Chapter 7: Strand by Strand

Su Hongdou looked downstairs… Shen Baizhou was flustered, trying to turn off the gas stove… Huh? Why was his posture so strange? Why was he bending over like that, as if he was hiding something…?

But seeing his face flushed bright red, Su Hongdou nodded in satisfaction… Indeed, femininity is all about the right clothing—so now, this pervert should be about to make a move, right?

The aroma of fried rice wafted up from the pan in waves. Su Hongdou pinched her nose twice… It smelled so good, she thought. She couldn’t watch anymore—if she did, she’d truly be unable to bear it. She had to leave; the “no eating after 8 PM” rule must not be broken!

Turning to go upstairs, she suddenly stopped at the stairway.

“Upstairs, it’s really just me,” she said.

She had just checked again. The first-floor corridor was too narrow, and her legs were too long—there was no way she could perform a “Meteor Spin Kick”… In short, she still had to trick Shen Baizhou to come upstairs. So she reminded herself once more.

Then, imitating the seductive women from anime, she brushed her dazzlingly white shoulder…

“I’m going upstairs~~” she said, pouting slightly as she shot Shen Baizhou a glance.

Perfect. She thought excitedly, this is how they do it in the anime, can’t go wrong! The outfit, the gaze, he’s received it! My look, he’s totally received it…

Downstairs, Shen Baizhou thought to himself. Earlier, his hands had slipped, and much of the rice had spilled out of the pan, creating a mess… The kitchen chaos was one thing, but more embarrassing was the situation in his pants…

Luckily, he had been quick-thinking, bending over to clean up. Hmm, from Su Hongdou’s angle, she probably didn’t see anything improper. Having a body too young really can be troublesome, he thought. But once he finished cleaning, everything settled down…

However, as Shen Baizhou looked up, he saw Su Hongdou at the stairway, shooting him a glance.

His heart pounded—had she seen through me? He reasoned she was probably just displeased with the kitchen mess, not in the mood to eat, so she went upstairs…

“That must be it. Definitely not that she saw anything lewd… Don’t panic! From her angle, there’s no way she could see anything—physics says so! The Trisolarans haven’t arrived on Earth yet, physics still works!”

“As for why, in the dead of night, she came down wearing such a hot, seductive outfit…” Shen Baizhou thought…

“Maybe it’s just a rich person’s quirk!”

He shook his head, trying desperately to push the images from his mind. But to no avail. That flawless back, that waist-to-hip ratio that short-circuited the brain, those two straight long legs…

“Tsk tsk tsk.”

“The more I try to forget, the clearer it becomes!”

“Don’t think about it, don’t think about it!”

Body, oh body, I know you’re young, but if you keep standing at attention like this, sooner or later, the rich lady will kick me out as a pervert… Please, he thought, can my reactions be a little slower?

After tidying up the kitchen hastily, Shen Baizhou served the Yangzhou fried rice. Su Hongdou didn’t eat, so he had to eat it himself. Couldn’t let it go to waste, after all.

Honestly, whether it was the perfect cooking time or her high-quality ingredients, the fried rice smelled amazing—far beyond his usual level. True to his appetite, Shen Baizhou made two bowls before stopping. He plated the rest, covered it, and put it in the fridge for breakfast tomorrow.

After finishing everything, he went to the living room, choosing a spot facing the main door, and opened his laptop.

“Looks like I won’t be sleeping tonight,” he sighed.

He had originally planned to sleep in a bedroom, but the wealthy lady, Su Hongdou, had already hinted repeatedly—“Upstairs, it’s just me.” Rich people never speak plainly; her hint must mean he should stay alert.

“Say nothing else. I must guard this post…”

Setting up his laptop and connecting to the network, Shen Baizhou resumed writing Crazy Stone. While typing, he kept an eye on the door, listening for any movement outside.

By around 2 a.m., the script had taken shape, and Shen Baizhou was too tired to keep his eyes open.

“Can’t sleep,” he thought. “I’m the bodyguard—the only bodyguard in this house.”

