Chapter 6: Changes

[Good morning, Bai Yao! The sun has risen; it’s a brand-new day! You should face every day from now on with a proactive, optimistic, sunny, and cheerful attitude!]

Early in the morning, his brain was still groggy, stuck in a state between dreaming and being awake.

Bai Yao kept his eyes tightly shut as he rolled over lazily.

He subconsciously buried his head under the covers, trying to block out the noise that was disturbing him.

‘I wanted to sleep a bit more… don’t be so noisy the moment I wake up! How can I be proactive and optimistic if I don’t get a good sleep?’

‘Besides, all this anxiety and unease was brought on by this crappy system!’

[Yesterday’s Settlement!]

[You completed four tasks in total, exceeding expectations in two of them. Only one task was left unfinished. Simply wonderful!]

[You have received your rewards: 400 in living expenses, Skin Improvement, and Undiminished Charm!]

‘Is Undiminished Charm even a reward? Is it just a verbal compliment?’

Bai Yao let out a yawn and rubbed the corners of his sleepy eyes.

Although the system’s voice wasn’t sharp or piercing — it sounded like an energetic, AI girl — it was still loud enough to chase away his drowsiness.

[Furthermore! Yesterday, you did not smoke or drink! You also did not over-use the Artillery Coyote and the Illusion Dragon!]

[Keep it up. Taking care of your body and your skin is the capital you need to find a man!]

“???”

Those were terms he didn’t understand…

And who the hell wanted to find a man!

Yawning repeatedly, Bai Yao wrapped himself tighter in his blankets.

The temperature was a bit low in the morning, and coupled with the 16-degree air conditioning, he felt a shiver of cold.

He tucked half of the quilt under his body, rolling himself up like a chicken wrap.

The system fell silent.

Bai Yao closed his eyes, intending to go back to sleep.

However, his thoughts had already become active due to the system’s settlement, and his mind couldn’t help but wander.

First of all… the original host was likely himself as a girl in a parallel world.

Otherwise, there was no way to explain why he knew both of his secret crushes and even the person pursuing him.

Secondly… this definitely had nothing to do with his future self!

After all, he had never been in a relationship; he was a member of the Pure Love Faction! Even the most hardcore tentacle doujinshi he had ever read were pure love stories!

How could someone like him become an obsessive woman who liked several men in just a few years?

And how could he complete a hundred-man streak in just a single year?

Even at a rate of one per day, he would have to swap partners every three days.

“Tsk! I can’t sleep…”

Bai Yao rolled over.

His mind was a mess of wandering thoughts, and the earth-shaking sound of Wang Zuhao’s snoring nearby completely ruined his plan to sleep in.

Having held it in all night, he finally couldn’t take it anymore.

He dragged himself out of bed and climbed down the ladder with light steps, afraid that making too much noise would wake his roommates.

Bai Yao hadn’t slept well last night.

After mysteriously gaining a system, he couldn’t feel happy at all.

His anxiety had kept him tossing and turning.

After using the restroom, Bai Yao returned to the laundry sink on the balcony.

He brushed his teeth while checking his phone for any messages he might have missed while sleeping.

There actually was one!

Qiu Ye: [Handshake Emoji]

Bai Yao had never spoken to Qiu Ye before, so he had simply added him through the class group.

He had only been accepted right before bed, which counted as establishing contact to complete the task, though there was certainly no extra reward.

He politely replied with a handshake emoji as well, set his phone aside, and lowered his head to wash up.

‘My skin doesn’t seem as oily…’

Although he didn’t have particularly oily skin, it was normal for his face to be a bit greasy after a night’s sleep.

He usually used a facial cleanser in the morning to ensure he looked clean.

But today, as he touched the sides of his nose — the area most prone to oil — and ran his fingers through his hair, which usually got greasy even with daily washing, everything felt clean and fresh.

His mood instantly brightened.

The system wasn’t completely useless!

Bai Yao didn’t bother using the cleanser.

