Chapter 1451: "Anything that doesn't kill you, I won't touch." Lu Yun wiped the saliva off his face, looking utterly miserable. Lei smiled warmly and said, "I don't exactly do romantic things—just too excited. Yun-gong, thank you so much for helping me out with this. From now on, my life is yours." "Get lost, you idiot! Your life belongs to your parents. We're just brothers. Never say that lightly!" Lu Yun laughed, though his words were sharp, his heart genuinely pleased to have helped his brother through this tough time. Lei nodded vigorously, deeply moved, almost ready to make a romantic gesture to Lu Yun—had it not been for the other roommates still present, he probably would have truly given himself over to Lu Yun. The fatigue from earlier had been lifted by Lei's situation, and Lu Yun felt renewed, not rushing to fall asleep, but instead staying alert to receive the cold blade from the ancient, elegant figure. "Step back a bit, hold on so tightly—it's starting to look like we've got something going on between us." "Lu Yun pushed Lu Lei away, who had been tightly holding him, then lay down on the bed, glancing sideways at him with a mischievous smile. "Now then, tell me—how did you manage to get Xiao Jing onto the bed? I always thought you were quite steady and reliable, but here, at this crucial moment, you've actually outdone me in both speed and dexterity." Lei blushed, scratching his head nervously. "Cloud Brother, how could I possibly match you? Miss Xiao Ying and Miss Hongyu are truly campus beauties—Xiao Jing simply can't compare to them." "Enough with the flattery," Lu Yun murmured, giving him a gentle reprimand. Then, after a moment's thought, he added, "Lei, I want to tell you this: although Xiao Jing may not quite match Miss Xiao Ying or Miss Hongyu in appearance, you must understand that anyone you truly love will always seem the most beautiful and precious to you. If you can't grasp that, then Xiao Jing will be sadly overlooked by you for life." "Heard that, Lei's expression went stiff, as if pondering, or perhaps he had already made up his mind all along. After a brief pause, he solemnly nodded, saying, 'Yun, don't worry. Xiao Jing will always be my goddess in my heart.' Lu Yun smiled and nodded, saying, 'That's good.' From then on, Lu Yun kept staring at Lei, making him feel uneasy and even slightly nervous, asking, 'Yun, why are you looking at me like this? Do you think I've been with Xiao Jing? Do you think I'm taking advantage of the situation, looking down on you?' 'Huh?' Lu Yun was puzzled. He had just been trying to figure out how Lei managed to get Xiao Jing onto his bed so quickly, which was why he had been staring at him so intently, waiting for Lei to reveal the truth himself. To his surprise, Lei hadn't mentioned the actual situation—instead, he brought up this unexpected comment. Was there something going on beneath the surface? 'What's going on?' Lu Yun asked, his eyes fixed on Lei with intense focus." Lei glanced around and saw that no one was paying attention to them, so he spoke softly, "Yun-gong, actually, it was Xiao-Jing who volunteered to get onto the bed. I was so nervous back then that when it came time to actually do it, I couldn't even manage to get inside—I just saw her legs spurt out a stream of fluid." Wow! Lu Yun almost laughed. He knew Lei had never escaped the curse that so many men on this land inevitably faced in matters of intimacy, but he hadn't expected this young man to be so ineffective—just spraying out before even making contact. Was that really considered 'making it' to the bed? Seeing Lei's visibly disappointed expression, Lu Yun managed to suppress his laughter and comforted him, "Don't worry—it's completely normal for first-time experiences. Remember when I first...?" He paused here. Lu Yun's first time had been with his third aunt, but even then, she had reached her peak several times. "Yun-gong, was your first time like mine?" Lei asked, as if genuinely puzzled. Lu Yun's face turned slightly red, a rare occurrence, and he didn't directly answer Lei's question, fearing it might dampen his confidence. "Then what?" Lu Yun asked. "Then what?" Lei was taken aback. Lu Yun rubbed his head and tried a different approach. "I mean, girls like Xiao Jing wouldn't usually take the initiative, right? How could it be..." "Cloud Brother..." Lei interrupted Lu Yun, his voice low. "I'll be honest with you. The night before last, I invited Xiao Jing out. I noticed her eyes were swollen and red—she'd been crying for a long time. I thought someone must have been bothering her, so I asked several questions before I found out: her mother was ill. According to the village doctor, she'd need to go to the county hospital for treatment. Cloud Brother, Xiao Jing's family isn't wealthy—how could they afford to send her mother to the county hospital? After she told me all this, she kept crying against my shoulder. I was so moved—I didn't know why, but I just reached out and said, 'I'll cover the cost of her mother's medical treatment.'" As he spoke, Lei seemed to recall the scene vividly, and his expression instantly changed—becoming more mature, strong, and commanding. Lu Yun was well acquainted with the situation, and with a gentle smile, interjected, "Didn't it feel great at the time?" Lei paused, his face turning even redder, and nodded, saying, "Yes, I truly felt like a real man back then. Xiao Jing was very resistant, but the more she opposed, the more I insisted. I told her that the medical expenses would count as our wedding dowry—our future wedding gift." "That very remark was what finally convinced Xiao Jing to give in and fully commit—on the grassy field, we ended up doing it right there." Lei said, still blushing. Lu Yun wanted to laugh—man, such stories were endless. Among the girls around him, hadn't Xiao Ting also finally surrendered to him for much the same reason? Only his luck had been a bit better than Lei's. With the help of his big-bearded uncle, he had managed to win over Xiao Ting's heart quite smoothly. Staring blankly, Lei seemed unsure of what to say next. He felt as though he had secured a great advantage—only gaining Xiao Jing's body when she was in a vulnerable position—and thus, deep down, he remained somewhat resentful. Seeing Lei's expression, Lu Yun didn't press further. He suddenly produced a pack of cigarettes from under the pillow, lit one, took a long draw, exhaled a series of wisps, and asked, "Lei, how much does Xiao Jing's mother's illness cost?" "Five hundred..." Lei stammered out a figure he had originally thought to be astronomical. Lu Yun observed his demeanor carefully and, after a while, realized Lei was lying. Even if Xiao Jing's family were struggling, with a little help from relatives and friends, five hundred would certainly be manageable. Clearly, the actual cost of Xiao Jing's mother's illness was far beyond this amount. "Tell me the truth," Lu Yun simply said. Lei stood there, stunned for a moment, then gritted his teeth and said, "Yun, I'm telling you the truth—Ms. Xiao Jing's illness requires 8,000 yuan. Their family has already raised 6,000, but they simply can't manage the remaining 2,000. So, we're short by 2,000 yuan."