"You... I... It's not what you think."
Cornelia's face was flushed, her eyes darting around, yet she couldn't escape that intense and peculiar gaze. She could only flail her arms and try to explain.
"Alright, close the window."
Su Cheng had just witnessed the entire incident, including the part with the shoe, though he didn’t know why it was on the balcony.
But it was definitely Cornelia's doing, confused as she was.
So, after casually saying that, he lay down on the sofa and turned on the TV.
"You."
Cornelia hesitated, but in the end, she couldn’t bring herself to say anything. She glanced at the sacred object in her hand, quickly placed it aside, then picked up the plastic bag from the floor and walked out to the balcony.
When Cornelia returned to the living room, she saw Su Cheng sitting on the sofa watching TV. Her face still red, she began to defend herself: "I'm not a pervert, really! It just fell on my face because of the wind."
Su Cheng looked at her with amusement, a teasing smile on his face, and then he prodded, "Don’t worry, this is our little secret. I won’t tell anyone."
"You."
Cornelia was so embarrassed she wanted to die. She immediately ran toward the door, but after a few steps, she stopped and turned back, saying, "I’ve already explained! Why don’t you believe me? I’m going to get angry!"
Su Cheng looked at the fuming Cornelia and couldn’t help but laugh. "Actually, I saw everything just now."
Cornelia froze, unable to believe it. "You... saw everything?!"
"Mhm."
Su Cheng nodded, but the next second, Cornelia felt her anger flare up. She gritted her teeth and said, "If you saw everything, why did you say those things?!"
He clearly knew everything, yet he still made those suggestive comments…
It was like Huang Xiaoming pulling his wife’s teeth—utterly shameless.
"Because I wanted to tease you," Su Cheng said with a straight face, spreading his hands. "You’re just too cute."
"Cu... cute?"
Hearing this, Cornelia’s face turned even redder, but she stubbornly widened her eyes and retorted, "Idiot... Who asked you to compliment me? Don’t think a few nice words will make me forgive you!"
With that, she turned to leave, but after just two steps, Su Cheng called out again, "How about a drink before you go?"
He waved a bottle of "Eight Walnuts" at her.
"Gulp."
Cornelia turned around, her eyes lighting up as she instinctively swallowed, but she still stubbornly said, "No... I’m not thirsty."
However, Su Cheng simply tossed the bottle toward her.
Cornelia fumbled to catch it, feeling secretly pleased but pretending to be indifferent. She put on a haughty expression and said, "I don’t even want this."
After saying that, she grabbed the drink and the plastic bag and headed home. But as she was putting on her shoes, she suddenly thought of something and turned back, looking somewhat embarrassed. "Um..."
"What is it?"
Su Cheng turned to her, puzzled.
He didn’t understand why Cornelia had come back.
Cornelia hesitated for a moment, then took a deep breath, looked up, and said seriously, "Good luck with your match this week!"
As soon as she finished speaking, she bolted out the door like her life depended on it, slamming it shut behind her with a loud "bang."
Su Cheng stared at the door for a while, murmuring "Good luck" to himself, before finally leaving the living room and heading to the fridge.
After grabbing something to eat, he stretched his limbs and then went downstairs, riding his bike to school. He needed to cheer himself on too.
**Dojo**
It was nearly seven o’clock.
Even so, the dojo was filled with men and women practicing various movements and shooting at targets in an orderly fashion.
"Thud, thud, thud~"
The sound of arrows hitting the targets echoed continuously.
"Xiao Yang, your form and accuracy were perfect this time!"
"I’m definitely going to place well this time!"
"Hahaha."
"Hehe."
At that moment, Yang Xin was standing next to a club assistant coach, a satisfied smile on her face. The coach occasionally offered a few pointers.
"Hey? Su Cheng!"
Suddenly, Yang Xin, who was wiping her sweat, noticed Su Cheng’s arrival. She quickly ran over to him, patting his shoulder excitedly. "I knew you weren’t the kind of idiot who can’t tell what’s important!"
"I thought about it, and since the competition is coming up, I need to practice more."
Su Cheng nodded, his eyes scanning the room to see how everyone else was doing.
At that moment, everyone was looking at him, each giving him a friendly smile and a nod.
Su Cheng smiled back, then turned to Yang Xin and said, "I’m going to change first."
"Okay, my mom’s calling me home too."
With that, they both headed into the changing room.
