As the year-end approached, after two weeks of continuous overtime, I was looking forward to a restful weekend. Unexpectedly, my boss suddenly decided to organize a team-building event, scheduling a dinner for Saturday. Although my day off was taken away, which was a bit frustrating, the company generously arranged a day trip to a suburban hot spring resort.
I had seen the price on a group-buying app before, and a single hot spring session, including one night's accommodation, cost over 700 yuan. That evening, I took off my glasses, put on a face mask, and relaxed on the sofa while casually scrolling through my phone. My colleagues were discussing in the small chat group whether they would attend, and the group humorously called itself "The God of Wealth, Pat Me on the Head."
I opened the chat and saw that this small group of only three people had already generated over three hundred messages without my participation. As the only single person in the group, my friends Liu Mei and Ouyang Jing eagerly encouraged me to go, saying that maybe I'd meet my true love there. They described fate as casually as choosing pork at a butcher's shop, but honestly, in a life that often feels the same, it's nice to entertain such fantasies once in a while.
I packed a toiletry bag, a swimsuit, and even a spare pair of contact lenses. Since I was staying for just one night, I didn't bring a suitcase but opted for a backpack instead.
On Saturday morning at 8 AM, we gathered at the company gate and boarded the bus to our destination. On the way, we chatted and laughed, snacking on sunflower seeds, and enjoyed the brief journey. The two-hour ride passed in a flash as we joked and conversed.
After we arrived at the hot spring resort, Manager Lin distributed the room keys to us. Due to the limited number of double rooms, one colleague would have to stay in a single room located in a more remote area. Room 109, a single, was on the far left side of the first floor. The view was limited, and the room was a bit small.
Seeing Manager Lin in a bit of a dilemma, I, who had been playing the background role up until then, volunteered. "Lin Jie, I can take that single room." Manager Lin looked relieved but, out of consideration for me as a woman, hesitated to agree immediately.
"Don't let my appearance fool you, I'm actually quite brave," I added, pushing up my black-framed glasses and trying to look more reliable with a deliberately cold expression.
I'm 155 cm tall, weigh about 100 pounds, and wear glasses with over 300 degrees of prescription. I don't speak much in the office, and my outward appearance is somewhat fragile. Once, a male colleague from the neighboring department jokingly said I looked like a snow cake from a bakery, soft and squishy, tempting people to want to take a bite.
After the male colleague made his comment, I seriously reminded him not to make such jokes. I shot him a direct look, making him feel a bit awkward. But he took the hint and never made such remarks again.
Manager Lin knew I was a reliable employee and wasn't easily swayed. After thinking for a moment, she smiled and patted me on the shoulder.
"Alright, you've really helped me out. If my husband weren't coming, I'd take that room myself. Thanks, Zi. If anything comes up, contact me right away, or call the front desk."
"Got it, Manager Lin."
I took the opportunity to play the good samaritan and accept the responsibility. After all, I didn't mind the room much—it was just for one night.
As soon as I took the single room, Liu Mei and Ouyang Jing went wild in the group chat, criticizing my "flattering" behavior.
I calmly replied, saying that making a good impression now would make it easier to get time off in the future.
I took the room key and went to check out the room. The heavy curtains blocked the view from the floor-to-ceiling windows. I was a bit surprised when I opened them with the remote control.
The entire wall was made of floor-to-ceiling windows, leading out to a small balcony. Just a few dozen meters away, there was a tall wooden fence, cutting off the view of the distant mountains and forests. Honestly, there wasn't much of a scenic view to speak of.
I looked around the room, feeling no discomfort. I set my bag down and was about to head out. Just as I turned around, I caught a glimpse of a dark shadow sweeping past the window.
Curious, I walked over to the window and opened the small door to peek outside. There was nothing there.
I must have imagined it from the overtime—probably too many horror movie reviews while scrolling through videos last night. I shouldn't be so paranoid.
There's no such thing as ghosts, after all. What I should really be worried about are robbers or thieves.
After washing my face, I put my glasses back on. Just then, the doorbell rang, and it was Ouyang Jing, holding a bunch of freshly washed grapes.
She handed me a grape while saying, "This room feels a bit gloomy, but if you're not scared, that's fine. If you don't like it, you can always come sleep with us tonight."
"It's alright, I'm not scared. Just close the curtains," I said as I popped a grape into my mouth and grabbed the remote to close all the curtains.
Ouyang Jing continued, "Meimei's waiting for us on the lawn. We're definitely doing a barbecue later, and maybe a bonfire party tonight."
I asked, "When are we going to the hot springs?"
"Anytime! I'm going to record a video for Hao Ge and make him jealous!" she replied, grinning.
Hao Ge was Ouyang Jing's fiancé, whom she had gotten engaged to this year. They were probably getting married next year. Liu Mei, on the other hand, had married earlier and already had a child in kindergarten. As for me, a soon-to-be-thirty-year-old single woman, they were very keen on setting me up.
Whenever a new guy joined any department in the company, they would take note and rush to tell me about him.
I wasn't opposed to it. I would meet all the blind dates my family recommended, and I always gave the impression that I was open to them.
But I still hadn't found "the one."
The hot spring pool was outdoors, separated by bamboo partitions in the tranquil mountains. It had an ancient charm. Sitting against the natural rocks and soaking in the warm water, I could lift my head and gaze at the mountains opposite. It was incredibly therapeutic for recharging my energy.
"Zi, you're wearing contact lenses?"
In the misty warmth of the hot spring, Liu Mei, who was lounging on the other side, asked. I shook my head, unable to make out her face clearly.
"I'm not wearing glasses. I'll put my frames on after we finish soaking," I replied.
