America: I came here to study, not to show mercy.

Chapter 168 Catching Mice
The night of revelry passed quietly, and it was already close to noon. The entire dormitory area was still sparsely populated, with only a few staff members cleaning up the mess from the previous day on the grass.

On the other side, a few students dressed in strange and disheveled clothes emerged from the dormitory building, from outside the school gate, or even from the bushes in the garden next to the dormitory, dragging their tired bodies back to their dormitories.

Walking back to his dormitory, Li Xiaoen stretched his arms and legs, his eyes scanning his surroundings as he pondered.

Perhaps this is why Halloween is on a Friday, allowing for unbridled revelry. Because of the two-day weekend following the holiday, everyone can have as much fun as they want without fear.

It seems that some rules are only followed by international students.

Thinking about this, Li Xiaoen couldn't help but complain in his heart. He already knew that Princeton University's rules and regulations for residential students required freshmen to live on campus and were not allowed to stay out all night. Now it seemed that he was the only one who was abiding by this rule.

Could it be that local students are not checked by default, but international students are punished according to the rules when they are caught violating regulations?
The thought of the posts about differential treatment online gave Li Xiaoen a toothache. When she returned to her dorm, she saw that the living room and the shoe rack by the door were just as they had been the day before, so Daniel must have stayed out all night as well.

Could it be an accidental injury, or was he caught watching a striptease?

As he stepped onto the stairs, Li Xiaoen frowned slightly. Yesterday, when he took several girls into that house, he used his Eye of Insight to see the figures of Daniel and his two companions. Afterward, he used his Domination Spell to command the dog and crow to cause trouble and expose them. It was simply to target another crime that went against human nature.

He doesn't consider himself a great and righteous defender of morality; there are still some gray and flexible areas in his mind. For example, he has seen many times the restrictions on drinking and watching adult performances in the United States without feeling any resistance or resentment.

Back in her room, after a quick wash and change, Li Xiaoen was about to go out again when Daniel rushed into the room looking nervous.

"Daniel, are you alright?"

Li Xiaoen paused as he walked down the stairs and asked in surprise.

Daniel looked extremely disheveled. His once clean cosplay outfit was now covered in dust and grass clippings, and he looked exhausted and listless. Even the white wig that he had been so arrogant about last night was nowhere to be seen.

"Sean..."

Daniel looked up, panting heavily as he slumped onto the sofa, letting out a long, painful sigh. "Don't even mention it. I hid from the police all night. If it weren't for the police surrounding the manor retreating, I might not even be back now."

"As long as you're okay."

Li Xiaoen found it somewhat amusing and finally breathed a sigh of relief. He took a bottle of cola from the refrigerator and tossed it to the other person.

He couldn't control the others, but he didn't want anything to happen to Daniel's three friends.

“Hey, Sean…”

Daniel opened the can and took a big gulp, then suddenly remembered and asked, "You sent us a message last night in advance, how did you know the police were coming?"

“When I came back from the cemetery, I saw police officers rushing towards that area. I thought it might be about your matter, so I told you just to be on the safe side.”

While pondering when to call the three of them, Li Xiaoen casually said, "As long as it comes in handy, at least it won't spoil your fun."

As he spoke, Sean Lee's expression turned strange, and he looked at Daniel and asked, "I saw some photos Michael sent me. Do you guys really think those striptease shows are good?"

Whether it looks good or not is secondary.

After a few casual words, Daniel finished the whole can of Coke and chuckled, "The most important thing is, it's exciting! You see, would your girlfriend do those kinds of dances for you? And they're even dressed up in Halloween horror costumes."

"..."

"It's hard to imagine that someone who was going to walk the runway to please his girlfriend yesterday would say something like that."

Li Xiaoen complained helplessly, as Victoria had already sent her a message on her phone asking about her condition.

"This is different, okay?"

Daniel waved his hand dismissively, "I need to catch up on my sleep. I'm going to Olivia's dorm this afternoon."

After saying that, he chuckled and hurried up to the room on the second floor.

Li Xiaoen shrugged, turned around and left, closing the door behind him.

"Sean, guess what poison you're going to test this time?"

Upon arriving at the two girls' dormitories, Victoria greeted them with a smile as soon as she entered.

