3 Danger

The thought of making a few teasing remarks was instantly cast aside. Vaguely, he seemed to see that strange, eerie angel manifestation reappear behind Luo Wen. At this moment, the system shrieked a warning that the hatred value was plummeting to a dangerous level.

"Never." Lu Mingzhou had never spoken with such vow-like conviction as he did now. "Even if I were to die, I would never do such a thing."

Luo Wen’s pupils, dark as ink that refused to dissolve, stared at Lu Mingzhou. His thin lips were slightly pursed, and his eyes revealed a trace of melancholy, like a camellia on the verge of snapping, losing its vitality with just a bit more wind and rain from the outside world.

Lu Mingzhou felt a moment of softness in his heart. He let out a long sigh, thinking that this was truly an ancestor sent down by the heavens; even with a thousand methods at his disposal, he still had no way to handle him.

"You heard what I said just now, didn't you?" He raised an eyebrow, his expression unrestrained and spirited, yet his tone was low and carried a lingering, intimate quality. "Don't worry. I’m no saint, but I wouldn't have the heart to hand you over to someone like that."

Luo Wen’s eyelashes trembled, and he gave an almost imperceptible nod. He knew Lu Mingzhou was notorious; rationally speaking, his words were unreliable.

Yet, listening to Lu Mingzhou’s assurance and recalling his behavior from last night and today—which stood in stark contrast to his public reputation—he couldn't help but harbor a sliver of hope.

Lu Mingzhou was no mind-reader and had no idea what Luo Wen was thinking. He was just about to start the car when he heard Luo Wen’s exceptionally calm voice.

"That photo you were talking about earlier—may I see it?"

A photo? What photo? Lu Mingzhou thought for a moment, and his posture stiffened for an instant. Could it be some lewd photo taken by the original host before he arrived?

Wasn't this a disaster? Lu Mingzhou pulled up the photo. As soon as it entered his sight, the corners of his mouth twitched involuntarily.

It was an extremely provocative photo. The handsome young man had his clothes half-undone, revealing his fair skin. His picturesque brows and eyes were veiled in mist, his white shirt dampened, and two spots of crimson were faintly visible; the whole image looked both innocent and seductive.

He had to admit, from an objective standpoint, the original host actually had quite a decent aesthetic in this regard.

Lu Mingzhou admired it for a moment and was just about to delete it when Luo Wen reached out to stop him.

"Is it good-looking?" he asked, his tone calm, showing no signs of anger.

Lu Mingzhou boldly admitted, "It is."

Luo Wen: "Then keep it."

Lu Mingzhou looked at him in surprise, but Luo Wen appeared composed, as if nothing had happened at all.

Following this, the hatred value suddenly dropped by a few points.

Lu Mingzhou felt that Luo Wen’s thoughts were quite unpredictable—he didn't know if this was just him, or if it was a quirk unique to villains.

Lu Mingzhou asked the system this question, but unfortunately, the rookie stammered for a long time without giving a straight answer.

Lu Mingzhou simply gave up. The corners of his mouth curled up, and his peach-blossom eyes rippled with a smile that could easily stir the heart. "Fine, it’s good-looking. I love looking at it."

He started the car and focused on driving; the high-performance vehicle sped off like an arrow released from a string. Beside him, Luo Wen had opened his eyes at some point, his expression thoughtful.

Yet his demeanor remained faint, his brows and eyes cold, revealing not a single hint of his inner thoughts.

***

After dropping Luo Wen off at the university, Lu Mingzhou did not return to campus for the rest of the day.

His major was easy-going, and given his reputation, once people heard he was busy, no one dared to disturb him.

When Lu Mingzhou finally returned to school, the sun was already setting, and it was nearly past dinner time.

Lu Mingzhou sent Luo Wen a message, but he didn't reply; he called twice more, but they went unanswered.

Lu Mingzhou frowned. He didn't think Luo Wen would intentionally ignore his calls, especially since their interactions over the past day had been, at the very least, harmonious.

