Chapter 8: Exercise! Exercise!

The breakfast rush had already passed, leaving only a few scattered students in the massive dining hall.

Bai Yao had likely lost the habit of eating breakfast back in middle school.

He preferred to save the breakfast money his family gave him, bit by bit, to buy things he actually wanted.

They said skipping breakfast was bad for the stomach, but he didn’t particularly care.

“Ma’am, a meat bun, two fried shrimp rings, a sweet soy milk, and… I’ll take one steamer of soup dumplings.”

Having earned 400 yuan from the system yesterday, Bai Yao decided to indulge in a bit of luxury.

He bought an extra steamer of soup dumplings to reward his fragile soul, which had been ravaged by the system.

He squeezed some sweet chili sauce onto a small dish, picked up his tray, and turned to find Lin Mingxin’s seat.

“What did you order?”

“Mixed noodles and wontons. They’re still making them.”

The first floor of the dining hall was mostly comprised of various fast-food stalls, but Shaxian Snacks was omnipresent; you could find them anywhere.

Bai Yao sat across from Lin Mingxin.

Since he still needed to use him to complete tasks, he felt a twinge of guilt and took the initiative to speak.

“How much was it? It’s on me.”

It was supposed to be a simple case of roommates going to get breakfast together… but because the system had twisted it into a task, it made his motives feel impure.

“No, really, it’s fine.”

“Then do you want some soup dumplings?”

Opening the steamer, Bai Yao placed the soup dumplings between them.

“Sure, thanks,” Lin Mingxin replied without looking up.

He was busy typing on his phone, though it was unclear who he was chatting with.

‘Could it be a girlfriend?’

Bai Yao’s eyes lit up.

As long as he could confirm Lin Mingxin had a girlfriend, the system would likely give up on using this “unrequited love interest” as a target.

Otherwise, if it kept using his roommates and friends as task targets, his conscience would eventually give out, even if they never found out.

This system was truly absurd.

On one hand, it acted concerned about the host’s health, but on the other, it wanted the host to cast a wide net and flirt with men everywhere…

The pure love devotee in him was incensed!

He took a bite of his meat bun but failed to reach the filling.

Bai Yao curled his lip and took a sip of the sweet soy milk, which was as thin as water.

The dining hall breakfast was truly ridiculous…

No wonder Lin Mingxin preferred Shaxian Snacks.

“Bai Yao, the holiday is coming up. What are your plans?”

“The holiday…”

It had been nearly a month since the semester started, and the National Day long holiday was right around the corner.

Bai Yao shook his head.

“I don’t plan on going back. I was originally thinking of finding a temporary job or doing some food delivery.”

“Food delivery? Are you that short on cash?”

“My monthly allowance is only 1,500 yuan… It’s barely enough.”

Lin Mingxin recalled the few times the roommates had eaten at the dining hall together.

While others usually got two meats and one vegetable, Bai Yao generally only ordered one meat and one vegetable.

He had assumed it was because the smaller guy just had a small appetite.

“That is pretty low.”

Since the topic was already open, Bai Yao couldn’t help but gossip.

“Who are you chatting with? A girlfriend?”

“Where would I get a girlfriend? It’s just a Senior. She’s asking me to hang out during National Day.”

“Oh~”

Bai Yao let out a soft, rising hum.

“A Senior! Is she pretty?”

Lin Mingxin’s face flushed slightly as he awkwardly scratched the back of his head.

This roommate of his was quite the gossip.

“She’s pretty good-looking…”

“What’s her type? Do you have a photo?”

“Forget the photo. Anyway… her chest is pretty big.”

‘System, did you hear that! He already has someone he’s talking to!’

[You discover with a shock that you have a competitor! Where did this flashy slut come from, daring to steal your man? Your jealousy burns bright, but when you look in the mirror—over 30, out of shape, youth gone—you are shrouded in inferiority.]

“…”

Bai Yao looked down at his body.

He was just a bit thin and frail.

