do me a favor,’ they’ll agree to a request within a fairly broad range."

"Wait… seriously?"

The implications sent her heart racing. Could she use this on Su Cheng to get the answers she needed? But Gu Ruoxue’s next words made her hesitate.

"Depending on whether and how this cigarette is used, I’ll be able to determine whether you prioritize yourself or show something… unexpected."

Gu Ruoxue studied her with a leisurely gaze, making Li Guanqi feel like she was being scrutinized by an examiner. An inexplicable tension settled over her.

"Senior Gu, are you saying I’ll have a chance to use it soon?"

"Only the right timing and conditions can maximize this experiment’s value—and reveal what kind of person you truly are."

And now, after much deliberation, Li Guanqi still couldn’t bring herself to use the cigarette.

"Maybe now isn’t the right time… or maybe something’s stopping me from making this decision."

The internal conflict left her restless. She lifted her head, eyes tracing a small dot circling in the sky.

"Are you… watching all of this?"

………………

"Ding-dong—" The distant chime of the tower clock echoed in her ears. It was already 4:30.

Su Cheng pulled his scattered thoughts together, focusing on his trembling hands.

"Shaking this much… I’m going to embarrass myself later."

He chuckled wryly. The tremors were nothing new—whenever he was nervous, his heartbeat would grow erratic, his blood flow would shift, and his body would betray him like this.

An old habit. He was used to it.

"What are you doing?"

A familiar voice snapped him out of his thoughts. He looked up to see Ji Qingyi standing nearby, her eyes fixed on him with a hint of concern.

"Nothing."

Su Cheng blinked, then shook his head with forced calm. "Were you looking for me?"

"You were gone for a while. I got worried." Ji Qingyi pressed her lips together briefly before stepping closer.

"I just washed my face." He offered an awkward explanation before quickly changing the subject. "Let’s head back. The competition’s about to start."

Ji Qingyi gave a soft hum of agreement, falling into step beside him.

But as they walked, she spoke again. "Is my participation putting pressure on you?"

"Yes." He admitted it without hesitation. "I’m afraid of holding you back, so I’m nervous. But don’t worry, President—I’ll give it my all!"

At his words, Ji Qingyi stopped. She studied him for a moment, then reached out to ruffle his hair gently. "I should’ve consulted you before making the decision. That was inconsiderate of me."

"I understand, though. We’re on a date, after all. Like you said, things should come in pairs." He smiled, playing the part of the understanding companion.

Ji Qingyi didn’t take offense at having her motives laid bare. If anything, she seemed pleased.

Straightening his collar, she continued, "If this competition is stressing you out, we can cancel. I’ll find a replacement, and we can just focus on our date."

But the moment the words left her mouth, Su Cheng’s expression twisted. His face flushed red as he abruptly pushed her hand away.

The sudden reaction left Ji Qingyi stunned.

"A promise is a promise." He kept his head low, muttering under his breath. "I might be nervous, but I’m not running away. Let’s just go back and prepare."

"I know this isn’t ideal, but your condition means you shouldn’t be under too much emotional strain right now. It’s only a burden on you, and…" She paused. "I don’t want to see you get hurt."

Su Cheng stared blankly at Ji Qingyi for a long moment before finally exhaling slowly and murmuring, "President, you're overthinking it. This level is completely within my tolerance—absolutely no problem!"

Ji Qingyi gazed deeply at Su Cheng. Despite her domineering nature, she ultimately softened in the face of his stubbornness, though her expression remained stern as she said seriously, "If I notice even the slightest discomfort in you—"

"President, trust me," Su Cheng interrupted, gripping her hand with earnest determination. "Once the arrow leaves the bow, there's no turning back. No matter what, I won't back down."

Seeing the resolute look in his eyes, she nodded.

After this brief exchange, the two reverted to their usual intimate dynamic and walked side by side toward the pavilion.

By now, registrations had closed.

Zhao Yan and the others had already signed them up.

"It's about to start," Xuan Ying said, handing the registration form to the pair as a reminder.

Meanwhile, Li Guanqi stood quietly in a corner, waiting for them as if he had never appeared at all.

"Over there are the friends my sister invited," Zhao Yan said, pointing toward her sister's location in the distance to introduce them to Su Cheng and the others.

Su Cheng looked over and, aside from Zhao Yan's sister, spotted two upright figures standing ramrod straight, their posture making them stand out from the crowd like cranes among chickens.

"Natural-born archery prodigies," Su Cheng thought inexplicably, the phrase popping into his mind and striking him as oddly fitting.

Their aura was simply too unique—like arrows poised to be unleashed.

At this thought, he glanced sideways at Ji Qingyi beside him, only to realize his girlfriend lacked any such sharp, imposing presence.

Could it be that his president was even stronger?

Capable of reining it in at will?!

"All registered participants, please enter the pavilion!" Just then, the host's amplified voice rang out across the venue, instantly drawing everyone's attention.

"Go on, do your best."

"Don't push yourself too hard—good luck!"

