Ice Muscle Jade Bone Dragon Mark Appears · Snow Hair Rainbow Robe Phoenix Heart Lingers

Long Jinyu's sobbing gradually faded, turning into intermittent gasps.

The tearing pain in his chest remained, but his tears seemed to have run dry.

He raised his hand and wiped his face fiercely, leaving it slick and wet.

"What's the point of crying..."

He muttered to himself, his voice thick with nasal congestion.

"There's no going back... If Mother Jin knew you were in this state, how heartbroken would she be?"

A profound sense of powerlessness enveloped him. He could not remain mired in these emotions forever.

Gritting his teeth, he suddenly raised his hand and slapped himself twice, neither too lightly nor too heavily.

"Smack!"

"Smack!"

The crisp sounds were exceptionally clear in the quiet room.

His cheeks burned, but the pain helped clear his muddled, swollen head.

"Calm down... Long Jinyu, you must calm down."

He took a deep breath, trying to suppress the lump in his throat.

As his emotions settled slightly, the cold sweat from his earlier crying felt sticky and uncomfortable against his skin.

He needed to do something else to distract himself.

He stripped off the white robe, which had become wrinkled and stained with tear tracks due to his soul power surge and weeping, and prepared to take a shower.

Outside the door, Ma Xiaotao, who had been sitting against the wall, was startled by the sound of the slaps from within!

He's hitting himself?!

Recalling his earlier breakdown, Ma Xiaotao grew anxious in an instant.

This kid isn't trying to hurt himself, is he?!

He looks so refined, who would have thought he had such a volatile temper?

"Hey! Kid! What are you doing?!"

No longer caring about hesitation or propriety, she stood up abruptly, shoved the door open, and rushed inside!

"Are you alright?! Don't do anything stu—"

Her words cut off abruptly the moment she saw the scene inside.

Long Jinyu was in the middle of taking off his shirt, his toned upper body exposed to the air. He was holding a bath towel, clearly preparing to head to the bathroom.

Startled by Ma Xiaotao's sudden intrusion, his hand slipped, and the towel fell to the floor with a "plop."

Fortunately, his pants were still securely on.

But that was more than enough.

Ma Xiaotao's gaze was instantly pinned to him.

The youth's seemingly slender frame was actually incredibly well-built; smooth, defined muscles covered his bones—not the exaggerated, bulging kind, but a lean physique brimming with explosive power.

His six-pack abs were clearly defined, with his V-taper disappearing beneath the waistband of his pants.

What caught her attention most was his back—it wasn't a tattoo, but rather a pattern that seemed to grow naturally upon his skin: a magnificent, intricate, and faint nine-colored dragon motif.

Like some ancient and noble totem, it spread from beneath his shoulder blades down to his waist, shimmering with a faint, mysterious luster in the indoor light. It stood in stark contrast to his fair skin, filled with a strange beauty that intertwined wildness with divinity.

Ma Xiaotao's fiery red pupils dilated slightly. She stared blankly, forgetting how to speak, how to move, and even subconsciously holding her breath.

She had never seen a body that could combine strength, beauty, and an indescribable, mysterious majesty in such a... breathtaking way.

Long Jinyu was also stunned.

This scene... was somewhat familiar.

In the past, when he stayed up too late studying and couldn't get up in the morning, Mu Yao would occasionally barge in like this and pull off his blankets...

He quickly regained his composure, remaining calmer than he had expected. He silently bent down to pick up the bath towel and wrapped it around his waist again, covering his abs and part of the dragon markings, leaving only his chest and arms bare.

He looked at Ma Xiaotao, who was still in a daze, his tone tinged with helplessness but devoid of any anger:

"Senior, next time you come in... could you knock first?"

Ma Xiaotao was snapped back to reality by his words, her cheeks flushing a deep red, like a ripened peach.

She turned around abruptly, speaking somewhat incoherently: "I... I didn't... who told you to hit yourself in there! I thought you were... you..."

She couldn't bring herself to say the word "self-harm."

"Oh, that," Long Jinyu touched his still-tingling cheek, "it's nothing... just trying to wake myself up."

With her back to him, Ma Xiaotao tried to act composed to change the subject and regain her senior's authority: "Ahem... I came to call you for dinner! You... why are you only showering now? Didn't you wash before bed?"

Long Jinyu rubbed his still-red eyes and said softly, "Yeah, I was too tired earlier and just fell asleep."

Hearing this, Ma Xiaotao deliberately curled her lips, trying to use teasing to cover up the earlier awkwardness and her momentary lapse in focus: "Oh~ so the kid is a little slob after all? Not even washing before bed~."

She wanted to make him feel at ease, to keep him from drowning in his sorrow.

