Catching the Wind with a Rope: When Will It Be Attained

Flame City Private Academy.

An ordinary morning.

Though Su Cheng had applied medicinal ointment, the soreness in his body had only slightly subsided. Any sudden movement still sent faint pulses of pain through his joints, leaving him uncomfortable.

Just as he stepped through the school gates and was about to enter the building, Hoshino Mirai intercepted him.

"What's that smell on you?"

Hoshino wrinkled her cute little nose, as if catching a whiff of something unusual.

"Medicated ointment," Su Cheng replied awkwardly, forcing a smile.

He couldn’t understand why this senior had singled him out. Even with his glasses on and deliberately dressing plainly, she still managed to spot him in the crowd.

"Are you hurt?"

To his surprise, Hoshino’s expression shifted to one of concern and worry. She even began scanning his body, as if searching for injuries.

"No, just some aftereffects from hiking over the weekend," Su Cheng quickly explained.

But inwardly, he felt uneasy. Their relationship wasn’t even close enough to be called friendship, so her sudden concern struck him as odd and unfamiliar.

"That’s good then." Hoshino visibly relaxed before offering a friendly reminder, "Make sure to rest properly, okay?"

"Yeah."

Su Cheng nodded and resumed his walk toward the building. Yet, his mind lingered on Hoshino’s unexpected warmth. Instinctively, he glanced back—just as she turned to look at him. Their eyes met.

She flashed him a sweet smile.

Flustered, Su Cheng averted his gaze.

What was going on?

Had his charm suddenly skyrocketed?!

With that thought buzzing in his head, he hurried to his classroom.

The moment he stepped inside, his eyes darted to Li Guanqi’s seat.

Over the weekend, he had asked her about the cigarettes, but the conversation had led nowhere. Now, he was curious about her reaction.

At that moment, Li Guanqi sat upright at her desk, quietly absorbed in a literary work. Sensing his approach, she set the book down and locked eyes with him.

Her gaze held something unfamiliar—no longer the usual calm, gentle patience, but something more scrutinizing, as if studying a man who was both beloved and infuriating.

Before he could process it, Li Guanqi gave a slight nod and returned to her book, as though that loaded glance had been nothing but his imagination.

But Su Cheng knew better. It was no illusion.

"Why is everyone acting so strange today?" he muttered under his breath, shoving his bag into the desk drawer.

Just as he straightened up, two delicate fragrances enveloped him. Su Cheng stiffened, nearly dropping what he was holding.

Zhao Yan and Xuan Ying had materialized beside him without warning.

"Su Cheng, thank you so much for what you did over the weekend. Without your help, I would’ve lost to my sister again," Zhao Yan said earnestly, gratitude shining in her eyes.

"Yeah, I was completely stunned! How did you even pull that off?" Xuan Ying chimed in, admiration sparkling in her gaze.

"It was just luck, really," Su Cheng replied sheepishly, scratching his head with an awkward chuckle.

"Not at all!" Xuan Ying shook her head emphatically, her eyes serious. "After the event, Zhao Lin’s friends couldn’t stop raving about you. They said your talent in this field far surpasses hers. Don’t downplay it!"

Her excitement seemed to grow as she spoke, and she suddenly grabbed his arm, eyes bright with anticipation. "Oh! Let’s have lunch together today. Xuan Ying and I prepared a special thank-you meal!"

"Uh…" Su Cheng hesitated before politely declining, "Sorry, I already have plans for lunch. Maybe another time?"

"Xuan Ying!"

Zhao Yan quickly intervened, smiling apologetically at Su Cheng. "Since you’ve got a date with your girlfriend today, we’ll wait for another opportunity. We’ll be rooting for you!"

But her words carried a subtle trap.

Before Su Cheng could react, he reflexively agreed with a "Sure."

"Wait, your girlfriend goes to our school?"

Xuan Ying’s eyes lit up with curiosity, as if she’d stumbled upon a juicy secret. "Which class is she in? What’s her name?"

Only then did Su Cheng realize he’d been played.

He shot a panicked glance at Zhao Yan, who blinked back with feigned innocence—though the corners of her lips betrayed a smug grin. Clearly, she’d set him up.

Meanwhile, Li Guanqi, who had been quietly observing from her corner, stiffened slightly at the exchange.

Her gaze flickered thoughtfully between Zhao Yan and Xuan Ying.

Could these two be the ‘D’ in the answer?

"Ahem, my girlfriend doesn’t go here," Su Cheng hastily clarified, steering the conversation away. "And really, you don’t need to thank me for the other day. It was nothing."

"Ohhh, I see!" Xuan Ying smacked her forehead in realization. "That explains it. If she were here, someone with her presence would’ve definitely caught my attention."

"By the way, let’s exchange contact info," Zhao Yan suggested, pulling out her phone with an eager look. "Message us when you’re free, okay?"

