Chapter 52: Little Cutie Snuggles – 1

The food arrived very quickly at this shop, and in no time, the ordered barbecue was on the table.

Gu Xizhou had long been famished. As soon as the fragrant barbecue arrived, prompted by Su Zhiyi, she immediately reached for a skewer.

One bite, and the aroma of meat overflowed. Gu Xizhou’s eyes lit up. “It’s delicious.”

Su Zhiyi smiled, her eyes curving. “Good, right? If it’s good, eat more.”

Considering Gu Xizhou was an alpha, Su Zhiyi had ordered quite a lot. Even so, Gu Xizhou still polished off most of the table.

The two sat chatting amidst the noisy stall, talking about recent teachers, homework, their respective studies, showing 0820 the traces of their real lives.

Sometimes, 0820 had this illusion: that the world 1022 was in was the real one. And the present outside the hibernation pod was nothing but a nightmare.

All those who had suffered sought in the virtual world nothing more than an “ideal” reality.

No pain, no sorrow. Only the happiness of knowing “the future” and being able to choose most of their “life.”

But what was reality?

It was an unavoidable tragedy, an inability to control one’s own destiny.

So, when 0820 was twenty-nine, the virtual game meticulously crafted by the Su Group officially launched, and many players who couldn’t distinguish reality from illusion—and thus escaped life—appeared. It was reported by parents and banned from launch.

It was at that time she met Lin Ling, a whimsical “dreamer” who was still a researcher then, trying to treat psychological and mental illnesses with modern technology.

Sometimes, looking through 1022’s eyes at the smiling Su Zhiyi across from her, 0820 felt increasingly heartbroken and miserable.

If everything could be redone, then she and her own Su Zhiyi would have had such an encounter and beginning too.

Su Nanfeng would always be a problem standing between them. But in this world, “like” overpowered “dislike,” “love” transcended “hate,” and “life” was born from hopeless “death.”

But this wasn’t her world.

How real it was, this pain of fate.

As Su Zhiyi was eating, she looked up and suddenly noticed that Gu Xizhou’s eyes across from her were brimming with tears. She was immediately stunned. “Gu Xizhou…”

Gu Xizhou was busily slurping down oysters. Hearing Su Zhiyi call her, she quickly looked up. “What’s wrong?”

As she spoke, the tears in her eyes instantly streamed down her face.

Gu Xizhou subconsciously raised a hand to touch the tears at the corner of her eye, completely bewildered. “Huh…”

Why was she crying?

Su Zhiyi hastily pulled out a tissue and handed it to Gu Xizhou, her eyes full of concern. “Are you okay? Is it too spicy?”

Tears were actually falling, this was too pitiful.

Gu Xizhou took the tissue to wipe her tears, also feeling somewhat puzzled as she did so. “But I didn’t think it was spicy. I just somehow…”

She wasn’t sad; on the contrary, she was very happy. But why was she crying?

Gu Xizhou couldn’t figure it out and simply made up a reason. “Maybe it’s from training for so long. My eyes are dry, so they tear up when stimulated.”

Su Zhiyi nodded in understanding. “Mm, have some water.”

“Okay.”

As they were talking, a person in a jacket and hat, bundled up tightly, walked out from deep inside the food stall and accidentally bumped into Su Zhiyi while passing by their table.

Su Zhiyi’s body tilted, knocking into the table, and she let out a startled cry. “Ah…”

Gu Xizhou immediately stood up to shield Su Zhiyi beside her, her expression darkening. “Watch where you’re going!”

But the other person didn’t even look at her, instead taking off running as if he’d seen a ghost.

Gu Xizhou couldn’t be bothered to pursue the guy. Supporting Su Zhiyi’s arm, she asked urgently, “How is it, are you okay? Where did you hit?”

Su Zhiyi shook her head, sat up straight, and gave a faint smile. “I’m fine.”

After sitting up, she realized the pocket on the outside of her jacket felt strangely light. She instinctively touched it, and her expression instantly changed drastically. “Ah… my wallet and phone…”

They were gone!

0820 reacted faster than Gu Xizhou. “It was that person just now.”

She rapidly seized control of Gu Xizhou’s body, shot up from the chair, and rushed out like a cannonball. “Sit here and wait for me. Ten minutes! If I’m not back in ten minutes, find the boss and call the police.”

Before Su Zhiyi could finish speaking, she had whooshed out.

Su Zhiyi had wanted to stand up and chase after her, but turning around, all she could see was her back.

