After saying goodbye to Qiqi and Aunt Mei, Wen Nan hurried toward the teaching building. The moment he stepped onto the stairs, a system notification sounded in his mind.
9527: [Your three-hour trial of the beginner's gift pack has ended.]
9527: [Your Charm has returned to its initial value: 4/100. Please take note.]
Wen Nan stopped in his tracks.
It was over already?
A faint, prickling itch returned to his skin and bones. It seemed he had turned back into his original self.
Wen Nan had never looked in a mirror, so he wasn't sure just how handsome a full Charm rating had made him. He was already quite good-looking, after all—people called him Taoyuan Eddie Peng. He could surely date just fine with his original appearance.
But a scene like the one on the sports field, where he had pinned Little Chili against the wall in a corner and kissed her by force, was definitely off the table now.
Without maxed-out Charm backing him up, forcing a kiss was no different from acting like a pervert. It wouldn't soothe a girl's emotions; if anything, he'd probably get a good old-fashioned beatdown from her and a friend.
So when he met his last target later, he had to stay calm and keep his distance. No crossing the line.
With that in mind, Wen Nan started back up the stairs.
"Ah—!"
The moment he reached the third-floor landing, a heart-rending scream rang out. Wen Nan's heart clenched.
What was going on?
Following the sound, he turned down the other side of the hall and approached the teachers' office. Through the window, he saw Fatso leaning over a desk, his butt stuck up in an extremely suggestive pose...
Smack!
"Ah—!"
Smack!
"Ah—!"
Smack!
"Ah—!"
Each time the homeroom teacher brought her cane down with force, Fatso let out a scream like a squeaky chicken.
Wen Nan: ...
He seemed to have seen something he wasn't supposed to...
Was Fatso's chosen theme really this intense?
Wen Nan didn't understand, but he was thoroughly shocked.
In the end, he chose to respect everyone's unique preferences. He silently left the teachers' office window and left Fatso and the homeroom teacher alone to enjoy their lovely evening.
[LOL]
[LOLOLOLOLOLOL]
[LOLOLOLOLOL]
[I can't. What is with Fatso's whole vibe?]
[Didn't he pick the Old-fashioned Married Homeroom Teacher? Isn't she supposed to be a female ghost?]
[She's not a female ghost. She's a neutral NPC.]
[How did he end up getting beaten so badly while trying to win over a neutral NPC?]
[You kids are too young. You just don't get it. Sometimes, people are scarier than ghosts. A married homeroom teacher going through menopause, unhappy at home and having a rough time at work, is way more terrifying than a school beauty ghost!]
[That's brutal. Anyone here watch the neighboring stream earlier? Did Fatso really just take a beating all night?]
[Just came from the neighboring stream. I can confirm: yes!]
[He just took a beating all night!]
[He didn't even change positions. Stayed in downward dog the whole time!]
[LOL]
[LOLOLOLOLOLOL]
[Is his butt really not going to split open?]
[Do you even have to ask? He bet on whether he'd get beaten to death, and the odds are already up to 11.38. What do you think?]
[It wasn't this bad at first, actually. Fatso picked max armor for his beginner's gift pack, so he was thick-skinned and could take a beating.]
[But his max-armor trial period just ended!]
[Brutal.]
[Absolutely brutal.]
[Which stream is Fatso's? I want to head over and place a bet.]
[The first one next door, "Xiaoxiao Is Cute Too." Off you go.]
[Heading over to check it out.]
[I'm staying here in the big shot's stream.]
[Not interested in that kind of masochistic show.]
[Watching the big shot keep up his steady performance is more fun.]
[Same, staying here.]
[Staying.]
[Staying.]
[Of the four targets who've shown up so far, one was three stars, two were three and a half, and one was four and a half. They're all high-level female ghosts, rare in the beginner Trial Zone. We still don't know what level the last one will be.]
[Maybe she'll break five stars.]
[Five stars? No way. You only find a level like that on intermediate maps and above.]
[Who knows? Anything can happen when you're watching the big shot.]
[True.]
[Staying.]
[Staying.]
Wen Nan had arranged to meet his last target, the Cold and Scheming Straight-A Student, by the back door of their classroom.
He passed the front door, where a sign read "Class 3-2," and looked through the empty classroom. At once, he spotted the figure sitting at a desk by the back door.
Just then, the system spoke in his mind.
[Name: Yu Shujun (Xiao Jun)] [Identity: Cold and Scheming Straight-A Student] [Background: Yu Shujun had been a straight-A student since childhood. Whether it was a major exam or a minor quiz, she always ranked first in the grade and had never once slipped to second place. She had no interest in anything besides studying. Her high school life consisted of nothing but classes, exams, homework, and academic competitions. She wasn't just immune to romance; she was immune to friendship, too. She always kept to herself. She had no partner, no friends, and no social ties that might distract her. She didn't take part in extracurricular activities or class dinners and mixers. She paid no attention to current affairs, had no celebrity obsessions, and didn't watch TV dramas. Her life was simple to the point of being dull: study, study, and more study. She had a very clear plan for her life. She only needed to follow it step by step, and she was sure she'd become a winner in life without a hitch. So your appearance left her feeling flustered. That fluster came from a loss of control—her life was slipping out of her hands, and her future was veering off course. During senior year, as the class entered its final push, the homeroom teacher launched a one-on-one tutoring program. You were Yu Shujun's assigned student. Being forced to spend extra time helping you, a "problem student," had already made Yu Shujun feel annoyed. But what frightened her even more was that she was losing control of her own heart. She had actually started developing feelings for you. She couldn't help herself; she was falling for you more and more. She hated the feeling that her life was slipping off course. She wanted to keep her distance from you, yet deep down, she couldn't stop wanting to get closer—to find more chances to spend time with you up close. Torn between these conflicting emotions, she followed the original plan and asked you to come to the classroom so she could explain today's test paper. [Walkthrough Difficulty: ★☆]
After reading the background description, Wen Nan froze for a moment.
One and a half stars?
Was the walkthrough difficulty really that low?
It wasn't that Wen Nan liked a challenge, but his previous four targets had all been at least three stars. He'd assumed that the girls on this Trial Map were all around three stars or higher.
Still, an easier target was just fine by him.
With that thought, he walked over to the back door and called out, "Xiao Jun."
The girl raised her head and looked at him.
When Wen Nan saw her face clearly, he was stunned.
Before you continue