Ren Chi's new place was a modest two-bedroom, one-living-room apartment. The compound was only about a hundred meters from campus—many students and young teachers rented apartments here.
Panting heavily, An Han dragged his suitcase to Ren Chi's doorstep.
He glanced around at the aging residential building—older than he was by far. The seven-story walk-up had no elevator, its stairwell plastered with graffiti and random ads, though the floor was surprisingly clean.
"Wanna come in? It's a bit messy," Ren Chi said, opening the door and turning to look at the breathless An Han. "It's a long haul—seven flights. Come in, have some water, rest a bit?"
"No, thanks." An Han lifted the suitcase over the threshold with both hands, then deliberately stepped backward.
Though he still identified as a guy, he was all too aware of how his body had changed.
Back in the dorm, it wasn't so bad—rooms packed tightly together, paper-thin walls, always people around. But here in a quiet residential building? Alone with another guy? Who knows what might happen—nobody would hear even if he screamed his lungs out.
Still… Ren Chi's affection level toward him was at 48.
An Han glanced at the system interface and frowned thoughtfully.
That number was definitely within the safe zone. Still, he hadn't expected his affection level with Ren Chi to climb so close to 50 after just a few casual interactions.
Even Chen Junjie—who he'd known for over two years—hadn't reached that level. That alone proved one thing: Chen Junjie was truly scum!
"Come grab a soda?"
"Coming!"
Figuring Ren Chi's affection couldn't possibly mean *romantic* interest, An Han relaxed and happily bounced inside.
The apartment wasn't big—roughly 60-odd square meters in total, minimally furnished and cheaply rented. Given it was a top-floor unit in an old elevator-less building in the city outskirts, the price wasn't surprising.
An Han looked around curiously, took the can of cola Ren Chi offered, and asked, "Teacher, isn't climbing seven flights every day gonna kill you?"
"You get used to it. Can't afford a place with an elevator anyway," Ren Chi replied, cracking open his own can and chugging half of it down. He wiped his mouth with the back of his hand and slumped comfortably onto the couch.
"No AC in the living room either…"
"We'll use a fan. Or go to the bedroom if you want AC."
"Nah, I'll skip the bedroom…" An Han felt safe enough in the living room—but definitely not in a bedroom.
He pulled up a chair, sat down, and massaged his aching calves. "So, Teacher… this two-bedroom place—planning to move in with a girlfriend?"
"Nope. Gonna get a cat. The other room'll be a cat room."
An Han's eyes sparkled with envy. His biggest dream after graduation was exactly this—a life like Ren Chi's, with a cozy place and a cat of his own.
But realistically? He'd probably end up renting a tiny, suffocating 10-square-meter room and working 996 shifts.
This system's useless! He'd thought he'd achieve financial freedom in no time…
Sighing deeply, he stood up. "Alright, let's keep moving your stuff."
"Why are you in such a rush?" Ren Chi leaned back on the couch, watching An Han's retreating figure, hesitating as if he wanted to say something.
But before the words could escape, An Han cut in: "The sooner I finish helping you, the sooner I can go back to my dorm and enjoy the AC."
"And my legs hurt so bad… Just let me finish this and go rest already~"
He groaned dramatically—his calves were trembling, sore to the point where walking felt impossible.
He really shouldn't have gone running with Su Peng last night! And now he had to help Ren Chi move—up seven flights with no elevator!
"Aren't you resting right now?"
"This barely counts as rest!"
"Then stay here and relax. I'll handle the rest myself." Ren Chi angled the small fan on the coffee table toward An Han. "Don't wander off. I'll treat you to dinner later."
"I'd rather just head back to the dorm." An Han muttered, already heading for the door. "I'm melting out here."
His back was soaked with sweat, his bangs plastered to his damp forehead.
"Who told you to wear a jacket in this heat?"
Of course I don't wanna wear a jacket! I'd much rather wear a chest binder!
But the one I ordered online doesn't work, and the system-rewarded one comes with crazy side effects! What am I supposed to do?!
An Han grumbled inwardly, waving casually behind him without turning around. "Later! You should be able to finish moving the rest in one or two more trips."
"Alright. Be safe on your way back."
An Han gently shut the door behind him, grabbed the handrail, and slowly started descending the stairs, wincing with each step.
Way too much exercise today…
Gotta get back to the dorm, blast the AC, and collapse on my bed with my phone.
With that thought, he unconsciously sped up his pace.
But only two floors down, his calf suddenly gave out. His center of gravity shifted downward—and *thud!*—he landed hard on his backside.
"Ah—!"
He'd twisted his ankle!
He tried grabbing the railing to stand, but his injured foot refused to bear any weight. The moment he put pressure on it, searing pain shot up his leg, stinging his eyes with tears.
An Han held them back—but his face went pale as he sank back down onto the step.
Phew… almost tumbled all the way down. That could've killed me or left me crippled.
[System Options:]
[Option 1: Wait for a passerby to help. Reward: A large inheritance.]
[Option 2: Try walking back on your own. Reward: Guaranteed exam success.]
[Option 3: Ask Ren Chi for help. Reward: Random stat point.]
Sitting there on the stair, An Han glared at the floating system prompt that had just appeared before him—and punched the air furiously. "Are you seriously mocking me for tripping while walking?!"
His fist swiped uselessly through empty air. The interface remained untouched, hovering calmly as ever.
His temper fizzled out. Sighing in resignation, he began reviewing the choices.
This was the system's first task since its recent upgrade. The rewards looked familiar enough.
Now, evaluating the options… Clearly, asking Ren Chi for help was the easiest—and honestly, what An Han wanted most. But that *random stat point* threw him off.
Right now, he could barely stand. Walking back alone was practically impossible—and if the sprain was severe, forcing it might cripple his foot for good.
"Maybe I should just wait for someone to pass by?" He glanced around and listened carefully… but heard nothing—no voices, no footsteps.
And knowing how this system worked, "wait for a passerby" was almost certainly the hardest, riskiest route. Probably some shady character.
After nearly two weeks dealing with this system, An Han had gotten a decent feel for its… quirks.
"…Fine. I'll go with Option Three."
["Task 3 selected. Please complete it promptly."]
An Han groaned. Who knew what attribute the system would boost this time?
Stats… Appearance… Charisma… What else was left?