"You really should put them on! During this team-building, I saw a lot of young people from other departments. Why not try going for someone younger?" Liu Mei said excitedly. She often joked about her husband being eight years older than her, lamenting that she wanted to try dating a younger man.
But in reality, she and her husband were very loving. Apart from the occasional complaint about the eight-year age gap between them, she never really complained about the trivial matters in their marriage. Her in-laws didn't live with them, but they would occasionally send red envelopes and never pushed for a second child.
While agreeing to my two friends' enthusiastic suggestions, I grabbed a tray floating on the water's surface and poured myself a cup of sake from the small bottle.
The sake wasn't very strong, more like a fruit wine. Just a little sip made me pleasantly tipsy. I could hear Ouyang Jing talking about the dogs the resort's owner kept, saying they were big and beautiful.
I was a little curious. "Are they guard dogs?"
Ouyang Jing blew bubbles in the water and responded, "No, they're companion pets. The Bernese Mountain Dog is especially clingy. So cute!"
"I think the Czech Wolfdog is more handsome!" Liu Mei said, pulling out her phone from the edge of the pool and showing me a picture.
In the photo was a tall, imposing grey-and-white dog, muscular with a drooping tail and beautiful fur. It looked cold when it wasn't smiling, but when it did, it was like a little sun.
I squinted at the photo for a few seconds. Is it that I've been single for so long that I find dogs handsome now?
"How come you two saw the dogs and I didn't?" I asked, a bit puzzled, feeling disappointed.
"The owner didn't want the big dogs to scare the guests, so they're not allowed in the visitor areas. They're usually kept in their private loft. Meimei and I saw them when we came to find you in the hot springs."
After saying that, Ouyang Jing swam back, floating on her back with a glass of wine on her stomach, looking like a cute sea otter.
We continued to relax and play by the hot spring, chatting in the group as we made plans to meet for a barbecue on the lawn at noon.
After a while, the three of us got out and went to the barbecue area. The site was large, located near the forest, with many artificially constructed scenic spots around.
Liu Mei was excellent at cooking, and she quickly served up a platter of grilled meat and bread. I moved to a quieter spot in the crowd to eat.
I had this odd feeling that someone was watching me. My intuition made me glance around. The crowd was lively, but I didn't see anyone casting any secret looks my way.
Just as I was about to look away, I spotted a large dog crouching about thirty meters behind me.
It was initially in my blind spot and half-blocked by the charcoal grill, so I didn't notice it at first.
At such a distance, the large dog turned around and ran off, its gait a bit awkward, limping as it ran.
Could it be one of the owner's dogs?
The dog I made eye contact with must have been the Czech Wolfdog, which didn't resemble the Bernese Mountain Dog at all.
The barbecue by the bonfire lasted until past nine o'clock. Lin, the department head, announced that we would head back to the city by bus after lunch tomorrow.
It seemed like we could stay out later tonight. Unfortunately, no one had caught my eye during this team-building event, and any chance of a one-night romance, like in the online novels, was simply not going to happen.
What was interesting, though, was that around eight o'clock, I saw that Czech Wolfdog again. It was probably sneaking out while the owner wasn't looking, trying to join in the fun.
This time, it didn't run away when it made eye contact with me. Instead, it lay down calmly on the ground, almost as if signaling that it wasn't a threat. It even rolled over and stuck out its tongue at me.
I pushed up my glasses, unable to stop myself from smiling. It felt like watching a tough guy acting cute.
The dog didn't bare its teeth at me or try to intimidate me. It was very well-behaved, which put me at ease.
I thought about calling Liu Mei and Ouyang Jing to join me in checking out the dog, but one of them was busy on a video call with her husband, while the other was deep in a conversation with her boss.
In the end, I cautiously picked up some food and slowly approached the large dog. As I closed the distance, I hesitated, not daring to move too quickly, considering it was a large breed.
After placing the water and food down, I backed away slowly, facing the dog that tilted its head at me. It was a careful meeting, to say the least.
By this point, I was far from the bonfire, and the edge of the area was only lit by a few ambient lights. With the distance I kept, I couldn't get a clear look at the Czech Wolfdog.
Though I wanted to pet the dog, I wasn't foolish enough to risk it.
After I stepped back a little, the dog took the initiative to approach. It sniffed the food on the plate before finally eating.
The large dog inhaled the food with a storm-like appetite, then sat back down, looking up at me, its tail sweeping back and forth against the ground.
Was that a sign it wasn't full yet?
But it had such self-control. It didn't drool, which was impressive. I'd seen plenty of dogs on food shows, and even when they restrained themselves from eating, the drool would practically form waterfalls.
Following the same routine as before, I gave it more food. This time, before I could even step back, it moved in and began eating right away.
I didn't retreat far, instead, I stayed close enough to observe the dog in the flickering light of the small colored lanterns. I didn't dare use my phone flashlight in case it startled the dog.
The large dog ate quickly and quietly, giving off the air of a noble dining.
But somehow, I thought it seemed a bit larger than the photos I'd seen. And its appearance was slightly different — maybe its gaze was sharper? Its coat looked even purer in color.
There was an odd sense of comfort from this Czech Wolfdog. As a woman living alone, having a large dog for company would surely bring an immense sense of security.
"Ah Zi~ Are you going to the hot springs? Let's soak again and get our money's worth."
I heard Ouyang Jing's voice from not far off. I stepped back a few more meters before responding, "I'm here, just give me a moment."
"What are you doing over there, all alone with no lights?"
"Oh, it's just the owner's..."
Before I could finish saying "dog," I looked back to find that the dog had already finished its second plate of food and disappeared without a sound. It was like it had never been there.