"I heard that during the competition, even if you hit the target, you shouldn’t show any emotion. The judges will be watching your every move, even before you step onto the field, to score you."
"That strict, huh?"
Su Cheng was a bit surprised. He hadn’t expected the judges to be so observant even before the competition started. It seemed like this was going to be tough.
"So, once you step onto the competition floor, you have to stay calm the entire time. Otherwise, you won’t get a good score."
"Got it, thanks."
Su Cheng nodded in understanding.
"By the way, what time are you heading back today?"
After getting dressed, Yang Xin turned to ask Su Cheng.
"Just practicing for eight hours."
Su Cheng, now fully dressed, walked out the door and casually replied.
"Eight hours? That’s not enough!"
Yang Xin shook her head, frustrated. "If my mom weren’t calling me home for dinner, I’d practice until midnight. And you’re only doing eight hours? Practice more!"
"Alright, I’ll add another hour."
Su Cheng looked into the distance, thought for a moment, and then decided.
"Good."
Yang Xin nodded in satisfaction.
Su Cheng stepped into Ji Qingyi’s personal dojo. Although he still had a pillow stuck on his head, it didn’t affect his practice. As he walked, he picked up his bow.
He looked at the target, his face expressionless, and stood in a solemn and dignified posture. He lightly plucked the bowstring, which produced a sharp twang followed by a low hum.
Then he aimed at the bullseye.
The arrow shot through the air with a whooshing sound.
"Thud~"
After the sound of the arrow hitting the target, the dojo fell into an eerie silence.
That night, the sound of arrows hitting the target rang out countless times, continuing until six in the morning, when the dojo finally returned to peace.
"Exactly nine hours."
Su Cheng removed the pillow, stretched his stiff neck, and let out a deep breath. Then he looked out the window at the gradually brightening sky and murmured, "There are some things I still need to ask the club president about."
Despite not having slept for two days and two nights, he still didn’t feel tired.
The training was monotonous, requiring immense patience.
Fortunately, patience was something he had in abundance.
After returning home, washing up, and eating, he rode his bike to school. The journey was quiet.
The morning classes passed quickly. Throughout the morning, he kept the pillow around his neck, explaining to anyone who asked that he had injured his neck.
During breaks, he pretended to sleep, so no one disturbed him.
At noon, he quickly ate a sandwich and spent a few dozen minutes on the rooftop before heading back to the dojo.
"Knock, knock~"
Su Cheng knocked on the door of Ji Qingyi’s private practice room.
"Come in."
Ji Qingyi’s cold and indifferent voice came from inside. Su Cheng took a deep breath and pushed the door open.
Inside, Ji Qingyi was holding a brush, writing with elegant and precise movements, exuding an aristocratic aura.
"President."
Su Cheng greeted her respectfully.
Ji Qingyi heard him, put down the brush, and looked up at Su Cheng. Her dark eyes, as deep as a tranquil pool, held a hint of something as she gazed at him for a long moment before finally saying, "It seems you’ve found a way to calm your mind."
Then she raised a pale hand, gesturing for Su Cheng to sit at the nearby tea table.
"Yes, I vented a bit, and it felt much better."
Su Cheng admitted frankly as he sat down.
"Although you still rely on external tools, you’ve achieved something I couldn’t. You’re more clever than I thought."
Ji Qingyi walked over and spoke in a calm tone, her words carrying a hint of praise, though Su Cheng didn’t feel any joy from it.
"It’s not that you couldn’t do it, President. It’s just that you strive for perfection."
Su Cheng spoke calmly.
Ji Qingyi, upon hearing his words, took a sip of tea, set the cup down, and looked up at him.
Two seconds later, she averted her gaze, picked up the teacup again, and continued savoring the fragrant tea, a faint smile appearing on her face. "What do you want from me?"
As she spoke, she extended her slender hand and poured Su Cheng a cup of tea.
Su Cheng watched the steam rising from the tea, the mist swirling in the air. After a moment of silence, he raised his head and met Ji Qingyi's eyes, speaking slowly, "After I win the championship, I’ll make my request."
With that, he picked up the teacup and took a small sip.
"Whether you win the championship or not this time, I’ll seriously consider your request," Ji Qingyi said indifferently.
Hearing this, Su Cheng trembled slightly, his grip on the teacup tightening before he slowly set it down.
"May I ask why?"
He took a deep breath and asked.
"Heh~"
Ji Qingyi chuckled softly, her gaze fixed on Su Cheng, her tone still detached. "You’ve performed better than I expected."
