Afternoon
Physical Education Class
Free Activity Time.
Su Cheng and Zhao Feifei from the next class were resting under a tree.
Originally, Su Cheng was sitting alone, but Zhao Feifei suddenly appeared from nowhere.
Zhao Feifei, while drinking water, asked, "How many points do you think you'll score in this class strength test?"
"I don't know, probably in the top ten of the class."
Su Cheng replied, glancing indifferently at the beautiful girls on the tennis court who were spinning and jumping.
"Don't underestimate yourself. Although your class has a kid who has been the top of the grade since elementary school, I think if you take it seriously, you can definitely keep up with her."
Zhao Feifei looked at him with great expectation, as if he was very eager to see Su Cheng defeat the arrogant noble children in the school.
"What about you? How do you think you'll do in this test?"
Su Cheng changed the subject and asked back.
"Although there are still two subjects left, I estimate I can barely make it into the top five."
After saying that, Zhao Feifei sighed with some regret: "Last time during the entrance test, I gave it my all and only made it to sixth place."
"That's already pretty good."
Su Cheng patted his shoulder to comfort him.
"But compared to you...Alas!"
Zhao Feifei said, looking like he wanted to say more but stopped himself.
As classmates, although their final scores were only a few points apart,
those few points made all the difference, and he could feel that they were on completely different levels.
While the two were chatting, a chubby first-year boy came over holding a bag of chips, eating as he walked. Seeing Zhao Feifei, he immediately shouted, "Hey, Feifei!"
"Are you also having PE class today?"
Zhao Feifei quickly stood up and then turned to introduce to Su Cheng: "This is Cheng Pangzhi from Class Three."
Su Cheng saw Zhao Feifei using a nickname and couldn't help but raise an eyebrow, but he didn't say anything and stood up as well.
"You misunderstood, he really is called Cheng Pangzhi, not a nickname."
Zhao Feifei explained when he saw this.
"Really called Cheng Pangzhi?"
This surprised Su Cheng, and he couldn't help but mutter inwardly: "What a casual name."
"Hmm!"
Zhao Feifei nodded heavily.
After introducing each other, Su Cheng learned that his name was Cheng Pangzhi, not Cheng Pangzi, and he was also a common student who had passed the entrance exam.
Then the three of them sat together, watching the people on the tennis and basketball courts sweating and chatting idly.
Su Cheng, however, looked towards the dojo direction and noticed that his Ice Sculpture Club President had entered the dojo.
When the figure disappeared, he turned to look at the other two, only to find that their eyes were filled with envy as they watched the basketball court.
It seemed that both of them really wanted to join in.
"Do you guys play basketball?"
Su Cheng asked.
"Yes, I used to play occasionally in the past."
Zhao Feifei replied.
"Don't look at me now, I may be a bit plump, but I used to be on the school team."
Cheng Pangzhi heard the question and quickly puffed out his chest, proudly saying.
"That's just right. I practiced for two and a half years before, let's join them?"
Su Cheng pointed to a group of students on the basketball court who were sweating profusely.
In fact, he couldn't play basketball at all; he just wanted to see the reactions of these two.
As soon as these words fell, as expected,
the expressions of the two immediately darkened, and they lowered their heads in silence.
"It's possible to make friends with some of them, but entering their circle would only bring trouble upon oneself."
Cheng Pangzhi continued gloomily: "Moreover, we don't have the qualifications to play basketball with them, even if we force ourselves to join, we would only be met with strange looks and disdain. So it's better to just watch from afar."
"Yes, the class difference is really big. I tried to make friends with a friendly classmate. Later, I found that different circles can't be forced to mix. Anyway, I just feel more and more uncomfortable now."
Zhao Feifei smiled bitterly, a bit melancholic.
Su Cheng, hearing this, silently looked at the two of them, feeling a sense of empathy.
"By the way, I noticed that you seem to be quite popular in your class!"
Zhao Feifei looked at him and asked.
Earlier, he had seen a few people around Su Cheng, inviting him to play games, but Su Cheng had refused.
Then, seeing Su Cheng alone,
he had come over.
"Don't you feel the pressure?"
Cheng Pangzhi also seemed puzzled.
"Don't you read the school newspaper?"
Su Cheng was surprised and asked back.
After all, his affairs had spread throughout the school, so it was unreasonable that these two didn't know.
"We commoners don't get the school newspaper."
Zhao Feifei shook his head.
"Usually, it's in the hands of some class cadres."
Cheng Pangzhi continued to explain: "Those people's eyes are naturally intimidating, I don't dare to get close."
"......."
Su Cheng didn't know what to say.
He didn't expect that other commoners in this school lived so cautiously, even to the point where they were cut off from school news.
"Ah, there's a snake!"
"Be careful!"
Suddenly, several panicked female screams rang out on the tennis court.
Immediately, the three of them focused their attention on the court.
Seven or eight girls were huddled together, trembling with fear, their faces full of terror, their lips slightly open, and their feet trembling non-stop.
