Extra Story: A Promise That Won't Fade with Time

A luxury car slowly pulled up at the entrance of the villa.

In the back seat, a girl as delicate and lovely as an angel was kneeling on the seat, her hands resting on the window as she gazed through the glass at the lively scene inside the villa.

What was puzzling, however, was the thoughtful expression on her beautiful face.

She was Li Zhaohao, Li Guanqi's older sister. Several carefully prepared gifts were also placed on the seat beside her.

Originally, she hadn't planned to come in person, but the driver couldn't easily go into Li Guanqi's bedroom to fetch the gifts, and besides her, no one else could freely enter her younger sister's room.

So, she decided to come along.

Of course, her main purpose for this trip was to express her heartfelt thanks to Su Cheng in person.

When she learned that Li Guanqi's facial expressions had been restored, Li Zhaohao was overjoyed, a happiness beyond words. She cried tears of joy on the spot, then hugged her sister and spun around happily.

After calming down, she began pressing for details on how Su Cheng had managed it. Unfortunately, Li Guanqi didn't elaborate, leaving only these words—

'He is someone who, in order to chase the moon, is willing to become the blazing sun, burning himself; at the same time, he is also willing to become scattered stars, just to be someone who guards the moon.'

The loftiness of this praise surprised Li Zhaohao. Although she still didn't quite like his style, she could vaguely sense from it that perhaps her younger sister would be exceptionally stubborn about this matter.

Li Zhaohao stared at the villa outside the window, ruminating over Li Guanqi's words, her thoughts in turmoil. It wasn't until a straight-backed figure appeared at the villa's front door that she snapped back to attention.

"That outfit..." Her gaze fell on the formal suit worn by the approaching figure, and Li Zhaohao's brows immediately furrowed, then relaxed.

Because she remembered—this was the birthday gift Li Guanqi had given Su Cheng. Thinking that Su Cheng had worn it today, and that her sister's heart must be filled with a hundred kinds of joy, she couldn't help but feel happy herself.

Su Cheng was walking gracefully in her direction. As the saying goes, clothes make the man, and at this moment, he was quite dashing, frequently drawing glances from others, with some even stepping forward to strike up a conversation. He responded with polite smiles, appearing to possess strong personal charm.

"Tap, tap."

Su Cheng first glanced at the license plate to confirm it was the right car, then tapped on the passenger side window. A moment later, the rear window slowly rolled down, revealing Li Zhaohao's beautiful face.

"Hmm?" Su Cheng turned to look at the back seat. Seeing Li Zhaohao, he seemed quite surprised. "I didn't mean to trouble you to make a special trip. I'm really sorry."

"I decided to come on a whim."

Li Zhaohao let out a charming, girlish laugh. "Didn't Guanqi tell you I was coming too?"

"Uh..."

Su Cheng remembered he had rushed over in a hurry earlier and seemed to have missed what Li Guanqi said, his tone slightly awkward. "That... she mentioned it to me. I just didn't pay attention."

"No worries, no worries." Li Zhaohao waved her hand and pointed to the gifts on the seat beside her. "See, I just took it upon myself to make the trip for her."

"Let's go inside first." Su Cheng stepped forward, intending to open the car door for her. "I think someone will be very happy to know you're here. Cornelia was just wishing she had someone to play games with."

"Although I'd really like to go in, but..."

Li Zhaohao shook her head, glancing somewhat regretfully at the white dress she was wearing. "I'm afraid this outfit isn't quite suitable right now. Besides, I didn't come for the party, but for another important matter."

"Then I won't force the issue."

Su Cheng understood, adopting a relaxed and pleasant expression. He pointed to a small grove of trees not far away. "How about we take a walk over there? It would be a good chance to chat."

"That suits me perfectly." Li Zhaohao agreed readily.

The two walked side by side on the forest path, Li Zhaohao in front, Su Cheng following behind.

Suddenly, Li Zhaohao turned around.

Her face, gilded by the setting sun, looked as holy as an angel's, a faint blush creeping onto her cheeks. "I think you must know what I'm going to say, right?"

"I do. Because I cured Guanqi."

Su Cheng said calmly.

