Flame City International Private School
Su Cheng was sitting on one side of the competitor's seat.
He was checking his data.
Flame City International Private School.
No. 3: Su Cheng
Match Record: In the previous elimination rounds, Su Cheng ranked 31st. However, in the individual elimination round, Su Cheng defeated Ye Fan, who was ranked 3rd, and took the 3rd spot on the leaderboard.
"The next match is against the 16th-ranked player."
Su Cheng looked up at the screen, where the competition was still in full swing.
The top 16 had not yet been decided.
If he faced the 16th-ranked player, he still had a chance.
But suddenly, a familiar and intense fragrance wafted over. Su Cheng turned his head and slowly looked up. First, he saw a pair of black-stockinged legs swaying in front of him.
Then, a delicate and beautiful face came into view, though it was expressionless, as if devoid of any emotion.
Just like Su Cheng, who was currently wearing glasses—no, to be precise, they were exactly alike.
After their eyes met, she pressed down her skirt and sat down on his right side, then removed the hairband from her head.
Su Cheng obediently raised his right hand and handed over his own hairband.
After swapping their hair accessories, they fell into silence.
After a while, Su Cheng suddenly said, "Actually, you don't have to change it so often. I feel bad making you run around like this."
Li Guanqi didn't respond, continuing to stare at the screen as if she hadn't heard Su Cheng's words.
Seeing this, Su Cheng also stopped talking.
However, as friends, their hands somehow ended up intertwined again. Although Li Guanqi didn't speak, the warmth from her hand clearly conveyed her thoughts.
Her hand was soft, warm, and delicate.
Once you held it, you'd get addicted.
Suddenly, a club member walked over.
Li Guanqi quietly withdrew her hand.
Su Cheng also retracted his hand.
The atmosphere between them returned to its previous dullness.
Li Guanqi had effectively "disappeared," and the club member gave a few instructions before leaving, completely unaware of her presence.
This was Li Guanqi's ability to enter the competition area without being kicked out by the staff.
Both of them were clever, able to pick up on each other's subtle cues and aware of the changes between them.
But they both pretended as if nothing had happened.
Today, Li Guanqi's achievement was "three entries and three exits" from the stadium, successfully changing her hairband each time. It was truly a feat known to everyone.
In *Confession Failure Makes You Stronger*, there was a passage that described: "Su Cheng, chased by the hairband in the stadium, abandoned his friend and fled south. Li Guanqi, hiding her energy, protected Su Cheng's peace of mind, shielding him from her own interference."
………………
Time passed bit by bit.
The top 16 were decided, and the matchups were announced.
"We'll wait for you at the entrance later."
Li Guanqi spoke indifferently, then calmly exited in front of a crowd of staff members.
Su Cheng glanced at the match schedule.
【Flame City International Private School – Su Cheng】
VS
【Magic City International Private Academy – Wang Xu】
It was a prestigious school, and its students were all either wealthy or influential.
Su Cheng was in the first position, so he would shoot first.
His opponent's movements were undoubtedly superior, so Su Cheng could only eliminate him by hitting the target.
As for shooting with his eyes closed?
He didn't dare gamble on that again.
……………………………………
Villa Area
"Welcome back to the National High School Archery Tournament."
"Individual Matchups."
"I'm commentator Xiao Mi."
"I'm commentator Paozi."
"Next up is the round of 16 advancing to the top 8. Everyone is looking forward to it."
"First, let's reveal the profiles of the 16 competitors."
…………………………
Villa Area
"Look, Su Cheng is in third place!"
Cornelia pointed at Su Cheng's photo on the screen and exclaimed excitedly.
"Yeah, I see. Maybe this time he won't be so lucky."
Ailiya responded indifferently, her gaze fixed on Su Cheng's photo on the screen, her expression calm. Finally, noticing Cornelia staring at her, she asked, "What's wrong?"
"I remember you were just cursing at the TV, hoping the other competitors would miss, but they all hit the target."
Cornelia blinked her eyes.
"Stupid... stupid, how could I do such a thing!"
Ailiya's face turned red as she retorted, feeling a bit guilty.
She had been influenced by Cornelia's aura of wisdom and had unconsciously followed along.
