Sitting on the narrow dorm bed, Jiang Chen stared at the slightly yellowed ceiling above him. The fan overhead spun lazily, producing a faint clicking sound every few rotations, as if even it were too tired to function properly.
The room was small—two beds, two desks, a metal wardrobe, and barely enough space to walk without brushing against something.
The faint smell of detergent mixed with instant noodles lingered in the air. Outside the window, distant chatter and occasional laughter from other students drifted in, blending with the muffled sound of footsteps in the corridor.
Jiang Chen exhaled slowly. He felt tired. Not physically—but mentally. Because this world was ridiculous.
In short, he was a reincarnator from Earth. He had lived an entire life before this one. A mediocre life, if he were honest. He studied, worked, survived, and died without ever achieving anything remarkable. And then—without warning—he woke up here.
In another body. A completely ordinary body. Normal family background. No hidden inheritance. No mysterious grandfather. No secret martial arts manual tucked under his pillow.
And worst of all… this was an adult comic world. Even thinking about it made his expression twist slightly.
Adult comic worlds followed a very simple law: the protagonist wins, and everyone else becomes stepping stones. Women, friendships, relationships—they were all plot devices waiting to be claimed.
The most terrifying part? The green hat.
In these kinds of settings, loyalty was paper-thin. If he ever had a girlfriend, there was no guarantee she wouldn't be snatched away by the so-called protagonist. That thought alone made his chest feel tight. 'I don't want to wear a green hat in my second life,' he thought bitterly.
In his previous life, he had been single from beginning to end. It wasn't some noble choice; it was just how things turned out. Work, awkwardness, lack of courage—it all added up. And before he knew it, that life ended without him ever truly experiencing romance.
So at the very least, in this life, he wanted something different.
A beautiful girlfriend.
A real one.
Someone who wouldn't be reduced to a background prop.
As he closed his eyes briefly, his expression shifted from lethargy to something calmer—almost resigned. But then, something stirred inside his chest. A strange pulse, subtle yet undeniable, like a notification from the depths of his consciousness.
His eyes snapped open.
He blinked twice. A bubble of excitement swelled inside him so suddenly that his breathing hitched. "Fuck! For God's sake… Is this even real?"
He shot upright on the bed, causing the metal frame to creak loudly. He glanced at the door instinctively, making sure his roommate wasn't around to hear that outburst. The corridor outside remained noisy, but no one seemed to care about his reaction.
His right hand moved almost on instinct, sliding into his pocket.
And he felt it.
Solid.
Cold.
Real.
His fingers tightened around the object before he slowly pulled it out.
A black card.
It wasn't the cheap kind made of flimsy plastic. This one was heavy, sleek, and edged with a thin golden rim that reflected the dorm's pale lighting in a subdued gleam. It looked like something reserved for billionaires or secret organizations—minimalist, but overwhelmingly luxurious.
The moment he focused on it, a flood of information poured into his mind.
Clear.
Structured. A system. The golden cheat.
Not the annoying kind that issued endless death-or-punishment quests. Not the type that demanded he risk his life every other chapter. This one was straightforward.
Inside the system—999 trillion RMB.
He froze. His heartbeat quickened. Nine hundred and ninety-nine trillion. Even saying it in his head felt absurd.
And his task?
Raise the favorability of female characters around him and steal them from the protagonist of this adult comic world. In simpler terms—a protagonist-target NTR system.
He stared at the card in silence. Then, slowly, the corner of his lips twitched upward. 'This… this is great.'
There were no harsh restrictions tying him only to the so-called female lead. As long as the target qualified as a beauty, the system's funds could be used. That meant flexibility. Strategy. Freedom.
He quickly grabbed his phone from the desk and opened his payment application. His original bank account still displayed the modest twenty thousand RMB that his past self had painfully saved over time.
But another account—new, unfamiliar—sat linked beneath it.
The number displayed there made his scalp tingle.
A long string of digits. So long that he had to scroll sideways to see the entire amount. A few trillion had already been made available for active use. His breathing grew uneven. 'So it's real…'
He swallowed.
Then he looked at his personal account, which had 20 thousand RMB within it. Which is something his old self has saved up to this date. 'At least now I can fix my appearance first.'
In this adult comic world, beauty standards were exaggerated to the point of absurdity. Women looked like they had stepped straight out of high-definition illustrations—flawless skin, perfect proportions, expressive eyes that carried a hint of deliberate seduction even in casual settings.