"It seems Guanqi gave you a heads-up."

Li Zhaohao smiled slightly, resuming her steps and leisurely enjoying the scenery along the way.

However, she still kept stealing glances at Su Cheng behind her, every ten steps or so, or every fifteen. Finally, after multiple stolen glances, she came to a solemn stop in front of a small grove of trees. Fixing her sincere gaze on Su Cheng, she said earnestly, "Thank you!"

"It was the least I could do."

Su Cheng's expression was serious. "And also... I have something I'd like to ask of you. I hope you can help me."

"Huh?"

Su Cheng's words interrupted what Li Zhaohao was about to say next. She widened her beautiful eyes, revealing confusion. "What do you need my help with?"

"I want to run for Student Council President." Su Cheng made his request with a sincere attitude. "Your experience and wisdom are crucial to me. I hope I can learn by your side and prepare for future Student Council work."

"Really?!"

Li Zhaohao was so surprised that her mouth fell open, even accidentally biting her tongue. She then covered her mouth, letting out an adorable, babble-like sound: "If that's the case, I have no reason to refuse. I'd really like to see if you can take over the team after I step down and create something interesting. It's a shame you weren't interested before. Since you've had a change of heart, I'll definitely give you my full support!"

Because she had bitten her tongue, Li Zhaohao's words sounded a bit slurred. Still, Su Cheng managed to understand. He smiled: "Then I'll be troubling you a lot from now on."

"Don't mention it. Just come report to the student council directly on Monday!" Li Zhaohao said excitedly.

"Alright, I'll be there on time."

After that, the two chatted a bit more about student council work and Li Guanqi's condition. Unnoticed, night fell, and they agreed to continue their conversation another day.

......

On the way back to the villa, Su Cheng faintly heard people pointing and gossiping behind him. He couldn't help but frown, slowing his steps to listen carefully.

"Hey, have you heard? Brother-in-law Su Cheng said he actually has no real talent, he's just full of himself and loves lecturing others!"

"Not only that, he also said Su Cheng is incredibly arrogant and self-centered, just pretending to be a nice guy every day!"

"Really? I never got that impression of Su Cheng."

"How could it be fake? It came from Su Cheng's own relative."

"I think Su Cheng's brother-in-law is just jealous of his outstanding talent. What relative would undermine their own family like that?"

......

"Victim of slander..."

Su Cheng sighed inwardly.

"It must be that little bitch Liu Qingyue's doing. This is blatant revenge!"

Su Cheng quickened his pace and walked straight into the villa. What greeted his eyes was Liu Qingyue, surrounded by a crowd, chatting and laughing animatedly. She seemed to be fanning the flames, completely unfazed by Su Cheng's unusual gaze.

"Let me tell you, that kid has loved showing off since he was little, flaunting his modest cleverness everywhere," Liu Qingyue said with a disdainful expression. "In my opinion, he's just a self-important guy, putting on a nice-guy act all day. Who knows what he's really like in private."

"But he's usually quite helpful to everyone. Is it really as exaggerated as you say?" someone questioned.

"Hey, would I lie to you?"

Liu Qingyue pursed her lips, "I practically watched him grow up. Don't think I don't know his little tricks. Let me tell you, he just relies on his somewhat good looks to flirt everywhere, practically wreaking havoc all over the school."

"Wow, I never thought he was that kind of person..." someone exclaimed, covering their mouth in surprise.

"Exactly. You all better be careful not to be fooled by his hypocritical face," Liu Qingyue advised earnestly.

Meanwhile, Ji Qingyi stood alone on the distant balcony, gazing at the starry sky in contemplation. Even in disguise, she couldn't conceal the ethereal, otherworldly aura about her.

Unexpectedly, Su Cheng did not directly confront Liu Qingyue. Instead, his gaze fell upon Gu Ruoxue and Li Guanqi in the corner. He walked over, placed what he was holding on an empty seat, and stood before the two girls.

Both girls looked up simultaneously, their eyes meeting. Gu Ruoxue's face was expressionless, while Li Guanqi looked flustered. She glanced at him quickly before lowering her head, fiddling absentmindedly with her fingers.

