Rollan crouched behind the dumpster, watching intently as the limousine slowed to a stop outside of the prestigious hotel. The alleyway smelled of rotten meat, and he could guess that the hotel dumped their leftover food out there. That was such a disgrace because people were starving and here rich places threw away food.

A man stood at attention as a leg stepped out of the limo. The other stunning leg followed suit, and Rollan frowned. It should've been Teng Zhong, the head of a private investigative company. The red dress alerted him that it was not Teng who was in the limo.

"Thank you," the feminine voice murmured, but Rollan could hear every word. "Take these bags in. I'll wait out here for Father to arrive."

The butler started protesting, but the female brushed it off. "I can take care of myself," she said.

Rollan could tell by the way she stood. The butler was blocking his view of the lady's face, but her feet were wide enough apart to take on an attacker. That made his mission harder. He needed someone who was a little easier to rob from.

The butler finally stepped out of the way, revealing a stunningly beautiful woman. Her sleek black hair was piled on top of her head, and the red dress was tight against her body. Her face was the thing that stuck out to Rollan the most. It looked like she no makeup on at all, like she was naturally beautiful.

Her eyes snapped around every few seconds, and Rollan cursed under his breath. She looked very intuitive about the world around her. This was going to be harder than he thought.

He stepped out from behind the dumpster, smoothing his . . . borrowed uniform from the hotel. His hands found the empty bin and he strolled right toward the stunning girl. He allowed his features to relax more, and a smile formed on his face. He needed to act like a normal guy who worked at the hotel.

Passing by her was one of the hardest things he had done. Her perfume overpowered everything else, and he nearly fell over when they brushed hands because they were so close to the light pole. Something seared in his stomach at the thought of stealing from such a beautiful woman. But he had to; he needed food to eat. 

"Sir," she said, her voice so soft and perfect.

He spun around, the basket nearly hitting her in the stomach. "Yes?"

"My bracelet."

He frowned, his brows furrowed. "What?"

"Why do you have my bracelet in your hand?"

He glanced at his hand and cursed. He had done that almost unintentionally. A gold bracelet dangled from his slim fingers; there was a small charm on the bracelet. Rollan held it closer to his eyes and saw a panda charm on it. 

"I am sorry, ma'am," he said, hastily dropping the basket on the ground. "I don't know what has gotten into me."

As he was handing the bracelet back to her, resigned to eating dumpster food, she gripped his arm and threw him against the car. His breath left his lungs as she pressed his head into the window. He could vaguely see her admiring her nails as she said, "Why were you stealing from me?"

Rollan closed his eyes. He was a lousy criminal, always getting caught. This happened way too fast for him, especially because he was distracted by her beauty. 

"Answer me," she whispered, leaning closer to his ear. 

His heart was beating against his chest. He tried to speak, but it came out all jumbled together. Her grip on him eased up and he said, "I haven't eaten in two days. Only scraps."

"You resort to stealing jewelry to get food?" she asked softly. "I don't believe that."

He sighed. "It's the truth. It helps me get more money so I can buy food for me and the other children living on the streets."

She was silent as she let go of him. He was very confused as she gripped him by the shoulders and turned him around. "Have dinner with me," she said simply.

"What?" he asked, his brow furrowed. "That won't help anyone."

"We can chat about the food issue in this city while we eat," she replied, offering her hand to him.

"I have nothing to wear," he said, glancing at his outfit.

"Follow me."

He trailed behind her, really pondering about running from her. This never happened. Whenever someone caught him stealing, he would spend a night in jail and get a warning from the cop. They would never charge him because of how young he looked. 

She gripped his hand before he could turn down an alleyway, and he sucked in a breath. Her hand was so warm against his frigid one. She glanced back and said, "How long have you been living on the streets?"

"A few years," he replied. "I used to live at an orphanage, but I ran away when I was nine."

"That was almost ten years ago!" she exclaimed.

Rollan shrugged. "No one has done anything to fix the homeless issue here."

"Have you tried to get a job?"

"Every place has turned me down because I have stolen from them."

She laughed, sending something warm down Rollan's spine. It seemed he couldn't form any words with her hand in his and her laugh echoing in his ears. 

She pulled him into a store and one worker immediately spotted Rollan. He strolled toward them and said, "What did I say? You're banned from coming in this store, remember?"

