40: Chapter 40 Are you a pervert?

Twelve o'clock sharp.

Lan Garden.

Luo Ying sat on the sofa in the living room, feeling somewhat distracted.

Only one floor lamp was on in the living room, casting a warm yellow glow over her.

The television was on, playing a boring variety show, but she wasn't watching it at all.

She held her phone in her hand, the screen displaying the time.

00:01.

Su Bai still hadn't returned.

She put down her phone, leaned back into the sofa, and stared at the ceiling.

What happened last night had kept her feeling uneasy.

At the time, she had taken the clothes out of the laundry basket and checked the pockets one by one—this was her habit, as she was afraid of forgetting to take something out and ruining it in the wash.

In the pocket of Su Bai's school uniform, there was something soft and silky.

She took it out and looked.

It was a pair of black fishnet stockings.

Luo Ying was stunned on the spot.

She held those stockings and looked at them for a long time, countless thoughts flashing through her mind.

Whose were these?

Her own socks were all solid colors; she never wore anything like this.

She had seen Chu Yi and Chu Xiang's, and they were all cute cotton socks.

Not to mention Song Qian's; she had a minimalist style, only black, white, and gray, and only wore black silk stockings.

Lin Qiaoyou... it didn't seem like Lin Qiaoyou wore this kind either.

So whose stockings were these?

Why would a big guy like Su Bai have a girl's fishnet stockings in his pocket?

Luo Ying's first reaction was—did he steal them from one of her roommates?!

How could he do this?!

But she wasn't sure if any of them owned a pair like this.

So, today, after the others returned, she took the stockings and quietly went to ask Chu Yi.

"Chu Yi, do you have socks like these?"

Chu Yi took a look and shook her head:

"No. I never wear fishnet stockings; they're too sexy, and I can't pull them off."

She went to ask Chu Xiang next.

Chu Xiang's face flushed slightly: "Sister Luo Ying, do you think I would wear this kind of thing?"

That was true; with Chu Xiang's personality, how could she?

Song Qian was even more direct: "I don't wear them."

Lin Qiaoyou was in her room playing video games, so Luo Ying didn't ask her.

That girl stayed in her room all day, with zero presence; as a social phobic, it was even less likely.

But how could a big guy like Su Bai have a girl's fishnet stockings in his pocket?

The more Luo Ying thought about it, the more wrong it felt.

She wasn't actually the type to meddle in other people's business.

Su Bai was an adult; although he was only eighteen, he had always been reliable and more mature than many college students.

But the problem was, she was now his nominal "temporary guardian."

Since she agreed to let him live here, she had to be responsible for him.

She had to be even more responsible for her roommates.

If Su Bai really had any special fetishes, such as stealing girls' socks, she couldn't let him continue living here.

After all, there were four girls in her house, each of them a campus beauty. If something happened, she couldn't bear the responsibility.

So, she wanted to wait for Su Bai to return and ask him clearly.

But this brat hadn't come back all day.

It was already twelve o'clock, and there was still no sign of him.

Luo Ying sighed.

She suspected that Su Bai knew she was looking for him and was deliberately hiding to avoid coming back.

Just as she was thinking this, the sound of a key turning in the lock came from the door.

Luo Ying sat up straight.

The door opened, and Su Bai walked in.

He saw that the lights were still on in the living room and saw Luo Ying sitting on the sofa, looking slightly stunned.

"Sister, it's so late, are you still not asleep?"

Luo Ying stood up.

"I was waiting for you."

Su Bai paused in the middle of changing his shoes.

He straightened up and looked at her.

Luo Ying was wearing pajamas with a cardigan draped over them.

Her hair was loose, and her expression was very serious, without a hint of a smile.

"Is something the matter?" Su Bai asked.

"Yes," Luo Ying said, "Come to my room for a moment."

Su Bai's heart skipped a beat.

It's over.

Those stockings!

