Chapter 43: Walking the Dog

The biting cold of early spring soon passed, and warm breeze brushed through the branches, bringing forth a new and tender greenery.
It had been half a month since Monica returned from F City, and she hadn't seen Steven again. One reason was because he was busy with work, and the other was because she ruthlessly rejected all of his invitations.
Monica: "I only asked you to agree to the three conditions. I never said that I would forgive you if you agreed."
There was silence from Steven's end for a long time without a reply. It seemed that he was rarely confused by her word games.
Monica imagined his expression at the moment, feeling a sense of satisfaction in her heart.
Finally, she won a round.
Today was the weekend, and the weather was exceptionally good. Monica had nothing to do, so she decided to take Chocolate for a walk in the city park.
Originally, she planned to go with Bella, but she suddenly said she wanted to prepare dinner at home, so Monica could only go alone.
She parked her car in the parking lot by the entrance and walked to the park while holding Chocolate's leash.
Once the adorable and snowy white Samoyed entered the crowd, it instantly captured the attention of people around. People approached cautiously and asked if they could pet it.
Monica smiled and agreed, and for a while, Chocolate was surrounded by the overwhelming affection from passersby.
There was even a man who started a conversation with her while petting the dog.
"Did you come alone?"
"Yes."
"You take very good care of this Samoyed. Do you usually put a lot of effort into it?"
"It's alright."
"Your dog is so obedient. Mine is more mischievous. Do you have any dog training recommendations?"
"Not really, just..."
Her words suddenly stopped as Monica noticed a familiar figure.
She didn't know when he arrived, but he was casually squatting on the ground, wearing a casual black long-sleeved shirt and pants. His slender and powerful fingers gently rubbed Chocolate's head.
Although he blended in with the crowd, his outstanding figure and temperament made him particularly eye-catching. Several smartphone cameras that were capturing Chocolate discreetly turned to him.
Clearly excited, Chocolate kept wriggling to get into his arms, wagging its tail like a helicopter propeller, causing the people around to laugh and tease, saying, "It seems that dogs also like handsome guys."
Steven followed the direction of Chocolate's fur and curved his lips, giving face. He then glanced at Monica.
The park was full of spring vibes, with green branches overhead and the faint sound of chirping birds. The sunlight scattered down like fragments of gold, melting a touch of warmth into his gaze.
Monica pretended to casually look away and continued answering the man's questions, "I hired a professional to train my dog because I don't have that much time and patience myself."
"Uh...I see." The man...
Monica scratched the back of her head and smiled, "Can I add you on Facebook and get a recommendation for a professional?"
Before Monica could answer, the leash suddenly tightened in her hand. She looked up and saw Steven standing up and taking a step back, holding something in his hand. Chocolate wagged its tail and looked at him, obviously tempted to follow him.
Despite being trained not to eat anything from strangers, Chocolate recognized Steven and thought he was coming to feed it. Its dark eyes stared fixedly at his hand, making whimpering sounds and pulling on the leash, trying to get Monica to go over.
Feeling the force pulling her hand, Monica couldn't ignore it any longer. She stopped paying attention to the conversation and reluctantly walked towards Steven.
"Chocolate!" She grabbed the leash and gritted her teeth. "Haven't you seen enough food? Didn't we just feed you in the morning? Steven, don't let it eat!"
As they walked away from the crowd, Steven stopped and slowly threw away what he was holding. He turned and patted the seemingly aggrieved Chocolate.
"Listen to your mom."
He brushed off the residue from his hands and cleaned them at a nearby sink before returning to stand in front of Monica.
"What are you doing here?" She frowned and asked.
She didn't believe it was a coincidence, as the timing seemed too perfect.
"I asked Bella."
Monica didn't say anything. She turned around, holding Chocolate, and Steven followed her calmly. The three of them walked silently in the park.
His hand hung by his side, gently brushing against the back of her hand as they walked, intentionally or unintentionally. Their skin lightly touched, creating an indescribable itch.
After walking for a while, Monica couldn't help but stop and turned to look at him. "Don't you have something to do?"
"This is what I have to do."
Monica muttered, "You must have nothing else to do."
Unable to drive him away, Monica pretended he didn't exist.
After strolling for a while, she felt a bit thirsty, so she went to the convenience store and grabbed a bottle of water. Chocolate was attracted by the colorful items in the store and sniffed at them.
Monica worried that it would bite something, so she pulled the leash forcefully, feeling a bit flustered.
Steven took the leash from her hand, took out his phone, and paid for her. He also helped her fix the slipped strap of her bag.
The store owner chuckled, "Your boyfriend is so considerate."
Monica picked up her drink and snorted, "What boyfriend... just a sidekick who helps me walk the dog."
As they walked out of the store, it was now Steven who was holding the dog leash.
Monica felt relaxed and leisurely as they walked along the forest path. They reached a grassy area, and she untied Chocolate's leash, allowing it to play freely.
Monica saw wild flowers gathered on the roadside and became interested in taking photos of them.
A gust of wind blew, lifting scattered twigs and leaves, creating a moment of enchantment. She reached out to rub her eyes, but was stopped by Steven.
He walked quickly towards her, cupped her cheeks, and looked at her in the sunlight. She squinted her eyes, tears welled up in her eyes, making her vision blurred.
His fingertips gently wiped the skin under her eyes, Steven carefully examined for a while, then lowered his head, took out a tissue, and wiped the corner of her eye.
The annoying sand grains were brushed away, her eyes regained comfort, and she slowly sighed in relief.
The warmth of his fingers was somewhat hot and the breath was somewhat cool, densely stimulating her sensitive nerves.
Suddenly, a little girl's voice came from the side as if she had discovered a new continent, "Mom, look! Someone is kissing over there!"
The mother covered the little girl's eyes and quickly took her away, saying, "The young man and woman are expressing their feelings, don't disturb them."
“….”
Monica felt a little embarrassed and tried to push him away, but Steven didn’t let go. "Don't move."
"Is it better now?"
"Almost."
He carefully twirled her strands of hair, removing the debris on it, and then slowly let go. "It's done."
However, he did not step back, but looked down at her. The gentle breeze brought the fragrance of flowers, lingering in their breaths.
Monica took a step back and bumped into his arm. It turned out that he had been loosely embracing her all this time.
She coughed lightly and pushed him away, saying, "Let's go."
As they walked out of the park, she went straight to the car and saw that Steven was still following behind her, so she stopped and looked up at him.
Seeming to understand her confusion, he calmly said, "I didn't drive today."
Monica couldn't believe it and looked around, as if she really didn't see Steven's car.
"Are you trying to take advantage of me?"
He took the car keys from her hand and shook them. "Is Mrs. Perez still in need of a free driver?"
"What are you scheming again?" She looked at him warily.
He unlocked the car, opened the back door, let Chocolate climb inside first, then opened the front passenger door and made a "please" gesture.
Monica refused, "I can drive myself."
Steven rested his elbow on the car door and lightly said, "Monica, I have already agreed to the three rules with you, what are you still afraid of?"
"Who's afraid?" She got into the car, slammed the door shut, and said, "Drive!"
A free driver, make use of it as long as you can, and send him away when done.
Steven slightly lifted his lips and went around to the driver's seat.