"It seems you talked with my sister for quite a while," Li Guanqi said without looking up, her tone casual and flat.

"Not really, not too long," Su Cheng nodded. His gaze shifted from them to the empty table in front of him, posing a soul-searching question: "Were the pastries on the table good?"

Before the words fully landed, Li Guanqi's fingers paused for a moment before she continued fiddling as if nothing happened, pressing her lips together.

"Classmate Su," Gu Ruoxue calmly closed the magazine in her hands. Her gaze was as clear as water, yet held a sharp edge: "By asking this question, are you testing whose self-control?"

"No, no."

Su Cheng was taken aback, then laughed, "I was just curious. Did that whole plate of pastries end up in your stomach?"

Hearing this, the corner of Gu Ruoxue's mouth lifted slightly, a hint of mockery flashing in her eyes: "A person's behavior often reflects the teachings of those around them. Tell me, when the pastries were brought over, did the instigator anticipate this outcome?"

Su Cheng was stunned for a moment, then smiled awkwardly: "You're right. It was my lack of consideration. I'll go find Xuan Ying first."

"Mm, okay." Upon hearing this, Li Guanqi looked up, allowing Su Cheng to clearly see the pastry crumbs lingering at the corner of her mouth.

Instantly—

An awkward silence spread among the three of them.

Only then did Li Guanqi notice Su Cheng's gaze. She hurriedly took out a handkerchief to wipe the corner of her mouth, then flusteredly lowered her head, muttering softly: "Actually..."

However, Su Cheng directly interrupted her. Unexpectedly, he didn't blame her. Instead, he put on a smile and said: "It's fine. I'll head over now."

Just as the two were waiting to see Su Cheng off, a phrase suddenly drifted from Su Cheng's mouth. He glanced sideways at Gu Ruoxue and uttered lightly—

"Little greedy cat."

Gu Ruoxue was certain these words were aimed at her.

She frowned slightly; this person's shameless, annoying habit was acting up again. Her tone carried a hint of sarcasm: "Classmate Su is quite the joker. Where in this world is there a cat that doesn't eat? It's just that some people, fully aware the cat has stolen a taste, still choose to indulge it."

"Senior, you're being too harsh on him."

Watching Su Cheng's retreating figure, Li Guanqi tentatively offered an explanation: "Perhaps... deep down, he hoped you would eat it, which is why he deliberately pretended not to know. After all, this plate of pastries was something he specifically brought for you."

Gu Ruoxue watched Su Cheng leave and sighed softly: "That's not the point. The key is whether his attitude is proper. If he can't even exercise a little restraint over such small matters concerning those around him, or even refuses to face the problem head-on, how can he achieve great things in the future?"

"Actually... I hid one more piece."

At this, Li Guanqi took another handkerchief from her pocket, unfolded it, and placed a piece of pastry, white as snow, on the table: "Senior, if you don't eat this, wouldn't he have wronged you for nothing?"

Gu Ruoxue looked at this piece of pastry and revealed a dry, almost pained smile, as if amused by the absurdity, slowly uttering a sentence: "Are the two of you performing a comic duet?"

…………………………

The third-floor balcony.

Night had just fallen, with starlight dotting the horizon. Zhao Yan and Ling Ning stood side by side, both quietly watching the lively scene below, their faces wearing similarly calm expressions.

Since Xuan Ying and Sister Qin had gone to the dressing room to do their makeup, Zhao Yan sought out Ling Ning again. After exchanging a few words of small talk, they fell into silence—after all, the two really weren't familiar. A hint of subtle awkwardness lingered in the air.

"Senior, why do you like him?"

Finally, Zhao Yan broke the quiet scene.

She turned her head to look at the beautiful and gentle senior beside her, her gaze holding curiosity and a trace of subtle complexity.

Although she already knew of Ling Ning's fondness for Su Cheng, she was completely unaware of the specifics.

Ling Ning smiled slightly, a glimmer of reminiscence flashing in her eyes, "A twist of fate, a matter of fate after all." Her tone was soft but held no intention of elaborating further.

