"That won't do either," Qi Fei said seriously. "Think about it—even a few hundred or a thousand clicks could spell utter ruin for me."

Wang Zhuo considered this for a moment, nodding silently. Qi Fei was right. Even if she never became as famous as Brother Guanxi or Sister Shoushou, having it known by people she associated with would be an unacceptable scandal.

Qi Fei let out a shaky breath, clearly unnerved. "Thank goodness for you. Otherwise, I truly don't know what would have become of this situation."

"Alright, let's not dwell on what's past," Wang Zhuo said, closing the file on his computer and popping out the CD, tossing it lightly between his fingers. "Destroy it, or keep it as a souvenir?"

"I'd like to keep it as a souvenir, honestly, but just seeing the background in those photos makes me nauseous," Qi Fei managed a wry smile and shook her head. "My hand is inconvenient, so you'll have to do it for me."

With a few sharp snaps, the CD was broken into tiny shards. Wang Zhuo then fetched a lighter and scorched the fingernail-sized flash drive until it was nothing more than a small, blackened bead of plastic.

Wang Zhuo used System Restore software to clean the computer; even cached files from the viewed media vanished completely. And just like that, Qi Fei's compromising photos and videos ceased to exist anywhere in the world.

It was getting dark. Qi Fei brought two disposable shower caps from the bathroom, asking Wang Zhuo to put one on her head and wrap the other around her injured right hand so she could manage a shower.

"If there are any spots you can't reach, just call me for assistance," Wang Zhuo quipped with a suggestive smile. "This service is complimentary."

She shot him a look, and Qi Fei headed into the bathroom to wash up.

Wang Zhuo sat at the head of the bed, propped up by pillows with the duvet covering his legs. Listening to the rushing sound of the shower, he felt a strange, misplaced sense of waiting for a lover to emerge.

Since meeting Qi Fei, their relationship had drawn closer step by step. It should have concluded at the stage of being iron-clad friends, perhaps occasionally trading ambiguous jokes or engaging in small, slightly over-the-line intimate gestures that wouldn't cause serious harm.

But on the very first day of this trip, the "night raid" Wang Zhuo pulled while Qi Fei was drunk had certainly punctured a delicate membrane between them.

A man unmarried, a woman unwed, traveling together—with mutual attraction involved—it would almost be odd if nothing happened.

As for the age gap? That was certainly an issue, but perhaps not an insurmountable one if marriage wasn't the ultimate goal.

At this moment, Wang Zhuo recalled a piece of advice from his playboy father: "A truly good man shouldn't push away a woman who likes him; the supreme path is to have her bear his children."

Wang Zhuo certainly didn't agree with that peculiar viewpoint. In fact, he didn't even agree with monogamy, believing it was a construct invented by the ruling class to maintain social stability, utterly incompatible with natural science.

Wang Zhuo's cavalier attitude wasn't just superficial; it was rooted deep in his core. He believed one should simply follow their true inclinations. Morality, law—these were things established by others, arbitrarily imposed upon him without his consent. Therefore, if he found something unreasonable, he wouldn't adhere to it or enforce it. If he believed something was right, he would do it, even if it contradicted morals or broke the law.

Assaulting a police officer—illegal? He'd done it. Violating others' privacy with X-ray vision—a frequent habit. And taking the fall for Gan Lin’s manslaughter, bribing officials to reduce his father's sentence—he had committed countless such immoral and illegal acts.

Unconsciously, Wang Zhuo's thoughts drifted far afield, moving from the complexities of romantic relationships to a deeper self-examination.

What is right, what is wrong—everyone carries their own internal yardstick. Wang Zhuo knew his was distinctly different, but he rigorously upheld one principle: to have a clear conscience.

In Jiangzhou, scenes of enthusiastic citizens helping elderly people cross the road had become rare. This was because the Peng Yu case in a nearby city had instilled a paralyzing sense of self-preservation in everyone.

In the two months Wang Zhuo had been in Jiangzhou, he had helped people across the street three times. Once, he nearly terrified the elderly woman he was helping, making her think he was mentally unstable.

When school first started, there was severe flooding in a southern province, and the university organized donation drives for faculty and students. Wang Zhuo was the only freshman who refused to donate, leading to three mandatory "heart-to-heart" talks with the political counselor. Eventually, the class advisor ended up donating fifty yuan in his name.

Yet, Wang Zhuo personally delivered ten high-quality camping tents to a disaster relief convoy organized by a private group, believing that method ensured the aid reached its intended destination without being embezzled.

When he saw a thief on the street, he displayed two entirely different attitudes. Sometimes, he would step forward, grab the culprit, and beat him soundly—an action he had taken three times. Other times, he would just smile and walk away, reasoning that the victim deserved to pay a tuition fee for being insufficiently vigilant.

...

Lost in his ruminations, Wang Zhuo was mentally cataloging and assessing the rightness and wrongness of his recent actions. Meanwhile, Qi Fei, inside the bathroom, had finished bathing but encountered a new predicament.

Because of her injured right hand, she couldn't secure her towel with just her left hand.

It had taken her ages to undress earlier, and now she was utterly helpless. Finally, she managed to wedge the edge of the towel against her right arm, using her left hand to hold the front closed, and pushed the door open like that.

Click.

The main light went out. Having learned a lesson from her previous experience stumbling around Wang Zhuo's apartment, Qi Fei was wiser this time: lights off first.

