The spilled spicy hot pot, milk tea, and fried noodles soaked through Chuan Ling's clothes. After Patrol Leader Chen Hao'an carefully wiped her down, the two of them boarded a bus to go home.
Meanwhile, Sen Lei'an, the school's notorious "bad boy" who had been frantically searching for Chuan Ling, caught sight of them. Without a word, he revved up his black motorcycle and sped off campus.
**
Chen Hao'an and I sat at the back of the bus, laughing and chatting like nothing bad had happened. I completely forgot the disaster from earlier—and that once I got home, I'd probably be scolded by my mom.
"What now? I totally ruined your towel and jacket."
"It's fine. Guess I just have to suck it up."
"Excuse me? I'm the one who should be complaining here!"
"Then compensate me."
"Hah! I didn't expect you to be the type who takes advantage of a crisis. Totally misjudged you."
"So, I'm in your eyes after all?"
"Are you really Chen Hao'an? Whoever you are—get off of him right now!"
We exchanged a look and burst out laughing.
The bus driver caught our reflection in the rearview mirror and chuckled while shaking his head. "Ah, youth… such a beautiful thing."
"How exactly are you gonna make it up to me?"
"I'll get you a new towel."
"You think that's enough to make it up to me?"
"Wow, what's with the sudden change in your attitude…" I started, but was cut off as Chen Hao'an stood up. He was over 185 cm tall and leaned toward me.
Startled, I quickly pulled his jacket over my face.
Beep beep beep! The bus stop bell rang.
"Uncle Driver, we're getting off here," Hao'an called.
The bus slowly came to a stop.
I glanced around in confusion. "Wait… this isn't our neighborhood."
"Come on," he said, tugging my hand.
We stepped off the bus.
"Hey! Thousand-Hand God!" I called.
"What Thousand-Hand God?" Hao'an turned around.
I glanced down at our hands and gestured toward them. He immediately let go.
"I just didn't want you to run off and not get off the bus."
"Where are we going?"
He pointed at a nearby store called Sweet Home.
It was a well-known home goods chain, stocked with trendy, stylish designs. Sen's mom loved buying from them.
"What are you doing?" I asked as he pulled me into the store.
As we stepped inside, a sales associate greeted us, "Wel—welcome, Chen—"
"I'm looking for bath towels," Hao'an interrupted smoothly.
"Of course, right this way."
"These are expensive…" I mumbled as we followed her.
"You owe me, remember?" he said smugly.
I had no choice. To thank him for saving me—and for ruining his clothes—I'd have to accompany him on this little shopping trip. In my mind, I began calculating my savings.
Weekly allowance: 100. Helped classmates with homework: 40. Personal savings: 50. That made… 190!
Sweet Home was a luxury brand, supplying five-star hotels. How could I afford anything here?
We arrived at the bath section. Hao'an subtly motioned for the clerk to leave.
"You're so rude," I whispered.
"Nah, it's easier to shop in peace. They know the drill."
I had to admit, it was better this way. I was still a mess, and being stared at by a gorgeous saleslady made me want to sink into the floor.
He picked up a black towel with gold-thread embroidery along the edges and a royal-style emblem in the corner—Sweet Home's logo. I'd seen it often at the Sen family's house. High-quality folks loved that brand.
I took the towel from his hand and flipped the price tag.
$1,800!
$1,800!!!
$1,800!!!!
The number echoed in my mind like a haunted chant.
Who spends $1,800 on a bath towel?! That's half a year's allowance! I might as well work for Chen Hao'an for six months to pay it off!
Wait a minute—earlier at school, the towel he gave me didn't have the Sweet Home logo…
"You gave me a regular towel earlier, didn't you?"
"It's not just any towel. Sure, it only cost ten dollar —"
"Ten dollar?! And now you're dragging me here to buy a towel for $1,800?!"
"I said it's not just any towel. My late grandpa gave it to me."
I was stunned. I'd never be able to repay that in my lifetime.
Hao'an chuckled at my panicked expression, then quietly returned the black towel to the shelf and picked up a light gray one nearby. He waved over a different sales associate—this one beaming with a fairy-like smile.
"I haven't even decided yet…" I muttered helplessly.
At the counter, Hao'an turned to the clerk. "We'll take two."
Thunder struck my brain. Or maybe Thor himself had just fired a lightning arrow straight at my forehead. I swear my eyes glowed.
"Two?! Hey—TWO?!" I whispered sharply.
