The earlier physical contact had been purely physical. He had only heard two sentences of her inner thoughts. If he ate this puff, he could probably maintain it for a period of time.

Staring at the half-eaten puff, Bai Jiangxin suddenly came to his senses.

No, what was he thinking?

He was crazy. He had mysophobia—how could he possibly eat something someone else had already eaten?

Even if it was only a thought and he hadn’t put it into action, Bai Jiangxin was still made uncomfortable by this dark thought of his. He lowered his head in chagrin and kept rubbing his forehead with his fingertips.

That night, he really shouldn’t have made that phone call, and even more so shouldn’t have asked Grandpa how to hear someone’s inner thoughts again.

Once you know, you start thinking about it. It’s better not to know at all.

She, on the other hand, was considerate. Because she knew he had mysophobia and didn’t like sharing the same portion of food with others, she deliberately bought two servings—she ate hers, he ate his.

…Now it was great. She was a clean, good child, and the dirty one had become him instead.

─── ꒰ঌ·✦·໒꒱ ───

Xiang Di lined up again and bought a portion of puffs for Wang Sichen.

When checking out, the clerk looked at her with eyes full of pity. Finally, just as Xiang Di finished scanning the code and was about to leave, the clerk called out to her.

Truly unable to bear watching such a pretty girl stray onto the wrong path with a stingy man—she looked like a good girl raised by a not-poor family, so why insist on making life hard for herself?

A man could be not handsome, but he couldn’t be stingy. The clerk kindly reminded her, “Classmate, I really can’t stand watching this anymore. At least make your boyfriend pay once in a while. Even buying a cake is paid by you—no matter how handsome he is, you can’t want him like that.”

Xiang Di suddenly widened her eyes.

The clerk thought she had widened her eyes because she had an epiphany, woken up, but Xiang Di instead asked in a small, excited voice, “Boyfriend? Do we really look that compatible?”

Clerk: “Huh?”

Xiang Di’s face lit up, and she lowered her head to look at what she was wearing today.

No, today she and Bai Jiangxin were finally dressed so compatibly—handsome guy, pretty girl—and people were even mistaking them for boyfriend and girlfriend. If she just went straight home like this, it would be such a waste.

She had to go stroll around the streets, preferably get misunderstood by a few more people!

In an instant, many little schemes popped into Xiang Di’s head. She smiled brightly and thanked the clerk, then turned and left. Under the clerk’s twitching gaze, she happily returned to her stingy “boyfriend.”

The clerk shook their head in despair.

Love-brained people are really hopeless. Forget it—respect other people’s fates, offer blessings, lock it in, whoever wants to care can care.

─── ꒰ঌ·✦·໒꒱ ───

Xiang Di had originally planned to finish eating the puffs before leaving, but Bai Jiangxin seemed to have lost interest and had already put away his portion.

He even said to her, “You should put away your puffs too. Eat them slowly when you get home.”

Xiang Di didn’t want to eat them at home—Xiang Sheng would definitely snatch them from her—but since Bai Jiangxin didn’t want to eat anymore, she could only obediently put the puffs away.

After walking out of the bakery, Bai Jiangxin headed straight toward where the electric bike was parked.

Go for it, Xiang Di! Once today passes, who knows when you’ll next see him in casual clothes!

Seeing Bai Jiangxin already sitting on the electric bike, about to start it and leave, Xiang Di hesitated for a long time. This time, her courage finally overcame her timidity.

“Um! Bai Jiangxin…”

Bai Jiangxin: “Anything else?”

“I suddenly remembered I need to go to a nearby bookstore to buy a book,” Xiang Di said. “Can you give me a ride there on the way?”

Buying a book sounded like a pretty proper excuse, right? And it could also make her seem cultured, someone who loved reading.

And as a top student, Bai Jiangxin probably wouldn’t have the heart to refuse a little girl who loved reading, right?

Sure enough, Bai Jiangxin asked, “Where’s the bookstore?”

Xiang Di pointed in a direction. “Oh, over there. Not far, very close.”

Bai Jiangxin didn’t say anything and directly took out a helmet from the back seat and handed it to her.

“Put it on.”

Xiang Di knew this meant he had agreed, but she asked, “If I wear it, then what will you wear?”

Bai Jiangxin: “I don’t like wearing this thing.”

He carried it with him only to occasionally deal with traffic police.

Xiang Di widened her eyes. “How can that be okay! What if something happens?”

“If something happens, you take responsibility. Who told you to go buy a book?” Bai Jiangxin said. “Get on.”

Xiang Di: “……”

Why is this person even shifting the blame? If something happens, shouldn’t the driver be responsible? What does it have to do with her, the passenger?

But if it’s taking responsibility for him, then she’s willing!

Relying on a bit of small scheming, Xiang Di finally got to sit on Bai Jiangxin’s electric bike again as she wished.

After sitting down, Xiang Di rested the puffs on her legs, held them with one hand, and used the other hand to hold onto the rear handrail of the electric bike. Her body didn’t touch him at all.

She had already made an excuse to get him to send her to the bookstore, and he had even allowed her to hug him earlier. Bai Jiangxin was speechless—he truly didn’t know what she was still being shy about.

