Su Cheng Wants to Make a Tough Decision

The two sat down on a nearby bench when Su Cheng suddenly remarked, "You were quite adorable just now."

"Really?"

Li Guanqi tilted her head to look at him, her usually expressionless face appearing oddly endearing.

"It's the kind of cuteness that comes from a contrast in impressions."

Su Cheng nodded approvingly and elaborated, "I'd call this kind of adorable moment 'Awei is dead'—it's a fascinating phenomenon."

"'Awei is dead'?"

"It means being so excited by something cute that you feel like you could die on the spot without regrets."

"If you put it that way..."

Li Guanqi pondered for a moment before nodding in understanding. "Then what about now?"

"'Awei is dead~'"

Watching Li Guanqi revert to her usual composed self, Su Cheng grinned and added, "Please recreate that adorable moment again, thank you!"

"No."

Li Guanqi turned her head away, clearly refusing.

"Alright."

He shrugged regretfully. "So, what were they discussing in the library earlier?"

"They're about to make their move."

Li Guanqi uttered these six words casually, causing Su Cheng to stiffen, his eyes flashing with surprise.

Were they already going to ask him for money?

He wasn’t prepared with a countermeasure yet.

"Tell me in detail what they talked about today."

"Fine."

Li Guanqi nodded and began recounting their conversation.

Rewind two hours earlier.

Xuan Ying had been watching Su Cheng perform magic tricks for Junior Sister William during class today, and it filled her with an overwhelming sense of crisis.

After all, Su Cheng had once confessed to Cornelia, and now the two were sitting together, chatting and laughing...

The thought made Xuan Ying’s heart twist painfully. The moment class ended, she rushed to the library, hoping Sister Qin could devise a strategy for her.

Since Zhao Yan had club activities, she went alone.

The moment she entered the library, Sister Qin took one look at her frantic expression and immediately guessed her thoughts.

"Another complication?"

"How did you know?!"

Sister Qin took a slow sip from her thermos before replying, "You’re practically radiating panic. It’s obvious."

Xuan Ying wrinkled her nose and muttered unhappily, "But the unknown variable you mentioned has appeared. This is a major crisis. Of course I’m worried..."

"Oh?"

Sister Qin seemed surprised and sat up straighter. "Do you know her?"

"Yes."

"Let’s talk in the break room."

Sister Qin picked up her thermos and headed inside. As a currently dull library employee, listening to the drama of these wealthy students was one of the few entertainments in her life.

Xuan Ying hurried after her.

Once inside, Xuan Ying recounted the incident from the lecture hall, emphasizing the words "magic tricks" and "tsundere," hoping Sister Qin could help her come up with a plan.

"Are you sure this girl is a tsundere?"

Sister Qin narrowed her eyes skeptically.

"Yes! She even has a tsundere friend! Birds of a feather flock together!"

Xuan Ying nodded emphatically.

Sister Qin fell into deep thought. After a moment, she looked up at Xuan Ying, her expression grave.

Xuan Ying grew even more uneasy. "Sister Qin, what’s wrong?"

"If she’s truly a tsundere as you say, she wouldn’t dare sit next to Su Cheng under Ji Qingyi’s watch—especially after rejecting him before. A prideful person would never do something so self-contradictory. Unless..."

"Unless?" Xuan Ying pressed.

"Unless they’ve gone through something significant together, and their relationship has reached an intimate level."

Sister Qin’s gaze darkened, her tone serious as she stood and walked to the blackboard, scribbling down a list of names.

Hearing this, Xuan Ying tensed, her breathing growing erratic.

Sure enough, when she looked up, she saw a new name added to the board—Cornelia—even ranked above her.

Xuan Ying clenched her fists.

"Originally a three-way standoff, but now it’s a full-on warring states period!"

Sister Qin sounded almost excited. "How thrilling!"