And most of them?
Materialistic.
Not necessarily evil. Just… influenced.
He knew his current role. He was a mob character. The forgettable classmate. The background figure whose first crush would inevitably fall for the protagonist once the plot advanced.
In fact, there was already a girl in his class who matched that description perfectly. He hadn't made a move yet. The story hadn't reached that point.
But it would. Unless he acted first. "I'll do it…"
The words slipped from his mouth quietly, but they carried weight.
He stood up and began changing his clothes. The fabric of his current outfit felt cheap the moment he became aware of his new financial power. He frowned slightly, pulling on a cleaner shirt before glancing at himself in the mirror nailed to the wardrobe door.
Average. That was the best word to describe him.
But average could be upgraded.
After grabbing his phone and slipping the black card securely into his wallet, he stepped out of the dorm. The hallway buzzed with student life—doors opening and closing, distant laughter, someone arguing over a lost charger. The fluorescent lights hummed faintly overhead.
Jiang Chen walked past it all with a new sense of direction. This time, he wasn't just surviving in this world. He was hunting.
Within minutes, he stood before a luxurious clothing store near the campus commercial district. The glass storefront reflected the afternoon sunlight, and the polished marble floor inside gleamed under soft white lighting. A faint scent of expensive perfume drifted out every time the automatic door slid open for customers.
Jiang Chen paused for a second.
Then he stepped in.
His gaze immediately landed on the receptionist standing near the entrance. She wore a fitted black uniform that accentuated her curves without crossing the line into vulgarity. Her makeup was delicate yet precise, highlighting features that looked almost unreal.
For a brief moment, he felt as if he had stepped into a drawn panel. 'This world really doesn't hold back on beauty,' he thought.
The women here weren't just pretty—they looked closer to 2-D perfection than real humans from his previous life. Smooth skin, symmetrical faces, confident posture. It was as if the world itself had an aesthetic filter permanently turned on.
The receptionist offered him a professional smile. "Welcome, sir. Are you looking for something specific today?"
Her voice was soft, practiced, and subtly alluring. Jiang Chen adjusted his posture unconsciously.
"Hello. I am looking for a casual outfit for college." Jiang Chen's tone was calm, but his eyes carried a faint spark as they landed on the girl in front of him. Now that he was observing carefully, the details became clearer.
Dark brown hair fell smoothly over her shoulders, slightly curled at the ends. Her blue eyes were bright and alert, carrying a trace of nervousness that suggested she was still adjusting to the job.
Her uniform fit neatly, not overly provocative, yet tailored enough to accentuate her figure in a subtle way. She was undeniably attractive. At the same time, a familiar mechanical notification rang softly inside his mind.
Ding.
A translucent interface surfaced briefly before his eyes.
[Target Detected]
Name: Lin Shuqing
Beauty Rating: 7.6
Maximum Scale: 10
Favorability: 0.
Jiang Chen suppressed the urge to grin.
'7.6… that's already high.'
According to the system's explanation, a rating above 7 meant the girl qualified as a target worth investing in. Anything above 8 would be considered rare. 9 and above would be heroine-level existence.
He casually adjusted his sleeves.
The system's spending rule was simple: as long as the money was used in a way that could help him increase a beautiful girl's favorability or impress a target, it could be drawn from the system's funds. That meant he didn't have to touch his personal savings at all.
And right now?
He had a 7.6-point beauty standing directly in front of him. Which meant every piece of clothing he bought—if done correctly—would count as a strategic investment.
'Perfect,' he thought. "Sure! Please come with me."
Her voice was polite, slightly soft, and just a little stiff. She gestured toward the men's casual section and began walking ahead of him.
As they moved deeper into the store, Jiang Chen's peripheral vision caught something amusing. Two other saleswomen standing near a display rack exchanged glances before one of them covered her mouth and snickered quietly. Their eyes briefly scanned his current outfit—cheap sneakers, slightly faded jeans, and a plain shirt that had clearly seen better days.
He didn't need mind-reading abilities to understand what was going on. They had judged him. Probably labeled him as a poor college student who came in just to browse and waste time. And clearly, they had pushed the new girl forward to handle him.
Jiang Chen's lips curved faintly. 'Smart of them… if I was still the old me.'
His gaze swept over the two women discreetly. The system automatically displayed faint data overlays.
