Su Cheng stepped out of the dojo, suppressing his excitement. Holding an umbrella and clutching a pillow, his steps were heavy, as if each one required great effort. Yet, he continued to make his way toward the club building.
The club activities had just ended, and students streamed past him. Some girls, marked with confession symbols on their heads, made it especially hard for him to control the restless emotions in his heart.
He kept his head down, avoiding their gazes, but silently vowed not to let his impulses take over. He had promised Li Guanqi not to bring shame to their class.
After all, confessing in public would mean the entire school would know by the next day.
As he reached the club building, Su Cheng took a deep breath, closed his umbrella, and stepped inside with the pillow in his arms. Just as he turned the corner on the second floor, he collided with a human wall.
He instinctively stepped back, and the sound of objects clattering to the ground followed.
Looking down, he saw scattered black and white Go pieces strewn across the floor.
"I'm sorry, I'm sorry," Su Cheng quickly apologized, crouching to pick up the Go board and the white jade pieces.
But then he noticed some of the pieces were chipped.
This made him feel even worse.
"I'll pay for the damages," he said hurriedly, still gathering the pieces.
"It's fine. Besides, it’s not entirely your fault," a clear yet slightly hoarse voice chimed in.
Hearing the familiar voice, Su Cheng looked up to see a girl with glasses standing before him.
He was momentarily stunned before finally speaking, "Xu Tianyi?!"
The bespectacled girl was his classmate, who had ranked just below him in the recent exam.
"That’s me," Xu Tianyi replied, holding her head. She was dressed in her school uniform, with twin braids resting on her chest. Her fair skin and delicate features, including a small nose and full, red lips, made her strikingly beautiful.
She stood at the entrance of the Go club, rubbing her forehead where she had been hit.
Su Cheng noticed the confession mark on her head, and his heart raced. The urge to confess surged within him.
He swallowed hard, looked away, and continued picking up the pieces. "No, it’s my fault. I’ll get you a new set."
"Don’t worry about it. How about a game of Go instead?"
She crouched down as well, one hand still on her forehead, the other picking up the pieces.
Though her outfit was somewhat plain, her demeanor was similar to Li Guanqi’s—gentle, refined, and exuding an air of scholarly elegance that was both comforting and graceful.
"I… I don’t know how to play Go."
"Then what games do you play?"
Once all the pieces were picked up, she stood and looked at Su Cheng. "The club has all kinds of games."
Su Cheng’s expression grew slightly awkward as he looked down at the pillow in his arms. "I… I only play something tense and exciting…"
"Tense and exciting?" Xu Tianyi adjusted her glasses, her interest piqued.
"Alright, let’s play a game of whatever you find tense and exciting."
With that, she turned and walked into the Go club, gesturing for Su Cheng to follow. "Come on."
Su Cheng: "Okay."
Inside the Go club, the other members had already left. The room was filled with Go tables, small blackboards, and shelves of expensive ancient Go manuals.
Su Cheng entered, his face flushed and forehead beaded with sweat as he struggled to contain his excitement.
"By the way, what’s this tense and exciting game you mentioned?"
"Gomoku."
He answered without hesitation.
"Huh?"
She paused, then chuckled lightly. "That’s definitely tense and exciting."
As she spoke, Xu Tianyi set up the board. "You go first."
"Alright!"
Su Cheng picked up a black piece and placed it on the left star point.
Xu Tianyi could tell from his clumsy handling of the piece that he was a complete beginner.
Without hesitation, she placed a white piece on the board.
*Clack.* The sound of the piece hitting the board.
Su Cheng didn’t think twice, quickly placing another black piece in the center of the board.
*Tap.* The sound echoed.
He just wanted to finish the game and leave.
After a dozen moves, Su Cheng lost.
He looked up at Xu Tianyi, who was also looking at him, and he awkwardly smiled. "I lost."
But Xu Tianyi had noticed something off about Su Cheng’s behavior—he had been holding back.
"You’re just playing randomly!"
She called him out bluntly, then glanced at the board. "You don’t need to go easy on me just because I’m a girl."
Sure enough, Su Cheng couldn’t hold back anymore. The emotions he had been suppressing erupted.
His voice was filled with frustration and impatience. "What do you want from me? I’m playing the game, and you won!"
"Your emotions are all over the place. Try to relax."
Xu Tianyi remained calm, offering a gentle reminder.
As soon as she finished speaking, Su Cheng’s hands began to tremble. He gritted his teeth, glaring at her, and spoke through clenched teeth. "I’m sorry for my outburst. Please forgive me. I’ll leave now."
He turned to go, but before he could take a step, Xu Tianyi suddenly grabbed his sleeve.
"Hey, what are you doing?"
Su Cheng frowned at her, annoyed but still trying to remain polite.
After all, she was his classmate and the class representative.
"Even though I don’t know why you’re so worked up, trying to fight your emotions isn’t the solution. It’ll only make things worse."
Xu Tianyi’s voice was calm, as if she were stating a fact or analyzing the situation from an outsider’s perspective.
