‘No! Absolutely not! I can’t let my sister get dragged into this!’
The thought had barely surfaced before an even stronger fear crushed it.
‘But if I refuse, what will Lu Xuan do? Will he really leave my sister alone?’
That devil’s words from earlier still echoed in his ears, “Tell me, what happens first? Do you become notorious, lose your entire future, and possibly spend years behind bars? Or does your pure and innocent Department Belle sister become the target of gossip from every student and teacher at the university…”
Chen Min shuddered.
He knew how terrifying public opinion could be. He also understood that once his scandal was exposed, his sister, as his closest family member, would never be able to remain untouched.
The rumors, the gossip, the strange looks from everyone around her… they could easily destroy a young woman’s pride and reputation.
‘When faced with two evils, choose the lesser one…’
A despicable thought began to take root in his heart and slowly spread.
‘Right. It’s only dinner.’
‘What can Lu Xuan possibly do? In a public place, he wouldn’t dare do anything reckless, would he?’
‘As long as I keep a close eye on them, everything should… should be fine.’
‘As for the drug… I can just find an opportunity to get rid of it later.’
He began making excuses for himself, desperately trying to convince himself that this was acceptable.
Ever since childhood, the best resources in the family had always been given to him, the son. His parents had placed all their hopes on his shoulders.
For the sake of his future, and to avoid disappointing his parents, sacrificing a little…
His sister was so kind. Surely, one day, she would understand the difficult position he had been forced into.
She was so beautiful and so outstanding. Even if… even if something really did happen, she would still be able to find a good husband someday… right?
Once that thought emerged, it was like opening Pandora’s box. Every moral boundary he possessed became pitifully fragile before his terror of losing his future and his overwhelming selfishness.
Chen Min struggled to prop himself up on his elbows. Every movement sent tearing pain through his jaw and abdomen.
Gripping the cold edge of the bed, he slowly dragged himself upright. His movements were so miserable that he resembled a dog whose spine had been broken.
He did not dare look at Lu Xuan. Keeping his head lowered, he staggered back to his desk, pulled out the chair, and sat down.
The desktop was still smeared with grease and scraps of food from when Lu Xuan had pinned him against it earlier, giving off a nauseating smell.
Chen Min carelessly wiped the sweat, blood, and grime from his face with his sleeve. Even that simple movement became distorted by pain.
He took out his phone. The screen was slightly blurred by traces of blood.
Taking a deep breath, Chen Min opened Green Bubble with trembling fingers and found a familiar profile picture.
It belonged to his younger sister, Chen Xue. Read this novel at g.com for the best experience.
In the picture, she was smiling brightly.
Looking at his sister’s radiant smile sent another sharp pang through Chen Min’s heart. However, it was quickly overwhelmed by an even deeper fear and growing determination.
Gritting his teeth, he began typing, doing his best to make his tone seem relaxed and natural.
[Brother Min]: Xue’er, are you busy?
[Xue’er Isn’t Sydney]: Brother? What’s up? I just finished class. [Cute]
[Brother Min]: Hehe, nothing. Just checking on you. By the way, are you free tonight? Come out and have dinner with me.
[Xue’er Isn’t Sydney]: Tonight? Is something going on? I already promised some classmates I’d go to the library tonight.
Seeing his sister’s reply, Chen Min’s heart leaped into his throat. He hurriedly continued typing, his fingers stiff from nervousness.
[Brother Min]: Come on, you can go to the library anytime. Tonight is a special occasion! It’s one of my roommates’ birthdays. He’s a great guy, and he’s always wanted to meet my beautiful little sister. Do your brother a favor and come out, okay? He’s handsome too! [Sly Smile]
He deliberately added the word “handsome.” He knew that although his sister was innocent, she still had some interest in good-looking guys.
There was silence on the other end for a while. She seemed to be hesitating.
Every second of waiting felt like torture to Chen Min. He stared fixedly at the screen, his palms drenched in cold sweat.
Finally, a new message appeared.
[Xue’er Isn’t Sydney]: Hmm… your roommate? I don’t even know him. Won’t it be awkward if I go?
‘There’s a chance!’
Chen Min immediately perked up and hurriedly replied.
[Brother Min]: Hey! What’s awkward about that? Everyone starts as strangers. We’re all from the same university, so just think of it as making a new friend. Besides, I’m the one paying. All you have to do is sit there and look beautiful! Come on, come on. Your brother hasn’t had dinner with you in ages. [Pitiful]
After sending the message, he added another pleading sticker.
Another brief silence followed.
[Xue’er Isn’t Sydney]: Fine, fine. You win. What time? Where? But I’m telling you now, I have to get back to the dorm early.
“Phew…”
Chen Min released a long breath and collapsed against the back of his chair as though all his strength had left him. Cold sweat had already soaked through the clothes on his back.
It was done. Enjoying the story? Read on at g.com.
He closed his eyes, feeling the dull throbbing in his jaw and abdomen. Yet inside, there was nothing but cold numbness.
After composing himself, he forced himself to concentrate and replied to his sister.
[Brother Min]: No problem! How about 7:00 p.m.? I’ll send you the location in a bit. I’ll book somewhere nice! Love you, little sis! [Flying Kiss]
After replying, he immediately switched to a food delivery app and searched for the highest-rated Western restaurants near Yanjing University.
His finger scrolled across the screen until he finally chose a trendy Western restaurant that looked luxurious and expensive.
After making the reservation, he copied the restaurant’s address and the time, switched back to Green Bubble, and found the profile picture that now filled him with fear. With trembling fingers, he pasted the information and sent it to Lu Xuan.
Once everything was done, Chen Min felt as though every ounce of strength had been drained from his body.
He stood up, walked over to his bed, crouched down, and began feeling around in an inconspicuous corner beneath it.
There was a small locked box hidden there.
It was where he kept his secrets.
With trembling hands, Chen Min unlocked the box with a key and searched through its contents. After a while, he took out a small brown glass bottle with no label whatsoever.
The bottle was small, yet it felt strangely heavy in his hand.
Chen Min stared at it with complicated emotions in his eyes. There was fear, disgust, and even a faint trace of madness buried deep within.
This was…
The same substance he had once used against Teacher Zhang.
He clenched the bottle tightly, his knuckles turning white from the force. Then he carefully slipped it into his trouser pocket as though he were carrying a ticking time bomb.
The dormitory was quiet.
Only the faint sound of Lu Xuan occasionally shifting on his bed and the indistinct voices drifting in through the window disturbed the silence.
Chen Min sat on the edge of his bed and stared at his blurry reflection in the glass opposite him.
His cheek was badly swollen. Blood still stained the corner of his mouth, while his unfocused eyes were filled with fear and humiliation.
Was this still Chen Min, the proud and confident Campus Heartthrob?
He did not know.
All he knew was that from this day onward, his life might never return to what it had once been.
And the person responsible for everything was lying comfortably on the upper bunk like some grand lord, leisurely scrolling through his phone and occasionally letting out a quiet chuckle, as though he had just seen something amusing.
To Chen Min, that laughter sounded even more grating than a devil’s whisper.