At 3 a.m., the landmines in front of the station

Right now, the only feeling is that I feel refreshed and invigorated. Every inch of my skin seems to have been reborn, with my pores open, breathing in fresh air in large gulps.

"You must keep this a secret from me."

Su Che was so exhausted that he didn't even have the strength to move a finger. He rested for a long time before he finally regained some energy.

The amount of exercise I just did must have been at least several thousand calories, and all the nutrients and protein I consumed this afternoon are definitely used up now, so I need time to recover...

The thought of having to "save" another kitten tonight...

He felt a chill in his heart, wondering how much longer he could hold on to his old life.

"Yes, I understand. But brother, I'd like to know, is your tea... a renewable resource? Do you have any at home?"

Gu Zhi's eyes darted around, and wicked thoughts began to emerge.

Su Che knew exactly what she was up to, and shook his head repeatedly with a straight face: "That's all, really all. You drank all my treasures this time, leaving me with nothing to go on. From now on, I'll have to rely on my own strength."

"Oh? Is that your true strength?"

"Yes, it's the basic physical strength that the body itself possesses... the part that doesn't rely on external forces."

"I see~"

Gu Zhi first showed a look of regret, then curled the corners of her mouth and said, not falling for the trick, "So there's more?"

"!?"

"Brother Che, you always speak a little faster when you say the opposite of what you mean. Tsk tsk tsk, looks like you have quite a bit of substance to your words, huh?"

"..."

Su Che was impressed, thinking to himself that Gu Zhi was becoming increasingly shrewd and harder to fool.

Could it be that repeated nourishment could significantly enhance her sensitivity?

Is this reasonable?

He was too lazy to explain anything anymore. Since things had come to this, he should think about what to do next.

He decided to inform Gu Zhi beforehand, just in case anything went wrong.

"I've made up for everything I owed you, so I'll start dealing with Bai Chu's issues later. You just need to pretend to be asleep and cooperate with me. Please don't be unsatisfied again, okay?"

"What? You actually need me to be your incompetent girlfriend? Brother Che, actors get paid for their performances, so if I help you, shouldn't I get some... compensation too?"

"What? You've already received your payment! You have to give to receive, otherwise the business will only last!"

Su Che was almost laughing in anger. He thought to himself that Gu Zhi, who had drunk tea, was indeed different. In a 50/50 battle, she fought very toughly and did not lose any strength.

Next time, I must drink a huge cup of herbal tea myself and beat her so badly that she can't speak and is panting. Only then can I cure her little ailment.

"Hmph... Women, there's no such thing as truly being able to satisfy them. I don't really have any unreasonable demands, it's just that next time could you drink a little more of that... so I can see just how... fierce your potential really is? Is that okay?"

Okay, okay, okay.

With three "good"s in a row, Su Che had anticipated Gu Zhi's thoughts.

He sighed helplessly, "You just need to cooperate with me to get through tonight. If necessary, you have to pretend to be awake and help me stop Bai Chu, understand?"

"Okay, I understand. I'll roll over when you're not feeling well."

"Yes, yes."

Su Che nodded in satisfaction. "Also, I must remind you that the cost of one cup of herbal tea is close to 12,000 yuan. This is a daily serving. You drank about 4000 yuan worth of my tea today. Although I don't want to do the math, you need to understand its preciousness."

"Oh……"

After hearing this, Gu Zhi looked thoughtful.

[4000 yuan for a cup of tea is really quite expensive. If I use my next month's allowance to help Che-gege buy tea, will he spend all of it on me...?]

The bad water has begun to flow.

But it wasn't said publicly.

The two sat in the car for a while, until the smell had almost dissipated (in their own opinion), before Su Che rolled up the car window, took weary and heavy steps, and led Gu Zhi and the other person back to the courtyard.

-

"Hey, you two, you're finally back?"

At this moment, the old man, leaning on his cane, was standing in the main hall just inside the entrance, gathering firewood to heat the kang (a heated brick bed).

Early autumn is cool, and the temperature in the countryside is not as high as in the city. The temperature difference between day and night is large, making it easy to catch a cold. Therefore, raising the temperature of the bed has become a necessary routine every night, replacing warm bedding such as electric blankets.

Grandma Bai had already laid out the quilts and indicated that Su Che could get on the kang (heated brick bed) to rest at any time.

"Xiao Chu has already taken a shower and is waiting for you in bed. If you're tired, go to sleep."

Her words carried a subtle hint of encouragement, but Su Che had no way to politely refuse.

"...Yes, Grandma Bai, I'm sorry to have troubled you."

"Haha, why would I worry about that? But you said you went to buy something, why aren't you carrying anything? Did you get lost?"

"Ah... I didn't find anything suitable, so I just browsed around and came back."

Su Che gave a perfunctory reply, and the old lady didn't take it to heart. She just nodded, indicating that it was getting late and suggesting that he wash up and go inside quickly.

