Gu Ruoxue stood between the two girls, her usual long black straight hair now neatly tied up with a red headband. Without her school uniform, she looked effortlessly casual yet exuded a distinct sense of independence and fashion, making it hard for anyone to look away.
**Holiday Exclusive – Gu Ruoxue**
She seemed to notice Su Cheng’s gaze and turned to meet his eyes, which were filled with surprise. Then, she gave a radiant smile, as warm as spring sunshine.
Su Cheng was instantly thrown off balance. That smile rendered him speechless, like he had forgotten how to breathe. For the first time, he realized the sheer power of a smile.
In the next moment, he averted his gaze, turned away, and took out a coin to play the claw machine. He had no intention of going over to say hello. After all, he and Gu Ruoxue weren’t close at all.
Even if he did approach, it would only lead to awkwardness, and with three women, it was bound to become a scene. He wasn’t interested in joining the chaos.
Probably after a brief greeting, this "enigmatic woman" would leave anyway.
So, he decided to focus on the claw machine.
But just as he was about to insert the coin, Li Zhaohao’s sweet voice suddenly reached his ears: "What are you going to grab?"
"Ah? Oh!" Su Cheng snapped back to reality and glanced at Li Zhaohao, who was standing to his right. Feeling a bit flustered, he replied, "Just planning to grab something random."
"Then go for this one." Li Guanqi, on the left, pointed to a round, black-and-white fuzzy creature inside the machine.
However, the panda toy was buried deep inside, making it extremely difficult to catch.
"Okay."
Su Cheng’s eyes lit up at the suggestion. With a goal in mind, he quickly inserted the coin. But as soon as he did, he looked up to see that Gu Ruoxue, who had been watching Li Guanqi, had now turned her gaze toward him. The expression in her eyes was something he couldn’t quite accept.
There was a subtle hint of dissatisfaction…
"We just happened to run into Senior Gu Ruoxue, and she was also here to play the claw machine, so we decided to play together."
Li Guanqi noticed Su Cheng’s odd reaction and explained.
"Oh."
Su Cheng nodded awkwardly, but inside, he felt uneasy.
Playing the claw machine seemed so out of character for someone like Gu Ruoxue.
"That panda, I’ve tried over a dozen times last week and still couldn’t get it."
Li Zhaohao pointed to the black-and-white toy.
This panda toy was exclusive to this machine and was a limited edition, making it rare and precious, hence piled at the bottom.
Su Cheng glanced at Gu Ruoxue again. Her expression remained composed, but her gaze was also fixed on the panda toy, indicating her interest.
He quickly looked away, lowered his head, and dropped the coin. The claw moved swiftly and grasped one of the panda’s arms.
At the same time, the three girls’ eyes were all focused on the panda toy, and Su Cheng felt his hands trembling under the pressure.
The psychological burden was too much. He didn’t want to embarrass himself. Despite being on the verge of nervous tension, his hands remained steady.
Unfortunately, the claw was entirely devoid of any strength.
There was no way it could lift the toy.
So, he failed.
"Hmm? The claw has no grip at all."
Li Guanqi noticed the feeble grip and frowned slightly, saying, "How is that even possible to catch anything?"
"Yeah, this machine is the hardest among all, and the prizes inside are the best. Plus, you can’t flick the claw."
Li Zhaohao nodded, explaining seriously.
"So does that mean… it’s impossible to grab it?"
Li Guanqi’s eyebrows tightened into a frown.
"According to my observations, this machine offers a strong grip chance once every 200 coins."
Gu Ruoxue suddenly shared this piece of information, shocking everyone.
Su Cheng stared at Gu Ruoxue in astonishment. How many times had she played to figure out something like this so precisely?
"Senior Gu, that’s a bit excessive, isn’t it?"
Li Guanqi couldn’t help but comment. Not to mention the money, just the time spent was enough to make one frustrated.
"So it all comes down to luck?"
Li Zhaohao asked, her adorable face showing disappointment.
Gu Ruoxue nodded slightly and then looked at Su Cheng: "Junior Su seems to have had good luck recently, why not try again?"
Li Guanqi glanced at Gu Ruoxue and then at Su Cheng, who was ready to insert another coin. A sigh escaped her. It was clear that these two had shared many experiences, though only Gu Ruoxue seemed to know the full story.
If what Su Cheng said about his spirit travel was true, then Gu Ruoxue wouldn’t be reacting this way, nor would she have invited Su Cheng to join the club.
And she certainly wouldn’t say something like that.
"Luck? I don’t think I’m particularly lucky though."
Su Cheng shook his head, then picked up another coin and inserted it.
This time, the claw was still powerless, failing to grasp the panda toy, so he had to give up.
After all, such things couldn’t be forced.
Didn’t Gu Ruoxue explain the probability clearly?
How could he force it?
So, he decided to concede.
"Senior Gu, sorry, it seems my luck isn’t good today."
Su Cheng’s expression showed a hint of embarrassment.
Gu Ruoxue, however, didn’t show any surprise. Instead, she continued, "Is that so? Even if you don’t feel lucky now, maybe your luck will change later."
"Huh?"
Su Cheng was puzzled. There was something deeper in her words. She was playing the enigmatic game again.
Li Guanqi also looked at Gu Ruoxue curiously, sensing that she was hinting at something.
"Let me try."
At that moment, Li Zhaohao took out a coin and dropped it into the machine, starting to control the claw to grab the panda.
"No, I have to call out this enigmatic lady!"
Repeatedly subjected to Gu Ruoxue’s cryptic remarks, Su Cheng couldn’t take it anymore. If he didn’t put a stop to it, she would keep doing this every day.
So, after glancing at Li Zhaohao, who was playing, and then at Gu Ruoxue, he clenched his teeth and made a decision. He would let Li Zhaohao grab it out.
Therefore, he said, "I’m going to the restroom."
Su Cheng finished speaking and hurried away.
Li Guanqi, Gu Ruoxue, and Li Zhaohao were left by the claw machine.
Gu Ruoxue thoughtfully watched Su Cheng’s retreating figure for a moment before finally looking away.
"Senior Gu, do you know Su Cheng from before?"
Li Guanqi cautiously probed.
"Yes."
At this, Li Guanqi pondered for a while before asking, "Then you must be quite familiar with him. Could you tell me something about Su Cheng?"
As she spoke, she kept her eyes on Gu Ruoxue’s face, observing her expressions.
However, Gu Ruoxue’s beautiful face remained calm, like a still lake, giving no hints to her thoughts.
She then met Li Guanqi’s expectant gaze and slowly shook her head.
Li Guanqi’s face fell, clearly disappointed.
"I promised to keep it a secret. So, sorry."
Gu Ruoxue added, her words feeling like a sharp knife, cutting off any remaining hopes in Li Guanqi’s mind.
Because the person she promised, most likely, was none other than Su Cheng himself.
Sighing quietly, she finally nodded, "I understand."