Monday
After dropping Cornelia off yesterday, Su Cheng used some old materials to make three glutinous rice balls before washing up and going to bed.
As for why he made them?
Well…
His club president still hadn't replied to his messages.
He was starting to wonder if she was really angry with him.
After all, she had invited him, but he had turned her down twice. Maybe this was the first time she had ever invited someone, and if it had hurt her pride, he decided he needed to apologize with a gift.
One for Ji Qingyi.
One for Li Guanqi.
He had told Li Guanqi last time not to bring food, that he would bring some.
And one for Cornelia.
He had promised her last night that he would make one for her, which was why she had happily gone home.
She had arrived full of excitement and left the same way.
"Oh right, the panda plushie too."
Just as he was leaving his bedroom, Su Cheng's eyes landed on the black-and-white stuffed animal on his bedside table, and he remembered he needed to give the toy to Senior Gu Ruoxue.
Grabbing the plushie, he went to the living room, where Yaya was watching a cartoon—the story of the crow drinking water.
He walked over and turned off the TV.
Yaya turned its little head to look at him.
Su Cheng said, "Come with me to school today."
Hearing this, it nodded excitedly, flapping its wings to fly up.
But Su Cheng grabbed it with one hand and pushed it back onto the sofa.
Yaya tilted its head. "???"
He rubbed its head and then continued, "Just stick close to me today and wait for my call."
After giving instructions, he put the plushie in a plastic bag and headed out the door, then hopped on his bicycle and rode to school.
But as soon as he left the house, he slammed on the brakes.
Yaya, seeing him stop, also perched on a nearby telephone pole, watching him.
"Here you go."
Su Cheng took a rice ball out of his school bag and handed it to Cornelia, who was sitting in a private car.
Since Cornelia had intercepted him here, he had to stop and give her the snack.
"What a coincidence to run into you. I won't be polite, then. Thanks."
Cornelia's gaze was fiery as she stared at the box. She reached out, took it, and though her heart was overjoyed, she had to keep her cool.
Why?
Because this clearly looked like a love lunch prepared by a boyfriend for his girlfriend, and at noon, she wouldn't have to go to the cafeteria. She could just eat in the classroom, and her classmates would definitely shower her with envious and jealous looks.
The thought made Cornelia's heart thrill with happiness and excitement, but on the surface, she acted nonchalantly, setting the rice ball box aside.
"I'm off."
Seeing this, Su Cheng rode away on his bicycle.
"Hehe~"
After Su Cheng rode off, Cornelia's face broke into a smile, and she couldn't wait to open the box, grabbing a rice ball and stuffing it in her mouth to taste.
Her eyes then smiled into crescents, her two sharp canines revealing her cute side.
"Hehe... So sweet~"
............
When he arrived at the classroom, Su Cheng scanned the room and found it empty, so he took out another rice ball and put it in Li Guanqi's drawer before heading to his "kingdom" in the corner.
He threw the plushie into his drawer, placed his school bag, and then signaled to Yaya on the tree outside the window to play nearby. After Yaya nodded and hopped around in the tree, looking for bugs, Su Cheng headed toward the bathroom.
Just a few minutes after he left the classroom, a graceful figure appeared at the door. Before entering, she glanced at Su Cheng's seat, then walked to her own. Upon sitting down, she was surprised to find an exquisite box lunch in front of her. Raising an eyebrow, she glanced back at Su Cheng's seat.
This time, she noticed that Su Cheng's drawer had a plastic bag, and from the shape inside, she figured it was the stuffed animal from Saturday.
Then, she opened the lunchbox.
Seeing the contents inside, her eyes lit up with excitement. She picked up one of the rice balls and popped it into her mouth.
"Mmm... So sweet."
The glutinous rice was smooth, soft, and had a subtle sweetness that suited her taste perfectly.
Judging from these clues, she deduced that Su Cheng wouldn't be having lunch with her today.
His earlier-than-usual delivered lunch and the stuffed animal in his drawer led her to conclude that he would be meeting Gu Ruoxue at noon.
A trace of disappointment flickered across her face as she closed the lunchbox, then retrieved her phone from her skirt pocket and turned it on. Her wallpaper, which she normally kept neutral, had been replaced with a photo from last Saturday—a group shot of the three of them.
Soon, Su Cheng returned from the bathroom, his gaze landing on Li Guanqi in the corner.
Li Guanqi noticed his gaze, and their eyes met, each sensing the meaning behind the other's look.
"Are you going to submit the mission today?"
Li Guanqi's tone was calm, yet gentle.
But Su Cheng could sense something more from her words. He paused for a moment before nodding.
