A Feverish Transformation and an Unexpected Encounter

Jiang Chen, having delivered his words, turned with a graceful flourish, leaving Zhou Yi rooted to the spot, her hair still seeming to hold the lingering warmth of his palm.

“Who, who’s good?” she exclaimed, belatedly swinging a fist at the empty air.

[Ding-dong~ Congratulations, Player, on successfully binding the important ally ‘Jiang Chen’! Xiao Qi has thoughtfully applied a super-thick blur to your real-world identity, ensuring absolute safety~]

‘What does “super-thick blur” mean?’ Zhou Yi questioned the system in a low voice. ‘Are you sure he won’t recognize me?’

[Relax~ In Jiang Chen’s current perception, there’s no such roommate named “Zhou Yi”! However, a friendly reminder: the probability of unlocking hidden plotlines is way up!]

Zhou Yi: “…”

‘How could she possibly relax?!’

****

After exiting the simulator, Zhou Yi felt refreshed and invigorated. Touching his forehead, he found his fever had broken, and his mood couldn’t help but brighten considerably.

He tiptoed back to his dorm room. Before pushing the door open, he deliberately peeked inside, relieved to find that Jiang Chen hadn’t returned yet.

“Huh, wait a minute,” he chuckled to himself, muttering, “I’ve already changed back; what’s there to worry about?”

Although his body had recovered, having spent the entire day shuttling between reality and the simulator, coupled with the emotional rollercoaster, had truly made him break out in a sweat, leaving him feeling uncomfortably sticky all over.

He immediately grabbed a change of clothes and slipped into the bathroom. As the warm water cascaded down, he felt as though every pore was opening up.

However, as he spread shower gel over his body, a strange, silky smoothness emanated from his palm.

‘Hmm?’ Zhou Yi paused his movements.

Beneath the lather, the feel of his arm was… excessively slick.

He didn’t react immediately, even reaching down to pinch his own calf; the texture was indeed incredibly smooth to the touch.

The usual fine hairs on his arms and legs had become so faint they were almost invisible.

‘…What’s going on?’

His gaze involuntarily drifted downwards. As the warm water cascaded, the gentle curve of his chest, contrasted against his now smooth skin, surprisingly seemed… to fit quite well.

This thought startled him, and he quickly shook his head.

‘Hey, Xiao Qi, this isn’t your doing too, is it?’

[You wrong me, Your Honor! It truly wasn’t me!!]

‘Your Honor,’ he mimicked, ‘you’re putting on a show here. …It was you!’

[It really wasn’t me, Your Honor. It’s probably… uh, a fever after-effect?!]

‘This is the first I’ve heard of a fever burning off body hair.’

[Well… a medical miracle?!]

‘Don’t even start!’

He sighed, speechless, and haphazardly toweled his hair dry.

Forget it. Arguing further with this shoddy system would likely yield no sensible explanation. He might as well just attribute it to… the fever?

He found the thought amusing even to himself.

After his shower, he casually wiped the mist from the mirror and leaned in for a closer look. Only then did he notice that his facial complexion seemed much more even, his acne scars had faded, and his skin was even a bit fairer and more delicate.

‘…Holy crap.’

It wasn’t narcissism, but in that moment, he genuinely felt he looked handsomer today than yesterday, and couldn’t resist a little boastful pose in front of the mirror.

‘Tsk, looking good, buddy.’

But after staring for a while, he felt… well, it was still just his ordinary face.

His nose hadn’t suddenly become as high and defined as an idol’s, nor had his eyes transformed into captivating ‘peach blossom’ eyes; his features were still the original formula, it was just that his overall appearance was a tiny bit more pleasing than before.

‘…Forget it,’ Zhou Yi said, shaking his head with a wry smile at his reflection. ‘A sparrow, no matter how much it preens, will never become a phoenix.’ He couldn’t help but laugh at his own words.

But touching this impossibly smooth skin, he still felt something was off.

‘Could a high fever really bring about such a complete transformation? Does that mean I’ll have to get a fever every day from now on?’

