Maintaining Friendship: Su Cheng

"Ding ling ling~"

A crisp and pleasant school bell suddenly rang, snapping everyone back to reality. They stopped crowding around Su Cheng and quickly returned to their seats, ready to start class.

Just as Su Cheng let out a sigh of relief and sat down in his seat, Wang Guancong, who sat behind him, poked his waist with a pen: "Do you have her contact info?"

"I don't," Su Cheng replied honestly, turning slightly to face him. He really didn’t have Li Zhaohao’s number.

"Really? You’re kidding, right?" Wang Guancong looked at him with suspicion, his eyes filled with doubt.

"No, I really don’t," Su Cheng insisted, maintaining eye contact.

"Then how did she get here?" Wang Guancong frowned, lost in thought as he tried to recall the details.

After a long pause...

"Ah, I remember now. She was with Li Guanqi at the time."

Wang Guancong pulled out his phone and looked at a photo of the girl standing next to Li Guanqi. It suddenly clicked for him: "But..."

He turned his gaze toward the corner where Li Guanqi, with her long black hair, was quietly flipping through a book, her expression unreadable. For some reason, she seemed almost ghostly, exuding an eerie coldness that sent shivers down his spine.

He shrank back slightly, then knelt on his chair, leaning closer to Su Cheng’s ear to whisper, "I’ve been around her before, but why do I always end up forgetting about her?"

Hearing this, Su Cheng immediately understood what he was referring to—the time during the archery competition when everyone had come to cheer for him.

Su Cheng explained, "She just doesn’t like drawing attention to herself. Most of the time, she stays quietly in the corner."

Wang Guancong was momentarily stunned, but then his curiosity got the better of him. With a mischievous grin, he said, "You seem to know her pretty well. Are you two dating? You seem really close."

Su Cheng sighed and quickly changed the subject: "I told everyone, she doesn’t want to give out her contact info. Even I don’t have it."

After saying this, Su Cheng turned to look out the window.

Wang Guancong glanced at Su Cheng, then at Li Guanqi, and finally sighed as well. He looked at the other curious classmates and shook his head regretfully, indicating that he hadn’t gotten what he wanted.

Seeing that he had successfully dodged the topic, Su Cheng secretly breathed a sigh of relief. He then glanced back at Wang Guancong, his eyes betraying a hint of guilt.

It wasn’t that he didn’t want to explain, but even if he did, Wang Guancong might not believe him. Plus, it could cause unnecessary commotion and trouble for Li Zhaohao.

So, he figured it was better to just make up an excuse and move on.

At that moment, the teacher walked in, and Su Cheng turned his attention to the front of the class, ready to focus on the lesson.

However, out of the corner of his eye, Su Cheng noticed something strange. Xuan Ying was staring at her right hand, her eyes red and teary, as if she were on the verge of crying.

She noticed his gaze and immediately buried her face in her arms on the desk, silently sobbing, her shoulders trembling.

"What’s going on?"

Su Cheng muttered to himself, then instinctively looked down at his own wrist. His eyes widened in shock.

The hair tie was gone!!!

Where’s my hair tie?

Su Cheng was completely baffled. He quickly looked around on the floor, trying to find it.

Suddenly, his face froze.

He remembered—he had put the hair tie away himself.

He glanced at Xuan Ying, who was still slumped over her desk, and frowned. He knew he had to do something...

This reminded him of the wish he had made on his birthday a few days ago.

Happiness for himself?

That felt selfish.

So, he hadn’t wished for that. Instead, he had wished for something bigger—for everyone who had celebrated his birthday to be happy.

That was his true wish!!!

So, as he looked at Xuan Ying, he wondered how he could help her find happiness and joy.

At that moment, Su Cheng was deep in thought, trying to figure out a way to make Xuan Ying feel better.

Then it hit him.

He suddenly remembered that Xuan Ying had been collecting items he used.

"What if I give her back the hair tie she gave me? Would that make her happy?"

Su Cheng thought to himself, quickly deciding that this was the way to go.

He glanced around to make sure no one was watching, then reached into his desk and pulled out a small gift box where he kept the hair ties. He opened it and took out all the black hair ties inside.

Unbeknownst to him, Li Guanqi, sitting in the corner of the classroom, had been watching him the entire time.

"This is going to be tricky."

Su Cheng frowned as he looked at the handful of black hair ties in his hand. He couldn’t remember which one was Xuan Ying’s.

So, he decided to rely on his sense of smell to figure it out...

"This one’s Li Guanqi’s..."

Su Cheng sniffed one of the hair ties and nodded seriously. Although the scent was faint, he could still tell.

He put that one back in the box.

"Hmm... this one’s the club president’s."

He eliminated another hair tie, leaving only one—Xuan Ying’s.

Su Cheng held the last hair tie, his eyes narrowing slightly as a look of anticipation crossed his face. He could almost picture Xuan Ying’s happy smile.

