"Xiao Li!" Zhu Huixi stamped her foot and pounced on her, "You talk too much!"
"Spare me!" Yang Xiaoli pleaded with her mouth, but her face still wore a smile.
Lin Xiaoguai was somewhat surprised to see the usually carefree Zhu Huixi display such rare shyness. She recalled the boy named Wang Han, who was quiet and gentle, seeming like a decent person. She wondered if the two could ever make it to the end together.
After the frolic, everyone’s thoughts turned back to the recent theft. Zhu Huixi, frowning, said, "I don’t think anyone has suspected Lu Rong, we..."
She couldn’t finish her sentence. According to her, the natural course would be to expose Lu Rong, to let everyone see her true colors and thus become cautious, but...
This era was different from future ones; collective consciousness was very strong. If there was a roommate like Lu Rong, people would sympathize, and inevitably wonder if others were like Lu Rong too.
Even the entire freshman class of the philosophy department could be affected, and be subjected to gossip and pointing fingers.
"Let’s tell Aunt Jin," Lin Xiaoguai sighed, realizing her concerns. "This can’t be hidden for long. Lu Rong isn’t the kind to know remorse, and over time, everyone will begin to see the signs. By then, it would truly be a disaster, and even jumping into the Yellow River wouldn’t cleanse us. Bringing it up now, as former victims ourselves, shouldn’t impact us too greatly." What she didn’t mention was that if Lu Rong were expelled, they would no longer be affected.
She did not like the action of reporting behind someone’s back, but for someone like Lu Rong, she believed any virtue was wasted.
Zhu Huixi and Yang Xiaoli exchanged a glance, then silently nodded and said, "We have no other choice, then."
Hearing their report, Aunt Jin jumped up, "Are you guys joking?" The stolen cream earlier was a small matter, but the amount stolen this time was significant. If proven, it would transcend being merely a university issue.
—People in those days were simple-minded; they never thought of solving such issues privately for the sake of the university’s reputation.
Zhu Huixi nodded. "I don’t want to suspect her either, but it just can’t be a coincidence that two thieves appeared among the freshmen."
This straight to Aunt Jin’s core; having spent half her life at Capital University, her affection for the place was deep, and she took pride in it. How could she believe that Capital University would harbor two thieves in a row?
"I don’t know if I should mention this..." Yang Xiaoli hesitantly started, "I overheard Xiao He from next door and Zhang Wei from across the dormitory saying that their items keep getting misplaced and eventually can’t be found."
"What do you mean!?" Zhu Huixi’s eyes widened, then she recalled, "I remember now, Lu Rong had been to their dorm to visit, and Ma Li once complained to me that they weren’t close with her, yet she ran to their dorm uninvited. It made them so uncomfortable they had to make excuses to avoid her and force her out."
Aunt Jin’s expression turned very ugly. Initially, she thought Lu Rong had simply strayed for a moment since the cream was quite tempting for a girl, and perhaps she couldn’t resist the temptation to take it. Now, seeing it this way, it was clear she was a habitual thief!
"Alright, you guys go back first. I’ll report this to the leadership."
Shen Chi hadn’t reached his doorstep when he saw an old man with both hands on a walking stick, standing there as if waiting. He focused and saw it wasn’t Han Kuang, his tension slightly eased.
"Shoulu?" Even though it was a question, Gu Xinseng’s tone was very certain, as the man’s face looked too much like Han Kuang.
"Who are you?" Shen Chi glanced at him nonchalantly.
"My name is Gu Xinseng. By blood, you should also call me ’Uncle.’" Gu Xinseng said with a smile.
Gu Xinseng choked, "Your mother is my cousin; we grew up together." He thought to himself how this boy’s way of speaking was so much like his cousin’s—unconventional, direct enough to suffocate a person.
Involuntarily, the smile in his eyes deepened, because according to the investigation report, this nephew was not a simple-minded person. On the contrary, because of the different growing environments, Han Shouxin and Han Shouzhen together might not even match his schemes.
While Han Shouxin was also not unaware of conspiracies and tricks, he preferred to fight back openly and use overt strategies. And Han Shouzhen, though a woman, had a personality like Han Kuang, dealing with subordinates with the belief that strong capabilities won’t be questioned, following a straightforward and righteous path. However, because she was a woman, there was a sensitive and delicate side to her personality, not as dominantly aloof as Han Kuang, but rather, quite personable.