Too lazy to call again, Lu Mingzhou headed toward Luo Wen’s dormitory.

***

With a *ding*, the system unlocked a new character card.

"What is it? Why so sudden?" he asked.

The system scratched its glowing head and explained, "Luo Wen’s hatred value dropped by another point. Combined with the decrease from earlier today, we’ve unlocked a new character card."

[Character Card Unlocked: Shackled by Rumors]
[Key Plot Unlocked: Rumors Kill]

Lu Mingzhou had no desire to browse through the distressing details of the plot. He listened to the system narrate while walking toward the dorm building.

"Actually, you can tell what this plot is about just from the card info," the system paused. "Luo Wen doesn't get along well with his roommates. Since starting school, he’s been obsessed with earning money to pay for his family’s medical bills, always coming and going in a hurry, so he never built good relationships with them. His roommates think he’s arrogant and disdain him, yet Luo Wen happens to be the type most valued by their professors and popular with the female students."

"..." Lu Mingzhou gave a light click of his tongue. He stopped, looking up at the second floor with a sense of irritation.

The lights there were blazing, and heads were bobbing; even from the first floor, he could faintly hear the sounds of arguing and furniture being overturned.

Sometimes, the jealousy of human hearts is more terrifying than an evil ghost.

Remembering the sight of ten thousand ghosts descending before his own death, Lu Mingzhou suddenly understood why Luo Wen would release the most terrifying evil spirit within him.

"I thought you, Luo Wen, were so high and mighty, looking down on the rest of us—turns out you’re just a cheap hustler being kept by some sugar daddy!"

The roommate pointed at the shirt Luo Wen was wearing, speaking with disdain and shouting, "You couldn't afford this even if you worked for months, could you? Just wearing it like that? I bet some benefactor gave it to you."

The commotion in their dorm was significant. At this hour, most students had finished eating and were bored out of their minds; many, hearing the noise, immediately started peeking at the door of Luo Wen’s room.

Students could make a mountain out of a molehill over a simple confession on campus, so hearing the roommate mention "sugar daddy" and "kept," they were shocked and exhilarated.

Moreover, the person involved was one of the university’s most prominent figures—the handsome, high-achieving "Campus Prince" Luo. The male students at the door widened their eyes, as excited as scavengers who had just found a feast, pulling out their phones to take pictures and send messages.

Before long, the Lin University forum was buzzing. Many people, hearing the wind, rushed toward their location.

"Everyone has seen the forum, right? Campus Prince Luo hasn't been working his part-time jobs lately, getting picked up by luxury cars instead. He’s been acting so smug."

His words were a mix of falsehood and a sliver of truth. Those familiar with Luo Wen knew his proud character and couldn't help but try to explain for him, but those unaware of the truth believed it, and their gazes toward Luo Wen began to turn scornful and disgusted.

"I really envy people who look good; they can just live off their faces."

"This line of work isn't easy, either. Who knows if the benefactor is a man or a woman, human or ghost?"

"It’s a shame; I heard Professor Xu thought very highly of him."

The murmurs grew louder, filled with malicious speculation and insults toward Luo Wen.

Seeing that things were getting out of hand, the roommate tilted his head, eyeing Luo Wen sideways with a look of satisfaction and triumph.

Luo Wen’s gaze was like a blade, anger flickering in his eyes like fire. The coldness faded from his face, replaced by a glow as radiant as a rose.

"My affairs have nothing to do with you, and I have no obligation to explain them to you." Seeing the crowd growing, Luo Wen’s voice was as cold as ice. "Both the Civil Code and the Criminal Law have standards for filing cases regarding defamation. Do I need to educate you on them?"

His sharp gaze landed on the arrogant roommate, then swept past him to scan the onlookers behind. His demeanor was solemn and upright, like a bamboo stalk standing unafraid of the wind and rain, making people unable to meet his eyes.

The onlookers instinctively avoided his gaze, and the chatter died down significantly.