The girl glanced at him and said, "He's with me."

That didn't deter the man. He crossed his arms, and said, "I will get our security guard."

"Go ahead," Meilin said, a sly smile on her face.

The man left them alone and Rollan whispered, "Why are you making him get the security guard? I hate when he throws me out on the street and everyone laughs at me."

"Don't worry," she whispered back. "I have this handled."

The  man returned with the security guard in tow. "This child is here again," the store worker said.

The security guard's eyes widened when they focused on Meilin. "Ma'am," he said, nodding to her. "Nice to see you again."

She smiled. "Are we able to shop here, sir?"

"Of course," he replied. 

The store worker opened his mouth but Meilin beat him to it. "Sir, he works for me. He will not throw us out."

Rollan saw the Zhong family crest on the security guard's outfit. Meilin grabbed his hand and dragged him through the store. 

"I thought your father owned a private investigative company," Rollan whispered. 

"Yeah he does," Meilin answered. "That guy is investigating the owner of the store."

"Oh."

They stopped in front of the men's section and Rollan's eyes widened. The suits looked impeccable, but the price tag on them made him choke. 

"I can't afford that," he said to her.

"I can." She started flipping through the suits and said, "What size do you wear?"

"Uh . . ." he glanced at his skinny body. "Small?"

She looked at him, eyes traveling around his small frame. His face heated up as she nodded to herself. 

"What are you doing?" he asked as she shoved a suit into his arms. 

"Try this on," she replied. "I think it'll fit."

He glanced around and saw the fitting rooms to the right. He walked over there and was surprised to find her following him. 

"What are you doing?" he asked again.

"I'm going in with you," she said, holding the door open for him.

He was about to argue with her but she pushed him into one of the small fitting rooms, pressing herself against him. 

"I think someone saw me," she whispered. 

"That's why you don't go in the men's fitting room," he replied.

He was caught off guard when she flashed a smile to him. Her perfume washed over him, and his eyes fluttered shut. He could feel her lean closer and she whispered, "Are you going to get dressed?"

"With you in here?" he asked, locking eyes with her.

"Yes."

"I don't know about that," he said, shrugging. 

"It'll be fine," she replied. "I'll shut my eyes."

She demonstrated that and he laughed. "Don't peek."

"I won't."

He quickly stripped, trying not to bump into her. His arm brushed hers and he jerked away. What was going on in his head? He needed to leave. 

"How do I look?"

She opened her eyes and smiled. "Great. Now come on. We're leaving."

"Without even paying for it?" he asked, incredulous.

"I'll put it on my card," she replied, taking his hand. "It'll be fine."

He scooped up his clothes with his free hand and was tugged out of the fitting rooms. A few men saw Meilin and she flashed them a charismatic smile. They exited the fitting rooms and he said, "Those poor guys."

"They're fine."

They stopped at the check out desk and Meilin handed the lady her credit card. 

"You're not really supposed to be wearing the clothes when buying them," the lady said, "but I guess you can do what you want."

She gave the two of them a look before handing Meilin her card back. "Thank you!"

Meilin tugged Rollan out of the store and linked her arm with his as if they had done this before. "I've always seen homeless people in every city I've been in," she whispered. "And I've always felt so bad because I have more money than I could ever spend."

"That's what most of us hate about rich people," he replied. "They always spend it on outrageous things."

"I want to help," she said, glancing at him. "Starting with you."

"I-I don't need help," he responded, shaking his head. "I can take care of myself."

"Sometimes you need others to take care of you," she said, slowing to a stop. "Sometimes you can't do it on your own."

He nodded, his throat burning. "Yeah, I know."

"Maybe you can help me with it," she whispered. "I want to start a homeless shelter, and I need someone who knows what it's like."

"I'll have to think about it," he replied.

"You can stay in an apartment and have unlimited food."

"I'll help you." He laughed. "But I need to work for what I earn. Can I become a private investigator?"

"You're a little scrawny."

They laughed together. "Thank you for this suit," he said.

"You look very handsome in it."

His face grew warm and he said, "Thank you."

"You're welcome." She leaned up and kissed him on the cheek. "Now, let's go eat dinner."

She tugged him along, and he smiled to himself. This girl was crazy. But maybe he needed crazy in his life.