Qiao Muyi was dreaming, and she knew she was dreaming. The dream was not only lengthy, but there was also more than one.

In the first dream, she still lived in the Southern City. Her parents loved her dearly, and she had always been the queen bee from a young age—top of her class, outstanding in sports, so popular that the canteen lady gave her extra portions. Her beauty went without saying: cute in elementary school, pretty in middle school, and beautiful in college, single-handedly elevating the school's average attractiveness.

However, ever since she was small, a "snot-nosed bug" had followed her around. Although the bug's academic performance wasn't as good as hers, he was usually among the top three in their class. His sports skills weren't as good as hers, and he couldn't even beat her. But as he grew up, this bug turned out to be quite tall. Anytime they took any transportation, his mere presence in front of her kept other pests at bay. The bug had good social skills too—though a straightforward guy who only liked video games, he had quite a few male and female friends. Though not very handsome, the bug was still not unpleasant to look at, and she could stare at him all day when bored…

After graduation, she and the bug somehow found themselves sitting at an engagement party, their parents talking animatedly at the table while they played with their phones under it, critiquing the DC movie they watched yesterday—about how the Sea King's younger brother lacked his mother's love as a child and was later cheated on, and so on…

Then, in a blur, they had a wedding ceremony. She was dressed in a Phoenix Crown and Xia Pei, and dispensed with the big red veil because it obstructed her view. The bug wore a groom's suit, which she teased for resembling a shroud.

That night, she looked at the bug by the bedside, drunk to the point of vomiting and fainting, poked his forehead, and huffed, "You got lucky."

…

In the second dream, she was the only daughter of a wealthy Chinese-British tycoon, born into the spotlight. At thirteen, she had traveled the world with her parents, picking up hobbies like piano, skiing, and horseback riding early on, and was friends with the sisters of the Ranpelrouge Family.

Because of her prominent family and stunning appearance, suitors were never lacking. This peaked during her advanced studies at Cambridge; her suitors included geniuses, international police officers, multinational corporation CEOs, and popular superstars. Overwhelmed by the attention, she sneakily traveled to Flourishing Sakura to clear her mind.

While drawing a fortune slip at the Sensoji Temple, she got "very bad luck" three or four times, which frustrated her so much she almost smashed the fortune-telling tube. At that moment, a Sand Sculpture next to her, earphones around his neck, flaunted a "very fortunate" fortune slip at her repeatedly. He might as well have said, 'Aren't you jealous? With such bad luck, you better go home and eat shit to calm down.'

She then threw this Sand Sculpture over her shoulder on the spot and asked him if the fortune slip mentioned anything about him not avoiding a calamity of blood light today.

But she wasn't foolish. After beating him up, she quickly disappeared into the crowd at Sensoji Temple and left, satisfied, watching the Sand Sculpture's bewildered face from a distance.

Unfortunately, that evening when she visited the Ikebukuro Planetarium, that same Sand Sculpture happened to be sitting next to her.

Since she couldn't avoid him this time, she took the initiative to ask the Sand Sculpture out to dinner, as if nothing had happened. The Sand Sculpture agreed readily and took her to the most expensive sushi restaurant in Ginza. But she, being a rich lady, used her wealth to tell the Sand Sculpture, "Sorry, having money means you can do whatever you want."

During the meal, she learned that the Sand Sculpture had been saving money for a trip to Flourishing Sakura and had a full itinerary planned, including some unique festival events.

Seeing how wealthy she was, the Sand Sculpture asked her if she wanted to tour Tokyo together. Having no plans of her own and feeling somewhat fated to meet this Sand Sculpture twice in one day, she agreed.

Five years later, through hard work and perseverance, the Sand Sculpture finally won her parents' approval and, through nepotism, landed the role of managing director in a company. He balanced working during the day with studying management at night, sleeping only four hours per day, and was nearly worn to death. She convinced her parents and chose to have a Shinto wedding at Meiji Shrine in Tokyo, wearing the White Innocence she had fallen in love with five years earlier.

That evening, the Sand Sculpture took her back to Sensoji Temple to draw fortunes, but again she drew "very bad luck." The Sand Sculpture told her that if she folded up the "very bad luck" fortune slip and tied it to a nearby disaster-preventing wooden frame, Guanyin would solve her misfortunes at no charge—as Guanyin worked voluntarily.

She said, "Why didn't you tell me this five years ago?"

