Although Mo Yu was reluctant to accept it, the photograph was undeniably his own face. Since he was naturally baby faced, the makeup didn’t actually look too out of place.
Under normal circumstances, no one would fail to recognize a classmate they spent every day with just because of a wig and a dress.
But this wasn’t reality. He suspected the instance had a specific “brain dumbing” debuff designed for this exact scenario.
After all, if the writer wills it, putting on a pair of glasses is practically equivalent to plastic surgery.
Unable to look at it any longer, Mo Yu sent off the text message setting up the meeting, then put his phone down.
The class ended shortly after.
Even though they entered the instance at 8:00 PM, the time on his phone adjusted to 3:00 PM upon entry. Two hours had passed since then, signaling the end of classes for this elite academy.
Students began leaving in pairs and groups. Mo Yu noticed Gu Jinzhi stand up immediately and stride outside.
Out in the hallway, several people surrounded him, but Gu Jinzhi shook his head, shaking off the followers who usually trailed behind him, and headed downstairs alone.
Mo Yu glanced at his phone again. The meeting time he set in the text message was actually 6:00 PM, which was still an hour away. He suspected this time buffer was intentionally left for him to change into his outfit.
However… Mo Yu didn’t want to cross-dress.
He decided to meet Gu Jinzhi as his normal self-first, restore Gu’s memories, and then discuss the video recording.
Either way, the main goal of the video was to make Gu Jinzhi look foolish. Whether Mo Yu appeared on camera or wore women’s clothes… shouldn’t matter!
exact spot quickly emptied out. Gu Jinzhi appeared to have gone straight to the date location. Feeling there was no need to wait any longer, Mo Yu stood up and went downstairs.
Following his previous memories, he reached the first floor of the school, then walked toward the back of the campus against the flow of the crowd.
True to its elite school setting, the small patch of woods next to the sports field had been converted into a garden, complete with a beautiful glass greenhouse tucked into the corner.
The scenery here was already pleasant, but when Mo Yu arrived, Gu Jinzhi was in the middle of arranging even more bouquets around the greenhouse.
Red roses, pink carnations, and white lilies were suspended at varying heights from the top of the glass room, resembling colorful wind chimes.
There were even large patches of bright orange sunflowers clustered around the greenhouse. Even the stairs leading up to the glass structure were covered in flowers.
How Gu Jinzhi managed to order so many flowers in such a short time was a mystery, but the area was instantly filled with a rich floral fragrance. Paired with the glow of the setting sun, it truly possessed the dreamy feel of a fairytale romance.
Mo Yu stared in utter shock.
Dude, you’re trying WAY too hard.
“Gu Jinzhi…” Mo Yu wanted to step into the greenhouse, but before his foot could even touch the stairs.
Surrounded by fresh flowers, Gu Jinzhi looked up at him with a icy stare.
“Get out.”
“I have something to tell you.”
“Get the hell out.”
Gu Jinzhi suddenly took large strides toward him, his eyes cold as a dragon guarding its treasure.
Mo Yu hurriedly backed away.
“Wait… listen to me!”
Before he could finish, Gu Jinzhi raised his foot to kick him.
Panicking as he retreated, Mo Yu missed his footing on the stairs and tumbled to the ground.
“Hiss… is that really necessary?!”
“Who allowed you in here?”
“Why can’t I go in? Is this school owned by your family?!”
“Isn’t it?”
Mo Yu: ?
Dammit.
“Still not scrambling out of here?”
Gu Jinzhi’s current glare treated him like a stray dog.
Mo Yu lowered his eyes, feeling genuinely angry for the first time.
He picked himself up, abandoning any desire to speak to this version of Gu Jinzhi, and turned to leave.
This guy was completely impossible to reason with.
Perhaps the instance didn’t allow him to take shortcuts… Did he really have no choice but to cross-dress?
Mo Yu entered the academic building and returned to the classroom to retrieve his bag.
The moment he unzipped the backpack, a pair of soft, pink lace underwear gently slipped out and fell onto the floor.
Mo Yu: ?
Proof that sometimes, even if a person appears completely calm on the outside, they might already be losing their mind on the inside.
For the first time in his life, Mo Yu felt that going back to his regular job wasn’t so unacceptable after all.
How was anyone supposed to wear this?
Mo Yu stuffed the items back inside. The bag was fully stocked with everything imaginable, a camera, a wig, a dress, makeup, and… even a rattan cane?