Watching Gu Xizhou’s petite figure rush into the flow of people, her mind fixated on the images of the two youths from just moments ago.

He was so tall. Would Gu Xizhou be okay?

Should she call the police first?

Su Zhiyi calmed herself, decided to walk to the front counter, told a server what had happened, and asked them to call the police.

For the time that followed, she stood at the front desk, anxiously waiting for Gu Xizhou’s return.

Losing her phone and wallet made her extremely uneasy. Even though she could call a parent to pick her up, none of that was the reason for her anxiety.

Su Zhiyi stood there, hands clasped, looking very flustered.

The boss came upon hearing the news. Seeing the young girl so uneasy, he quickly comforted her. “The police will be here soon. You reacted so quickly, you’ll definitely find your things.”

Su Zhiyi thought to herself, that’s not what I’m worried about. I just want to confirm that Gu Xizhou is safe.

After about five minutes, or perhaps longer, Gu Xizhou appeared breathlessly at the entrance of the stall.

Su Zhiyi, standing at the front desk, saw it was her, and a light sparked in her eyes. She immediately ran towards her. “Gu Xizhou…”

Gu Xizhou held the wallet in one hand and the phone in the other, hands braced on her knees, bent over and panting heavily, unable to catch her breath.

Hearing Su Zhiyi’s voice, she quickly lifted her head to look at her. Gu Xizhou was drenched in sweat, her small face pale, unable to utter a single word.

“Here…”

Gu Xizhou gulped, trying amidst her heavy breathing to ease the searing pain in her lungs and the dryness in her throat.

She stretched her hand out towards Su Zhiyi, offering the recovered wallet and phone. “Phone…”

Her voice was trembling.

Su Zhiyi felt both touched and amused. She didn’t reach out to take her recovered belongings, but instead moved to support Gu Xizhou. “Let’s go back inside first, have some water, and catch your breath before we talk.”

Su Zhiyi helped Gu Xizhou back to their original seats and poured her a glass of water.

Gu Xizhou cupped the water, sipping it down.

Just then, the auxiliary police officers from the local precinct also arrived.

Asked who had reported the incident, Su Zhiyi stepped forward to explain the situation and indicated that the lost items had been retrieved.

The officer glanced at Gu Xizhou, somewhat surprised.

Gu Xizhou, having caught her breath somewhat, explained to the police: “He was at the intersection of West Street. I asked a few alpha sisters to watch him. If you go over there now, you should definitely be able to catch him.”

The female officers praised, “Quite capable for a kid. Well, we’ll go catch the guy first, then contact you if anything else comes up.”

“Mm-hmm, mm-hmm.”

The matter was quickly resolved. Gu Xizhou sat in the chair for three full minutes before the feeling returned to her limbs.

As she steadied her breathing, she thought: 0820 was way too proactive, using her body to run like that, as if her life didn’t matter.

Running like that could kill someone!

Gu Xizhou protested to 0820 internally.

0820 decided to play dead, ignoring all her accusations.

Seeing the color gradually returning to Gu Xizhou’s face, Su Zhiyi finally breathed a sigh of relief.

She reached out and gently stroked Gu Xizhou’s back with concern. “Are you feeling a bit better?”

Gu Xizhou nodded. “Mm, much better.”

Su Zhiyi looked at her young face, recalling her lightning-fast action just moments ago. She didn’t overthink it and directly said, “Why did you just chase after him like that? The other guy was much older than you, and if he directly laid hands on someone—what if they were bad guys with weapons?”

“Money and things aren’t important, but it would be bad if you got hurt.”

Although Su Zhiyi was very grateful for Gu Xizhou’s good intentions, she still felt the other party should prioritize her own safety.

Gu Xizhou drank another glass of water, took a while, and then pursed her still-pale lips. “I… didn’t think that much just now.”

Because 0820 hadn’t hesitated. By the time she could control her body again, she was already halfway there, nearly catching the two men, with no room to turn back.

Su Zhiyi sat beside her, looking at her, gazing into those clear, bright eyes, momentarily at a loss for words.

In the end, Su Zhiyi paid for the barbecue, using her phone.

When she unlocked it, Gu Xizhou saw a group photo of her and Su Nanfeng, and a sharp pang struck her heart.

So annoying. Her personal enemy was actually her good friend’s sister. They could even take photos together.

Su Nanfeng was truly detestable.

Su Zhiyi noticed the resentful gaze from beside her, turned to look at her phone, and immediately understood.