"Yeah, me too!" Xuan Ying chimed in, crowding closer.

After a brief hesitation, Su Cheng relented and swapped details.

"Oh, and about the championship prize—aside from the fridge, there’s also a mountain bike. We already collected them for you," Zhao Yan added.

At the mention of prizes, Su Cheng’s eyes brightened. He’d assumed it was just some commemorative trophy, not actual appliances.

His family’s old fridge was on its last legs, and he’d been meaning to buy a bike for exercise. This was like a stroke of luck.

"Thank you so much," he said gratefully before hesitating. "Um…"

Zhao Yan caught on immediately and smiled. "The fridge will be delivered to your place this afternoon. As for the bike, we rode it to school this morning—it’s parked in the bike shed. There’s still time before class. Want me to show you now?"

"Sure, that’d be great," Su Cheng replied, pleasantly surprised. Then it occurred to him—this was a chance to speak with Zhao Yan privately. He nodded in agreement.

"Follow me!" Zhao Yan led the way enthusiastically. Xuan Ying moved to join them, but a pointed look from Zhao Yan made her halt awkwardly.

And so, the two left the classroom together.

As they walked, Su Cheng couldn’t help stealing glances at Zhao Yan’s slender, silk-clad legs, silently marveling: What a waste of talent—these legs belonged on a runway.

Zhao Yan seemed to deliberately slow her pace, walking side by side with him. Crossing the playground and skirting around the flower beds, they soon arrived at the school's bicycle shed.

The shed was filled with all kinds of bicycles, mostly used by students and teachers for commuting. But among them, one bike stood out conspicuously.

It was entirely black, with sleek, fluid lines—like a finely crafted piece of art—proudly towering over the ordinary vehicles around it, immediately capturing Su Cheng's full attention.

"That's the one," Zhao Yan pointed at the bike, smiling as she introduced it. "What do you think? Pretty cool, right?"

"This bike... was really given by the show's production team?" Su Cheng was somewhat skeptical. He couldn't help but feel that, as a championship prize, this bicycle seemed way too high-end.

"Of course it's real."

Zhao Yan's smile widened as she pulled a set of keys from her skirt pocket and handed them to him. "Here, these are the keys."

Su Cheng took the keys, glanced around to make sure no one else was nearby, then lowered his voice and asked, "Zhao Yan, have you already figured out my girlfriend's true identity?"

Zhao Yan froze for a moment before nodding in understanding. "At first, I only had suspicions, but after today, I'm certain."

"Please keep it a secret for me. Thank you."

Su Cheng pleaded earnestly.

"You don't need to worry about that." Zhao Yan nodded solemnly in promise, then waved at him meaningfully. "Well, I'll head back now. You should take your new bike for a spin."

With that, she strode away gracefully on her long legs.

Watching her leave, Su Cheng let out a long sigh of relief before turning his attention back to the extraordinary bicycle in front of him.

"Was this really the championship prize?" he muttered skeptically. Just as he marveled at how lavish the show's team must be, a familiar voice suddenly spoke up behind him.

"Of course not." Su Cheng turned in surprise to see Li Guanqi standing there, having appeared out of nowhere. She was calmly observing the bike.

"From the frame and the material of the gearshift, you can tell this is a high-end custom racing bike—not something cheap," Li Guanqi remarked, running her hand along the bike's body in a detached tone.

"So... how much would it cost?" Su Cheng asked curiously.

"About a hundred thousand, give or take. And it's a limited edition," Li Guanqi replied, withdrawing her hand. "The kind of luxury that's hard to buy even if you have the money."

"Holy—!" Su Cheng gasped. "The show's team is that loaded? A limited edition?!"

Hearing this, Li Guanqi rolled her eyes, barely resisting the urge to call him an idiot, and patiently clarified, "They just used the show's name as an excuse. The bike is actually a thank-you gift from them."

"Oh..." Su Cheng's face flushed red with realization. "This is way too extravagant. I should return it right away—"

"Hold on." Li Guanqi stopped him, handing over a thick book. "Here’s your book back. Also, I need a favor."

"My book?"

Su Cheng took it skeptically and looked at the cover, where bold letters spelled out: The Fundamental Laws of Web Novel Protagonists.

"What is it?" he asked.

"I want to see if there’s a book called The Fundamental Laws of Web Novel Heroines. I need it for reference," Li Guanqi said seriously.

Yesterday, she had scoured the school library and every major bookstore in the city but found no trace of such a book. Online searches turned up nothing either.

Now, her only hope was that Su Cheng might have a lead.

"Sorry, I definitely don’t have that one," Su Cheng shook his head apologetically. "This book was lent to me by someone else."

"Who?" Li Guanqi pressed.

"A female taxi driver," Su Cheng answered truthfully.