Cornelia giggled but didn't press further.
Ailiya glanced at her and didn't say more, shifting her gaze back to Su Cheng on the screen. But in her heart, she thought: This time, I won't be influenced.
………………………………
"Did you leave earlier?"
For some reason, Zhao Yan felt like Li Guanqi had left multiple times, but every time she thought to check, Li Guanqi was right there.
So she couldn't help but ask.
"Yes."
Li Guanqi replied softly, her eyes still fixed on the screen.
"It's about to start. Su Cheng is up!"
Beside them, Xuan Ying exclaimed excitedly.
Everyone put away their phones and looked over.
On the screen, the match was about to begin.
The camera focused on Su Cheng, who was expressionless as he raised his bow, preparing to shoot. The bow was drawn like a full moon, the arrow sharp as a blade, slicing through the air.
"Thud~"
The sound of the arrow hitting the target echoed.
Then, the second competitor slowly raised his bow. His movements were elegant and relaxed, exuding calm and composure.
"Thud~"
Another hit, accompanied by applause.
"Tch."
Xuan Ying pouted, glancing displeased at the applauding audience, muttering, "What's there to clap for? Hitting the target doesn't guarantee a win."
But as soon as she said this, Zhao Yan and Li Guanqi turned to look at her with strange expressions.
"Thud."
Another hit sounded, but this time Xuan Ying suddenly stood up, raising her hands high and clapping vigorously, her palms turning red without her noticing. She shouted excitedly, "Beautiful! Amazing! Incredible!"
Li Guanqi: "..."
Zhao Yan: "..."
Wang Guancong and the other two: "..."
……………………………………
"Miss! Miss~"
Cornelia raised her little fists, staring at Wang Xu on the screen, continuously cursing under her breath.
Beside her, Ailiya swallowed hard. She had almost unconsciously raised her fists like Cornelia and started cursing too.
Why?
Because even though "miss" was just three words, Cornelia's cute voice, combined with the repetitive rhythm and strange intonation, made it incredibly catchy and hypnotic.
So, whenever she focused, she couldn't help but follow Cornelia's actions and say the same words, even with a hint of unnoticed excitement and enthusiasm in her tone.
"Thud."
The sound of a hit echoed.
"Ah!"
Cornelia's face fell, deflated, but she quickly adjusted her mood, raising her little fists again and chanting blessings: "Hit, hit! Hit~"
Beside her, Ailiya swallowed again, her gaze shifting to Su Cheng on the screen. But as she watched, her attention drifted, and she also started chanting: "Hit, hit! Hit~"
"What a pity. Su Cheng missed his fourth shot."
"Thud~"
"Wang Xu's fourth shot was very stable, hitting the target again!"
The commentators' voices came through.
The two little girls looked at the "miss" notification on the screen, their eyes dimming. The screen then switched to other competitors. Cornelia lowered her head, muttering, "How... I tried so hard."
Then, she looked up at Ailiya, who was startled and quickly said, "I... I tried my best too."
"Thank you."
Cornelia glanced at the screen, saw it wasn't showing Su Cheng, then stood up and walked to the fridge, pulling out two bottles of 'Eight Bombs.'
These were the three bottles Su Cheng had given her as a reward for taking care of his flowers.
She had drunk one, leaving two.
Returning to the room, she handed one to Ailiya.
"Is... this for me?"
Ailiya took the bottle, feeling both surprised and honored, as Cornelia treasured these drinks.
Who would have thought she'd share one with her?
"Yes."
Cornelia nodded and said, "After finishing this drink, let's continue cheering for him!"
With that, she opened the drink and gulped it down.
"Mm!"
Ailiya nodded emphatically, opened her drink, and downed it in a few quick gulps.
After finishing their drinks, a glimmer of wisdom flashed in their eyes, and an aura of intelligence instantly radiated from them, as if they could see through everything in the world.
The two of them were born geniuses.
Meanwhile, the screen cut back to Su Cheng.
"Su Cheng has hit seven out of eight shots."
"Wang Xu has hit eight out of eight."
"Now it's Su Cheng's ninth shot."
As the commentator spoke, Cornelia raised her little fist and began chanting, "Hit the target, hit the target~ hit the target!"
