OmiT Milk Tea Shop, located in the northeast corner of the basement floor of Chengkai Center, was known for its high prices and low cost-performance ratio, resulting in few customers enjoying the leisurely afternoons there.
At this moment, Lu Qing and Bai Xing had deliberately come to the nearly empty shop, sitting in a corner to discuss their plans.
On the screen was a voice message from Old Li:
"Huh? Qing, what's going on? Your tone just now wasn't quite right, was it? Did someone piss you off? If so, you tell your bro, and I'll spend some money to get some guys to take care of him! Damn, I've been in Tianhai for three or four years, spent a fortune, built up a network of guys, and made connections with all sorts of street thugs, but this is the first time someone's dared to mess with my buddy! You just send me his address, and I'll take care of it right away!"
Old Li's 59-second voice message was filled with a strong sense of street life, and he was currently sending video calls to Lu Qing non-stop.
Lu Qing declined the video call and quickly replied:
"Calm down, Old Li. I'm fine, just a bit annoyed by my boss at Mosse. So, I'm thinking of other ways. Don't get excited. I'm just letting you know that photos are out of the question now. In fact, I got snapped by someone else."
"......Huh?"
Hearing "Mosse" and Lu Qing's words, Old Li got the picture.
If Lu Qing said that, then the person he had an issue with was likely a woman.
In such cases, Old Li knew he shouldn't get involved.
"Ah, alright, I get it. If you need anything later, just give me a call. I'll help you out, no matter where I am, even if I'm at a foot massage place."
"Yeah."
Lu Qing put his phone down on the table, taking a deep breath.
He knew that Old Li, despite being a bit of a womanizer, was truly loyal when it came to brotherhood. He was fearless and would step in no matter what.
Even if it was Zhang Yang, the most unpopular guy in the dorm, who got bullied, Old Li would still step up to help.
That was just how Old Li was—he couldn't stand to see those close to him get wronged.
"Senior, I didn't realize...you're into the underworld?"
Across the table, Bai Xing held her milk tea, sucking on the tapioca pearls inside while asking timidly.
Her curious and concerned gaze seemed to be saying, "Did I follow the wrong person? Did I end up with a hidden mobster? Would he hurt me, this cute little thing?"
Of course, beneath this surface, there was also a thought of, "That's so thrilling," "Hehe, I'll be under Senior's control," "He really plays big, I'll have to find a way to cooperate with him," and other such mischievous thoughts.
"......"
Lu Qing couldn't explain, so he just brushed it off: "He's my roommate. Not a bad guy."
"Oh, oh."
Bai Xing seemed to be pondering.
Then she handed over her milk tea, "Senior, want some?"
"?"
Lu Qing pushed it away and took a sip from his own cup, "Don't try any tricks while I'm thinking."
"Tsk~"
"Boring~"
"Won't even share milk tea~ So stingy~!"
Bai Xing unleashed her tea-talk triple attack, making him rub his temples in headache, feeling utterly helpless.
In fact, Lu Qing had long noticed that, for some time now, the little thing had become increasingly cat-like.
Cat-like—knowing how to be clingy, always cute, occasionally emitting sweet sounds, soft to the touch, very considerate.
This attribute was nearly invincible, extremely healing, and could make any man unable to get angry, even when annoyed.
Yes.
Sitting across from him was such a genuine "mine-like" voice actress, eagerly wanting to share a drink. Such a straightforward attack was a bit too much for him to handle.
"Hey, Bai Xing," he changed the subject.
"Hmm?"
"Now that our assignment is ruined, and it's all my fault, I need to think of a way out. You'll have to give me some time," he said.
"Oh..."
Bai Xing obediently nodded, sitting like a little cat on her chair, no longer causing trouble.
For her, going out with Senior was the most important thing in the world.
Everything else was secondary.
Failing classes? Maybe it used to be important,
but now...
now she had already failed a couple (due to being unable to get out of bed during her reclusive periods).
So...hehe.
Anyway, now that she had Senior, everything was fine.
...
"You know, I've always done assignments alone," Lu Qing said, leaning his arms on the table and gazing aimlessly at the shop's decor.
