Suspicion always breeds dark imaginings

Sunday, the weather was clear and sunny.

A beam of sunlight slanted in from the balcony, illuminating the living room table. The table was cluttered with various tools—small saws, files, sandpaper, a bench vise, carving knives, a hand drill—but what stood out most were the wood shavings scattered everywhere.

The bedroom door opened, and Su Cheng stepped out.

He was already dressed neatly, broom and dustpan in hand, ready to tidy up the messy living room.

However, several of his fingers were wrapped in band-aids, clear evidence of his lack of experience with these tools and the minor injuries he’d sustained while working late into the night.

Now, Su Cheng held a rag in one hand and the dustpan in the other, meticulously wiping away the wood shavings one by one.

As the mess gradually disappeared, his smile grew more content, as if the simple act of cleaning brought him a sense of peace and fulfillment.

It turned out that after last night’s date, Su Cheng had made a special trip to the hardware store to buy these tools, intending to craft a wooden comb and a hairpin as gifts.

But with no prior experience, he could only clumsily follow online tutorials, learning the most basic techniques step by step.

After a night of effort, though the finished products weren’t as refined as he’d hoped, the two heartfelt gifts were finally complete.

Su Cheng held the comb and hairpin in his hands, examining them for a moment before his smile brightened even more.

He silently resolved to personally deliver them to Ji Qingyi the next day.

Just then, his phone rang with a cheerful ding-a-ling. Su Cheng answered, holding it to his ear: "Hello?"

"How was last night’s date?" Sister Qin’s concerned voice came through the line.

"It went really well!" Su Cheng replied, struggling to suppress a grin that was "harder to control than an AK." "What’s up, Sister Qin?"

“Glad to hear it. By the way, do you have time for a workout today?” Sister Qin’s tone shifted, carrying a hint of probing. “If you’re free, remember to bring your meds—we’re ramping up the intensity today.”

Su Cheng paused at that. He glanced around the room, confirming he had no other plans, and agreed readily: "Sure, sounds good. Thanks, Sister Qin."

"Great. I’ll pick you up at 8 downstairs." With that, Sister Qin hung up briskly.

After a quick breakfast, Su Cheng changed into workout clothes, packed his enzyme supplements into a waist bag, and headed out.

Before leaving, he gave himself a final once-over in the mirror.

Perhaps it was the afterglow of last night’s victory in the tossing pot competition, but he looked radiant and full of energy. Even his thin, frail frame couldn’t hide his newfound confidence and determination.

Starting today—

He was going to be a bright, cheerful guy!

Su Cheng locked the door and went downstairs.

He scanned the area but didn’t see Sister Qin’s familiar taxi. Checking his phone, he noted he still had ten minutes to spare, so he stood there, waiting and taking in the weekend morning scenery.

The streets were lively with hurried pedestrians, and shops like cafes and restaurants were opening for the day. Everyone’s life seemed infused with fresh color.

Su Cheng was no exception.

Just then, his gaze landed on a small white dog at the alley’s entrance, its belly noticeably swollen—as if three or four months pregnant.

But Su Cheng distinctly remembered that when he’d moved in just weeks ago, the dog hadn’t shown any signs of pregnancy.

Could this be Big Yellow’s doing?

As Su Cheng studied the dog, a taxi pulled up smoothly beside him.

Sister Qin rolled down the window and greeted him: "Hey, what’s got you so captivated?"

"Oh, nothing." Su Cheng snapped out of it and pointed at the dog. "I just noticed that when I first moved here, that dog wasn’t pregnant. Now, less than a month later, its belly’s huge."

Sister Qin followed his gaze. Seeing the dog’s pronounced bulge, she immediately gave him a thumbs-up and teased, "Damn, Cheng, you’ve got skills!"

"Cut it out!" Su Cheng’s expression darkened as he shot her a sharp look. "That’s not funny."

"Alright, alright, my bad." Sister Qin backpedaled, realizing she’d crossed a line. "I shouldn’t have phrased it like that."

"Really?" Su Cheng took a deep breath, forcing down his irritation. "How could this possibly have anything to do with me?"

"Well…" Sister Qin whistled innocently, feigning nonchalance. "Who knows? Maybe you’ve been feeding it too much. A big belly isn’t always about pregnancy."

"That’s a stretch." Su Cheng shook his head, too tired to argue.

"Fine, I’ll admit I messed up, okay?" Sister Qin changed tactics. "Let’s not waste time here. Get in."

