Chapter 92

Not only did Xiaolong run with enthusiasm, but even Su Zhe ran with increasing vigor. In sparsely populated areas, the speed of both the man and the dog gradually increased.

Su Zhe and Xiaolong ran for a full half hour before stopping. Su Zhe was drenched in sweat, and Xiaolong began to pant. They had unknowingly run to the outskirts, and Su Zhe saw no one around. There was no sign of Yu Xuanhao and Hei Hu. Only then did Su Zhe realize that he and Xiaolong had left Yu Xuanhao and the others behind, dispersing them.

Su Zhe saw a leisure chair by the roadside and immediately walked over, sat down, and leaned his entire body against the back of the chair. Xiaolong lay down beside the chair, showing that both Su Zhe and Xiaolong were quite exhausted.

A gentle breeze blew by, cool and refreshing, caressing Su Zhe's face and making him feel very comfortable and relaxed. He couldn't help but close his eyes and savor the cool breeze.

With his eyes closed, Su Zhe suddenly felt someone approaching and getting closer. Finally, he felt the person stop beside them. However, Su Zhe kept his eyes closed and did not open them.

After a while, Su Zhe couldn't help but feel a bit puzzled. He knew the person had not left but was playing with Xiaolong. This confused Su Zhe, as Xiaolong, though gentle, was very wary of strangers. Moreover, when the person first approached, Xiaolong did not give any warning or alert Su Zhe, which was unusual for such a vigilant dog.

Unless it was someone Xiaolong knew well, like Su Yuxin, Baobao, An Xin, or An Xuan, Xiaolong would not act this way. As for others, even if Xiaolong was very tired, he would not behave like this. Besides, the amount of exercise they had just done would not have a significant impact on Xiaolong.

Thinking about this, Su Zhe could no longer resist opening his eyes and looking over.

The person was a young girl, about eighteen or nineteen years old. Her eyebrows were as finely drawn as ink, her lips as delicate as cherry blossoms, and her face was exquisitely beautiful, like a pearl or jade. Her hair, black as a cloud, flowed behind her, and she wore a simple white dress that looked like a celestial garment on her.

When she saw Su Zhe open his eyes, she thought her actions had woken him. Her pure, flawless eyes, which seemed to speak, revealed a hint of apology.

Su Zhe was somewhat surprised. At first, he thought she was someone he knew, but upon seeing her face, he realized he had never met her before and had no memory of her, let alone any acquaintance.

Su Zhe did not doubt his memory, and she was not the type of person one could easily forget. Su Zhe believed that anyone who had seen her would find it hard to forget her appearance. This was the first time Su Zhe had seen her, but he unconsciously etched her face into his heart.

This was strange. He did not know her, and Xiaolong should not have had the chance to meet her. Yet, Xiaolong did not resist her touch.

At that moment, another gentle breeze blew.

The breeze blew toward Su Zhe, carrying a fragrance that was sweet but not overpowering, very pleasant. Su Zhe couldn't identify the scent; he had never smelled anything like it before. It was very captivating and seemed natural, not artificially processed.

"Is this dog yours? I'm sorry, I just thought it was cute and couldn't help but come over. I'm sorry for disturbing you. Can I ask its name?" she said with a hint of apology. Her voice was soft and melodious, very pleasant to hear.

"It's fine. His name is Xuelong, a snow mastiff," Su Zhe replied. He knew that even if the girl had done something wrong, as long as it wasn't heinous, no one would bear to blame her. Su Zhe didn't know why, but from the moment he saw her, he felt a strong urge to protect her and keep her from harm.

"My name is Liu Ling'er. My friends call me Ling'er. I hope we can get to know each other," Liu Ling'er said with a smile.

"My name is Su Zhe. I'm glad to meet you," Su Zhe replied with a smile, knowing that Liu Ling'er might just want to be friends with Xuelong.

"Then we are friends from now on," Liu Ling'er's big eyes curved into a crescent, showing how happy she was.

Su Zhe smiled and nodded.

Liu Ling'er's eyes were clear and pure, as if one could see her thoughts. People with such eyes are usually very innocent.

"Ling'er, why are you here alone?" This place, though not a wilderness, was quite remote. Su Zhe was puzzled why a girl like Liu Ling'er would come here alone.

"I was originally taking Duo Duo for a walk and hoping to find a companion for her. She is all alone and very pitiful. I ended up walking here," Liu Ling'er said with an embarrassed smile, then showed Su Zhe the small animal in her hands.

Only then did Su Zhe notice that Liu Ling'er was holding a small, very cute pet hamster. He wouldn't have noticed if she hadn't mentioned it.

However, Su Zhe was a bit speechless. To find a companion for a hamster, she came all the way here. Did she think she could catch one herself? But when Su Zhe thought about how he and Xuelong had ended up here, he realized it wasn't much different from Liu Ling'er.

"Where do you live? I'll take you back. It's not safe for a girl to be here alone," Su Zhe stood up, dusted off his pants, and said.

"I live in the school dormitory. I brought Duo Duo out for a walk because I had no classes today," Liu Ling'er said.

Su Zhe nodded. He had seen a school nearby while running. He led Xuelong and started walking.

Liu Ling'er, holding the hamster, hurried to catch up with Su Zhe.

As Liu Ling'er got closer to Su Zhe, he smelled the peculiar fragrance again, realizing it was coming from her. It was a unique scent that Su Zhe had never smelled before in any perfume. It was fresh and elegant, making the person who smelled it feel very comfortable and relaxed.

"Ling'er, what perfume are you using? It smells so good," Su Zhe said, and couldn't help but sniff again. He found that he had already fallen in love with this scent.

Liu Ling'er's face turned red when she heard Su Zhe's words. She stammered, "I'm not using any perfume. I've never used perfume. Is there a scent? I didn't smell anything."

Su Zhe didn't notice Liu Ling'er's change in expression. He was puzzled because he clearly smelled the scent and felt it very clearly, but why didn't Liu Ling'er smell it.