"Article 1024 of the Civil Code: any organization or individual shall not infringe upon the right of reputation through insults..." He slowly recited the legal code while expressionlessly pulling out his phone, dialing the police in front of everyone. "Hello, I want to report a crime..."

"Fine, you’re something else." Bullies fear the tough. Once Luo Wen showed strength, the roommate lost his nerve, his expression awkward. "It was just a joke, is it really necessary?"

Luo Wen didn't care about getting an apology. He lowered his eyes, trying to ignore the many gazes behind him, and was about to head to the restroom when his path was blocked.

"Move aside, Zhou Hao." He knit his brows and scolded coldly, but the other man reached out to grab his collar.

Fortunately, Luo Wen was on guard and dodged his hand, avoiding being grabbed.

He frowned, looking back at him, his eyes flashing with irritation.

"It was an accident, what’s the problem?" Zhou Hao sneered, his words dripping with malice.

Luo Wen pursed his lips, his phoenix eyes filled with coldness. His face was pale as he stared down the other man, a cold, bloody hue gradually staining the depths of his pupils, making him lose the last trace of a living person's aura.

A sudden, chilling wind swept through the dormitory building, and the bright corridor lights flickered. The students, who had been discussing everything so heatedly, felt a sudden chill down their spines. They stopped talking and looked around in confusion for a moment. Seeing nothing happened, they went back to their heated discussion.

"Yo, what’s all the noise about?" A cool voice rang out.

Luo Wen looked up and saw Lu Mingzhou appearing in front of the crowd. Clad in cool tones—grey top and black pants—he looked broad-shouldered and long-legged.

He was raising an eyebrow as he looked toward them, his pupil color and thin lips accentuated by his dark clothes. His expression was indifferent, yet his brows and eyes carried a sense of arrogance and abandon. Beside him, students scrambled to get out of the way.

Lu Mingzhou was famous at Lin University. He had money and power, and led a gang of lackeys to run wild on campus. Those who knew his style didn't dare to provoke this reckless second-generation heir.

Zhou Hao was also startled to see this "Buddha" arrive uninvited. He knew Lu Mingzhou—to be precise, he had tried to get into Lu Mingzhou’s circle, only to be treated with indifference, leaving him both resentful and helpless.

Zhou Hao didn't believe for a second that a poor wretch like Luo Wen could be associated with him. Seeing Lu Mingzhou, he habitually put on the airs of a senior student.

"Mingzhou, what brings you here?" He assumed Lu Mingzhou was here to see him. Putting on a relaxed expression, he draped an arm over Lu Mingzhou’s shoulder, acting as if they were close.

Luo Wen’s expression remained flat, but his right hand, clenched into a fist at his side, tightened until his fingernails dug into his palm without him realizing it.

He thought, with near-calmness—Zhou Hao was easy enough to deal with, but Lu Mingzhou knew him. If he chose to side with Zhou Hao to humiliate him publicly, there really would be nothing he could do.

With that thought, Luo Wen’s consciousness drifted for a moment, as if his soul were floating in the air, watching the farce before him from the perspective of an indifferent bystander.

The roommate with ulterior motives.
The spectators with malicious speculation.
And the expressionless Lu Mingzhou.

[Warning! Villain’s hatred value increased, reaching critical threshold!]
[Warning! Villain’s hatred value increased, reaching critical threshold!]

Bright red, bloody text flashed across Lu Mingzhou’s vision, accompanied by the system’s shrill, deafening alarm in his ears.

"We’re done for! Host! We’re going to die!"

Lu Mingzhou said nothing.

The original host had an average relationship with Zhou Hao, but Zhou Hao was skilled at reading people and always tried his best to curry favor with the original host. When the original host was in a good mood, he didn't mind giving him face by calling him "senior."

Lu Mingzhou couldn't be bothered with such trivial social niceties. He curled his lip, looking down at the man from a superior height.

In this moment, the gentleness and consideration he had displayed to Luo Wen last night were shattered completely. Just standing there, without saying a word, he exuded an oppressive presence that made people’s hearts shudder with fear.