Have you ever seen Flame City at four in the morning?
Many people haven’t, including Su Cheng, because he walked out of the dojo at six in the morning.
He had been training for nine hours straight, yet he felt no fatigue. On the contrary, he was more energized than ever, his mind filled with a sense of accomplishment.
His physical abilities had already surpassed human limits, but he had to be careful.
If the entrepreneur from Futukang discovered him, he might be forcibly taken as a disciple and taught the art of non-stop assembly line work for 24 hours.
Riding his bicycle back home, he found the key he had given to Cornelia under his carpet and unlocked the door.
"Creak~"
He opened the door to find the room pitch dark. He turned on the lights and stepped inside.
After taking a shower and changing clothes, he returned to his bedroom, ready to lie down and play with his phone for a while. But then he noticed a strange scent lingering on the bed.
It was a peculiar smell, with a faint hint of "dumbness."
Su Cheng frowned, sniffed carefully, and his expression turned odd.
"So, Cornelia has been lying on my bed?"
He instinctively sat up, and his gaze fell on the floor beneath the computer desk. His pupils contracted—there were cracks in the floor!
He crouched down to take a closer look and found several noticeable fissures.
"What’s wrong with my floor?"
Su Cheng was baffled. He thought about it but couldn’t figure it out. He had always taken great care of his apartment, never even jumping inside.
The only time he had let loose was a few days ago when he turned into a dog.
"Did I accidentally step on it and break it?"
He scratched his head, feeling puzzled.
"Ah, whatever. Time to eat and head to school!"
……………………………………
Wednesday
Three days left until the competition.
Since it was still early, when he arrived at the classroom, only Wang Guancong and two others were there.
They were chatting happily, and Su Cheng didn’t disturb them. He walked over and sat down in his seat.
As soon as he sat down, Wang Guancong exclaimed in surprise, "Why are you here for class instead of going to the club?"
"Huh? What’s wrong?"
Su Cheng was confused. "Can’t I come?"
"What? Did you forget you signed up for a national-level competition?"
Chai Hao glared at him. "You’re allowed to stay at the club and skip class three days before the competition starts. How could you not know how important this is?"
"Oh~"
Su Cheng nodded, as if suddenly realizing something, then stood up. "Then I’ll head to the club."
"Go, go."
"Practice more."
"You have to win this time!"
His nonchalant attitude annoyed the three of them, and they quickly pushed him out, as if afraid he wouldn’t go.
Is Su Cheng really this lazy?
Doesn’t he understand the meaning of hard work?
All three of them had bet on Su Cheng, but the man himself seemed completely uninterested. That just wouldn’t do!
But just as he reached the door, someone grabbed his hand, and a familiar scent wafted over.
He turned around and met Li Guanqi’s beautiful eyes.
Li Guanqi was wearing her school uniform, but today her hair was in a single ponytail.
Seeing Su Cheng stop, she let go of his hand and reached up to remove the black hairband from her ponytail.
Her hair immediately fell back into its long, straight style.
It seemed she had tied her hair up just to recharge her "Guanqi energy" with the hairband.
Then she took the hairband from Su Cheng’s wrist, gently bit it, and placed a new hairband on his wrist.
Her movements were incredibly tender, as if she were caring for a beloved child.
Finally, she put the hairband she had bitten onto her own wrist, looked up, and softly asked, "Your answer?"
Su Cheng looked at the new hairband on his wrist, filled with Guanqi energy, and nodded. "Yeah, let’s talk after the competition."
"Then I wish you victory."
Her words were pure and sincere, carrying no hidden meaning.
"Thank you."
Su Cheng looked at her, a hint of gratitude on his face.
"You can come to my place this weekend to review the class notes from these three days."
Li Guanqi turned to leave, but just as she was about to enter the classroom, she added.
Looking at her graceful profile and hearing her gentle words, Su Cheng was momentarily dazed, but he quickly regained his composure.
He nodded and said, "Okay."
Only then did Li Guanqi slowly walk into the classroom.
Su Cheng stared at the empty doorway, feeling a pang of melancholy.
Although he hadn’t known Li Guanqi for long, their friendship was deep—something he had never experienced before.
Was it because he had saved her at the swimming pool that she was so grateful?
Probably. After all, if it weren’t for him,
Li Guanqi would have been tainted by some unknown liquid.
A hero saving the damsel—well deserved!
……………………
Dojo
When he entered, he found that everyone else had already arrived and was training—some practicing stances, others shooting arrows, and a few even meditating on the spot…
He didn’t pay much attention and headed straight for the changing room. Just as he was about to leave after changing, he ran into Yang Xin.
"We have to work extra hard these last three days!"
