Inside the general manager's office of Junyue Hotel, Li Mengting, dressed in a teal embroidered qipao, was staring intently at the surveillance monitor. If I had been there, I would've been stunned to discover that she had been watching me through the hotel's security cameras the entire time.
Li Mengting only turned her gaze away after confirming that Linda and I had left the hotel.
"Director Li, is there something wrong with that young man?"
The suited man standing respectfully in the office couldn't help but ask.
Li Mengting's expression returned to calm, unreadable. She glanced at him and instructed,
"Zhang Chenghe, I want you to investigate that boy—where he lives, which primary school he attended, even which hospital he was born in and the name of the midwife who delivered him. Find out *everything* you can."
Zhang Chenghe replied, "Understood. I'll arrange it immediately."
"Wait."
Li Mengting stopped him again and added after a moment's hesitation,
"Don't involve anyone from the family. Hire an external private investigator. I don't want the rest of them to know about this. Got it?"
"…Yes, I understand."
Zhang Chenghe was surprised. Who was this boy, to prompt her to go so far—keeping it secret even from her powerful family?
Linda and I took the bus back to the neighborhood, walking shoulder to shoulder toward home.
At the entrance to the complex, a group of small children were playing under the streetlights. Not far away, two dogs were… doing *that*. A three- or four-year-old little girl squatted nearby, watching with fascination.
The little girl was our neighbor Auntie Li's daughter, nicknamed Niuniu.
Linda greeted her cheerfully,
"Niuniu, what are you doing?"
Niuniu pointed. "Sister Zhang, look! What are those two dogs doing?"
Following the direction of her finger, Linda instantly spotted the dogs mating. Her face flushed deep red. But being a teacher, she knew how to handle kids. Blushing, she said,
"Niuniu, don't look. They're fighting."
I couldn't help myself—I burst out laughing. Linda turned to me, annoyed:
"What are you laughing at? Want to fight too?"
I honestly wanted to say, *Sure, I'd love to fight—with you*, but seeing her grumpy expression, I held my tongue. With her temper, she might actually throw a punch.
Seeing me stay quiet, Linda thought she had intimidated me. She smirked smugly, not even realizing what she'd said.
Just then, my phone rang—it was Bucktooth calling. He said he, the Luo twins, and Ni Anqi were eating late-night snacks on Xinxing Street and asked if I wanted to join.
It was a boring weekend night at home, so I agreed without hesitation. After telling Linda, I headed off to Xinxing Street.
The night market was packed. I finally found their table in a corner. Spread across it were spicy crayfish, steamed bass, salt and pepper ribs, crystal chicken feet, and more. I gaped:
"Wow, who won the lottery? What's with all this good food?"
Ni Anqi, dressed tonight in a white blouse and black sailor skirt—complete with white socks and black shoes—looked like an anime character, like Rukia from *Bleach*. Wrinkling her nose, she said,
"What, we can't treat you guys to a nice meal?"
Smiling, I pulled out a chair beside her.
"Fine. Looks like us broke guys are in for a feast."
Ni Anqi, bold and sassy as always, poured me a full glass of draft beer.
"Andrew, you're late. Three penalty drinks."
The others cheered her on, knowing full well I couldn't hold my liquor. But that's just how friends are—the worse your alcohol tolerance, the more they try to get you drunk. With no way out, I downed three glasses in a row, my face turning red instantly.
Ni Anqi giggled. "Andrew, your alcohol tolerance is terrible—even worse than mine."
I muttered sheepishly,
"You guys know I hardly ever drink or smoke…"
She poured me another.
"Tolerance comes with practice. Let's go again."
So we kept eating, drinking, and chatting. Before I knew it, they had drunk me under the table. I had no idea how I got back. When I woke up, it was already the next morning.
Since the school had organized a trip to Qingyun Mountain for the freshmen, Bucktooth and the others were already up having breakfast. Seeing me awake, they started teasing me about how little I could drink.
"One day I'll build up my tolerance and drink *you* all under the table," I grumbled, then rushed off to wash up.
Last night, I'd had a weird dream—*ahem*—a steamy one about me and Linda. I woke up to find… evidence of the dream in my boxers.
*So embarrassing.*
I quickly changed and started washing my underwear.
That's when someone knocked on our dorm door—it was Ni Anqi. For some reason, she seemed to really enjoy hanging out with me. She often came by my desk or asked me out after class. Honestly, I wasn't even sure when we got so close.
Storming in like she owned the place, she looked around at the mess and scoffed,
"This place is a pigsty."
The Luo twins and Bucktooth exchanged glances, visibly insulted.
"You calling us pigs?" Bucktooth snapped.
She rolled her eyes.
"Whatever. Where's Andrew?"
"I'm on the balcony—doing laundry," I called out.
Ni Anqi trotted over and, seeing me washing clothes, offered sweetly:
"Want me to help?"
"Sure!"
Gladly, I stood up and passed her the bucket.
She eagerly reached in… then froze.
The moment she realized she was about to wash *my boxers*, her eyes went wide as saucers. Then—*whoosh*—her face flushed all the way to her neck.
By that point, I'd already walked back inside. She couldn't chase me in without causing a scene, so she just shot me a furious glare and squatted down, embarrassed but still washing them.
Her flustered expression made me want to laugh out loud.
Just then, Linda walked in.
"What's going on? It's almost 9 a.m.—why haven't any of you gone to the field yet?"
We replied,
"We'll head down in a second."
Linda nodded.
"Move quickly, okay?"
But then she spotted Ni Anqi on the balcony. She blinked, frowning.
"Ni Anqi, what are you doing in the boys' dorm?"
Ni Anqi was still washing *that* particular item. Startled by Linda's voice, she dropped the boxers right back into the bucket with a *splash*.
For once, even this fearless girl was so embarrassed her face turned crimson.
"I—I'm helping Andrew with his laundry."
"Laundry?" Linda walked up suspiciously. When she peeked into the bucket and saw the underwear, her expression turned… complicated. Her eyes flicked between me and Ni Anqi, as if interrogating suspects.
Before she could say anything, Ni Anqi turned and bolted.
"I just remembered something—I have to go!"
The rest of the guys stared at me in awe. In their eyes, I had just become a legend: one of the most beautiful girls in our class—*and* the little sister of the senior-year big shot—had washed my underwear.
They probably couldn't be more jealous if they tried.