However, this bizarre and slightly creepy scene didn’t go unnoticed by Li Guanqi. Her lips pressed into a thin line, and her brows furrowed slightly as she glanced at his wrist, then at Xuan Ying, who Su Cheng had been staring at earlier. Her eyes flickered, as if she had already guessed what he was planning.

Just before class ended, Su Cheng took out his phone and messaged Xuan Ying.

"Not a Fan of Oranges: I have something to give you after class. Meet me at the bottom of the stairs."

After sending the message, Su Cheng put his phone away and glanced at Xuan Ying, who was still slumped over her desk, now completely motionless, as if she had fallen asleep.

"Ding ling ling~"

The bell rang, signaling the end of class.

Without hesitation, Su Cheng made an excuse about needing to use the restroom and quickly left the classroom, heading straight for the stairs.

Soon, he arrived at the bottom of the stairs and began to wait.

………………

Meanwhile...

Xuan Ying was still fast asleep.

Zhao Yan, sitting next to her, didn’t disturb her. She understood why Xuan Ying was in such a state.

Honestly, even Zhao Yan felt a little down seeing her like this.

But she wasn’t as bad off as Xuan Ying.

As for why Xuan Ying was like this?

It was because she had finally mustered up the courage to give Su Cheng a hair tie.

Since then, she had been eagerly anticipating and taking pride in the fact that he wore it every day. She had even bragged about it to others.

After all, having someone you like carry something so personal...

But now, he had suddenly stopped wearing it...

"Ah."

Zhao Yan sighed softly, looking at the sleeping Xuan Ying. She gently shook her head, then brushed aside a few strands of her own dazzling golden hair and walked out of the classroom.

After a while, she stood in front of the bathroom mirror, touching up her makeup. Once she was satisfied, she crossed her arms and tilted her head slightly, admiring her cool and beautiful reflection in the mirror. A look of satisfaction and appreciation flashed in her eyes.

Just then, the class bell rang. She smiled faintly and headed back to the classroom.

However, as soon as she stepped out of the bathroom, she unexpectedly saw Su Cheng climbing the stairs.

Their eyes met.

At that moment, a strong gust of wind blew past, lifting her pleated skirt and tousling her hair.

Suddenly, Su Cheng’s eyes widened as he witnessed the unexpected sight, completely devoid of any "divine light." He immediately stopped in his tracks and awkwardly looked away, feeling a headache coming on.

This was going to lead to so much trouble. Even though it was the wind’s fault, the girl would undoubtedly blame him.

He was definitely going to be labeled a pervert.

Zhao Yan quickly pressed down her skirt, her expression a mix of panic and embarrassment. She glanced at him, her cheeks turning slightly red.

However, she quickly regained her composure, though her voice still carried a hint of fluster: "You... you saw that, didn’t you?"

Today, she hadn’t worn safety shorts, so there was no doubt that Su Cheng had seen everything.

"Yeah, I saw it," Su Cheng admitted, taking a deep breath. He looked at Zhao Yan, equally embarrassed. "But I’ve already forgotten about it."

After saying this, he awkwardly scratched the back of his head, secretly cursing his luck: "How did such a cliché scene actually happen? Is the god of comedy messing with me again?"

Upon hearing this, Zhao Yan's breath hitched for a moment.

However, she quickly composed herself, then forced a smile and said, "Since you've forgotten, let's just pretend nothing happened."

Being difficult, willful, or unreasonable wasn't her style.

In fact, she even felt a bit relieved that it was Su Cheng who had seen it. Otherwise, she would have been mortified.

"Mhm."

Su Cheng nodded, somewhat surprised. He felt a sense of relief, having expected some unavoidable entanglement.

But what truly caught him off guard was—

It was white with a bow!

He never expected Zhao Yan, who usually dressed so fashionably and sensually, to be wearing something white—a color symbolizing innocence and purity—and with a bow that added a touch of girlish charm.

Honestly, even lace wouldn't have surprised him...

But this? This was truly unexpected.

Afterward, he walked up the stairs side by side with Zhao Yan, though he didn't notice the panic and awkwardness in her eyes.

"You—" "I—"

They both spoke at the same time, then fell silent, awkwardly staring at each other.

"Ahem... You go first."

In the end, Su Cheng couldn't take the silence anymore and broke it.

"Mhm."

Zhao Yan nodded and said, "Did you notice anything unusual about Xuan Ying today?"

She chose to bring up Xuan Ying to diffuse the awkward atmosphere.

"This."

Su Cheng reached into his pocket and pulled out a small gift box, handing it to Zhao Yan. Before he could explain,

"Oh... Thank you~"

Zhao Yan's eyes widened, her cheeks slightly reddening as she assumed it was an apology gift. She took the box without looking at it and quickly tucked it into her skirt.

Seeing Zhao Yan's serious expression, Su Cheng felt the urge to cry. He had actually intended for her to pass it on to Xuan Ying.

