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."
u Chenyuan transmigrated into a female-oriented novel about a real and fake heiress, becoming the CEO elder brother of both. Unfortunately, the entire Lu family—including himself, the CEO—were mere cannon fodder in the story. Determined to save himself, Lu Chenyuan took action. The spoiled, attention-seeking fake heiress? Thrown into the harsh realities of the working class to learn humility. The love-struck real heiress? Pushed toward academic excellence, so lofty goals would blind her to trivial romances. As for the betrayed, vengeful arranged marriage wife… the plot hadn’t even begun yet. There was still time—if he couldn’t handle her, he could at least avoid her. "CEO Lu, are you avoiding me?" Mo Qingli fixed her gaze on Lu Chenyuan. For the first time, the shrewd and calculating Lu Chenyuan felt a flicker of unease.
't think I'm that capable, I'm just trying my best to stay alive. I've been kind all my life, never did anything bad, yet worldly suffering spared me not one bit. The human world is a nice place, but I won't come back in my next life. A kind young man, who wanted to just get by singing, but through repeated deceits and betrayals, has gone down an irredeemable path.
ions, keeping it grounded and realistic】 After quitting his job, office worker Su Yang accidentally binds with the "Enjoy Life System." As the name suggests, simply by indulging in life's pleasures, he can earn random rewards from the system—no need to spend money on beautiful women or grovel before anyone. Just enjoy, and the money follows, making it all about effortless fun. The system comes with a scanning feature, allowing him to establish a favorability bond with women rated 85 points or above. Every 20-point increase in favorability unlocks additional rewards. After suffering through over twenty years of hardship, Su Yang trembles with excitement, his dull eyes suddenly gleaming with newfound hope. "Enjoy life? How hard could that be?"
reezy rom-com) Good news: Jiang Liu is quite the ladies' man. Bad news: He’s lost his memory. Lying in a hospital bed, Jiang Liu listens to a parade of goddesses spouting "absurd claims," feeling like the world is one giant game of Werewolf. "Jiang Liu, I’m your first love." "Jiang Liu, you’re my boyfriend—she’s your ex." "Jiang Liu, we’re close friends who’ve shared a bed, remember?" "Jiang Liu, I want to have your baby." The now-lucid Jiang Liu is convinced this must be some elaborate scam... until someone drops the bombshell: "The day before you lost your memory, you confessed your feelings—and got into a relationship." Jiang Liu is utterly baffled. So... who the hell is his actual girlfriend?! ... Before recovering his memories, Jiang Liu must navigate this minefield of lies and sincerity, fighting to protect himself from these women’s schemes. But things spiral even further out of control as more people show up at his doorstep—each with increasingly unhinged antics. On the bright side, the memories he lost due to overwhelming trauma seem to be resurfacing. Great news, right? So why are they all panicking now?
