Extra Story: Afterword - Qingyi Ji's Birthday

Friday, late afternoon.

Inside the Student Council, all members were gathered.

At this moment, the Student Council office had transformed into a veritable battlefield. The sounds of heated discussions, clacking keyboards, and rustling papers melded into a chaotic symphony. Members rushed back and forth clutching file folders, thin layers of sweat glistening on their foreheads; they even jogged while responding to queries.

Since the holidays began tomorrow, all work had to be wrapped up today. On the President's desk, documents were arranged in neat, orderly stacks.

Su Cheng held his pen, signing them one by one.

Gu Ruoxue was stamping the organized and approved files with the official seal.

Liu Qingyue and Li Guanqi were also busy with their own tasks nearby.

Ji Qingyi sat quietly beside the President's seat, staring somewhat absently at the dimming sky outside the window, seemingly deep in thought.

Finally, Su Cheng put down his pen, stood up, and stretched his back. His movement triggered a chain reaction; everyone stopped what they were doing and turned their gazes toward him in unison.

Such was the charisma of the President.

Every move he made affected the crowd.

"Um... well... hard work, everyone." Su Cheng felt a bit awkward under their collective gaze. He rolled his neck and looked at the group. "If you've finished the work at hand, you can go straight home. You really don't need to stay in the office."

As soon as his words fell, the sound of chairs scraping against the floor erupted. Immediately following that, the majority of the members stood up. After exchanging brief goodbyes, they trickled out of the office one after another.

Soon, the office returned to silence.

Only the few members of the Presidium remained.

"So, most of them were just pretending to be busy?"

Seeing this, Su Cheng couldn't help but voice a complaint. He sat back down, rubbing his temples with a look that was half-laughing, half-crying.

"You didn't speak up, so they didn't dare leave without permission."

Ji Qingyi stood up gracefully from the side, slowly walked behind Su Cheng, and poured him some hot tea with an elegant hand.

"I can't believe you guys didn't remind me about something like that." Su Cheng reached out to take the teacup, his tone laced with helplessness.

"Because they were doing it voluntarily. Some wanted to prove themselves, others wanted to stay on standby for orders, but the majority..." Gu Ruoxue organized the files on the desk, glanced at her wristwatch, and spoke with a tone of understanding, "They wanted to show their diligence, but were also afraid that being the first to leave would leave an impression of laziness or shirking responsibility."

"There's no need for that kind of time-wasting diligence to exist."

Su Cheng picked up the tea and took a few sips. He set the cup down, scanned the remaining members, and finally let his gaze rest on Ji Qingyi. She raised her eyes, and their gazes met.

The two nodded at each other in tacit understanding.

Tomorrow was Ji Qingyi's birthday.

Last time, due to the 'Doraemon' incident, he had promised to organize a birthday celebration for her. naturally, he would be staying at the Ji family estate tonight.

"We're pretty much done here. Let's all head back," Su Cheng instructed simply, glancing at the girls present.

Soon, everyone packed up and left the Student Council office.

However, Su Cheng got into Ji Qingyi's car.

......

Inside the car, it was just Ji Qingyi and Liu Qingyue.

Both of them turned their attention to Su Cheng.

Su Cheng cleared his throat, pulled some invitation cards out of his bag, and explained, "For this birthday, aside from some Student Council members, some friends you've had contact with in the past will also be coming."

Ji Qingyi nodded slightly.

"However... there might be a surprise waiting for you." Su Cheng suddenly revealed a mysterious smile. He offered no further explanation and simply handed the invitations to Liu Qingyue, signaling for her to help distribute them later.

A look of understanding flashed in Liu Qingyue's eyes. She took the invitations and began to look through them, discovering that the guest list was quite extensive; almost everyone the Young Miss had ever interacted with was on the list.

"This scale... it's really going to be lively," Liu Qingyue remarked.

Ji Qingyi, however, showed little interest in that.

For her, as long as Su Cheng was there, she was satisfied.

"Stop the car."

Just then, Ji Qingyi suddenly spoke.

The driver immediately pulled over to the side of the road.

"What's wrong?" Su Cheng frowned and asked, looking out the window. When he saw that they had stopped in front of a convenience store, a sense of foreboding quietly crept into his heart.

Thinking of this, he suddenly shot a look at Liu Qingyue.

Liu Qingyue gave him a knowing smile.

"Come with me to buy some things."

Ji Qingyi's gaze fell on Su Cheng. Her tone wasn't demanding, yet it carried an undeniable certainty.

It was as if this item was something that absolutely had to be purchased.

"You want to release Sky Lanterns for your birthday?"

Su Cheng's expression stiffened; he had already guessed Ji Qingyi's intention.

Ji Qingyi didn't react.

The car fell into silence.

"President, Liu Qingyue and I can go buy them."

As Su Cheng got out of the car, he grabbed Liu Qingyue's wrist. "Good things come in pairs. If we're going to release them, I suggest adding Liu Qingyue this time. Yes, anyway, we'll go buy them!"

"A decent proposal."

