An Han leaned against the bathroom door, panting and wiping sweat from his forehead.
He hadn't even moved much—just sat there playing games—but the sheer embarrassment had already drained all his energy.
"How am I supposed to explain this?"
He hung his head, racking his brain for a solution.
"If they think I'm some kind of creep and start avoiding me, I'll definitely fail the quest."
Failing wasn't the end of the world, but he didn't want to lose a friend over something so trivial—especially not a rich one.
"I'll just play it by ear… At least there's no notification about decreased affection points yet… Maybe he'll even think my cute girl voice is adorable?"
He tried to reassure himself, though he knew that was unlikely.
If it did happen, it'd probably mean Su Peng had a thing for crossdressers.
After using the restroom, he returned to the room, nerves on edge.
He cautiously glanced at Su Peng—only to find the guy sitting at his computer, fiddling with something.
"What are you doing?" An Han asked, stepping closer.
"He asked why you suddenly sounded like a guy," Su Peng said, barely holding back a laugh as he pointed at the chat window. "Said he knew you were using a voice changer all along."
"Then what are you doing?"
"Arguing with him."
An Han froze. He finally realized that Su Peng had shown up so suddenly that he'd forgotten to turn off his mic before switching back to his normal voice to talk to him.
He peered at the chat window. It was now filled with creative, colorful insults—mostly about family members—and Su Peng, who usually seemed mild-mannered in person, was absolutely demolishing the other guy online.
Then, right before his eyes, the gaming pro removed him as a friend.
"Well… great."
An Han slumped against his desk, looking annoyed. "If it weren't for you, I'd have ranked up a few hundred points this holiday."
"So your girl voice… last time I heard it, it sounded kinda weird."
"I've gotten better with practice," An Han quickly replied, making up an excuse to avoid revealing the system's existence. "I guess I've got natural talent?"
"So you've been using a girl voice to trick people online?"
"I wasn't scamming anyone for money…"
An Han turned his head away guiltily. If not for the game's gifting limits, he'd have already convinced the guy to send him skins and accessories.
Su Peng sighed. "You really are something."
He almost said more, but stopped himself. After all, he wasn't An Han's boss or guardian—just a classmate. And honestly, this whole situation wasn't even that surprising. It was just… absurdly funny.
"Wait—hold on!" An Han suddenly pulled out his phone.
"What now?"
His eyes lit up. "Someone just hired me as a gaming companion! Thirty bucks an hour!"
"Oh, so you're pretending to be a girl for paid?"
"You really get me~"
Su Peng fell silent, just staring at him.
Worried that Su Peng's opinion of him might drop, An Han quickly put on a remorseful face and set his phone down. "Fine, fine… I won't do it anymore."
In Su Peng's eyes, this kind of deception probably clashed with his morals. But to An Han, it was just smart use of the skills the system had given him.
If he couldn't get the promised house or car from completing system tasks, why not monetize the abilities he did receive?
Su Peng scratched his head and stood up from the computer. "I'm heading back."
"No, wait!" An Han panicked and rushed forward. "Your dorm's empty anyway, right? Just stay here! My room's huge, and Junjie won't care if someone uses his bed."
His sudden enthusiasm startled Su Peng. "Isn't that… weird?"
"What's weird about it? Go ask Junjie yourself—anyone can sleep in his bed."
"That sounds… off."
Before Su Peng could process it, An Han had already dragged him back into the room. Su Peng stared at him, utterly bewildered.
He started to wonder if An Han had ulterior motives. Back in the day, An Han used to call him "apprentice" with an air of superiority—but now he was acting overly friendly. If Su Peng didn't already know An Han was biologically male, he might've thought he was being flirted with.
But… was that actually possible?
First, An Han had deliberately dressed in girls' clothes in front of him. Then, he'd let Long Xing mistakenly believe Su Peng was his boyfriend. And now this excessive hospitality…
An Han noticed Su Peng's suspicious gaze.
Still, he shamelessly pressed on: "Seriously, your dorm's empty—it must be boring at night! Why not hang out here? We can watch movies or anime together, right?"
Su Peng had a sudden, irrational fear that if he stayed the night, he might lose his virginity.
Not that An Han was unattractive… but what if An Han turned out to be the top?
"What weird thoughts are you having?" An Han groaned. "I just don't want to be alone! Otherwise, I wouldn't have needed to find some pro to carry me in-game."
As long as Su Peng stayed, whether they watched anime, drank together, or just chatted, there'd be plenty of chances to boost his affection points.
"Well… I guess…" Su Peng shifted uncomfortably.
He worried that spending too much time with An Han might mess with his sexuality.
But An Han's expression showed nothing but eager friendliness—no signs of trying to "convert" him.
Maybe I'm just overthinking it.
After all, they'd known each other for years. He knew what kind of person An Han really was.
"Alright, fine," Su Peng finally agreed, figuring his discomfort probably came from never having interacted with a crossdresser in real life before—he'd been letting online stereotypes cloud his judgment.
"Yes!" An Han cheered, immediately pulling out his phone. "Let's order barbecue for dinner! I'll place the order now."
It was typhoon season outside, so ordering early gave delivery drivers more time.
To An Han's surprise, getting caught using a fake girl voice hadn't lowered Su Peng's affection at all—and might even help him gain more.
This morning, just playing games together (without even starting a match) had already netted him +5 affection points. Tonight, sharing barbecue should easily give him +10.
Then, watching anime or a movie late into the night would seal the deal. The quest would practically complete itself!
He grinned, hugging his phone. "Do you drink?"
"Sure."
"Then I'll get a whole case of beer! We won't stop until we're wasted!"
There's nothing between guys that a good drinking session can't fix—and if it doesn't, just have another!
Despite the earlier embarrassment, An Han felt this quest was going smoother than expected.
"Junjie says it's fine for you to sleep in his bed," he announced, jumping up to tidy the sheets. "But you'll need to bring your own blanket."
He shoved Junjie's bedding into the closet. "Go grab yours!"
"Alright, alright…"
Su Peng followed, still bewildered. "You're not seriously scared of sleeping alone, are you? Is that why you're being so pushy?"
"Exactly! I'm terrified!"
An Han nodded earnestly.