Chapter 26: The price of begging for sister

Yi Diandian’s Defiance

As expected, Zhuang Yanyue’s gaze shifted to Yi Diandian, who stood not far behind her.
Seeing her cousin’s provocative look, Yi Diandian didn’t back down despite their height difference of nearly a head.
She tilted her small face upward to meet Zhuang Yanyue’s eyes, her earlier gloom giving way to a hint of smugness.

‘Heh~ Lin Lu thinks my sour plum juice is better~’

Cuteness wasn’t powerless against sexiness—she could hold her own!

But her low mood didn’t vanish; it merely shifted toward Zhuang Yanyue.

Last night, Lin Lu disobediently sided with Su Keke, that vixen.
Now, he rebelliously chose Yi Diandian’s drink, the little vixen.
When they were kids, Lin Lu always stood by her, obediently following her lead.
But ever since junior high, he’d grown rebellious, no longer keeping only his childhood big sister in his heart.

Zhuang Yanyue’s Frustration

The milk tea wasn’t accepted, and her little cousin had stolen the spotlight.
Zhuang Yanyue was a bit annoyed, but with so many people watching, she wouldn’t stoop to bickering with Yi Diandian.

‘No rush. Plenty of chances to tame this cheeky little brother who dared reject my kind gesture!’

Zhuang Yanyue walked away, holding the milk tea she’d rather not give to anyone else, sparking whispers among the class.

“Not accepting a classmate’s gift is one thing—avoiding suspicion makes sense. But rejecting a teacher’s gift? Is he that big a deal?”

“He probably thinks he’s a celebrity now, paired with a star like Su Keke, looking down on us ordinary folks.”

“Like those luxury store clerks who think they can afford the brands they sell, acting superior…”

Lin Lu’s brows furrowed slightly.
As expected, standing out invited criticism.
Jealousy could make even these high-caliber university students lose their reason.

Lin Lu’s Dilemma

From the moment Yi Diandian offered her drink, Lin Lu had been caught in a bind.
Because of Su Keke, his actions in front of classmates were inadvertently restricted.

Not accepting gifts from his two ex-girlfriends made people think he was arrogant.
But accepting them would invite accusations of disloyalty to Su Keke, branding him a scumbag.

All they had to do was offer a drink, but Lin Lu had to consider so much more.

Getting close to ex-girlfriends indeed brought endless trouble.
His foresight was spot-on.

Support from Friends

Unexpectedly, his three dorm brothers stepped up.

“Hey, you don’t even know Lin Lu, so stop talking nonsense. He has his reasons for not accepting,” Fat Bro said, rolling up his sleeves, his burly frame radiating confidence that he could take on three at once.

“We’re all classmates, like brothers and sisters. Can you stop saying divisive stuff?” Skinny Dog Bro followed, his under-140-pound, lanky frame topped by a class-leading height of over 1.9 meters, exuding an imposing presence.

Slant Key Immortal, though short, had a razor-sharp tongue.
“What? Jealous because you’re not as handsome or popular with girls as Lin Lu? Look in the mirror at your sorry faces. You think the class leader or counselor would give drinks to you?”

Lin Lu hadn’t planned to explain himself, but seeing his self-proclaimed “义父” dorm mates stand up against the whole class for him moved him deeply.

Lin Lu’s Explanation

“Teacher, wait a moment.”

Lin Lu called out to Zhuang Yanyue, who turned back, her beautiful eyes glinting with surprise.

“Actually, those were just excuses. It’s not that I didn’t want the milk tea from my senior or teacher. I just know my military training performance wasn’t as good as others. I don’t deserve it. Drinking it wouldn’t feel right, and it’d make classmates resentful, which isn’t good for unity. Isn’t unity the spirit of military training?”

Yi Diandian and Zhuang Yanyue looked at him in surprise.
He rejected their drinks to avoid sparking jealousy?

The other classmates were equally shocked.
They’d only thought the worst of Lin Lu, never considering he rejected the two beautiful girls’ kindness for the sake of class cohesion.
His perspective was far beyond their petty assumptions about “avoiding suspicion” or “jealousy.”
They felt ashamed for their small-mindedness.

Grown adults, yet so caught up in petty romance drama—couldn’t they think bigger?

The class fell into guilty silence, agreeing that Fat Bro and the others were right.
The ugly ones were indeed causing trouble!

Turning the Tables

Lin Lu stepped toward Zhuang Yanyue and said, “Since even my lackluster performance earned your praise, other classmates who worked much harder must be outstanding too. You just didn’t notice, Teacher. Why not treat the whole class to milk tea as a reward? You can afford it, right?”

Zhuang Yanyue met the class’s expectant gazes.
One milk tea might be nothing, but this was milk tea from the gorgeous counselor, served during the scorching summer training!

She was morally cornered.
Zhuang Yanyue narrowed her fox-like eyes, sizing up Lin Lu.
This cheeky boy had turned the tables on her, and she was a bit annoyed.
Though, to be fair, her impulsive milk tea gesture had put him in the middle of a gossip storm.

A Plea for Help

“Pleasant Sister, please help me out here. I’ll owe you one. Anything within my power, I’ll do. Please…”

Lin Lu whispered for help, giving Zhuang Yanyue a pitiful look from an angle others couldn’t see, reminiscent of childhood when he’d run to his big sister crying after getting into trouble.

It had been years since she’d seen him like this.

‘So cute~’

Cute enough to make her want to tie him to a bed and tease him until he was utterly exhausted~

His pleading attitude lifted her mood, and she smiled generously at the class.
“Alright, I’ll have milk tea delivered for everyone soon. This is a reward for your class’s great performance.”

A Class Reward

Soon, a delivery from the milk tea shop arrived with a whole crate.

In the sweltering summer heat, free iced milk tea was more enticing than a handsome guy or beautiful girl.
Everyone eagerly grabbed a cup, thanking the counselor and Lin Lu.

They’d misunderstood Lin Lu.
Not only did he not hold grudges, but he also secured benefits for the whole class, showing the makings of a true class leader!

“I’m voting for Lin Lu for class president!”

“Man, Fat Bro, I’m so jealous you guys have Lin Lu as a dorm mate…”

Lin Lu’s reputation did a 180-degree turn.

He was a guy you could count on!

The Cost of Victory

Lin Lu smiled, but it was a strained smile because…

What was the cost, Gul’dan?

Zhuang Yanyue’s devilish whisper came to his ear: “Little Lu, you promised to do anything for me, right~?”