"Dong Ming, I need your help with something. Don't be scared—I'm not a pervert or anything."
Late at night, the air around the roadside barbecue stall was thick with smoke and the rich aroma of grilled meat. Under a banyan tree, temporary tables and chairs were set up, and a young man sat across from his old friend, his expression unusually serious.
"Go ahead," Dong Ming said flatly.
"I think I've encountered a system—you know, the kind from web novels. Complete tasks, get rewards."
"Uh-huh. Keep going."
"There are lines of text floating above your head—it's a three-option quest. I've already accepted the first one."
"Bro... Have you been reading too many novels, or have you actually lost your mind? Stop messing around."
"I'm not joking!"
He stood up abruptly, both hands planted firmly on the table, leaning forward with an intensely earnest look.
"Dong Ming, wear women's clothes! Just put on a dress! I'll treat you to this whole barbecue! Deal?"
His eyes were fixed intently on the lines of text hovering above Wu Dong Ming's head, brimming with anticipation.
[Option 1: Dress Wu Dong Ming in women's clothing. Reward: One residential property.
Option 2: Sincerely confess to Wu Dong Ming: "My world is vast enough for ten thousand cavalry; yet it's also tiny—everywhere I look, I see only you." Reward: Basic English proficiency.
Option 3: Treat Wu Dong Ming to a meal. Reward: Random attribute point.
You have selected Option 1. Please complete the task promptly!]
An Han had no idea where this system came from, but he knew one thing for certain—his life was about to hit its peak!
Every protagonist in novels who got a system became a global billionaire, rolling in wealth! Or they'd rise to fame and go down in history! And now—he was the protagonist!
This was a whole house! Even a modest property in the city could easily sell for over a million! Financial freedom was practically within reach!
And all he had to do was get Wu Dong Ming to wear women's clothes!
"..."
Wu Dong Ming looked up at him. Seeing An Han's pleading, hopeful eyes, he was utterly speechless.
The air seemed to freeze. An awkward silence thickened between them.
"An Han..." Wu Dong Ming's voice grew stern. "We're already juniors in college! Can you please stop messing with me?"
"Even if I'm guilty, let the law punish me, alright? I must've lost my mind to be friends with you."
He lowered his head, resignedly picking up a skewer while listing off An Han's past offenses: "In freshman year, I finally got a girlfriend—and you went and ruined it for me!"
"In sophomore year, I was on the phone with my mom, and you shouted 'husband!' from beside me! Now my whole family thinks I'm gay!"
His voice grew more heated as he recalled the endless list of An Han's misdeeds: "And now you want me to cross-dress?!"
"Look, I told you—I'm doing a system quest!"
Afraid Wu Dong Ming would spill even more embarrassing stories, An Han quickly cut him off.
"It's a system task that requires you to wear women's clothes! I've even bought the wig already! It's your favorite—short skirt and thigh-high socks!"
"How about this—I'll split whatever reward I get with you fifty-fifty!" An Han made what felt like a painful sacrifice.
They fell silent again. But An Han remained standing, gazing at Wu Dong Ming with even deeper sincerity before pleading once more: "Please... just wear the dress!"
"Bro, I'm begging you—act like a normal human being for once!"
Wu Dong Ming covered his face with both hands, trying to hide from the curious onlookers nearby. "Just because I like short skirts doesn't mean I'll wear them!"
"Men wore skirts when they were first invented!"
"What the hell does that have to do with me? I'm not wearing it."
"Just help me finish this one task—please!"
"Did you even complete it yet?"
"How can I complete it if you won't put on the dress?"
Wu Dong Ming stared at him with a look that said, "You're a freak, a psycho, and an idiot all in one."
They were classmates. As the only two players in their class who played Dota 2, they'd become as close as brothers—even though they weren't roommates.
The problem was An Han himself... To put it politely, he was "unconventional." Less politely? "Pervert" summed him up perfectly.
After a long pause, An Han asked again, carefully weighing his words: "What would it take for you to wear women's clothes?"
"I'm 100% straight, okay? Only someone like you would even think of asking me to cross-dress!" Wu Dong Ming protested fiercely. "You're under 170 cm and look like a delicate little twink—why don't you wear the dress yourself?"
"If the task asked me to cross-dress, do you think I'd be going through all this trouble?" An Han shot back. "Besides, you're also under 170!"
Defeated, An Han slumped back into his seat, picked up a skewer, and tried one last bribe: "How about this—I'll pay you 300 bucks if you wear the dress."
"Not even if you called me 'Dad'!"
"Dad! Please wear the dress! I'll transfer you 1,000 yuan right now!"
Wu Dong Ming nearly spat out his cola, glaring furiously. "No way! You ungrateful brat!"
"If someone paid me to cross-dress, I'd totally do it..."
"Don't you dare compare me to you!"
Wu Dong Ming didn't believe in any "system" nonsense, but he knew one thing for sure—if he wore women's clothes, An Han would never let him live it down. He'd probably tease him about it for the rest of his life.
Even after he died and was buried, An Han would probably stand at his grave waving a tiny paper dress made from funeral joss paper, cracking jokes!
But An Han couldn't bring himself to give up.
That was a whole house! Back in his hometown, property prices had already surpassed 10,000 yuan per square meter! If Wu Dong Ming just wore that dress, he could skip twenty years of grinding!
"We've been best friends for decades..." An Han sighed wistfully. "Can't you help me out with this tiny favor?"
"Get lost! We haven't even known each other for three years!"
Seeing Wu Dong Ming's firm refusal, An Han racked his brain but came up empty.
Coming clean about the system didn't work. Offering cold hard cash didn't work either...
And yet, Wu Dong Ming spent all day on Bilibili encouraging streamers to cross-dress! Why was he so against it when it came to himself?
The situation reached a deadlock. An Han's enthusiasm faded, and he let out a long sigh while nibbling dejectedly on his skewers.
"How about this?" Wu Dong Ming suddenly said.
"Huh?" An Han's eyes lit up instantly.
Wu Dong Ming downed the rest of his cola in one gulp, then squinted with a sly smile. "You wear women's clothes first—then I'll do it."
"You're not tricking me, are you?"
An Han eyed him suspiciously.
Though An Han was always up to no good, Wu Dong Ming wasn't exactly innocent either. Whether in real life or in games, they constantly schemed against each other. On the surface, they were best friends—but deep down, each secretly wished the other would drop dead.
That was probably what "best friends" really meant.
"I'm serious—why would I lie?" Wu Dong Ming shook his head helplessly. "After all these years as brothers, if you don't trust me, fine. But remember—you're the one who asked me to cross-dress first."
"Deal!"
Despite the risk of getting scammed, An Han wasn't about to pass up a free house!
His spirits instantly lifted. He jumped to his feet and called out to the barbecue stall owner: "Boss! How much do we owe?"
Before the owner could even approach, he turned eagerly to Wu Dong Ming: "Let's finish eating and head straight back to the dorm to grab the clothes! If you're worried about people seeing you in a dress, we can just rent a hotel room—how's that?"
"Whatever you say."
"You're truly the best brother I've ever had~"
"Heh."
——————