This day… finally ended.

Gu Shen left the Dream Whisperer and stood at the street corner. He took a deep breath of the cold wind, wanting to steady his mind.

The side effects of using the Ruler of Truth had almost faded away, but he was still a bit light-headed when walking.

It was November in Dadu in the south, and it got chilly after sunset.

He adjusted his coat. Too many things had happened today—the mass insomnia, the attack by the Eternal Foundation, the pocket watch dream… A series of events had come one after another, making it difficult for him to catch his breath.

Fortunately, it was all over.

The evening breeze blew gently as music drifted out from the coffee shop on the street. Passersby walked along Lipu Street. Couples were holding hands and laughing, and children were chasing each other and playing. The bustling white noise of the crowd helped Gu Shen relax and not be so tense.

“Dr. Gu.”

Under a street light stood a petite and cute girl waving.

Qu Shui was wearing a furry wool hat, a cartoon-themed camel-colored sweater, a pleated skirt, and pink socks that reached her knees, looking youthful.

“Sorry to keep you waiting.” Gu Shen felt apologetic for making her wait so long.

As he walked closer, he noticed that she had put on makeup. Her cheeks were rosy and no longer showed her previous pallor and haggard appearance. Her face radiated vitality as she smiled brightly under the glow of the street light.

“No, no. I just got here too,” the girl said while warming her hands with her breath. “Dr. Gu, your work must be very tiring, right? It’s getting late. Let me treat you to dinner!”

Gu Shen hesitated.

He was here to investigate a case.

But she had waited so long and even invited him repeatedly. It would be impolite to refuse.

After thinking for a moment, Gu Shen said, “How about I treat you instead? Let’s just grab something to eat nearby. Afterward, we can go to River Shoal.”

…

For Gu Shen, eating was something he could ignore unless necessary.

Children who grew up in remote villages were often like this. To them, missing a meal or two was no big deal. What was even more terrifying than being hungry for a couple of meals was the uncertainty of ever eating their fill in the future. When Gu Shen first left the orphanage two years ago, eating steamed buns and pickled vegetables had been a common occurrence. Occasionally, he even had to settle for drinking water to fill his stomach.

Dadu was like a skyscraper much more magnificent than Azure River. It offered breathtaking views from the top, but it was also a pyramid that was crueler than Azure River. Countless nameless people carried the building on their backs floor by floor, and innumerable invisible ‘ordinary people’ lay at its base.

Therefore, even though Gu Shen had enough money in his account to ‘splurge’, he still lived according to his original habits. In the neon-lit depths of the city’s night, people could always see a young man running alone through the alleys, enjoying the cool evening breeze while munching on freshly baked sweet potatoes or hot pancakes from street vendors.

For such a young man like him, the past seventeen years of life had taught him perseverance, hard work, self-discipline, and many other virtues.

But life had yet to teach him romance.

“Here, for you… fresh out of the oven.”

Qu Shui looked at Gu Shen with a strange expression. The two of them had just walked out of a secluded alley on Lipu Street.

Gu Shen was holding two bags of sweet potatoes, offering one to Qu Shui, but she didn’t take it.

He looked puzzled. “Aren’t you going to eat? They’re pretty good.”

“I’ll… pass.” Qu Shui looked a little awkward. She glanced at Gu Shen’s clothes and asked, “Dr. Gu… do you usually eat this?”

“Yeah.” Gu Shen blew on a sweet potato, peeled off a piece of soft skin, and took a bite. “They’re really good. Are you sure you don’t want any?”

If Chu Ling were here, he would bring her to eat this.

“I’d like to have something a bit more… formal. Is that okay?” Qu Shui suggested tactfully. “There’s a nice restaurant near River Shoal. If you don’t have money, I can cover it.”

“Something more formal…” Gu Shen belatedly realized his mistake.

He suddenly realized that offering sweet potatoes to a friend might be perceived as ‘stingy’ in terms of social etiquette. Of course, his original intention was not so.

Having stayed in Azure River for two years and eating a large number of sweet potatoes, Gu Shen was deeply impressed by the roasted sweet potatoes from this street vendor on Lipu Street. It might be the first time Dadu had sparked amazement in his heart.

When he first tasted these sweet potatoes, he had even thought to himself, As expected of Dadu, even the sweet potatoes are roasted better than in other cities.

…

Twenty minutes later.

Gu Shen arrived at a revolving restaurant, where the two had a private room with soft lights and soothing music, creating a tranquil atmosphere.

He adjusted his sitting position several times, but he couldn’t shake off the feeling of discomfort.

This restaurant was located in River Shoal, occupying the entire twenty-ninth floor of a building. Diners could overlook the night scenery of River Shoal, complete with boats and lights. During festivals or with a bit of luck, they could witness a magnificent fireworks display.

“Dr. Gu, is this your first time at a restaurant like this?”

Sitting at the dining table, Qu Shui looked very relaxed, completely unlike a sixteen-year-old girl, and there was no trace of her earlier shyness.

Gu Shen thought about it. By ‘a restaurant like this,’ Qu Shui should mean one with high prices. 

He had looked at the menu just now and estimated that a meal here would cost around two thousand yuan per person.

The day before the assessment, that old fellow had taken him for a joyride in a luxury car and brought him to dine at all the top restaurants in Oto City. Gu Shen, who had happily tagged along for free eating and drinking, had not forgotten to sneak a glance at the menus after every meal. The prices were similar to this restaurant’s.

Thank you, Mr. Tree.

Having been brought to ‘see the world’ in advance, he wasn’t overly shocked at this moment, and he could even reply confidently, “I’ve been to places like this before, but I don’t dine at them often.”

Qu Shui smiled quietly. “I’ve cut this steak… Here you go.”

Looking at Qu Shui’s skillful use of the knife, Gu Shen could already tell that she came from a wealthy family. It made sense, though. The fees for Dream Whisperer’s psychiatric counseling weren’t cheap. They were eight hundred yuan an hour. How much pocket money would a sixteen-year-old girl need to have to be able to go there several times a week?

“Thank you.”

Gu Shen asked curiously, “You should still be in school. Won’t your parents be worried about you being out so late?”

Qu Shui lowered his head slightly, her eyes flickering for a moment before she smiled softly. “Dr. Gu, you should know… I’ve been receiving treatment recently… So I’ve been granted leave from school.”

Gu Shen noticed that when Qu Shui spoke, she subconsciously pulled her sleeves down a bit.

He had seen… more than one scar on this girl’s wrists.

Self-harm due to a breakup.

It was hard to imagine that this seemingly gentle and fragile girl would do something so extreme.

“Please don’t harm yourself,” Gu Shen said gently. “Your parents will be heartbroken.”

“Thank you for your kind intentions,” Qu Shui whispered. “I live alone now. My parents… aren’t here anymore.”

Her parents… are not here anymore? Gu Shen was stunned for a moment before understanding what she meant.

He fell silent.

Gu Shen felt a string in his heart being plucked, but he had never been good at comforting others, so he could only say gently, “Then, you have to take good care of yourself even more. Let me pay the bill. Let’s go back early after finishing the matter in River Shoal. I’ll send you to your house.”