"Woof!"
The sudden bark shattered the silence, jolting the two awake. They turned their heads toward the source of the sound and realized that, at some point, the Bichon Frise had stood up.
Then, they both withdrew their hands, awkwardly turning their faces away. Su Cheng cleared his throat and spoke first, "Um… you can try petting it yourself."
Gu Ruoxue nodded in response, lowering her head as she gently stroked the Bichon. After a moment, she murmured, "The texture feels similar to a cat’s fur…"
"Yeah."
Seeing that Gu Ruoxue no longer seemed afraid, Su Cheng inwardly sighed in relief.
Next, he decided to raise the difficulty. Pointing toward a large dog on the other side, he said, "How about that one over there? If you dare to pet it, I’ll consider it a pass."
"Oh? Seems like you’re underestimating me."
Gu Ruoxue withdrew her hand, brimming with confidence, and followed his pointing finger—only to freeze on the spot, her courage instantly wavering.
Lying inside a metal cage was an enormous dog of staggering size.
The mere thought of touching it sent an indescribable wave of fear surging through her, causing her delicate frame to tremble uncontrollably.
To her, small and large dogs were entirely different species!
Small dogs, with their cat-like proportions, were manageable.
But this giant beast…
"What’s wrong? Scared?"
Su Cheng, noticing her hesitation, teased provocatively.
"Such a cheap taunt… and yet, I can’t even argue with it."
"So you’re just admitting it outright?"
Su Cheng was genuinely surprised. He’d expected her to stubbornly deny it, but instead, she openly conceded her fear.
This threw his plans into disarray, leaving him at a loss for how to proceed.
Still, the most important part of teaching was leading by example.
So—
"Don’t focus on its size…"
Su Cheng approached the cage as he spoke, pointing at the dog’s eyes and explaining to Gu Ruoxue, "We can actually tell whether a dog will bite by looking into its eyes."
Gu Ruoxue studied the large dog carefully and noticed its bright, gentle gaze—almost noble and dignified.
Most importantly, it showed no signs of aggression. In fact, it seemed friendly, even wagging its tail as Su Cheng drew near.
This eased her nerves slightly, and she nodded. "So… you’re saying it won’t bite?"
Seizing the opportunity, Su Cheng quickly replied, "Exactly. Look, this dog’s eyes are clear—it’s obviously a good boy. If you pet it, not only won’t it bite, but it’ll even cooperate and let you stroke it."
To demonstrate, he extended his hand, performing a strange little salute before lightly tapping the dog’s nose with his palm.
The dog, as if recognizing a familiar scent, affectionately leaned in—
And took a bite.
Then…
Well, there was no "then."
…………………………
County Hospital.
Su Cheng and Gu Ruoxue sat side by side on a bench in the hallway.
The air carried the faint scent of disinfectant, mixed with a trace of medicine, lending the place a slightly oppressive atmosphere.
Between the two, an awkward silence lingered.
Su Cheng’s earlier actions had just taught Gu Ruoxue exactly why that dog had been kept in a cage.
One of Su Cheng’s fingers had been disinfected and neatly bandaged, but a faint red mark remained, glaringly obvious.
"That… was just an accident."
Even now, Su Cheng stubbornly tried to explain. The whole thing was too embarrassing—he refused to admit that all dogs were bad.
Meanwhile, Gu Ruoxue silently peeled an apple beside him. She didn’t speak, her thoughts unreadable, leaving the hallway steeped in an eerie quiet.
Crunch, crunch…
Once the apple was peeled, she handed it to Su Cheng.
"Thanks," he said, accepting it.
"You’re welcome."
Su Cheng took a bite before continuing his defense. "Actually, most dogs don’t attack people unprovoked. I was the one who teased it first—that’s why it bit me!"
"Is that so?"
Gu Ruoxue still didn’t speak, merely lifting her gaze to meet his. Her tone, expression, and demeanor were all icy—but in the next second, her eyes flicked to his injured finger.
Su Cheng’s cheeks burned. To hide his embarrassment, he coughed a few times and fell silent. His reaction drew a soft laugh from Gu Ruoxue.