"Yeah, do your best!" Zhao Yan and the other two waved their fists encouragingly at Su Cheng and Ji Qingyi.

"Alright, we'll head in now," Su Cheng said, bidding farewell to the trio alongside Ji Qingyi before making their way into the pavilion. Soon, they were seated as directed.

Zhao Yan and the others remained outside to spectate.

There were twenty pairs participating in total—forty people.

Each person had five arrows to toss into a pot. The pot had two additional openings on either side, making three openings in all. Any arrow that landed in any of them counted as a success.

The host stood in the center of the pavilion explaining the rules. Once everything was clear, participants took the stage in the order they had registered.

Notably, Su Cheng was in the seventeenth pair—one of the last few.

After the rules were explained, the competition officially began.

"First up, Pair One!"

"Wheee—" With the host's whistle, the first pair stood and approached the throwing line. The host asked, "Are you two a couple or friends?"

"A couple," the pair answered in unison, exchanging a knowing smile.

Hearing this, the host smirked and raised the microphone. "What a handsome gentleman and a lovely lady—truly a perfect match."

The pair flushed slightly and lowered their heads in embarrassment.

"Ohhh?" The host arched an eyebrow, his tone teasing. "So… will the dashing gentleman go first, or the fair lady?"

The woman nudged her boyfriend with her elbow, signaling for him to start.

"Well… I’ll go first," the young man said with a bashful smile.

"Wow~" The host handed the microphone to the woman. "Your boyfriend’s quite the gentleman! By the way, miss, could you give him some encouragement?"

"Sure." The woman rose onto her tiptoes and planted a quick kiss on his cheek before pulling back.

"Wait, there’s a step like this?!"

Su Cheng, seated among the participants, was utterly stunned. He gulped and turned to Ji Qingyi in disbelief, only to see her brows furrowed. Given that she couldn’t remove her mask, avoiding this would be tricky—and the commotion it might cause was unimaginable.

"Um… President," Su Cheng whispered timidly, leaning closer to her ear. "Should I go explain—?"

"You don’t have to join me on stage. I’ll go up first."

"Got it."

Su Cheng could only nod in agreement.

"Let the game begin!"

With the host’s announcement, the competition officially commenced.

The first male contestant stood at the throwing line and, following instructions, bent forward to toss his arrow. His movements were unremarkable, lacking any finesse. In an attempt to get closer to the pot, he leaned so far over the line that his rear stuck out comically, nearly toppling over.

In the end, he barely managed one successful throw.

Though his technique was far from impressive, at least it drew laughter from the audience and host, keeping the atmosphere lively.

Time passed steadily as Su Cheng watched intently, analyzing each contestant’s angle and force in search of the optimal throwing method.

Unfortunately, none of the early groups provided any useful reference.

Until—

Pair Seven took the stage.

That’s right—Zhao Yan’s sister’s couple friends.

Surprisingly, only the male contestant stepped forward first.

"This contestant cuts quite the impressive figure," the host praised before asking curiously, "Why are you alone? Where’s your partner?"

"I’ve already received encouragement offstage," the man replied with a smile. "So there’s no need for her to come up. She’ll join after I finish."

"Ah, shyness, is it?" The host smoothly adapted. "In that case, let’s proceed directly."

"Please stand 10 centimeters behind the throwing line and prepare to toss."

"5… 4… 3… 2… 1! Begin!"

As the host’s countdown ended, the former archery club president’s posture remained unchanged—his back straight as a spear—before he abruptly raised his arm.

With a single effortless flick, the arrow soared high into the air, tracing a graceful arc before landing perfectly inside the pot with a crisp clink.

Clap clap clap clap!

The crowd erupted in applause.

"Brilliant!!"

The host clapped enthusiastically. "That flawless throw couldn’t have been done without serious skill!"

"Thank you," the man said modestly, cupping his hands in acknowledgment.

When a staff member handed him another arrow, however, he shook his head and took all four remaining arrows at once, explaining, "Let’s make this quick."

"Oh?" The host’s tone shifted. "Are we about to witness a show of skill?"

The former president smiled without answering. Holding three arrows at once, he tossed them lightly—all three tracing identical parabolas before landing flawlessly in each of the pot’s three openings.

In an instant, the once lively atmosphere grew quiet, even carrying a faint trace of desolation.

Everyone stared dumbfounded at the young man on the field, their eyes filled with shock.

Was this even something a human could pull off?!

"Tsk—"

Su Cheng, who had been watching, sucked in a sharp breath.

"My god."

"Incredible!"

"Too damn good!" The crowd erupted into excited chatter.

Outside the pavilion, Zhao Yan witnessed this miraculous display, and the last sliver of hope in her heart shattered instantly.

"Little Yan, if you want to beat your sister, you’re a hundred years too early," Zhao Lin beside her said with a smile. Zhao Yan’s face paled as she turned her head away, pressing her lips tightly together without another word.

"As expected of a senior from the club," Su Cheng murmured, unable to resist clapping for him.