Xuan Ying’s face paled, her entire body trembling as she stared at the names on the board, as if she could see the girls looking down at her with pity, disdain, and contempt.

She closed her eyes briefly.

None of this... was real.

When she opened them again, her gaze was resolute. "Sister Qin, help me. What should I do?"

"She’s just a half-tamed tsundere."

Sister Qin patted her shoulder reassuringly but smirked. "With a little maneuvering, I can make Su Cheng’s fondness for her plummet into the negatives."

"Really?"

Xuan Ying brightened, then hesitated. "You’re not planning anything underhanded again, are you?"

"Of course not," Sister Qin scoffed. "A mere tsundere? A few well-placed obstacles will be enough to make her 'fall from grace.'"

Xuan Ying relaxed slightly.

"Still, this tsundere might be useful."

Sister Qin mused. "Given her boldness in sitting next to Su Cheng despite Ji Qingyi, she must have some leverage. You should get close to her first and figure out what it is. Then I can devise a proper plan..."

"Ugh, why do I always overlook the important details?!"

Xuan Ying groaned, clutching her head.

"Enough. The plan I made for you earlier needs to be executed as soon as possible. No more hesitation!"

Xuan Ying bit her lip. "But... this is really embarrassing..."

Asking Su Cheng for money and then pretending to forget to pay him back—it was just too shameless.

"You need to shed your shame, or you’ll end up a black-haired loser!"

"But what if he starts hating me for not paying him back?"

Sister Qin glared at her. "Psychological studies show that emotions under external stimuli tend to polarize—what I call the 'pendulum effect.' In simple terms, emotions can easily swing to the opposite extreme. Hate can turn into love!"

"Hate into love?"

Xuan Ying gasped. "So he’d actually hate me first?"

"Obviously. A reserved guy like him would never ask you to repay him outright. And you can keep inviting him out—he won’t refuse, thinking you’ll eventually pay him back."

Sister Qin smirked. "Every time you go on a 'date' without repaying him, his resentment grows. The more he dwells on it, the wider the pendulum swings, intensifying the reversal—what people call 'the opposite of love is not hate, but indifference.' When the time is right, just hand him your bank card to wrap things up."

"Then... how much should I borrow from him?"

Hearing this, Xuan Ying couldn't hold back her question any longer.

"Two hundred and fifty thousand."

Sister Qin extended two fingers and said calmly.

Xuan Ying's mouth fell open. She shook her head and stammered, "Are you crazy? He’s just an ordinary student. How could he possibly have that much saved up?"

"You forgot about the five hundred thousand he had last time in the parking lot. Half of that is exactly this amount," Sister Qin explained slowly. "Only then will your plan succeed."

Suddenly, as Xuan Ying fell into hesitation, the school bell rang, signaling the end of club activities. She managed to calm her thoughts for the moment, deciding to go home and think it over.

"I’ll go home and think about it. I’m heading back now."

She waved at Sister Qin and turned to leave.

"Wait a moment. I’m off work too. Let’s walk out of the school together. I’m telling you, it’s best to act now. I guarantee you’ll get to hug Su Cheng!"

………………………………………………

Upon hearing Li Guanqi’s account, Su Cheng was utterly shocked.

He turned to look at Li Guanqi beside him and couldn’t help but exclaim, "If there’s Guanqi, why must there be Sister Qin?"

He hadn’t expected Li Guanqi to have overheard everything and even revealed the truth to him. Now, their plan was doomed before it even began.

"Alright, let’s go home."

Since he’d learned about this in advance, he could prepare countermeasures.

If Xuan Ying dared to come, he’d make sure she lost more than she bargained for!

"Seems like you already know what to do."

Li Guanqi stood up from her chair and straightened her school uniform, showing no intention of pressing him for details about his plan.

She knew Su Cheng would tell her eventually.

"Yeah," Su Cheng nodded with a chuckle, walking over to his bicycle. "If she asks to borrow money, I’ll just tell her she doesn’t have to pay it back."