Listening to her, Su Cheng began to suppress his emotions again, deciding to hear her out.
He glanced at the hand gripping his sleeve, then lowered his gaze, his voice soft and wounded, like a hurt animal. "Go on."
"Emotions are a collective term for a series of subjective cognitive experiences. They’re the result of various feelings, thoughts, and behaviors. Humans can’t control when emotions arise or stop their effects. All we can do is face them and manage them."
Xu Tianyi looked at Su Cheng, her voice steady as she shared her perspective. Then she adjusted her glasses, the lenses reflecting a strange light. "Why don’t you try releasing your emotions? It might help."
Su Cheng clenched his fists, his nails digging into his palms. "I… I understand."
"You can do it."
Xu Tianyi’s voice was as gentle as water, almost like she was coaxing a child.
Su Cheng took a deep breath, then slowly raised his head, his gaze firm as he looked at Xu Tianyi. "I’ll try."
Hearing this, Xu Tianyi smiled softly. "Once you’ve calmed down, we can play a proper game."
"Okay!"
With that, he turned and left the Go club, leaving Xu Tianyi staring at the board.
Ever since she lost to Su Cheng in the last exam, her mood had been low.
She had been looking forward to the next exam, but it was still far off. So, she wanted to beat Su Cheng in another area to make up for it.
Like Go.
But unfortunately, Su Cheng didn’t know how to play.
As for managing emotions, she had her own way. When she felt uncomfortable, she would cry and roll on the floor to vent, never bottling anything up.
……………………
The esports club was already closed.
So Su Cheng hopped on his bike and pedaled furiously through the rain, not even bothering with an umbrella.
Pedestrians and drivers alike were stunned.
"Damn! That bike’s moving so fast!"
"Why don’t you just ride on the highway if you’re that good?"
The road was bustling with cars and people, all amazed by Su Cheng’s speed.
Soon, he arrived at his apartment.
By then, the rain had stopped. He got off his bike but felt something strange at his feet. Looking down, he saw a large yellow dog rubbing against his pants. Startled, he kicked it away.
But the dog came back, and Su Cheng sighed, crouching down to give it a rough pat on the head.
The dog didn’t struggle, obediently letting him rub its head.
"Stop bothering me, it’s so annoying!"
Su Cheng complained, then pointed at a group of dogs not far away and commanded, "Go join the silver party!"
"Woof~"
The dog barked happily, sprinting toward the group on all fours, and amidst the pack, it headed off to the silver party.
Su Cheng let out a long sigh of relief, continued on his way, parked his bicycle, and walked home.
Once inside, he went straight to the bathroom to fill the tub, preparing to use the 20-minute [Animal Realm] skill card.
He wanted to try his luck at turning into a bird and soaring freely in the sky, venting his emotions.
That way, he might feel much better.
As for why he filled the tub with water?
He was afraid of turning into a marine creature, as there are far more of those than land animals.
“Wait, if I turn into a saltwater fish, filling the tub won’t help!”
Staring at the tub of fresh water, Su Cheng felt a bit troubled.
[Animal Realm]
[One-time Skill]
[Effect: Transformation, Metamorphosis]
[Duration: 20 minutes]
[System: You can randomly transform into a bird of the air, a beast of the land, a fish of the sea, or any creature that inhabits the sea, land, or sky.]
[System: With this skill, from now on, you can become an animal whenever you want!]
“Can I cancel the transformation at any time?”
Su Cheng asked the system.
[Ding—]
[The skill card allows you to cancel the transformation effect at any time]
“Alright then!”
Su Cheng stepped into the tub, standing in the center, and silently thought, “Activate the [Animal Realm] skill card.”
[Ding—]
[Random animal form selected]
[Canine—Village Dog]
[Duration: 20 minutes]
“Poof~”
A puff of white smoke rose from the tub, and Su Cheng felt his body twist and contort. In the next second, he had transformed into a noble and elegant purebred village dog.
“I’ve turned into a dog!”
It looked down at its front legs, noticing the fur was orange, then turned its head to check its back, realizing its entire body was orange, including its tail.
"Damn, how am I supposed to vent like this?"
It was a bit confused, but it didn’t dwell on it. It extended its front paws, kicked its hind legs, and jumped out of the tub.
Then, it ran around the living room on all fours, spinning in circles with each lap, leaping and bouncing like a mad dog.
“Just like last time with the penguin, I can still speak human language.”
Su Cheng rolled around the living room a few times, then jumped onto the sofa. Sitting down, it stared at the TV screen and muttered to itself.
It examined its dog face, then its dog legs.
"The space is too small. I need to find a way to vent."
It jumped off the sofa, planning to run wild on the highway to let off some steam.
“Wait, I need to put on some pants.”
Su Cheng went to the balcony, grabbed a pair of boxers, and struggled to put them on.
Then, it stood up, opened the door, and stepped outside. Just as it did, a neighbor from next door stood there, staring at it in disbelief.
"This village dog wearing pants can open and close doors by itself?!"
The neighbor was stunned for a moment before uttering those words.
