“No! I absolutely cannot let my sister get involved!”
This thought had barely surfaced when it was crushed by another, stronger fear—what would Lu Xuan do if he didn’t agree? Would he spare his sister?
The devil’s words still echoed in his ears: “Tell me, by then, will it be you who is ruined, your future destroyed, or even rotting in jail, or will it be your pure and innocent department flower sister who is pointed at by all the teachers and Students in the school…?”
Chen Min shivered.
He understood the terror of public opinion and knew that once his scandal was exposed, his sister, as his relative, would definitely not be able to escape unscathed.
Those rumors and strange looks were enough to destroy a girl’s pride and reputation.
Of two evils, choose the lesser…
A base thought began to sprout and spread in his heart.
Yes, it’s just a meal.
What else could Lu Xuan do? In broad daylight, he wouldn’t dare to mess around, would he?
As long as he watched closely, it should… it should be fine.
As for that medicine… he could always find a chance to get rid of it then.
He began to make excuses for himself, trying to convince himself.
Since childhood, the best resources in the family had been given to him, the son, and his parents had high hopes for him.
For his own future, and to avoid disappointing his parents, sacrificing a little… his sister was so kind, she would surely understand his difficulties in the future.
She was so beautiful, so excellent, even if… even if something really happened, she would always find a good home… right?
Once this thought appeared, it was like opening Pandora’s box; all moral bottom lines seemed vulnerable in the face of fear for the future and extreme selfishness.
He struggled, propping himself up with his elbows, and with every movement, a tearing pain shot through his chin and abdomen.
He held onto the cold bed frame, slowly climbing up, his movements as pathetic as a dog with a broken spine.
He didn’t dare to look at Lu Xuan, just lowered his head, stumbled back to his seat, pulled out the chair, and sat down.
The desktop still had grease and food debris from when he was pressed down earlier, emitting a nauseating smell.
He haphazardly wiped the sweat mixed with blood and grime from his face with his sleeve, his movements somewhat distorted by the pain.
He took out his phone; the screen was a bit blurry due to some bloodstains.
He took a deep breath, his fingers trembling as he tapped open green bubble, finding that familiar profile picture—it was his sister, Chen Xue, smiling beautifully.
Looking at his sister’s bright, sunny smile, Chen Min’s heart twinged again, but it was quickly replaced by deeper fear and resolve.
He gritted his teeth and began to type, trying to make his tone sound relaxed and natural:
【Brother Min】: Xue’er, are you busy?
【Xue’er is not Sydney Pear】: Brother? What’s up? Just got out of class. 【Cute】
【Brother Min】: Hehe, nothing, just asking. Oh, by the way, are you free tonight? Want to come out and have dinner together?
【Xue’er is not Sydney Pear】: Tonight? Is something up? I have an appointment with a Student to go to the library tonight.
Seeing his sister’s reply, Chen Min’s heart leaped to his throat. He quickly continued typing, his fingers somewhat stiff from nervousness:
【Brother Min】: Oh, come on, when can’t you go to the library? Tonight is a special situation! It’s one of my roommates’ birthdays, he’s a really good guy, and he’s always wanted to meet a big beauty like you. Give your brother some face, come out, okay? He’s a handsome guy! 【Smirk】
He deliberately added the words “handsome guy,” knowing that although his sister was simple, she was still a little interested in good-looking boys.
There was a moment of silence on the other end, as if she was hesitating.
Every second of waiting was torture for Chen Min. He stared intently at the screen, his palms covered in cold sweat.
Finally, a new message popped up:
【Xue’er is not Sydney Pear】: Hmm… your roommate? I don’t know him, won’t it be awkward to go?
There’s a chance! Chen Min’s spirits lifted, and he quickly replied:
【Brother Min】: Hey! What’s awkward about that! You’re strangers at first, then friends! We’re all from the same school, just consider it meeting another friend. And the main thing is I’m treating, you just need to be beautiful! Come on, come on, brother hasn’t eaten with you in a long time. 【Pleading】
After sending it, he added a pouting emoji.
There was another brief silence.
【Xue’er is not Sydney Pear】: Alright, alright, you win. What time? Where? But it’s agreed, I have to go back to the dorm early.
“Phew—” Chen Min let out a long breath, slumping against the back of the chair as if exhausted, cold sweat already soaking the clothes on his back.
It’s done.
He closed his eyes, feeling the dull ache in his chin and abdomen, but his heart was a cold numbness.
Gathering his wits, he forced himself to cheer up and replied to his sister:
【Brother Min】: No problem! How about seven o’clock? I’ll send you the location later, I’ll book a good place! Love you, sis! 【Kiss】
After replying to his sister, he immediately switched to the food delivery app, searching for the highest-rated Western restaurants near the school.
His finger slid, finally settling on a popular Western restaurant that looked luxuriously decorated and expensive.
After booking the table, he copied the restaurant address and time, switched back to green bubble, found the profile picture that terrified him, and with trembling hands, pasted and sent the information.
After doing all this, he felt as if all his strength had been drained.
He stood up, walked to the bed, squatted down, and fumbled in an inconspicuous corner under the bed.
There was a small locked box there, where he hid his secrets.
He fumbled with the key to open the box, rummaged inside for a while, and finally took out a small brown glass bottle with no label.
The bottle wasn’t large, but it felt heavy in his hand.
He looked at the small bottle, his eyes complex, filled with fear, disgust, and a hint of imperceptible madness.
This was… the thing he had once used against Zhang Teacher.
He clutched the bottle tightly, his knuckles white from the effort, then carefully tucked it into his pants pocket, as if carrying a ticking time bomb.
The dormitory was quiet, with only the faint sounds of Lu Xuan occasionally shifting and the blurred voices from outside the window.
Chen Min sat on the edge of the bed, looking at his blurry reflection in the glass opposite.
His cheek was swollen, his mouth still had traces of blood, and his eyes were unfocused, filled with fear and humiliation.
Was this still the spirited department heartthrob, Chen Min?
He didn’t know.
He only knew that from today onwards, his life might never be the same.
And the instigator of all this was lying on his upper bunk like a boss, leisurely scrolling on his phone, occasionally letting out a chuckle, as if he had seen something interesting.
That laughter, to Chen Min at that moment, was more grating than the whispers of a devil.