After sending the man away, Anna no longer had the mood to admire the romantic night view of the sea.
Rachel was right—being out alone at night could indeed be dangerous.
She had only walked a few steps when she heard the bark of a dog behind her.
"Woof..."
Anna stopped and curiously turned around. A tall man appeared in her line of sight, holding a large Alaskan Malamute on a leash.
He was dressed in a simple yet stylish casual outfit, his short silver hair falling messily, giving off a relaxed, post-shower vibe.
It seemed like he had just come out of the shower.
Chase was the first to speak, walking up to her. "Out here alone?"
He had spotted her figure from a distance earlier and recognized her immediately, which was why he had walked over.
She was now wearing a mint mambo-colored camisole dress, a change from the red one she had worn earlier.
"Mm," Anna nodded. "Are you walking your dog?"
Chase simply nodded, his voice a soft "Mm."
"Can I pet it?" Anna's eyes sparkled like stars, her gaze full of expectation.
The grey-pink Alaskan sat on the soft sand, its ears drooping, looking adorably clumsy.
It was clear the dog had been well taken care of—healthy, with smooth, shiny fur, and it wore a large gold chain around its neck.
Chase couldn't resist the look of anticipation in her eyes. "Sure."
With his permission, Anna happily knelt down and gently petted the dog's fluffy head.
The Alaskan Malamute responded by lifting its head, enjoying the attention, and even let out a soft "woof."
Seeing this, Chase chuckled softly, thinking to himself, I actually have a lazy dog.
Anna, meanwhile, was enchanted, unable to take her eyes off the dog. "It's so obedient."
Chase smirked, "It's not obedient, it's just lazy."
"You know what they say, dogs resemble their owners. Is it like you?" Anna raised her head and joked.
Chase gave her a sly smile, brushing the question back to her. "What do you think?"
"I don't know," Anna replied, scratching the dog's back. "After all, we just met today."
"Well, we should get to know each other better," he replied smoothly.
Anna paused for a moment while petting the dog, then flashed him a bright smile. "Okay."
Chase lowered his eyes to look at her, his gaze deep as he made an invitation. "Want to sit over there for a bit?"
Anna, who had originally planned to head back to the hotel, changed her mind and sat down with him on the beach.
The large, impressive Alaskan Malamute sat between them, acting as an amusing middleman.
Anna lightly fingered the gold chain around the dog's neck, then asked the man beside her, "Aren't you worried it might strain its neck with that gold chain?"
She had never seen a pet wearing such a large gold chain before.
Chase gave a casual shrug. "It's just a bit of exercise for it. Besides, it should lose some weight. I don't want to be walking a pig around the beach."
The Alaskan seemed to hear its owner talking about it, and it raised its head, barking at Chase with an annoyed "woof."
Anna couldn't help but laugh at the sight, watching the pair.
Having a pet seemed like it could be fun, bringing joy to one's life. But she wasn't the type to own one—having a pet meant taking on the responsibility of a life, and right now, she was barely able to take care of herself.
"What's its name?" Anna asked.
Chase: "Yao Yao Ling."
Anna blinked in confusion. "The emergency number?"
Chase nodded. "Yep."
Anna murmured, "That's quite unique."
Chase shrugged, letting go of the leash. "My dog has to be unique."
Anna nodded in agreement, thinking it was fitting—just like its owner.
Chase then asked, "So, why are you out here alone so late? Didn't you ask your friend to come along?"
"My friend got caught up with work," Anna replied, sharing the frustration of her earlier encounter. "Before you showed up, I was harassed by a drunk man asking for my contact info."
Chase's face softened in concern. "Did he bother you?"
"No, I got rid of him," Anna winked. "Are you curious whether I gave him my contact info?"
Chase looked into her eyes and answered slowly, "Aren't you a princess? Princesses don't settle for ordinary men."
"What if he was a handsome guy who had just had too much to drink?"
Chase shook his head. "Handsome guys don't ask for other people's contact info—they're usually the ones who get asked for it."
Anna smirked. "So, are you one of those handsome guys?"
Chase chuckled but didn't answer, instead pulling out his phone and lighting up the screen.
"Princess," he said with a smile, "can I have your contact info?"
His eyes were deep, as if pulling her in.
Anna's heart skipped a beat, but she kept her cool. "Didn't you say handsome guys don't ask for contact info?"
"I said that's usually the case," Chase replied, holding his phone in the air. "But normal people aren't comparable to a princess."
Anna's gaze shifted. This man truly was like his wild silver hair—flirtatious and untamed.
"Well then, go ahead and add me." She grabbed her phone from the sand, unlocked the screen, and handed it to him. "You add me."
"Of course," Chase agreed with a smile.
Once they added each other, Chase couldn't help but remind her, "Next time, if you want to go out at night, bring your friend along."
"It's the tourist season right now, and there are a lot of people here on vacation. You might run into some people with bad intentions."
"Got it," Anna said, tilting her head to look at him, her lips slightly parted.
"What if my friend is too busy and can't come? Can I call you to come walk with me?"
In truth, she wasn't even really planning on coming out tonight to see the sea.
"If your friend is unavailable, you'll call me?" Chase said casually. "Are you treating me as your plan B, Princess?"
Anna responded seriously, "I see, you feel offended and won't agree."
She grabbed a handful of sand from the ground and let it slip through her fingers.
Chase, however, was quick to deny it.
"I didn't say anything."
"As for an invitation from a princess, I certainly won't refuse."
Under the moonlight on the beach, silver waves shimmered, reflecting the line—"The moon over the vast sea, the pearl in tears."
Beneath the vast starry sky, with the rising and falling tides, the trio—man, woman, and dog—shared a romantic moment.
A cool breeze ruffled Anna's face, her long waves of hair flowing in the wind, adding to her beauty.
The pale, exposed skin of her arms glowed faintly in the night.
Chase's gaze fell on her, and he swallowed lightly. "It's getting late, let's head back to the hotel."
Anna glanced at the time—it really was getting late. "Okay."
She stood up, brushing off the sand from her clothes.
The sea breeze was so comfortable, she almost didn't want to leave.
"Don't want to leave?" Chase said, holding the leash, walking beside her.
"Mm."
"You really love the sea that much?"
If she wasn't dressed so lightly, he might have stayed longer to keep her company.
Anna answered, "Yes."
On her eighteenth birthday, her father had bought a private island abroad as a birthday gift for her.
Even though she had her own island, she preferred visiting different places and seeing new landscapes.
She added, "I not only love the sea, but I also love sunrises and sunsets."
At a romantic age, one should do the most romantic things and live life fiercely and freely.
Chase turned his head slightly towards her, "Then how about inviting the princess to watch the sunrise together tomorrow morning?"
From their conversations, it was clear that Anna had a refined taste for the little pleasures in life.
Without hesitation, Anna agreed, "Okay."