Chapter 19: A perk for good looks?

Outside the school, on the Food Street lining the road.

Bai Yao picked up his packages from the courier station.

He had ordered them a few days ago, and several boxes were now stacked high in his arms, wobbling precariously.

He carefully carried the packages out and looked up at the gloomy sky.

His mood sank to rock bottom.

‘That bastard Lin Mingxin! Is he really not coming back tonight either?’

His roommate’s life was far too good, making him feel a mix of jealousy and envy.

He could already imagine the decadent life Lin Mingxin was leading with that senior.

During the National Day holiday, the usually bustling Food Street was much quieter than before.

The vendors on both sides of the street were sparse, but the smoky aroma of street food still permeated the air.

Carrying his packages, Bai Yao carefully controlled his gait, terrified that he might accidentally leak some of that so-called “femininity.”

He stopped at almost every stall, peering around in search of dinner.

‘Sushi… a bit expensive.’

‘Roujiamo, so little meat. Forget it.’

‘Teppanyaki looks good!’

Bai Yao stopped in front of the teppanyaki stall.

Looking at the squid that was larger than a palm, he couldn’t help but swallow his saliva.

He spoke up with difficulty, “Um… Boss, how much is this large squid?”

The busy owner looked up and flashed a smile.

“20.”

‘So expensive!’ He could only really accept a price around ten yuan.

“What about the small one?”

“15.”

Perhaps sensing Bai Yao’s hesitation, the owner enthusiastically handed over a small skewer of squid tentacles.

“Here, try my cooking first. It’s delicious.”

‘Huh? Since when are they this friendly?’

He had never seen free samples on this street before.

For the first time, Bai Yao tangibly felt the benefits of his “unfading charm.”

“Thank you.”

He took the squid tentacles.

Although they were only as long as a pinky finger, the flavor was indeed excellent!

His psychological defenses crumbled.

Bai Yao picked up a large squid skewer and two pieces of pork tenderloin.

“How much total?”

“28. Scan the code here.”

Bai Yao’s hands were full of packages, making it impossible to reach for his phone.

He looked left and right before wobbling over to the folding table behind the owner to set the boxes down.

“To go or for here?”

“To go. Can I leave my packages here for a moment?”

“Sure!”

The iron plate made a tempting sizzle.

Faint white smoke rose from the stall, carrying the fragrance of heated spices.

Just standing there watching, Bai Yao felt his stomach grow sour with hunger.

“Not going home for National Day?”

The owner was a talkative type, chatting away while preparing the squid.

Although Bai Yao didn’t like talking much, he couldn’t just give the man the cold shoulder.

He forced himself to reply dryly, “No… I live too far away.”

“So you’ll have to wait until New Year’s to go back? Studying so far from home must be hard.”

“It’s alright…”

The owner glanced curiously at Bai Yao.

Even though this customer’s hair was a bit long and his frame was slender, giving him a somewhat androgynous look, his facial features suggested he was a handsome boy.

His voice also had the deeper resonance of a male.

However, the way he stood there with his legs pressed tightly together, one hand clutching his other arm a bit nervously as he looked down at his phone, was just like a girl.

“Little… Little brother? The squid is ready.”

“Okay, thank you.”

Bai Yao took the bag, hung it on his pinky, picked up his packages again, and slowly walked back toward the school.

‘So few tasks were triggered today.’

He had only earned 100 yuan.

Moreover, the system had screwed him over again.

Now he had to constantly watch his step, fearing he might sway his hips or thrust his pelvis like a girl.

He didn’t want to deal with Qiu Ye anymore.

The tasks would surely get more and more embarrassing…

After all, the original host was a slatternly bitch, and the task difficulty wasn’t set with a pure-hearted male college student in mind.

Entering through the back gate led straight to the dormitory area.

It was only a short walk to the building where Bai Yao lived.

Currently, the dormitory area was also deserted.

As far as the eye could see, there wasn’t a soul on the tree-lined paths.

This allowed Bai Yao to relax slightly…

Constantly straining his nerves to monitor his every move was exhausting.

After turning two corners, he reached his building.

He scanned his face to enter the lobby and then had to climb five flights of stairs.

By the time he reached the door with his stack of packages, Bai Yao was out of breath.

He pushed the door open and was immediately greeted by a room in total disarray, cluttered with junk.

“???”

‘Why is my suitcase on the floor?’

His expression froze.

He looked up at the top bunk and saw Qiu Ye clumsily making the bed.

“You went to get your packages?”

Qiu Ye struggled to pull a cooling silk sheet over the mattress.

His quilt was piled in a heap on Bai Yao’s bed next to him.

“Come help me pull this sheet taut.”

“…”

Bai Yao set down his packages and moved his suitcase to the corner of the room.

He walked to the bedside and stood on his tiptoes to grab one side of the sheet, helping Qiu Ye pull it flat and tuck it under the mattress.

“Did the Counselor agree?” he asked reluctantly.

“Who cares about him?”

“You… did my roommates agree?”

“Brother Long said he’d throw a welcome party for me when he gets back from the holiday.”

‘Fine, if you’re hell-bent on moving in, there’s nothing I can do. But why do you have to sleep right next to me!’

Like most college dorms, Bai Yao’s room had six beds—three on each side, with desks underneath.

Originally, the four roommates had tacitly left the middle two beds empty.

Now, Bai Yao would have to sleep right next to Qiu Ye.

He considered switching his sleeping position to face the other way, putting his feet toward Qiu Ye…

“Thanks.”

Once the four corners of the sheet were tucked firmly under the mattress, Qiu Ye took his quilt and pillow back from Bai Yao’s bed.

After finishing the bed, Qiu Ye looked down.

“I put your stuff on your desk.”

“Okay.”

He vaulted down from the bunk and leaned in behind Bai Yao.

“What are you eating? You didn’t even buy a skewer for me.”

‘Who do you think you are!’

After a moment of hesitation, Bai Yao handed a pork skewer to Qiu Ye.

Even though this guy had a bit of a big mouth, he was actually quite nice.

He had even gifted Bai Yao a game…

But the National Day holiday he was supposed to spend alone had been ruined! It was a bit annoying.

“What did you buy? So many packages?”

“Well…”

Bai Yao finally looked up at Qiu Ye.

His eyes flickered as he bit the bullet and asked, “Um… can you help me put up a bed curtain later?”

Qiu Ye agreed immediately.

“Sure. I’ll help you unbox them first. Is there an installation tutorial? Send it to me.”

“I’ll ask customer service.”

Bai Yao breathed a sigh of relief.

Every time he made a request, he was always afraid of being rejected.

Qiu Ye’s ready agreement caused the slight bit of dissatisfaction in his heart to dissipate.

The packages he bought a couple of days ago included a mattress, earplugs, and bed curtains…

Once they were installed, he would have his own private little space in the dorm.

Qiu Ye unboxed the bed curtains and laid out the parts one by one.

“Why buy curtains? Doing something you don’t want people to see?”

“To block the light.”

Bai Yao ate his squid while looking up at the bunks.

His pillow and Qiu Ye’s were almost touching, separated only by a single iron bar.

He asked with a hint of rejection, “Are you staying here starting tonight?”

“Where else would I sleep?”

“Then I’m going to sleep the other way…”

Qiu Ye interrupted him irritably, “So you can point your stinky feet at my head?”

Bai Yao had a soft personality.

Hearing Qiu Ye’s tone, he didn’t dare raise any further objections.