Li Juan had just climbed down from her bunk, clutching the money in her hand, ready to hand over the thirty yuan to Tang Xue when Zhao Ling's voice cut through the air like a sudden slap.
"Don't be stupid, Li Juan. Haven't you noticed something's off?"
Startled, Li Juan paused and looked over, her fingers still pinching the money. "Zhao Ling, what do you mean?"
Zhao Ling let out a sharp, unimpressed snort. "Are you seriously that naive? Haven't you realized Tang Xue hasn't been pushing that so-called 'miracle repair cream' lately? And did you even glance at the campus bulletin board this morning? The police posted a notice—apparently a flood of counterfeit skincare products has hit the student market, and they've launched a full investigation. There was even a photo. The product in the image? The exact one Tang Xue's been selling. You really want to lend her money now? What if you end up dragged into a counterfeit ring?"
