Su Cheng stepped down from the competition grounds, his eyes brimming with newfound confidence and determination, an indescribable radiance flickering between his brows.
To the average person, this was merely an annual holiday tradition—a simple "arrow-vase throwing contest." But for Su Cheng, the experience held extraordinary significance.
Because he could see the shift in how people regarded him, their acknowledgment of his relationship with Ji Qingyi.
Though physically weary, his heart was light with relief, as if a mountain had been lifted from his shoulders. The world seemed renewed, and so did his state of mind.
When he reached the contestants' seating area, murmurs rippled through the crowd. The other participants stole glances at him, their eyes alight with admiration, as if reassessing him with fresh wonder—like he was some rare marvel.
"Look at him—there’s something inexplicably impressive about him," whispered one female contestant to her boyfriend.
Coincidentally, her boyfriend had some experience with kyudo (Japanese archery). Nodding, he replied, "You don’t practice kyudo, so you just sense he’s skilled. But if you understood the art, you’d realize just how exceptional he is."
"How exceptional, exactly?" the girl pressed, wide-eyed.
A hint of pride flashed across her boyfriend’s face as he explained, "To put it simply, the level he just demonstrated? That’s finals-tier performance from last year’s national kyudo championship."
"You mean he could win the whole thing?" she gasped.
"Exactly. Didn’t you see how stunned the hosts and judges were? It’s like an Olympian competing in a school sports day—a total mismatch. The gap in skill can’t even be quantified."
The girl nodded thoughtfully, her gaze drifting to Su Cheng as he took his seat. She had once thought the couple mismatched, but now, they seemed perfectly suited.
"President," Su Cheng greeted as he sat down, ignoring the eager stares around him and focusing solely on the poised and elegant Ji Qingyi beside him.
"You seem in good spirits," Ji Qingyi remarked mildly, her tone measured—neither overly warm nor indifferent.
She wasn’t suppressing her emotions deliberately. But with Li Guanqi seated right behind them, excessive displays would only seem forced. She trusted Su Cheng understood.
"It feels like a weight’s been lifted," Su Cheng admitted, ducking his head slightly. "I only managed to hit the mark today thanks to your guidance."
Ji Qingyi shook her head. "Don’t credit me. The one who truly helped you was yourself. I merely offered a nudge."
"You planned this all along, didn’t you?" Su Cheng chuckled wryly. "You knew exactly how this would play out, so you deliberately lost points to let me have my moment."
Ji Qingyi glanced at Li Guanqi behind them, who was sipping water like an uninvolved spectator, seemingly oblivious to their conversation.
Su Cheng followed her gaze—and froze. The water bottle Li Guanqi was drinking from was the same one he’d used to take his medicine earlier.
But he didn’t react outwardly. Instead, he said, "By the way, if Li Guanqi hadn’t helped me with my medication earlier, I—"
"I know," Ji Qingyi interjected. "I’ve already spoken with her about it."
"Still, I’d like to thank her properly," Su Cheng insisted. "Thank you."
"Just helping a fellow student. No need for formalities," Li Guanqi replied flatly, screwing the cap back on and standing. "I’ll take my leave now. Oh, and congratulations on your performance, Su Cheng."
"Thanks. See you."
They watched Li Guanqi depart. The moment she was gone, Su Cheng eagerly clasped Ji Qingyi’s delicate hand.
"President…"
"What is it?"
Su Cheng hesitated, then shook his head. "Nothing. I just wanted to say your name."
There was so much gratitude he wanted to express for her thoughtfulness, but the words had grown stale from overuse—even he was tired of them.
For now, all he could do was hold her hand tightly, letting the warmth between them speak for itself.
"Hm." Ji Qingyi lowered her eyes, observing Su Cheng’s larger hand enveloping hers. Without hesitation, she placed her other hand atop his, covering it completely.
"President?" Su Cheng looked up in surprise—only to meet her gaze directly.
Their reflections lingered in each other’s eyes. No words were needed; the warmth in their intertwined hands said more than enough.
After a long silence—
"What’s the prize for winning?" Su Cheng asked, shifting topics for the sake of their audience.
"Not sure," Ji Qingyi admitted.
"Then let’s just go."
Su Cheng stood, tugging her wrist gently. "Whatever the ranking, I don’t care anymore. Today’s our date—that’s what matters."
