After the first day of the Lunar New Year, they were busy visiting each other's homes. On the second day, they went to Team 404. On the third day, they went to the home of Bu Qing and his sister. On the fourth day, they went to Grandpa Yuan's house together. Although everyone could tell that Yan Shi and Zhuang Zhao were acting strangely, they thought that the two of them were always very affectionate, and now they were just being more blatant.

"The seventh day of the lunar new year is Yan Shi's birthday, and I want to give her a surprise."

Others: Are you two going to team up for your birthdays?

"Zhuang Zhao, you seem quite pleased with yourself lately. What? Did your sister praise you?" Bu Ke teased, leaning against the door.

"Even more smug than that."

"What is that? Could it be that my sister and you are together? Or did my sister confess her feelings? Impossible."

Zhuang Zhao: It's impossible for her to confess her feelings.

As Bu Ke watched Zhuang Zhao smile and brush past him, a bad feeling crept into his heart.

Could they actually be together?

"If you make your sister sad, you'll be sorry," Bu Ke said fiercely, clenching her little fists like a cat guarding its food.

Zhuang Zhao stopped and turned to look at Bu Ke.

"I know."

"Hmph, you got off easy." Bu Ke deliberately bumped into him as he walked past.

"Thank you for protecting her so much," Zhuang Zhao's voice rang out above Bu Ke's head.

Bu Ke felt a surge of anger and raised his foot to strike Zhuang Zhao, but his foot hovered in mid-air for a while before he could put it down.

He's the person my sister likes, but things are different now. The main problem is that if my sister finds out, she'll definitely complain.

"It seems Zhuang Zhao is with my sister now," Bu Ke whispered to her brother.

"Isn't that quite normal?"

"That's true, but how are things going between you and Sister Changge? Don't fall behind. I'm just too young, otherwise I would have taken matters into my own hands."

"Stop, I won't agree." Bu Qing said seriously.

"I was just saying, I don't have anyone I like around me." Bu Ke muttered as he left.

"They've reached a worrying age; we need to keep a close eye on them."

The seventh day

Yan Shi was really looking forward to her birthday, and she had made plans to go on a date with Zhuang Zhao the day before.

"Should we find someone to take photos for us? It's not quite right to just take selfies."

"Let a stranger help me; it's uncomfortable to bring someone on a date."

"Yeah, I wish my roommate was here. She's a great photographer, and it wouldn't be awkward to go out with her."

"My roommate isn't here, so I'll just have to make do with my boyfriend."

"But my boyfriend wants to take pictures with me."

"It's okay, your boyfriend has three heads and six arms."

"That won't do, three heads would be too ugly."

Before leaving, Zhuang Zhao sent a message in the group chat on his phone.

[Just stepped out, destination: Yiren Park.]

Zhuang Zhao was driving, and Yan Shi had the car window open, letting in a gentle breeze, which was much more comfortable than riding in other cars.

Will it hurt?

"No, it's much better with the cold wind. There are so few people on the street, and not many cars either. If this were before the apocalypse, the traffic jams during the Lunar New Year would have made it impossible to move an inch."

"Objectively speaking, the end times are a devastating blow to humanity, but a good medicine for nature."

“If we survivors say such sarcastic things, we’ll probably be burned to death,” Yan Shi said with a chuckle.

"We'll talk about it quietly, so no one else will know."

Yiren Park

After parking the car and getting out, Yan Shi took two steps up the steps and waited for Zhuang Zhao to catch up.

Zhuang Zhao didn't come over; instead, Bu Ke skipped and hopped in front of Yan Shi.

"Happy birthday! Wishing you many happy returns of the day, sister! Love you!" Bu Ke handed over the flowers in her arms.

"Thank you, I love you, but what are you doing here?"

"It's a secret. Let's go in together." Bu Ke took Yan Shi's arm and started to walk inside.

"Zhuang Zhao hasn't arrived yet."

As Zhuang Zhao ascended the steps, Yan Shi reached out his hand, and Zhuang Zhao took his hand, their fingers intertwining naturally.

The park was quite crowded, with people in twos and threes, so Yan Shi and Zhuang Zhao's affectionate behavior wasn't particularly noticeable.

The most famous feature of Yiren Park is Swan Lake. Every winter, a flock of swans comes to Swan Lake to overwinter, attracting many onlookers.

Swans' concept of "lifelong mates" is celebrated by humans, and Swan Lake has become a popular spot for couples to take photos. This year, a pair of black swans flew in from who knows where, attracting a lot of curiosity.

"Perhaps because I'm used to seeing white swans, I always feel that black swans are more beautiful."

"Aesthetic appreciation is subjective, and black swans are an introduced species native to Australia. Although they are farmed in China, they are still relatively rare."

"Let's go up on the bridge and take a look." Zhuang Zhao pulled Yan Shi towards the bridge.

"Where is Bu Ke?"

"He probably went to find someone else."

Is anyone else here?

"Of course there is, otherwise how could her brother have let her out alone?"

"Did she come out with her brother or Chang Ge?"

"Don't worry about it."

"Hehe, just curious."

The view was clearer from the bridge: swans foraging for food, schools of fish following behind—a scene that was originally quite harmonious. But Yan Shi automatically introduced humans and zombies into it, turning it into a battle for survival.

"Let's go look around somewhere else." As she continued looking, she found herself contemplating life more and more.

The Stone Maze is Yan Shi's favorite place. The venue is the size of a playground and can accommodate dozens of people at the same time. The double-layer design increases the difficulty of the game, and the multiple exits enhance the gaming experience. Before entering, you can estimate the time you need to complete the game. If the error is within ten minutes, you can get a souvenir brooch from Yiren Park.

There are various puzzle games along the way to guide you to the correct route, which makes it more like an escape room game.

"Then why not just write more time in the maze, and then leave when the time is almost up?" Yan Shi noticed the maze bug instantly and whispered to Zhuang Zhao.

"The Stone Maze will be open twice a day, once in the morning and once in the afternoon, for four hours each time. The time allotted should not exceed two hours, so the number of people who meet the requirements will not be too large. Besides, it's just a commemorative brooch, so the cost is not too high," Zhuang Zhao explained, leaning down to Yan Shi's ear.

"With this gimmick, not only can it attract those interested in the game, but it can also attract many people interested in prizes and collections, making it a sure-fire way to make money."

The staff wrote down the purchase time and estimated clearance time on the tickets, and the two of them stepped into the maze with their tickets in hand.

"They're inside?"

"They've gone in."

"Sister Chang Ge, let's begin."

The staff watched helplessly as a group of strangely dressed people sneaked into the maze, muttering to themselves, "I hope nothing bad happens."

The room was quite spacious; the two of them could easily walk hand in hand side by side. So, there were always people trying to squeeze between them. As time went on, Yan Shi's expression grew increasingly impatient.

Zhuang Zhao reached out and pulled Yan Shi into his arms, his hand resting lightly on her waist.

Yan Shi was at a loss, subconsciously holding his breath and remaining motionless, as if he had been frozen in place.

"I'm sorry, I don't want anyone to have any more thoughts about breaking us up." Zhuang Zhao noticed Yan Shi's discomfort and quickly explained, afraid that she would misunderstand.

"Ah, it's nothing, I just... didn't know where to put my hands."

"Put it in my pocket."

"Or I'll hold your arm." Yan Shi felt uncomfortable, so he pulled Zhuang Zhao's arm off his waist and hugged it in his arms as he spoke.

The crowd following behind: Tui!