Calculations in Theory Differ from Actions in Practice

A few hours ago at noon.

Under a tree on Lawn 14, Li Guanqi sat alone on the grass, her demeanor solitary and desolate.

Her head was slightly lowered as she clutched her smartphone, staring at the chat content as if lost in deep thought.

After chatting with Su Cheng online and informing her sister, she had been gazing at the screen with vacant eyes—partly expectant, partly as if waiting for something.

She had sent a message to the female driver earlier that morning, but the lack of response left her feeling disheartened and restless.

After all, this matter concerned The Basic Laws of Web Novel Heroines, a book that represented her hope of recovering her memories—the most important thing to her at the moment.

The first thing Li Guanqi had done after obtaining the contact details was eagerly send a text, but as the morning passed, the message seemed to have vanished without a trace.

Just as she was spacing out, the notification tone for a text suddenly chimed! She immediately looked down to check the message.

Sister: "It's done."

Seeing this, she remembered the favor Su Cheng had asked of her and quickly replied, "Thank you, sis. What exactly did he design?"

Sister: "Just a strange little card. It advertised some magical tabby cat, probably meant to lure people to Huashan Park today to see it."

Though Li Guanqi still didn’t fully grasp the situation or the intention behind it, she silently committed these details to memory before asking further, "And besides that?"

Sister: "This card involves false advertising. If it’s being used to swindle people out of money or harm others, such despicable behavior won’t be tolerated under my watch. I’ll punish it severely!"

Reading this, Li Guanqi grew nervous and hurriedly explained, "Sis, he’s not that kind of person. I think there might be more to this. Maybe it’s a prank between friends, or something else… In any case, he wouldn’t deliberately create a gimmick to cheat people or hurt anyone."

Though she was defending Su Cheng, she suspected his real goal was likely to use the card to lure Gu Ruoxue out—but for what purpose, she had no idea.

Thus, she didn’t want her sister to misunderstand Su Cheng, nor did she want the situation to escalate. However, her sister stopped responding, leaving Li Guanqi increasingly uneasy.

Eventually, she decided to find Su Cheng first and clarify the details. She sent him a message, but after several minutes, there was still no reply.

So she left the lawn and headed toward the Special Building—since Su Cheng’s target was Gu Ruoxue, he would naturally be there.

Soon, she arrived near the building and, sure enough, spotted Su Cheng on the second floor.

He was pacing back and forth, only pausing near the Social Practice Club to peer inside as if confirming something before quickly moving on.

Watching his back, Li Guanqi frowned slightly, quickly deducing his intention—Su Cheng was waiting for Gu Ruoxue to leave the clubroom.

Just as she thought this, the door to the club building opened, and Gu Ruoxue stepped out unhurriedly.

Su Cheng immediately hid behind a nearby pillar, avoiding her notice.

"Just as I thought," Li Guanqi mused.

After exiting the building, Gu Ruoxue scanned three spots before her gaze settled on Li Guanqi.

Then, as if she hadn’t seen her, she walked past at a distance, heading straight toward the school building.

Watching her leave, Li Guanqi exhaled slightly. Gu Ruoxue’s mind was truly unpredictable—she had clearly noticed both Su Cheng and her, yet pretended otherwise.

But when Li Guanqi followed Gu Ruoxue’s earlier line of sight, she was startled. Behind a large tree, another figure was also observing Su Cheng.

"Is that… Hoshino Mirai?" Li Guanqi stared at the girl in uniform with the "Disciplinary Committee Member" armband, momentarily stunned.

She quickly realized Hoshino Mirai had been sent by her sister to investigate Su Cheng’s true intentions.

Shifting her gaze, she spotted another figure—a woman in a black suit and sunglasses, undoubtedly a member of the Ji Family.

And one last location.

Finally, she turned sharply and caught someone ducking back behind a corner, making her heart sink.

Because.

It was another Ji Family member—here to monitor her.

Yet soon, she relaxed.

She shook her head, amused by how such a small area could be so convoluted.

She had repeatedly warned the Ji Family master and servants, yet they ignored her, continuing to surveil her up close—utterly disrespectful.

Of course, it wasn’t entirely their fault. Li Guanqi’s peculiar nature made it impossible to monitor her from a distance; one careless moment, and she’d slip out of sight.

As she pondered how to protest the Ji Family’s actions, she suddenly saw Su Cheng bend down near the Social Practice Club’s entrance, seemingly stuffing something inside.

Nearby, Hoshino Mirai wore an expression of utter disbelief, pointing at Su Cheng with her mouth slightly agape, clearly shocked.

Then, she actually ran toward the club, as if intending to confront Su Cheng on the spot.

"Senpai!"

Startled, Li Guanqi called out to stop her.