"Where are we going?" Su Cheng asked.

"Hiking," Sister Qin replied. "Today’s focus is cardio."

"Cardio, huh…" Su Cheng mused. "Alright."

"Hop in." Sister Qin urged.

Once inside, Su Cheng noticed Sister Qin’s full workout gear—a windbreaker and hiking boots, looking every bit the professional athlete.

"We’re heading to Cloud Mist Mountain in the east," Sister Qin explained. "It’s not too high or rugged, perfect for beginners like you."

"Got it." Su Cheng nodded.

The engine roared to life, but the car moved at a leisurely pace. Sister Qin kept glancing at the passing scenery, as if searching for something.

"What are you looking for?" Su Cheng asked.

"I haven’t seen Big Yellow in a while," Sister Qin admitted. "If we happen to spot him, why not bring him along for the hike?"

"Did you check with his owner?" Su Cheng pointed out. "You can’t just take someone else’s dog. We might get mistaken for thieves."

"Big Yellow’s smart—if he agrees, it’s fine," Sister Qin dismissed. "Besides, he’s always roaming free. His owner doesn’t care as long as he comes home at night."

"You think the police would buy that excuse?" Su Cheng scoffed. "Even dog thieves wouldn’t try such a lame defense."

"Ugh, why are you so rigid?" Sister Qin smacked the steering wheel in frustration. "Big Yellow helped us out big time that night. Taking him for a hike isn’t a crime."

"And if someone reports us as dog-nappers, how do you explain that?" Su Cheng countered.

Sister Qin had no comeback. Grumbling, she pulled over and turned to face him, hands still on the wheel. "Seriously, why are you so uptight? Are you still mad about that joke earlier?"

Having her thoughts exposed, Su Cheng turned her head away defiantly and snorted, "I'm not that petty. I'm just being practical—no need to invite unnecessary trouble."

"Alright, my bad, okay?" Sister Qin sighed helplessly, her tone sincere. "How about this? Later, you can offer a cigarette to Da Huang (Big Yellow) to save face and get it to come along with us. I'll record the whole thing. If anything happens, we’ll have proof it came willingly."

"Are you even listening to yourself?"

Su Cheng rolled her eyes in exasperation.

"Haha, just kidding!" Sister Qin chuckled awkwardly. "If you think it’s inappropriate, then forget it. But at least buying some dog food or canned treats for it shouldn’t be a problem, right?"

"...Fine, that’s acceptable." Su Cheng finally relented.

Later, the two got out of the car, bought some dog food and canned treats at a nearby pet store, and wandered around the park until they finally spotted Da Huang lounging under a large tree.

"Da Huang!"

Sister Qin called out excitedly the moment she saw the dog.

But Da Huang remained sprawled lazily in the sun, completely ignoring her.

"This guy’s actually asleep," Sister Qin muttered. "Why don’t you light a cigarette for it? Might wake it up."

"Why don’t you do it?" Su Cheng was about to retort when Sister Qin handed her a cigarette and a metal lighter.

The scene gave her a strange sense of déjà vu—suddenly, she recalled Li Guanqi handing her a cigarette in the exact same way during yesterday’s "pitch-pot" game.

The more Su Cheng thought about it, the weirder it seemed.

What exactly did Li Guanqi mean by giving her that cigarette yesterday?

Did she expect her to smoke it?

But she didn’t even know how to smoke.

Surely she didn’t intend for her to feed it to Da Huang?

She didn’t even know Da Huang…

Wait a minute—

A thought flashed through Su Cheng’s mind, and she felt something was off. Deciding to get to the bottom of it, she turned to Sister Qin and said, "Sister Qin, why don’t you feed it first? I just remembered something I need to ask a friend. I’ll wait for you in the car."

"Sure."

Though puzzled, Sister Qin was more focused on Da Huang and didn’t press further, heading straight toward the dog.

Once back in the car, Su Cheng immediately pulled up Li Guanqi’s contact and sent a message:

"Li Guanqi, I really can’t thank you enough for yesterday."

Instead of diving straight into the question, she first expressed gratitude again for the medicine incident the night before, easing into the topic.

Within two minutes, Li Guanqi replied: "No need to thank me. It was nothing."

Seeing this, Su Cheng cut to the chase: "Li Guanqi, I wanted to ask—why did you hand me that cigarette yesterday?"

After sending that, she quickly added: "Looking back, it feels really odd, so I had to ask. Otherwise, it’ll keep bothering me."