"Huh?"

Li Guanqi blinked in confusion.

"What I mean is," Su Cheng shrugged, "that’ll make her efforts pointless. If it’s useless, she’ll definitely return the money right away."

"...That’s a bit strange, but not a bad idea."

Li Guanqi nodded in agreement, but then added, "But what if Sister Qin brainwashes her into thinking you’re just being polite? It might backfire."

"True. I only have two hundred and fifty thousand. If I lose it, it’ll really affect my life."

Su Cheng stopped walking, a thoughtful expression on his face.

Seeing his joking demeanor, Li Guanqi traced a faint smile on her usually expressionless face. "Don’t worry. I can give you all my savings."

Su Cheng raised an eyebrow, amused and curious. "How much do you have saved up?"

"Hmm…"

Li Guanqi frowned, trying to recall. "Well, since I don’t spend much, my New Year’s money and allowance over the years add up to about ten million."

"WHAT?!"

Su Cheng’s jaw nearly hit the ground.

Li Guanqi’s savings exceeded ten million?!

What kind of rich girl was this?!

He suddenly felt like clinging to her leg for life!

At this moment, Su Cheng couldn’t help but blurt out, "You have THAT much money?!"

Truly, the world of rich kids was beyond his comprehension~

However, what shocked Su Cheng even more was yet to come.

Hearing his exclamation, Li Guanqi tilted her head slightly, as if this were the most ordinary thing in the world, and said calmly, "It’s nothing compared to your Club President Ji Qingyi."

"Cough—"

Su Cheng choked and coughed violently before managing to say, "Let’s not talk about this anymore. By the way, are you going shopping with them this weekend?"

"Yeah."

"Saturday or Sunday?"

"Sunday."

Su Cheng stiffened—because his trip to the peach orchard with the two girls was also on Sunday. His mind immediately conjured up some absurd, comedic scenario.

But he quickly dismissed the thought. After all, how could a shopping trip possibly lead them to the peach orchard?

Meanwhile, Li Guanqi seemed to sense something was off but didn’t press further. Glancing at a car ahead, she said, "I’ll head back first."

"Alright."

……

Watching Li Guanqi’s car drive away, Su Cheng leisurely pedaled his bicycle home.

He stopped by a supermarket near his house, arriving just in time for the evening discount sale. But the moment he stepped inside, he noticed a group of housewives chatting in a huddle—among them was Cornelia’s mother.

Her once-dangerous hairstyle had been replaced with a neat bob. It seemed she had just entered the supermarket when the other housewives pulled her aside for a chat.

"Oh my, Mrs. William, your new hairstyle suits you so well!"

"Yes, it makes your skin look even fairer and smoother. So youthful and stylish!"

"Mrs. William, your aura now is like… like a beautiful lawyer from a TV drama. We’re all so envious!"

"……"

Amidst the flurry of compliments, Cornelia’s mother remained composed, smiling gently without a trace of arrogance.

"Thank you for your kind words, but I’m nowhere near as wonderful as you say," she replied modestly. "If anything, all of you look stunning—no one would guess you’ve had children."

"Oh, stop it!"

"Mrs. William, are you here for the discounted items too?"

"Ah, that won’t do! Your child is still growing. She shouldn’t eat random things!"

"Exactly! These sale items are often stale, sitting around for days. Some are even close to expiring—all the nutrients are gone!"

The housewives eagerly dissuaded her, their concern seemingly genuine. Cornelia’s mother nodded politely before heading to the second-floor budget section, leaving the chatter behind.

Just then, a staff member hung up the discount sign, and the housewives instantly descended into a frenzy, scrambling to grab items off the shelves.

In no time, the shelves were nearly empty.

It was clear now—their earlier "concern" for Cornelia’s mother wasn’t about her child’s well-being. They just wanted one less competitor.

"As if she’d fight you for it," Su Cheng muttered under his breath, shaking his head at the scene.

