Su Bai gently held Su Ke's soft little hand as they walked towards the supermarket before boarding the train. He carried with him a beginner's guide to caring for kittens, his other hand cradling the kitten carefully inside a kitty bag. As they left the hospital, Su Bai gave a polite nod to the caretaker.

  He also patted Su Ke's head, reminding him to thank the caregivers.

  “Thank you, jiejie,” Su Ke babbled in his soft, milky voice, bowing to the nurse.

  “Awwww, you are so cute, you’re welcome little baby.” The nurse smiled gently at him, lowering her mask just slightly.

  Shyly smiling back, Su Ke held Su Bai’s big hand, looking up at him as they left. Su Bai’s grip was firm but reassuring, ensuring the little boy felt safe. As they walked, Su Bai softly spoke to him about gratitude, expining how important it was to never take anything for granted.

  Suddenly, Su Bai stopped, scanning the area. There was something strange—a feeling of being watched. Yet, as he looked around, he saw nothing out of the ordinary.

  Su Ke, too, briefly felt a strange sensation flicker across his eyes, but it vanished just as quickly, unnoticed by Su Bai.

  “Beautiful gege, why don’t we go?” Su Ke asked, his voice filled with innocence.

  Su Bai hummed softly, reassured by the little one’s words, and began walking towards the department store. He pulled out his diary, checking the list of things he needed to buy. After all, the house had been closed off ever since his nainai had passed, and it needed to be cleaned.

  “Welcome! Our store is offering a 20% discount today...” The LED TV pyed the advertisement as they passed by. They grabbed a shopping trolley, then decided to head to the pet department first.

  Su Bai pushed the trolley with one hand while holding Su Ke's hand with the other, careful to keep him close in the bustling crowd. It was easy to get lost in such a busy pce, but he kept a watchful eye on Su Ke.

  Su Ke looked around, his eyes wide with wonder. He’d never been to the pet department before. He’d always wanted a kitty or a dog, but his mother had a fur allergy, so they never had one.

  Noticing that most of the other children were sitting in front of their trolleys, Su Bai smiled softly and gently lifted Su Ke onto the trolley seat, making sure he was comfortable.

  Su Ke's vision suddenly shifted as he realized he was now sitting on the trolley. He smiled happily, turning to Su Bai with a shy expression.

  Baby easily gets shy, Su Bai mused to himself with a soft chuckle.

  He gnced down at the list where Su Ke had written, a thoughtful expression crossing his face. He had an idea to make their shopping trip a little more fun.

  “Baby, how about we py a game?” Su Bai asked gently, his voice full of warmth. This would help boost Su Ke’s self-confidence and enhance his learning abilities.

  “I’ll name an item, and you have to find it and bring it to me within one minute. How about it? It’ll be like a treasure hunt for the kitty!” he added, his eyes gncing at the sleeping kitten nestled in the bag.

  “Okay, I want to py, py!” Su Ke excimed eagerly, excitement lighting up his face.

  With that, Su Bai put down the list and set Su Ke free to explore the pet section, ready to begin their game.

  “Ready? One, two, three... Cat food!” Su Bai called out. Su Ke immediately darted towards the food aisle, but his little face showed uncertainty. He wasn’t sure which cat food to choose.

  “Baobao, calm down. Think—who can you ask in the store?” Su Bai encouraged him.

  Su Ke’s anxious heart settled a little as he recalled the sales dy. He ran over to her, asking softly which cat food he should choose, pointing at the kitten in the bag for crification.

  The salesdy smiled at the boy, her eyes briefly flicking to the bruises on his face, though she said nothing. Noticing his uncertainty, she quickly pointed him to a well-known brand. Su Ke, with a little effort, managed to lift the packet and trotted back to Su Bai, clearly proud of his accomplishment.

  “Wow, our baby is awesome! You found it in just 54 seconds! And you even knew to ask for help without me teaching you,” Su Bai said with admiration, giving Su Ke a thumbs up. The little boy’s cheeks flushed a bright pink, his joy unmistakable.

  Su Bai grinned, his heart light as he gave the next challenge.

  Meanwhile, on the other side, a tall man sat on a pne, gazing out at the window. He tried to calm his restless heart, but his mind kept drifting back to the scenes of Su Bai. After the system located Su Bai’s position, it began broadcasting live footage directly into Gu Ming’s mind.

  The only thing that could save him... Gu Ming’s thoughts were filled with tension.

  He watched the scenes unfold in his head, seeking soce in the memories of Su Bai. His Baibai should be smiling like that, full of life, not like the hollow shell he had become before—silent, with dead eyes, all because of these higher-dimensional forces.

  His eyes burned with murderous intent, but they softened as he gazed at Su Bai on the screen, pying with the little boy. Find out about the boy, don't harm him. There was something oddly familiar about the child, but Gu Ming couldn’t pce where he had seen him before.

  The system , sensing Gu Ming’s intent, trembled but obeyed. It began searching for any information on the boy.

  _______________________

  Su Bai carefully pced Su Ke back on the trolley as Su ke's injures have not yet healed, he also got a little tired after pying.

  Su Ke's cheeks were flushed a light red, his eyes bright and lively from the excitement of the game. He couldn’t hide his delight. He had done well, missing only twice. Su Bai had praised him earnestly, not just for his performance but for his effort, gently reminding him that it wasn’t just about winning. He was only te because he was choosing the best thing for kitty and not only caring about game. Su Ke felt a mix of pride and a touch of bashfulness at the praise, the corners of his lips curving upward in a small, pleased smile.

  Su Bai, noticing the boy's joyful expression, couldn’t help but feel a faint warmth in his chest. Without lingering too long, he resumed pushing the trolley, heading toward another section of the store with a steady pace.