Afternoon
A certain park.
A girl with an icy demeanor sat on a bench, cradling an enormous orange cat in her arms. Normally, such a sight would draw attention in the park.
But due to her aura and school uniform, no one dared approach her.
Her presence was as sharp as a blade, her beauty ethereal—pure as snow, dreamlike. Combined with the emblematic uniform, it was clear she belonged to the elite.
In this world, corporate conglomerates existed—entities synonymous with unchecked power, bending the world to their will. Ordinary people instinctively kept their distance, wary of crossing them.
Yet, in the next moment, a scene of heartwarming contrast unfolded. The aloof girl broke into a sweet smile, stroking the cat in her arms and cooing, "Meow~"
It seemed she had invented her own "cat language," because the orange cat responded with a soft meow, nuzzling into her palm as if savoring her touch.
But the tranquil moment was soon interrupted. The girl’s expression turned cold again as an elderly man appeared on the pebble path beside the bench, walking behind a large, exuberant Akita dog.
The man was on a phone call, the dog unleashed, darting freely along the path—clearly a routine route for their walks.
Gu Ruoxue’s face paled. As the dog drew closer, she clutched her cat tighter, holding her breath, silently praying: Please don’t stop here.
Time seemed to slow. Each second stretched unbearably.
Finally, the dog trotted past the edge of the bench.
Just as Gu Ruoxue exhaled in relief, the orange cat in her arms suddenly bristled. Its pupils dilated, fur standing on end, baring its teeth with a low, guttural growl—what Gu Ruoxue would later describe as "the feline equivalent of swearing."
The growl made the Akita halt mid-stride, turning to stare at the cat.
After a stunned pause, Gu Ruoxue watched in horror as the dog crouched into an aggressive stance, snarling back—a clear challenge.
"Excuse me!"
Gu Ruoxue called out to the man, but he was too engrossed in his Bluetooth call, chatting away without a glance in her direction.
"Meowr~!"
The orange cat, sensing its owner’s distress, writhed in her grip, determined to leap down and "teach that mutt a lesson." Gu Ruoxue held on desperately.
Chubby but no less fierce!
The Akita, provoked further, let out a menacing bark before lunging straight at Gu Ruoxue.
She flinched, but her legs had gone numb. Unable to move, she squeezed her eyes shut.
"DUANG—!"
A familiar sound effect rang out, followed by a yelp of pain.
Gu Ruoxue opened her eyes to see Su Cheng standing beside her, gripping a stick—the same one from years ago.
The once frail, sallow boy had grown into a tall, striking young man. His sharp brows and upright posture hinted at years of archery training, radiating an air of quiet intensity.
The déjà vu made Gu Ruoxue’s breath catch. It was as if she’d been transported back to that night, that alleyway.
Any time, any place,
The Dog-Slaying Hero strikes again!
Wherever Gu Ruoxue faced a canine threat, Su Cheng would appear—no matter the distance—swift as justice itself.
"Why did you hit my baby?!"
The old man’s roar snapped Gu Ruoxue back to reality. The Akita now cowered behind its owner, who glared at Su Cheng, livid.
Trying to defuse the situation, Gu Ruoxue quickly explained, "Your dog suddenly charged at me. He was just protecting me."
"Nonsense! My dog’s gentle—never bitten anyone in three years!" The man scoffed, jabbing a finger at Su Cheng. "If it got close, it just wanted to play!"
Su Cheng blinked, momentarily confused. Gu Ruoxue’s composed demeanor made it seem like the dog had merely been… interacting.
"Your negligence is the issue," Gu Ruoxue countered coolly. "The park rules clearly state dogs must be leashed. You ignored that, letting your pet run wild."
Hearing this, Su Cheng’s expression darkened. No leash?
Like a switch flipped, his hesitation vanished—replaced by cold resolve.
"Are you sure your dog doesn’t bite?"
Su Cheng planted the stick firmly on the ground, looming over the man with a steely gaze.
Gu Ruoxue’s stomach dropped. She knew that look. "Remember your promise!" she interjected sharply.
Su Cheng deflated instantly, sighing. "…Fine."
He’d been ready to make the dog "accidentally" turn on its owner—one well-timed glare was all it’d take.
Gu Ruoxue exhaled in relief. The last thing she wanted was Su Cheng using his… abilities recklessly.
Truthfully, her cat had provoked the dog first—by pet etiquette, they weren’t entirely blameless.
But the old man wasn’t backing down. Behind him, the Akita snarled at them, emboldened by its owner’s fury.
Gu Ruoxue’s mind raced. There was a way out of this.
Beside her, Su Cheng waited, biding his time. In his school uniform, with his reputation, he had to tread carefully.
"Apologize to my dog! And pay its medical bills!" the man bellowed.
Gu Ruoxue’s voice cut through, icy and precise: "Your dog is a banned breed in Flame City. Under the municipal regulations on restricted canines—"
Gu Ruoxue spoke while pulling out her phone to call a certain authority. This action immediately flustered the elderly man nearby, who hurriedly tried to stop her.
