Lin Yuer woke to sunlight streaming through his cracked window and the System's cheerful voice.
[GOOD MORNING, HOST!]
[Current Beauty Level: 52/100]
[New Daily Missions Available!]
He groaned and pulled the thin blanket over his head.
"Five more minutes..."
[MISSION ALERT: Arrive at school on time without incident]
[Reward: +5 Beauty Points]
Lin Yuer dragged himself to the bathroom and splashed cold water on his face. The mirror showed his reflection—still him, but noticeably more refined than even yesterday. His new glasses sat on the sink where he'd carefully placed them last night.
¥15,000 glasses. Still can't believe it.
He put them on and examined himself critically. The system was right about the beauty level. He'd crossed into genuinely attractive territory. Not stunning yet, but enough to turn heads.
Which is exactly the problem.
His phone showed three missed calls from an unknown number and two text messages.
Unknown: [Still waiting for that call. - SR]
Unknown: [I'm patient. But not infinitely so.]
Shen Rui. Being pushy already.
Lin Yuer deleted the messages and got dressed in his school uniform—now clean and properly fitted thanks to Xie Yunlan's shopping trip. Even his cheap uniform looked better when it actually fit.
He grabbed his bag, pocketed Shen Rui's business card (keep your enemies close), and headed out.
The Commute
The subway was packed as usual, but something was different.
People were staring.
A girl across from him kept glancing over, whispering to her friend. An older woman smiled at him warmly. Even a businessman did a double-take.
This is new.
Lin Yuer kept his head down and pretended not to notice, but his assassin instincts tracked every look, every reaction.
52 beauty points is apparently the threshold where people start really noticing.
Note to self: This is only going to get worse.
When he got off at his stop, he noticed someone following him. Amateur—keeping too consistent a distance, not varying their pace.
Lin Yuer took a deliberately convoluted route to school, using store windows to track his tail.
Male. Early twenties. Cheap suit. Earpiece.
One of Shen Rui's people? Or someone else?
He led them through a crowded market, then ducked into a store, exited through the back, and lost them in three moves.
Old habits.
By the time he reached school, he was confident he'd lost the tail. But the fact that someone was following him at all was concerning.
How many people are investigating me now?
Lin Yuer approached the gates cautiously, half-expecting another scene like yesterday.
The whispers started immediately.
"That's him—"
"—the one with the rich sponsor—"
"—did you see the glasses? Those are designer—"
"—heard he beat up Zhang Hao—"
Great. My reputation is evolving in exactly the wrong direction.
Wei Feng appeared at his elbow, looking worried. "Yuer! You okay? People won't shut up about yesterday."
"I'm fine. Just want to get to class quietly."
"Yeah, about that..." Wei Feng grimaced. "Zhang Hao's friends have been spreading rumors. Saying you're blackmailing Xie Yunlan or something."
Of course they are.
"Let them talk. It'll blow over."
"Will it though?" Wei Feng lowered his voice. "Because Zhang Hao's father is on the school board. And he's apparently furious his son got suspended. There's talk of—"
He was cut off by a commotion at the gates.
A military jeep pulled up. Practical, unmarked, but clearly official.
Kai Zhen stepped out, in casual clothes this time but still radiating authority.
Oh no.
Every student within eyesight stopped and stared.
Kai Zhen scanned the crowd, found Lin Yuer, and walked directly toward him.
"Lin Yuer. Good morning."
"...General Kai." Lin Yuer kept his voice neutral.
"I thought about your response yesterday." Kai Zhen's expression was unreadable. "The training offer stands. But I understand if you need time to think about it."
He pulled out a business card—simple, just a name and number.
"Call me when you're ready. No pressure."
Then he did something unexpected. He smiled—genuinely, warmly—and added in a voice low enough only Lin Yuer could hear: "I'm glad you're safe. Whoever you are."
Before Lin Yuer could respond, Kai Zhen nodded politely and walked back to his jeep.
The entire school watched him drive away in stunned silence.
Wei Feng grabbed Lin Yuer's arm. "WHAT. WAS. THAT."
"I... have no idea."
This is going to be a long day.
First Period: Chemistry
Lin Yuer barely made it to his seat before the questions started.
"Lin Yuer, is it true you know General Kai Zhen?"
"How did you meet him?"
"Are you in the military?!"
"Is he your—"
"Everyone, settle down!" The chemistry teacher, Mr. Wang, clapped his hands. "Lin Yuer's personal life is none of our business. Now, open your textbooks to page—"
A student in the back raised their hand. "But sir, General Kai Zhen is a national hero! If Lin Yuer knows him—"
"I said SETTLE DOWN."
The class reluctantly quieted, but Lin Yuer could feel eyes on him the entire period.