He cupped some water in his hands, splashed his face twice, and wiped it with a dry towel.

He felt instantly refreshed.

Thinking about the 400 yuan he had “earned” yesterday, he narrowed his eyes.

He leaned back against the laundry sink and picked up his phone to browse a shopping site.

He would buy something he liked to reward himself!

He probably wouldn’t have to ask his family for money next month, either — saving him from being lectured about spending too much every time.

First, a mattress.

Currently, he was sleeping on a bamboo mat over a wooden board, which was hard and uncomfortable.

He should also buy a set of curtains for the dorm, the blackout kind, to help him sleep better and provide some privacy.

Earplugs were also a necessity! Wang Zuhao was loud before bed and snored after falling asleep.

He wondered if they would even work.

Bai Yao spent a full 30 minutes browsing the shopping platform.

His cart was stuffed full, but in the end, he painfully decided to only buy the mattress, a blackout eye mask, and earplugs.

It was all for the sake of better sleep.

As soon as he finished the payment, he felt a twinge of regret… he had agreed to save money for a medical checkup.

“Up so early?”

The half-closed back door to the balcony was pushed open.

Lin Mingxin gave a greeting and ducked straight into the bathroom.

Less than 1 minute later, he returned to the balcony, lit a cigarette, and casually invited, “Want to go get breakfast?”

Huh?

Bai Yao was startled.

Would it be rude to refuse? After all, Lin Mingxin usually didn’t talk much; this was the first time he had taken the initiative to invite Bai Yao to a meal.

But he had lost the habit of eating breakfast back in middle school, and he didn’t really want to go out right after waking up…

His internal monologue was running wild, but in reality, he only hesitated for half a second.

“Sure.”

“Then wait until I’m done with this smoke.”

Bai Yao gave a grunt of affirmation.

He used his hand to fan his nose, trying to disperse the smell of smoke.

Seeing this, Lin Mingxin took two steps to the side and purposefully exhaled in the other direction.

Although Lin Mingxin was quite considerate and never smoked inside the dorm to avoid lingering second-hand smoke, the clothes hanging on the balcony still suffered.

Bai Yao put down his phone.

Holding the railing with one hand, he stood on his tiptoes and leaned out of the balcony to retrieve the clothes that had been drying all day.

The way he stood on his toes and reached out inevitably caused his loose pajama shirt to stretch and tighten.

Standing beside him, Lin Mingxin’s eyes were immediately drawn to the slight, rounded bulge on Bai Yao’s chest.

Back during freshman military training, the camouflage t-shirts were very thin.

Whenever Bai Yao wore one, two points would clearly show through, which led to constant teasing from Wang Zuhao.

Since then, Bai Yao had hidden in the bathroom even just to change his clothes.

Lin Mingxin knew from that time that Bai Yao had a bit of a chest, but he was surprised to find that it looked even thicker and more prominent today…

The prolonged stare eventually got a reaction from Bai Yao.

He gathered his clothes and looked at Lin Mingxin with confusion.

He had large, almond-shaped eyes that were clear and lively, possessing a friendly, neighborly kind of warmth that now held an inquiring gaze.

“It’s nothing,” Lin Mingxin said as he tossed the cigarette butt and stomped it out.

“Ready to go eat?”

Huh?

It felt a bit suspicious!

Perhaps because he had been messed with by the system too much, Bai Yao asked suspiciously, “If there’s something, just say it.”

Lin Mingxin scratched his head.

“Did your chest get a bit bigger?”

“…”

Bai Yao lowered his head.

Looking at the slight, rounded rise on his chest, he walked toward the bathroom as if nothing had happened.

“I don’t think so.”

He had specifically paid attention to it while using the restroom yesterday…

Though it wasn’t very obvious, it really did seem to have gotten bigger! From ninth grade until now, this was the first time this had happened!

Slam!

The bathroom door was practically slammed shut.

Lin Mingxin muttered innocently, “You told me to just say it…”