Not far away, there was a snake coiled on the ground, its red tongue flicking, as if it was staring at them.
The boys on the basketball court also noticed the situation and were busy dialing the phone, calling for rescue.
"Go, let them see the ability of country folks."
Su Cheng suggested to the two beside him.
After all, if the two of them could catch this snake, then the newspaper would definitely report it the next day, and their reputation would improve.
More people in the school would remember them, saying how brave they were, which would undoubtedly be of great help to them.
At the very least, they wouldn't have to live so cautiously.
"Huh? The ability of country folks!?"
The two looked at each other in surprise, pointing at themselves, momentarily not reacting.
"As country folks, don't you know how to deal with snakes?"
Su Cheng urged again, pointing at the snake and continued: "This is a harmless grass snake. Such a chance to grab the spotlight, don't you want to seize it?"
"I'm from a town."
"I'm from a town."
The two said in unison, shaking their heads and stepping back, indicating that they didn't have this skill.
Su Cheng was momentarily speechless.
It turned out that he was the only one from the countryside.
"Then I'll go, it looks like we can have a good meal tonight."
Seeing Su Cheng's departing back, the two looked at each other.
But just as Su Cheng stepped onto the tennis court, an arrow flew in from a distance.
"Swish" a sound directly aimed at the snake's head.
"Thwap!"
The arrow accurately pierced the snake's head, pinning it to the green and yellow plastic ground, motionless.
Su Cheng took a deep breath, this arrow had come from outside the tennis court fence, yet it could accurately hit the snake's head, what kind of precision was that?
He looked up towards the archery dojo about a hundred meters away from the tennis court, only to see a girl turning around and walking into the dojo, her back graceful and charming, as if a breeze had passed by, making one sigh that there could be such a stunning girl in the world.
It was his Ice Sculpture Club President.
"There's a maiden next door who shoots arrows, her strength is like moving mountains and her spirit covers the world!"
Su Cheng couldn't help but sigh, then turned around to wander around.
Just now, the distance between the snake and the dojo was over a hundred meters, yet the arrow, even when it reached the tennis court, showed no signs of slowing down, and its penetrating power had firmly pinned the snake's head to the ground, such power was simply inconceivable.
Vision, strength, technique, precision, all were indispensable.
Reflecting on the arrow of the Ice Sculpture Club President, he couldn't help but feel deeply awestruck.
Was this the real level of a champion?
He could at most hit the target with seven out of ten arrows.
And the other party had reached this level?
This had completely surpassed his understanding.
This made him feel a bit helpless. Originally, he thought that as long as he worked hard, he could win the championship, but now it seemed that if all the competitors were at this level, he might not even need skills.
Too crazy!
"No, this woman stole my chance to grab the spotlight!"
……………………………………
Archery Club
Su Cheng stood at the door and knocked.
After getting permission,
he slowly opened the door and raised his head to see Ji Qingyi sitting in a chair, reading a book.
As always, her beauty was cold and indifferent, yet undeniably captivating. Especially when she was quietly reading, it was hard for anyone to look away.
"President Ji."
Su Cheng greeted her respectfully.
He genuinely admired this woman and respected her actions. On the weekend, she had even sent someone to secretly protect him.
"Mmm."
Ji Qingyi glanced at him briefly, nodded slightly, and then returned her gaze to her book, showing no further interest.
Su Cheng didn't say much and walked straight to the shooting range, where he began practicing on his own.
"Thwack~"
"Thwack~"
After shooting two arrows that both hit the target, Ji Qingyi put down her book and looked at him.
"Haven't you noticed your problem?"
Ji Qingyi asked, her tone devoid of any particular emotion, like a teacher inquiring about a student's training progress.
"Is there something wrong?"
Su Cheng put down his bow, feeling confused.
"Why not ask yourself what you did over the weekend?"
Ji Qingyi said calmly.
"Over the weekend, I..."
Su Cheng frowned, trying to recall what he had done.
Hmm... I went to the archery range to practice...
But suddenly, he realized something...
Since the archery range used a standardized setup, he had ignored his shooting posture at the time, focusing solely on hitting the target.
Now, his posture had deviated from the standard.
"Is posture really that important in a competition?"
Su Cheng asked.
"If you compete with your current shooting posture, demeanor, and attitude, you won't even qualify for the selection."
Ji Qingyi shook her head and then raised her slender, fair hand, signaling Su Cheng to sit down.
Su Cheng was stunned.
Isn't archery just about hitting the target?
But Ji Qingyi's words gave him an inexplicable sense of psychological oppression, compelling him to sit down.
"How can you win without knowing the rules of the competition?"
Ji Qingyi asked, her gaze fixed on Su Cheng.
"Rules? What rules?"
Su Cheng was bewildered.
He had no recollection of any information about this competition.
"I'll tell you once."
Ji Qingyi said sternly, "The competition doesn't focus on the number of rings. Hitting the target is enough, but the judges pay close attention to shooting posture, demeanor, and attitude, scoring these aspects comprehensively."