The bedside mood lights immediately flickered on. Wang Zhuo couldn't suppress a laugh; this was a king-sized bed explicitly designed for couples, and turning off the main light automatically activated the auxiliary lamps.

"It's getting late, hurry up and sleep," he said, clearing space on his side, arranging his pillows, and slipping under the covers.

They both settled in. Qi Fei turned off the light on her side, tossed and turned for a long time, unable to sleep, and finally asked, "Wang Zhuo, you still haven't answered my question?"

"Oh." Wang Zhuo was certainly wide awake too, and answered quickly. "You asked if I thought you were cheap after watching those photos and videos."

"Mmm..."

Wang Zhuo rolled over, looking at her in the soft, hazy light of the room, and smiled. "Sister, based on what you said, I'd guess that every girl in our school, except for a few unattractive outcasts, is cheap."

That statement instantly made Qi Fei feel much better. After a moment’s thought, she asked again, "Then, sleeping next to me on the same bed—does that make you feel disgusted?"

Wang Zhuo didn't speak, but instead reached out his right hand and gently took hold of her left, providing his answer through action.

If simply holding her hand like this made him feel revolted, he thought, then most men would develop psychological barriers kissing any woman who had ever been in a relationship.

With her palm gently held by Wang Zhuo, Qi Fei suddenly felt a warm rush, a gentle, deep affection flowing through her.

After a long pause, Wang Zhuo cleared his throat and said, "However, I think something here is unfair."

Qi Fei startled. "How so?"

Wang Zhuo chuckled slyly. "Even scumbags like Mo Yan got to enjoy your services. How come a good man like me doesn't get that kind of treatment?"

Qi Fei flushed with annoyance and jabbed him sharply with her elbow. "Trying to take advantage of your big sister, are we?"

Wang Zhuo just kept chuckling, leaving Qi Fei unable to tell if he was joking or confirming his intention.

Her heart began to race. She tested the waters, asking tentatively, "Aren't you afraid your little girlfriend will find out and dump you?"

This was promising. Wang Zhuo swallowed silently, whispering back, "If you don't tell and I don't tell, who would know?"

Indeed, who would know? Qi Fei felt flustered by her own rapid heartbeat. She slightly turned her head and met Wang Zhuo's expectant gaze.

Her heart pounding, she closed her eyes, released Wang Zhuo's hand, and slid her palm forward across the sheet.

After an unspecified amount of time, Qi Fei withdrew her hand and shook her arm outside the blanket—it felt slightly sore from the effort.

Wang Zhuo sighed languidly.

Unsatisfied. Qi Fei reluctantly slid her hand back under the covers, only to hear Wang Zhuo say, "Sister, one hand isn't very effective. Even that scumbag Mo Yan enjoyed service with two hands. I only get one..."

This little rascal, comparing himself again to that trash Mo Yan. Qi Fei stopped her movement and asked irritably, "Then what do you want?"

Wang Zhuo grinned playfully, pressed closer, and reached out his hand.

Qi Fei quickly grabbed his hand, warning him, "Don't push your luck."

"If you don't even know how to push your luck, are you even a man?" With both hands pinned down, Wang Zhuo simply leaned his face in close.

Qi Fei gave him a fleeting peck on the lips. "Happy now?"

"Are you trying to soothe a child?" Wang Zhuo pouted in mock dissatisfaction.

Qi Fei had no choice but to lean in again. The moment their lips touched, Wang Zhuo broke free, pulling her into his embrace and kissing her fiercely.

This kiss ignited the friction between them; their bodies tumbled and tangled beneath the covers. Wang Zhuo's hands quickly began their long-anticipated exploration, climbing not only to the breasts he had coveted for so long but over every inch of the beautiful older sister's body.

Just as he was about to fully unleash his efforts and become the first man in her life, his progress was halted by a firm grip, preventing any further advance.

"Wang Zhuo, no, I'm not ready yet..."

Wang Zhuo lifted his face, breathing heavily. "Sister, it's already slick enough?"

"That's not what I meant." Qi Fei desperately wanted to bite him, explaining in mortified embarrassment, "I really am a virgin. Not today, I truly can't..."

As she spoke, she pressed her legs together, moving little Wang Zhuo aside.

Wang Zhuo immediately deflated, saying with a mixture of frustration and amusement, "Sister, that's like managing the ascent but canceling the landing! You left me hanging here, halfway done?"

Qi Fei felt deeply apologetic. After a moment's thought, she offered, "I'll handle it for you with my hand, okay?"

Sensing her lack of firm resolve, Wang Zhuo immediately shook his head. "No."

Qi Fei looked troubled. "Then what do you suggest we do?"

Wang Zhuo immediately seized the opportunity, employing his rogue tactics. "It has to be a better standard than what Mo Yan experienced. Otherwise, I'm out."

Qi Fei hesitated for a long time, finally letting out a bitter laugh. "My little nemesis, I must have owed you in a past life."

Saying this, she lifted the blanket and slid inward. Wang Zhuo was ecstatic, thinking he was about to enjoy the technique most famously associated with a certain Japanese flight attendant. However, she slid even lower...

Wang Zhuo felt such intense pleasure that the hairs on his body stood on end. It turned out the beautiful older sister possessed a supreme treasure without even realizing it, elevating his treatment by two full levels.

After enjoying himself for a long time that night, Wang Zhuo fell asleep without much more conversation. He had wanted to talk with her longer, but she was too exhausted to speak another word.