The sound of sobbing had slowly faded. What replaced it was silence—soft, fragile, the kind that lingered like a warm mist after the rain.
Li Yuan let go first. Her eyes were red, the corners still damp. The shadows beneath them hadn't disappeared, but they no longer looked so deep, so endless.
She sat back down on the bench beside him, her posture straighter now, if just slightly.
"Sorry… I didn't mean to cry like that," she said, voice hoarse and low. "Especially not in front of a boy. It's… not very proper."
In this world, where men were seen as the gentler, more protected gender, such displays from women were rare—weakness, even emotional, was still frowned upon in public.
But Hao Hao didn't blink.
"It's fine," he said plainly, giving a faint smile. "Everyone cries when they need to. Man or woman. There's no such thing as 'proper' when you're just trying to breathe."
Li Yuan let out a small laugh. "You're a strange one."
"I get that a lot," he replied, scratching the back of his neck awkwardly.
The bus she had been waiting for had already come and gone. Neither of them had noticed. She glanced toward the distant road, then stood up slowly.
"I should get going," she murmured. "Back home, I guess."
Hao Hao nodded but then hesitated. "Wait—Sister Li."
She turned, brows raised slightly.
"Do you… have W*Chat?"
Her expression flickered, but after a second, she nodded. They exchanged contacts.
After confirming the request, Hao Hao gave a small bow, an old habit from his past life. "If you ever feel like talking again… or if you ever need to just sit in silence with someone, you can message me. Anytime."
Li Yuan looked at him for a long moment. Then she smiled—not the empty, polite curve of the lips she had practiced over and over to fool the world. This one was different. A little unpolished, a little raw. But warm. Real.
She turned to leave.
Not long after, Hao Hao's phone buzzed.
Sister Li:Thank you. Really.
He looked up. She was at the end of the street now, but standing still, looking back. That smile again—sunlit, a little blinding against the backdrop of the morning tide. He blinked, startled by its gentle radiance.
And then she was gone, turning the corner and disappearing into the quiet city.
"…T-too dangerous," Hao Hao muttered under his breath, cheeks slightly flushed. "I'm too weak for that kind of smile…"
He stood still for a while, hand gripping his phone. Then he shook his head, exhaled hard, and jogged in place a few times.
No matter what, this was just the beginning.
He turned and started heading back home, the weight in his chest a little lighter than before.
The moment he stepped into the familiar shadows of the city's alleys, a soft chime echoed in his ears.
"Ah, right… that thing."
+
After a quick, steamy shower, Hao Hao stood before the fogged-up mirror in his cramped little bathroom. His wet hair clung to his forehead, and beads of water trailed down his round cheeks and neck. He wiped the mirror with a towel, squinting at the reflection staring back at him.
To be honest… he still looked like a short, pudgy, acne-covered loser.
But—
"...Hm?"
He leaned in. There was a faint difference. Not in the structure, not in the skin—but in the feeling. His eyes no longer looked so dead. His shoulders didn't slouch with that same beaten-dog energy. There was—dare he say it?—a faint glow. Just a sliver of something fresh, like the start of a second puberty. Youthful? Hopeful?
He snorted. "Maybe I'm just imagining it."
Towel draped over his shoulders, he ruffled his hair with one hand and muttered, "System, come out."
Ding!
The familiar translucent screen flickered into view, hovering in the air before him like a sci-fi HUD.
[Congratulations, Host!]
You have successfully averted the tragic ending of Heroine Lin Yu.
Synchronization unlocked: You may now select 2 out of 3 traits from this heroine.
Hao Hao blinked. "What a wonderful system!"
The screen flashed again, this time displaying three glowing hexagonal cards, each pulsing with a soft light. Gold, silver, and crimson.
Trait 1: Striking Beauty (A Rank) [Physical]
Your appearance will evolve over three months into that of a model-tier beauty. Your skin, bone structure, and facial harmony will all undergo gradual enhancement. The process is subtle and realistic. No sudden plastic surgery-like changes.
Trait 2: Legs For Days (A Rank) [Physical]
Your body will adjust to optimal male proportions in this world, raising your height to a minimum of 170cm and refining your lower-body aesthetics. Highly desirable.
Trait 3: Heroic Aura (S Rank) [Destiny]
You gain an intangible charisma that shifts the tides of fate in your favor—but only if you truly believe in yourself. Doubt disrupts its effect.
He stared.
His lips slowly parted.
"Holy... these aren't just good... they're busted."
He didn't even hesitate.
"System, I choose 'Heroic Aura' and 'Striking Beauty.' Confirm."
[Confirmation accepted.]
Heroic Aura will be active in 24 hours.
Striking Beauty is now in progress. Estimated time: 89 Days, 23 Hours, 58 Minutes.
He exhaled, heart racing. His fingers curled into a trembling fist.
These weren't just cosmetic buffs. They were game-changers. A good-looking man might be tolerated in this matriarchal world. But a charismatic, radiant beauty who bent fate with a smile?
He grinned to himself. Just you wait, City A...
BZZZZZZZ—
His ancient phone vibrated harshly on the sink, the screen flashing an incoming call.
[Wang Hao (姐)]
"...Huh?"
He stared at the name, suddenly remembering.
Ah. Right. His sister in this world.
Now then—his relationship with his sister?
Calling it bad would've been generous.
In his previous life, Hao Hao's older sister had practically raised him. She yelled at him, sure. Beat him with slippers, yes. But she loved him. She fed him, defended him, cried when he cried. Even when he failed repeatedly, she never gave up on him.
But in this world?
The so-called "Wang Hao" was nothing like that.
His memories of this body were fragmented, but painfully clear in the places that mattered. After their parents died in an accident three years ago, Wang Hao became his legal guardian. For a while, he thought maybe she'd come home. She didn't. Not even for the funeral.
She was too busy being brilliant, apparently—last year of business school, studying abroad in the U.S., surrounded by other tall, beautiful, overachieving women with sleek jawlines and long legs. Meanwhile, her fat, pimply, 160cm brother was rotting away in some run-down apartment near the beach in City A.
She sent him money once a month. Just enough to survive. No extras. No messages on his birthday. No "Are you okay?" calls. No late-night talks. Just sterile voice messages like, "Don't waste the rent money on snacks."
He wasn't her little brother. He was her embarrassment.
Still… Hao Hao swallowed and accepted the call.
"Hello—?"
A pause. Then, a cold, slightly hoarse voice came through the line, slow and razor-sharp.
"...You must have grown to be disobedient with how lenient I've been, huh?"
His whole body stiffened. It felt like ice had crept down his spine.
"...Sister?"