Su Cheng sighed inwardly. He’d wanted to help her overcome her fear, but instead, he’d only made her more wary of dogs.
Oh well. Some things just weren’t meant to be.
Just as Su Cheng was lost in regret, a person emerged from a nearby room. Spotting them, he stood up, placing the half-eaten apple on the bench.
"I’m going in for the shot. Wait here for me," he said to Gu Ruoxue.
"Okay."
Gu Ruoxue nodded, watching him leave until he entered the room before finally withdrawing her gaze and tossing the apple peel wrapped in a tissue into the nearby trash bin.
A few minutes later,
Su Cheng emerged after getting his shot.
Though it was costly, he didn’t feel it was a waste.
Since the dog that bit him was a pet, there was no risk of rabies.
The shot he received was just a tetanus vaccine.
Returning to the bench, he picked up the apple, took a couple of bites, and then turned to Gu Ruoxue beside him, saying, "Sorry for ruining the date."
"It's fine," Gu Ruoxue shook her head, indicating she didn’t mind. But then, she added, "Still, your judgment could use some work."
"Uh…"
Hearing this, Su Cheng was left speechless and didn’t bother arguing further. "Dogs are man’s best friend, but clearly, that one wasn’t."
At first, Gu Ruoxue had been idly playing with her hair, which cascaded down to her chest. But for some reason, his words seemed to strike her as unexpectedly funny. She paused, blinked twice, then suddenly turned away, her shoulders trembling as if she was holding back laughter.
Su Cheng was puzzled.
Logically, what he’d said wasn’t particularly humorous.
There was no reason for Gu Ruoxue to laugh.
Was her sense of humor just that odd?
After a few seconds, Gu Ruoxue finally stopped shaking and turned back to face him.
She let out a small sigh, still suppressing a smile as she wiped the corner of her eye, her lips curled in lingering amusement. "So you can admit you’re wrong. I thought you’d keep making excuses or just pretend you hadn’t been bitten."
"Uh…"
Only then did Su Cheng realize what she’d found so funny.
She was laughing at his stubbornness.
Being called out like this left him slightly embarrassed. Clearing his throat, he asked, "So… where should we go next?"
For today’s date, he didn’t actually know the itinerary.
Yet Gu Ruoxue seemed caught off guard by the question. After a moment’s hesitation, she replied slowly, "Let’s find somewhere for lunch first."
Before Su Cheng could respond, his phone suddenly rang from his pocket.
Both of them glanced down, and Su Cheng pulled out his phone. He gave the screen a cursory look—it was an unfamiliar number, and not even a domestic one.
Without hesitation, he handed the phone to Gu Ruoxue, letting her answer.
Gu Ruoxue took it, held it to her ear, and softly said, "Hello…?"
The conversation then switched to another language.
Though curious, Su Cheng tactfully excused himself to use the restroom, not wanting to eavesdrop. By the time he returned, Gu Ruoxue was seated again, scrolling through her phone.
Unable to contain his curiosity, Su Cheng asked, "So… you know people from abroad?"
Gu Ruoxue took a deep breath, handed the phone back to Su Cheng, and after steadying herself, said quietly, "That was my mother."
Su Cheng froze.
The implications of that statement were staggering.
First, Gu Ruoxue was mixed-race?
Second, she might originally have been a foreign national!
"I’m from Flame Country. I moved back during elementary school," Gu Ruoxue explained calmly, as if reading his thoughts.
Su Cheng let out an "Oh," curious but deciding not to pry further.
At that moment, Gu Ruoxue stood up. "Let’s go."
"Right, sure."
Su Cheng followed, opening his phone out of curiosity and checking the browser for date ideas.
Though he’d never snooped through the photo gallery or messages on this phone, he occasionally used it to look things up.
When he opened the browser, he noticed something odd in the search history—aside from his own past searches, there was a new entry:
"What are the best things for an ordinary couple to do on a date in a small town?"
Su Cheng blinked, then shot a bemused glance at Gu Ruoxue’s back as he followed her. It seemed she was just as clueless about where to go as he was—and had also been searching for ideas earlier!
Soon, they entered a restaurant and chose a table by the window. Compared to other places, this one was notably clean, tidy, and quiet.
