Extra Story: Su Cheng Claims to Be Very Mature

Three hours had passed since Su Cheng uttered those outrageous words, but the result was unexpected. The girls no longer hurled insults or punches and kicks at him. Instead, they chose to give him the cold shoulder, distancing themselves from him with a remarkably unified attitude. It seemed they were using this method to let Su Cheng cool off for a while.

Thus, only Cornelia remained at Su Cheng's place.

"Why did you say those strange things?" Cornelia asked, her beautiful blue eyes wide with curiosity.

"I just said what was on my mind," Su Cheng replied nonchalantly, picking up his teacup for a sip.

Cornelia tilted her head, deep in thought. "But everyone was upset and hurt by what you said."

"I just wanted everyone to make a choice," Su Cheng said, standing up and heading towards the bedroom. "Love is never a one-sided multiple-choice question. Since I can't make a choice myself, I'll leave it to you understanding ladies to decide."

"But what if no one chooses you?" Cornelia quickly blocked his path, adopting a stance that clearly said 'you're not leaving until you explain properly.'

"Since I've already made my feelings clear, if no one is willing to accept them, I won't force it," Su Cheng said, stepping around her and leaving behind a final remark: "We have to leave for the banquet in ten minutes."

Cornelia stood frozen in place, staring at the closed door, her expression gradually becoming distant as if she was considering something.

A few minutes later, Su Cheng emerged from the bedroom to find Cornelia still standing there dumbly.

"What are you thinking about?" he asked, raising an eyebrow slightly.

Cornelia snapped back to reality, her cheeks flushing as she avoided his gaze. "I've been thinking for a while, and I think what you said makes sense. Even though your temper isn't great, it would be pretty pitiful if no one chose you."

Su Cheng stared at her. "What are you trying to say?"

Cornelia mustered her courage. "I've decided. I'll be the one to choose you."

"Choose me?"

"Yeah. After all, you helped me before, and I haven't repaid you yet."

"I don't want your repayment."

Su Cheng rolled his eyes. "Go get ready quickly. We need to leave."

"I'm serious, I'm not joking!" Cornelia spread her arms to block him again.

"So, according to you, it's like you're bestowing your great mercy upon me out of pity?" Su Cheng shook his head. "I don't need that."

"Then you can repay me instead, so we're even."

"And how do you want me to repay you?"

"You can be my ox and my horse."

"Have me be your ox and horse... Will you at least feed me grass?"

"What grass?"

"Never mind. Just hurry up and get ready. It's time to go to the banquet."

Su Cheng rubbed his temple and sighed helplessly.

Cornelia quickly caught up and grabbed his arm. "Wait, let's get this clear first. Oh, right, oxen and horses both eat grass. Do you mean you want me to take care of you? Fine, I'll give you grass, I'll give you whatever you want... Is that okay?"

Su Cheng was thoroughly annoyed by her pestering. "Do you know what the biggest difference between you and the others is?"

"What?"

"Your perspective on problems is too one-dimensional." He reached out and ruffled her golden hair. "Have you considered that if you choose me now, and then someone else chooses me later, wouldn't I directly achieve having my cake and eating it too?"

"You can't do that! Since I chose first, you can only be with me. No one else can lay a finger on you!"

Cornelia instantly bristled.

Su Cheng crouched down to meet her eye level and spoke earnestly, "Cornelia, I want you to understand something—the choice you're making now can't bear one hundred percent responsibility. What seems right now may not always be right, and what seems bad now may not be bad later. What you need most is to improve your understanding, gain more experience, and enrich your social knowledge. Only with these can you truly be qualified to make a choice. I'll give you a proper answer then."

As he spoke, he took a bottle of "Eight Walnuts" drink from the fridge and tossed it to Cornelia. "You're acting on pure impulse, following your heart without thinking. But a choice isn't like that. It must be the result of careful consideration and weighing the pros and cons."

Cornelia opened the walnut milk, took a sip, and frowned. "So what counts as careful consideration and weighing the pros and cons?"

