An Han paced frantically around the room like an ant on a hot skillet. Desperately, he tried calling Wu Dongming on his phone—but the line wouldn't connect. His messages went unanswered. That bastard was probably hiding somewhere, cackling with glee at his misfortune.
"Damn it!"
He tossed his phone onto the bed, his face dark as he slumped down at the foot of the bed, racking his brain for a way out of this mess.
Truth be told, he wasn't even that angry—Wu Dongming's betrayal had been entirely predictable. He really shouldn't have expected that guy to ever "do the right thing."
If it weren't for the fact that the quest was tied to Wu Dongming, he never would've trusted him in the first place.
Now the quest had failed—and he'd gotten nothing out of it!
He'd assumed that if he couldn't complete this kind of task, it wouldn't matter—after all, there was no penalty. But now, he'd trapped himself in a far worse situation.
He wasn't dwelling on the failed quest, though. A much bigger crisis loomed right in front of him.
Glancing down at his outfit—short skirt, short-sleeved top, thigh-high stockings, and leather shoes—his eyelids twitched uncontrollably.
"Should I call Long Ge to bring me some clothes?"
Muttering to himself, An Han reached for his phone, about to dial his roommate for help—when suddenly, he froze.
His eyes shot upward.
Right in front of him, floating in midair, a new set of quest options had just appeared.
Slowly, his expression shifted from panic to excitement.
[Option 1: Return to your dorm in your current women's outfit. Reward: Affinity Trait
Option 2: Ask a friend to bring you men's clothes. Reward: High-end Women's Outfit
Option 3: Wait here for Wu Dongming to repent and return. Reward: Random Attribute Point
Selection Countdown: 30s]
"Trait?"
That was another term An Han didn't fully understand—but if he treated this system like a video game, then a "trait" was probably some kind of permanent buff.
"Affinity?"
Would it make others subconsciously feel fond of him?
Affinity was a strangely powerful thing—it could spark love at first sight, make strangers trust you without reason, or even increase your chances of being "adopted" by a wealthy older woman…
If he gained this trait, he could imagine his life becoming significantly smoother from here on out.
Picture this: at work, his boss would find him endlessly likable; clients would instantly feel he was clever and charming; colleagues would get along with him effortlessly.
Even if he chose to pursue grad school instead, during interviews, professors would feel an inexplicable fondness for him and lean toward accepting him.
As long as he wasn't drastically worse than his competitors, he'd always be the top choice.
"Could it really be that powerful?"
He muttered skeptically, then glanced at the other two options.
Option 2 matched his original plan—but the reward, a fancy women's outfit, was utterly useless. Even selling it would be more trouble than it was worth.
Option 3 was laughable. Knowing Wu Dongming, the best he could hope for was that the guy wouldn't shove him into a hole and bury him alive—let alone come back to help him out.
"It's just wearing women's clothes outside! I'll take Option One!"
Though this was his very first time cross-dressing—and now he had to go out in public—it was admittedly tough. But when it came to tasks that tested his limits, he'd take as many as they threw at him—as long as the reward was tempting enough! Shame and personal dignity? Those were flexible thresholds!
After all, it was just a ten-minute dash back to the dorm in this outfit, right?
[Option 1 selected. Please complete the task promptly.]
As the quest panel vanished, An Han took a deep breath to calm his nerves—then, brimming with excitement, dashed toward the bathroom.
If he was going out in public dressed like this, he couldn't just half-ass it. If someone on the street recognized him as a guy, it wouldn't just be social death—it'd be catastrophic.
He needed to look convincing.
Fix the wig. Tuck the top neatly into the skirt…
He'd worked part-time at a barbershop for two summers. His skills weren't amazing, but trimming a wig? That he could handle.
In no time, he'd given the wig a quick tidy-up. When he put it back on and faced the mirror, he was surprised—he didn't actually look bad.
Not exactly pretty, either—but not ugly.
He'd always jokingly called himself "Fujian's Wu Yanzu." His features were naturally refined, and his skin was decent. The bob-style wig softened his sharp jawline, transforming his face into that of a slightly androgynous, handsome girl.
"Not… terrible, I guess?"
Though his masculine features were still noticeable, paired with his outfit, most passersby would probably just assume he was a tomboy.
He stood in front of the mirror for a solid ten minutes, fussing over every tiny detail—adjusting the hem, smoothing the stockings, repositioning the wig—until there was nothing left to fix. Finally, heart pounding, he sat down on the bed.
Now he just had to wait.
He'd wait until the middle of the night, when all his roommates were fast asleep.
It was only a little past 10 p.m. They probably wouldn't all be in bed until around 2 a.m.
To avoid running into them, he had no choice but to wait patiently.
Hours passed. Drifting in and out of sleep, he suddenly jolted awake, leapt up, quickly readjusted his outfit, and headed for the door.
But as his hand gripped the doorknob, fear struck him again.
What if I run into a classmate or friend who recognizes me…?
They probably wouldn't, right?
And it's the middle of the night—hardly anyone's out. The odds of bumping into someone I know are basically zero.
The quest was already accepted. No turning back now.
He took several deep breaths, steadying his racing heart.
"Once I check out, I'll just keep my head down and sprint straight to the dorm. No matter who calls my name, I won't stop."
"The hotel owner doesn't know me anyway. Even if he figures out I'm a cross-dresser, so what? The real danger is getting caught by someone I know."
With lips pressed tightly together and a blank expression, An Han gently turned the doorknob and stepped into the hallway.
He walked straight to the front desk, holding out his room key.
Behind the counter sat a bald middle-aged man who didn't even look up as he took the key. Only after glancing at it did he raise his eyes—his expression utterly indifferent.
"Checking out?"
An Han nodded nervously, too scared to speak.
His voice wasn't exactly deep or masculine, but it was definitely not feminine either.
If possible, he planned to stay completely silent.
"Alright. All set."
An Han exhaled in relief and immediately turned to jog out of the hotel.
The owner must've noticed something was off—after all, two guys checked in, but now only one "girl" was checking out. Suspicious, to say the least.
But since the owner didn't say anything, An Han pretended he hadn't either.
It was already 3 a.m., but since it was the weekend, the dorms weren't enforcing curfew. A few students still lingered around the night market streets outside campus.
Head down, An Han hurried along, only glancing up occasionally to check his path.
"Thank god it's nighttime."
The darkness blurred everyone's faces.
This quest was actually pretty easy!
The school's back gate was now within sight. An Han clenched his fist and gave a determined downward swing—his excitement bubbling over.
This was freaking thrilling!
It reminded him of those childhood nights sneaking to watch TV while dodging his parents—same heart-pounding tension.
He knew the real challenge would be getting into the dorm building. The front entrance required the dorm auntie to let him in, and she might either mistake him for a girl or label him a pervert. Even climbing over the wall risked running into classmates in the hallway.
But hey—it wasn't unheard of for girls to sneak into the boys' dorm on weekends…
Lost in thought about his next move, he kept his head low, occasionally tugging his stockings back up as they slid down to his knees. But gradually, his pace slowed.
His eyes widened in disbelief as he stared into the distance.
Leaning drowsily against the wall near the school's back gate was a familiar figure.
"Huh?"
From far away, An Han immediately recognized him.
It was Long Ge—his roommate, the very person he'd almost called for rescue.
At that exact moment, Long Ge sensed his gaze and whipped his head around.
Their eyes locked.
Long Ge's mouth fell slightly open, frozen in place like a statue.
A chill ran down An Han's spine.
He's recognized me?!