"Hey, don’t… please," the old man pleaded anxiously, as he didn’t have a dog license. If reported, he could face not only a fine but also the confiscation of his pet—a fate worse than death for him.
Gu Ruoxue didn’t stop dialing. If anything, she became even more resolute, speaking briefly before hanging up.
"You... you…" The old man trembled with anger, pointing at her but unable to utter another word.
"Let’s go."
Gu Ruoxue glanced at Su Cheng, then cradled the orange cat in her arms and strode away gracefully.
"You... you’re really too much!"
The old man, furious, slapped his dog’s side, as if considering setting it loose to attack.
But Su Cheng suddenly raised a stick, causing the dog to cower and retreat in fear.
Left with no choice, the old man stormed off, clutching his dog. However, his departure wouldn’t save him—later, authorities would review surveillance footage to investigate and gather evidence.
"I didn’t expect you to know so much about dogs," Su Cheng teased as he caught up with Gu Ruoxue.
She rolled her eyes. "There are only a few breeds listed as aggressive in the ban. Memorizing them isn’t hard. Still, I should thank you."
Her gratitude, however, only made Su Cheng frown. "Why so formal? Saying ‘thank you’ makes it sound like we’re strangers."
"Actually, today’s incident started because Orange Cat provoked the dog first. Otherwise, it wouldn’t have lunged at me."
Gu Ruoxue lowered her head, stroking the cat in her arms with a troubled expression. This wasn’t the first time—last time in the alley, the cat had also caused trouble by running around.
"I see."
Su Cheng pondered for a moment before suggesting, "How about I enlighten it?"
He considered glaring at the cat to make it smarter—capable of understanding human speech.
But Gu Ruoxue refused without hesitation. "That would strip away its nature. It’s usually very gentle—today, it was just being protective, even if it made a small mistake. Besides, enlightenment wouldn’t help with its weight loss."
Su Cheng conceded, though a glimmer of something unspoken flickered in his eyes.
"If there were a dog that wouldn’t attack you—one that even obeyed your commands—would you still be afraid?"
The odd question caught Gu Ruoxue off guard, but she quickly shook her head. "I’m not afraid. I’m just not used to being around dogs."
Her stubbornness was rather endearing.
"Once, the system gave me a skill card, and I turned into a dog."
For some reason, Su Cheng suddenly shared this embarrassing memory, his face flushing as he spoke.
Gu Ruoxue froze, then looked him up and down, as if imagining him as a dog.
Su Cheng grew self-conscious under her scrutiny but continued, "Just an ordinary Flame Country mutt."
At his words, Gu Ruoxue paused, seemingly picturing the absurd scenario, then quickened her pace—as if hiding a laugh.
Noticing, Su Cheng hurried after her, trying to catch her reaction. When he caught up, she was coughing into her hand, feigning seriousness while cradling Orange Cat.
"You actually told me that."
She glanced at him, then continued walking gracefully, pretending nothing had happened.
Su Cheng sighed. "I’ve only told you. Don’t spread it around."
Gu Ruoxue gave him a curious look. "Oh? Why?"
"Whether in name or not, we’re still under the label of being a couple."
He turned to her seriously. "If I turned into a dog, would you still be afraid?"
She hesitated briefly before replying calmly, "Who knows? But I’d rather not entertain such hypotheticals—or try it."
"I think it’d be worth a shot."
Spotting a bench ahead, Su Cheng pointed. "Let’s sit for a while."
"Alright."
Gu Ruoxue placed Orange Cat in its glass carrier by her feet, and the two sat side by side.
The sky had taken on a pale glow as they watched the sunset in silence.
The fading light was beautiful, like an oil painting tinged with melancholy—the brilliance of day giving way to night.
"Earlier, you wanted to turn into a cat?"
Gu Ruoxue recalled Su Cheng staring at her and the cat in the park, connecting it to his dog transformation.
"Nothing escapes you, huh?"
Su Cheng laughed awkwardly, admitting, "Yeah, the thought crossed my mind."
As he spoke, Gu Ruoxue studied him again, as if envisioning him as a feline.
"Probably an orange tabby."
Unfazed, he joked, "But you’d definitely be a pure white cat."
She ignored the latter remark, fixating on the "orange tabby" image instead, resting a finger on her chin in thought.
"Hey, don’t tell me you actually want me to turn into a cat?"
Su Cheng protested, flustered. While he’d considered secretly transforming, being caught beforehand would be mortifying.
"I’ve thought about it. Maybe it’d be simpler—for you and everyone else."
She met his gaze earnestly before adding, "Though I can’t quite imagine what you’d be like as a cat."
"Probably just like Orange Cat here!"
He pointed at the feline at their feet, exasperated.
"Like this?"
Gu Ruoxue gestured an exaggeratedly chubby shape.
"I meant the breed—normal size!"
Su Cheng huffed, then added, "And if I did transform, I could still talk."
"Talk? How much could you say? Care to demonstrate now?"
Gu Ruoxue rested her chin on her hand again, adopting a thoughtful expression. Clearly, she was deeply intrigued by the topic, as if she could vividly picture Su Cheng transformed into a cat.