Ji Shiyu · Chat

<scenario>At 4:30 in the afternoon toward the end of July, the stifling heat that had blanketed Qiping all day finally began to recede slightly past the horizon. The harsh, blanched brilliance of the sunlight had gradually deepened into a rich shade of orange-gold. The breeze was no longer scorching and oppressive; instead, it carried the faint, raw scent of sun-baked grass and foliage. Flanking the Central Park walking paths, tall plane trees formed a contiguous canopy overhead, casting vast swathes of swaying, dense shade across the red-brick paving. The low hum of a nearby vending machine's cooling compressor blended with the tireless drone of cicadas in the branches, composing the most ordinary backdrop of a summer afternoon.</scenario> <narration>Ji Shiyu went out to walk his dog at this hour as usual. He wore an oversized T-shirt in an intensely saturated Klein blue, paired with black knee-length athletic shorts, and a flamboyant pair of out-of-print sneakers. His left hand was casually shoved into his pocket, his back held ramrod straight, walking with an innate, nonchalant swagger.</narration> <action>His right hand loosely looped around a thick, black leash. At the other end of it was Oreo.</action> <narration>This was a purebred German Shepherd noticeably half a size larger than others of its age. Tall and sleekly framed, its jet-black coat gleamed with a healthy, steely sheen beneath the slanting sunlight. Walking half a step ahead on Ji Shiyu's left side, its stride was steady and its musculature lean and taut. With pointed ears standing upright and cold, solemn eyes, it naturally exuded an imposing presence that commanded respect without effort.</narration> <narration>Quite a few people were out walking their dogs at this time. An off-leash, light-colored Golden Retriever came trotting over from across the lawn, seemingly wanting to come close and sniff around. Oreo didn't break stride for even half a second; those harsh, frigid eyes merely cast a nonchalant glance toward the newcomer, letting slip an extremely restrained, low warning growl from deep within its throat. The previously eager Golden instantly froze in its tracks, tucked its tail, and quietly backed away two paces. Ji Shiyu was long accustomed to such scenes. His dog was just like him: cold and detached toward strangers and other dogs down to the marrow. Oreo never sought affection or tried to please anyone—outside of lowering its head to nuzzle Ji Shiyu's hand at home, it permanently carried an aloof, unapproachable, arrogant-as-hell demeanor outdoors.</narration> <action>Ji Shiyu curled the corner of his lip, gave a subtle flick of his wrist to take up a bit of slack on the leash, and signaled Oreo to keep moving forward.</action> <narration>Ahead lay a straight, tree-lined path lined with low shrubbery on either side. Light and shadow sliced across the red brick pavement in alternating blocks of brightness and gloom.</narration> <narration>And then, someone approached from the opposite direction.</narration> <narration>It was a girl, walking along the path toward them. She was still over a dozen meters away; Ji Shiyu's gaze merely swept forward carelessly without lingering on the passerby. To him, nobody in the park was worth dedicating a single extra shred of attention to.</narration> <action>However, just as the distance narrowed to less than five meters, the leash that had remained slack in Ji Shiyu's right hand suddenly jerked taut.</action> <narration>The pull came with startling abruptness, carried forward with an impatient surge that wrenched Ji Shiyu's wrist hard. Instinctively pulling his left hand from his pocket, his brow instantly knitted into a sharp scowl.</narration> <action>He halted, looking down at his dog with a mixture of annoyance and bewilderment.</action> <narration>With just one glance, Ji Shiyu froze.</narration> <narration>Oreo—who always held its head high, perpetually vigilant and icy toward everything around it—was now staring intently ahead. The tail that usually hung low naturally and only lifted during extreme alertness was not merely raised high, but swinging through the air in an utterly bizarre... frantic wag. That was definitely not a warning upon encountering a threat; it was an uncontrollable, excited display of affection. Oreo's throat emitted a series of soft, squeaky, almost flattering and plaintive whimpers. Its four paws shifted restlessly in place as its entire body strained forward. Had Ji Shiyu's leash not been sturdy enough, it would have already launched forward like a black cannonball.</narration> <action>For a few seconds, Ji Shiyu's brain drew a complete blank. Following Oreo's gaze—which practically sparkled with fire—he lifted his head again and looked straight ahead.</action> <narration>Walking directly toward them was none other than 你. No treats, no other dog in tow, hands completely empty—just an utterly unremarkable passerby strolling past.</narration> <narration>Oreo, on the other hand, had lost its mind. It even swung its head around, nudging Ji Shiyu's knee with its nose in frantic agitation, letting out an even louder whimper of an urge. Then it snapped its gaze back, eyes glued completely to the person approaching, its center of gravity leaning all the way forward—looking for all the world like a devoted sycophant finally reunited with its long-lost mother.</narration> <action>Ji Shiyu took a deep breath. With a sharp wrench of his arm, he forcibly hauled the almost lunging Oreo back to his heel. The Shepherd's massive frame yielded half a step with reluctance, yet its eyes remained locked forward, tail spinning like a propeller.</action> <narration>Across Ji Shiyu's striking, aggressive features, every trace of nonchalance shattered entirely into dust. In its place was a profound sense of absurdity and sheer disbelief, as though his entire worldview had been shaken. The dog he had raised for two years—the dog so aloof and haughty it wouldn't spare anyone the time of day—had just had its soul unilaterally stolen on the street by a total stranger.</narration> <action>Lifting his eyelids, his gaze locked onto the approaching 你—direct, piercing, and laced with undisguised shock.</action> <narration>Save for the late-summer cicadas, the only sound left in the air was Oreo's rapid panting and whining.</narration> <action>Ji Shiyu stared at her for a full three seconds. Those usually sharp, coolly arrogant lips twitched as he struggled to process the surreal spectacle before him.</action> <message>"Excuse me?"</message> <action>Ji Shiyu sneered slightly, his brow furrowing deeply, his tone brimming with utterly baffled absurdity as his words dropped crisp and clean onto the quiet walkway:</action> <message>"Did you rub shit all over yourself or something?"</message>