People in rural areas tend to go to bed early, and most are accustomed to going to bed early and waking up early, rarely having a biological clock that keeps them up all night.

After all, there are few entertainment options in the countryside. Apart from playing around with your partner in bed, there's really nothing else that can really pique people's interest. It's better to get some rest and cultivate a healthier body.

Guided by Grandma Bai, Su Che and Gu Zhi went to the bathroom to wash up. Soon after, they returned to the master bedroom and prepared to settle in.

Grandma Bai had already gone to rest in the small house, while on her side, little Bai Chu was lying peacefully in the blanket against the wall, her eyes tightly closed in pain, her little face flushed, looking as if she had a high fever.

【broken.】

Su Che's heart skipped a beat. He knew he had returned late and had missed the girl's "best rescue time." He had to act quickly.

The layout of the kang (heated brick bed) inside the room was such that the middle position was his, the left side was Gu Zhi's, and the right side was Bai Chu's.

Although the three quilts are placed side by side, the distance between them is quite significant.

The perceptive Gu Zhi frowned slightly, noticing that her bed was a bit far from Su Che's, about an arm's length away. However, Bai Chu's bed was right next to his, with no distance at all!

"No, what does this mean? Why do I have to stay so far away from him? Is he bullying me?"

Although Gu Zhi had no desires tonight, she was not one to be trifled with. After taking off her shoes and climbing onto the kang (a heated brick bed), she quickly pulled her bedding close to him, ensuring a fair and just distance, without considering that it might be too hot.

"...Don't take it so seriously."

Su Che shook his head helplessly, reached out and pulled the light cord to turn off the lights in the room, and then quickly lay down in his spot.

The situation was tense. The moment he lay down, he felt the heat emanating from his right side and had to immediately find a way to help the girl dispel the heat.

"Hmph, you guys get started, don't worry about me. I'm going to sleep, goodnight."

Gu Zhi pursed her lips, then obediently turned over and pretended to fall asleep.

The door was tightly shut, and faint moans of pain could be heard coming from the side against the wall. It was clear that the girl was being tortured by the medicinal tea to the point of near death.

"Bai Chu, are you alright? Your forehead is burning hot."

Su Che reached out and touched her forehead.

"Ugh...it hurts."

Although she was completely exhausted, she didn't pounce on her prey like a hungry cat like Gu Zhi. Instead, she huddled in a corner like a shrimp, looking pitiful.

"..."

Su Che was most susceptible to this pitiful and frail state. Seeing her biting her lower lip and enduring it all, even trying not to cause him any trouble, he was deeply moved.

His protective instincts were ignited at this moment, and his expression immediately turned serious as he made up his mind.

"Then I'll help you cool down this heat."

As soon as he finished speaking, the two barriers between the girl and him in the darkness were quickly dismantled.

An attempt to "save" someone until dawn was launched without reservation, captured by Gu Zhi's auditory system.

-

……

Bai Chu's methods are extremely sophisticated.

She is very clear about her strengths and weaknesses, and never acts blindly.

Today, I accidentally drank his tea. Although it was my fault, he will take full responsibility for the consequences of drinking the tea, barring any unforeseen circumstances.

No matter how uncomfortable or agonizing the process may be, just wait quietly and he will solve all the problems.

Of course, all of this is based on the established fact that we had already had a spiritual entanglement with each other before.

Su Che is a free-spirited but selfless person who is willing to pay for and take responsibility for every pet cat and stray cat.

Because he wanted to distance himself from someone, prove that he was no weaker than the other party, and prove that his own choice was right, Su Che would often choose to compromise and consider the cats' thoughts and needs.

With all the right timing, location, and people in the right place, plus Grandma Bai's powerful assistance, Bai Chu, who was originally on the fringes of his life and had little interaction with him, has now completely integrated into his life and absorbed into his very being.

The music and singing have ended, and the heat and toxins have been completely dispelled.

Ms. Su's task was completed by the girl a second time, and this time, she was confident that she could have the "future" firmly in her grasp.

The next morning, Su Che failed to get up.

Bai Chu also failed to get up on time.

When Grandma Bai came over, coughing and leaning on her cane, only Gu Zhi pouted and got dressed, while the other two were clinging to each other.

The old woman laughed on the spot: "Haha, this is what marriage should look like. Seeing how safe Xiao Chu is, I'm content."

She hunched over, turned and went out to collect eggs from the chicken coop, intending to make Su Che a dish of stir-fried eggs with chives for breakfast to replenish the protein she and her granddaughter had consumed the night before.

-

……

In Studio 61, Master Lu returned to the studio with some antique items.

Lingyao and Yui were still practicing diligently in the rehearsal room when they saw him return with large bags and bundles through the soundproof glass. The two immediately stopped practicing, put down their equipment, and ran out to help him move the things.

"Teacher! You stayed overnight in the countryside yesterday?"

"Ah."