"At the very least, you need to become Prime Minister first, become a truly remarkable person, before you can take responsibility for your own choices."

"That would take forever... And... and..." She lowered her head in embarrassment. "You still remember that."

"Of course I remember. This is a major life goal for you. As long as you don't give up and bravely state your dream during the tripartite talks, I'll help you."

"I understand. I'll work hard. It's just that this is so far in the future..."

"Then start by joining the student council and getting into the external relations department. We can talk about it again after you become the head of that department," Su Cheng suggested with a smile.

"Once I become the head, can I make my choice then?"

"If you still have that idea by then..."

"Stop that, just tell me yes or no!"

"Fine, fine, yes. Now let's go, it's time for the banquet!"

......

On the way to the banquet, their formal attire drew many glances from passersby. Cornelia was very uncomfortable with the attention and remained quiet the whole way. Su Cheng, however, appeared relaxed and elegant, as if the surrounding stares were mere air.

While they waited for their ride, Su Cheng used his phone to hail a self-driving taxi owned by the Ji Family.

It was a product the Ji Family had recently launched, and also the culprit behind Sister Qin's career change from taxi driver to librarian. Out of curiosity, he was using it for the first time.

Before the autonomous car arrived, a luxury vehicle slowly pulled up in front of them. The window rolled down, revealing an enchantingly beautiful profile, the teardrop mole at the corner of the eye radiating a captivating charm.

Though she looked like Ji Qingyi, she was clearly in disguise. Sitting next to her was a short-haired man in a tuxedo, very gentle and refined, but upon closer inspection, he bore some resemblance to Liu Qingyue.

That's right, this was Ji Qingyi in disguise, and Liu Qingyue disguised as a man. Ji Qingyi's current role was Su Cheng's older sister from the orphanage—Wang Yu.

"Senior Liu, your current looks are almost catching up to mine," Su Cheng said directly, puncturing the act to prevent Cornelia from being kept in the dark and causing unnecessary drama.

"Ugh, you're such a spoilsport," Liu Qingyue glared at him unhappily, as if he had ruined her fun. "I was planning to tease the little golden retriever beside you, but you just had to be a killjoy!"

"What, you wanted to tease me?!" Cornelia, finally understanding, glared angrily at Liu Qingyue. "You jerk, you actually tried to trick me!"

"Enough."

Ji Qingyi's cold rebuke instantly made Cornelia wilt. She shrank back, ducking behind Su Cheng.

"I originally wanted the young lady to pretend to be my boyfriend, but she was very resistant, so there was no other way. I had to come instead." Liu Qingyue got out of the car and opened the door for Ji Qingyi like a gentleman. "Young Lady, please step out."

It seemed she was playing the role of the disguised Ji Qingyi's boyfriend.

"It's only natural for the young lady, as your elder sister, to attend the banquet with you. So, we have to go together."

Liu Qingyue explained her purpose.

Su Cheng didn't mind at all. Instead, he took a moment to look over Ji Qingyi, who had just gotten out of the car. She was wearing a dignified and conservative black evening gown, paired with long black silk gloves, looking elegant and beautiful. But from start to finish, she never once looked Su Cheng directly in the eye.

Soon, an autonomous vehicle pulled up in front of the four of them.

After Su Cheng confirmed the destination, the vehicle quickly started and headed towards the seaside suburban villa.

"You actually called this kind of car?"

"It's a product under the Ji Family's umbrella. Trustworthy."

After a few playful jabs, everyone got in the car.

The entire ride was unusually quiet. While an autonomous vehicle was certainly a topic worth discussing, each person was lost in their own thoughts. Silence enveloped the cabin, with only the occasional soft AI prompt sounding, making the atmosphere feel particularly eerie and lonely.

"The Go Club vice president will also be there. Your task today is quite heavy." Liu Qingyue suddenly spoke up, her tone flat. "Have you thought about how to face it?"

"The special effect should be gone. As for the specific situation, I still need to confirm it in person," Su Cheng replied.

"Should be?" Liu Qingyue shook her head, a note of doubt in her tone. "Hearing that from you somehow feels unreliable. And that crow and dog haven't changed at all."