Just as Ailiya was about to join in, Cornelia suddenly stopped her, "Shh~"
"Huh??"
Ailiya looked puzzled.
"You can cheer for Wang Xu later, but don't cheer for Su Cheng," Cornelia whispered, reminding her.
As a gaming-obsessed e-sports girl, she was trying to harness some inexplicable mystical power.
"Oh."
Although Ailiya didn't fully understand, she nodded in realization.
"Thud~"
"Su Cheng's ninth shot hits the target."
Hearing the commentator's voice, Cornelia quickly turned to Ailiya and urged, "Quick, cheer for this contestant to hit the target!"
"Oh, okay!"
Seeing how serious Cornelia was, Ailiya didn't dare to hesitate. She raised her little fist and excitedly chanted at the screen, "Hit it, hit it~ hit it!"
"Ah. Wang Xu's ninth shot wasn't great; he missed."
Hearing the commentator's words, the two girls exchanged a look of disbelief. Cornelia quickly continued, "When it's Wang Xu's turn later, you just say that Wang Xu's performance is godlike, flawless, and he's definitely going to win!"
"Okay!"
Ailiya, still confused, nodded repeatedly.
"Thud~"
The sound of a hit echoed, accompanied by applause.
"Su Cheng's tenth shot hits the bullseye!"
As the commentator finished speaking, the screen shifted to Wang Xu.
"Quick!"
Cornelia clenched her fists nervously and urged.
Ailiya nodded, raised her little fists, and loudly cheered, "Wang Xu's performance is godlike, flawless, and he's definitely going to win!"
"Missed! Wang Xu's final shot was off; he missed again!"
As the commentator's voice rang out, the two little girls held hands and spun around in circles, clearly overjoyed.
………………………………
"Did I really win by luck?"
After leaving the arena, Su Cheng felt like his victory was inexplicable.
He had thought he was going to lose, but who would have expected his opponent to miss twice in a row?
"Sorry, coach, I made that stupid mistake again."
Wang Xu was talking to an adult at the competitor's seat, his head lowered.
"It's okay, you've improved this time," the coach shook his head. "But I hope you can grow from this experience. We'll try again next year."
"Yes!"
Wang Xu nodded.
He had a fatal flaw: whenever he missed a shot, he would panic. This change in mindset would affect his subsequent performance.
In competitions, even the smallest mental slip could be magnified, eventually leading to a miss.
"Hmm, I see."
Su Cheng, standing nearby, nodded thoughtfully before walking out of the venue.
"Congratulations on making it to the top eight!"
"You're really something; I don't even praise you much anymore."
The club members immediately surrounded Su Cheng as he left.
"It was just luck, really. I basically coasted through," Su Cheng said modestly, then picked up a bottle of water from the table and took a sip.
"Stop saying it's luck! If you can coast into the top eight, you might as well go buy a lottery ticket!"
One of the boys teased.
"Haha."
"I was actually thinking about that earlier."
Su Cheng scratched his head awkwardly, then tossed the water bottle into the trash. "I'm going to change first. You guys go ahead and eat. My classmates are here, so I'll have dinner with them later."
"Don't eat anything weird; it might affect your performance."
"Got it, I'll be careful."
With that, Su Cheng headed to the changing room.
After changing and putting on a mask, he walked out of the gymnasium.
Why the mask?
Because most of the audience outside the gymnasium recognized him.
He didn't want to attract unnecessary attention.
As soon as he stepped outside, he saw six people waiting at the entrance: Wang Guancong and his two companions, along with Li Guanqi and her two friends.
The six of them seemed to have noticed Su Cheng and quickly approached.
"Su Cheng~"
"Su Cheng, you were amazing today!"
Zhao Yan was the first to reach out and greet him.
Meanwhile, Xuan Ying stood to the side, stealing glances at Su Cheng, her cheeks flushed.
As for Li Guanqi?
She stood in the farthest corner, and judging by everyone's reactions, she seemed to have been unconsciously overlooked.
"Sorry to keep you waiting," Su Cheng apologized.
"Don't be so polite! It's an honor for the future champion to have dinner with us tonight. Right, guys?"
Gao Ye joked.
