Chapter 25 Chapter 25: So That’s How It Is
Binhe Polytechnic University, behind the small training ground at the back hill. A row of towering palm trees stood silently.
Smack. A loud slap rang out. Then came a furious voice. “Good, very good. You actually tried to frame the woman I like. Lucky this did not spiral out of control, or I would never have let you off lightly.”
Still fuming, he kicked a stone at his feet. The stone flew more than ten meters away.
Little Fatty looked aggrieved, facing Peng Jie’s angry glare. He quickly explained. “Brother Peng, I only did this for your sake.”
Peng Jie’s eyes flashed with surprise. “For my sake. You call framing the woman I like doing me a favor.”
“No, Brother Peng, you misunderstand.”
Peng Jie waved impatiently. “Then explain yourself clearly. What were you thinking.”
Little Fatty held his stinging cheek and hissed. “Brother Peng, I only wanted to reduce your competition. Think about it. If Su Yuan… no, that girl… if she was branded the underwear thief, her reputation would be ruined. Others would look at her differently. No man would dare compete with you for her.”
“So you claim your motive was for me.” Peng Jie narrowed his eyes.
“Of course. I always act for Brother Peng, never with selfish intent.” In truth, framing Su Yuan was not without selfishness. The ugly title of “underwear thief” would be enough to ruin her.
“You fool.” Peng Jie raised his hand again. Little Fatty flinched and dodged.
“Brother Peng, was I wrong.”
Peng Jie gritted his teeth. “Absolutely wrong. Could there be a more ridiculous idea. Did you not consider she is a girl. If you force her and try to pin the thief’s crime on her, what if she decides to reveal she is female. Would that help me or make things worse.”
Little Fatty froze. “Brother Peng, did I really make a mistake.”
“A mistake beyond repair.”
From Little Fatty’s perspective, Su Yuan was a boy. So framing him as the underwear thief seemed airtight. No way to deny it. Revenge taken, path cleared for Peng Jie.
But Peng Jie saw Su Yuan as a girl. In that case, Little Fatty’s scheme was self‑destructive. He finally understood the saying. Fear not a godlike opponent, but a piglike teammate.
“But she is clearly a boy. How could she admit she is a girl.” Little Fatty muttered, confused.
“Fortunately the underwear thief incident did not touch her.” Peng Jie glanced at him, lit a cigarette, and asked. “Where did you find your helper. Why did your so‑called plan fail.”
Leaving aside Little Fatty’s foolishness, Peng Jie now doubted his competence.
Little Fatty looked baffled. “I found him from outside society. It took effort. Do you remember last year’s dorm theft of girls’ underwear.”
Peng Jie inhaled. “You mean this man was that thief.”
“Exactly.”
“Bold fellow.” Peng Jie sneered, unsure if it was praise or insult.
“Tell me how you instructed him.”
Little Fatty squinted and grinned. “It was simple. The day before, I told him to steal underwear from the girls’ dorm. Then, when Su Yuan and her roommates went to class, he would sneak the stolen items into Su Yuan’s wardrobe. Later he would steal again, this time to draw attention and lure the girls toward Building 17.”
Peng Jie nodded.
“You are sure he would not be exposed.”
Little Fatty was confident. “Relax. He is a repeat offender. He knows the tricks.”
As they spoke, they noticed commotion on the nearby path. A crowd of girls was parading a thin man, throwing stones at him in anger. In ancient times it would have been rotten eggs.
Peng Jie blew smoke. “What is happening. Go check.”
Little Fatty stared in shock. When he saw the man’s face, he stammered. “Brother Peng… that man being paraded… looks like the underwear thief we just mentioned.”
The cigarette fell from Peng Jie’s mouth. He slapped Little Fatty. “Did you not swear he would never be exposed.”
“Brother Peng, I never expected this.” Little Fatty was near tears. Even if he avoided blame, Peng Jie now saw him as incompetent.
Peng Jie kicked him. “Clean up this mess immediately. I will not let it drag us down.”
“Brother Peng, do not worry. He has street loyalty. He took money, and he will not betray us.”
Just then the thin man lifted his head and spotted Little Fatty behind the palms. His short, round figure was unmistakable.
A stone struck his forehead. He cried out and shouted. “It was him. He paid me to do this. I never wanted to steal underwear from the girls’ dorm.”
“Catch those two. They are the masterminds.” the leading girl yelled.
“This is your so‑called loyalty. Run.” Peng Jie glared at Little Fatty and bolted.
“Oh my god.” Little Fatty knew he was doomed. Peng Jie could escape, but his own body was too distinctive. No way to slip away.
The furious girls swarmed him like hens protecting their chicks, punching and kicking his round frame.
...
Su Yuan walked lightly out of the Student Affairs Office, her mood bright. At Building 17 she heard even better news.
“What, the underwear thief was caught.” Her eyes shone.
Gao Jun nodded. “Yes. Do not forget there is a camera near the flowerbed below our dorm. The search found nothing, so the girls demanded the security office check the footage. A blurry figure appeared.”
“At first they thought it was useless. But fate intervened. Ji Yehao went downstairs and spotted a suspicious man. He looked closer. It was the same one who nearly bumped into you at the stairwell. Ji Yehao kicked him down and caught him.”
“Later the girls returned and took him away. He had come back to check his handiwork, but ran into Ji Yehao. That was his downfall.”
Su Yuan nodded. She realized how many coincidences had aligned.
Still, she was grateful to Ji Yehao.
“Where is Yehao.”
“Oh, Instructor Qin called him over.”
Su Yuan paused. Her instinct told her it was related to her. Yet she remembered Teacher Wang and Instructor Qin had promised to keep her secret. Surely they would not betray her so soon.
She knew though. Since they already knew her situation, she could not stay in the boys’ dorm forever. At best, only for a short while.
The teachers feared accidents. They might allow her some time, but they would never let her remain indefinitely. The responsibility was too heavy.
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