Yang Xin patted his shoulder encouragingly, then asked, "How’s your progress?"
"I was able to hit the target yesterday."
Su Cheng answered honestly.
"That’s not good enough. I could hit it days ago, and now I’m working on overcoming external distractions. I need to meet the standard within these three days. This is about the honor of our dojo—we can’t afford to mess up."
Yang Xin frowned, then added, "Only the two of us are competing in the individual event. We can’t lose face!"
"Got it."
Su Cheng nodded.
This was the second time he had heard Yang Xin’s reminder. It was clear that this fellow newcomer had already made the dojo’s honor his personal mission.
Su Cheng couldn’t help but admire him—he was truly respectable.
"Alright, go practice."
Yang Xin patted his shoulder again and started changing.
Su Cheng glanced at his back, then at the others in the dojo who were all training seriously. Without hesitation, he picked up his bow and headed toward Ji Qingyi’s training area.
After practicing all night yesterday, he had overcome all external distractions. Even if someone were doing something lewd next to him, it wouldn’t affect him in the slightest.
Don’t believe me?
Ask the Bluetooth music player.
It had been drained of battery from his use.
When he entered the training area, Ji Qingyi wasn’t there.
So, Su Cheng began practicing on his own, losing track of time as he immersed himself in the profound joy of archery.
Even when two attendants came in to work, he didn’t notice.
After a while, Ji Qingyi walked in. She was surprised to find that Su Cheng hadn’t noticed her this time.
She stood quietly to the side, watching him practice.
Su Cheng held the bowstring, placed the arrow on it, his body relaxed and his mind freely wandering in the natural world. It was as if he had become one with the bow, with no barriers between them.
This subtle state of selflessness caught Ji Qingyi’s eye, filling her with a sense of pride.
Who would have thought that in just one night,
this ordinary young man could reach such a level?
In the next moment, Su Cheng’s energy and strength peaked. He released the string, and an arrow flew out, perfectly aligned with the bow’s form. Its speed was so fast that its trajectory was almost impossible to follow.
"Whoosh!"
The arrow cut through the air.
"Thud!"
It hit the bullseye.
Then—
"Thud!"
Su Cheng shot another arrow.
It, too, hit the bullseye!
Su Cheng’s expression showed no surprise, as if this were entirely expected. His breathing was synchronized with his movements, and he seemed to have overcome all limitations.
In archery competitions, the archer’s spirit and demeanor hold great value. Even the smallest actions matter, and Su Cheng’s every movement was calm and natural, as if performing a ritual. It was visually striking and deeply satisfying to watch.
However, his movements were still a bit stiff.
"Not bad."
Ji Qingyi couldn't help but praise him, which made Su Cheng, who was about to shoot another arrow, feel both surprised and flattered.
"How did you do it?"
"Uh, I found a way."
Su Cheng felt a bit awkward, as explaining it would make it even more embarrassing.
"Follow me."
Ji Qingyi said, then turned and walked away with her black-stockinged legs, leading him to a small room. She pushed open the door and stepped inside.
Su Cheng hesitated for a moment but followed her in. Inside, he saw a table set with three dishes and a soup.
The dishes were simple and light, but they were nutritionally balanced and very much in line with Ji Qingyi's style—minimalistic and efficient.
Though this didn’t quite match the luxurious background one might expect.
As the saying goes: the golden sparrow adorns itself with feathers to appear noble, while the phoenix builds its nest with care, naturally attracting the homage of all birds.
"Sit down and eat."
Ji Qingyi gestured for him to sit, while she took her place at the table.
Just as Su Cheng was feeling a bit self-conscious, a woman dressed in a stewardess uniform served him a bowl of rice and handed him chopsticks, saying respectfully, "Please enjoy your meal."
Su Cheng quickly thanked her and sat down.
The woman bowed slightly, then stepped back, opened the door, and left the room.
"Thank you, President."
Su Cheng expressed his gratitude.
"No need for formalities. Start eating."
Ji Qingyi took a small sip of the soup in front of her, her gaze softening as she looked at Su Cheng.
Su Cheng nodded, picked up his chopsticks, and began to eat. While eating, he couldn’t help but steal a few glances at Ji Qingyi. Even while eating, she exuded elegance and grace, like a true lady of noble upbringing. There was none of the usual arrogance or aloofness she often displayed, and instead, he felt a sense of closeness.
Ji Qingyi noticed his gaze and looked up at him but didn’t say anything, simply lowering her head to continue eating.
As he ate, Su Cheng found the food to be an absolute delight, and he couldn’t stop himself from eating more.
He had to admit, the food was truly amazing.
Without realizing it, he took a few more bites.
Ji Qingyi tasted each dish, ate a few bites, then put down her chopsticks, wiped her mouth with a napkin, and stood up.