"Mm. Very well." Ji Qingyi offered no resistance, letting him lead her out.
But the moment they stepped beyond the pavilion—
"Su Cheng! Su Cheng!"
"Su Cheng, wait!"
Voices called after them, but Su Cheng didn’t stop. Instead, he tightened his grip on Ji Qingyi’s hand and sped up, explaining, "No more wasted time. No more interruptions to our date."
"Mm." Ji Qingyi’s soft agreement was all the confirmation he needed.
"What time does the date end?"
"Started at nine this morning. Ends at nine tonight."
"Got it."
Minutes later, Su Cheng brought Ji Qingyi to the entrance of a modestly decorated hotel. Nervously releasing her hand, he ventured, "President, would you like to rest here for a bit? We can grab a meal, then hit the night market later."
"You decide."
Ji Qingyi nodded and followed him inside. Her eyes swept across the room, taking in every detail.
"President, since it’s just a short break," Su Cheng added hastily, "I’ll book a single room?"
"Mm."
Her quiet assent came as she settled onto the sofa, eyes closed.
Relieved, Su Cheng turned to check in—only to freeze at the sound of footsteps descending the stairs.
Liu Qingyue appeared, lazily twirling a keycard between her fingers. "Well, what a coincidence."
Before Su Cheng could speak, she tossed the card to him. "This is the only decent hotel around. I’ve inspected the room—feel free to use it."
With that, she strode past them toward the exit.
"President?" Su Cheng glanced at Ji Qingyi, who merely hummed in acknowledgment before rising.
They found the room using the keycard. Su Cheng slid it in, pushed the door open—and instantly stiffened.
The moment the card activated the power, the room flooded with a dim, rosy glow.
This was what she called "no problem"?!
SLAM— Su Cheng yanked the door shut.
He turned to Ji Qingyi, still visibly shaken, and said, "President, let's switch to a different room."
or! A blessing for those who struggle with love, a guidebook for dating novices. Quickly match with your dream goddess! Complete walkthroughs earn rewards, and perfect walkthroughs unlock limited achievements!】 Shen Yi, an ordinary office worker, accidentally downloads a mini-game called Dating Simulator. The mini-game is simple: randomly search for dating targets, simulate dates, and receive rewards upon successful confession. Rewards include but are not limited to money, attributes, and skills. The higher the evaluation, the better the rewards, with perfect ratings unlocking mysterious achievements. Shen Yi plans to use this mysterious mini-game to continuously pursue targets and improve himself, making his life better and better. ...... However, after several successful walkthroughs, Shen Yi suddenly notices something strange - the targets he previously simulated dating seem to be searching for him in real life?
e bizarre and supernatural had descended. The previous emperor was a thoroughgoing tyrant; no longer satisfied with human women, he had set his sights on a stunningly beautiful supernatural entity. He met his end in his bedchamber, drained of all his vital essence. As the legitimate eldest son and crown prince, Wang Hao was thus hastily enthroned, becoming the young emperor of the Great Zhou Dynasty. No sooner had he awakened the "Imperial Sign-In Intelligence System" than he was assassinated by a Son of Destiny—a classic villain's opening. The Great Zhou, ravaged by the former emperor's excesses, was in national decline. The great families within its borders harbored their own treacherous schemes, martial sects began to defy the imperial court's decrees, and border armies, their pay and provisions in arrears, grumbled incessantly against the central government. Fortunately, the central capital was still held secure by the half-million Imperial Guards and fifty thousand Imperial Forest Army who obeyed the court's orders, along with the royal family's hidden reserves of power, barely managing to suppress the realm. As the Great Zhou's finances worsened and supernatural activities grew ever more frequent, the court sat atop a volcano. Ambitious plotters everywhere dreamed of overthrowing the dynasty, and even some reclusive ancient powers emerged, attempting to sway the tides of the world. At the first grand court assembly, the civil and military officials nearly came to blows, fighting tooth and nail over the allocation of fifty million taels of silver from the summer tax revenues. The spectacle opened Wang Hao's eyes—the Great Zhou's bureaucracy was not only corrupt but also martially proficient, a cabinet of all-rounders. Some officials even had the audacity to suggest the emperor release funds from the imperial privy purse to address the emergency. Wang Hao suddenly felt weary. Let it all burn.
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!
