Licking Dog 05

Now, Little Black had become like a small black ball, constantly alert to its surroundings.

It wasn’t until Fang Zhiyi walked Liu Shishi to her doorstep that she turned to him, pressing her lips together in a faint smile. "No one has ever walked me this far before."

Fang Zhiyi grinned. "If you like it, I’ll walk you home every day."

Liu Shishi’s eyes widened, and she clasped her hands together. "Really? You’re so sweet. Being your girlfriend must be wonderful every day." Her expression dimmed slightly. "I just don’t understand why Lin Xue can’t see how good you are."

Fang Zhiyi nearly stumbled into the trap again and quickly clarified, "I’ve told you—she’s really not my girlfriend. I just had a fleeting crush on her before. Now, we have no connection whatsoever. None at all."

"Really?" Liu Shishi suddenly reached out and tapped his nose. "Liar, liar, pants on fire."

Fang Zhiyi felt another wave of awkwardness and chuckled nervously. "It’s true."

"That’s great! Don’t misunderstand—I’m not happy because you two aren’t together. It’s just…" She narrowed her eyes with a smile. "Now you can walk me home often."

Fang Zhiyi fled in a fluster. Liu Shishi watched his retreating figure, lightly brushed her hair behind her ear, and turned to enter her home with a soft smile.

After a long silence, Little Black, who hadn’t spoken to Fang Zhiyi in a while, suddenly remarked, "Fang Zhiyi, you’re acting unlike yourself."

Fang Zhiyi touched his chest. "Good grief, the original host was something else. I genuinely admire him."

Little Black sounded puzzled. "I thought you wouldn’t easily develop emotions anymore."

Fang Zhiyi turned his head, his expression half-amused. "After experiencing so many worlds and meeting so many people, am I just supposed to become an emotionless… tool?"

Little Black didn’t respond.

Both man and system were lost in their own thoughts.

Meanwhile, a bespectacled student inexplicably tripped while walking, then got grazed by a falling sign—fortunately, it didn’t hit him. As he climbed the stairs, still shaken, he suddenly missed a step and tumbled down.

Jiang Ran, who had been following him the entire time, clapped her hands in satisfaction, finally releasing a breath of vindictive relief.

"Host, why are you targeting him?"

"In the original plot, this glasses-wearing guy was one of Gu Shaoting’s lackeys! I’m just collecting some interest in advance."

The system fell silent. It couldn’t shake the feeling that this host was too emotionally unstable and overly vindictive. She had already been penalized multiple times for her actions, but thankfully, the accumulated merits from before remained intact. At worst, she could save up more and upgrade all at once.

It couldn’t help but envy its colleague—that host was clever, always using the simplest methods to deal with targets. Unlike its own host, who acted recklessly, sometimes even resembling a sociopath when she lost control.

The plot point arrived ahead of schedule. After leaving the hospital, Lin Xue and Gu Shaoting’s relationship progressed rapidly, both immersed in the sweetness of new love.

But their nemesis was already on the move. Jiang Ran struck again, first humiliating Gu Shaoting at the restaurant where he worked, making him look like a hypocritical womanizer, then framing him to get him fired.

Gu Shaoting was furious. He couldn’t understand why Jiang Ran had changed so much, but he quickly pieced it together—it had to be because of Lin Xue. Jiang Ran was jealous!

Jiang Ran’s revenge came in waves. While other transmigrators waited for the protagonists to make the first move, she actively sought them out, her methods so bold that even Fang Zhiyi, watching from the shadows, couldn’t help but marvel.

But perhaps due to the protagonists’ overwhelming plot armor, Jiang Ran could only annoy them slightly, inadvertently strengthening their bond. Watching the two being toyed with, Fang Zhiyi almost pitied them—he even hesitated to add fuel to the fire, feeling it would be too cruel.

"Zhiyi, what are you thinking about?" Liu Shishi’s gentle voice brought him back.

"Hm? Nothing. Let’s order."

Just then, the recently recovered protagonists stormed into the restaurant like stubborn cockroaches—and, as luck would have it, took the table right behind Fang Zhiyi and Liu Shishi!

Lin Xue clearly noticed them. Liu Shishi smugly raised an eyebrow at her, a gesture Fang Zhiyi completely missed.

Lin Xue’s eyes brightened when she saw Fang Zhiyi. She had been planning to borrow money from him—Gu Shaoting had the skills to open his own restaurant, after all. But the sight of Liu Shishi irritated her, so she suppressed the idea. She refused to give that green tea bitch the satisfaction of mocking her.

"Zhiyi, let’s order."

"You choose."

"I’m afraid I’ll pick something you don’t like." Before Fang Zhiyi could respond, she added, "But I’ll love anything you order."

"Fine, I’ll order!" Fang Zhiyi took the bait like a hooked fish.

Lin Xue scoffed internally. Glancing at Gu Shaoting, who was still brooding over Jiang Ran’s schemes, she spoke up. "Shaoting, you order."

Gu Shaoting waved dismissively. "Just pick whatever you want."

"I’m not sure what to get."

"Come on, just choose what you feel like eating."

"Then… I’ll order?"

When the food arrived, Fang Zhiyi and Liu Shishi chatted and laughed over their meal.

Gu Shaoting, however, ate in silence. Lin Xue bit her lip, watching him until he finally noticed. "Eat up," he said, placing a bite in her bowl.

Lin Xue forced a smile. "I can serve myself. You eat."

Gu Shaoting simply grunted in response.

Then, from behind them, Fang Zhiyi also served Liu Shishi a dish. She giggled. "Don’t spoil me like this—I might get used to it."

The words made Gu Shaoting pause. He glanced at Lin Xue, then turned to look at the girl behind him.

Lin Xue glared. That damn green tea! How dare she try to steal her man!

"Ahem."

Gu Shaoting turned back. "You choking?"

Lin Xue took a deep breath, plastering on a smile. "No. Shaoting, where’s the gift you promised me?"

Gu Shaoting froze, then hastily rummaged through his bag. He pulled out a ring box—though it was dented from Jiang Ran’s earlier assault. Embarrassed, he hesitated, but Lin Xue snatched it, opened it, and slid the ring onto her finger.

"Wow, it’s beautiful! How does it look on me?" She directed the question at Gu Shaoting but shot a triumphant glance at Liu Shishi.

Fang Zhiyi almost laughed. This world felt like a vacation for him.

Liu Shishi gazed at him with smiling eyes. "I loved the gift you gave me last time. I couldn’t bear to use it."

Fang Zhiyi recalled the perfume he’d casually picked for her and nodded. "Use it… When it’s gone, I’ll—"

Liu Shishi continued softly, "If I don’t use it, it’ll always be there. Every time I see it, I’ll remember that someone thinks of me every day."

The words made Gu Shaoting turn around again in surprise.

That girl might not have Lin Xue’s swan-like elegance, but she radiated the charm of a delicate, refined beauty.

At that moment, Fang Zhiyi turned around, and their eyes met. With a grin, Fang Zhiyi said, "Oh, on a date, huh? Let me tell you, I just saw something hilarious outside—there were two people..."