"Please take your time."
With that, Ji Qingyi left the room.
Su Cheng then began to eat heartily, almost to the point of overeating. He drank a large bowl of soup to settle himself.
"Whew, I’m so full."
Su Cheng leaned back in his chair, patting his stomach. The food had been completely devoured.
After wiping his mouth, he returned to practicing archery.
Ji Qingyi wasn’t around, and he had no idea where she had gone.
So he continued his training on his own.
In the afternoon,
around three o’clock, Ji Qingyi appeared in the practice area.
She glanced at Su Cheng, who was deeply engrossed in his practice, but didn’t disturb him. Instead, she went to the desk, picked up a brush, and began to write.
She looked at Su Cheng, who was lost in his own world, and finally wrote a line on the paper:
"People are like phoenix trees, standing tall despite their emptiness."
The characters were bold and powerful, each stroke exuding a sense of grandeur, like the dazzling stars in the sky, radiating an overwhelming presence.
This was Ji Qingyi’s calligraphy—her writing reflected her personality, as if the characters themselves bore her face.
At half past four,
she sat at the tea table and said to Su Cheng, "Take a break."
"Okay."
Su Cheng responded, put down his equipment, and sat down. Ji Qingyi poured him a cup of tea and handed it to him, then began drinking her own tea without saying another word.
Su Cheng took a sip of the tea.
It was fragrant and sweet, but it also had a strong medicinal taste, which made him frown slightly. However, he quickly swallowed the bitterness, put the cup down, and looked at Ji Qingyi.
Ji Qingyi raised her eyes, her gaze as cold and distant as snow.
"Follow me."
She stood up and walked out, with Su Cheng quickly following behind.
"Good afternoon, President."
"President."
As they walked out of the practice area, members of the club bowed and greeted her.
"Mm."
Ji Qingyi acknowledged them with a nod but said nothing more.
Soon, she led Su Cheng to a quiet spot, stopping in a small courtyard filled with various flowers and plants. The scene was vibrant and beautiful.
Ji Qingyi stopped in front of a potted plant and pointed to a flower inside. "Do you see this flower?"
"Yes."
Su Cheng nodded.
"I planted it myself."
Ji Qingyi said, her gaze fixed on the flower. She then softly spoke, "Unfortunately, it will wither and die in three days."
"Wither…"
Su Cheng was slightly taken aback. The flower in the pot was in full bloom and didn’t look like it would wither anytime soon.
"It’s a lot like you. No matter how much care I give it, I can’t change its fate."
Ji Qingyi said calmly, her eyes shifting to Su Cheng. "In three days, this flower will disappear from this world. So, I hope you can take care of it for me during its final days."
Her tone was matter-of-fact, almost clinical.
Su Cheng was silent for a moment, then took a deep breath and said, "I understand, President."
"Good."
Ji Qingyi nodded, said nothing more, and turned to leave.
Su Cheng picked up the potted plant, feeling a sense of kinship with it, and watched Ji Qingyi walk away. His emotions were complicated, but he quickly pushed them aside and carried the plant back to the club. After changing his clothes, he prepared to go home.
At the parking lot,
"How am I supposed to carry this flower on my bike?"
Su Cheng stared at his bicycle and the potted plant in his hands, deep in thought.
In the end, he called a taxi, placed the plant in the back seat, and under the driver’s curious gaze, said, "Please take it to XX neighborhood."
Then, he rode his bike back to the neighborhood, where the flower was waiting in the security room. After parking his bike, he carried the plant home and placed it on the balcony.
After dinner, he returned to the dojo to practice.
Another nine hours passed.
Thursday,
only two days left until the competition.
Like the day before, he spent the entire day at the club—practicing intensely in the morning, having lunch with Ji Qingyi, practicing again in the afternoon, and returning home for dinner at five.
However, he now had an additional task: taking care of the flower. Every morning, he would place it on the balcony to soak up the sun, and in the evening, he would bring it back inside, tending to it with great care.
But despite his efforts, when he returned home that night, the flower had already started to turn yellow, showing signs of withering.
This made him panic.
"Stay alive, damn it!"
In desperation, Su Cheng took out a bottle of red liquid and dripped it onto the flower’s pistil.
It was a last-ditch effort.
To his surprise, the flower, which had been wilting, suddenly regained its vitality. The pistil was now coated with a layer of red liquid, making the flower look even more vibrant and giving off a faint fragrance.
He had changed the flower’s fate.
Su Cheng let out a sigh of relief and wiped the sweat from his forehead.
"Next, I’ll change my own fate."
He gazed at the flower, muttering to himself, then left the house to begin his nine-hour practice session for the day.