Hearing this, Su Cheng's back broke out in a cold sweat.
These past few days of practice, he had completely lost sight of the basics.
He had abandoned the fundamentals and focused solely on precision!
He had made such a serious mistake!
"President Ji, what should I do to make up for it?"
Su Cheng immediately asked, his tone filled with reverence.
"Forget the past and start over from scratch."
As she spoke, Ji Qingyi stood up, removed the black hairband from her hair, and gathered her long hair into a single ponytail. Then she continued, "Go back to the time when you were missing the target."
This was a very simple hairstyle, without any ornaments, but in Su Cheng's eyes, it was incredibly beautiful, exuding a faint fragrance.
"Missing the target?!"
Su Cheng still didn't understand.
"Watch carefully."
Ji Qingyi said calmly, then took the bow from Su Cheng's hand and drew an arrow.
Her movements—taking the bow, stepping forward, nocking the arrow, and shooting—were incredibly graceful and noble, slow and quiet, as if she were performing some sacred ritual rather than shooting an arrow.
"This..."
Su Cheng watched Ji Qingyi's movements, feeling that they were more beautiful than any posture he had ever seen.
But he quickly snapped back to reality.
This was a critical moment, and he couldn't afford any carelessness.
Su Cheng adjusted his mindset, held his breath, and carefully observed Ji Qingyi's movements.
His forehead began to sweat profusely.
Because he noticed that Ji Qingyi had closed her eyes the entire time.
Realizing this, he didn't dare to relax his gaze for a moment, not even daring to breathe too heavily, fearing he would miss the slightest detail of Ji Qingyi's actions.
Every movement, every gesture, even the tiniest detail, couldn't be overlooked.
"Swish~"
She released the arrow, which flew straight toward the bullseye at a speed too fast to be captured by the eye.
Her shooting motion seemed meticulously crafted, every movement exuding a profound and mysterious aura, as if it followed some kind of hidden rhythm.
"Thud!"
The arrow struck the center of the target and pierced through it.
There was no arrow on the target.
"As long as you have the target in your heart."
"Holy crap!!"
Su Cheng couldn't help but exclaim, his eyes wide with astonishment, his mouth open wide enough to fit an egg.
Everyone else goes "thwack," but this woman goes "thud!"
And she even shot with her eyes closed.
"Are you shooting arrows or launching radar missiles?"
Su Cheng began to doubt the world. He had thought it was just an ordinary parallel universe.
But today, it seemed there were some strange aspects.
"Is there a story behind that phrase?"
Ji Qingyi asked calmly, her tone as casual as asking about the weather.
"Uh... It's just an expression of surprise and admiration!"
Su Cheng chuckled awkwardly, "You're amazing, President Ji."
"You flatter me."
Ji Qingyi modestly dismissed the compliment, fiddling with the bow as she said, "In the finals, everyone can hit the target, so demeanor and mindset are the keys to winning."
"I understand!"
Su Cheng nodded, then stood up, his face filled with respect.
"Mmm."
Ji Qingyi said softly, then handed the bow back to Su Cheng and walked back to her seat, adding, "I hope one day I can say that phrase to you."
"...?"
Su Cheng nearly dropped the bow in his hand from shock.
Holy crap, that phrase?
He couldn't imagine Ji Qingyi saying it.
Just thinking about it felt incredibly out of place.
But somehow, he found it a bit... exciting.
"Keep practicing."
Ji Qingyi withdrew her gaze and picked up a book to read again.
Su Cheng immediately turned around and resumed his training, this time focusing on refining his movements, repeatedly mimicking Ji Qingyi's actions.
Time passed.
Ji Qingyi had moved from reading to brewing tea.
"Take a break."
Ji Qingyi called out.
"Got it."
Su Cheng responded and quickly put down his bow.
Ji Qingyi glanced at Su Cheng and began pouring tea.
During this time, Su Cheng couldn't help but look up, observing the beautiful president of the Archery Club up close after two days.
Her features were extremely delicate, but her eyes were cold and indifferent, her expression unchanging.
The teardrop mole at the corner of her eye added a touch of allure.
"Had enough?"
Ji Qingyi glanced at Su Cheng and said calmly.
Su Cheng shuddered at her words.
Ji Qingyi placed the tea in front of Su Cheng and said indifferently, "No need to be so formal."
"Okay."
Su Cheng picked up the teacup, blew on it to cool it down, and took a sip.
Ji Qingyi nodded and added, "This is the key to the Archery Club. You can come and practice on your own during your free time."
As she spoke, she tossed a key to Su Cheng, her tone cold and detached.
Su Cheng caught the key, his eyes lighting up with joy.
It symbolized that the president had granted him access.
He could now practice at the Archery Club all day on weekends.
No more running around, no more spending money.
"President Ji!"
At that moment, Su Cheng suddenly spoke up.
Ji Qingyi looked up.
"Thank you."