But Su Cheng ignored him with an air of aloofness and continued down the stairs.
"So cute!"
The neighbor exclaimed, then chased after it.
Hearing the footsteps behind him, Su Cheng turned its head, baring its teeth as if to bite, scaring the neighbor into stopping in his tracks.
It then headed toward the apartment entrance, but just as it reached the door, a security guard ran out with a stick.
It glanced at him but paid no mind, continuing toward the exit. However, the guard suddenly swung the stick at it, shouting, “Stray dog, get out of here!”
“What the hell!”
Su Cheng was startled, dodging to the side using momentum, then turned to glare at the guard, unleashing a stream of verbal artistry from its dog mouth: “Are you out of your damn mind?!"
The words came out clear and precise, startling the guard so much that he dropped the stick.
The next second, the guard stood frozen, eyes wide, staring at the village dog in disbelief. “Did… did that dog just talk?!”
Did I just get cursed out by a dog?
How is that possible?!
The young guard shook his head with a laugh, convinced he must have been hearing things.
Su Cheng, realizing what had happened, quickly scampered out of the neighborhood on all fours.
The guard snapped out of his daze and yelled to the surroundings, "Who’s playing tricks? Show yourself!!"
Hearing the guard’s voice behind him, Su Cheng breathed a sigh of relief, repeating in his mind, “I’m a dog. I can’t talk, I can’t talk!”
But the next moment, it was annoyed again.
Because it got surrounded by a pack of dogs!
The dogs were excitedly barking and circling it, making strange expressions, clearly inviting it to join some kind of doggy gathering.
One of the dogs even tried to sniff it, but Su Cheng kicked it away with its hind leg.
“Ouch!!"
The dog yelped in pain, and Su Cheng took the chance to bolt.
However, the other dogs immediately gave chase, including the one it had kicked.
But they couldn’t keep up with Su Cheng’s speed, and soon they were left far behind.
Seeing this, Su Cheng sighed in relief and ran wildly through a quiet alley, venting its frustration.
Even as a dog, its stamina was endless, and it was already faster than the average person.
Now, with four legs, its speed had reached its peak.
To put it in perspective, it was like burning through a bone every hundred miles.
After running for about five minutes, it found itself on a highway, where a motorcycle was speeding by. It ran outside the guardrail, so it wasn’t worried about being hit, as the barrier protected it.
Su Cheng barked madly as it ran, its speed so fast that it soon overtook the motorcycle.
"What the hell? What kind of dog is this?!"
The motorcyclist, seeing a dog pass him, was completely baffled. He glanced at his speedometer, which read 60 km/h, then looked ahead at the dog that was almost out of sight. He nearly dropped his bike.
Finally, he gritted his teeth, stepped on the gas, and increased his speed to 70 km/h.
"I can’t lose to a dog!"
He twisted the throttle, and the motorcycle shot forward, chasing after the dog.
"Huh?"
Su Cheng noticed the motorcycle seemed to be challenging it, so it stopped.
After all, it wouldn’t be good if the motorcyclist got into an accident because of it.
But—
The next moment, something unexpected happened.
The motorcycle, after catching up, gave it the middle finger and sped off.
"Alright, you’ve got guts!”
Seeing this, Su Cheng got angry. It didn’t care about anything else and ran with all its might, increasing its speed.
“Hmph, how could I lose to a dog?”
The motorcyclist snorted arrogantly, then slowed down.
But when he glanced at his rearview mirror, his eyes nearly popped out.
In the mirror, the dog was catching up again!
It’s actually keeping up with me!
How is it doing that?
Can dogs run this fast?
Why am I even riding a motorcycle?
I might as well ride a dog from now on!
"Holy crap, it’s really catching up!"
The motorcyclist stared in shock as the dog overtook him, his entire world turned upside down.
He instinctively sped up, but he still couldn’t match the dog’s pace.
"Come on, you’re just a dog!"
The man was starting to despair because he was losing to a dog.
"Pant, pant, pant…"
Not far away, Su Cheng was crouched in a corner of an alley, feeling a familiar discomfort. Its body was weakening, its excitement fading, and its mood sinking.
“Venting really helps.”
It muttered, then lay on the ground, panting heavily, unwilling to get up.
“Poof~”
A puff of white smoke appeared, and in the next moment, it returned to its original form.
"Woof~ woof woof!"
A burst of barking echoed through the air, and he instinctively looked up to see a dog in the alleyway barking furiously at him.
However, its posture, tone, and the rhythm of its barks seemed to be asking, "Bro, how did you manage to take human form?"
Ignoring the dog, he closed his eyes and focused on the emotional fluctuations within himself.
He noticed that the excitement inside him was still present, but it felt as though it had returned to its initial state.
Thinking this, he glanced around and, seeing only the dog, he retrieved Li Guanqi's pillow from his system.
The sudden waft of a delicate fragrance made Su Cheng feel inexplicably at ease. The earlier excitement and restlessness vanished without a trace, and his heart gradually calmed down.
"Even though I’ve returned to the starting point, it’s still a success!"