Zhao Yan nodded thoughtfully, then changed the subject: "Xuan Ying's experience with him is rather like something out of an idol drama..." She tried to strike a certain chord in the other's conversational repertoire, while inwardly sighing, conflicted over having to help her friend pursue someone she herself liked.

It must be said, Zhao Yan's tactic was quite successful.

Ling Ning tilted her head, looking at her with gentle, questioning eyes, "Idol drama?"

“The senior probably hasn’t watched such nutritious things.” Zhao Yan chuckled, then explained: “Xuan Ying didn’t have favorable feelings towards Su Cheng at first. It wasn’t until one time when Su Cheng appeared in a heroic way and helped her that she began to be drawn to him. The more she got to know him, the more she liked him, even doing many foolish things for him. One could say her affection took deep root.”

"That sounds quite dramatic." Ling Ning blinked her beautiful eyes twice, then stared directly at Zhao Yan and asked: "So then, what about your situation?"

The question jumped tracks again, directly bringing the fire to her own doorstep.

Zhao Yan was taken aback, a wave of complex emotions surging in her heart. She forced out a bitter smile: "I just promised Xuan Ying back then that I would help her pursue Su Cheng. So now, just like Sister Qin, I'm trying to bring Su Cheng and her together."

"I see." A peaceful smile appeared on Ling Ning's face, her tone carrying a hint of sympathy: "Still, having a good sister like you is a blessing for her."

Zhao Yan smiled faintly and didn't answer further. Her gaze drifted into the distance, as if pondering something.

"It's very painful, isn't it?"

But the next second, Ling Ning abruptly asked this question, her voice gentle yet striking straight to the heart.

Zhao Yan froze for a moment, her heartbeat suddenly speeding up. She forced herself to shake her head in feigned confusion: "Senior, what did you just say? Were you talking about me? How could that be?"

"Choosing to let go of something you feel is very important—isn't that a painful thing?" Ling Ning looked at her with a peaceful gaze, her tone gentle.

"You could tell?"

"The way you look at Su Cheng is the same as the way I do."

Hearing this, Zhao Yan decided to drop the pretense.

After all, the two still needed to reach a consensus going forward.

She gave a bitter smile, then lowered her head: "I do have a very serious conflict. I both hope she can be happy and fear losing him myself. So I'm torn, conflicted, yet also afraid to take action."

"Aren't you taking action now?" Ling Ning said gently, her eyes showing understanding and encouragement.

"Yes," Zhao Yan openly admitted her purpose. "I've thought it over carefully. With the cards we hold, we simply can't win against that group. So, there's no strategic-level chance of victory; we can only try to find a way on the tactical level."

"For example?" Ling Ning asked, a flicker of interest in her eyes.

Zhao Yan said slowly, "I just wanted to understand the details of your experiences with him. There might be some inspiration."

"I'm sorry, but that's something I cannot discuss." A hint of bashfulness flashed in Ling Ning's eyes as she refused. She said seriously, "That aspect isn't something I can mention to anyone, not even my closest friends. Please understand."

"That's alright."

Zhao Yan laughed softly and instead shifted the topic. "Then, senior, are you going to give up or persist?"

Ling Ning pondered for a moment, then said slowly, "After your reminder, I think I understand what I should do now. After all..." She reached out her hand towards Zhao Yan and said softly, "He is currently single. Anyone can pursue him, as long as they have the courage."

"Senior admires the heights yet does not forget the virtue of the valleys. I admire that." Zhao Yan took her hand, nodding in praise, inwardly marveling at Ling Ning's broad-mindedness and wisdom.

"With a junior like you showing such determination, how could he possibly not have the intention to lower himself?" Ling Ning also smiled in acknowledgment.

Their small hands were clasped tightly together. After a round of mutual flattery, it seemed the two had reached a consensus?

Just then, a familiar voice suddenly came, breaking the atmosphere between them.

"Excuse me, where is Xuan Ying?"

Both Zhao Yan and Ling Ning's pupils practically shook with shock. They abruptly pulled their hands apart and turned to look. They saw Su Cheng holding an exquisite gift box, standing at the doorway and looking around.

A flash of panic crossed Zhao Yan's brow. After all, having their earlier words overheard was utterly embarrassing.