Ji Qingyi nodded and spoke faintly.

After the two got out of the car and walked toward the convenience store, Su Cheng, walking in front, suddenly slowed his pace. His voice carried a mix of amusement and complaint. "I say, aren't you being unethical? Your Young Miss is still in the dark about this. If I have to perform this act on her birthday, how will I ever hold my head up in public again?"

"Don't you want to buy them?"

Liu Qingyue pulled a small rubber hair tie from her pocket. "How about this? You can put this on and treat it as the 'ultra-thin' version."

"Are you insane?!"

"You really have no composure at all."

Liu Qingyue gave a light hmph and walked straight toward the convenience store. Su Cheng stood frozen for a moment before forcing himself to put on a mask and follow her. The shopping process went smoothly. Su Cheng kept a straight face the entire time and paid the bill.

Back in the car, Liu Qingyue handed the purchased items to Ji Qingyi. The latter merely glanced at them before placing them in her bag.

Nighttime, the Ji Estate.

By the lake, in the pavilion.

Ji Qingyi was dressed in white robes. As her sleeves fluttered gently in the breeze, she looked like a fairy who had just stepped down from the moon palace upon the clouds—cold, aloof, and ethereal.

But in the next second, the genre of the scene shifted drastically.

She tossed a small pink box onto the stone table.

Also on the stone table were the various materials for the Sky Lanterns.

"Thank goodness..." Su Cheng let out a sigh of relief. Thank goodness she wasn't making him perform in front of a crowd on her birthday.

But then again, doing this kind of thing once was enough!

How could there be a second time?

Did he not have any dignity left?

However, at least this time he had a companion in suffering.

Thinking of this, he turned his gaze toward Liu Qingyue.

But upon looking, he froze instantly.

Because Liu Qingyue was inflating a balloon.

Not a 'little umbrella.' She was blowing up an actual balloon.

She pulled a switch?!

The treacherous Liu Qingyue.

Why didn't he think of that at the time?

No way. If he had to soak in the rain, others had to get wet too!

"President!!"

Su Cheng immediately blew the whistle. "Liu Qingyue is cheating! I don't think she wants your wish to come true at all."

Hearing this, Ji Qingyi turned her head and glanced at Liu Qingyue.

The latter handed the balloon in her hand to Ji Qingyi.

Ji Qingyi took it, then glanced at Su Cheng again. Finally, she toyed with the balloon in her hand, looked at Su Cheng with clear, bright eyes, and said, "It doesn't matter."

Su Cheng stood there, dumbfounded.

That's not fair!

Does it have to be him who blows the other one up?

Isn't this just bullying an honest man?

"It's your turn..." Liu Qingyue pulled a small packet from her pink compact and handed it to him. "It's almost twelve o'clock."

But just as the words left her mouth, a loud bang rang out.

Turning toward the sound, they saw that the balloon in Ji Qingyi's hand had exploded.

"It seems I'll have to trouble you to blow up another one." Ji Qingyi cast her gaze toward Liu Qingyue. Her tone held not a hint of a request; instead, it carried an imperious air that brooked no refusal.

Su Cheng's eyes lit up.

Yes! I'm saved! Nice work, Qingyi!

"But Su Cheng clearly has more experience with this sort of thing..."

Liu Qingyue tried to explain, but Ji Qingyi cut her off.

"I want you to do it!"

Liu Qingyue: ...

Defeated, she had no choice but to start blowing up the balloon under their watchful gaze.

I never thought I'd see the day, did you?

Su Cheng felt the sweet thrill of revenge.

What is the definition of shooting yourself in the foot?

This! This is it!

Hahahaha!

Once Liu Qingyue finished blowing up the balloon, she tossed it onto the table. She darted over to Su Cheng, deliberately grabbed the hem of his shirt, and wiped the oily residue from the corner of her mouth onto it. "Now we're even."

Next, Ji Qingyi wrote down her wish.

As the clock struck twelve, the three of them released the Kongming lantern.

They stood together, gazing up at the night sky.

The wind blew gently.

The lantern drifted upward, climbing higher and higher.

"What did you wish for?" Su Cheng turned to Ji Qingyi, his voice tinged with curiosity.

Ji Qingyi's gaze followed the lantern until it settled against the backdrop of the night. She didn't answer. She simply shook her head, a faint smile gracing her lips.

It seemed this wish was very important.

A secret that belonged to her and her alone.

After a while, the lantern drifted far away and vanished from sight.

The three of them withdrew their gazes.

"Happy birthday, President."

"Happy birthday, Milady."

......................................................

Meanwhile—

On the lawn of a certain villa, a figure with golden hair was bent over, searching carefully for something, muttering incessantly:

"Hehe, someone released a lantern again today."

"Now I can let my dreams fly along with his again."

"Yay! Found it!"

But this time, the lantern she picked up carried something extra: a small, folded slip of special paper.

Unfolding it, she saw words written inside—

May the coming year find just the two of us,

Walking side by side down these stone steps strewn with ginkgo leaves.

—Ji Qingyi