Night
Su Cheng returned home and was busy at his desk, meticulously planning:
First: How to find the Ji Family and gain entry?
Second: How to approach the steward unnoticed, control him, and uncover the truth behind this matter?
Su Cheng's mind raced as he chugged a bottle of Six Walnuts, though unfortunately, no spark of wisdom shone in his eyes.
"Can the Ji Family be found on the map?"
Su Cheng pulled out his phone and searched on a map app, but to no avail. He had no choice but to continue drinking Six Walnuts.
After some guidance from Li Guanqi earlier that day, Su Cheng finally pieced things together.
From his previous interactions with the master and servant duo, he learned that the stewards never accompanied Ji Qingyi to school. Therefore, he had to visit the Ji Family himself to find one and use a tool to extract the information he needed.
Moreover, he felt that if he could use cigarettes to control the head steward, he could uncover the reason behind the quarrel between the master and servant.
However, since this mission was highly dangerous, he decided to go alone and didn't inform Li Guanqi about his subsequent actions.
After all, the stewards of the Ji Family were incredibly powerful, even armed with guns. Su Cheng didn’t want to take such a risk.
"That's it, then."
Su Cheng looked at the fragmented yet feasible plans scribbled in his notebook, contemplating how to execute them.
……
……
……………………
Su Cheng waited until nightfall, when the sky was completely dark, before leaving his home with Yaya.
Dressed neatly, he walked down the street under the glow of the streetlights, the bustling city now eerily quiet.
Yaya hovered above his head, its black feathers blending seamlessly into the darkness.
Soon, near a park, Su Cheng found the dog he wanted to meet.
It was a tall, yellow, mixed-breed dog, larger than the average canine.
Su Cheng approached and stroked the dog's back, and it lay down obediently, allowing him to pet it.
"Let's go. I need your help with something. If you succeed, I’ll treat you to a big chicken leg!"
Su Cheng crouched down, patted the dog’s head, and spoke.
The dog, named Da Huang, seemed to understand. It immediately raised its head, looked at Su Cheng with its big eyes, and nodded in agreement.
Then, Su Cheng stood up, pulled the hood of his black hoodie over his head, and walked into the darkness with Da Huang on his left and Yaya perched on his right arm.
This scene could be described with a line of poetry:
"Su Cheng, in a youthful fervor, led Da Huang with his left hand and held Yaya with his right, clad in a black hoodie, charging into the night like a thousand riders sweeping across the plains."
This line captured the grandeur of the moment, showcasing Su Cheng's bold and heroic spirit. The word "fervor" expressed the robust and unrestrained energy in his heart, painting a vivid image of Su Cheng's spirited demeanor and his passionate approach to life.
Much later
………………
Su Cheng's Home
He stood on the balcony, while Yaya and Da Huang lay quietly on the ground in front of him.
"Tomorrow, wait at the school gate for a car with this scent to appear."
Su Cheng then took out a gift box Ji Qingyi had given him from his system and let Da Huang sniff it.
Da Huang seemed to catch the faint, deep fragrance and nodded.
Although Da Huang wasn’t as smart as Yaya, it was still more intelligent than the average dog, having been intimidated by Su Cheng's piercing gaze. Su Cheng had high hopes for Da Huang.
After all, a dog's sense of smell is at least a thousand times stronger than a human's.
This ability had to be put to good use.
Having Da Huang directly search for the Ji Family wasn’t realistic.
The Ji Family was undoubtedly far away, likely outside the city.
In fact, Su Cheng wasn’t entirely sure if Da Huang understood.
But it was worth a try.
So, he continued, "Did you understand?"
Da Huang tilted its head, seemingly pondering the question, then sniffed again, nodded, and shook its head.
It seemed to indicate that it understood but wasn’t sure what to do.
"Huh? Are you saying you understood what I said?"
Su Cheng pointed to his mouth, surprised.
Da Huang nodded its head, confirming this.
Su Cheng smiled in relief, patted Da Huang's head, and said, "Good. Tomorrow morning, follow Yaya to the school gate and wait there."
As he spoke, he pointed at Yaya. Da Huang seemed to half-understand, nodding and sniffing Yaya, who took a few steps to the side, clearly annoyed by the strange behavior.
Seeing this, Su Cheng turned back to Da Huang and said, "Tomorrow, just follow Yaya and wait at the gate. When you smell that scent, bark once."
"And you…"
Su Cheng looked at Yaya, who immediately raised its head, waiting for further instructions.
"After it barks…"
Su Cheng took out a pair of glasses, removed the GPS tracker from them, and placed it in Yaya's beak.
Yaya immediately clamped down on it.
"When the person in the car gets out and leaves, find a way to attach this to the underside of the car. The only thing you need to remember is: focus on the car, not the woman."
Su Cheng instructed.