Beauty Rating: 6.3
Beauty Rating: 6.5
He almost laughed. 'Barely above average. And they still dare to look down on people.'
He had no interest in them whatsoever. Even if they threw themselves at him, he wouldn't waste system funds on such low returns.
Compared to them, the girl leading him was clearly more pleasing to the eye. The way her ponytail swayed gently when she walked, the slight tension in her shoulders as she tried to maintain professional posture—it all made her feel more authentic.
More worth investing in.
"By the way," Jiang Chen said casually, matching her pace, "I'm Jiang Chen. First-year finance student."
She glanced back at him, surprised by the sudden introduction, but quickly smiled. "Lin Shuqing. First-year literature department."
Her smile was natural this time, not the rehearsed one she used at the entrance. "Literature?" Jiang Chen raised a brow lightly. "That sounds more interesting than finance."
She laughed softly. "Finance makes more money though, right?"
The background music in the store shifted to a mellow instrumental track. A faint scent of cologne lingered near the men's section. Around them, a few customers were browsing quietly, flipping through racks, and occasionally murmuring to companions.
"It depends," Jiang Chen replied. "Sometimes literature shapes people more than money does."
That wasn't entirely flirtatious, but it was enough to make her glance at him again with slightly different eyes.
Inside his mind—
[Lin Shuqing Favorability +1
Current Favorability: 1
'Good. Conversation works.'
As they stopped near a rack of jackets, she reached out to adjust one of the hangers. "Do you prefer something more simple? Or a bit trendy?"
He pretended to consider seriously, though he already knew the strategy. "Something that doesn't look cheap," he said with a faint self-deprecating smile. "I'm trying to upgrade my image a little."
That line was intentional.
Not arrogant.
Not boastful.
Be honest.
Shuqing blinked, then gave a small nod. "I think that's a good idea. First impressions matter."
She began selecting a few pieces—a slim-fit jacket, a layered sweater, and dark tailored jeans. As she held them up against him for visual comparison, she unconsciously stepped closer.
Jiang Chen could feel the warmth of her presence. The faint floral scent of her shampoo. 'Calm down,' he reminded himself.
He wasn't some hormonal teenager. This was a strategy.
Still… having a 7.6-point beauty adjusting clothes near his chest was not something he experienced in his previous life.
"You have a good height," she said thoughtfully. "And your shoulders are actually well-shaped. With the right outfit, it'll look very different."
"Oh?" Jiang Chen tilted his head slightly. "So you're saying I have potential?"
She realized what she had implied and quickly looked away, a faint blush dusting her cheeks. "I mean—just that the clothes will fit nicely."
Inside his mind—
[Lin Shuqing Favorability +1]
Current Favorability: 2
Jiang Chen suppressed a smirk. Meanwhile, in the distance, the two senior saleswomen were watching with faint curiosity. Their earlier dismissive expressions had faded slightly. After all, Shuqing seemed unusually engaged in assisting him.
"Let's try these first," Shuqing said, handing him the selected pieces. "The fitting room is this way."
As he followed her, Jiang Chen's thoughts deepened.
First-year student.
Part-time job.
Middle-class background.
Same university.
Different department.
Everything about her setting felt… deliberate.
In an adult comic world, side characters weren't random. Girls like her often became supporting heroines, romantic rivals, or emotional stepping stones for the protagonist. 'Is she one of his future targets?'
The possibility made Jiang Chen's eyes narrow slightly.
If she was destined to be someone orbiting around the protagonist, then intercepting her early would be far more efficient than waiting for the plot to advance.
And judging from her current innocence and lack of arrogance, she was far easier to approach than established heroines. As he stepped into the fitting room and closed the curtain, he glanced at his reflection in the mirror.
Average face.
Average aura.
Cheap clothes.
But not for long.
He changed into the selected outfit and stepped out a minute later.
Shuqing looked up.
And froze for a second.
The slim-fit jacket accentuated his shoulders. The dark jeans sharpened his silhouette. Combined with his calm expression, he looked far more refined than before.
Her eyes widened slightly before she quickly composed herself.
"It…suits you very well."
Inside his mind—
[Lin Shuqing Favorability +2]
Current Favorability: 4
Jiang Chen felt the system confirm that the purchase qualified under target interaction spending.
Which meant—he didn't have to pay a single yuan from his personal savings. 'Good,' he thought calmly.