Hoshino Mirai halted and turned, her eyes questioning but her face twisted in discomfort.

"Su Cheng and Gu Ruoxue know each other—they just have a unique way of communicating," Li Guanqi explained.

"How did you know I was watching him?" Hoshino Mirai’s eyes widened before she frowned.

However, as they spoke, Su Cheng emerged from the Special Building’s stairwell.

Both instinctively fell silent and hid on opposite sides.

Only after he was far enough did they lock eyes again.

"Underclassman, why did you stop me just now?" Hoshino Mirai broke the silence first, demanding an answer.

"Though I called out to you, it was your own hesitation that truly held you back," Li Guanqi replied calmly. "I believe you were already conflicted."

From Hoshino Mirai’s reaction, she sensed complex emotions toward Su Cheng—disappointment, regret, even a hint of disbelief.

It seemed there was some history between this senior and Su Cheng.

Hoshino Mirai took a deep breath, steadying herself. "I admit, personal feelings were involved. But no matter what, this kind of behavior is immoral and uncivilized. I can’t understand how he could act so brazenly."

"First of all, I don’t think he’s indiscriminately distributing those small cards—he’s targeting specific people. Secondly, this is just like how some middle schoolers still stick to the old-fashioned habit of slipping notes or love letters into shoe lockers or desks," Li Guanqi argued firmly, continuing, "This alone doesn’t prove his actions are malicious, because the true nature of things can only be determined at the very last moment."

Hearing this, Hoshino Mirai stared wide-eyed in surprise.

Li Guanqi’s words reminded her—not long ago, Su Cheng had slipped a thank-you letter into her desk. Now that she was facing a similar situation again, maybe Su Cheng’s intentions were good after all?

Yes, that had to be it.

Finally convincing herself, she let out a quiet sigh of relief.

After a long pause, Hoshino Mirai looked up at Li Guanqi. "Thank you for the reminder, junior. If not for you, I might have made another huge mistake."

Her sudden change in attitude caught Li Guanqi completely off guard. She had expected to argue much longer, never imagining that this senior, Hoshino Mirai, would shift her stance so easily.

"I remember you’re in the same class as her, right? How did you find out about this?" Hoshino Mirai asked with a nod.

"Senior, let’s hurry over first. We can talk on the way," Li Guanqi deflected, unwilling to dwell on the topic.

Seeing this, Hoshino Mirai had no choice but to drop it and follow behind Li Guanqi. The entire way, she stayed silent, as Li Guanqi walked briskly, clearly reluctant to elaborate.

But what neither girl expected was that as soon as they neared the school building, Su Cheng came speeding out of the parking lot on a bicycle, whizzing right past them.

"He’s leaving school?"

Hoshino Mirai gasped, blurting out in surprise.

"Yeah, most likely skipping afternoon classes," Li Guanqi murmured, her gaze fixed on Su Cheng’s retreating figure, eyes flickering with uncertainty.

"No! I need to report this to the Student Council president first." Hoshino Mirai’s face twisted with urgency, and without waiting for Li Guanqi’s response, she turned and hurried off.

Meanwhile, Li Guanqi pulled out her phone and contacted her homeroom teacher to request the afternoon off. She planned to follow Su Cheng.

After securing the leave, she dialed the unfamiliar female driver’s number, intending to approach her as a regular passenger.

But the result—

"The number you have dialed is not in service. Please check the number and try again."

Hearing the automated message, Li Guanqi’s eyes dimmed for a split second before she quickly composed herself.

There were two possibilities here: either Su Cheng had given her the wrong number, or the Ji Family had deactivated the line.

Two of the three major telecom operators were under the Ji Family’s control, and canceling a number was as simple as snapping their fingers. If that were the case, the female driver might have already been recruited by the Ji Family.

Li Guanqi leaned toward the latter explanation—after all, Su Cheng had double- and triple-checked the number when giving it to her.

At this thought, her expression turned icy, her usually expressive eyes now devoid of emotion. She clenched her fists, wrestling with frustration. Another hope dashed. After repeated disappointments, she could no longer suppress the simmering anger rising within her.

She turned and strode back toward the school building,

as if she had made up her mind about something.

Yet, that afternoon,

she didn’t skip class after all—instead, she attended PE.

Because Su Cheng’s target was Gu Ruoxue, and Gu Ruoxue wouldn’t return to the club until after classes ended to find the card.

That meant their meeting was likely scheduled for after 3 PM, so there was no need to rush.

Once school let out, she immediately sought out her sister. Only when she was with her sister would the Ji Family’s surveillance be disrupted.

She decided to bring her sister along to Huashan Park.

Exactly.

Her sister was essentially a walking signal jammer.