Chapter 1

I had just joined the freshman group chat when I received a friend request.

[Lucas]

I glanced at the real Lucas beside me, who was lounging lazily on the couch, picking at his feet while watching a beauty pageant show.

Why would he suddenly add me as a friend?

I accepted the request, and the person got straight to the point.

[Hey freshman, want to date?]

"Bro, I heard you want to date me?"

Not only was my brother surprised, but my stepmom also rushed in from the kitchen where she was washing dishes and gave him a slap.

She grabbed her son's ear.

"You little rascal, can't you behave? Your sister is off-limits, do you want a beating?"

Lucas and I aren't related by blood. He's my stepmom's son.

When I was fourteen, our families merged, but it wasn't as dramatic as in TV shows. We got along well and lived in peace.

Lucas and I were especially close, even more than real siblings.

After my college entrance exam, following Lucas's advice, I applied to the same university as him.

The only difference was that he was a graduate student, while I was an incoming freshman.

Lucas, who had just been inexplicably beaten by his mom, was quite indignant. But when he turned to me, his tone softened, with a hint of grievance.

"Ava, you didn't say this just to get my mom to hit me, did you...?"

"Of course not."

I handed him my phone. The childish person on the other end was still entertaining himself.

[Freshman, what admission batch are you in? I'm currently a graduate student, and I've already been recommended for a Ph.D. program.]

[Freshman, I saw the photos in your moments, they're all so pretty. Do you have any no-makeup photos? Those are more real.]

[Freshman, do you want to see my photos? I guarantee you'll be very satisfied.]

The moment I handed the phone to my brother, another message popped up.

[If you want to see, it's $5 per photo ]

I could feel my brother's anger about to burn through the ceiling.

That person shamelessly added another sentence.

[I, Lucas, am the acknowledged campus heartthrob at our school ]

My brother was so angry he wanted to smash my precious phone, but remembering he had worked part-time jobs to save up and buy it for me, he couldn't bear to. He just tossed the phone back to me.

"This bastard, don't let me find out who it is, or I'll use him as a lab rat. I'll sterilize him first, then crack his skull open."