Long Jinyu was indeed a bit embarrassed by her words, his cheeks flushing slightly as he muttered, "That's not it..." He tugged at the towel on his shoulders, "Senior, stop looking... just go wait for me in the living room. I'll be done washing up soon, and then we can go eat."

"Who, who wants to look at you!"

"Hurry up! I'm starving!"

Ma Xiaotao retorted immediately, then turned and walked out, her pace so hurried she nearly tripped over her own feet.

Though her mouth expressed disdain, her body was honest...

She couldn't help but look back...

One glance, Two glances, Three glances...

Just one last look!

One last, billionth look...

"No, no, no, this won't do!!"

"How could I be like this?!"

"Bang!"

The bedroom door slammed shut.

She leaned against the door panel, letting out a long sigh, feeling her cheeks still burning. The image of that toned, dragon-patterned upper body and the falling towel refused to leave her mind.

"...Damn it."

The sound of splashing water filled the bathroom.

Long Jinyu took a hot shower, the warm stream of water truly helping to steady his emotions.

Transmigration was now a fact; breaking down was useless. He could only... look forward for now.

After his shower.

He dried his body and opened the system storage space to change clothes, only to freeze.

It was completely empty.

There was only one set of clothes neatly laid out inside.

But it wasn't normal menswear; it was a set of... exquisitely crafted, blue-and-white JK uniform, complete with a bowtie and a pleated miniskirt.

Long Jinyu: "???"

[Ding~ Detected that the host has finished bathing! Presenting a fresh set of clothes for you!]

The system's voice chimed in right on cue, carrying a hint of suppressed laughter.

[Points are currently tight, so there's only this 'Invincible Cute Youth Battle Robe' available! Will the host please make do?]

"...System, are you messing with me?"

"If I recall correctly... I am... a boy, right?"

[Oh my, host, don't get hung up on such details~ Wearing a skirt is a mandatory course for the strong!]

[Just think of the God of Destruction; didn't he wear that little skirt quite spiritedly in the Legend of the God Realm?]

[And there's Huo Yuhao, Tang Wulin, Lan Xuanyu—all these past protagonists of Douluo have worn them! (See PS at the end of the chapter for details)]

[Trust in the system, you can't go wrong!]

The system began its barrage of sophistry.

[Besides, look at how good this body's conditions are: fair skin, beautiful face, long legs... (omitting eight hundred words of flattery) wouldn't it be a pity not to wear it once? Just think of it as a change of pace!]

Long Jinyu was silent for a few seconds.

He certainly knew the system was using this absurd method to cheer him up and distract him.

He looked at the skirt, then at his own face in the mirror—a face that was indeed excessively beautiful—and his long, wet hair hanging down.

He had just finished crying, and now, feeling low and somewhat numb, the system's interruption sparked a sense of "what the hell" and even a touch of self-mockery.

"Fine... I'll wear it."

He sighed, and actually began to put it on.

"My mood is already terrible enough anyway; might as well find some amusement. Just consider it... experiencing life."

He clumsily pulled on the sailor suit, the pleated skirt, the over-the-knee socks, and stepped into the little leather shoes.

He stood before the mirror.

The "young girl" in the reflection had delicate features, her heterochromatic eyes appearing moist and hazy from having just cried, which only added to her pitiable charm.

Her skin was fair, her legs straight and slender, the blue bowtie at her collar tied meticulously, while the light blue hem of the skirt and the white socks added a touch of pure, youthful beauty.

It felt completely natural.

In fact... it was damn good-looking.

Long Jinyu: "..."

He blinked at the mirror, subconsciously striking a pose.

He was a little stunned by his own beauty...

[Host is the world's number one peerless beauty! A face that could topple kingdoms!] The system fawned frantically.

Long Jinyu was amused by it: "...I suppose I can count that as you knowing how to speak."

He stared into the mirror, his attention falling on that single, conspicuous strand of platinum hair, and suddenly muttered: "But why is only a lock of my hair white? Can't it all turn white?"

It is well known that the people of Hanxia are lifelong white-hair enthusiasts.

[Host, I understand the preferences of you Hanxia people! A white-hair enthusiast, are we? Consider it done! The Dragon God bloodline already influences hair color—silver-white dragon hair, noble and elegant!] The system responded immediately.

No sooner had the words fallen than Long Jinyu felt a slight warmth on his scalp.

In the mirror.

His long, jet-black hair began to change from the roots, as if washed by moonlight, rapidly rendering into a pure, flawless silver-white!

Even that original platinum strand melted completely into this sea of silver, with only the very tips faintly shimmering with a trace of subtle nine-colored light.

In the blink of an eye, the person in the mirror possessed a gorgeous, flowing mane of silver-white hair. Paired with the JK uniform and heterochromatic eyes, his entire aura shifted—

It lost some of its bewitching edge, gaining a touch of icy, ethereal refinement, looking more like an elf from another world...