The world of housewives…

Truly terrifying.

At that moment, a familiar figure caught his eye.

Su Cheng froze.

He hadn’t expected Xuan Ying to show up here.

Was she already making her move?

Dressed in her Flame City Private Academy uniform, Xuan Ying wore black thigh-high socks that accentuated her adorable legs. Her plump, doll-like face, paired with long, silky black hair and delicate features, made her look like a princess straight out of a fairy tale.

She strolled over to an ice cream machine, daintily picking up a cone and taking a bite.

The sweet, creamy flavor melted on her tongue, and she curled her lips in satisfaction before sneaking a glance at Su Cheng.

It was obvious—she’d been waiting near his house. The moment he entered the supermarket, she appeared.

Sighing, Su Cheng walked over, feigning surprise. "Xuan Ying, what brings you here?"

"I..." Xuan Ying hesitated, looking at him with a mix of embarrassment and self-encouragement, stammering, "On my way home today, I suddenly felt like taking a walk. And since this area is close to your place, I thought I’d try my luck and see if I could run into you."

Seeing how terrible Xuan Ying was at lying, her cheeks flushing bright red after speaking, Su Cheng couldn’t help but chuckle. "So that’s how it is."

"Yeah..." Xuan Ying lowered her head, not daring to meet his gaze.

"Was there something you wanted?"

"I—I just..."

After a brief hesitation, Xuan Ying suddenly mustered her courage and looked up at him earnestly. "Could you show me around the area?"

As she spoke, she nervously clutched the hem of her skirt, her eyes filled with both hope and unease as she stared at Su Cheng.

Seeing her like this, Su Cheng was momentarily stunned.

Poor Xuan Ying.

She could barely speak to him normally, yet she still tried to win him over with methods completely unlike her usual self.

He had to admit, his heart was slightly moved.

But that was exactly why he felt he had to be clear with her—to make her give up.

There was no point in wasting each other’s emotions or playing games. If he made things clear now, he wouldn’t even have to discuss this with Zhao Yan tomorrow.

Not only did he need to spell it out, but he also needed to lower her opinion of him. He would hit her with the most shameless, scumbag lines imaginable!

With that in mind, Su Cheng nodded solemnly and agreed, "Of course. Actually, there’s something I’ve been meaning to tell you too."

"Really?!" Xuan Ying nearly jumped for joy at his initial agreement, but the second half of his sentence instantly drained the color from her face. She reflexively turned to flee, only for Su Cheng to grab her arm.

She seemed to know exactly what he was about to say and struggled desperately. "I just remembered I have something urgent to do. I should go—"

"Xuan Ying!" Su Cheng called out loudly.

His voice drew the attention of every customer nearby.

Xuan Ying bit her lip, looking as though she wanted to say something but couldn’t. In the end, she gave in, letting Su Cheng drag her toward the exit.

Normally, she would have been overjoyed at his touch, but now, all she felt was dread and panic at what he was about to say.

She had a feeling—whatever was coming next, she didn’t want to face it.

She wanted to run.

But there was nowhere to escape.

His grip on her arm was unrelenting.

Yet, just as they stepped out of the supermarket, the unexpected happened—

Su Cheng, still holding Xuan Ying’s wrist, came face-to-face with Cornelia, a golden retriever girl wearing white knee-high socks. She was holding a phone and a wallet, likely on an errand for her mother.

In that instant, all three froze.

The bustling crowd outside the supermarket seemed to come to a standstill.

The air, time itself—everything stopped.

Only the three of them remained, locked in a silent stare.

Cornelia’s eyes widened in disbelief at the sight of Su Cheng gripping Xuan Ying’s wrist. Her face paled instantly, her breath catching as her small hands clenched tightly around her phone and wallet.

"You... you two... what’s this?" Cornelia’s voice trembled, hoarse and almost incoherent, her emotions clearly in turmoil.