Chapter 11: The First Truth: To Learn Inner Strength, First Abstain from Desire_3

The door was locked, and the three of them waited for the elevator together.

"I'll take it," Gu Ran reached out for the trash.

"It's not heavy," Chen Ke made a dodging motion.

Riding the elevator down to the first floor, they greeted the cute, apple-faced nurse before walking out of the office building.

On the way to the parking lot, they conveniently disposed of the trash.

Standing in front of the blue BMW, Gu Ran said to Chen Ke, "I get carsick, can I sit in the front?"

"No problem," Chen Ke had no objections and went to the back seat.

On the other side of the car, Su Qing smiled and got into the driver's seat.

As Gu Ran opened the passenger door, ready to tidy up, he found that everything was already clean — except for... all the dog hair.

"?"

He looked at Su Qing, puzzled.

Su Qing pulled out her seatbelt, giving him a helpless look.

The seatbelt outlined Su Qing's full, soft chest, no, this wasn't the time to be admiring beauty, why was there dog hair on the passenger seat?

Gu Ran sneakily glanced over, only to find that the back seat was now clean!

He understood: Su Qing had cleaned the back seat for him and given her dog the passenger seat, not knowing he'd want to sit there.

Gu Ran didn't sit down yet, and Su Qing wasn't in a hurry, as she had to choose some music before driving.

By the time Gu Ran braced himself and took his seat, the music was also selected.

Adu's "He Must Really Love You."

As the car started, the husky voice sang at just the right moment: "I should be under the car, not in it."

That didn't affect Gu Ran's efforts to clean the dog hair.

"Gu Ran, what's up?" Chen Ke curiously poked her head up, "Eh? Why is there so much hair?"

Driving, Su Qing glanced over quickly, the corners of her mouth curving slightly, "Men ah, they're just hairy."

Gu Ran didn't say a word.

The car left the clinic and drove up the ramp.

Su Qing then pretended to be considerate, "Gu Ran, I know a clinic nearby that has great hair removal technology and equipment; I can give you the address."

"You're doing this on purpose, aren't you?!" Gu Ran couldn't hold back any longer.

Su Qing was no longer just curving the corners of her mouth; she laughed happily, nodding as she laughed.

"Since you know of such a good clinic, why is there still so much hair in your car?" Gu Ran shot back.

"Some people are naturally hairless, like me," Su Qing said, "The hair on your body is dog hair, and still needs to be removed."

If it were just her, Gu Ran would definitely make a dirty joke, dragging the topic below the waist, but since Chen Ke was there, he had to restrain himself.

Chen Ke laughed and said, "Gu Ran, why don't you come sit in the back."

"No need, I'll clean up after we arrive," Gu Ran replied.

Su Qing glanced in the rearview mirror and said, "Chen Ke, don't feel sorry for him; do you know why he took the initiative to sit in the front?"

"Isn't it because he gets carsick, and I have a boyfriend?" Chen Ke laughed, already having a hunch about the answer.

Indeed.

Su Qing said, "He rode in my car once, sitting in the back with dog hair present, and this time he let you sit in the back."

"Gu Ran, do you have any conscience?" Chen Ke confronted him.

"Stop nagging, I'm busy," the man continued battling with the dog hair.

"Hahaha~" Su Qing and Chen Ke laughed like young girls, their laughter pushing Adu's voice out of the car.

It was just the right moment for that classic line once again: "I should be under the car, not in it, seeing how sweet you are together~"

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Both of them laughed again.

"How fitting!" Chen Ke laughed.

"Hey, Gu Ran, Adu is asking you to come down and join him under the car." Su Qing's voice was as pleasant as it was annoying.

"I can't, I'm dying of laughter!" Chen Ke started laughing again.

"Come on, that's enough from you guys!" Gu Ran himself was on the verge of laughing out loud.

'Jiansen' was not far from the clinic, also located on the small hill where Jinghai was situated, an elegantly designed restaurant with a tranquil atmosphere.

The restaurant featured several open-air terraces, each with a single dining table, from where you could gaze at the distant sea.

In the evening twilight, ships were returning to harbor.

"When it gets dark, there will be stars all over the sky." Su Qing was a regular here.

Both Gu Ran and Chen Ke were somewhat amazed and couldn't help but take out their phones to take photos, not just them, other customers on the terraces were also taking pictures.

"How about a group photo of the three of us?" Chen Ke tentatively suggested.

"Sure." Su Qing agreed without a second thought.

Gu Ran naturally had no objections either.

Chen Ke held up her phone high and took a selfie of the three of them.

"I've shared it in the group! It looks good!" she exclaimed.

Gu Ran opened [Jinghai Group 2], and the photo was indeed beautiful.

Chen Ke had the smallest face, with snow-white, delicate skin; Su Qing looked exquisite, even the curve of her hair strands lifted by the night breeze was flawless.

Gu Ran took a glance at himself, smiling in the photo, looking very handsome.

[Gu Ran: Perfect!]

Even though they were right there in person, he sent the message in the group, which made all three of them laugh involuntarily again.

At that moment, Zhuang Jing, Tong Ling, Wei Hong, and Jiang Qi stepped up to the terrace.

"You're early!" Tong Ling teased with a smile.

"If you're not eager to eat, there must be something wrong with your brain." Su Qing quipped back with an internet meme.

The two were obviously good friends.

"Hello, you two!" Wei Hong and Jiang Qi greeted Gu Ran and Chen Ke.

The two, who had already stood up, quickly replied, "Hello, senior brother and sister!"

"I've taken a photo of you." The last to speak was Zhuang Jing, who had used her phone to take a photo of Su Qing, Gu Ran, and Chen Ke.

The frame captured the moment just after Gu Ran sent [Perfect], where the three looked up and smiled at each other.

"This is so heartwarming!" Tong Ling liked it at first glance and said, "Chief, take one for us too!"

The waiter came to ask if they were ready for the dishes to be served, and Zhuang Jing smiled, nodded in approval, and thanked him.

Before the food arrived, the seven of them chatted and snapped pictures.

As the sky gradually darkened, the terrace lit up with old-fashioned light bulbs strung on wires, and Jinghai toasted together, creating a lively atmosphere.

The night sky was clear with a galaxy twirling overhead.

————

"Private Diary": August 3, clear, I really like Haicheng and Jinghai.

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"Doctor's Diary": Met an Inner Strength master, Zhao Wenjie.

He said to learn Inner Strength, one must meet two conditions, one, go to bed and rise early; two, abstain from sensual pleasures.

Were these conditions derived from his obsession with martial arts novels or the trigger for his mental illness?

If so, what caused him to go to bed and rise early? And what made him abstain from sensual pleasures?

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