The Sand Sculpture replied, "I had hardly spoken before you slammed me to the ground…"

She pinched the Sand Sculpture's face and hummed, "You got lucky."

…

In the third dream, she grew up in a Northeast family where bathing meant going to a public bathhouse. Both her parents were laid-off workers who ran a small business; they bickered often, but their love for each other was evident.

Though her family wasn't wealthy, she came from humble beginnings, aiming for the sky. Showing resilience, she was accepted into one of the top two universities in the country to continue her studies. She didn't have many friends, but she did have one female friend who was as intensely disciplined and devoted to research as she was.

In her third year, she received a full scholarship from a well-known institution in the Federation to study abroad due to her superior academic performance. Her sound academic foundation and solid research capabilities quickly made her famous in the academic world. Many opportunities came her way, whether for work, further study, or returning home—her future was exceptionally bright.

The only regret was that she had focused solely on academics for years, neglecting other aspects of life. As her youth slipped by, she remained single.

She thought she'd continue on as a strong, independent woman. However, after a party at a bar one night, as she was preparing to drive home, she ran into a gang of robbers consisting of a hunchbacked man, a little girl, a muscular man, a handsome blonde man, and a buck-toothed man.

She nearly thought it was the end for her. But just then, a masked man passing by on a bicycle dispersed the gang—though that was all he did. He then pedaled furiously with her for a kilometer before he dared to stop.

Later, chatting with the masked man, she found out he also attended her university and even had a similar major. However, unlike her diligent self, the masked man had only average learning abilities; he hadn't graduated yet or even settled on a supervisor.

As a gesture of gratitude, she took the masked man as her student. Although they were about the same age, she reasoned that expertise is specialized, and knowledge comes in succession—that was all there was to it.

Three months later, while eating food made by her student in the laboratory, she suddenly realized this student was quite compatible with her. He was pleasant in conversation, their work was similar, and most importantly, he was very obedient. Disinterested in dating, she directly asked, "You want a master's degree? I can give it to you. I want to get married. Will you give me that?"

Two months later, taking a break from their busy schedules, they were married at a cliff-side glass chapel in Los Angeles called the 'Traveler's Church,' which they had booked. At the wedding ceremony, dressed in a bridal gown, she and her student cut the wedding cake together, and then she was swept off her feet.

She took a bite of the cake first, then stuffed some into the student's mouth, hugged his neck, and hummed, "You got lucky."

…

"Mmm~~ SMACK SMACK~~ GULP~"

Hearing the lip-smacking and swallowing sounds beside her, Qiao Muyi slowly opened her eyes.

She covered her mouth and yawned gently, realizing she wasn't sleeping in a bed but sitting on a sofa. The place wasn't her home, and she had been sleeping next to the guy beside her, whose noises had woken her up. Hmm?

Qiao Muyi turned her head and discovered another girl sleeping next to him on the other side.

As Qiao Muyi looked over, the other girl, as if sensing her gaze, opened her eyes at the same time. She rubbed her eyes sleepily and smiled, "Morning, Xiao Qiao."

"...Morning, Cheng Ling."

Qiao Muyi greeted her somewhat dazedly, sat up straight, and pointed towards Ren Suo, who was still sleeping with his head tucked in. "Did he drug us? Or was it hypnotism? How did we end up sleeping next to him?"

Dong Chengling shook her head. "Don't you remember? A few days ago, you asked Suo to accompany you on a mission. You were both sleepless for several days and nights. When I brought you back, you two sat down and immediately fell asleep."

"Then why did you end up sleeping with us..."

"It was cold."

Qiao Muyi shivered, crossed her arms, and muttered, "Makes sense... Why isn't there any heating?"

"Well, winter in Lianjiang only lasts about forty or fifty days, and the temperature is generally above ten degrees Celsius, so people just get through it," Dong Chengling laughed. "Very few places have heating. But Xiao Qiao, why are you suddenly expecting heating?"

"Hm?" Qiao Muyi tilted her head. "I don't know. But my home air conditioner has a heating function… You're such a heavy sleeper! You even drooled!"

Startled awake, Ren Suo wiped the corners of his mouth, smacked his lips, and muttered, "I hadn't finished my cake yet..."

He looked at Dong Chengling and Qiao Muyi, thought for a moment, and said, "Cheng Ling, I need to catch up on sleep. I can't go for lunch... I don't know why, but I feel a bit full."