When thinking, she was very bold. Once she acted, her courage became smaller than an ant’s.

Bai Jiangxin said, “Hold tight. We’re going.”

Xiang Di said firmly, “Holding tight! Let’s go!”

The bookstore was two kilometers from here. Today was the weekend—there were cars everywhere on the motor lanes, and the non-motor lanes were also full. On the sufficiently wide non-motor lane ahead, there was an old grandpa riding an old-style bicycle at a leisurely pace.

When they were about to crash into the old grandpa’s butt, Bai Jiangxin suddenly swerved.

Xiang Di, sitting behind, knew nothing. She only knew that the electric bike suddenly turned, and she almost fell off. She cried out in fright and immediately hugged Bai Jiangxin’s waist.

Still shaken, she hurriedly asked, “What happened?!”

Bai Jiangxin said, “There was a rock in front.”

Xiang Di immediately cursed, “Who put a rock in the bike lane? That’s so lacking in basic decency.”

Bai Jiangxin said calmly, “You should just hold onto me. It’ll be more stable.”

Xiang Di thought that made sense. Compared to that whole reserved act, her life was more important.

And she had always wanted to hug Bai Jiangxin’s “public-dog waist” anyway—she just hadn’t had the guts.

By that logic, she even had to thank the person who threw the rock. Although lacking in morals, at least they created an opportunity for her, hehe.

Feeling a pair of hands wrap around his waist, though the person was still sitting bolt upright, Bai Jiangxin suddenly asked her, “Is there a smaller road nearby that’s closer to the bookstore?”

Xiang Di blinked. “You want to take a shortcut?”

“Mm.”

There definitely was one. After all, a local characteristic of their city was its complicated road system—lots of streets, lots of small roads. Xiang Di actually didn’t really want to tell him, because once she did, it meant they would reach the bookstore very quickly.

But if she didn’t tell him, she was afraid he might open navigation himself, and then she wouldn’t know how to explain it.

So she could only say unwillingly, “There’s a small road over there. It’s a bit closer.”

A few minutes later, Bai Jiangxin drove into the small road, and Xiang Di quickly regretted telling him about it.

Not because it saved more time, but because… it was too bumpy!

Although the small road was close, its drawbacks were obvious: complicated, lots of turns, and uneven pavement.

Xiang Di could only endure it silently. She didn’t dare say it was too bumpy, afraid Bai Jiangxin would be unhappy. What if he told her to get off? He was kindly giving her a ride to the bookstore and didn’t even charge money—how could she still have complaints? That would be too inhuman.

So with all the bumping, Xiang Di could only mutter in her heart.

She was sitting on the back of the electric bike, and sitting sideways at that. Being jolted back and forth, her body really couldn’t stay steady. Every so often she would bump into Bai Jiangxin, then straighten up, and in the next second bump into him again.

Like this, her intermittent inner thoughts kept drifting into Bai Jiangxin’s mind.

【Oh my god—bump bump bump—this is killing me…】

【Damn it—this road… exactly which genius built it…】

After she had mentally said the word “bumpy” ten thousand times, Bai Jiangxin suddenly asked her, “Is the road very bumpy?”

Xiang Di: “Not bumpy, not bumpy!”

What she was actually thinking: 【It’s so bumpy my butt is about to split into four petals!】

Bai Jiangxin asked again, “Are you uncomfortable?”

Xiang Di: “Not uncomfortable, not uncomfortable!”

Bai Jiangxin: “Do you want to get off and take a break?”

Xiang Di: “No need, no need, I’m very fine!”

Her true thought was: 【I finally got to sit on my husband’s back seat. Today, even if I die here, my butt is going to stick to it!】

【How does that poem go again? Life is precious, but butt is more dear. If it’s for my husband, I can throw both away.】

【Poor butt, just treat it as being spanked by husband right now. This is flirting. Don’t think it hurts. You have to think it feels good!】

【Mm, it feels good… wuwu, my butt is about to bloom.】

“……”

Really, what can he even say about her.

Bai Jiangxin pressed his lips together tightly, not letting himself laugh.

The electric bike drove into an alley. Inside were many old courtyards that had been around for years. Most of the residents were local elderly people. The weather was nice today—although cold, the sun was out. Many elderly people had moved chairs to sit at the entrance of their courtyards, chatting and basking in the sunlight.

Suddenly, an electric bike passed by the elderly people. On the bike were two young kids. The girl sat in the back, her small face under the safety helmet scrunched up, looking uncomfortable. The boy sat in front, but there was a smile on his face. The small road was already uneven, yet the boy was driving fast then slow, and not even in a straight line, deliberately swerving. As a result, the girl’s body could only be forced to lightly bump against his back again and again.

The boy would occasionally ask if the girl was uncomfortable. The girl would immediately say no, while her expression remained painful.

The boy’s clear, handsome brows and eyes were flying with life, and the corners of his lips curved into a mischievous smile. He gave an “Mm” and continued driving forward.

One foolishly offering up her butt for love.

The other thoroughly enjoying it.

The elderly people might be old, but they weren’t blind.

Tsk tsk, too wicked, this little handsome guy.