Suzy entered the space, appearing in her usual starting point—the small wooden cabin.
She pushed open the door.
Everything inside the space looked exactly the same as before.
Without hesitation, she headed straight toward the spiritual spring.
Last time, after she'd taken a large gulp, only a shallow layer had remained at the bottom. Now, more water had gathered again.
Suzy crouched down, scooped up a handful, and drank deeply. Instantly, her mind cleared and her senses sharpened.
This spring water really is miraculous, she thought.
Her health had always been poor. The amount of running around she'd done today would normally have been an unbearable burden for her.
But after drinking the spring water, she felt energized from head to toe, completely free of fatigue.
It truly was a priceless treasure.
In her dream, that treasure had fallen into Wendy's hands…
The thought made Suzy feel an overwhelming sense of relief—relief that she had dreamed, that she had awakened the space in time.
After drinking until only a thin layer remained once more, Suzy left the space.
She picked up her phone and began ordering takeout.
This neighborhood had plenty of highly rated restaurants.
There were more than a dozen milk tea shops nearby alone. Suzy ordered several cups of every flavor that caught her interest from each store.
Then came rice noodles, steamed buns, fried chicken, burgers, cakes, and more.
She was actually holding back—she didn't go straight to ordering hundreds of servings.
She had to meet Derek Martin at eight o'clock. If she ordered too much, the restaurants wouldn't even finish preparing it in time.
She could ask the delivery drivers to leave it at her door—but if it sat too long, the taste would suffer.
After ordering from every nearby place she liked, Suzy finally set her phone down in satisfaction.
She curled up on the sofa and turned on the TV. Before long, she began feeling drowsy.
Without hesitation, she set a thirty-minute alarm on her phone and decided to take a short nap.
Thirty minutes later, the alarm rang. Suzy opened her eyes and immediately caught a whiff of something sour and rotten lingering in the air.
Her nose twitched.
The smell intensified, aggressively invading her senses.
It was so strong she nearly gagged.
She shot upright, searching for the source of the stench, only to realize it was coming from herself.
In the mere thirty minutes she'd been asleep, a layer of black, oily residue had surfaced across her skin.
And the foul odor was emanating from that strange grime.
Suzy rushed into the bathroom.
One look in the mirror at herself coated in black sludge made her vision go dark.
What on earth was happening?
There was no time to think. She twisted the shower on and began scrubbing frantically.
It took a full twenty minutes before the black filth was finally washed away.
Wrapped in a towel, Suzy stepped back in front of the mirror.
She froze.
Was it just her imagination—or had her skin improved?
Under the bathroom lights, her already fair complexion looked even more luminous and flawless. Her pores were invisible, her skin smooth and delicate like milk.
Not only that, her usual sickly pallor had faded. There was now a healthy flush to her lips.
At the same time, Suzy felt brimming with vitality.
Completely different from her usual state of constant exhaustion.
"So the legends about spiritual springs improving one's constitution… are actually true," she murmured softly.
She felt even more grateful that she had been the one to activate the space. Perhaps one day, even her illness could be cured by the spring water.
Unable to resist, Suzy touched her cheek again and again.
Then she took a set of loungewear from her space, changed into it, and walked to the front door.
Quite a few deliveries had already arrived. When she opened the door, the cabinet outside was stacked full.
She stored everything directly into her space and tipped each delivery driver generously.
That was only the first batch. By the time the second and third waves arrived, it was nearly time to leave.
Suzy changed into another outfit.
After confirming there were no more deliveries coming, she prepared to head out.
She drove toward the restaurant where she and Derek had agreed to meet. As she passed an electronics superstore, her eyes flickered.
She slowed the car and pulled over.
She walked into the store, browsed for a while, and bought the newest game console model—just over one thousand dollars.
After asking the clerk to wrap it up carefully, Suzy made sure it was properly packed away before heading to the restaurant.
She arrived ten minutes early, but as she parked and walked over, she saw that Derek Martin was already waiting at the entrance.
He had clearly dressed up for the occasion––a loose denim jacket, beige trousers—simple, clean, and effortlessly sharp.
He had a good build, long legs, and striking proportions. Just standing there, he seemed to glow, radiating youthful energy.
Suzy couldn't help noticing how many young women nearby were sneaking glances in his direction. Some passersby even turned their heads for a second look.
With a face like that, what he wore hardly mattered.
Suzy smiled faintly. Handsome guys really did have the power to lift one's mood.
She'd always known Derek's charm.
Back when he first entered university, he'd stolen the spotlight at the freshman welcome gala and quickly become one of the most talked-about figures on campus.
Everyone knew that a ridiculously handsome freshman had arrived that year.
Someone had even snapped a candid side-profile photo of him and posted it online—it had garnered quite a bit of traffic.
Normally, Derek already looked effortlessly attractive. Now that he had made an effort, his presence was impossible to ignore.
At that moment, he was looking down at his phone.
As Suzy approached, he lifted his gaze before she could even speak.
He strode toward her quickly, calling out warmly, "Senior, you're here."
With his long legs, it took him only a few steps to close the distance. His amber eyes shone brightly as he looked at her.
"Why are you here so early?" Suzy asked.
Derek smiled. "Of course I had to come early. I couldn't let Senior wait for me."
The restless night breeze brushed lightly past them. Suzy caught a faint trace of cologne from him and teased, "Wearing new perfume?"
A hint of embarrassment flickered through his eyes. "Mm… sort of. My roommate bought a new cologne and sprayed some on all of us."
Suddenly, he leaned a little closer and extended his wrist toward her. "Does it smell nice?"
Suzy leaned in slightly and caught the scent—a light fragrance of fresh tea.
"It smells good," she said.
"Does it suit me?" he asked again, blinking lightly.
Suzy nodded with a small smile. "Yes. It suits you."
His delicate features relaxed, clearly pleased.
"Let's go eat," Suzy said, stepping into the restaurant first, with Derek following close behind.
A server led them to the table Suzy had reserved and handed them the menu. She pushed it toward Derek. "Order whatever you like. It's my treat tonight."
Derek didn't stand on ceremony. He ordered several signature dishes before passing the menu back.
Suzy added a few more items. Once the ordering was done, Derek fixed his gaze on her.
"Senior, how long are you staying in City C this time?" he asked.
"Two or three months, probably," Suzy replied.
His eyes dimmed for a brief second before he quickly asked, "Can I visit you?"
Suzy looked at him in surprise.
He hurried to explain, "I have relatives in City C too. I usually visit them during breaks. If I go there, can I look for you?"
Suzy considered it carefully.
Right now, Derek was her bound target. If she set aside a few days for him over three months, that seemed perfectly reasonable.
Raising his favorability would bring her significant benefits. After the apocalypse began, she might not have such opportunities again.
"Sure," Suzy said. "When you're in City C, just contact me."
A smile curved at Derek's lips.
[Derek Martin's Favorability +1]