"First, rule out steak and seafood tower, and tacos."

Li Xiaoen lowered his head and pondered. Seeing Victoria smiling with her eyes crinkled, he opened his mouth but hesitated to express his guess. "I have a vague sense of foreboding."

"Ha ha……"

Victoria chuckled and turned to look at Sophie sitting on the living room sofa. "I'm not going to beat around the bush with you. It's a mouse."

While Li Xiaoen was stunned, Victoria continued, "I heard a noise in the living room this morning, but when I went out to look, I didn't see anything. Could you help me look for it somewhere?"

Are you sure you didn't mishear?

With unreadable thoughts in his mind, Li Xiaoen sat on the sofa, easily able to see Su Feier's sneer as she looked over. He couldn't help but emphasize it.

"I am sure!"

Victoria nodded emphatically. "I'm sure I heard correctly."

"Okay, I'll look for it later."

Li Xiaoen nodded helplessly, and only after Victoria turned and went into the kitchen did he turn to look at Suffer.

"Look for it quickly, it might be hiding behind the sofa."

Sophie looked over with a serious expression.

"Good good..."

Li Xiaoen reluctantly got up, supporting himself on his knees, and started pacing back and forth in the living room.

With his Eye of Insight, he could see everything in the dormitory in his mind. He couldn't see a single mouse, but he could still see other minor problems.

He moved his feet, looking inside the cabinet here and then scanning the floor of the storage room there. Finally, he pulled out a dusty CD from a dark corner inside a piece of furniture.

"What's this……"

Sophie's gaze remained fixed on the young man, finding his pretentious act amusing. When he suddenly found something, she quickly got up and went over to him.

"It looks like a music CD."

Li Xiaoen carefully examined the strangely shaped, multicolored patterns engraved on the CD.

"It should be Serafina's."

Sophie frowned and spoke carefully.

This CD is obviously pop music. Victoria listens to piano music, and she rarely buys CDs, but she treasures them dearly. She doesn't listen to music often and doesn't buy CDs. The only possible exception is when Serafina came to their dormitory.

"Put it aside, give it back to her when Serafina comes."

Li Xiaoen casually handed over the CD, but Su Feier didn't take it for a long time. He turned around and saw only the girl's gloomy face.

"what happened?"

Li Xiaoen was puzzled; he couldn't recall doing anything to upset this young lady.

"This CD is covered in dust, and you expect me to take it?"

Sophie pursed her lips and asked in return.

"..."

Looking down at the CD in his hand and his dusty hands, then looking up at the girl with a proud expression on her pretty face, Li Xiaoen didn't hesitate. He raised his hand and rubbed the other girl's cheek with the back of his hand, startling her so much that she froze on the spot.

"Can I take it now?" Li Xiaoen smiled. "First, wipe this CD clean with kitchen paper, then wash your hands and face."

"You are courting death!"

Realizing what had happened, Suffer stared at Li Xiaoen in disbelief, gritting her teeth and panting, before reaching out and pinching the young man's lower back. "No one has ever treated me like this before!"

"My hands aren't dirty, really."

Li Xiaoen winced in pain and couldn't help but let out a cry of surprise. He raised his hand to Su Feier and said, "See? I'm not kidding you."

"I don't care if it's dirty or not..."

Sophie laughed in anger. She had just been nicer to this bastard yesterday, and he dared to treat her like this today. In her mind, she should always be in a superior position. "You're provoking me!"

"Etc., etc……"

Li Xiaoen reached back to steady her and quickly said, "Suffolk, aren't you afraid Victoria will see such a commotion?"

"Humph, I couldn't ask for more."

Suffer sneered, but the young man, who was looking towards the kitchen, suddenly froze, his heart racing, and he turned to look in that direction.

As expected, Victoria was nowhere to be seen, and Suffer breathed a sigh of relief. But then a sense of regret crept in, and she realized that she had already let go of the young man she had been holding and was walking quickly toward the kitchen.

"Victoria, let me look in the kitchen..."

Watching the young man's departing figure, Suffer took a deep breath, looked down, and saw a clearly visible dust mark on her palm. She then turned around, took the CD, and went into the bathroom on the first floor.

"I heard the sound in the living room."

