“I was half asleep and didn’t see clearly. But the thief saw me too, and in a panic, darted over to the dormitory corridor. It was so dark, I have no idea where he went.”

Peter Hughes nodded, then raised his voice: “Everyone, quiet down! Let’s analyze the layout. If he ran to this corridor, it’s all our boys’ dorms. That means the thief is very likely one of us!”

“An inside job? That does make sense.”

“No matter how careful you are, it’s hardest to guard against someone from your own house. Besides, outsiders wouldn’t know the layout so well. If it’s an inside job, I think that’s very likely!”

Everyone started discussing and speculating.

Standing nearby was David Bolton, Peter Hughes’s most trusted friend, who chimed in at just the right moment: “If it’s an inside job, that’s easy to handle. Call out all the boys and search each dorm one by one. In a rush, the thief couldn’t have gone far—where could he possibly hide the stolen stuff?”

“Mm.” Peter Hughes pondered, “Young Master Bolton makes a good point. Here’s what we’ll do: we split into three groups. Two groups will guard each end of the corridor, watching everyone’s every move. The rest will search the dorms one by one!”

David Bolton added, “I suggest we first check the dorms where no one has come out and the doors are still closed. Those are the most suspicious.”

“Alright, it’s settled.” Peter Hughes made a gesture, and the boys immediately split into three groups and set off. Peter Hughes himself went to the base of the high wall and, with great poise, called out, “Ladies, please be at ease. We boys will conduct a self-inspection right away. If anything happens, we’ll report immediately.”

As soon as he finished, a cold voice replied, “No need to wait. I’ll come check myself, so you don’t cover for each other.”

A graceful figure vaulted over the wall, landing steadily in the center of the boys’ courtyard, her expression icy as she stared at the group of boys with utter disdain.

“Miss Yun, were you robbed too?” Peter Hughes greeted her with a smile.

“Peter Hughes, don’t try to get chummy. If you’re going to search, get on with it. The longer the night, the more likely the thief will get away!” This Miss Young, full name Lily Young, was from the Yun family, one of the three great clans of Luojiang County, on par with the prestigious Xu family. She was also a core figure among the girls.

Tonight, she’d lost two pieces of underwear that had been drying outside, so she was the angriest of all.

Peter Hughes wasn’t upset at being rebuffed by Lily Young, and smiled, “After you, Miss Young.”

Lily Young was much more aggressive in her approach. She swept down the corridor, and whenever she saw a closed dorm door, she kicked it open without hesitation.

The martial trainees inside, afraid of trouble and hiding behind closed doors, could only grab a blanket to cover themselves as she stormed in, not daring to utter a word.

Lily Young personally inspected every corner, leaving nothing unchecked. After each search, she would simply say, “Sorry to disturb you.”

After checking three dorms in a row, she arrived at the fourth. Lily Young kicked at the door again.

But this time, her kick didn’t open it.

Lily Young’s pretty face immediately darkened, a layer of frost settling over her features.

“Who lives here?”

David Bolton quickly said with schadenfreude, “Seems to be the Qin kid from Donglin Town.”

“Him?” Lily Young snorted, thinking to herself that this kid really didn’t know his place. All the other dorms, hearing that Miss Young was coming to inspect, had left their doors ajar in cooperation. But this guy had his door tightly shut, giving her no face at all!

Peter Hughes gave David Bolton a look, and David Bolton immediately understood, stepping forward to bang on the thick iron door: “Qin kid, you’re in trouble. Miss Young is here in person, and you’re still not opening up. Got something to hide?”

They shouted for a long time, but there was no response.

Lily Young’s face grew even darker. She’d never met a boy so disrespectful—especially one from a humble background!

“Not opening? Then don’t blame me for using force.”

Lily Young took two steps back, bracing herself to kick with all her might. Just then, the bolt clanged and the door opened from inside.

Blake Carter appeared, bleary-eyed and rubbing his sleepy face, muttering, “What are you all doing in the middle of the night?”

His expression couldn’t have looked more innocent.

Lily Young awkwardly put her foot down and snapped, “We’ve been knocking forever—didn’t you hear us?”

“Come on, it’s the middle of the night. Why are you banging on my door? I was just dreaming about getting married—such a good dream, and you ruined it.” Blake Carter grumbled on and on, sounding completely unconcerned.

“Qin, stop pretending. The girls’ dorm was robbed, and the thief is probably in our boys’ dorm area. If you’ve got nothing to hide, let Miss Young search your room. If you’re innocent, you can go back to your dream.” David Bolton said with a sly grin.

“Search my room? On what grounds?” Blake Carter rolled his eyes, clearly unhappy.

“Blake Carter, don’t push your luck. If you refuse a search, it proves you’ve got something to hide.” David Bolton added fuel to the fire, immediately slapping a big label on him.

“Oh? So if you all have nothing to hide, why not let Miss Young search your rooms first?”

“You sure talk a lot. So you’re refusing the search?” Lily Young said coldly.