The clerk brought over two towels. The light gray fabric shimmered with silver thread, and the logo was embroidered in matching silver.
She handed the bag to Hao'an.
"She's paying," he said, pointing at me.
"Oh, alright." The clerk turned to me and handed me the bag. "That'll be thirty-nine."
"Thirty-nine?" I asked, stunned.
"Yes, this is our new branch, and we're running a promotion. Two towels for thirty-nine ."
"Ohh… okay…" I fumbled for my phone.
Hao'an covered his mouth, trying to hide his grin. But his eyes were gleaming.
As I paid, I glanced at the gold nameplate on the clerk's chest: Ranran, General Manager.
**
"This store's service is amazing. Even the general manager came to service us," I said.
"Probably because they don't have any customers and are desperate to hit their sales targets," Hao'an replied.
"Yeah, that makes sense," I said, completely missing the sarcasm.
He chuckled again…
We walked back toward our neighborhood. The commercial street was just nearby. As we chatted, I finally felt like I was starting to understand Chen Hao'an.
**
Chen Hao'an was the eldest son in his family, with a younger sister who was a first-year student at our school.
His father was a doctor. His mother didn't work but helped manage their small family business.
His father wanted him to become a doctor too. His mother wanted him to take over his late grandfather's business.
But from the way he talked, I could tell—although his family was harmonious—they had already mapped out his future. And that made Hao'an feel stifled.
He believed his life should be his own to decide.
Before we knew it, we had arrived at my neighborhood gate. I said goodbye.
"You're not scared your mom's going to yell at you?" he asked.
Oh no—I'd forgotten! I was still going to have to face her!
"I'll go back with you and explain," he offered quickly.
Well, nothing to lose now. Maybe having a guest over would soften the blow. Worst-case scenario, I'd lock myself in my room for the night.
When I opened the front door, I saw my mom, my little brother, and… Sen Lei'an!
He was sitting in the living room and turned to look at us.
"Finally came back, huh?" he said sarcastically.
My mom was just about to start scolding me—my white school uniform was blotched red and black—but the moment she saw Chen Hao'an, her expression changed.
Hao'an bowed politely. "Hello, Auntie. We meet again."
My mom immediately beamed. "Oh my, who's this? Our dear Hao'an!"
"Our Hao'an?" Sen Lei'an muttered under his breath. "Your Lei'an's still sitting right here."
My little brother shook his head at Lei'an's jealousy.
The storm was brewing…
**
It was nearly four o'clock, and none of us had eaten lunch.
At the dinner table, Lei'an sat next to my brother.
My mom pulled Hao'an to sit opposite them, then hurried to the kitchen to whip up a new meal. I rushed off to shower and change out of my stained uniform.
"You're back late, Patrol Leader."
"There's still plenty of daylight left."
"You were laughing so much on the bus. What was that all about?"
"Not just on the bus—we laughed the whole way back."
"So, you went somewhere other than home, huh?" Lei'an said with a fake smile but sharp eyes.
The mood at the table instantly soured. Neither of them seemed to notice my brother sitting between them, watching their little verbal showdown.
"You don't really know Chuan Ling," Lei'an said.
"I can take the time to get to know her," Hao'an replied.
"You know she only washes her socks every two days, zones out by the river for no reason, sucks at school, and daydreams about idols all day?"
Hao'an smiled calmly. "I can accept all of that."
My little brother shook his head at the two idiots.
"You know she—" Lei'an continued.
I used my Iron Palm Technique and slapped him on the head.
"OW!" He turned around and stared at me, lips pressed tight, then lowered his head in silence.
My brother stood up and offered to help Mom in the kitchen. She asked him to bring the food out.
Seafood soup, cured meat, shrimp omelet, and canned abalone—her prized stash.
"Wow, Mom, did you win the lottery?" I said.
She gave me a look that made me turn away immediately.
"Wow, Auntie, this looks amazing! I'm so lucky," Hao'an quickly added.
Not to be outdone, Lei'an chimed in.
"Aunt Chuan, that's the XX brand abalone, right?"
My mom rolled her eyes. Everyone knew the Sen family only ate the freshest ingredients. Hearing him praise canned food was… awkward.
My brother and I exchanged looks and shook our heads.
"Hopeless," I muttered.
Mom forced me to sit beside Hao'an—right across from Lei'an. He stared at me with wide eyes, tilting his head.
I made a silly face at him, puffing out my cheeks and pouting smugly.
Hao'an just watched us goof around in silence, completely left out of the conversation.