That's right, Big Yellow and the crow were still incredibly smart. The disappearance of the system hadn't caused any changes in them, not even a drop in intelligence. They remained exactly as they were.

"Their situation is similar to mine. Even though the system is gone, it doesn't mean the memories and experiences have disappeared," Su Cheng explained with a shrug. "It's just that their intelligence won't increase anymore. In fact, it will gradually decline with age."

At this point, he looked at the three girls seriously and said, "Ling Ning's negative side effects were also an effect brought by the system, unrelated to memories or experiences. I myself don't have that ability anymore, so I actually think her negative effects should have disappeared too."

"Then why hasn't Li Guanqi returned to being expressionless?" Cornelia couldn't help but ask. "By your logic, if the system is gone, doesn't that mean the abilities are gone too?"

"You really are foolish." Liu Qingyue tapped her on the head. "These are two completely different things. If it worked like you said, everything would be in chaos!"

"Why do you keep hitting me? Hitting my head makes me stupid!" Cornelia protested, covering her head.

"Listen carefully."

Liu Qingyue said with a smile, educating her. "Simply put, once the effect of a system item is achieved, it no longer relies on the system. Although it's an ability provided by the system, as long as the effect occurs, it's like the cause in a cause-and-effect relationship producing the effect. Even if the cause of the effect completely disappears, the effect that has already been produced still exists."

"Senior Ling Ning's negative effects were caused by the system's eye-contact ability. Now that my special ability is gone, I'm actually not sure if she has returned to normal either," Su Cheng added. "Only by seeing her in person can we draw a conclusion."

"This effect has already deeply influenced her physiological and psychological state. I'm afraid she may never be able to break free from you." Liu Qingyue poured cold water on the idea. "I hope you're prepared for that."

Su Cheng fell silent, turning to look out the window, a mysterious smile hanging on his face.

"Is this car really safe?" Cornelia suddenly asked nervously, a hint of fear in her voice. Clearly, it was her first time in an autonomous vehicle.

"Don't worry. Nowadays, AI autonomous driving is as mature and human-like as I am. Besides, this is a Ji Family business. The Ji Family young lady is sitting right next to you without fear, so what are you afraid of?" Su Cheng glanced at her, the corner of his mouth lifting slightly.

"As mature as you are?" Ji Qingyi, who had been resting with her eyes closed, suddenly opened her beautiful eyes, as if she had caught a key phrase, and coldly scrutinized Su Cheng. "I don't see any hint of maturity on you."

"I'm not mature enough?"

Su Cheng immediately became displeased. "I didn't risk my life like other protagonists. Instead, at the critical moment, I cast aside shame, stayed true to my original intention, and loudly voiced my innermost, most genuine wish, striving desperately to improve everyone's environment for getting along."

Getting more worked up, he turned to face the three of them. "Who do you think I did it for? It was for everyone's bright future, so we could all live happily together. And you actually doubt my maturity?"

In this situation, only Liu Qingyue was suitable to act as Ji Qingyi's mouthpiece to reprimand Su Cheng. "You certainly have a whole set of twisted logic. The young lady can give you 100% of her heart. Can you give 100% of your heart in return to the young lady? For everyone? What gives you the right to judge what everyone does or doesn't need?"

"Haven't I been divided enough already?"

At this, he raised his hand, holding up five fingers. "Three plus two equals five, exactly 500%!"

"You!!"

"Is that how you use idioms?!"

"Wait, I have something to say!"

Seeing all three were about to get angry, Su Cheng immediately changed his tune, looking at the Ji Family mistress and maid with deep affection. "President, Senior, will you come help me? The student council happens to be missing a vice president and a secretary department head. I think you two would be perfect."

Before the two could respond, a sharp screech of brakes sounded inside the car.

Liu Qingyue input her fingerprint, forcing the car to stop.

Then, she opened the passenger door and directly threw Su Cheng out. Still not satisfied, she even raised her leg to give him a side kick.

