Mountains and Rivers Tower, Ever-Changing

Afternoon.

Having finished his meal, Su Cheng sat alone by the tea table, waiting for Ji Qingyi to return.

As time passed, thoughts began to swirl in his mind, and anxiety gradually piled up. Eventually, he decided to take a look at the archery equipment area.

"Young Master." Just as he was about to touch the bow, a cold and emotionless voice suddenly sounded behind him. "Without the Club President's permission, you are not allowed to handle the equipment. Please understand."

Su Cheng stiffly turned around and saw a young woman in a black uniform, her expression stern and unyielding. She appeared to be around twenty-six or twenty-seven years old.

"Understood," he replied.

He withdrew his outstretched right hand and instead asked, "Then, do you know when the Club President will return?"

The woman in black bowed slightly in apology. "My apologies, but I’m not certain. Please be patient. If you have any needs, feel free to let me know."

"I see… Is she alone outside right now?" Su Cheng hesitated before asking.

"Yes, the Club President went out by herself," the attendant answered truthfully.

"Got it." He returned to the tea table, lifting the cup to take a small sip, his heart heavy with mixed emotions.

If he were willing to make their relationship public, perhaps she wouldn’t be wandering alone outside right now. Instead, they could be strolling side by side across the campus…

The thought made his mood grow even heavier.

"What a cowardly, insecure, and useless guy I am," he muttered self-deprecatingly, setting the cup down before casting another glance at the archery equipment.

Su Cheng knew that the only way he could ever stand beside Ji Qingyi was through his talent in archery. But talent alone was far from enough—he had to train harder than anyone else, surpass everyone, and prove that he was worthy of her!

Just like the words inscribed on the fan she had given him: "With one’s own effort, surpass a hundred others." Only by putting in a hundred times the effort could he become the extraordinary man who would make her proud!

With this in mind, Su Cheng stood up again and walked toward the bow.

The attendant quickly stepped forward to stop him. "Young Master, please refrain from touching the equipment without permission. Otherwise, I will be held accountable."

"Don’t worry. If anything happens, I’ll explain it to the Club President myself. It won’t be your fault," he stated firmly.

Seeing that she couldn’t dissuade him, the attendant said nothing more and silently withdrew from the room.

Everything went surprisingly smoothly—so smoothly that Su Cheng almost couldn’t believe it.

Had his resolute attitude intimidated her?

But he didn’t dwell on it. Eagerly, he picked up the bow from the rack, only to find that he didn’t enter that wondrous state of focus.

Taking a deep breath, Su Cheng prepared for a normal practice session. He nocked an arrow, drew the string with practiced ease, and took aim.

However, the aftereffects of yesterday’s mountain hike left his limbs weak and unsteady. Even pulling the string felt like an impossible struggle.

Beads of sweat formed on his forehead as he gritted his teeth and strained his nerves. In the end, his strength failed him—his fingers slipped, and the rebounding string struck the back of his hand with a sharp snap.

The arrow clattered weakly to the ground.

Su Cheng stared dejectedly at the bruise forming on his hand. The pain was sharp, but his heart ached even more.

He realized that his frail body simply couldn’t endure the intensity of his training.

What a useless body.

Just then, the attendant rushed back in. "Young Master, do you need assistance?"

"Ah… Could you put the equipment away for me?" he asked sheepishly.

The attendant nodded and began gathering the scattered gear, then handed him a clean handkerchief.

Su Cheng wiped the sweat from his brow before slumping into a chair, exhausted. His gaze drifted toward the empty archery range, and a sense of hopelessness washed over him.

In his current state, he couldn’t balance physical training and archery practice. If he focused on building stamina, he wouldn’t have the energy for archery. What was the point of effort if it led nowhere?

"Does the Club President usually keep to herself?" he asked absently, sipping his tea.

"Yes, the Club President has always been solitary," the attendant replied. "However, your presence has brought her a bit more liveliness."

"Is that so…" Su Cheng lowered his eyes, hiding the complicated emotions within.

He recalled Ji Qingyi mentioning someone else during their last date. The softness in her tone when she spoke of that person still lingered in his memory.

Though he couldn’t stand beside her as an equal yet, he knew one person who could—Gu Ruoxue.

As her boyfriend, it was his duty to ease her burdens.

Perhaps facilitating a reconciliation between the two wouldn’t be such a bad idea.

Finishing the last of his tea, Su Cheng stood up. "I’ll head back now. When the Club President returns, please let her know I had something to attend to this afternoon and won’t be joining the club activities."

He had made up his mind—he would arrange a meeting between the two. If they could resolve their grievances, great. If not, at least they could clear the air and avoid further hurt.