At that moment, two figures appeared at the door, one of whom noticed Su Cheng and suddenly approached, draping an arm around Su Cheng's shoulders in a friendly gesture. He patted Su Cheng on the shoulder and whispered in his ear, "Your reputation at school has been getting pretty weird lately."
"Weird?"
Su Cheng pushed Wang Guancong away and looked at him, his expression puzzled. "What do you mean?"
"Yesterday, there was a poll on the school forum."
As soon as Wang Guancong spoke, Gao Ye chimed in beside him, "You were voted the most popular person in elementary and middle school."
"It's just a championship—there are plenty of champions in our school!"
Su Cheng was a bit surprised. He gave a quick apologetic glance towards Li Guanqi before following Wang Guancong to their seats.
"You don't get it—it's all thanks to your club president."
Wang Guancong plopped down next to Su Cheng, and Gao Ye continued, "Rumor has it that you're Ji Qingyi's only friend. And the relationship is said to be particularly good. You know, that's something shocking."
"Yeah, she's always been alone, never close to her classmates, barely even spoken to them. But last week, she walked around so closely with you. Now, a lot of people are curious about you but don't dare to investigate."
Gao Ye added.
"I see..."
Su Cheng suddenly understood but then found it amusing. "But being the most popular doesn't make sense. I'm just an ordinary guy with no status or background."
"Don't sell yourself short—it feels like you're practicing reverse bragging."
Gao Ye shook his head.
"Being friends with Ji Qingyi is enough to put you out of reach for everyone else at school. How many people want to be her friend but lack the courage even to look her in the eye?"
Wang Guancong concluded, then shook his head, continuing seriously, "So, don't act all innocent while enjoying the perks. Do you know what my sister says about you?"
"Your sister?"
Su Cheng recalled the junior high school girl Wang Guancong had mentioned who had been instructed to keep an eye out.
"Look."
Wang Guancong pulled out his phone, showed it to Su Cheng, and said, "Take a look."
Su Cheng glanced at it and was immediately stunned—he was looking at a chat history between Wang Guancong and his sister.
[Wang Guancong]: "Hey sis, why is Su Cheng so popular with the lowerclassmen in our class?"
[Wang Wen]: "My friends say he's this 'Jack of all trades, good at both martial arts and academics,' even the Ji family's young lady is willing to be his friend. So, his character and abilities must be top-notch at school. And on top of that, he's handsome!"
"Wait, what's with starting a sentence with 'my friends'?"
Su Cheng broke into a sweat, feeling that Wang Guancong's sister might be heading down a worrisome path.
"Haha, so you're super popular now, you know."
Seeing Su Cheng's baffled expression, Gao Ye burst into laughter and immediately suggested, "Why don't you join us for lunch today and head down to the lowerclassmen section to feel the vibe?"
"No, thanks."
Su Cheng quickly shook his head, then fell silent. But soon, he raised his head, looking somewhat embarrassed, his eyes carrying subtle complexity.
No wonder girls kept sneaking glances at him on his way to school—it was all thanks to his own club president.
Thinking of this, he turned to look at Li Guanqi in the corner, only to find that her gaze was also fixed on him. He quickly averted his eyes, as Li Guanqi had heard the entire conversation.
"Hey, why is there a panda toy in your drawer?"
At that moment, Wang Guancong, with his sharp eyes, spotted a cute toy in Su Cheng's drawer.
"This one?"
Su Cheng followed Wang Guancong's gaze and noticed the panda in his drawer. He then explained to the two of them, "I'm bringing this for someone else."
"Could it be for your club president?"
Gao Ye exclaimed in surprise, his face filled with gossip.
"You two really get along well, huh?"
Wang Guancong nudged Su Cheng with his shoulder, his eyes brimming with curiosity. He continued, "How did you manage that?"
Spirits of curiosity and gossip were roused, and both Wang Guancong and Gao Ye turned their attention to Su Cheng.
"Not for the club president."
Su Cheng shook his head.
"Then who is it for?"
Gao Ye asked.
Su Cheng honestly divulged and explained, "For Senior Gu, last time I asked her club for a favor, and this is my way of saying thanks."
"What?!"
"Seriously?!"
Both of them were shocked upon hearing this. Wang Guancong even stood up, his face filled with disbelief. "Are you kidding me?"
Seeing Su Cheng nod, he sighed in frustration, shaking his head in disappointment. He then patted Su Cheng on the shoulder and continued, "Even though you're quite popular now, Senior Gu isn't an ordinary person and never accepts gifts from anyone. Your gift is probably going to be in vain."
"Listen to us. Don't bother giving it. Otherwise, I'll feel embarrassed for you."
