Before bed, Zhang Shu unwrapped all the gifts.
Those with names and surnames would be returned when no one was around. The anonymous ones could only gather dust in a corner. Putting himself in their shoes, it was a bit pitiful, but not undeserved. Sending a gift without even daring to write a name, filling it with long-winded declarations of love—how was he supposed to guess who it was? He wasn’t a mind reader.
But as luck would have it, there was one anonymous gift that made him play the role of a mind reader—he could guess who sent it with his eyes closed.
The Criminal Law of the People's Republic of China.
The table of contents was marked with stars and highlighted: [Crime of Producing, Reproducing, Publishing, Selling, or Disseminating Pornographic Materials for Profit] .
Handwritten notes were scribbled beside it: Even if no actual profit is made, the crime still stands and is punishable.
How thoughtful.
The handwriting wasn’t hers—it was messy and bold, like a man’s.
A futile attempt at concealment.
Zhang Shu couldn’t even laugh. He had truly underestimated her. Usually trembling with fear, who knew she’d turn out to be such a bold figure at critical moments?
If he was a mind reader, then she was a bodhisattva, trying to enlighten all sentient beings.
This gift he would keep—no returning, no dust-gathering.
Zhang Shu tore open the packaging of a pair of knee pads and cut off the tags. Once school officially started, he’d wear them during P.E. class.
Just to scare her.
……
By now, Sheng Xia had become quite skilled at riding her bike, even taking shortcuts through Wenboyuan.
The early morning breeze at six was cool, the cicadas’ chirps faint—the world had just begun to wake.
She hadn’t expected to run into Zhang Shu. At this hour, the notorious last-minute rusher shouldn’t even be awake yet…
She saw him walking out of the apartment building, without his bike. Silently, she rode past him.
“Sheng Xia!”
She pressed the brakes and turned her head.
“Give me a ride?” Zhang Shu patted the seat of Xiao Bai and said casually.
“What…?” Sheng Xia, wearing a helmet with ear covers, wondered if she’d misheard and murmured in response.
“My bike’s at school. Give me a ride.”
Huh? How was this supposed to work…
Xiao Bai was a two-seater, but it was clearly a girl’s bike—small and delicate. Giving him a ride wasn’t impossible, but the space… wouldn’t they end up touching?
“I’ve never given anyone a ride before…” she declined tactfully. “I’m afraid I won’t be steady.”
Zhang Shu said, “Get off.”
Sheng Xia: “Huh?”
Zhang Shu: “I’ll ride you.”
Sheng Xia: ……
No one could save a chronic refusal-phobic. Silence was Sheng Xia’s default this morning.
Reluctantly, she got off the bike. The moment Zhang Shu sat on it, the suspension bounced, and Sheng Xia felt Xiao Bai bearing a weight it had never borne before.
Zhang Shu clearly noticed too and asked, “How much do you weigh?” When she got on and off, the bike’s height didn’t change at all.
“96,” she answered softly.
“How tall?”
Now that he was seated, she stood beside him, noticeably taller.
“166…”
Zhang Shu actually had no idea what 166 should weigh.
He just gave her a once-over and said, “Eat more.”
Sheng Xia: ……
During that once-over, he noticed the slight redness on her forearm. “Where’s the writing on your arm? Didn’t do your morning and evening rituals?”
Sheng Xia instinctively hid her arm behind her back.
Heaven knew how long she’d spent last night trying to scrub it off.
Ordinary cleaning products were useless. She’d used Wang Lianhua’s makeup remover to erase part of it, but the remnants had to be scrubbed off with a palm-fiber brush.
Her skin was already fairer and more delicate than most, and after all that, it looked like she’d shed a layer.Thinking of this unwarranted disaster, Sheng Xia felt a bit indignant and said angrily, "Who writes on someone else's body? In ancient times, this was called tattooing punishment—a very severe penalty, a mark of shame for criminals. Though I misspelled your name, it's hardly a crime, and besides..."
Her voice gradually weakened, carrying a tone of suppressed anger, "And you're not the emperor anyway..."
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