Her heartbeat suddenly accelerated, and a faint blush involuntarily appeared on her cheeks.

Ling Ning, after a brief moment of surprise, quickly returned to normal. Her expression remained composed, as if nothing had just happened. After all, this level of awkwardness was nothing, because she had encountered far more absurd situations before, times when she had felt so ashamed she wished to die.

"Xuan Ying is in the dressing room putting on makeup."

Ling Ning placed her hands behind her back, calm and collected as she said, "However, she might be a bit occupied right now."

Zhao Yan beside her was greatly astonished, thinking to herself, 'As expected of senior! To remain so calm and even show no change in expression in this situation is truly a master of acting!'

'Seeking cooperation with Senior Ling Ning was indeed the right path. She doesn't even reveal emotions like embarrassment!'

Zhao Yan secretly sighed. Only now did she realize she still had much to learn. She must go and seek advice from senior.

"Yes, she's at a crucial stage of applying her makeup, so it's not very convenient," Zhao Yan hurriedly explained, trying hard to keep her voice sounding calm. "If there's anything, you can tell me. I'll relay it to her later."

"No need, because this matter must be discussed in person." Su Cheng shook his head, placed the gift in his hand on a nearby table, and then walked directly towards the two girls.

A gentle smile hung on his face. "Then I'll wait here for a bit too. I don't have anything else to do anyway."

"Uh, okay," Zhao Yan replied, somewhat flustered.

"Mhm." Ling Ning gave a slight nod, seeming nonchalant, but she subconsciously moved aside, indicating he could stand next to her. "You're not planning to give him the gift early, are you?"

Her tone carried a hint of teasing.

"That's just incidental." Su Cheng came to stand between the two girls and said with a light smile, "The main thing is I need to talk with Xuan Ying face-to-face." His gaze swept back and forth between the two beauties, as if he was pondering something.

"If Xuan Ying knew you were waiting for her..." Feeling flustered under Su Cheng's gaze, Zhao Yan panicked and directly took out her phone, waving it to change the subject. "If I send her a message, she might just burst right out the door."

"No, no, no, I'll just wait." Su Cheng laughed and waved his hand to stop her. "Later, she's the star of the show. As a supporting character, I should obediently wait in line until she's finished."

"Mmm~" Ling Ning beside them covered her mouth with a graceful laugh, unable to resist teasing. "That statement of yours doesn't match reality at all. You, no matter where you are, are the center of attention. There's not a hint of a supporting character about you."

"You flatter me, senior," Su Cheng replied modestly, the smile on his face growing even warmer.

"When the lead makes her entrance, you'll have to be extra accommodating," Ling Ning continued, a glint of mischief in her eyes.

"Naturally."

Su Cheng nodded in agreement.

Hearing this conversation, Zhao Yan's eyelids twitched a few times beside them, and her admiration grew even more. She inwardly marveled at Ling Ning's magnanimity and wisdom, because the other girl was already paving the way for Xuan Ying's dance later. What kind of broad-mindedness was this!?

They had only just chatted briefly, and already the other side was starting to press the attack?!

Zhao Yan felt a complex mix of emotions inside.

"By the way." Ling Ning suddenly paused and explained to Su Cheng, "An old friend of yours has been waiting for you for quite some time. Since you're free now, why not finish that unfinished game of chess?"

As she said this, she even leaned in close to Su Cheng's ear and whispered, "This time, you absolutely must not use that ability of yours from last time. If you get entangled by her, not even a god could save you."

He naturally understood who Ling Ning meant by "her."

He just hadn't expected it to really be as Li Guanqi had predicted.

At that moment, a strange chill suddenly crept up from behind. Behind the three of them, a girl with disheveled long hair, holding a Go board, slowly approached with graceful steps. A gloomy aura emanated from her entire being, as if shrouded in a thick black mist. One glance at her sent a shiver down the spine, making one afraid to look any longer.

"Su Cheng." Si Jing's voice was low and ethereal, carrying a trace of an indescribable eeriness. "Our unfinished game... let's take this opportunity to settle it."

"With such an invitation from my senior, how could I dare refuse?"