Carefully analyzing the original host’s intentions, they must have been bullied by the school tyrant Gu Jinzhi for so long that they desperately wanted revenge.
Even before publishing the video, they wanted to make Gu Jinzhi suffer.
Mo Yu felt a headache coming on.
Gu Jinzhi actually sent him a text message.
【Are you almost here?】
Mo Yu: ?
Noticing he could send messages now, he rolled up his sleeve, took a photo of the scrape from his fall, and intended to reply. “I can’t make it, because some idiot pushed me!”
However, when he typed that out, it failed to send again.
All that went through was a picture of his fair wrist displaying the scrape.
Seeing it, the school tyrant Gu Jinzhi immediately felt heartbroken. 【How did that happen? Who bullied you?】
【Tell me who it was. I’ll get revenge for you.】
The other party didn’t reply.
His mind was already concocting a dramatic narrative, the girl he liked had been bullied, but was too afraid of worrying him to tell the truth. The thought filled him with growing anxiety.
【Where are you now? Can I come pick you up?】
It was useless, Mo Yu spent ages editing his message, but nothing would go through!
Infuriating. Let him wait, then.
After school, the campus thinned out significantly, though a few resident students still walked around in groups of two or three.
Mo Yu found an empty music room on the third floor and locked the door. Taking a deep breath, he gave himself a lengthy mental pep talk before reopening his bag.
This was Mo Yu’s first time dealing with such specialized “equipment.” By the time he finally figured out how everything worked, the time had quietly reached 6:00 PM.
The task turned red once again.
Crap, only one hour left.
Over by the greenhouse, the school tyrant Gu Jinzhi waited until the sun completely set before Mo Yu finally replied to his text.
【Music Room 2 on the 3rd floor. Come straight over, hurry.】
Gu Jinzhi stood up immediately.
Now that the moment to meet was actually here, a wave of nervousness washed over him.
Countless girls wanted to be with him, yet he had fallen in love at first sight with a mere photo of this person.
When the other party repeatedly made excuses to avoid meeting, or even gave him the cold shoulder by vanishing, he had entertained doubts that the photos sent might not be her real self.
Yet, a trace of fantasy lingered in his heart.
Now that she was finally willing to meet, he wanted to give his feelings a proper conclusion. If she truly looked different from the photo and had tricked him, he could finally let it go.
The school tyrant Gu Jinzhi glanced at the greenhouse he had worked so hard to decorate. In the end, he said nothing, simply selecting a single bouquet that was still blooming at its finest. Holding it in his hand, he sprinted toward the academic building.
Gu Jinzhi ran up the stairs, slightly out of breath.
Spotting the half-open door of the music room, he paused his steps and tightened his grip on the flowers.
His heart was pounding so fast.
Just as he took a deep breath and anxiously reached out to push the door, it was pulled open from the inside.
Standing at the doorway was a “girl” wearing a short skirt.
“She” was tall and fair skinned, with long hair and virtually no makeup, yet possessed striking facial features and pristine, porcelain skin. “Her” overall vibe was gender neutral yet refined, radiating a unique kind of beauty.
Her aura was distant and her gaze nonchalant, but upon closer inspection, she seemed to hold a hint of shyness. She was even prettier than in the photograph!
Gu Jinzhi was visibly stunned.
Crap, did I blow my cover?
Mo Yu raised an eyebrow. Before he could say anything, Gu Jinzhi unexpectedly stepped forward and pulled him into a tight embrace. The force was so immense it nearly knocked his wig off.
Mo Yu hurriedly readjusted his hair. Unable to use a female voice, he couldn’t speak, so he hard stepped directly onto Gu’s shoe.
“Ugh.” Only then did Gu Jinzhi step back.
Mo Yu glared at him, pulled out his phone, and typed a message.
【What are you doing? Don’t touch me so casually. And don’t turn on the lights.】
“I’m sorry, it’s my fault. I was wrong.”
Looking at him, the school tyrant Gu Jinzhi’s expression softened into a mix of heartache and deep emotion.
“You can’t speak… is that why you didn’t want to meet me?
I’m sorry, I almost misunderstood you. Don’t worry, I don’t care about that at all.”
Mo Yu: ?
Think whatever you want.
【Take off your clothes.】
Gu Jinzhi froze, his face flushing red instantly.
“Is that… appropriate?”
“Did you agree to date me?”