Or perhaps, a white-haired loli?

Long Jinyu looked at his now completely white-haired self in the mirror, stunned for a moment, before feeling a mix of laughter and tears:

"Good grief... I hadn't even started chasing the white-hair aesthetic, and I've become one myself."

His mood lightened slightly.

He took one last look at his own unreal beauty in the mirror, took a deep breath, and pushed open the bedroom door.

In the living room on the first floor.

Ma Xiaotao was lying on the sofa, feeling restless, still pondering what to feed Long Jinyu to cheer him up.

Hearing the sound of the door opening behind her, she turned her head with feigned casualness and said: "All washed up? What do you want to eat... uh..."

Her words caught in her throat, and her eyes widened even further than before.

What was she seeing?

A "beautiful girl" with long silver-white hair, wearing a short skirt, white over-the-knee socks, and little leather shoes?

That face was breathtakingly beautiful, the heterochromatic eyes still holding a hint of post-bath moisture, looking at her with ignorance and innocence.

This... this is Long Jinyu?!

Ma Xiaotao's brain crashed again; her CPU burned for a full half-minute before she could laboriously recover her voice, filled with immense shock and uncertainty:

"...Li... little ghost?!"

"What... what are you wearing?!"

"And...! What happened to your hair?"

Long Jinyu watched Ma Xiaotao's expression, which was so shocked it was almost petrified, and a small, mischievous urge stirred within him; he actually felt like laughing.

He tried to make his tone sound as natural as possible, but for some reason, it automatically carried a hint of innocence and grievance:

"It's just... clothes."

"Because I looked so much like a girl growing up, I was always... raised as a girl."

"So the clothes I wear... are either Hanfu or skirts... there's nothing else."

"As for my hair... my martial soul's trait is white hair."

He improvised a reason on the spot, one so convincing he almost believed it himself.

Ma Xiaotao was even more shocked, her mouth opening and closing, until she finally managed to squeeze out: "Th-there's such a thing?!"

She looked at the "pitiful" white-haired "junior sister" before her, feeling her worldview being shattered.

But looking at the outfit that was indeed stunning and completely natural on him, she had no choice but to believe it a little.

She stood up abruptly from the sofa, walked over to Long Jinyu, circled him twice, her eyes extremely complex, and finally, unable to help herself, reached out a finger to poke his cheek and arm.

"No, no! Tomorrow! Tomorrow, Senior Sister will take you to buy some men's clothes! You are a boy, after all!"

She tried to make her tone firm, carrying an indescribable tangle of emotions and... overflowing protective instinct?

"Although... although you look especially... especially cute dressed like this, it's true! But it's too easy for people to misunderstand! Who are you trying to bewitch by walking out like that? No, no!"

She couldn't even imagine what kind of commotion this guy would cause if he wandered around Shrek Academy in a JK uniform.

Long Jinyu watched her pretend to be calm despite her obvious shock, all while worrying about him, and the gloom in his heart dissipated quite a bit.

He pinched the hem of his skirt, deliberately spinning lightly in front of her, his silver hair flying and tracing a graceful arc, before looking up to give her a (self-proclaimed) well-behaved smile:

"Yes, understood, Senior Sister. I'll listen to everything you say~."

Ma Xiaotao looked at his "I'm so well-behaved, I'm so innocent" act, paired with that outfit and his dazzling silver hair, and felt her health bar drain by half, barely managing to keep her expression steady.

She forced herself to stay calm, turned her head away with slightly reddened earlobes, and tried to maintain her usual tone, though a hint of awkwardness still leaked through:

"...Let's, let's go... kid, time to eat! We're going out to a restaurant, I'll show you the world!"

"Mm-hmm!"

Long Jinyu curved his heterochromatic eyes and obediently followed.

PS: When it comes to cross-dressing, our Douluo male leads have an "ancestral" tradition!

Huo Yuhao: In his second year, he was "set up" by the combined efforts of Wang Dong and Xiao Xiao, gaining a school uniform skirt trial card! (For details, see Douluo Dalu II manga chapter 51, "Sea God Pavilion Meeting," where he suffered a public execution~)

Lan Xuanyu: Directly earned the title of "Golden Dragon Princess," certified cross-dressing master! (Douluo Dalu IV manga chapter 439, "Peerless Beauty: Lan," high-energy warning!)

Tang Wulin: It is unclear if he wore one in the novel, but the manga cover pink skirt warning is real! The cover of Douluo Dalu III manga chapter 7, "Three Years Later," is off the charts in cuteness; rounding up, he basically wore it!

So—the "ancestral cross-dressing" skill is confirmed! Who else didn't know? Raise your hand!"