"Really?"
Probably because she was afraid of being scolded at home, Li Jingchu couldn't help but feel tempted when she heard Alex say he was willing to compensate her for the clothes. She looked at him expectantly, her eyes bright.
Since it really was Alex who had dirtied her clothes, she could accept the compensation with a clear conscience. Even though... she felt this guy might have ill intentions, she could get the clothes first and then kick him away.
Her little mind quickly went to work, thinking she was very clever.
"Really. Since there's still time at noon, why don't we go to a clothing store outside?"
Alex suggested. He didn't have any special designs on the girl, nor was he in the mood for it, but he did feel quite apologetic. Because of him, she had ended up in such a mess.
Li Jingchu hesitated for a moment but eventually agreed. It was mainly because her clothes were so dirty that not changing into something clean would be too eye-catching. However, if she went home to change, her family would scold her. So, it was better to buy new clothes. Since she had no money, she could only accept Alex's compensation.
Avoiding crowded areas, the two went off-campus and found a clothing store.
The store was chosen by Alex; it was a relatively high-end one. When he entered, he noticed Li Jingchu seemed to want to tell him not to go in, but then she huffed and didn't say anything. She probably subconsciously didn't want to spend too much of his money at first, but then she remembered his bad behavior and couldn't help but want to punish him.
Alex thought to himself,'She really is a kind-hearted girl.'
Being in such a place for the first time, Li Jingchu didn't think much of it at first. But after seeing the prices, she was instantly stunned. At the same time, she suddenly felt a bit of an inferiority complex; it seemed like this wasn't a place she belonged.
Seeing her staring blankly at a piece of clothing, Alex said, "Do you like this one? Let's buy it then."
Hearing this, Li Jingchu looked at the price again. She was very tempted, but she quickly shook her head and whispered, "The color is too different. I want to buy something similar."
Alex then asked the shop assistant to help her pick something out.
After much picking and choosing, Li Jingchu finally selected a set of clothes. When it came to the bill, the price wasn't that expensive; in the end, she couldn't bring herself to ruthlessly fleece Alex.
After changing into the new clothes, Li Jingchu put the old ones in a bag, intending to take them back to wash so she could still wear them later.
As the two walked out of the clothing store, Alex said casually, "I'm a bit thirsty. Let's go grab some milk tea."
Li Jingchu thought to herself that since she had even accepted the clothes he gave her, having another cup of milk tea from him was nothing. She hurriedly nodded.
Across the road from the school gate were dozens of shops, more than half of which were milk tea shops. They were very popular with young girls, and Li Jingchu was no exception.
However, she didn't have much pocket money and rarely had the chance to drink it. Since Alex had offended her, she would take the opportunity to fleece him.
Choosing a large shop where they could sit, the two ordered two cups of milk tea, totaling about twenty yuan.
Li Jingchu had originally intended to leave as soon as she got the milk tea. But after seeing the elegantly decorated interior, she felt it would be a waste not to sit for a while. So, she gritted her teeth and followed Alex to sit down.
She hadn't wanted to sit at the same table as Alex, but her luck wasn't great. When they came in, there happened to be only one table left, so she had to make do.
As soon as she sat down, she buried her head and drank her milk tea, with no intention of making conversation. However, the speed at which she drank wasn't rushed at all. The corners of her mouth were curled up, and she looked like she was enjoying the moment.
Alex didn't strike up a conversation either. He was thinking about how to find Chen Luoqiu. There was no such person in any of the high schools in the entire city, which proved she wasn't in this city. It wasn't convenient to find someone with just a name; it would be great if he had a photo.
Alex's eyes suddenly lit up. He borrowed a piece of paper and a pencil from the waiter, sat down, and began to sketch on the white paper. In his previous life, he had watched people doing sketches on the street and became interested in the trade. Feeling that this skill could earn money, he had even spent money to learn it.
AI Model: gemini-3.1-flash-lite
Unfortunately, reality and ideals were worlds apart. He had imagined he would love drawing, but after learning from a teacher for a few days, he found it dull and tedious. However, since he had already paid for a month, he didn't want to waste the money, so he bit the bullet and finished the entire month's course. Although he didn't learn much skill, he could at least outline a person's silhouette without any problems, and he would hand it over to others to perfect after drawing.
Li Jingchu took a slurping sip of her milk tea and looked across at him with curiosity. This bad guy had started drawing for no apparent reason; was he trying to show off his talents in front of her?
Li Jingchu had heard that some boys used this method to pick up girls. She immediately felt that Alex was up to no good. She felt a bit embarrassed for being inexplicably angry, but when her gaze fell on the sketch Alex had drawn, she suddenly exclaimed in surprise, "It's her..."
Alex's hand shook, and the pencil lead snapped. He didn't pay it any mind and asked Li Jingchu, "Do you know her?"
Li Jingchu frowned slightly, "She looks a bit like her, but it probably isn't her."
"What is the name of the person you know?" Alex didn't give up.
"I think her name is Chen Luoqiu?" Li Jingchu said, sounding a bit uncertain.
Alex was excited inside but forced himself to remain calm. He asked, "Aren't you friends with her? Then how do you know her?"
"Chen Luoqiu and I worked at the same shop together."
Li Jingchu said while sipping her milk tea.
Alex pressed, "Which shop did you two work at?"
Perhaps out of consideration for the cup of milk tea, Li Jingchu still revealed the address.
Alex left in a hurry after hearing this. Li Jingchu remained seated, holding her cup of milk tea and drinking it blankly. She suddenly felt a bit of regret for giving Alex the address. She couldn't help but think about many questions: Did he know that girl? What exactly was their relationship? Would he go and bully that girl...
The place where Chen Luoqiu worked wasn't very far from here, just a few kilometers away. Alex took a taxi to the shop and asked the staff about Chen Luoqiu's situation.
The employees in the shop didn't know much about Chen Luoqiu. They only knew she was a diligent but also reclusive girl. Although she didn't have any conflicts with anyone, she didn't have much of a friendship with them either. Therefore, after Chen Luoqiu stopped working there, almost no one cared where she had gone, and no one knew where she lived.
However, through the conversation, Alex learned that Chen Luoqiu commuted to work by bicycle. Since a bicycle's range is only suitable for a few kilometers, and considering Chen Luoqiu's average family background...
Using this information, Alex quickly circled an area on the map and used his phone's navigation to go search for her.
Before long, Alex arrived at an urban village. The rent here was relatively cheap, and there were many migrant workers, so it was highly likely that Chen Luoqiu lived in this area.
Pretty girls usually attract attention and leave a deep impression on people. Alex took his amateurish sketch, ran to a small roadside convenience store to buy water, and took the opportunity to ask the owner for information.
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