An Han craned his neck, peering anxiously at Long Xing's phone. His face was taut, tension practically stamped across his forehead.
If Brother Long really had snapped a photo of him in women's clothes, exposure was only a matter of time.
After all, there wasn't a single girl on campus who looked anything like him—let alone someone who resembled him this closely.
Without a photo for comparison, Long Xing might eventually forget what "she" looked like. But with a photo? That changed everything.
Long Xing sat cross-legged on his bed, looking down at An Han with a scrutinizing gaze. "The more I look at you, the more I'm convinced you two must be related—and closely, too. Could she be your sister?"
Yesterday, Long Xing had only noticed a vague resemblance. But seeing An Han again today, he suddenly sensed something else—an uncanny similarity in aura and charm between An Han and that mysterious girl.
"Is that so?" An Han forced a light tone.
"Then why are you so nervous?" Long Xing frowned, slightly annoyed. "We've been friends for years—do you really not trust my character?"
An Han gave a strained smile, desperately trying to bury his panic deep inside.
"Right, right—future brother-in-law," he joked half-heartedly, standing on tiptoe to peer closer with exaggerated curiosity. "Come on, show me the photo already."
Long Xing swiped his screen. The next image appeared before An Han's eyes.
An Han stared, transfixed.
In the photo, the girl stood beneath a streetlamp. Her shadow stretched long and dark behind her under the dim yellow glow. She had her hands clasped behind her back, head tilted shyly downward, her blushing face half-hidden in shadow.
To be fair, the pose looked undeniably cute.
But that was him…
Back then, his flushed face had been from exhaustion after a long run—and sheer panic. Yet in the photo, he looked like a bashful, delicate maiden.
"Pretty, right?" Long Xing asked proudly.
"You can barely see half her face," An Han muttered.
"What else could I do?" Long Xing sighed regretfully. "If I'd taken her picture openly, I'd have scared her off."
"Sneaking photos is kinda creepy, though…"
"Is it creepy if it's someone you like?"
An Han exhaled slightly in relief.
It was late at night, and he'd been half-hidden in the lamplight's shadows. His facial features, softened by darkness and long hair, looked far more feminine and delicate than usual—and only half his face was visible. Unless someone already knew he'd cross-dressed, they probably wouldn't connect the dots.
"She's not my relative. I've never seen her before," he declared flatly.
Just then, noise came from the balcony.
Long Xing immediately waved over Chen Junjie, who'd just walked in. "Hey, come here! You know everyone—take a look. Do you recognize this girl?"
Chen Junjie stepped over, glanced at the screen, and said offhandedly, "Isn't this An Han?"
He paused, then added cautiously, "Just a guess, though. Might be wrong."
An Han shot up like a cat whose tail had been stepped on, bristling furiously. "How could it possibly be me?!"
He'd just convinced himself no one would make the connection—and now, instantly, someone did.
"Yeah, yeah," Long Xing chimed in supportively, "she just happens to look like An Han."
Chen Junjie, surprised by An Han's overreaction, gave him a curious glance, then teased Long Xing, "So you're into An Han's type, huh?"
You damn Chen Junjie—why do you always have to say the worst possible thing?!
Both An Han and Long Xing shot him a glare. Chen Junjie just grinned—he was used to being mouthy—and plopped down onto his lower bunk.
The brief commotion died down, and An Han returned to his desk, sinking into his chair.
He suddenly realized something: ever since getting this system, nothing but trouble had come his way—and actual benefits? Almost none.
He hadn't felt any effect from the "Affinity" trait yet, and that +1 Charisma point? Completely useless.
"I feel like the system's scamming me."
Just then, Wu Dongming poked his head in through the doorway. "An Han! Hop on—let's duo queue!"
"Don't you have your own dorm? Why are you always barging in here?" An Han snapped without turning around.
"I'm bored this weekend! My dormmates are all playing Honor of Kings or PUBG, and Su Peng's trash—literally unplayable."
Seeing Wu Dongming again sparked an idea in An Han's mind.
What if I sneak that women's outfit into Wu Dongming's wardrobe?
Or better yet—cause some chaos next weekend when his parents come to visit?
He couldn't just let yesterday's humiliation slide. After all, he'd been forced into that dress, snuck back to the dorm in it, and gotten caught red-handed by Long Xing.
Revenge plans bubbled maliciously in his thoughts.
Meanwhile, Long Xing had gotten out of bed and was heading to the balcony to wash up—when Chen Junjie called him back.
"Long Ge."
"What's up?"
Chen Junjie pulled him down onto the lower bunk, leaned in close, and whispered, "That photo… could it really be An Han in drag?"
"No way," Long Xing scoffed.
"But didn't you think his reaction was weird?" Chen Junjie pressed calmly. "If that girl had nothing to do with him, why'd he freak out like that?"
"Maybe she's his sister?" Long Xing mused.
Wu Dongming, who'd sidled over, chimed in: "I know him well—he's never mentioned having a sister."
The two looked up at him.
"What photo? Let me see!" Wu Dongming plopped onto the bed with his usual shameless familiarity—despite barely knowing either of them.
An Han's eyelid twitched. The dorm was small, and their hushed conversation carried clearly to his ears.
He kept scrolling through videos on his laptop, feigning indifference—but his full attention was locked on the trio, straining to catch every word.
From Long Xing's perspective, last night had been magical: a shy, gentle girl radiating quiet charm.
But from An Han's side? It had been pure terror—afraid of being discovered at any second.
Wu Dongming, having seen the photo and heard Long Xing's gushing description, declared with absolute certainty: "It's definitely An Han in women's clothes!"
"No, no, impossible," Long Xing insisted stubbornly. "She was clearly a girl! I'm not stupid—I can tell men from women!"
"But she didn't say a single word to you, right?" Chen Junjie cut in. "She's not mute, is she? And An Han also came back super late last night…"
A cold chill ran down An Han's spine. His eyelids kept twitching uncontrollably.
Oh no—this was bad!
"Dongming!" he interrupted sharply. "Weren't you gonna game? Hurry up—I'm already in the lobby!"
Wu Dongming had been about to spill everything that happened between them at the hotel last night—but one glare from An Han's dark, furious eyes shut him right up.
"You'll help me with next weekend's thing, right?" Wu Dongming said quickly.
"No problem!" An Han agreed instantly.
"Alright, I'm heading back to log in."
"Hey, don't leave yet!" Long Xing tried to grab him. "What's going on? Explain!"
"Nothing," Wu Dongming said with a smirk. "I just wanted to mess with An Han."
He hurried out. Long Xing watched him go, then turned back to An Han with deep suspicion.
"It's really not me!" An Han's heart pounded like a drum, but he kept his voice firm and indignant. "Why would I ever wear women's clothes? What would I even gain from that?!"
"Hmm… good point," Long Xing murmured, still unconvinced but temporarily placated.