Chapter 23: Asking for Leave
An Han’s feeling was right.
If his body attribute kept increasing, then even if people found out about his crossdressing, he wouldn’t have to worry about Long Xing beating him up.
By then, even if suitors didn’t line up at his door, there would still be plenty of them coming nonstop.
But he couldn’t feel happy about it at all.
“I knew this system was messed up…”
“What kind of system teaches a man to flirt with another man?”
“What kind of system turns a man into a girl bit by bit?”
“Are you out of your damn mind?”
An Han choked up under his blanket, almost crying out loud. It was too miserable.
He touched the two small bumps that had grown on his chest overnight, feeling completely hopeless.
At first, he thought the system would make him a rich man without any effort. Later, when he realized the tasks were too hard and the side effects were terrible, he decided to just max out his attributes first.
But who could have known that the “attribute” system was an even bigger trap?
“So, the body is becoming like a girl’s, the face is becoming like a girl’s… and the charm… that must also mean it attracts guys, right?”
Who knew what kind of weird system this was.
“Xiao Han, time to get up for class.”
Just like every morning, Long Xing was the first to wake up and wash. He walked over to An Han’s bed and patted his blanket. “Wake up already. If you don’t get up, you’ll be late.”
A few moments later, An Han poked his head out from under the blanket, his hair messy and his eyes red as he looked at Long Xing.
“What’s wrong with you?” Long Xing asked, surprised.
“Stayed up too late last night…”
An Han yawned lazily and stretched. “Help me mark attendance, I’m skipping class this morning.”
“That won’t work. It’s a major class today, you know how that teacher is.”
An Han sighed helplessly, completely unmotivated.
That teacher only took attendance twice a semester. If you missed either time, you’d automatically fail and have to retake the course next term.
“Then help me ask for leave.”
“You’d have to ask the counselor for that.”
Today, An Han’s face looked a bit gloomy and fragile. His dark eyes were slightly watery, and the redness around them gave him a sorrowful look that made Long Xing feel a sudden urge to protect him.
After a moment, Long Xing said, “How about I talk to the counselor first? If that doesn’t work, you can go yourself.”
An Han nodded weakly.
He didn’t really hate the idea of going to class. It was just that the small bumps on his chest and those two noticeable spots were far too obvious. He didn’t dare bet that his roommates wouldn’t notice, and he definitely didn’t have the courage to walk into class and face everyone’s eyes.
Even if they were just tiny bumps, barely noticeable, he still chickened out.
“Your period came, huh?” Chen Junjie, who had just woken up and was sitting on his bed putting on his shoes, teased An Han. “Want me to buy you some brown sugar and make sweet tea for you?”
“Get lost!”
An Han snapped angrily.
Before, when someone joked about him being “girly” or having his “period,” he wouldn’t have cared at all. But now? Now those jokes could actually come true! It felt like someone had hit his sore spot.
He pulled the blanket over his head and sighed helplessly.
After lying there for about ten minutes, the dorm quieted down.
“Xiao Han, you really not going to class?”
“Nope.”
The door closed, and the room fell completely silent. But soon, An Han quickly got up from bed, locked the dorm door, and stood in front of the mirror, frowning at his reflection.
Last time his “body attribute” had increased, he’d gotten a bit chubbier, rounder and softer. Compared to his old skinny look, he actually seemed healthier, though his weight hadn’t really changed.
This time, his weight was still the same, but his chest had clearly developed curves, his waist was thinner, and his body fat was now distributed like a girl’s. His hips had even become rounder and a little wider.
He couldn’t wear fitted pants or shirts anymore.
For some reason, the reflection in the mirror looked smaller than before, even though he used to be thinner.
“Could it be my bones?”
Muttering to himself, An Han decided to strip completely and take a closer look.
He stood there silently, then quietly put his clothes back on. His body now looked like that of a girl who had just started developing…
It wasn’t just about body fat, his bones seemed more delicate too. His hips were wider, and even when he pressed his legs tightly together, there was still that noticeable, feminine “thigh gap.”
All his bold talk from when he first got the system was long gone. Now he could only sit on the chair, looking completely hopeless.
“What am I supposed to do now?”
If it were winter, he could still hide it under thick clothes. But in this weather, wearing a short-sleeve shirt, there was no way to hide the small bumps on his chest.
Suddenly, his phone vibrated. An Han turned his head and saw a voice message from Long Xing.
“The counselor said you need to go to the school clinic, get a medical certificate, and bring it to his office for leave approval.”
“The teacher already took attendance. Even if you go now, it won’t count. Just hurry and get the medical note!”
Long Xing’s voice was filled with worry, he was afraid that just missing one class would cause An Han to fail.
“Of course… the one thing I was afraid of actually happened.”
But he really didn’t dare go outside now. What if someone saw him, his male face paired with a girl’s body?
Actually… his face didn’t even look that masculine anymore.
An Han turned toward the mirror again, leaning in so close their faces nearly touched.
After the “appearance attribute” upgrade, his eyes were noticeably larger. Their corners tilted up slightly, giving him a charming, fox-like allure. His lips looked soft and full, his skin pale and smooth, and when he smiled, two small dimples appeared on his cheeks.
The “body” attribute had also made his face a bit rounder. Combined with the appearance changes, if his facial lines got just a bit softer, no one would be able to tell he was a man at all.
“So girly… Why did I ever think I looked handsome?”
After putting his clothes back on, An Han dug out a denim jacket from his closet.
He was definitely too late for class, but he still had to go get the leave note.
Outside, it was over 35 degrees, yet he had to wear a jacket just to cover himself up. He must have looked completely insane.
“Damn system, ruining my youth!”
Muttering angrily, An Han stomped toward the door, kicking it open while putting on his jacket—
Only to find his counselor standing right outside, hand raised mid-knock, staring at him in shock.
“......”
An Han stiffened, his neck slowly lifting as their eyes met. Both froze in silence, then he quickly covered his stomach with both hands, bit his lip, lowered his head, and spoke in a weak, sickly voice.
“Teacher, you’re here? I was just about to go find you.”
He forced an embarrassed but polite smile, then looked down at his slightly puffed-up chest.
“......”