But now, there was no way to explain without making the situation even more awkward.

So, he decided to pretend nothing had happened and said, "Uh... wait a moment."

He turned around, took out another box, placed the small silver hair tie she had given him inside, and handed it to her. "Please give this to Xuan Ying."

"Oh~ Sure."

Zhao Yan's face flushed slightly as she took the box. She now suspected it might be a belated birthday gift, which made her both excited and eager to see what was inside.

"The teacher's here. Let's head to class."

"Okay."

Zhao Yan deliberately placed the gift for Xuan Ying in a different pocket and walked with Su Cheng to the classroom.

Meanwhile, Su Cheng, sitting back in his seat, secretly hoped that Zhao Yan would mix up the gifts and return the hair tie to its rightful owner.

However, Zhao Yan remembered clearly: her gift was in the right pocket, and she would give the one in the left pocket to Xuan Ying.

Su Cheng glanced at Xuan Ying, who was still napping, and then at Zhao Yan, who had just sat down. He couldn't help but worry as he glanced at her skirt.

Just as he looked away, he noticed Li Guanqi in the corner.

She was staring at him with a strange expression.

Their eyes met.

But before that, Su Cheng hadn't realized that Li Guanqi had been watching him all along.

Instinctively, Su Cheng gave her an awkward yet polite smile and nodded in greeting.

However, Li Guanqi seemed to ignore it, continuing to stare at him.

Su Cheng felt a chill run down his spine. He shrunk back, pulled out his phone, and sent her a message: "What's up?"

After a while, Li Guanqi finally replied: "Nothing much. Just curious about what happened yesterday. Did you handle it on your own?"

"...Mhm."

Su Cheng hesitated for a moment before replying, "Yes, I've figured it out. No need to trouble yourself. Thanks for worrying."

Li Guanqi: "But I still want to remind you, if it involves Senior and President Ji, your every move might be under their control. Be careful."

Reading this unsettling message, Su Cheng's heart skipped a beat: What if their goal was to make him react this way? How should he handle it? Should he really follow their plan?

But... if he did...

Should he go to the Ji family after all?

At this moment, Su Cheng fell deep into thought again...

Li Guanqi: "Think carefully before acting. Try to consider the deeper implications. Though I don't know exactly what's going on, I do know that your next move will likely set off a chain of events."

Su Cheng's heart tightened as he read this. But the next second, he sent a smiling emoji and told her he planned to visit the Social Practice Club at noon.

Then, he turned to look out the window.

Da Huang and Ya Ya had already succeeded. All he needed was to wear the glasses tonight to find and enter the Ji family.

"Looks like I'll have to visit Gu Ruoxue at noon. Maybe I can find some clues from her," he thought to himself.

With that, Su Cheng collected his thoughts and focused on the class.

…………………………

Noon

"Ugh, what are you doing?"

Xuan Ying, who had been sleeping all morning, was annoyed when she saw Su Cheng's message on her phone. Just as she was about to go find him, Zhao Yan stopped her.

"No need. I have it with me."

Zhao Yan flashed a mysterious smile and pulled out a small square box from her pocket.

"Ah!"

Xuan Ying gasped. Could this be... an engagement ring?

Without thinking, she snatched the box and eagerly opened it. Inside, a small silver hair tie came into view.

Both of them were stunned...

Isn't this the hair tie I gave him?

Isn't this one of the hair ties Su Cheng wore?

They exchanged glances, their eyes filled with shock and disbelief. "Why would he give this to me?"

Xuan Ying's mouth hung open in disbelief. She picked up the hair tie, sniffed it, and then looked utterly enchanted.

"Hehe... It's his scent. But why would he give me someone else's?"

Xuan Ying was both excited and curious. Unable to resist, she brought it to her nose again, inhaling deeply.

Su Cheng energy replenished.

Zhao Yan was also stunned, but she quickly regained her composure and said calmly, "I don't know. But since he gave it to you, you should treasure it."

However, she suddenly realized what Su Cheng's gift to her must have been.

Without opening it, she knew it was likely Xuan Ying's hair tie!

Why would he do this?

What was the deeper meaning behind it?

After all, Su Cheng didn't know she had secretly given him a hair tie behind Xuan Ying's back.

Could it be to preserve their friendship?!

Zhao Yan was deeply puzzled, but she kept her calm demeanor.

"Do you know whose hair tie this is?"

Xuan Ying, excited and happy, put it on her wrist and continued, "It looks a lot like the one you wore during PE class."

Zhao Yan's face stiffened, and she quickly masked her embarrassment. "It does look similar."

Hearing this, Xuan Ying sniffed the hair tie again, and a faint, familiar scent hit her nose.

Could it be...?

The possibility struck her, and she suddenly looked up at Zhao Yan, then began sniffing her like a dog.

Zhao Yan, startled, tried to back away, but it was too late.

In the next moment, Xuan Ying covered her mouth in shock and exclaimed, "This scent is yours!!"