Gao Ye also voiced his opinion.
"And giving a toy... that's just too..."
Wang Guancong's expression grew even more helpless as he looked at Su Cheng and shook his head again. "Her club has clearly stated that they don't accept gifts from anyone. You're just asking for trouble by doing this."
"Yeah, and if someone else sees this, it could cause a huge misunderstanding."
Gao Ye added.
Su Cheng was taken aback and couldn't help but chuckle wryly.
This felt a bit cliché, so he simply said, "I understand."
After all, if this were a cliché storyline, he should have bet with these two, shocking them out of their minds and forcing them to question their beliefs.
But these two were genuinely concerned for him, and he didn't have the heart to indulge in such a plot.
"That's right!"
Wang Guancong nodded, a satisfied smile spreading across his face. "That's the right attitude!"
……………………
At noon.
The bell signaling the end of class rang.
After confirming that Wang Guancong and Gao Ye had left for the canteen, Su Cheng picked up the toy and headed toward the club building. He was afraid that if Wang Guancong and Gao Ye saw him carrying the toy, they would follow him, leading to another spectacle.
He didn't want to surprise them like that.
It was all about playing it safe.
"I'm going to give the toy to Senior Gu now."
As he passed by Li Guanqi, who was packing her things, he explained briefly.
"Mm."
Li Guanqi replied indifferently, not saying much, as she focused on organizing her stationery to put into her bag.
Su Cheng didn't disturb her further. Carrying the toy, he walked straight toward the club building. After about ten minutes, he arrived at the door of Gu Ruoxue's club, only to find that no one was inside.
He stood at the door, waiting while passing the time by playing on his phone.
Then suddenly, a faint fragrance wafted towards him, and he saw Gu Ruoxue appear before his eyes.
Her strikingly beautiful face remained calm, as if she was not surprised by Su Cheng's presence.
"Senior Gu."
Su Cheng greeted her and quickly opened the plastic bag, revealing the panda toy. Before he could show it completely, she calmly extended her fair, slender hand, stopping him: "Alright, I'll take it. Thank you for your kindness."
Although her expression remained composed, her interest in the toy was evident.
Su Cheng suppressed the strange feeling in his heart and acted as though he hadn't noticed. After all, this person could probably knock him out with a single punch, so he quickly handed the toy over to Gu Ruoxue and said, "Then please take good care of it, Senior."
"Mm."
Gu Ruoxue took the doll and nodded.
"Then, Senior Gu, I'll take my leave first."
Su Cheng said, ready to leave. But at that moment, Gu Ruoxue, in her cold, clear voice, called out to him: "As a token of thanks, stay for a cup of tea before you go."
Gu Ruoxue's offer made Su Cheng pause. He looked at her and nodded, saying, "Alright."
"I have some fresh green tea here. Feel free to try it with me."
Gu Ruoxue pointed to the cabinet behind her, her expression unchanged.
"Thank you, Senior."
Su Cheng didn't hesitate and sat down on a chair. Gu Ruoxue placed the toy on the table and began to prepare the tea. Her skillful movements were almost identical to Su Cheng's.
She placed tea leaves in the pot, boiled the water, and everything was straightforward.
What surprised him, however, was that the cups were no longer the disposable ones from before but rather a new, porcelain mug.
After a while, a cup of hot tea was ready. Gu Ruoxue handed it to Su Cheng, who picked it up and gently sipped.
This was the third time he had tasted tea brewed by Gu Ruoxue herself. The previous two times were with ordinary black tea, using disposable cups. This time, it was green tea served in a new mug.
The club was quiet, with only the sound of Gu Ruoxue typing on her keyboard.
Su Cheng glanced at Gu Ruoxue, who was intently working on club activities, then looked away, finishing the tea in one go and placing the cup on the table.
"Senior, I'll be taking my leave now."
Su Cheng stood up and bid farewell.
Gu Ruoxue gave a barely perceptible nod, then continued with her work.
Su Cheng left without further incident.
After Su Cheng left, Gu Ruoxue's gaze finally shifted from the screen. She looked at Su Cheng's cup, stood up, and then washed it in the sink, placing it back in its usual spot — except this time, there was an extra one.
She then picked up the toy from the plastic bag beside her and took it out.
…………………………
Afterword —
Wang Guancong, Gao Ye, and Chai Hao finished their lunch and walked out of the canteen. As they did, they ran into Gu Ruoxue. Wang Guancong and Gao Ye froze on the spot, their jaws dropping in disbelief when they saw —
Gu Ruoxue walking out of the club building carrying a familiar plastic bag, with a panda toy faintly visible inside.
It truly shocked them all to their core!