He focused on his notes, trying to ignore the attention. Chemistry was actually interesting—or would be, if he could concentrate.
Halfway through class, his phone buzzed silently.
Xie Yunlan: [Heard Kai Zhen showed up at your school. Are you alright?]
How does he know already?
Lin Yuer typed back under his desk: [I'm fine. He just wanted to follow up about training.]
Xie Yunlan: [If he's bothering you, I can speak to him.]
Lin Yuer smiled despite himself. Still protective.
[It's okay. I can handle it.]
Xie Yunlan: [I know you can. But you shouldn't have to handle everything alone.]
Lin Yuer's chest tightened. That was almost exactly what Phantom had told Xie Yunlan once, on a mission in Moscow when Yunlan had tried to take on an entire smuggling ring solo.
Does he remember? Is he testing me?
He put his phone away without responding.
Lin Yuer was heading to the cafeteria with Wei Feng when three older students blocked their path.
Zhang Hao's friends. Seniors. Athletes.
"Well, well. The little scholarship rat."
Lin Yuer sighed internally. Here we go.
"My friend Zhang Hao got suspended because of you," the leader—a tall basketball player—said. "His father's talking about pulling funding from the school. You know how many programs that affects?"
"That's not my fault. He attacked me first."
"We only have your word for that."
"And the security footage," Lin Yuer said calmly. "Which the principal reviewed."
The basketball player's jaw tightened. "Listen, punk. Zhang Hao's family has connections. Real connections. Not whatever sugar daddy situation you've got going with that billionaire."
Wei Feng stepped forward. "Back off—"
Lin Yuer put a hand on Wei Feng's shoulder. "It's fine."
He looked at the basketball player directly. "I'm not interested in drama. Zhang Hao made his choices. I defended myself. If his father has a problem with the school's discipline policy, he can take it up with the principal."
"You think you're tough? Because some rich guy and a general are protecting you?"
"I think I want to eat lunch in peace."
The basketball player grabbed Lin Yuer's collar.
Big mistake.
Lin Yuer's body reacted on instinct—he caught the wrist, applied pressure to a specific nerve point, and had the basketball player's arm twisted behind his back in less than two seconds.
The hallway went silent.
Oh no. Too much. Way too much.
Lin Yuer immediately released him and stepped back, hands up. "Sorry! Self-defense reflex. You grabbed me, I reacted. I didn't mean—"
The basketball player was cradling his wrist, staring at Lin Yuer with a mix of shock and pain.
"What the hell—how did you—"
"Martial arts classes when I was younger," Lin Yuer lied quickly. "Muscle memory. Again, I'm sorry."
The other seniors backed away, looking spooked.
"You're insane," one of them muttered.
They left quickly, leaving Lin Yuer and Wei Feng alone in the hallway.
Wei Feng was staring at him. "Yuer... what was that?"
"I told you. Old training."
"That wasn't 'old training.' That was expert-level combat skills." Wei Feng's voice dropped. "Who are you, really?"
Lin Yuer met Wei Feng's eyes. His best friend. The one person in this school who'd been genuinely kind to him.
Partial truth again. Give him something.
"When I was younger, before the orphanage... I had a rough life. I learned to defend myself because I had to. Those skills stuck, even if the memories didn't." He softened his voice. "I don't like using them. It reminds me of bad times."
It was close enough to true that it felt genuine.
Wei Feng's expression shifted from suspicious to sympathetic. "Oh. Yuer, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to—"
"It's okay. Just... please don't tell people? I don't want attention for this."
"Of course not. Your secret's safe with me."
If only you knew which secrets I'm actually keeping.
Lin Yuer grabbed lunch and sat with Wei Feng in their usual corner spot.
He was halfway through his rice when his phone buzzed three times in rapid succession.
Three different numbers.
Xie Yunlan: [Heard there was an incident. Security footage shows you handled it well. Impressive. Where DID you learn those moves?]
Unknown (Kai Zhen): [My people tell me you disarmed a threat in 1.8 seconds. Phantom's average was 1.6. Interesting.]
Unknown (Shen Rui): [Nerve strike to the radial nerve. Classic Phantom technique. Still want to pretend you're just a normal student?]
He set his phone face-down and tried to eat, but his appetite was gone.
"You okay?" Wei Feng asked. "You look pale."
"Just tired. Didn't sleep well."
"Want to skip afternoon classes? We could—"
"No. I need to keep my attendance perfect for the scholarship."
Lin Yuer forced himself to eat. He needed to stay strong. Stay sharp.
Because the walls were closing in.
And he was running out of places to hide.
[To Be Continued...]
[Author's Note:
Next chapter: More relationship development, another ML appears, and MC has to make a decision about Shen Rui's "invitation."
— Author-mirah]