After speaking, she looked at Su Cheng, her eyes carrying a hint of scrutiny and curiosity, as if observing his reaction.
Su Cheng remained silent.
"Isn’t this what you’ve been working so hard for all this time?"
Ji Qingyi spoke again, her eyes settling on Su Cheng’s face.
"President, the effort I’ve put in isn’t just to gain something from you. It’s because I promised you I’d do my best," Su Cheng replied after a moment of silence.
His meaning was clear: even if Ji Qingyi said this, he would still strive for the championship.
Ji Qingyi didn’t respond.
Su Cheng also stayed silent, waiting.
After a long while, Ji Qingyi set down her teacup and said calmly, "I understand."
With that, she stood up, her black-stockinged legs carrying her away from the practice field.
Su Cheng watched her figure disappear from sight before finally looking away and picking up his teacup again.
**Afternoon**
**Physical Education Class**
Su Cheng had taken a leave, afraid that without his pillow, he might not be able to control his excitement during the physical training.
He sat in a shady spot, lost in thought about what had happened during the club meeting at noon. Ji Qingyi’s beautiful and delicate face kept appearing in his mind.
"What are you thinking about?"
Suddenly, a familiar voice beside him startled him.
He turned to see Li Guanqi sitting next to him, dressed in her gym clothes. She held a bottle of water and was staring at him expressionlessly.
Her hair was tied in a ponytail for the class.
"Nothing, just thinking about the competition," Su Cheng replied vaguely, forcing a slight smile.
"Oh," Li Guanqi said, handing him the bottle of water.
Su Cheng didn’t hesitate to take it, unscrewed the cap, and gulped down a few mouthfuls. The cool liquid soothed his throat, instantly lowering his body temperature, and he couldn’t help but let out a soft sigh.
"This... pillow," Su Cheng began awkwardly after setting the bottle down.
After all, the pillow belonged to Li Guanqi. He couldn’t just claim it as his own, could he?
"Do you like my scent?"
Suddenly, Li Guanqi posed a direct question.
During class, she had noticed Su Cheng acting like a creep, greedily inhaling the scent from the pillow. It had left her utterly shocked.
He had even kept the pillow around his neck at all times, claiming his neck was injured. But during the physical education class, she had seen him remove the pillow and move his neck freely.
He wasn’t injured at all.
And before that, he had even asked her what shampoo she used.
Su Cheng was stunned by her question, unsure how to respond. Finally, he nodded and admitted, "Yes, it gives me a sense of calm... archery practice requires focus."
After hearing this, Li Guanqi fell silent for a moment. Then she stood up, walked over to Su Cheng, and bent down to look at him before straightening up and removing the black hairband from her head.
"Hold out your hand," she said calmly.
Once the hairband was removed, her hair cascaded down her shoulders, soft and black, releasing a unique fragrance that Su Cheng found intoxicating.
"Okay," Su Cheng said, though confused, he obediently held out his hand.
To his surprise, Li Guanqi placed the black hairband around his wrist.
Su Cheng was momentarily stunned before snapping out of it and looking up at Li Guanqi.
She then reached out and took the pillow from around his neck. With one hand, she gently brushed a strand of hair behind her ear, her movements tender, her eyes filled with affection.
"The pillow is inconvenient. This should be enough for the scent," she said, her tone almost as if she were soothing a child.
Su Cheng glanced at her but said nothing, simply watching her quietly.
Yet, in his mind, he was thinking, *What am I going to do without the pillow?*
Li Guanqi also gazed at Su Cheng, their eyes locked, neither speaking.
"After the competition, I’d like to invite you to my house," Li Guanqi suddenly said, her voice soft but sincere.
Su Cheng was taken aback. He hadn’t expected Li Guanqi to extend such an invitation. Previously, her words at home could have been dismissed as politeness, but this was a genuine invitation.
"Don’t rush to refuse. Think about it. You can message me your answer," she added.
"I understand. I’ll consider it," Su Cheng said after a moment of thought.
Hearing this, Li Guanqi nodded slightly, then bent down to pick up the half-empty water bottle Su Cheng had been drinking from. Finally, she hugged the pillow and turned to leave, saying, "See you tomorrow."
"See you tomorrow," Su Cheng replied, watching her retreating figure.
Just as he thought he had lost his "Guanqi ability" and might get excited again, he was surprised to find that the familiar, delicate scent was still lingering from the hairband around his wrist.