He followed Luo Ying into her room, leaving the door open.

Luo Ying sat down by the bed and pointed to the chair in front of the desk.

"Sit."

Su Bai sat down.

Luo Ying looked at him, silent for a few seconds.

"I did your laundry yesterday," she began, "and pulled a pair of socks out of your pocket."

Su Bai didn't speak.

"Fishnet stockings," Luo Ying added, "black ones."

The room was quiet for a few seconds.

"May I ask, whose are they?"

"A classmate's," Su Bai replied honestly.

"A female classmate?"

"Yes."

Luo Ying frowned.

"Why would a female classmate give you fishnet stockings?"

Su Bai looked at her, his expression very calm.

"I don't know, probably a prank."

Luo Ying was taken aback.

Don't know? A prank?

What kind of answer was that?!

"You don't know why she gave you socks?" she pressed.

"No."

Luo Ying stared at him, trying to read something from his expression.

But Su Bai's expression was too flat; she couldn't tell anything.

"Those stockings..." Luo Ying weighed her words, "they weren't stolen, were they?"

"No," Su Bai answered calmly.

"They didn't come from some improper place?"

"No."

Luo Ying was silent for a few seconds.

She found that she didn't know what else to ask.

Su Bai's answers were simple, but very clear.

They weren't stolen, and they didn't come from an improper place.

As for the rest, his single "I don't know" blocked the path.

What could she do?

Interrogate him?

Search his phone?

Even...

None of that was appropriate.

"Su Bai."

She changed her tone.

"Do you know why I let you move in?"

Su Bai looked at her.

"Because you are the younger brother from our old neighbor's house."

Luo Ying said,

"My mom asked me to take care of you for the sake of your uncle and aunt, and you seemed reliable, so I made an exception to let a boy live here."

"I have always believed that you are a good little brother."

She paused.

"But... I have to be responsible for the other girls in the house."

"They are my roommates, and they are also my best friends."

"If... if there are any unsafe factors, I have to deal with them in time. Do you understand?"

Su Bai understood instantly.

She was worried that he had some weird fetish?!

Worried that he had ulterior motives toward her roommates.

Afraid of inviting a wolf into the house.

Heh—

"Sister Luo Ying," he began.

Luo Ying looked at him.

"Those stockings were given to me by a female classmate," Su Bai said.

"Her personality is a bit... lively, and she likes pranks. That's all."

He stood up and said calmly,

"If you feel it's inappropriate, or if you're worried that I'll do something bad to you all, I can move out tomorrow."

Luo Ying was stunned.

Su Bai turned and walked toward the door.

When he reached the door, he stopped and turned to look at her.

That gaze was very flat, but Luo Ying saw something in it—

Disappointment.

She suddenly felt a pang of heartache.

Was she... going too far?

Just because of a pair of stockings, she suspected him, questioned him, and said those things.

Although he was only staying temporarily, he had always been discreet and never crossed the line.

He woke up early every day to run, bought breakfast for five people, occasionally cooked on his own initiative, and never disturbed them.

Chu Yi was so clingy to him, yet he never had any inappropriate behavior.

Would a person like this become a pervert just because of a pair of stockings?

"Xiao Bai," she called out to stop him.

Su Bai stopped.

"No, you don't need to move out."

Luo Ying said, her voice softening,

"I was overthinking. Sister apologizes to you. I'm sorry."

Su Bai was silent for two seconds.

"It's okay. Goodnight, Sister."

He closed the door and walked out.

Luo Ying sat by the bed, looking at the closed door, her heart in a mess.

She picked up her phone, wanting to send him a message to explain.

But after typing a few words, she deleted them.

What was there to say?

Nothing she could say would be quite right.

She put down her phone and lay back on the bed.

But that night, she tossed and turned, unable to fall asleep no matter what.

She never would have guessed that, at this very moment, there was *another* pair of warm black silk stockings in Su Bai's pocket!