Rhubarb

The small apartment, which had been quiet for so long, now felt unusually crowded and lively. In the kitchen, Gu Ruoxue and Liu Qingyue were each busy with their own tasks, working efficiently in a well-coordinated manner.

In the living room, Cornelia hugged a cushion and sat beside Li Guanqi, watching TV with great enthusiasm.

Truth be told, she still didn’t dare get too close to Ji Qingyi. Whether it was Ji Qingyi’s demeanor or her status, something about her made Cornelia feel uneasy, so she had chosen to sit next to Li Guanqi instead.

The dynamic between Ji Qingyi and Li Guanqi seemed rather peculiar. They didn’t converse much, only occasionally exchanging seemingly trivial remarks in the midst of silence—yet the underlying meaning in their words was unfathomable.

For Li Guanqi, wearing the ring this time wasn’t about showing off. She simply wanted to convey a message to the others—to let them know that Su Cheng had already obtained an item from someone else. She just wanted them to be aware of it.

Her emotions were complicated. Though she felt satisfied and that her expectations had been fulfilled by receiving the ring, it wasn’t because it was a spatial ring.

It was simply because it was a ring.

The symbolic meaning far outweighed its practical significance.

In fact, even if Su Cheng had woven a ring out of grass by the roadside, she would have been just as happy and content—simply because it was a ring!

Just then—

Su Cheng emerged from the bedroom, now dressed in casual homewear. He glanced at the three girls on the sofa before flashing a bright smile and explaining, "Make yourselves comfortable. I’ll go help out."

With that, he strode toward the kitchen.

After he left, Li Guanqi and Ji Qingyi exchanged a glance—one filled with unspoken meaning—but neither spoke.

Suddenly, Cornelia’s phone rang.

Both of them turned their attention to her.

Cornelia picked up her phone, and upon seeing the caller ID, her expression tensed. "Mom?"

Li Guanqi and Ji Qingyi withdrew their gazes, listening quietly.

"I’m staying at Su Cheng’s place for dinner tonight."

"Su Cheng is going abroad for a competition in a few days. Everyone’s here!"

"Yeah, yeah, it’s a farewell meal."

"Ugh, I mean a send-off dinner!"

"Mhm, I’ll be back after eating!"

"Okay!"

"Yeah, yeah, I’ll be careful."

After hanging up, Cornelia closed her phone and hugged the cushion again, resuming her TV-watching as if her mother had already agreed to her request to stay for dinner.

She seemed genuinely happy about it.

Footsteps sounded from the kitchen, and Cornelia turned to see Su Cheng carrying out dishes. She couldn’t help but ask in confusion, "I thought Yaya should’ve been back by now."

Yaya was her good friend, so naturally, she was curious about her absence today.

"Oh, ask Li Guanqi about that."

Su Cheng responded briefly, placing the dishes on the dining table before retrieving some drinks from the fridge and setting them out as well.

"Huh?"

Cornelia blinked in confusion and turned to Li Guanqi.

"I’ve been taking care of her recently," Li Guanqi said calmly, though a hint of warmth seeped into her tone. "She’s been very well-behaved, so don’t worry. If you want to visit her, you can come to my place on the weekend."

"Oh… alright." Cornelia pouted slightly in disappointment before shifting the topic. "But… my Big Yellow is very well-behaved too."

"Did you adopt her?"

Li Guanqi lifted her gaze slightly, eyes narrowing.

"No, she has an owner." Cornelia nodded, then sighed. "Her owner is an old man. Even though he treats Big Yellow poorly, she’s still very loyal to him."

"Ah…"

She shook her head helplessly.

Truth be told, she had wanted to adopt Big Yellow many times, but the dog refused, always returning home every night.

"I see…"

Li Guanqi didn’t press further, lowering her head to sip her tea in silence.

Listening to their conversation, Ji Qingyi suddenly realized—everyone here had a pet.

And all of them were connected to Su Cheng in some way.

Gu Ruoxue had an overweight cat.

Li Guanqi had an eerily intelligent crow.

And now…

Cornelia had a clever dog named Big Yellow.

A few uncommon pets wouldn’t normally faze Ji Qingyi, but what bothered her was the sense of exclusion—as if she was somehow inferior to the others.

This only worsened her already sour mood, making her increasingly irritable.

"And let me tell you something!"

Just then, Cornelia spoke up proudly. "Big Yellow has an incredible ability. I bet you’d be shocked if you knew!"

She grinned mysteriously, eyeing Ji Qingyi and Li Guanqi as if waiting for them to take the bait and ask.

"What ability?"

Li Guanqi, sensing something, looked up at Cornelia expectantly.

Feeling in control of the conversation, Cornelia puffed up with pride. After a deliberate pause, she lowered her voice and revealed, "Big Yellow can find Su Cheng—no matter where he is!"

The moment those words left her mouth, both Li Guanqi and Ji Qingyi froze.

Seeing their reactions, Cornelia hastily added, "I’m serious! It’s true! Even if he’s at the ends of the earth, Big Yellow can track him down. You’ve gotta believe me!"

Li Guanqi immediately glanced at Ji Qingyi—and sure enough, Ji Qingyi had already grasped the significance of Big Yellow. With a slight nod, Ji Qingyi asked, "Where is this dog?"

"Her owner lives at No. 301, XXX Road."

Cornelia rattled off the address without hesitation, even adding, "During the day, she sunbathes in the nearby park. If you want to befriend her, you’ll need to offer her good cigarettes—she coughs if they’re cheap!"

The absurdity of that statement left the other two with subtly strange expressions.

But soon—

"How fascinating…"

Ji Qingyi arched a delicate brow, her gaze flickering toward the ring on Li Guanqi’s finger.

Li Guanqi took a sip of tea, her expression as calm as still water, as if she hadn’t noticed the glance.

No doubt about it—just like Yaya, this dog had been granted some extraordinary "ability" and intelligence by Su Cheng’s unique power.

Since it was bestowed by the system, it wouldn’t just disappear.

Which meant… the value of this dog was self-evident.

Simply put—

Whoever had this dog could find Su Cheng.

While Ji Qingyi wasn’t known for being fond of animals, this dog’s ability would undoubtedly catch her interest.

So it was only natural to expect that she would take measures to claim the dog for herself.

"Then…" Ji Qingyi pondered for a moment before speaking slowly. "If you tell it to find Su Cheng, will it go?"

"No."

Cornelia's face flickered with a hint of frustration upon hearing this. "Of course not. I'd have to order takeout first. Only after the food arrives would Yaya carry it in her mouth to deliver it to Su Cheng."