【Depends on your performance.】
【Didn’t you say you’d listen to everything I say? Take them off. Then sit on that desk over there.】
Mo Yu pointed.
That position offered a clear view for the camera.
Mo Yu recalled that the last time the task turned red, Gu Jinzhi’s pollution deepened, making him forget who he was even more.
He had initially dressed up in hopes of finding a chance to talk normally with Gu Jinzhi, but halfway through changing, realization struck.
Why waste effort trying to make Gu Jinzhi remember, when he could just take advantage of this current school tyrant persona to clear the task directly?
It would definitely be faster.
【If you don’t obey, I’m leaving.】
“Don’t!” The school tyrant Gu Jinzhi struggled internally for a long moment, but ultimately submitted, taking off his jacket and trousers.
Some men rely heavily on clothing for their good looks, but others actually look far better without them.
Gu Jinzhi didn’t possess bulky, cumbersome muscles, instead, he had tight, powerful lines full of athletic strength. His shoulders were broad, his collarbones straight, and his waist exceptionally lean. Beneath his firm abdominal muscles were insanely long legs, all wrapped in a healthy, wheat toned skin.
Being tall, he easily leaned back to sit partially on the desk, tilting his head toward Mo Yu with a slightly bewildered expression.
He actually resembled a loyal Doberman Pinscher.
Unfortunately, Mo Yu wasn’t looking at his face, his head was down, caught in a dilemma.
So… since this rattan cane appeared in the bag, was it meant to be used?
How was he supposed to use it?
He couldn’t possibly hit his hands, right?
Thinking carefully, hitting areas with more muscle or padding was supposed to be safer, right?
Mo Yu looked up, intending to do something, but paused mid-motion. His eyes were involuntarily drawn toward the area with the most… volume.
In the end, the cane struck Gu Jinzhi directly across the chest.
“Ugh!” Gu Jinzhi shuddered violently, bending over from the pain as his entire neck turned red.
Mo Yu’s face flushed hot.
Wait, why did I hit him there?! Though it does look pretty firm…
NO! Stop looking!
“Why did you hit me? That really hurts.”
Getting struck with that kind of thin cane actually seemed incredibly painful.
It had already left a red welt.
Mo Yu felt a bit guilty, but remembering the mission, he had no choice. As long as they cleared this quickly, it would all be over.
【If you want to date me, you have to obey me. Beg me to hit you.】
“So… you like this sort of thing?”
【Hurry up.】
Gu Jinzhi lowered his head, looking deeply conflicted.
Mo Yu felt his heart pounding anxiously. If this school tyrant decided to resist, with Gu Jinzhi’s physical skill, Mo Yu wouldn’t stand a chance in a fight.
However, Gu Jinzhi raised his head, staring obsessively at Mo Yu’s face for a moment. Ultimately, he slowly placed his arms behind his back, his long fingers gripping the edge of the desk tightly.
“Then… I like it too.”
“I beg you… hit me.”
Gu Jinzhi closed his eyes, his muscles tightening with every word he uttered. “Let me be your dog.”
Because his hands were behind his back, the red welt on Gu Jinzhi’s chest became even more pronounced. His entire upper body rose and fell slightly with his tense breathing.
Mo Yu’s gaze was involuntarily drawn back to it once again.
No, no, no!
Mo Yu shook his head, shifting his target to a safer spot, his thigh.
Just as he was about to strike, a crimson mist suddenly swept across his vision.
【Mission Failed.】
【Ding! The mission has been reset. It will restart in 12 hours.】
【World Arc Progress: 0/100%】
【Partner Pollution Level: 15%/100%】
Failed?!
Before Mo Yu could even process it, an irresistible wave of drowsiness washed over him.
When he woke up again, the middle school had returned to its original, plain appearance.
He and Gu Jinzhi were still inside that music room, but the grand piano and various instruments around them were gone.
What happened?! The recording was going so smoothly, and time hadn’t run out yet. Why did the mission fail?
Mo Yu frowned, pondering deeply, when he suddenly felt a chill running down his spine.
Did he forget someone?
Mo Yu turned his head around.
With a chest still covered in red welts and a face equally flushed red, Boss Gu had only managed to hurriedly throw his suit jacket back on. He stepped forward in a rage, grabbed Mo Yu by the collar, and raised his fist.
Realizing in an instant what he had just done to Boss Gu, Mo Yu panicked. “Ahhh wait, let me explain!”