Glancing at the time—it was only 9 p.m.—An Han got up from the stone bench and merged into the stream of students jogging around the track, settling into a slow jog along the rubberized path.
He had a regular exercise routine.
Every other day, he'd run two kilometers around the field—not because he cared deeply about health, but because he figured that if he kept pulling shady stunts and eventually got beaten up, at least he'd be able to run away faster.
Of course, the real reason was the school's mandatory running requirement: each student had to log 100 kilometers per semester, or they'd fail PE.
Sure, there were always workarounds—like one person running while the whole dorm got credit—but An Han still ran his own laps honestly.
After all, he was painfully thin. He hoped consistent running and fitness might help him put on some muscle.
After two laps, his breathing grew heavier. He slowed his pace and glanced around at the girls nearby.
The campus gender ratio was roughly 40% male to 60% female, and the girls weren't bad-looking at all. In theory, finding a girlfriend shouldn't be hard—but in reality, everyone in his dorm was single.
Chen Junjie had it slightly better—he'd dated a few girls over the years, though none of the relationships lasted.
"Not a single girl's come to talk to me," he muttered under his breath.
The system's rewards were clearly unreliable. He'd been loitering on the sports field for over half an hour, and not one girl had approached him.
He'd even hoped the "Affinity" trait might land him a pretty girlfriend.
"What even is this…" He suddenly felt utterly exhausted. With a sigh, he trudged toward the center of the field, collapsed onto the grass, and lay flat on his back, staring up at the pitch-black night sky. "I really think my system's broken."
After all, what kind of normal system would tell a guy to seduce another guy…?
He let out a quiet, melancholic sigh—only to realize someone had just sat down beside him.
"Wang Sheng? You're here for a run too?"
"Yeah."
Wang Sheng was An Han's roommate, sleeping in the bunk below him. They shared a wardrobe and adjacent desks, so they got along fairly well.
Tall and lanky, Wang Sheng was quiet and introverted—but an absolute beast at gaming. His dream was to become a professional esports player.
An Han rarely messed with him; unlike Wu Dongming, Wang Sheng gave zero entertaining reactions—no witty banter, no dramatic comebacks.
"Didn't see you around during the day."
"Went home." Wang Sheng mimicked An Han's pose, lying back with his hands behind his head.
They didn't have much to talk about, so silence settled between them—until Wang Sheng finally spoke up: "A club invited me to try out."
"That's great, isn't it?"
"My parents won't let me."
[Option 1: Help Wang Sheng become a pro esports player. Reward: …
Option 2: Comfort him. Reward: …
Option 3: Ignore the topic. Reward: Random Attribute Point]
An Han glanced at the system prompt that had popped up again—and without even checking the rewards, instantly chose Option 3.
It wasn't that he didn't want to help. He knew a bit about the esports scene and even watched tournaments. But Wang Sheng was already over twenty. Most pro players started at sixteen or seventeen—kids with sharper reflexes and more potential. There was no way this task was doable.
"What's Long Ge doing in the dorm?" An Han asked casually.
[Task completed. +1 Physique attribute]
Just as he thought—Option 3 tasks were always ridiculously easy.
An Han grinned inwardly. He'd been obsessing over Option 1, fixated on those absurd rewards—but attribute points were actually pretty sweet too.
He'd been struggling to gain weight forever—nearly 170 cm tall but barely 45 kg, so frail a breeze could knock him over.
"Seems like he and Junjie are searching for someone in the school group chat," Wang Sheng replied.
"Figures…"
"They said Long Ge's into that girl?" Wang Sheng murmured. "Guess he's finally figured things out."
"When are you gonna 'figure things out'?"
Wang Sheng shook his head quickly. "Not for me."
"I'll go run two more laps." With his reward secured, An Han's mood lifted instantly. He sprang up cheerfully and resumed jogging.
He suddenly realized: unless he was absolutely certain of success, Option 3 was always the safest, easiest choice.
So far, he'd gained +1 in both Charisma and Physique. It wasn't much—but given how often tasks triggered, stacking another 10–20 points seemed totally doable.
Maybe the Physique stat will even make me grow taller~
He'd completely forgotten about the earlier task involving Wu Dongming. After two more laps, drenched in sweat, he finally headed back to the dorm.
Running was torture if done occasionally—but An Han was used to it. Plus, there was something deeply satisfying about finishing a run, showering, and collapsing into bed.
The moment he opened the dorm door, Long Ge and Chen Junjie—both seated at the desk—turned to stare at him simultaneously.
An Han jumped, instinctively stepping back, then forced a bright smile. "Why are you guys looking at me like that?"
Had they found out?
Did they discover the women's clothes hidden in his wardrobe?
"An Han, confess while you still can," Chen Junjie said gravely, as if heartbroken. "That girl's definitely you in drag. I asked around the department—no one even remotely looks like her."
Like hell I'll confess!
An Han kept his expression perfectly innocent. "Do I look like someone who'd wear women's clothes?"
"Yes! You've never done anything remotely decent in your life!"
An Han rolled his eyes at Chen Junjie, then glanced at Long Xing—who remained silent—and walked straight toward his wardrobe. "Being a jerk is for fun. Who'd go so far as to dress up just to mess with themselves?"
He opened the wardrobe, crouched down, and peeked at the hidden outfit in the back. Relief washed over him.
As long as there was no evidence, he could keep denying it.
He grabbed a washbasin, tossed in some clean clothes, and headed into the bathroom on the balcony. Moments later, he stuck his head back out, furious. "Chen Junjie! You used my shampoo again, didn't you?!"
"So what?! Using it's an honor for you!"
"You asking for a beating?!"
"Like you could even land a punch!"
Just wait till I max out my Physique stat—I'll punch you so hard your face blooms like spring flowers!
"You better watch your back tonight!" An Han snarled before slamming the bathroom door shut with a loud *bang*.
Their feud dated back to freshman year, when they'd fought over bunk beds. Ever since, they'd never gotten along.
But no worries—he couldn't beat Chen Junjie before, but now he had a system~
Inside the bathroom, An Han stripped off his clothes, eagerly looking down at his stomach.
Well, only +1 Physique so far—no abs yet was totally normal.
He turned to inspect his biceps, clenching his fist to flex.
Why was it flat?
Something felt off.
He'd always been skinny, sure—but he'd still had some muscle definition.
Now he felt… softer?
As he showered, he examined his body closely. His once-extremely-thin frame now looked slightly fuller. His wrists, waist, chest, and legs—all previously wiry—now carried a bit more padding, as if he'd gained several pounds overnight, finally reaching a normal weight range.
Overall, he definitely looked healthier—no longer like a gust of wind would knock him over.
But the muscle tone? Gone.
"Ah… so the system thinks I'm too scrawny and decided to bulk me up with fat first, huh?"
An Han nodded approvingly. "My system's actually pretty reliable after all."