"Th-this… this is…"

The host pointed at the three arrows in the pot, speechless for a long moment. "Am I seeing this right? Was that the legendary 'Three Arrows at Once' technique recorded in The Art of Arrow Tossing?"

Meanwhile, the former archery club president took his last arrow, turned around, and casually tossed it backward—landing it perfectly in the pot’s mouth. But he didn’t even glance at the result. Instead, he bowed to the audience with a smile before leisurely walking back to the contestants’ seats.

Instantly, both the audience and the competitors were left stunned, unsure how to react.

Even the judges and teachers were dumbfounded, their gazes brimming with admiration.

"Confidence—pure confidence."

"Composure—absolute composure."

"A real man never looks back at his arrow toss!"

"That’s the legendary 'Immortal’s Guidance.'"

"His skill… is this even humanly possible?"

…………

"He really showed off," Su Cheng sighed helplessly, glancing at Ji Qingyi. But his girlfriend remained unfazed, her demeanor as calm as ever, as if what had just happened was nothing out of the ordinary.

"Relax," Ji Qingyi reassured him.

"But that guy was just absurd," Su Cheng said with a bitter smile. "It’s just a simple game, yet he turned it into something mind-blowing. Unbelievable."

"Do you think he’s impressive?" Ji Qingyi suddenly asked.

Su Cheng paused, hesitating. "Isn’t he?"

"Hmm… maybe."

Ji Qingyi nodded slightly, as if contemplating something. "But… with a bit of practice, anyone could reach that level."

Excuse me, what kind of nonsense is that?

Su Cheng: "…"

Hearing this, he averted his gaze, his expression sinking again.

Of course, the club president was on another level. If he had competed alone, he’d have easily taken the championship.

Time passed slowly, and aside from the seventh group, no other contestants delivered any particularly dazzling performances.

Finally—

"Group Seventeen, please prepare for arrow tossing," the host announced loudly. "Next group, standby."

Ji Qingyi spoke softly, "Since you insist on continuing this game with them, I’ll give you a demonstration."

With that, she stood and walked toward the stage.

Her unique aura drew the attention of everyone present. Many in the audience whispered among themselves, and even the former archery club president and vice-president, who had already finished competing, watched her with keen interest.

Su Cheng had thought the nervousness and pressure would ease a little when it was his turn to step up, as it usually did. But this time was different—he was more tense than ever, beads of sweat forming at his temples.

Just then, as Ji Qingyi took her place on stage, she seemed to sense his unease and turned to look at him. Su Cheng forced a smile.

But the moment she turned away—

"What the hell…"

He had strained to keep up appearances, but the harder he tried, the more his body rebelled. His chest tightened, his breath grew shallow, and he could barely inhale.

"No… absolutely not…"

His mind raced as he struggled to lift his head, fighting to stay composed. But his face was flushed, his entire body trembling, sweat dripping relentlessly.

At some point, Li Guanqi had taken a seat beside him. She dabbed his forehead with a handkerchief and asked gently, "Do you have your medicine?"

"I… I…" Su Cheng opened his mouth to refuse but ended up pulling the emergency pills from his pocket. Li Guanqi, already prepared, handed him a glass of water. "Take it quickly."

"Mm…" Su Cheng hesitated before swallowing the pill. A warm sensation slid down his throat, restoring some of his strength.

"Whew…" Li Guanqi exhaled in relief. "Good thing you were prepared."

Su Cheng looked at her, about to say something—

"Beautiful!"

"Such a shame!!"

The crowd suddenly erupted in exclamations. Su Cheng turned to see that one of Ji Qingyi’s arrows had landed outside the pot. Just one short of a perfect five-in-five, leaving the audience in collective disappointment.

When Ji Qingyi returned, Su Cheng shook his head guiltily. "I must’ve distracted you. I’m sorry."

He was convinced his condition had caused her to underperform. Otherwise, someone of her skill would never have missed in such a simple competition.

Ji Qingyi glanced at Li Guanqi, who lingered nearby, but instead of responding directly, she touched Su Cheng’s forehead and murmured, "You took your medicine just now, didn’t you?"

"Ah, I’m fine now. I can still compete later."

Ji Qingyi lightly flicked his forehead, her tone affectionate yet chiding. "You thought I missed because of you, didn’t you?"

"Wasn’t it?"

"Wrong. I did it on purpose."

"Huh? Why?" Su Cheng was baffled. Was Ji Qingyi retaliating because Zhao Yan’s request had annoyed her?

Ji Qingyi shook her head, reading his confusion.

"Do you know what our greatest advantage is, compared to others?"

"Uh… family background?"

"Not entirely. Our biggest advantage is that, unlike most people, we can afford to lose—and lose many times."

She turned and pointed at the other competitors—some elated, some frustrated, most wholly absorbed in the game.

"For us, losing isn’t something to despair over or stress about. As long as we win once, we win everything."

Here, Ji Qingyi looked at Li Guanqi, who stood silently listening in the shadows. From this angle, her expression was unreadable.

"So, don’t overthink this competition. If you win, enjoy it. If you lose, so what? Just try again until you win it all."

…