"Yeah, I know. I've seen it in other classes. You always work alone, not teaming up with others, even if it means exhausting yourself to finish all the steps. You're so extreme," Bai Xing said, sucking on her milk tea and puffing out her cheeks.
"Huh? How many of the same classes have you taken with me?" Lu Qing was alert.
"All of them, ah."
The girl blinked innocently.
"Wait, you're a freshman, I'm a sophomore, and we're not in the same department. And you managed to match all my elective courses? How?" Lu Qing was baffled.
"Ah..." Bai Xing's eyes darted around.
"Spit it out."
"......Well, it's just that, before, when I was doing V work, I had some money...so I paid someone to help me grab classes the very first second the education system opened, all the ones I thought Senior might take...
Then, if you didn't take them, I'd drop and re-select...
If I didn't get in, I'd pay other juniors and seniors to swap classes...ah, it was all simultaneous, they'd drop the class the moment I snatched it, so I could take the same classes as you."
Bai Xing stammered, her face turning red.
Finally, she added shyly, "It was pretty expensive. Hehe."
"......"
Lu Qing opened his mouth.
Slowly, a question mark appeared.
"Are you trying to eat me, friend?"
He was beginning to understand everything.
Very good.
"So, you've been targeting me for a while, huh?"
"Not really, I'm not like some crazy woman who stalked you. I think I'm pretty decent, right?"
"¿"
This made Lu Qing's question mark flip upside down.
He couldn't help but ask, "Wait, what crazy woman? Who stalked me? Give me the details."
He knew Bai Xing generally didn't lie to him. And seeing her blushing, obviously trying to avoid exposing herself by dragging others down, he was intrigued.
"Ah...this..."
She looked troubled, "It's just that, I saw it twice before. There was a woman peeking into your house from outside the door, listening to the sounds inside by pressing her ear against it."
Bai Xing recalled the scene, speaking seriously.
"What? Are you kidding me?"
"Why would I lie to you? I even called the police for you once! But by the time the patrol officers arrived, she had already cleaned up, so there wasn't any evidence."
"???"
Now, Lu Qing was intrigued.
He became serious, reflecting.
Normally, since Su Ling moved in, there hadn't been any unusual activity outside his door.
After all, he hadn't noticed anything strange during his daily routines, like going to school or buying groceries.
If we exclude the recent period, that means the stalker appeared before the first rainy night.
Curious, he pondered, leading to a more serious question—
No, wait,
"How did you know someone was stalking me?"
"?!!!"
The girl's face froze, her brain overloading for a moment.
"Uh."
"Uh..."
"I was just going home, and when I went upstairs, I passed by her and saw it." She started blundering.
Clearly, her little tricks couldn't escape Lu Qing's sharp eyes.
However, as a neighbor, it wasn't too strange for her to check on his door from time to time...
Was it okay?
Anyway, it was better than strangers regularly checking up on him, right?
Lu Qing thought so.
Little did he know, his leniency towards the girl had already gone beyond reason.
He continued analyzing.
"If Bai Xing noticed her twice, then the actual number of times the stalker came must be more than two."
This was obvious reasoning.
Lu Qing's expression darkened as he began to delve deeper into the matter.
He had been renting the apartment for two years. During this time, who could possibly have developed such a twisted interest in him?
Considering that he barely interacted with anyone outside of his roommates, this situation felt even more absurd and surreal.
Who was targeting him?
Who had taken an interest in him?
Was it a man or a woman?
What did they want from him?
Four questions, each more critical than the last.
Lu Qing turned back to Bai Xing and asked, "You must have seen what the person looked like, right?"
"Yes, I saw them," Bai Xing replied honestly.
"She was... well, a girl with an extremely exaggerated figure."
She placed her index finger against her lips, nibbling on her cherry-painted nails.
Seeing Lu Qing's interest, she carefully recalled, "But she was dressed so heavily, completely covered up, even more so than I usually am... so I couldn't see her face. The only things I remember are her enviable bust and those incredibly shapely, model-like legs."
"..."
Hearing such a description, Lu Qing became even more puzzled.
He was well aware that anyone praised by Bai Xing had to be extraordinary.
After all, she was incredibly cute herself, so her standards and tastes were far from ordinary.
To receive a "extreme figure" evaluation from her... Lu Qing estimated that this had to be a top-tier model, or even better.
