How Much Is There to My Idle Sorrow

Afternoon.

The scheduled classes had ended, and students were trickling out of the classroom, some heading home, others off to club activities.

The teaching building felt particularly empty and quiet, but two girls remained lingering in the classroom.

They looked somewhat excited, as if the person they were about to see was of extraordinary significance to them.

To make a perfect impression on that person, they had specifically gone to the restroom to carefully freshen up.

In front of the mirror, Xuan Ying nervously adjusted her appearance, her round, adorable face full of worry.

"What if Su Cheng isn't home?"

She mumbled, fingers twisting the hem of her shirt, "I don't want to go there all happy, only to come back empty-handed."

They had already tried to contact Su Cheng earlier, but there had been no response. Their messages had sunk without a trace, and their calls went unanswered. This series of unusual actions made them vaguely feel that Su Cheng seemed to be deliberately avoiding them.

"If he's not there, we'll just wait at the door," Zhao Yan wasn't worried at all. Instead, she felt this was a great opportunity to show their sincerity. Even if they returned unsuccessful, it wouldn't damage their image. After all, they couldn't afford to lose standing in Su Cheng's eyes. It would be beneficial for their future interactions.

"But it's my first time visiting a classmate's home..." Xuan Ying was still hesitant, "Isn't it too sudden? Should we go to the supermarket and buy a gift, pick out a fruit basket, or maybe get a wreath from the florist?"

"Stop overthinking," Zhao Yan tapped her on the head, "And what's with the wreath? Is this a funeral? We're just delivering some study materials, no need for all that fuss."

Xuan Ying rubbed her forehead and muttered, "But Su Cheng is a patient now, don't they always bring get-well gifts in TV shows when visiting someone sick?"

"I told you, our main purpose this time is to deliver study materials," Zhao Yan straightened her skirt and said earnestly, "Don't give him too much psychological burden. Someone already visited him last time. If we go again under the guise of a sick visit, who knows how embarrassed he might get."

Her words made Xuan Ying see the light: "That makes sense, forget it then."

After dawdling a bit more, the two girls walked out of the restroom together and headed straight for the school gate. They had long since memorized Su Cheng's address. After all, they were the ones who had arranged for someone to deliver a refrigerator to him last time.

However, they didn't notice that not far behind them, around a corner, a pair of beautiful eyes were quietly observing their every move.

Li Guanqi stood in the shadows, perfectly concealing her presence. Even without relying on tools, no one could have detected her. She intended to resume her old ways. Even though she couldn't stay by Su Cheng's side, that didn't mean she couldn't keep an eye on others. She decided to tail the two girls, hoping to catch a glimpse of a certain someone.

Just as she was about to follow, a somewhat cool, magnetic voice suddenly sounded from behind her: "Junior Li Guanqi."

She stopped and looked back. At the staircase landing, Gu Ruoxue stood bathed in the lingering sunset glow, as if draped in a halo of holiness. Those deep, clear eyes were fixed intently on her, making her feel as if she'd fallen into an icy abyss.

"Is this your special ability, Senior?"

Li Guanqi couldn't help but comment, "Senior, every time you make an entrance, you manage to create this magical, almost unreal atmosphere."

"You flatter me," Gu Ruoxue's lips curved slightly as she slowly descended the steps, "Junior, are you planning to stalk your classmates?"

Li Guanqi nodded, not intending to deny it.

Gu Ruoxue let out a heavy sigh, as if utterly weary of all this. She slowly approached Li Guanqi and said in an indisputable tone, "Since he wishes for us to return to normal life, you should just comply with his wishes."

"That's true," a strange glint flashed in Li Guanqi's eyes, "But I just want to visit him, I won't cause any trouble."

Gu Ruoxue seemed to want to see through her thoughts. After a long while, she slowly spoke, "If the Ji family master and servant catch you up to your tricks, I can't guarantee what they might do."

As she spoke, she moved closer to Li Guanqi and lowered her voice to advise, "For your own sake, and for Su Cheng's, why not change your mood and come with me to the Practical Club for some tea and conversation?"

Li Guanqi finally nodded in agreement: "Since Senior has extended such a warm invitation, of course I won't decline."

Thus, one after the other, the two entered the club building. Inside the activity room, Li Guanqi took a seat on a chair, while Gu Ruoxue went to the window, pulled open the curtains, and then moved to the table to prepare the tea set.

"This is Cloud Mist tea I purchased from his hometown," Gu Ruoxue said unhurriedly as she took out the tea leaves, "It's produced in high-altitude areas, shrouded in mist year-round, hence the name. It's considered a local specialty there."

Li Guanqi sensed something more in her words, and her gaze grew somewhat complicated. This tea was clearly not recent; for Gu Ruoxue to have kept it until now, she must have treasured it greatly.

Using it to entertain a guest now... she wondered what the intention was.

"Why are you using this tea to entertain me, Senior?" she finally couldn't help but ask.

Gu Ruoxue paused her movements, pondered for a moment, and then replied, "Perhaps I just wanted to share a taste of his hometown with you."

"I see," Li Guanqi nodded.

As she waited, Li Guanqi looked around idly. A mug on a nearby cabinet caught her attention.

"I've never seen you use that mug before, what's the story?" she asked, driven by curiosity.

"That was a cup he used before," Gu Ruoxue said without looking up, "For regular guests, I believe in dedicated utensils. But since he hasn't been coming often lately, it rarely gets used."

"Then... can I use it?" Li Guanqi asked cautiously, her eyes full of longing.

"You..." Gu Ruoxue shook her head helplessly, "Why do you always want to sneak ahead on everything? You should ask him about that yourself. I don't want to make decisions for him."

"Oh."

Li Guanqi responded dejectedly but couldn't resist stealing glances at the mug, her face etched with longing.

In the quiet club activity room, only the sound of the kettle boiling could be heard. Gu Ruoxue meticulously brewed the tea, brought it over, and placed it on a corner of the table. She then casually picked up a bookmark nearby, closed the book with it tucked inside, stored the book away in her ring to clear space, allowing the tea set to be properly arranged.

"By the way, those two you were following earlier," she brought up seemingly offhandedly, "They're his classmates, right?"

Hearing this, Li Guanqi nodded: "Yes... Xuan Ying and Zhao Yan. They're going to deliver study materials to Su Cheng."

"Judging by their behavior just now,"

Gu Ruoxue picked up her teacup and gently blew on it, "these two... seem to hold quite a bit of affection for Su Cheng."

Li Guanqi remained silent, her fingers tapping on the rim of her cup. After a while, she let out a soft sigh: "I'm just worried about his physical condition, I don't mean anything else."

"I understand."

Gu Ruoxue slowly took a sip of tea, her eyelids half-lowered. "He has his own plans. We've already tried our best to persuade him. Since things have come to this, let's respect his decision and wish him well."

But soon, as if remembering something, she shifted the topic. "By the way, I made some cake on a whim a while ago. Let's have some together. Su Cheng once asked me for the recipe for this cake, so I suppose she liked it quite a bit."

As she spoke, she produced an exquisite little box. Opening the lid revealed several neatly arranged slices of chocolate mille-feuille cake.

Li Guanqi looked at the pastries with some surprise, a flicker of melancholy passing through her eyes. So, the connection between Gu Ruoxue and Su Cheng ran much deeper than she had imagined.