What should I do if my pet loves watching anime?

During dinner, Gu Beiri finally had the chance to fill his stomach.

The food on the long table was so exquisite that he dared not touch it.

Crystal-clear shrimp dumplings, sashimi arranged in the shape of flowers, steaming hot grilled steak, and various desserts whose names I don't know.

"Eat up, don't be shy." Su Wenya handed him a plate. "Since you've already paid, you might as well eat it."

Gu Beiri then unleashed his full power.

He was indeed hungry, and the food was indeed delicious.

Su Wenya watched him eat so intently and couldn't help but laugh: "Slow down, no one's going to take it from you."

"It's free, it'd be a waste not to eat it," Gu Beiri mumbled, his mouth full of cake.

Su Wenya's smile deepened.

This boy was unlike anyone she knew.

He is genuine and unpretentious; he eats when he's hungry, speaks when he's tired, and even shows his nervousness.

It's so real it's enviable.

After dinner came the dance party.

The band changed to a soothing waltz, and people gradually entered the dance floor.

"Wenya, may I have this dance?" Another young man approached, this time wearing glasses and looking more refined.

"Sorry, she has company tonight," Gu Beiri said smoothly.

The young man glanced at him, said nothing, and turned to leave.

Su Wenya looked at Gu Beiri and suddenly asked, "Do you want to dance?"

Gu Beiri was taken aback: "I... I don't know how."

"I'll teach you."

"what?"

Su Wenya had already pulled him toward the edge of the dance floor.

"It's very simple, just follow my rhythm."

She placed Gu Beiri's right hand on her waist and clasped his left hand in hers.

"The basic steps of the waltz are 'rising and falling, swinging, and tilting.' Start with the left foot, one, two, three, two, two, three..."

Gu Beiri's whole body stiffened.

He had never been so close to a woman before, let alone danced in public.

"Relax," Su Wenya said softly. "Look at me, don't look down at your feet."

Gu Beiri forced himself to raise his head.

Under the light, Su Wenya's face was very close.

She wore light makeup today, her eyelashes were long, and her eyes shone softly under the light.

Her hair, which she usually tied up, was now loose, draped over her shoulders, with the ends slightly curled.

She was completely different from the capable researcher she usually was.

"What's wrong?" Su Wenya noticed his gaze.

"No...it's nothing." Gu Beiri hurriedly looked away.

Music flows, dance steps twirl.

At first, Gu Beiri kept stepping on Su Wenya's feet, but gradually, he found his rhythm.

One, two, three, rotate, swing, tilt.

Su Wenya's guidance was gentle and patient.

"Yes, that's right. You're very smart and learn quickly."

Gu Beiri gradually relaxed.

He noticed that when Su Wenya was dancing, her gaze would unconsciously drift into the distance, looking at the crowd of people clinking glasses and those hypocritical smiles.

Although she had a smile on her lips, there was a hint of weariness and detachment in her eyes.

"You don't like these kinds of occasions, do you?" Gu Beiri suddenly asked.

Su Wenya paused for a moment, then gave a wry smile: "Is it that obvious?"

"Hmm. Your smile here is different from usual."

"What's different?"

"Your usual smiles are genuine, but the smiles here... seem like you're wearing a mask."

Su Wenya remained silent for a few seconds.

The music continued, and they spun to the rhythm.

"My father is the vice president of the Linhai City Business Association," Su Wenya said softly, her voice almost drowned out by the music. "The Su family has some standing in this city. So I had to attend all sorts of parties, cocktail parties, and social events from a young age."

"At first I came with my parents, but later I came alone."

Get to know the people you should get to know, say the things you should say, and laugh when you should laugh.

Everyone thought that the eldest daughter of the Su family, a young and promising researcher, had a bright future.

But nobody asked me if I liked it or not.

Gu Beiri didn't know how to respond, and felt a pang of inexplicable heartache.

He thought of his parents and that small farm.

Although poor, at least it was real.

"Then why did you come?" he asked.

"Because there are some things that must be done," Su Wenya said softly. "Like you, you have to come to this kind of event that you don't like at all, just for the Power Gem skill disc."

Gu Beiri understood.

Everyone has their own unavoidable circumstances.

"Sorry to make you listen to my rant." Su Wenya smiled, concealing the weariness in her eyes. "Let's keep dancing, this song is almost over."

When the music ended, the two stopped dancing.

Applause erupted around them, but Gu Beiri knew that the applause was not for them.

"Thank you." Su Wenya released her grip. "You helped me fend off so many people tonight."

"You're welcome, you helped me too."

"I'll arrange the auction, probably in about a week. Don't worry about the money, just take it and use it for now, and pay me back when you have it."

"Thanks."

It was late at night when the party ended.

Su Wenya drove Gu Beiri back to the farm.

The two didn't talk much on the way, but the atmosphere wasn't awkward.

When they arrived at the farm gate, Su Wenya called out to Gu Beiri before he got out of the car.

"Gu Beiri".

"Um?"

"Tonight... I'm actually quite happy," Su Wenya smiled. "At least I have someone I can talk to honestly."

Gu Beiri nodded: "Me too."

"Good night."

"Good night."

...............

As Gu Beiri watched Su Wenya's taillights disappear into the night, the inexplicable heartache in his heart grew clearer and clearer.

The weariness hidden beneath her polite smile at the ball, the occasional gentle rubbing of her temples while driving, and finally, that last sentence, "At least there's someone I can truly talk to"...

This young researcher, who is usually elegant, composed, and caring towards others, is now stripped of all pretense and is just an ordinary person who gets tired and bored.

"Meow?" Meow-Li sheep rubbed against his trouser leg, as if asking something.

Gu Beiri squatted down, patted the sheep's head, hesitated for a few seconds, and then made an impulsive and somewhat absurd decision.

He took out his phone and dialed Su Wenya's number.

The call was answered quickly, with the sound of vehicles driving in the background.

"Hey? Bei Ri, what's wrong? Did you leave something in the car?" Su Wenya's voice carried a hint of doubt.

"Sister Wenya, are you... going straight home now?" Gu Beiri asked.

"Well, what else? The research institute has a regular meeting tomorrow morning."

"Let's turn back." Gu Beiri took a deep breath. "I'll take you somewhere."

There was a few seconds of silence on the other end of the phone.

"What?"

I said, turn around and come back.

"Parties aren't the place to truly relax. Let me take you to my world, play for half the night, I guarantee it'll be more stress-relieving than going home to sleep."

Su Wenya was clearly taken aback by the sudden invitation: "Now? It's almost one o'clock..."

"The nightlife is just getting started."

Gu Beiri’s tone carried a rare lightness that belonged to his age.

"Come on, just think of it as a senior researcher giving special guidance to a junior, or as friends having a good time together."

"Men who are persistent and clingy will get points deducted."

"So, in your case, is that a plus?"

After a few more seconds of silence, the sound of a turn signal being activated came from the phone.

Su Wenya's voice was tinged with laughter.

Give me five minutes.

(Bonus chapter for 6 votes from Xia)