"Right."
"Making it to the top eight was just luck. Champion? That's too much," Su Cheng waved his hand modestly.
"Alright," Chai Hao said, then glanced around. "Let's go. There are six of us, so we can fit at one table. I've already reserved a spot and ordered the food."
"Wait, seven!"
Su Cheng's gaze shifted to the corner where Li Guanqi stood, and only then did the others realize they had forgotten her.
Li Guanqi remained expressionless, seemingly unbothered by being overlooked.
As long as one person remembered her, that was enough. Her gaze was fixed solely on that one person.
"Oops, my bad memory," Gao Ye patted his mouth, looking genuinely remorseful.
"Let's go eat."
"Yeah, let's eat."
Everyone chimed in agreement.
.................
The meal didn't last long, but it was exceptionally lively.
Su Cheng had to leave early to prepare for his next match, and Li Guanqi followed him out.
As night approached, the area around the gymnasium was bustling with small stalls, with many spectators buying souvenirs and enjoying the atmosphere.
Just as Su Cheng was about to put on his mask, Li Guanqi suddenly stepped closer and reached out to wipe a grain of rice from his chin. "Did you eat enough?"
"Huh?!"
Su Cheng was startled, then realized what she had done and thanked her, "Thanks, I'm full."
"Are you heading back to the gym now?"
"Well…"
After putting on his mask, Su Cheng glanced around at the various stalls and suggested, "How about we take a walk and relax a bit?"
"Okay."
Li Guanqi nodded and raised a pale hand, signaling for Su Cheng to hold it.
Without hesitation—given the crowd around them—Su Cheng reached out and took her wrist.
Li Guanqi smoothly adjusted her grip, intertwining their fingers, and the two of them walked forward slowly.
As they passed by a shooting game stall—where players used toy bows to pop balloons and win plush toys—Li Guanqi stopped.
Su Cheng noticed and paused as well.
"What's up?"
"This."
Li Guanqi pointed at a blue plush toy on the shelf, her expression as calm as ever.
Su Cheng was slightly taken aback but followed her gaze. "You like the blue cat?"
"Yes. He has lots of magical gadgets," Li Guanqi nodded.
Her eyes sparkled, reflecting only Su Cheng in her pupils.
Seeing his own reflection in her eyes, Su Cheng felt a flutter in his chest. He coughed lightly, trying to appear composed, and said, "Leave it to me."
After negotiating with the stall owner—who said he needed to pop nine balloons to win the blue cat—Su Cheng paid and started shooting.
Li Guanqi stood quietly by his side, watching.
As a national top-eight archer, Su Cheng easily popped nine balloons and received the blue cat from the owner.
"Here you go."
Su Cheng handed the plush toy to Li Guanqi.
"Thank you."
Li Guanqi took the blue cat, cradling it with one arm while extending her other hand to signal they could keep walking.
However, Su Cheng turned his head and stared at the pile of plush toys on the counter, swallowing hard.
He wanted to stock up.
After spending fifty thousand on archery lessons, why not put his skills to good use?
And so—
A little over ten minutes later,
Under the pained, tearless expression of the boss, Su Cheng walked toward the audience seats, one hand carrying a woven plastic bag and the other holding a small hand.
Su Cheng placed the bag on the seat and said, "Consider these as small gifts, a token of my appreciation. Please pass them on to them later."
"Got it," Li Guanqi, who was holding a blue plush toy, nodded. He glanced at Su Cheng, then at the bag.
"Alright, I’m off to prepare for the competition," Su Cheng said with a smile before turning to head toward the venue.
"Wait."
"What is it?"
Li Guanqi brought his hand to the corner of his mouth, tracing a crescent moon shape with his finger before finally speaking softly, "Good luck!"
Su Cheng froze in place.
"Does it look bad?"
Li Guanqi lowered his hand, his tone tinged with nervousness.
"No, no, it’s beautiful!"
Su Cheng shook her head vigorously like a rattle drum, then added seriously, "If anyone says it looks bad, I’ll take them down!"
(PS: I was planning to finish writing about the competition during the day today, but something unexpected came up, so I couldn’t manage three updates. I’ll make up for it tomorrow with three updates.)