He drank some water, opened the news section, and suddenly saw a glaring headline:

“Our city has recently experienced a string of villa burglaries—sixth case this month!”

“There are thieves specifically targeting luxury villas. Police urge everyone to strengthen security and stay vigilant!”

Really? Shen Baizhou was startled. No wonder Su Hongdou kept reminding him—“Upstairs, it’s just me”… So it’s been dangerous around here lately.

Various reports and gleeful comments from netizens followed:

“Isn’t this Robin Hood? Stealing from the rich to help the poor!”
“Brother Song Jiang, take me to join Liangshan!”
“How righteous! He doesn’t steal unless it’s for wealth freedom!”

How can they say that, Shen Baizhou was indignant. You don’t live in a villa, I do—at least today! If it were normal… normally I’d be liking these posts with you. But today, I’m a bodyguard, the only one in this mansion. One man, one fortress.

After watching a bit more, his eyelids finally grew heavy. Half-asleep, he suddenly heard a “clatter!”

Shen Baizhou shuddered and opened his eyes wide.

“No way?”

He nervously stood, looking toward the door—pitch black, seemingly empty…

Yet, a rustling sound came faintly from behind him! The intruder was already inside? Shen Baizhou broke into a cold sweat…

“Damn it! I’m just staying one night, and this happens!”

He braced himself, grabbed a large sofa cushion, and tiptoed toward the kitchen…

In front of the fridge, a blurry figure bent down, seemingly searching for something. Only one person… Shen Baizhou felt slightly relieved. This person was not only shorter than him but also very slim. He could subdue them if he struck suddenly, right?

“I’m a bodyguard. I’m not afraid. I’m a bodyguard…” He kept chanting to himself as his blood pumped.

He bent, crouched, and pushed off the ground…

“Ha!” He yelled and threw the cushion hard at the person’s face!

Then he leaped, pinning the person to the floor!

The person, hit by the cushion unexpectedly, froze for a moment before struggling desperately…

Ridiculous! Shen Baizhou thought, all those MMA matches I watched in my previous life… were they for nothing? A cold laugh in his mind, he locked the person’s arms tightly.

The intruder resisted, pushing with their legs. At the same time, muffled “ah~” sounds came…

This was a crucial moment! Shen Baizhou knew that if the person flipped him over, it would be hard to regain control. He couldn’t let them succeed!

He pressed down hard, entwining their legs with his own, immobilizing their kicking… The move worked. The intruder immediately lost the ability to kick, only twisting under Shen Baizhou’s weight…

“Twist all you want. You can at most brush against me—flipping over is impossible!” Shen Baizhou thought proudly. This was the death lock he had learned from UFC!

“Miss Su! Miss Su!” While controlling the person beneath him, he shouted upstairs: “Wake up! Thief! Get up and call the police!”

The person below froze, seemingly frightened. Indeed, mentioning the police worked. Shen Baizhou shouted again:

“Miss Su, wake up! Call the police!”

The intruder struggled violently, shouting something muffled under the cushion, incomprehensible to Shen Baizhou.

“Mmm~ mmm~” The thief kept wriggling, friction noises coming from under Shen Baizhou…

He pressed down harder, securing them, thinking: “Stop squirming!”

The kitchen echoed with heavy breathing… Shen Baizhou entwined the intruder’s legs, pressed down hard, and shouted upstairs again:

“Miss Su, wake up! Wake up!”

Still no response upstairs. Miss Su was sleeping so deeply?

Suddenly, Shen Baizhou felt something was off…

I’ve practically shouted myself hoarse, and she still doesn’t hear? And this intruder… is too skinny? Plus, honestly, their arms are really slippery—are modern thieves all so well-nourished? Huh? Their hair… is so long?

Listening closely, the “ah~ ah~” sounds didn’t really sound like a man’s voice…

A sliver of doubt suddenly crept into his mind.

Then another. And another. Strand by strand…

I mean, Shen Baizhou thought, drenched in cold sweat, could it be… that a tiny… misunderstanding has occurred?