Qiao Muyi scoffed. "Fair enough. Getting full from drinking water? Did you fill your stomach by drinking toilet water in your dream?"

It took Ren Suo three seconds to understand Qiao Muyi's roundabout taunt. He then propped up his chin, pondering seriously, "I don't know, I can't remember... Anyway, I seem to have had a very long dream. I was drinking baijiu, eating sushi, and eating cake..."

"If you really ate like that, you'd definitely have needed a toilet in your dream," Qiao Muyi stated definitively.

Dong Chengling handed Ren Suo a tissue. "Then you better go back to sleep... but your house hasn't been cleaned for a few days."

"No worries, I'll clean it in a bit, and it will be spotless," Ren Suo replied, wiping his mouth with the tissue and patting his chest. "As everyone knows, I'm a total neat freak."

Indeed, Ren Suo loved cleanliness. Dong Chengling always noticed his house was much tidier than her own; she only cleaned every few days, just enough to keep the dust on her floor at a bearable level.

Ren Suo's place, however, looked as though it was cleaned daily. It was very tidy, but maintaining it took a lot of time, showing Ren Suo to be a diligent homebody with a penchant for cleanliness.

"Oh, by the way, Little Jiu has missed you these past few days. You have to come over for dinner tonight. Also, I've learned a few new dishes..."

Ren Suo dabbed at the drool at the corners of his mouth again and nodded. "No problem. My stomach has taken on your shape, Cheng Ling; everything you make tastes delicious to me... Huh? Where are my earphones?"

Watching their daily conversation, which resembled that of an old married couple, Qiao Muyi suddenly felt an inexplicable emotion in her heart.

However, it was I who taught Dong Chengling to communicate with Ren Suo using this method of gentle, silent nourishment, which would naturally lead to Ren Suo being unable to leave Dong Chengling. It might even make that utterly clueless man suddenly realize he should confess and propose. It wasn't that other methods couldn't be used, but this approach was the most suitable for Dong Chengling—be true to herself, act naturally, and rely on her strong personal charm to overwhelmingly succeed with an upright and powerful approach. If it were me, I wouldn't choose this method; I'd opt for something more intense...

Qiao Muyi shook her head. I must be muddle-headed from sleep, she thought.

But why does it feel like the last time I saw such a scene was ages ago? And why is there this pang of melancholy, this sense of loss in my heart?

At that moment, Ren Suo furrowed his brows, thought for a while, then suddenly had a realization. "That's right, I remember now—my headset was smashed during the mission!"

"Does this count as work damage? Can it be reimbursed?" Ren Suo asked Qiao Muyi with hopeful eyes.

"Reimburse your big Ghost! Pay for it yourself. No one asked you to wear a headset on the mission," Qiao Muyi waved her hand dismissively. "I'm going back. If there's anything, contact me by sending a red packet."

"Ah!" Dong Chengling suddenly remembered something. "Little Jiu hasn't gone to school yet! I need to go back and take her!"

With that, Dong Chengling immediately teleported away. Qiao Muyi also opened the door, ready to leave, while Ren Suo yawned and headed to the bedroom.

"Ren Suo."

Scratching his neck, Ren Suo turned his head and responded with a hum.

"I have something... I don't know if I should tell you," Qiao Muyi said, standing at the door, her cheeks flushed. She sighed softly.

"...What is it?" Most of Ren Suo's sleepiness vanished.

"Forget it. I've decided not to say it."

SNAP. She closed the door. While waiting for the elevator, Qiao Muyi sensed a wave of resentment from Ren Suo. She giggled. He must be hopping mad from frustration! Although I don't know why I'm in a bad mood, all I need to do is make someone else miserable, and then I'll feel better. Especially Ren Suo—he's a 300% stress reliever! Teasing him a bit is so satisfying!

「A short while later,」

Walking out of the dormitory building, Qiao Muyi unexpectedly saw many vehicles blocking the road. The people sitting in these cars were all her acquaintances—all Tactical Cultivators!

She walked over, knocked on a car window, and asked, "What are you all doing here so early?"

Lowering the window, Yu Kuangtu, who sat in the passenger seat, shrugged. "A drill."

"A drill?"

"Heavenly Lotus Academy is now an important educational base in Lianjiang. Our Tactical Bureau must arrive at the first sign of trouble, so we conducted a rapid assembly drill. A deputy bureau-level leader had to participate. Next time, it's your responsibility," Yu Kuangtu said, his face full of grievances, clearly expressing, Why am I always the one doing the work?

