Chapter 2

I crouched under the eaves, clutching the two bundles of cash until my fingertips went white.

I don’t know how long it was before the sounds stopped.

Jiang Cheng came out looking satisfied.

He pulled on his jacket and tossed another bundle at me.

“What a fucking bargain. I didn’t know your sister was a virgin. That was good. Really fucking good!”

Excited, I scooped up the money and ran inside.

My sister was curled up on the heated brick bed, her face wet with tears.

She got up, rushed over, and wrapped her arms around my neck.

“Nannan, take me home. I don’t want snacks anymore.”

“All right. We’re going home now.”

“Sis, don’t tell anyone what happened today. That bad man will kill us if you do.”

She trembled. “He’ll kill Nannan too?”

“Yes. I’ll die too.”

She immediately covered her mouth. “I won’t tell anyone.”

Jiang Cheng stood beside us, sneering.

Before we left, he gave her another vicious pinch.

It made her cry, yet she turned around and tried to comfort me.

“Nannan, look.”

With tears in her eyes, she carefully took a one-yuan note from her pocket.

“I’ll buy Nannan some candy.”

I stopped walking and slapped myself hard across the face.

Our parents never found out about that night.

My sister kept her mouth shut.

But what to do with the thirty thousand became a problem.

I couldn’t explain it if I gave it straight to our parents.

So I used it to buy a top-of-the-line laptop.

All my other roommates played online games together every night. I was the only one without a computer.

I’d asked my family for one several times already.

Our parents had been saving up for it.

In a roundabout way, I’d saved the family money.

Back at university, I happily pulled the laptop out of my bag.

My roommates were amazed.

They kept telling me how good it looked and how powerful it was.

My vanity got an enormous boost.

Then Jiang Cheng gave a nasty little laugh beside me.

“His sister saved up that money for him. Didn’t she, Zhou Nan?”

My smile froze.

He came over and patted my shoulder.

“You’ve found yourself a real treasure.”

“I hear the student council’s recruiting. It’s not just extra credits down the line. You’ll get first pick of all sorts of opportunities off campus too.”

“Personally… I couldn’t care less about the council. But you’re my brother. Of course I’m going to look out for you.”

He had my attention immediately.

I looked at him.

Pleasing this guy once really had brought me plenty of benefits.

My sister’s sacrifice… had been worth it!

Then Jiang Cheng pulled me out of the dorm room.

With a wicked grin, he said,

“The student council president’s a guy. And a real lech.”

“If you want in, bring your sister over… let him have a turn.”

I understood immediately.

He patted my shoulder again.

“I could tell you weren’t exactly a man of principles.”

“Trust me. Put that high-minded morality aside, and you’re going to do very well here.”

“She’s just an idiot sister. She was born to serve you. With a chance like this handed to you, can you really bear to pass it up?”

With that, he took me to see the student council president.

Right in front of me, he pulled out the video he’d recorded that night and showed it to him.

I tensed and tried to snatch the phone.

Jiang Cheng shot me a cold glare.

It was a look of absolute superiority, of contempt for everything beneath him.

I was frightened into pulling my hand back.

He sneered, draped an arm around the president, and sat on the bed with him to enjoy the video.

Listening to those awful sounds, I felt my heart twist.

But.

It had made me tens of thousands of yuan.

I’d saved my family money.

My sister alone could bring in more than our whole family earned in a year, in one night.

There was nothing to be ashamed of. People sneered at poverty, not prostitution.

I kept telling myself to relax.

When the video ended, the president stood with a sneer and hitched up his trousers.

His eyes swept over me.

I could tell he didn’t see a human being. More like an animal.

In front of those two, I had no dignity at all.

I was just a pimp.

“Kid, I like that idiot sister of yours. She really does have an angel’s face.”

“Put her in my bed next Saturday, and I’ll make you vice president.”

Then he snorted.

“I mean you have to deliver her to my bed yourself.”

“That shouldn’t be hard, should it?”

I swallowed. “I want ten thousand yuan on top of the position.”

“Well, well… You really know how to do business.”

He turned to Jiang Cheng, and they both laughed.

“Jiang Cheng paid thirty thousand to be the first. Ten thousand to be second doesn’t sound like such a bad deal.”

“Fine. You’ve got yourself a deal.”

“Hey, wait!”

Jiang Cheng stood up.

“Zhou Nan, you don’t expect me to arrange all this for free, do you?”

“Here’s the deal. Your sister spends the second night with me. Last time was rushed. I didn’t get enough. This time I’m going to get my fill.”

He rubbed his hands with a nasty grin.

Then, as if something had occurred to him, he turned to the president.

“No. I’ll pay your share. Let me have the first night when she gets here.”

“I was first anyway. Whichever night you get, you’re taking my leftovers. This way you save money too.”

“Fuck off. No!” The president rolled his eyes at Jiang Cheng. “You rushed off last time. Bet you weren’t satisfied. My ten thousand will be money well spent. Let me go first. You can wait your turn.”

“Fuck, don’t mess around. I don’t like what you’re talking about!”

They ignored me completely.

Right in front of me, they talked obscenely about how they would abuse my sister.

Then the president took my phone, transferred ten thousand yuan to me, and slapped it hard against my chest.

“Next Saturday. Don’t forget.”

“I’m interested now. If she’s not here on time, I’ll make sure you can’t stay at this university.”

“Fucking hell, you want his sister and you’re threatening him too? Are you even human?”

Jiang Cheng punched him playfully.

The president curled his lip.

“Compared to the competition, I certainly am.”