‘Ptooey, ptooey, ptooey!’ This thought was extinguished as soon as it arose. He couldn’t possibly take Xiao Qi’s nonsense seriously.

[I swear I didn’t say anything; you’re just projecting!]

‘Alright, alright, shut up,’ he said, waving his hand dismissively.

‘No matter how handsome, one still needs to eat and sleep,’ he muttered. ‘Don’t actually start thinking of yourself as a BL novel protagonist.’

Having said that, he ambled out of the bathroom, towel in hand.

Just then, Jiang Chen pushed the door open and entered.

The moment their eyes met, Zhou Yi instinctively pulled his towel up to cover the subtle curve of his chest.

Jiang Chen, still holding takeout in his hand, paused for a moment upon seeing him. “You’re better?”

‘What can a mere cold do to me!’ Zhou Yi feigned composure as he leaned closer. ‘Hey, buddy, don’t you think I’m looking exceptionally handsome today?’

Jiang Chen tossed the takeout bag onto the table, glancing at him indifferently. “What? Did the fever burn your brain out?”

Yet, his gaze lingered for a moment on Zhou Yi’s still-damp cheeks.

He narrowed his eyes, scrutinizing him from side to side, then couldn’t help but let out a ‘tsk’ of surprise. “Oh, you actually do a little.”

‘Right?’ Hope ignited in Zhou Yi instantly.

Jiang Chen smirked. “But for this face to surpass your old man here, you’ll need a lot more practice.”

Zhou Yi’s face immediately darkened. ‘…Scram!’

“Getting angry?” Jiang Chen pushed the malatang in front of him, the rising steam blurring his smiling eyes. “Eat it while it’s hot. It’d be a huge loss if you burn back to your original form later.”

‘If you can’t say anything nice, don’t say anything at all,’ Zhou Yi said, shooting him an exasperated glare, yet couldn’t help but laugh.

Jiang Chen watched him trying to suppress his laughter and unconsciously started smiling himself. He tapped the takeout box with a bent finger. “Alright, handsome, time to dine.”

****

At three in the afternoon, the coffee shop was filled with the rich aroma of coffee. Lin Yating, her high heels clicking, hurried through the door, already ten minutes late.

Scanning the interior, she didn’t see the club president, with whom she was supposed to discuss the cultural gala’s planning.

She frowned in annoyance. Just as she lit up her phone screen, she received a new message—a text from the club president: [Sorry, the Counselor called me away unexpectedly. I might be a bit late. Please find a seat first.]

Lin Yating let out a soft scoff, putting her phone away and preparing to find a seat to wait. As she turned, however, she suddenly froze.

In a window-side booth, Jiang Chen sat with a book open before him. His fingers, elegantly jointed, turned the pages, and the afternoon sunlight streaming through the glass outlined the cool, focused intensity of his profile.

As if sensing her gaze, he suddenly looked up. Their eyes met in mid-air, and Lin Yating felt her heart skip a beat.

To her surprise, Jiang Chen not only didn’t avert his gaze but offered her a slight nod.

Lin Yating’s heart fluttered with delight. She hastily smoothed her skirt and hair, and after confirming her makeup was perfect, she gracefully walked over.

“What a coincidence, Jiang Chen. I never expected to run into you here.”

Jiang Chen casually closed his book, his gaze lingering on her for a moment as he looked up. “Waiting for someone. I have a meeting with the cultural society president.”

Hidden in a booth behind them, Zhou Yi couldn’t help but break into a cold sweat upon hearing this. ‘Brother Chen, my dear brother, can you please dial back that high-and-mighty aura of yours? The girl just sat down, and your opening line is cold enough to freeze coffee!’

Indeed, the text message that lured Lin Yating to the coffee shop was precisely what he’d instructed Xiao Qi to send. How else was he supposed to trick her into coming out?

Fortunately, Lin Yating only paused for half a second before naturally pulling out the opposite chair. “The president just informed me they’ll be late. It seems we’ll be temporary tablemates then.”