Seeing the young man wash his hands and then look around the kitchen as if he were doing something important, Victoria couldn't help but speak up.

“Victoria, I have a question for you.”

Li Xiaoen didn't explain directly, but leaned against the island platform and chuckled, "Will we live, eat, sleep, and even study and work in the same place?"

"Yes, freelancers and people working from home can."

Victoria nodded, finding the young man's speechless expression somewhat amusing. "Okay, nothing. And then?"

"Freelancers are still a minority. There's an old Chinese saying: 'A rabbit doesn't eat the grass near its burrow.'"

Li Xiaoen emphasized this point before continuing, "Most rats build their nests in clean, dry places, but where do you think they'll go to find food?"

Victoria blinked her large, bright green eyes, glanced around the kitchen, and her heart immediately tightened.

Yes, you guessed right.

Li Xiaoen nodded and smiled leisurely, "Rats will go wherever there is food. The refrigerator is sealed so they can't get in. The only possible place is the kitchen."

"They might be inside when you open a pot."

Upon hearing this, Victoria's heart skipped a beat, and she moved closer to him.

"Ha ha……"

Li Xiaoen raised an arm and put it on the girl's shoulder, and couldn't help but laugh.

"I just wanted to cook, I didn't think of coming over at the moment."

Victoria's pretty face flushed slightly, and she nudged the young man beside her playfully.

"Do not worry."

Li Xiaoen nodded, quickly suppressing his smile. "I've checked all the pots, pans, and kitchen utensils. There are no rats, so you don't need to worry."

After offering Victoria a few words of comfort, and as she resumed cooking, Sean Lee used his Insightful Eye to scan the kitchen, then pretended to inspect other areas, finally focusing his gaze on a corner hidden behind the counter by the door.

"Victoria, do you have any mold remover in your dorm?"

Is there mold growing somewhere?

Victoria came over when she heard the sound. She enjoyed being in a room with the young man and doing things together. Her gaze followed him down.

“It has grown a little, but this is a trend. If we don’t kill it in time, it will grow faster and faster,” Li Xiaoen explained.

"I've never bought anything that gets moldy before, so why don't we just replace the flooring?"

Victoria turned her head to look at her, "Then we'll do a moisture-proofing treatment."

"That works, that's for the best."

Li Xiaoen nodded and casually took out his phone to submit an application form on the school's facilities management platform.

Under normal circumstances, the school administration would respond to the submitted application very slowly and sluggishly, just like government departments in the United States. But based on his impression of the two young ladies, perhaps professionals would come to their door in less than a day.

After dealing with a few simple problems in the kitchen, Li Xiaoen was about to leave when Victoria grabbed her arm.

"Sean, could you make me some fruit tea?"

Biting her lip, Victoria looked up with expectant eyes.

“Sure, how do you do it, Chef Victoria?”

Li Xiaoen nodded without hesitation, since, after his inspection, the entire house was now fine.

"The witch has transformed into a chef, hasn't she?"

Victoria rolled her eyes, amused.

Is it possible that these are two identities that coexist?

Li Xiaoen raised an eyebrow. "There's another one, the exclusive disciple of fruit tea master Xiaoen."

"You're so thick-skinned."

Victoria rolled her eyes, grabbed the young man's arm, and shoved a long stick into his hand. "Come on, fruit tea master, now it's time to show your strength."

Li Xiaoen paused for a moment, then looked down at a container full of lemons that the girl had pushed in front of her. "Do you want me to smash these lemons with a stick?"

"Yeah, that's right."

Victoria smiled and nodded repeatedly.

Beating up lemon tea?
Li Xiaoen felt strange and asked again, "Victoria, where did you see this recipe for fruit tea?"

"I found out by asking a Chinese senior in the school's food club."

Victoria smiled and nodded. "Sean, do you like bubble tea? I'm learning how to make it, I'll make it for you next time."

Even after arriving in America, I'm still surrounded by bubble tea.

Li Xiaoen thought to himself, but nodded helplessly: "I remember, sugar-free or less sugar."

"Okay, stay tuned."

Victoria smiled and nodded. "You smash the lemon first, and I'll fry the steak for lunch. Sean, you want it medium-rare, right?"

(End of this chapter)