Investigation Squad

That night, Jiang Xueli returned home with her schoolbag on her back.

Jiang Mu, sitting on the sofa, saw that her daughter was in a much better mood today and asked in confusion, "Xueli? Are you all right now?"

Jiang Xueli looked adorably blank, her bouncing ponytail coming to a stop. "I'm fine. I'm going back to my room."

Before Jiang Xueli entered her bedroom, Jiang Mu, afraid her daughter might take things too hard, added from across the room, "Don't overthink it. At least your mom believes you."

Jiang Xueli turned back to look at her mother and smiled. "Mm, thank you, Mom. I've been Disciplinary Committee Member for so many years, so I'm mentally super strong. This little thing won't knock me down. Don't worry, Mom."

She shut the bedroom door and leaned back against it.

Only she knew exactly how much pressure this incident had put on her, but when she thought of what Lin Zhengran had said to her during the day...

That simple, direct trust still brought a blush to Jiang Xueli's face, even just in memory.

"I didn't expect his eyesight to be pretty good. He knew I was being framed." She muttered to herself as she set her schoolbag on the desk, then took from the drawer the phone her mother had stopped using.

She searched up the meaning of the word "tsundere," curious whether Lin Zhengran had been praising her or scolding her today.

The results quickly appeared on the screen.

Jiang Xueli silently read the answer displayed there. "Tsundere refers to someone whose attitude contradicts their true feelings in order to hide their shyness."

The more she read, the redder her cheeks became. Her pupils seemed to ripple with water as she glared at the screen in embarrassed anger. "What is this?! Who would be shy around him?! I'm not tsundere! I clearly hate him to death."

She once again recalled his trust and the scene of them sharing an umbrella that day. Her tone softened all at once, and she bit her lip as she stared at the phone. "I hate that guy to death."

So she searched on Baidu again: "Do boys like tsundere personalities?"

The encyclopedia showed:

A god of ancient times!

Jiang Xueli's eyes widened in delight. "Such high praise!"

Then she searched for a third time: "Would a boy who thinks he's an adult all day like tsunderes?"

Early the next morning, the alarm clock beside Jiang Xueli's bed rang. She yawned, then suddenly jumped out of bed.

She changed out of her pajamas and into her school clothes, went to the restroom, and tied her long hair into double ponytails. Then she checked the cute little tiger teeth in her mouth in the mirror.

She swore to herself in the mirror, "Today, I'm definitely going to investigate exactly what's going on and clear my name!"

And so, an hour later...

Lin Zhengran was blocked by Jiang Xueli in a small alley, his face full of confusion. "You said you want me to help you? On what grounds?"

Jiang Xueli looked stubbornly at him. "What do you mean, on what grounds? Aren't we frien—aren't we classmates in the same class?! I only came to you because I think you're smart. Not just anyone would do."

Lin Zhengran, bored, wanted to leave, but Jiang Xueli grabbed him and said nervously, "What are you doing?! Why are you leaving? Fine, I'll tell the truth. I don't have any leads. I need someone to help, and..."

She lowered her head, her voice as faint as a mosquito's hum. "I think the only person I can trust is you..."

"Hm? I didn't hear you."

Jiang Xueli shyly squeezed her eyes shut, clenched her little fists, and shouted, "You know I don't have any other friends! Please help me! As long as you help me, I'm willing to do anything!"

Lin Zhengran's gaze turned meaningful. "Anything?"

Jiang Xueli suddenly hugged herself, her heart racing as she backed away in fright. "What are you trying to do?! I'm warning you, there are... there are some things you have to take responsibility for after you do them! Don't be impulsive!" She kept retreating until her back hit the wall and she could go no farther.

Lin Zhengran walked toward her. Jiang Xueli panicked and hurriedly closed her eyes, biting her lips tight.

Who knew that a moment later, there was only a tap on her head as Lin Zhengran gave her a head flick.

"That's what an attitude looks like when you're asking someone for help. Otherwise, with that usual tsundere act of yours, who would help you?"

In the middle of the pain, Jiang Xueli remembered what the word "tsundere" meant. Unconvinced, she opened her eyes and looked sideways at Certain Person. "What tsundere... I'm not tsundere!" In her heart, she cursed him, Idiot, pighead.

"What's with that weird look?" Lin Zhengran took two steps back and reminded her, "Let me make this clear first. I can help you, but I'm not helping for free. You have to give me some kind of payment."

"Payment? What do you want?"

Since you had already decided to take action on Jiang Guniang's matter, you knew that a young woman like her, roaming the jianghu alone, must surely have a few personal treasures tucked away at the bottom of her chest. If you helped today, perhaps you could ask for a few of them, or perhaps you could simply lend a hand out of righteousness and ask for nothing in return.

Personal treasures?

Lin Zhengran looked Jiang Xueli up and down, curious what kind of treasure she could have. It couldn't be chocolate like He Qing's too, could it? Jiang Xueli felt creeped out under his stare.

Lin Zhengran asked, "Do you have any treasures or anything? The kind you almost never show other people."

"Treasures?" Jiang Xueli suddenly thought of something and blinked, feeling that it was unbelievable. "I do, but what do you want that thing for?"

He hadn't expected her to really have something.

"That thing? What is that thing?"

Jiang Xueli looked away, a blush on her face. "I'm not telling you. That's my thing."

"Suit yourself. You don't need to worry about what I want it for. Just tell me whether you'll give it to me or not. If you do, I'll help you."

Jiang Xueli frowned in conflict, as if it really was some incredible treasure. But after a bout of struggling, she reluctantly gave it up. "Fine, fine! As long as you help me, I'll give it to you when the time comes! I spent a really long time getting that thing!"

She held out her pinky. "Pinky promise! Keep your word!"

Lin Zhengran wondered if girls all liked doing this, and also held out his hand. "Deal!"

From that moment on, the two of them officially became an investigation squad.

But real life was not as tangled and mysterious as a novel. In Lin Zhengran's eyes, investigating something between kids was still very easy.

He first asked Jiang Xueli whether she had offended anyone recently, preferably in the past few days.

Jiang Xueli gave a few names, then said, "Actually, the day before the class monitor lost her phone, a girl in our class brought a phone too, and I told the teacher about it."

Lin Zhengran was speechless. He thought there was a ninety percent chance she had been involved in this.

After that, he had Jiang Xueli pretend to cry in the classroom.

Jiang Xueli asked why.

Lin Zhengran replied, "Haven't you noticed? Ever since everyone started thinking you were the thief, the class monitor who lost her things has never said anything about you. She doesn't even dare look at you. That proves she feels guilty. So find a chance to cry in front of her on purpose and say how wronged you feel and stuff. Maybe she'll tell you the truth right away."

Jiang Xueli felt Lin Zhengran was simply a genius.

"But how am I supposed to cry?"

Lin Zhengran rapped her on the head. "You're a girl and you don't even know how to cry?! If you really can't, use eye drops!"

After they bought the eye drops, Lin Zhengran dripped them into her eyes, and even used too much.

With tears all over her face, Jiang Xueli punched Lin Zhengran. "You used too much! It's all running out."

Lin Zhengran laughed at her tearful look. "It's not too much. It's just right. The class monitor happens to be alone in the classroom cleaning right now. Hurry up and go cry. Let's see what she does."