However, Su Cheng was quick-eyed and swift-handed, grabbing her slender ankle. "Senior, we still have to attend the banquet later. It wouldn't be good if your clothes got ruined, so..."

"Let go!" Liu Qingyue's eyebrows shot up, and she snorted coldly. "I think you're just afraid of damaging the clothes someone gave you, right?"

Su Cheng let go, took two steps back, and smiled without speaking, tacitly admitting it.

"And you said your system abilities were gone." Liu Qingyue withdrew her leg, giving him a disdainful glance. "That quick reaction of yours just now didn't look like someone who lost their abilities at all."

"Just some crude tricks, not worth mentioning," Su Cheng said modestly, waving his hand.

Seeing this, Liu Qingyue got back in the car and without hesitation started it and drove off, leaving him alone on the suburban road.

"Young Lady, please calm your anger. He was deliberately provoking you," Liu Qingyue said softly upon returning to the car and seeing Ji Qingyi's gloomy expression. "His goal is simple. As soon as today's matter is brought up, he'll tear off the pretense and act crazy. So it's better to avoid this topic altogether. Let's all just pretend we don't know. Bringing it up just causes trouble for everyone."

"If he dares to say it, why can't it be mentioned?" Ji Qingyi coldly swept her gaze over Liu Qingyue, her tone indifferent. "I think he believes I won't do anything to him, so he acts without restraint."

"No, he already said he wants to focus on his studies for now and isn't considering relationship matters," Liu Qingyue explained. "He says he's letting us choose, but in reality, he's handing the choice over to time, letting time determine the choices of both parties."

Ji Qingyi closed her eyes, opening them again after a moment and changing the subject. "Earlier, outside the car, you said he still has special abilities? Could it be he's been hiding something from us?"

"I'm not sure about that either."

Liu Qingyue shook her head with a light sigh. "His reaction just now did seem like a premonition. But it's also possible he guessed I would pull a stunt like that, considering I've already taken action three times today."

"Hmm." Ji Qingyi didn't press further. As long as he wasn't hiding anything from her, it was fine. At least it showed he still had some conscience.

But the very next second, a sentence from Cornelia made her freeze instantly, the temperature in the car plummeting.

"Huh? Why is Su Cheng ahead of us?" Cornelia pointed at a figure up ahead, who was unmistakably Su Cheng!

Liu Qingyue and Ji Qingyi frowned, suddenly realizing the seriousness of the situation. It seemed their understanding of Su Cheng was still too shallow; they had actually taken his word at face value.

Could it be that the system abilities are still intact, or even the system itself still exists? How else to explain this scene before their eyes?!

The car stopped. Su Cheng was leisurely enjoying the seaside view, showing no signs of fatigue from a long journey, appearing elegant and composed.

After the three of them got out of the car—

"How did you do that?" Liu Qingyue couldn't help but ask.

Ji Qingyi also stared at him in surprise, her eyes full of confusion and even a trace of anger at being deceived.

"Do what?" Su Cheng looked innocent.

"How did you get here before us?"

"Ah, that..." He blinked and shrugged. "Just as I said from the start, the AI self-driving nowadays is as mature and human-like as I am..."

"Speak plainly!" Liu Qingyue interrupted him impatiently.

"You probably got taken on a detour by the car," Su Cheng stated matter-of-factly, spreading his hands. "I told you it's very human-like, very in line with the capitalist money-making logic."

Ji Qingyi, Cornelia, and Liu Qingyue looked at each other, momentarily speechless. If this were true, it was utterly absurd.

The mistress and servant of the Ji Family had been fleeced by their own family's business. Even though it was Su Cheng's money that was deducted, their time had been wasted all the same.

Finally, Liu Qingyue got back into the car and checked the travel log. The results showed the car had indeed taken several large detours to earn a few extra bucks.

"Miss, it's true," Liu Qingyue came before Ji Qingyi and said in a low voice. "We were chatting the whole time earlier, so we didn't pay attention to the route. Who would have thought the car would intentionally take a longer road, making us waste nearly ten extra minutes. And this car has a speed limit to begin with, so him being ahead of us is actually within reason."