"Think again, is there any other useful information?" he prompted.
"Ah..."
The girl took another sip of her milk tea, chewing on the soft pearls of coconut, and said, "Her height, she was taller than me."
"Hmm, how tall?"
"I'm one meter and sixty-two centimeters, and I think she was at least one meter and sixty-eight centimeters."
Bai Xing said.
"Oh... good."
Lu Qing nodded, silently noting this information.
"Anything else?"
"Yes, she was wearing something quite tight."
"Tight?"
"Yeah, a form-fitting sweater that hugged her chest and stomach, peeking out from under her coat. I noticed it."
"Anything else?"
"Uh, she was wearing sunglasses."
"And?"
"Her hair was very long."
"Good, go on."
Lu Qing took out his phone, opened his notes app, and prepared to jot down every detail.
"She had a bag."
"What kind of bag?"
"I didn't get a clear look, but it seemed like a fairly large shoulder bag, capable of holding quite a bit."
Bai Xing speculated, "It felt like it was pretty heavy."
"Ah..."
Lu Qing nodded, "Anything else?"
"Yeah, the shoes she was wearing."
"What kind of shoes?"
"Rain boots, made of rubber."
"Oh?"
Lu Qing was taken aback and immediately asked, "Are you saying that it was raining the day you saw her?"
"Yes, it was drizzling that night, very late. She was crouching outside your door when I happened to walk by on my way upstairs."
Bai Xing explained, "I thought she might be your girlfriend or something, so I didn't bother. It wasn't until I saw her lingering outside your door a second time that I realized she might not be so innocent."
"..."
Lu Qing took a deep breath.
"Why didn't you knock on my door and tell me?"
"Huh?"
The girl pouted, giving him a sidelong glance, "Back then, our relationship wasn't like it is now, you know? If I had knocked on your door, you would have thought I was the weirdo, right?"
"Isn't it normal to knock on a neighbor's door to warn them about a stalker?" he asked.
"I sit right behind you every day, of course I didn't want to waste such a precious opportunity on something like this!"
Bai Xing argued with conviction, "This is something for the police officer to handle, not me!"
"..."
Alright, Lu Qing understood now. The little brat might claim she "just happened to see" the stalker, but that was far from the truth.
If it had been a casual encounter, how could she remember the stalker's clothing details so vividly?
How could she recall even the outfit underneath her coat?
And she even called the police for this?
"Wait, why didn't you notify me when you called the police? Why didn't the police knock on my door?"
Lu Qing was curious.
"Oh."
Bai Xing's face showed a hint of regret, "When I called 110, the operator sent a traffic warden... you know, those auxiliary officers who handle things like noise complaints, neighbor disputes, or minor disputes. They can only issue warnings, so they didn't bother you."
This was a lie.
In reality, Bai Xing had specifically left her own phone number when reporting the incident, requesting that "the police must call me first, and not disturb the neighbor's door."
As a result, when the auxiliary officers arrived, they first surrounded the stalker and then contacted her, asking if she wanted to confront the stalker face to face. She declined, saying, "Just scare her off."
This led to the stalker being let go, and the auxiliary officers only issuing a warning, without involving Lu Qing.
But next time, things might be different.
If Lu Qing decided to get to the bottom of this, the stalker would have no way to evade responsibility.
For someone like this, Lu Qing had no intention of letting it slide.
On the contrary, he planned to strike back!
To make it clear that intruding into someone else's life was wrong.
Absolutely wrong!
There was nothing Lu Qing couldn't handle.
Especially when it came to being endlessly scrutinized by someone who had come knocking at his door.
Lu Qing didn't like being scrutinized.
In fact, he hated it.
"If that's the case."
"Don't blame me."
Under Bai Xing's watchful gaze,
He suddenly opened the "Jingxi Express" app on his phone,
Navigated to the electronics section, and typed in "home surveillance panoramic camera," finding a more expensive model with features like "hidden," "infrared," "night vision," and "ultra-long standby for 180 days."
Without hesitation, he placed an order.
Hmph, you like watching, huh?
Fine, I'll play a game of waiting for the rabbit.
"I'd like to see what you really look like," Lu Qing quickly completed the payment, his heart filled with cold laughter.
...
...