Yaya nodded.
"Understood?"
Su Cheng asked again.
Yaya nodded firmly.
Da Huang also nodded.
Su Cheng nodded in satisfaction, patted both Yaya and Da Huang, and took out an alarm clock.
"Tomorrow morning, when this alarm goes off, you two set out together!"
Seeing the two animals nod again, Su Cheng left them with the alarm clock and a pile of snacks before heading inside to sleep.
The night passed uneventfully.
.....................
The Next Morning
Su Cheng woke up early and went to the balcony to find that Da Huang and Yaya had already set off.
He couldn’t help but smile in satisfaction.
This plan had been thoroughly thought out. With Da Huang's sense of smell and Yaya's skills, their combined efforts should lead to success.
As for why he didn’t go himself?
Ji Qingyi was far too perceptive of others' gazes. Like the last time he took Yaya to the equestrian club, Ji Qingyi had noticed immediately.
Coupled with her ability to read micro-expressions, if she sensed his presence nearby, she would surely pick up on his scheming.
So, to be safe, he had to send Yaya and Da Huang instead.
Ji Qingyi didn’t know Da Huang.
And could she really read a dog’s expressions?
As for Yaya, being a harmless crow, it could even plant the tracker under the driver's nose.
Besides, why waste energy going himself when he had minions to do the work?
Of course, there were risks, but sending the two animals minimized them.
"Everything should go smoothly, right?"
Su Cheng stood on the balcony, watching one fly and the other run below, murmuring to himself.
After breakfast, he returned to his room and meticulously checked the bulletproof vest, ensuring Gu Ruoxue hadn’t left any clues behind before storing it in his system space.
He left home and headed to school.
Although someone had gifted him an expensive-looking bicycle, he chose to ride his old, modest one instead.
If something wasn’t broken, he wouldn’t replace it. Plus, using a gift right away seemed too eager!
So, he stored all the gifts from his classmates in his system space to avoid collecting dust.
As he rode his bike, his thoughts kept drifting to Gu Ruoxue.
This woman was enigmatic and unfathomable, like a fog shrouding his heart.
But he believed that one day, he would uncover the truth and pull her out of the mist.
He believed it.
However, he first needed to deal with the immediate trouble.
"I’ll visit the Social Practice Club at noon."
Su Cheng tightened his grip on the handlebars and pedaled faster.
Gu Ruoxue had given him a bulletproof vest for his birthday, and now he needed one for his trip to the Ji Family.
What a coincidence!
There’s no way it’s just a coincidence!
He trusted his instincts—Gu Ruoxue’s special ability must involve some form of foresight or prophecy.
Wait, she could also read minds!
Thinking about it now, it was terrifying.
And since she knew he was going to the Ji Family, perhaps seeking her out could yield some assistance.
So, he decided to visit her at noon.
…………………………
Class 1-2
The class was still discussing Su Cheng’s birthday from the previous week.
“That girl who looks like an angel, she’s so beautiful. I couldn’t even look at her directly back then. It felt like she was a celestial being who had accidentally wandered into the mortal world,” one boy said.
Another girl chimed in, “I agree. Her aura is just so pure. I feel like I’d be the happiest person alive if I could be friends with her.”
“But, speaking of which, who’s going to ask Su Cheng about her later? Maybe get her contact info or something. I really want to get to know her. I almost couldn’t resist pinching her adorable cheeks back then,” another girl added.
The other two immediately rolled their eyes, looking at her as if she were an idiot.
“Seems like the boys are also talking about that girl,” one of the girls said, glancing toward where Wang Guancong and the others were standing. She continued, “I bet they’re even more interested in her than we are.”
“Yeah, that makes sense,” another replied.
“What are you all talking about?”
Just then, Wang Guancong noticed everyone’s gaze and his voice suddenly cut through the chatter. The group immediately fell silent, all eyes turning to him.
Wang Guancong and Gao Ye walked over to the group, looking around and noticing the girls staring at them. He couldn’t help but ask, “What’s going on? Why do I feel like I’ve committed some kind of crime?”
“Haha, no crime here! We’re just as curious as you are about that girl from last week,” one of the girls said, taking the lead. She then looked at Wang Guancong and asked, “Could you go ask Su Cheng about her later? That girl is just too adorable!”
“I want to ask too.”
“Me too.”
“Same here.”
“I have a friend who also wants to know.”
At that moment, Wang Guancong felt the weight of responsibility settling heavily on his shoulders.
....................................
Meanwhile, Xuan Ying was staring intently at the classroom door, eagerly waiting for a certain figure to appear.
Since she had gifted Su Cheng a pair of headphones for his birthday, she was really hoping to see him wearing them today. That would make her feel completely fulfilled.
She wanted her gift to be something Su Cheng truly liked.