He did have a slight inferiority complex, often hunching his shoulders and lacking confidence… but wasn’t the culprit this damn system that treated him like a woman and added a layer of fat to his chest!

Besides! What does someone else having a date have to do with whether he felt inferior or not!

[From today onward, exercise for 30 minutes every day! Reclaim your body! Reclaim your confidence! Reward: 100 cash (Stackable!)]

‘Stackable?!’

Didn’t that mean he could earn a steady income every day? Add that to the small daily tasks, and a monthly income of over 10,000 wouldn’t be a problem!

“I happen to have nothing else to do.”

Bai Yao looked up, his eyes shining as he gazed at Lin Mingxin.

He asked expectantly, “Want to go for a morning run together?”

The topic shift was a bit too sudden.

Lin Mingxin quickly shook his head in refusal.

“Forget it, I’m in a hurry to get back and finish my dailies.”

‘What a pity. I wanted to drag someone else down into this suffering with me.’

“Then I’ll go running in the evening…”

With the current heat, the evening temperatures were lower and there was no harsh sun, making it much more suitable for exercise.

Bai Yao slowly finished his breakfast.

The taste was mediocre—not exactly hard to swallow, but flavorless nonetheless.

He couldn’t find any joy in the food.

Lin Mingxin brought over his mixed noodles and wontons, tossing the peanut sauce until the noodles were thoroughly coated.

He found himself unconsciously glancing at Bai Yao sitting across from him.

Perhaps it was because Bai Yao’s skin had become better lately, or perhaps because he wasn’t as cold as before.

The more he looked, the more he felt Bai Yao was pleasant to the eye and easy to get along with.

Even though Bai Yao’s features were somewhat feminine and didn’t fit his usual aesthetic, and his personality was a bit withdrawn…

“I’m going to go buy breakfast for Brother Long.”

Bai Yao forced himself to finish his meal and stood up to get food for Brother Long.

When he reached the window, he hesitated for a moment but decided to get a portion for Wang Zuhao as well… even if that guy was pretty annoying.

[Task Complete. Reward: 100 cash]

‘The eating task is done?’

Bai Yao turned to look at Lin Mingxin and saw that he had also finished his breakfast and was carrying his tray to the disposal area.

He suddenly realized that these kinds of tasks were actually quite simple.

They were things like gaining attention, striking up a conversation for contact info, or having a meal date…

As a man, as long as he kept his mindset steady, doing these things with the same sex wouldn’t make anyone think twice.

After all, he wasn’t the host the system described.

He wasn’t some hundred-man bitch! And he wasn’t a woman!

“100 yuan~ 100 yuan~”

Bai Yao hummed happily under his breath, his steps slightly bouncy as he walked.

‘I want to change my phone! I want a gaming chair! I want to buy a Steam Deck so I can play in bed or bring it to the classroom!’

With money coming in, his previously suppressed desires inevitably began to surge.

Carrying the packed breakfast, Bai Yao met Lin Mingxin at the dining hall entrance and gave a cheerful greeting.

“Ready to go?”

His voice inadvertently rose a pitch, sounding as crisp and sharp as a girl’s.

Lin Mingxin gave him an extra look.

“Want to play games together later?”

“Sure~ Valorant?”

Everyone in the dorm played Valorant and Naraka: Bladepoint, and they often played mobile games like Honor of Kings and PUBG together, frequently teaming up—except for Bai Yao.

In the past, Bai Yao couldn’t be bothered to cater to his roommates’ hobbies.

He only found them noisy when they played together, preferring to quietly play RimWorld or Paradox grand strategy games.

Now, he needed to use his roommates to complete tasks.

Getting on better terms would make tasks easier to trigger and complete.

“I haven’t played it yet.”

“It’s fine, I’ll carry you.”

Mentioning games, Lin Mingxin became animated, looking more excited than when he was chatting with the Senior.

“Try out a Healer first to get a feel for it. Just hang back; Brother Long and I will carry you!”

“Just don’t complain about me being a noob.”