The attendant bowed respectfully as he left.

To his surprise, the usually quiet clubroom was now buzzing with excitement as soon as he stepped out. It seemed like a lively discussion was underway, punctuated by bursts of agreement.

Frowning, Su Cheng quickened his pace.

"Today, the Club President’s beauty will captivate everyone! Not just that—I think her radiance has surpassed all things in this world! Just now, she was like a shooting star streaking across the night sky—fleeting, yet her brilliance will forever remain in my heart!"

"Exactly! In my opinion, no one in the world is more beautiful than our Club President!"

"Of course! Her beauty transcends humanity—even the gods would envy her!"

"Absolutely. Even Gu Ruoxue would pale in comparison!"

One girl clasped her hands over her heart, her face filled with adoration.

Another sighed wistfully. "Is there really anyone in this world worthy of the Club President?"

Hearing these remarks, Su Cheng froze in place. The moment the others noticed him, the chatter died down, and all eyes turned toward him.

"Su Cheng, do you know why the Club President changed her hairstyle today?"

"Yeah, did something happen?"

Faced with their questions, Su Cheng paused before cautiously asking, "Well… what do you all think of her new hairstyle?"

"It’s stunning!" one girl exclaimed without hesitation. "It suits her perfectly—like a celestial maiden descending to earth!"

"I agree! It matches the Club President’s aura so well!" a nearby boy chimed in.

"Honestly, I’m not sure. She already had it like this when I arrived. Maybe she designed it herself…"

Hearing their responses, Su Cheng’s lips curled into a faint smile.

Hearing him say this, many showed disappointed expressions, though some persisted: "We usually only see the Club President's serious and proper side. As her close disciple, you must have seen many different expressions of hers, right? Could you tell us what she's like in private? Like when she smiles, frowns, or pouts..."

A devoted fan of the Club President stared eagerly at Su Cheng.

"Sorry, that's something I can't disclose." His face stiffened slightly as he quickly changed the subject. "Oh, I have something to attend to—I should get going." With that, he hurried off without looking back, afraid of being dragged into further gossip by these enthusiastic fans.

He hadn’t expected Ji Qingyi's fans to be so fervent, which only strengthened his resolve to keep their relationship a secret.

If it were made public, who knew what crazy things these admirers might do? Besides, even he felt unworthy of Ji Qingyi, let alone what others would think.

As Su Cheng strolled through the campus, he pondered how to arrange a meeting with Gu Ruoxue.

His first thought was to ask Li Guanqi for help. Finding a quiet corner, he took out his phone and sent Li Guanqi a message.

Not an Orange Fan: "Um... could you help me invite Senior Gu Ruoxue out under your name?"

Less than a minute later, a reply came.

Li Guanqi: "Sorry, though I know her, we’re not close enough to casually arrange a meeting. Besides, if I suddenly asked her out, she’d definitely question the reason."

Su Cheng pursed his lips, deep in thought.

After a while, he sent another message: "Then, what’s Gu Ruoxue’s personality like? Any notable traits or hobbies? Do you know what she’s been up to lately?"

Since directly inviting her seemed unrealistic, he figured it’d be better to learn more about her first—maybe he could find an opening, like places she frequented.

He could arrange a "chance encounter" with the Club President.

Li Guanqi: "Her personality is quite complex—hard to describe in just a few words. But I know she loves feline animals the most. She always carries cat food and stops to feed any stray cats she comes across. As for other details, I’m not too sure."

Su Cheng: "A special fondness for feline animals?" He pondered, then asked, "How much does she like them?"

Li Guanqi: "From what I recall, she’s the type who can’t walk past a cat without stopping."

Reading this, Su Cheng had a sudden idea: "Do you know anyone in the student council?"

Li Guanqi: "Yeah, why?"

Not an Orange Fan: "Could you connect me with someone from the student council who can take me to the Publicity Department? I want to design and print something."

Li Guanqi: "No problem, I’ll arrange it right away."

Not an Orange Fan: "Thanks so much!"

Li Guanqi: "No need, it’s nothing difficult."

Three minutes later, Li Guanqi replied that everything was set and told Su Cheng to head straight to the student council, where someone would be waiting at the entrance. Su Cheng thanked him repeatedly and immediately set off.

About ten minutes later, he arrived at the teaching building and made his way to the floor where the student council office was located.

As soon as he stepped into the lobby, he spotted a commanding figure standing before the student council’s mahogany doors. Aside from the school uniform, she wore pure white tights and a silver mask, exuding an aura of solemnity and authority. Even from a distance, Su Cheng could sense her righteousness, sense of responsibility, and commanding presence.

"Ah?"