A menu lay on the table.
Last time, when Gu Ruoxue had let Su Cheng order, he’d picked the cheapest dishes. This time, she decided to take charge.
"Lunch is on me today. Consider it taking care of the patient," Gu Ruoxue said, flipping through the menu. She let out a small sound of surprise. "They have quite a variety here."
"Then dinner’s on me," Su Cheng replied without any polite refusal, insisting firmly instead.
He’d already decided—he’d take her to the fanciest Western restaurant in town that evening. Now that he knew she was mixed-race, it felt like the perfect choice.
The ambiance of a Western restaurant would suit the romantic mood of a date, and he wanted her to feel that.
Gu Ruoxue hesitated, studying his serious expression for a long moment before finally nodding.
This made Su Cheng heave a sigh of relief—he had been genuinely worried Gu Ruoxue might refuse.
But the next second, Gu Ruoxue frowned at the menu, tilting her head slightly and pressing a finger to the corner of her lips as if deep in thought. She murmured, "Hmm, these two dishes..."
"What's wrong?"
Gu Ruoxue glanced up at Su Cheng, then rotated the menu ninety degrees toward him, pointing at two items. "One is stir-fried greens with rice cakes, and the other is stir-fried greens with yellow rice cakes. Aside from the color, what’s the difference?"
"Oh, the yellow rice cake is a local specialty here," Su Cheng explained. "It’s made from japonica rice and is also called a rice cake, but it’s different from the regular kind—both in texture and flavor. It’s more nutritious and keeps longer too."
After a moment of consideration, Gu Ruoxue nodded. "Then how about stir-fried rice cakes with yellow rice cakes?"
"Wait, what?"
Her request left Su Cheng utterly baffled.
Without hesitation, she flagged down a waiter and specifically ordered stir-fried rice cakes with yellow rice cakes, along with a few other dishes, before handing the menu back.
As the waiter walked away, Gu Ruoxue took a sip of tea and smiled at Su Cheng. "I wanted to try both."
"Then why didn’t you just order two separate dishes?"
"Too much food."
"Alright, as long as you’re happy."
Su Cheng replied half-heartedly, finally understanding why she had looked so conflicted earlier—she simply hadn’t tried either dish before.
Soon, the dishes arrived one after another.
Gu Ruoxue picked up a strip of the yellow rice cake, chewed it thoughtfully, then tried a bite of the regular rice cake. "The flavors really are different," she remarked approvingly.
The meal didn’t last long. Su Cheng ended up finishing most of the food while Gu Ruoxue only took small bites.
He couldn’t help but wonder—how could someone with such strength have such a tiny appetite?
After dinner, the two headed to a nearby park to walk off the meal.
On the way, Su Cheng suddenly stopped and turned to Gu Ruoxue. "Just doing this… can the system really recognize us as a couple?"
His system had remained silent, prompting his question.
"You still don’t get it?"
Gu Ruoxue pressed a hand to her forehead as if nursing a headache, sighing deeply. Then, with an earnest expression and unwavering gaze, she looked straight at him.
"Becoming a couple—is that something one person can decide alone?"
Her words struck Su Cheng like a revelation.
It all clicked.
Recalling Gu Ruoxue’s puzzling act of handing him a ring that morning, combined with her current attitude…
What was the prerequisite for becoming a couple?
A confession!
Only after confessing could they officially be together.
In other words—confessing would unlock the rewards!
"I understand now," Su Cheng exhaled deeply.
Gu Ruoxue nodded with a look of approval, as if praising a student who had finally grasped the lesson.
"If…" Su Cheng hesitated before mustering his courage. "Just hypothetically, if we complete Stage Three… could I go see the outside world?"
Completing Stage Three would grant him the reward—a memory-erasing item.
Which meant he would lose his memories.
Stage Four would then trigger, lasting twelve days (doubled by the system). Before his memories faded, he wanted to spend those twelve days stepping beyond this small town to see the real world.
He had spent his entire life in this tiny county, never truly experiencing what lay beyond.
Yet, to his surprise, Gu Ruoxue fell silent for a long moment before shaking her head gently but firmly. "I’m sorry, but no."
"I… see. That’s a shame."