"Dinglingling~"
The classroom bell suddenly rang, and the room instantly fell silent.
Su Cheng quickly reined in his thoughts and straightened up, ready to begin class.
However, within just three minutes of the lesson starting, drowsiness swept over him, and his eyes began to droop. Even his ears felt heavier, and he started swaying in his seat, as if he might collapse onto the desk at any moment.
He struggled to fight off the sleepiness, but his head grew increasingly heavy, and he was soon in a semi-conscious state.
Desperate to shake off the drowsiness, he vigorously shook his head, hoping to clear his mind, but to no avail. It was as if his battery was drained—the harder he tried, the more depleted he became, until his mind was completely empty, devoid of any thoughts.
What made it worse was that Li Guanqi sitting beside him kept radiating a calming presence. Fortunately, with his last bit of consciousness, he reached into his desk drawer, fumbling for his water bottle. He knew he urgently needed caffeine to regain his energy, so this was an instinctive move.
But before he could find it, three pairs of eyes had already turned towards him.
Li Guanqi, sitting beside him, had already taken the bottle away. The next second, Su Cheng collapsed onto the desk, his eyes closed, breathing evenly, fast asleep.
Gu Ruoxue and Ji Qingyi merely glanced at Su Cheng's sleeping form before returning their gaze to the front of the classroom. Their expressions remained unchanged, not even a ripple of emotion visible on their faces.
...
However, the few girls sitting in the front row had varying expressions.
One of them looked worriedly at Su Cheng's sleeping form, thinking that he must have stayed up late making a cake for her last night.
So, she decided to visit Su Cheng's house again tonight to get more cake, preferably paired with some walnut milk.
Xuan Ying, on the other hand, looked regretful and annoyed, lamenting why she hadn't had the courage to sit closer earlier.
If only she had sat next to him...
Perhaps she could have enjoyed the sight of his adorable sleeping face~
"How about next Friday?"
Zhao Yan offered comfort from the side, her voice calm but carrying a subtle encouragement.
"Mmm."
Xuan Ying nodded, her expression slightly eased. She then turned her gaze back to the front of the classroom.
Without exception, they all ignored Li Guanqi sitting beside Su Cheng.
...
"Dinglingling~"
The bell rang again, and Su Cheng slowly opened his eyes. Raising his head, he looked around at the unfamiliar surroundings, a hint of surprise flashing in his eyes.
Where was he?
He realized he was in a large classroom, with many people inside. Everyone was standing up and heading towards the door.
The two ice queens sitting nearby were also nowhere to be seen.
He looked up and saw Cornelia in the front row glaring at him. Their eyes met, and she huffed, turning her head and walking out of the classroom.
Xuan Ying and Zhao Yan, seeing that he had woken up, also left the classroom.
"Awake now?"
A calm voice reached his ears. Su Cheng turned to look and saw a black-haired girl sitting beside him.
Li Guanqi.
It was then that Su Cheng finally realized he had fallen asleep during class.
Li Guanqi continued to look at him and said, "Here's today's class notes."
Her tone was flat as she handed over the notes.
Su Cheng took them and thanked her, then said, "I'm going to the club now."
He stood up, and Li Guanqi did the same.
As they reached the classroom door, Li Guanqi suddenly stopped and said, "Remember to fulfill your promise to me this weekend."
With that, she turned and left.
...
Archery Club
Inside Ji Qingyi's private practice room.
As soon as Su Cheng stepped into the room, he was greeted by the scent of herbs mixed with a strong fragrance.
He took a deep breath and knocked on the door.
"Come in."
Ji Qingyi's cold voice came from inside the room.
He pushed the door open and walked in.
Su Cheng entered and stood at the door, scanning the room. In the center were various herbs, with many bowls and jars placed nearby, the smell of herbs strong in the air.
Ji Qingyi was sitting at a desk, flipping through a medical textbook. She looked up and slowly closed the book in her hands.
"Sit."
Her voice was soft but calm.
"Okay."
Su Cheng nodded and walked over to a chair, sitting down.
"Drink."
Ji Qingyi's gaze fell on him. Noticing that Su Cheng showed no curiosity or confusion, she calmly spoke.
Perhaps Ji Yuewu had told him. She wasn't surprised.
"Mmm."
Su Cheng nodded, not denying it. He knew Ji Qingyi treated him as a smart person, and conversing with someone intelligent often saved a lot of explanation.
"Is it worth it?"
Ji Qingyi asked again.
"Because I haven't fulfilled my promise to the club president yet."
Su Cheng met her gaze calmly, speaking each word clearly.
Ji Qingyi fell silent for a moment, as if weighing her words.
After a while, she spoke again: "Do you want to live?"
"No one wants to die."
He answered without hesitation.
"Then I'll arrange for surgery, but only if you cooperate with the treatment. Otherwise..."
She paused slightly, then tapped her finger on the table seven times: "You will leave this world forever."
Su Cheng lowered his eyes, his tone calm, without much emotion: "President, you don't need to go to so much trouble."
"Thank those who went to the trouble for you after you survive."
Ji Qingyi didn't respond to his words but continued, "Most people in this world don't get the chance to enjoy my small favors. You're lucky."
Su Cheng didn't say anything more, just calmly meeting her gaze. Neither of them broke eye contact for a moment.
"But I want to win the championship even more."
Su Cheng spoke, his voice carrying a hint of determination.
"Seems you're quite confident?"
Ji Qingyi raised an eyebrow.
"Otherwise, why would I be here for training?"
Su Cheng replied again.
Hearing this, Ji Qingyi's eyes finally showed a slight fluctuation. She then said, "What exactly is driving you?"
"I'll tell you after I win the championship."
Su Cheng maintained his posture, his expression unchanged.
"Looks like I won't hear it from your own mouth."
Ji Qingyi spoke indifferently, her voice showing no trace of disappointment.
Su Cheng remained silent.
After a moment of mutual staring, Ji Qingyi finally said, "Since you insist, so be it."
It's hard to persuade those who are determined to die. She could only let nature take its course.
"Thank you, President."
Hearing this, Su Cheng immediately expressed his gratitude, feeling a sense of relief.
He had been afraid that the president would force him into surgery, and he didn't want to spend the rest of his life in pain at the hospital.
"Though I can't understand."
Ji Qingyi said calmly, then placed the medicinal dish on the table: "Drink it, it might let you last a few more days. Keep this heart-saving pill with you at all times."
With that, she pointed to a box beside her.
"Gulugulu~"
Su Cheng picked up the medicinal soup on the table and drank it all in one go, then placed the empty cup down. He put the box into his pocket and looked at Ji Qingyi, saying: "Thank you, President, for your care these days."
Ji Qingyi remained silent, her gaze fixed on Su Cheng.
After a moment, she said: "Good luck."
With that, she left the practice room.
"I will win the championship."
Suddenly, Su Cheng spoke calmly.
The simple sentence carried no emotional fluctuations, yet seemed to embody a certain determination and obsession that made it impossible to underestimate.
Ji Qingyi's footsteps paused for a moment before she strode out of the practice room, her long black stockings gleaming.