"Eat, eat. Don't mind those two childish fools," my brother told him.
Mom handed the abalone to Hao'an, then picked out some shrimp for Lei'an.
"Aunt Chuan, I want the abalone too!" Lei'an pouted.
"You guys eat fresh abalone every day! This is just canned," she said sarcastically.
"But I still want it!" he whined.
I laughed, completely missing the fact that Hao'an and my brother looked like they were about to throw up.
Lei'an smugly accepted the abalone from Mom.
After dinner, Hao'an told Mom how he'd spilled his hotpot in the cafeteria and accidentally bumped into me, which got my clothes dirty.
Mom waved it off with a smile and told him to be more careful, asking if he'd hurt himself.
Lei'an looked completely betrayed. How could the ever-honest Patrol Leader lie so smoothly?!
He suddenly developed a newfound respect for Chen Hao'an's ability to tell lies with a straight face.
Before he left, Hao'an handed me one of the gray towels from earlier.
"This one's yours."
"Did I just buy myself a gift?"
"They only come in sets of two. Might come in handy for the 50th summer event."
I took the towel and thanked him, only to realize—wait a second—I paid for it, and I still had to say thank you?
Chen Hao'an chuckled softly. Before he could say anything, Sen Leian grabbed him by the collar and said, "Go, go, go! We're late! Babe, your mom's gonna worry!"
And just like that, Sen Leian dragged Chen Hao'an into the elevator with him.
[Bonus Scene]
As Chuan Ling and Chen Hao'an boarded the bus and drove away, Sen Leian jumped onto his motorcycle and took off after them.
Li Min, noticing the direction he went, figured he must be heading to Chuan Ling's house—so she began walking there herself.
Meanwhile, in Sweet Home Essentials, while Chuan Ling was picking out black towels, Sen Leian's sleek black motorcycle sped past the window toward her house—just moments before she and Chen Hao'an walked into the shop. He arrived at her home a step ahead.
As Li Min walked toward Chuan Ling's house, she passed by a storefront with big glass windows. Inside, she spotted Chuan Ling and Chen Hao'an laughing together at the counter.
Chen Hao'an was holding a light gray towel and paying for it. The sales assistant handed the bag to Chuan Ling, who looked over the items inside with a beaming smile, clearly delighted.
Seeing them about to leave the store, Li Min panicked and rushed into the shop next door. She randomly grabbed something off the shelf and frantically asked the clerk, "How much is this?!"
Once Chuan Ling and Chen Hao'an had walked far enough away, Li Min finally turned back to the shop assistant—
Only to come face to face with Chuan Yan—Chuan Ling's younger brother.
She looked down at what she was holding… and froze.
It was a box of c…on….doms….
Li Min's eyes widened in horror.
Chuan Yan's eyes went wide too. "Sis! You're into this kind of stuff now?" he said with a mischievous grin.
Chuan Yan wasn't a shop assistant—he was just running errands for their mom and picking up sanitary pads.
Li Min stammered helplessly, completely flustered.
"Wait—does my sister know about this?" Chuan Yan asked, raising his eyebrows, clearly enjoying the drama.
"Don't talk nonsense! I picked it up by mistake!" Li Min snapped.
"Why is everyone yelling at me today?" Chuan Yan pouted. "Sen Leian came to our house and yelled at me too. Then Mom yelled. Now you."
"Sen Leian yelled at you?"
"Yeah! He showed up at my house, and the second I opened the door, he was like, 'Where's Chuan Ling?!' Scared the hell outta me!"
"He went to your house?"
That's when Li Min realized—Sen Leian had really gone to Chuan Ling's house, chasing after her and Chen Hao'an.
Chuan Yan quickly waved goodbye to Li Min and dashed off down a side road. His mom had told him to be back with the pads in ten minutes. He was starting to panic.
Back home, Chuan Yan told Sen Leian everything he'd seen. That's when it all clicked for Sen Leian—earlier today, outside school, the same guy who had bumped into him had shared a knowing look with Li Min as they left the bubble tea shop.
In a flash, Sen Leian connected the dots. He remembered overhearing a conversation between a thug and Li Min over the phone in the arcade, where they were scheming something about messing with Chuan Ling.
His anger flared.
Now he was sure—the incident where Chuan Ling was pushed down? Li Min had something to do with it.
Meanwhile, sitting on the couch next to Sen Leian, Chuan Yan watched his fierce expression with increasing dread. His internal monologue probably had a lot going on.
Without a word, Chuan Yan inched farther and farther away from the sofa.