Morning light seeped into the dark dorm room, spilling across the tiled floor and reflecting sharp, slightly blinding rays.
On the upper bunk of the right-side metal-framed bed, An Han rolled over, sprawling like an octopus with his blanket and pillow tangled beneath him.
Half-asleep, a faint stinging sensation suddenly prickled his chest.
He cracked one eye open and flopped flat onto the mattress.
The prickling grew slightly stronger.
"Bitten by a mosquito…?"
"Got a pimple…?"
His voice was muffled and drowsy as he lifted his head to glance at his roommate's bed.
Still early.
Long Ge usually got up at 6:30 sharp, so as long as he hadn't woken yet, An Han could sleep guilt-free. And if Long Ge ever overslept and caused An Han to be late for class, well—he'd have someone to blame.
Rolling onto his back again, An Han closed his eyes, yawned, and reached a hand straight under his shirt to scratch vigorously.
Yep, definitely pimples.
Two of them.
Wait… wait a minute!
His brain jolted fully awake. Propping himself up on one arm, he sat bolt upright and stared down at his chest—two distinct, clearly visible bumps even through his clothes.
Hesitantly, he pressed lightly on one.
It stung—a bit swollen, slightly firm, as if something solid was lodged beneath the skin.
If these really were pimples, An Han would've grabbed a needle to lance them already. But this… this wasn't a pimple!
His head spun. He couldn't make sense of what was happening.
"Gotta look it up online."
Frantically grabbing his phone, An Han opened Baidu.
He'd half-expected "Dr. Baidu" to deliver a grim diagnosis of some terminal illness—but reality turned out even more absurd.
"Normal puberty development?"
But I'm a guy!
That's anything but normal!
Sure, nobody ever said boys' chests couldn't develop—but An Han still found the answer utterly ridiculous.
Baidu really couldn't be trusted.
He tried hard to convince himself otherwise, yet the memory of the system's "seduce men" quest kept nagging at him, making him feel like he'd been set up.
Could I actually be… developing?
All traces of sleepiness vanished after this ordeal. Quietly climbing down from his bunk, he hurried over to the mirror on his wardrobe.
An Han wore only an oversized white button-down as a nightshirt, paired with just his underwear—though the shirt covered most of it, leaving only his long, straight legs exposed, making him look almost naked.
Although he'd only added one point to his physique attribute, overnight his body had clearly become more proportionate and aesthetically pleasing compared to last night's shower.
Once described as a skinny, bony stick, his frame now seemed to have reached a healthy, normal weight.
"So attribute points don't take full effect instantly?" An Han muttered to himself, examining his reflection while ruffling his messy hair. "At this rate, if I add a few more physique points, I might even get eight-pack abs!"
He paused, utterly perplexed. "But… why do I feel so uneasy about this 'development'…?"
Aside from the mysterious chest bumps, everything else seemed to be improving—but that one issue haunted him. What if the system's physique attribute was actually steering his body toward a feminine ideal?
That thought was terrifying.
He forced himself not to dwell on it, shaking off the disturbing possibility.
Surely the system couldn't have such malicious intentions… Right? It wouldn't actually be trying to turn me into a girl, would it?
Just as he was trying to reassure himself, Long Xing's voice drifted down from the upper bunk:
"Xiao Han, up so early?"
Without turning around, An Han replied, "Woke up to pee and couldn't fall back asleep. What time is it?"
"Seven."
"Guess class'll start soon." He stretched lazily, yawning as he shuffled toward the balcony.
Long Xing watched An Han's retreating figure. Even beneath the loose shirt, he instinctively noticed An Han's shoulders seemed slightly narrower than before—and his back… well, it looked almost graceful. His eyes then involuntarily drifted to those long legs peeking out from under the white shirt.
He'd never paid much attention to An Han's appearance before, but suddenly, Long Xing wondered—if An Han wore stockings, he might not look any worse than that girl they'd run into the other night.
"An Han, have you put on some weight?"
An Han turned back to see Long Xing already out of bed, peering toward the balcony.
"Yeah, maybe gained a little?"
"A little?"
Long Xing was baffled. How could gaining just a bit of weight give An Han such a… cross-dressing vibe?
Still, he offered a compliment: "You look better than before."
"Right?!"
An Han beamed instantly, his earlier worries forgotten as he happily resumed brushing his teeth.
Even with these suspicious signs of "development," the physical changes felt undeniably positive—at least he genuinely looked more handsome now.
Maybe this "development" was just a side effect from eating something weird, or simply his body adjusting rapidly to the changes.
Now, if only his pitifully short height—barely qualifying as "third-tier disabled"—could get a boost too.
He wasn't asking for much—just 175 cm would do.
Looks like he couldn't just chase after the highest-reward quests anymore.
Spitting out the foamy toothpaste, he turned—and froze. Long Xing was already standing beside him, giving him a strangely scrutinizing look.
"Long Ge, why're you staring at me?" An Han asked, puzzled, wiping his mouth in case toothpaste foam had stuck to his face.
Long Xing shook his head, hesitating before finally blurting out, "Do you think… that girl might actually be you in drag?"
"What are you talking about?" An Han laughed easily as he toweled off his face. "Don't let Chen Junjie brainwash you—he's just messing with you."
Yesterday, Long Xing would've agreed. But today, seeing An Han's changed physique and posture, Chen Junjie's theory suddenly didn't seem so far-fetched.
"Hmm."
An Han could still feel Long Xing's increasingly suspicious gaze, which only made him more anxious.
What the hell am I supposed to do now…?
Outwardly calm, he kept up his relaxed act—but inwardly, he was already cursing Chen Junjie and Wu Dongming's ancestors for eighteen generations.
Stepping aside to give Long Xing space at the sink, An Han pretended to casually rinse his towel, still utterly confused about why Long Xing had suddenly started doubting him.
Had he slipped up somewhere?
Logically, only Wu Dongming and Su Peng knew about his cross-dressing secret. Wu needed his help and wouldn't dare talk, and Su Peng was a decent guy who got along well with him—neither had any reason to spill the beans.
Yet An Han now felt a surge of intense crisis!
He instinctively turned to look at Long Xing—only to see Long Xing quickly lower his head, clearly avoiding eye contact.
He couldn't wait any longer! He had to act!
His sense of urgency skyrocketed. With steely resolve, An Han marched back toward their dorm room.
Fine! I'll just cross-dress once more!
At least I need to prove to Long Xing that this girl really does exist on campus!
Watching An Han leave, Long Xing sighed in relief.
Phew… Good thing he didn't catch me staring at his legs.
But then, toothbrush still dangling from his mouth, Long Xing scratched his head in confusion, muttering to himself:
"Could it be… because Chen Junjie kept saying An Han's a cross-dresser, that's why I started seeing him as girlish?"