Chapter 2: Nothing Hidden? Isn’t There Still Another Layer of Clothing!

Bai Qingxia clutched her backpack tightly in front of her, head bowed, and hurried toward the supermarket entrance. It was obvious she was inexperienced at stealing—coming in with her backpack and leaving with it pressed to her chest. Anyone could see something was suspicious.

She didn’t dare lift her head and walked so quickly that, had it not been inside a supermarket, she might have broken into a run.

Lu Yuanqiu could almost imagine how she ended up in a car accident…

The very next moment, her fair and smooth forehead collided with a solid chest.

Thud!

It was a firm, resounding impact. The girl let out a muffled whimper and staggered back a step, her nerves betraying her as her delicate white earlobes began to blush, like a pair of glossy, tempting cherries.

Lu Yuanqiu looked down at her, the corners of his mouth curving slightly. At seventeen, he couldn’t be called especially handsome—with a buzz cut still—but his features were sharp, his skin tanned from years of basketball, and he already stood at 183 centimeters tall. Youth had rewound his body to its prime, every muscle outlined in its best state.

Truth be told, Lu Yuanqiu was the most suited to be the class sports rep.

“Sorry,” Bai Qingxia murmured before she even saw who she’d bumped into, intending to change directions and hurry away.

Lu Yuanqiu turned around. “Hey, wait!” He quickly caught hold of her back, but the moment he did, his expression stiffened—

A springy strap, separated only by her school uniform, was pulled out in a long arc by his hand.

Bai Qingxia froze on the spot like a snake seized at its weakest point.

This was…

Lu Yuanqiu’s face immediately contorted in embarrassment, and he let go at once.

Snap!

The strap sprang back with a crisp sound, sending the girl stumbling forward a couple of steps.

Her earlobes turned visibly redder. Bai Qingxia looked back, her eyes wide and startled like a fawn, staring at Lu Yuanqiu.

Once she recognized him, she tried to run, but how could Lu Yuanqiu let her go? With his long legs, he stepped forward and blocked her path again.

Thud!

Another muffled collision of forehead against chest, accompanied by a soft gasp.

“Stealing and still trying to run?”

Bai Qingxia hugged her backpack, her beautiful, watery eyes turning red, retreating slowly with a look of shock and helplessness.

Lu Yuanqiu grinned, then turned to change the supermarket door sign from ‘open’ to ‘close’.

Afterward, he walked up to Bai Qingxia, lifted his phone like a benevolent Buddha, and started recording.

“Miss Campus Belle, you’re under arrest.”

...

He opened the storeroom door.

Lu Yuanqiu’s strong arm dragged Bai Qingxia inside and pushed her in. Her arm was so slender and soft, almost jelly-like—he could encircle it with one hand.

Watching Lu Yuanqiu close the storeroom door, Bai Qingxia, realizing escape was impossible, could only shrink helplessly in the corner, clutching her backpack desperately.

Strands of her hair fell over her forehead, half-shrouding a pale, delicate face tinged with despair.

Lu Yuanqiu took a seat on the chair before her, rapping his knuckles on the table. “What did you take, and how much? Take it all out, or do you want me to search you?”

“Tough luck, Bai. This supermarket belongs to my dad.”

Bai Qingxia looked up, long lashes trembling, tears shimmering in her eyes. Yet she didn’t cry; she said nothing, only sat in silence for a moment, then unzipped her backpack, walked to the table, and took out the three loaves of bread she’d hidden.

Lu Yuanqiu glanced at the bread and couldn’t help but curse her for a fool in his heart.

She’d taken only the cheapest bread—if you’re going to steal, shouldn’t you at least go for something pricier? Something tastier?

Even a chicken drumstick or sausage would have made more sense.

After she emptied her backpack, Bai Qingxia opened it wide for Lu Yuanqiu to see, proving it was empty.

Indeed, the surveillance footage had only shown her taking three loaves.

But he didn’t know the exact time of her accident, so he couldn’t just let her leave now.

To resolve the knot in his heart, Lu Yuanqiu had already decided—even if he had to keep her here overnight, so be it.

As long as she made it safely through today.

After all, at school he was already seen as a delinquent. A little more bad behavior wouldn’t matter, would it?

Lu Yuanqiu examined her backpack, refusing to believe it, and dumped everything onto the table.

With a clatter, out tumbled textbooks, summer homework, stationery, and a damaged pencil case—so that cute pink pencil case she kept on her desk was hiding damage underneath?

At the very end, a crumpled black plastic bag fell out. Lu Yuanqiu opened it to find only a single white sanitary napkin inside.

Bai Qingxia’s face turned anxious; she rushed forward, snatched the bag back, stuffed it into her backpack, then seized her bag with force.

Rip—

The strap broke.

Seeing the frayed, mismatched threads, Lu Yuanqiu realized the strap had already been torn and stitched up before—now it had snapped again.

“That’s all! Just three loaves of bread!”

Bai Qingxia looked up, glaring at Lu Yuanqiu with a weary yet striking pair of red-rimmed eyes, her pure features now even more pitiable and endearing.

But her glare was fierce.

Lu Yuanqiu glared right back. “So now you’re angry with me?”

No matter how fierce, I’m not letting you go.

I want to see you, Bai Qingxia, safe and sound in my senior year, fighting for the college entrance exam as the top student, living a new, vibrant life.

Lu Yuanqiu deliberately ignored the broken strap and took her backpack again, tossing it onto the table.

“You think I’m that easy to fool? You came in with a backpack and only stole three of the cheapest loaves?”

He advanced on Bai Qingxia, who immediately ducked her head and backed up like a bullied lamb.

Though she usually seemed as cold and aloof as an untouchable snow lotus, in front of Lu Yuanqiu—the unreasonable big bad wolf—she could only become a helpless lamb awaiting slaughter.

When her back hit the wall, Bai Qingxia raised her hands defensively, panic-stricken. She glanced behind her—there was nowhere left to retreat.

It had been a long time since Lu Yuanqiu played the villain, and he felt a bit awkward at it now. He eyed the bulging front of her school uniform and demanded, “Your chest is bulging—did you hide something there too?”

Bai Qingxia protectively crossed her arms over her chest, eyes fixed on Lu Yuanqiu, denying in shame and anger, “No!”

Lu Yuanqiu waved her off with a flourish, backing away. “Unzip it yourself—don’t make me do it. Or do you want me to announce it at school tomorrow?”

“Shocking! Model student Bai Qingxia caught shoplifting by righteous class failure Lu Yuanqiu!”

He shook his head in exaggerated disbelief.

Bai Qingxia panicked. “Don’t say that!”

She raised her slender fingers to the zipper at her neck and slowly pulled it down.

Her pale, delicate neck was revealed, and Lu Yuanqiu saw the T-shirt collar beneath, wrinkled from too many washes, along with half of her fine collarbone.

Her skin was truly white.

But as the zipper fell, the culprit behind her bulging chest finally came into view.

Yes—came into view.

Lu Yuanqiu looked down, surprised to see that the roomy school uniform jacket could hide so much—it was as if it could contain the entire eastern and western hemispheres.

With trembling hands, Bai Qingxia pulled open her jacket to show the scene beneath, her eyes red with humiliation. “See? There’s nothing hidden!”

Lu Yuanqiu leaned in for a closer look.

Beneath the oversized jacket was a remarkably slender waist, but the T-shirt was clearly too small—fitted at the waist, but stretched tight above, so thin he worried it might split down the middle.

As the scent of her shampoo blended with the freshness of laundry detergent, Lu Yuanqiu found himself doubting again:

“But you’re wearing another layer, aren’t you!”