She somewhat awkwardly opened her payment app, explaining, “Ah… this… I promised her I’d change it before.”

Su Nanfeng had been doing well in her studies lately, managing to pass quizzes, so Su Zhiyi had changed the lock screen to a photo of the sisters together—for one week only.

Gu Xizhou just said “Mm,” sullen and silent.

Seeing she seemed unhappy, Su Zhiyi added impulsively, “Just this week. I won’t use this one anymore next week.”

Gu Xizhou’s eyes lit up again.

Su Zhiyi looked at her bright, spirited eyes and thought: She’s so easy to read.

After paying, Gu Xizhou offered to see Su Zhiyi home.

Su Zhiyi wanted to say no, but Gu Xizhou insisted on escorting her, and had a valid point. “It’s already ten thirty. An Omega at this late hour isn’t safe. Let me take you.”

Su Zhiyi really wanted to say she could call a driver to pick her up. But seeing Gu Xizhou’s utterly adorable “I must protect you well” expression, it seemed hard to refuse.

After hesitating, she had no choice but to say, “Okay then, let’s go back together.”

She’d just have her driver take Gu Xizhou home afterwards.

The two eventually took the subway home together.

Emerging from the subway exit near the school, Gu Xizhou followed closely beside Su Zhiyi, vigilantly eyeing the people around to prevent Su Zhiyi from being robbed again.

Su Zhiyi found it amusing. Looking at the empty, tree-lined avenue, she couldn’t help but say, “You don’t need to be so tense. This is near the school; the public security environment is very good. It’s not a chaotic place; that kind of situation won’t happen here.”

But Gu Xizhou refuted her very seriously, using the reality 0820 had just scared her with as an argument. “That’s not true.”

“There have been cases of university students being kidnapped while jogging at night. Clearly, the school isn’t a safe place either.”

Su Zhiyi had been about to say school was very safe, but thinking of Gu Xizhou’s experiences at school, the words stuck in her throat and wouldn’t come out.

Su Zhiyi had no choice but to say “Okay,” letting Gu Xizhou escort her to the residential community gate, then to her doorstep.

When the two stood at the gate of the villa’s courtyard, Su Nanfeng was already waiting there.

Seeing Gu Xizhou, Su Nanfeng’s eyes rounded in fury.

Gu Xizhou, seeing her, also had an overreaction.

The two glared at each other like a vicious dog and a young wolf, about to tear into each other the next second.

Su Zhiyi reacted very quickly, turning her head to say to Su Nanfeng: “You go inside first.”

Su Nanfeng felt completely shattered. “I…”

Why, why was this happening? Was there no justice?! Was no one going to manage her little sister anymore?!

Before she could say anything, Su Zhiyi’s gaze instantly turned cold. “Inside.”

Recently disciplined strictly by her, Su Nanfeng bolted inside the moment she heard her tone change, shouting as she ran, “Then you better come back quickly, or I’ll tell Mom you were out late with an alpha!”

Su Zhiyi sighed helplessly. Turning her head, she saw Gu Xizhou looking at her with great worry and immediately soothed her. “Don’t worry about me. My mom won’t believe her.”

“Her credibility with our mom right now is lower than a dog’s.”

Gu Xizhou whispered, “A dog’s loyalty is very high.”

Don’t compare Su Nanfeng to a dog; it was an insult to dogs.

Su Zhiyi chuckled, holding her bag of stationery as she stood under the streetlight, gazing softly at Gu Xizhou. “Alright, Gu Xizhou. As you can see, I’m safely home.”

“Do you want to come inside and sit for a while?”

Gu Xizhou uttered an “Ah,” and after registering it, shook her head frantically. “No, no, no…”

Partly because it wasn’t appropriate, and partly because she had a grudge against Su Nanfeng. She was afraid that if she ran into Su Nanfeng, they’d end up in a bloody brawl.

Su Zhiyi’s eyes curved like crescents. “Then come sit in the courtyard for a while. My family’s driver auntie hasn’t arrived yet; I’ll have her take you home in a bit.”

Gu Xizhou paused, immediately declining: “No need, I can just take a taxi back myself.”

Su Zhiyi smiled, sighed, and said very sincerely, “That wouldn’t be right. So late at night, if you went home alone, even as an alpha, I’d worry.”

“If something happened to you, my conscience would be uneasy for life.”

Gu Xizhou: …

Gu Xizhou found she couldn’t win the argument, so she had no choice but to follow her into the courtyard.