However, Su Cheng was unusually late today, and the chatter around her began to seep into her ears.
“That angel-like girl from last week?”
Suddenly, as if remembering something, she grew anxious and quickly pulled out her phone, unlocking the screen.
Her phone’s wallpaper immediately came into view.
She looked at the screen, which displayed a group photo from last week’s birthday celebration. Even though she had been standing far from Su Cheng in the photo, she was still very satisfied with it.
In the photo, Su Cheng’s smile was radiant and gentle—a smile she felt was worth protecting.
What’s more, in the group photo, almost everyone was looking at the camera, but she had slightly turned her head, gazing at Su Cheng’s profile.
Looking at her own unusual behavior in the photo, her cheeks flushed with a mix of embarrassment and shyness.
“Wait!”
Soon, her eyes shifted to the face of a cute girl standing next to Li Guanqi, and her frown deepened.
Who was this girl? What was her relationship with Su Cheng?
And why was she standing next to Li Guanqi?
Did Li Guanqi know her too?
As she fell deep into thought, a blonde girl beside her leaned in and asked, “What are you looking at?”
Hearing this, Xuan Ying quickly put her phone away and shook her head. “Nothing, just thinking about who that girl in white is.”
“The girl in white?”
Zhao Yan, the blonde girl, tilted her head in confusion before suddenly realizing. “Oh! So you’re curious about her too. Why don’t you go ask Li Guanqi?”
With that, Zhao Yan turned her head toward a corner of the classroom where a black-haired girl with long, straight hair was sitting alone, quietly reading a book.
Following Zhao Yan’s gaze, Xuan Ying also looked toward the corner and noticed the girl, who seemed completely absorbed in her book, oblivious to the ongoing conversation.
But then again, most of the class tended to ignore her presence. However, Zhao Yan and Xuan Ying, for various reasons, paid more attention to her.
“I’d advise you not to dig too deep into this matter.”
Just as Xuan Ying was hesitating, Xu Tianyi, who was sitting nearby, suddenly spoke up. Her expression was serious, almost solemn.
“Why? Do you know who she is?” Xuan Ying asked, her face full of curiosity.
Zhao Yan also looked at Xu Tianyi with a puzzled expression.
The two girls exchanged a glance and then moved closer to Xu Tianyi’s seat.
Xu Tianyi’s expression remained grave. “Her measurements match those of another person in the school. They might be the same person.”
“Huh?”
Xuan Ying gasped, then quickly covered her mouth. She and Zhao Yan leaned in closer, whispering, “Who is it?”
Zhao Yan also perked up her ears, eager to find out who it could be. After all, if such a girl existed in their school, how could she have remained unknown?
In the next moment, Zhao Yan’s expression changed, as if she had realized something.
“Tell me, I promise I won’t tell anyone,” Xuan Ying insisted, using her best pleading skills as she tugged on Xu Tianyi’s arm.
However, Xu Tianyi simply shook her head, smiling without saying a word, her eyes fixed on Zhao Yan, who looked stunned. Clearly, she had no intention of revealing the secret herself and was waiting for Zhao Yan to do it.
Seeing this, Xuan Ying could only sigh and let go of Xu Tianyi’s arm. At that moment, Zhao Yan leaned in and whispered two words into her ear.
In an instant, Xuan Ying froze, her face filled with shock.
“Really?” Xuan Ying asked Zhao Yan, her voice trembling. “Are you sure? Is it true?”
“It’s possible.”
Zhao Yan nodded, then shook her head, indicating that she wasn’t entirely sure. After all, the idea was too unbelievable, and even she found it hard to accept.
The two girls had completely different auras and personalities.
Seeing Zhao Yan’s reaction, Xuan Ying swallowed hard.
No matter what, this was a huge deal.
“If Su Cheng is willing to give me her contact info, I’ll definitely go all out to pursue her!”
Suddenly, Chai Hao, a boy from the neighboring class, declared, his eyes shining with fervor as he looked at the photo of Li Zhaohao. “She’s like the girl of my dreams!”
Xuan Ying and Zhao Yan turned to look at him, their eyes filled with pity, as if they thought he was delusional.
But just then, Su Cheng walked into the classroom. The moment everyone noticed him, the room fell silent for a second. Then, Wang Guancong and a few others rushed over, surrounding Su Cheng.
The rest of the class also perked up, straining their ears to catch every word of Su Cheng’s response, not wanting to miss a single detail.
However, Xuan Ying’s eyes were filled with disappointment. Su Cheng wasn’t wearing the headphones she had gifted him, which left her feeling deeply disheartened.
Hoping to regain some of her happiness, she held her breath and glanced at Su Cheng’s wrist…
But what she saw—
It felt as if the sound of her heart breaking echoed throughout the entire classroom.
The small hair tie that Su Cheng always wore on his wrist was gone!!!