"Really, you're giving this to me?" Receiving such an intimate gift from his disciple left Xiang Ri first stunned, then in utter disbelief.
Wasn't this her favorite item? He remembered trying to swipe it once, but she had defied him to reclaim it. He'd even considered sneaking it away when she wasn't around, but now, out of the blue, she was offering it to him. The unexpected fortune left him momentarily dazed.
"Yes, Teacher." Shi Qing nodded, her cheeks flushed with a genuine, delicate shyness that stirred a wave of excitement within Xiang Ri.
"What is it? Let me see!" Chu Chu walked in at that moment, overhearing their exchange and asking with curiosity.
Xiang Ri froze. Hiding the "gift" was clearly impossible since she had already fixed her gaze on his hand.
In that critical moment, his mind raced, conjuring a flimsy excuse. He crumpled the lingerie in his palm, feigning indifference. "Oh, it's just a handkerchief Qing gave me—for wiping my nose." To emphasize, he exaggeratedly wiped his nose, producing an unsavory "sniff-sniff" sound.
"Can you not be so disgusting?" Chu Chu shot him a look of mock disdain, unaware that the item in his hand had nothing to do with a runny nose.
Her irritation, however, wasn't just about his behavior. Doing something so uncouth in front of her—especially before her idol, Shi Qing—embarrassed her to no end. Seeing Shi Qing's face flush with suppressed laughter only added to her annoyance, prompting her to glare at him even more fiercely.
Xiang Ri felt a surge of relief; he had narrowly escaped exposure. Yet the thrill of almost being caught left him strangely exhilarated. As he pondered whether he might have a penchant for risk, he noticed the fierce glare from Chu Chu and the embarrassed look from Shi Qing, prompting him to quickly retreat from the room.
In the days that followed, Xiang Ri found himself far from idle; the National Day holiday was approaching, and his mother would soon arrive.
Chu Chu, in full shopping frenzy mode, dragged Xiang Ri with her every day after school, insisting that she wanted to look her best to meet her future mother-in-law and needed some high-end accessories for the occasion.
Shi Qing, for reasons unknown, took the opportunity to join their shopping excursions, picking out short skirts and tank tops she would never usually wear. While still modest compared to some fashion-forward women, it was a significant leap for her.
Both Xiang Ri and Chu Chu were baffled by her transformation. Chu Chu, however, didn't dwell on it, choosing instead to discuss which skirts best highlighted her long, elegant legs and which tops offered enough coverage to avoid any accidental glimpses of skin.
Bored, Xiang Ri glanced at Chu Chu's outfit, observing that while she wore less fabric, she was securely covered—no accidental exposure, even with sudden movements. He couldn't help but admire her skill in dressing, showing just enough, and felt a twinge of jealousy ebb away.
Yet, what frustrated him most was that ever since the "lingerie gift" incident, Shi Qing had been actively avoiding him. Even if their eyes happened to meet by chance, she would turn away, like a startled rabbit, as though she couldn't bear to be caught looking.
Fortunately, some of the matters that had caused him concern did not come to pass.
The young heir he had clashed with a few days ago, someone seemingly of great significance, had not sought trouble with him. This left Xiang Ri both puzzled and inclined to attribute his good fortune to a certain female police officer.
In truth, his suspicions were not unfounded. While Xiang Ri was unaware of the true weight behind the title "fiancé" that the officer had mentioned, "Uncle Fang" certainly knew enough to treat it with caution. He, in turn, relayed the information to his "old friend," who, out of deference to Xiang Ri's connections, took care to issue a stern warning to the "obedient" younger generation. As a result, Xiang Ri had been left undisturbed.
Moreover, the highly publicized "murder in Mansion 68, Dragon Villa" had concluded without incident. While the police's explanation had been somewhat unexpected, it was ultimately acceptable.
Wu Heiyan, the president of the Wu Corporation, had been linked to a criminal syndicate involved in bank robberies. Evidence uncovered during a police raid confirmed his involvement in numerous illicit activities, leading to his arrest on a moonless night by an elite squadron. The delay in revealing the operation was due to concerns that other criminals in the city might flee upon hearing of the impending raid.
Xiang Ri scoffed at the whole affair, though he remained more cautious in his actions and words, wary of revealing too much. After all, while he had been alone when he ventured to Dragon Villa, there was always the possibility that someone had noticed a young man lingering around the premises just before the event unfolded.
There was also another scandal that had stirred up the entertainment industry: Li San Sheng, the city's famous "toy king," had a son, Li Xing, who had once been hailed as a promising idol. However, after overdosing on drugs, he had ended up in a brutal fight with a group of large men, resulting in his body being nearly destroyed. Had it not been for a journalist who, in sympathy, called emergency services, it was likely that Li Xing would have met a far grimmer fate.
Xiang Ri couldn't help but feel a sense of gratitude, as he had acted out of goodwill by not abandoning the man after drugging him, even going so far as to contact a local newspaper for help. Had he not, that pretty boy would likely have ended up in the morgue rather than a medical facility.
To his surprise, the young man had not sought revenge, which seemed rather peculiar given the magnitude of their prior enmity. One would think that such a grudge would be impossible to swallow, yet the man had disappeared without a trace, fleeing abroad without a word.
There were also rumors about his father, supposedly the leader of the city's most powerful criminal syndicate, but strangely, Xiang Ri had never heard of them. The "Pan Long Society" — a name that, in his opinion, sounded rather absurd. Perhaps it would have been better named "Pan Chang Society."
"Bang!" As he trailed behind the two young ladies, Xiang Ri accidentally bumped into someone, causing the person to stumble backward with a grunt. Fortunately, a companion caught them before they fell.
"Hey, do you have eyes?" the person's companion snapped, clearly agitated.
Chuchu and Shiqing, completely oblivious to the commotion behind them, were dazzled by the array of goods and eagerly dashed into a jewelry store.
Xiang Ri cast a brief glance at the two young ladies, then turned his attention back to the group in front of him. His gaze landed on a young woman with a fiery attitude and a figure to match, who was now glaring at him. He couldn't help but form a negative impression of her. "Why don't you say your friend isn't paying attention?"
"What?! Are you saying I'm in the wrong?" The fiery girl was about to charge at him, but one of her taller male companions restrained her, only for her to angrily flip him the bird.
"It's not about right or wrong, but what the facts tell us. First, I was walking down the street, and your friend was supposed to be looking. Why did she walk right into me? And even if I were trying to bump into her, couldn't she have moved out of the way? Don't tell me she didn't see me — we all have eyes, after all," Xiang Ri remarked with a sneer, giving the fiery girl a disdainful glance.
The fiery girl opened her mouth to retort but was silenced by her tall companion, who then fixed Xiang Ri with a hard stare. "Brother, why bother arguing with a girl?"
"I'm not arguing, but this girl is so clueless, it irks me," Xiang Ri replied flippantly.
"Son of a bitch, I'll kill you!" The fiery girl roared, charging at him once more, but this time, her female companion managed to intercept her.
"Want to kill me? You'd better have the ability. But I don't think you'll ever get the chance. Perhaps we can meet again in the next life..." Xiang Ri taunted, but before he could continue, the elegant girl who had been silently observing the scene suddenly asked in a tentative voice, "Are you Xiang Kui?"