"We'll see about next time. There might not even be a next time."

Qiao Muyi looked around, found her team members' car, pulled open the door, and sat down. "Drive me home."

The teammate driving wanted to say something but ultimately didn't. After all, the highest-ranking leader in the motorcade, Yu Kuangtu, was on the same level as Qiao Muyi. What could he say if she insisted on using an official car for personal use? Yu Kuangtu was the worst offender when it came to personal use of official cars. Just a few days ago, Team Leader Li Dan had complained that Yu Kuangtu took an official car out at night to go joyriding with girls!

Sitting in the car, watching the scenery fly past, Qiao Muyi, feeling slightly sleepy, suddenly recalled the dreams she'd had.

But dreams are just dreams, after all. Once awake, you forget most of them. I can't remember the details of the dreams now, only the snot-nosed bug, the Sand Sculpture, and the student... These three... why do they all seem like a certain someone?

「45 minutes later,」

When she returned home, she heard a feeble meow from inside.

Qiao Muyi hurried in. She saw the orange cat lying listlessly and motionless on the ground. Her heart aching, she cried out, "Xiao Suo!" Then, she opened the cupboard to find some spare cat food to feed it. She had been out too long. Although the orange cat could find emergency food at home, it wouldn't sustain it for eight days.

If I had come back just a little later, I might have found a dead Xiao Suo.

The litter box also stank. Qiao Muyi quickly cleaned up the orange cat's waste from the past few days and put in new litter.

At that moment, having finished its food, the orange cat walked over to her feet and affectionately rubbed against her calf.

Qiao Muyi picked up the orange cat and scratched its neck. It was so comfortable that it squinted its eyes and even lifted its paws to knead contentedly—although the orange cat had been affectionate with her before, it rarely kneaded!

Qiao Muyi put the orange cat down, but it was unwilling to leave, constantly weaving around her feet.

Qiao Muyi quickly understood—the orange cat was showing its affection in its own way.

Cats possess a certain level of wisdom, but they definitely lack the concept of "going to work." To a cat, their owner is like their parent, going out every day to hunt. So when the owner returns and feeds them canned cat food, it's as if the owner hunted down that canned food for them.

The concept of hunting stems from a cat's primal instincts; food is something that must be obtained by risking one's life. Therefore, cats believe that every time their owner leaves the house, they are embarking on a dangerous hunt. If the owner doesn't return for a long time, it means they might have encountered danger, gotten injured, or even died...

That's why the orange cat was so affectionate when Qiao Muyi returned. In its view, its owner must have endured an extremely arduous and thrilling hunt to bring back canned food for it. Naturally, it wanted to comfort its exhausted owner.

Qiao Muyi smiled, picked up the orange cat, nuzzled its face, and laughed, "Xiao Suo, I'm fine, hehe."

She sat down on the sofa holding the orange cat, planning to watch some television news to rest for a moment before taking a bath.

As she reached for the remote on the coffee table, she suddenly saw a nebulous, unreal notebook lying there.

The notebook's cover was a landscape painting: a snow-covered, moonlit night over a cliff and forest. A man and a woman were embracing on the cliff, looking as if they were at their wit's end, yet also as if they were deliberately flaunting their love.

But Qiao Muyi remembered she had never bought such a notebook.

Where did this notebook come from?

When her fingertips touched the cover, she discovered the notebook wasn't entirely real; it suddenly materialized the moment she touched it.

At the same time, a distant voice echoed in her heart: "The exclusive reward for Young Master Mu has been delivered."

Qiao Muyi immediately activated "Detective's Eye" and quickly surveyed her surroundings, but found nothing.

Moreover, she could tell that in these eight days, apart from the orange cat, there had been no sign of any other living creature's movements in the house.

The only thing she couldn't see through was this notebook. It seemed to contain a marvelous force; when she touched it, she sensed an immense ocean of information within.

What should I do...

She didn't hesitate for long. A strange longing rose in her heart, overwhelming her rationality and caution, compelling her to urgently discover the notebook's contents.

Where did this longing come from? Perhaps it was the painting on the cover—love on a clifftop, so incredible and precious, as dreamlike as a rainbow refracted through glass, irresistibly evoking a heart of yearning.

She gently lifted the notebook's cover, her gaze instantly focusing on the first line of the first page. There, written, was the notebook's sole title:

*Xiao Suo's Secret Diary*.

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