Chapter 93 092. The Mission Begins!
“Agh… my head hurts so bad…”
An Han groaned as he woke up, clutching his throbbing temples. His eyes struggled to open, and his entire body ached with fatigue.
What did I even do last night?
Drank at the KTV… and then?
His memory was hazy, but he could still piece together the general sequence of events—especially the most striking detail: Su Peng and Long Xing’s rising affection levels.
“Check Su Peng and Long Xing’s affection.”
【Su Peng: 90; Long Xing: 91】
Why is it climbing even higher?! At this rate, it’ll surpass 100 soon!
He’d worked so hard to lower Su Peng’s affection by three points through sheer annoyance, but somehow last night it had bounced right back up.
As for Long Xing, his affection had fluctuated—first rising, then dipping slightly, then rising again—ending with a net gain of +2, pushing him past the 90 threshold.
An Han groaned in frustration, ruffling his already messy hair into complete chaos. He let out a mournful sigh, utterly bewildered by the current situation.
It seemed that no matter what he did—just being around them somehow always ended up increasing their affection.
This was way too hard!
“Check Wang Yu’s affection toward me.”
【Wang Yu: 67】
Had it gone up… just a tiny bit since last time?
But he hadn’t even interacted much with Wang Yu recently…
“I seriously don’t get it.”
He’d returned to campus in the wee hours of the morning, and now the dorm was dead quiet. Glancing at the clock, An Han’s heart skipped a beat. He immediately leaped down from his top bunk.
With a soft thud, he scrambled toward the balcony, frantically brushing his teeth and getting dressed.
“Xiao Han, what’s all this racket?” Long Xing, woken by the commotion, yawned and asked sleepily.
“I’ve got something urgent—I need to go out!”
Today was the anime expo!
He’d arranged to meet Lin Yi at 8 a.m., and he was running dangerously late.
In under two minutes, An Han finished his morning routine—barely even bothering to change shoes. He dashed out of the dorm wearing only flip-flops.
Today’s the day—he had to complete the mission!
One day! Qipao! Going out in public!
The anime expo perfectly matched all the required keywords. The only uncertainty: did “one day” mean a full 24 hours… or just the daytime hours?
If it was the former, he might have to wear the qipao all night—even while staying up at an internet café.
He sprinted all the way to the girls’ dormitory, where Lin Yi was already waiting—dressed head to toe in a stunning Hanfu ensemble.
She wore a white inner layer beneath a flowing crimson outer robe. Her long hair was elegantly styled into a “zhuima ji” (falling-horse bun), and her pinkish-white floor-length skirt forced her to hold up the hem with both hands. With full, glamorous makeup, her already impressive looks now radiated noble grace—utterly breathtaking.
“Why are you so slow?” Lin Yi scolded, then did a little spin, her skirt swirling. “Beautiful, right? The Hanfu shop lent this to me! I have to wear it all day.”
An Han stared at her outfit, his mind involuntarily conjuring an image of himself in Hanfu.
…it probably wouldn’t look bad?
Traditional Hanfu covered the body thoroughly and didn’t emphasize the figure much. The only problem? His chest was far too flat to fill the garment properly.
“You’ll change into your outfit over there,” Lin Yi said, nodding toward the backpack and tote bag sitting by the dorm entrance. “Here—take this. It’s got your makeup and qipao inside.”
“…Okay.”
Usually loud, bold, and practically the dorm’s pampered pet among his roommates, An Han now shrank into himself, looking utterly nervous.
“Hey,” Lin Yi leaned in, looping her arm through his and covering her mouth with a giggle. “I sent your photo to the shop owner, and she had no idea you were a guy! Just don’t slip up today—remember to use the women’s restroom. If the boss finds out, she’ll dock your pay!”
“Huh?!”
An Han’s eyes widened. “You didn’t tell her I’m a guy?!”
“Well, if she didn’t notice, why say anything?” Lin Yi laughed, tugging his arm. “Grab your stuff—we’re calling a ride.”
An Han clutched the bags, anxiously glancing around. “It’s just… us two?”
“Well, duh! Do you think I’d trick you if I’d found someone else?”
“…”
An Han suddenly felt this trip might be far more complicated than he’d imagined.
Recalling photos he’d seen online of past anime expos, he remembered each booth usually featured several gorgeous cosplaying girls as eye-catching “signs”—constantly swarmed by crowds taking pictures.
And now… he was about to become one of those signs.
Wouldn’t Long Xing and the others definitely spot him?!
Long Xing and Chen Junjie were also going to the expo!
“Don’t be so tense,” Lin Yi noticed his stiff expression and smiled reassuringly. “You just stand there—you can’t even use your phone. Think of yourself as a clothes hanger.”
She clearly understood the nerves of a first-timer and leaned closer, whispering tips.
“If people start taking photos, just strike a pose or sway a little—it actually feels pretty rewarding to be the center of attention!”
No. Not at all!
Where was the “reward” in that?! Just imagining the scene made him cringe. And if any of his classmates were among the crowd? He’d be so embarrassed he could dig a three-bedroom house with his toes.
He could only give her a weak, forced smile.
And the worst part? If someone took his picture, he couldn’t refuse or protest.
Even with a ride-hailing car, it still took over half an hour to reach the expo venue.
Outside, a massive line already snaked around the building. Lin Yi led An Han through an employee entrance and dragged him at a brisk pace to a quiet corner of the hall.
It was An Han’s first time at such an event. Temporary booths filled the enormous space, carving narrow pathways that all led toward a central stage. To his immense relief, the Hanfu shop’s location was extremely secluded.
Good—being out of the way meant less chance of running into classmates.
“Boss!”
“You’re late,” said the shop owner—a woman who looked to be in her thirties, glasses perched on her nose, exuding an intellectual air. She was busy directing staff with final setup tasks but glanced up at An Han. “You’re even prettier in person than in the photo. Hurry to the back and get changed and made up.”
Behind a partition made of foam boards, a makeshift changing area had been set up. Lin Yi gave An Han a playful shove inside.
“Change first—I’ll do your makeup after.”
“It’s already tailored. It’ll fit you perfectly~”
In this unfamiliar environment, with Lin Yi—the only person he even remotely knew, and someone he’d barely spoken to over the past two years—as his sole companion, An Han’s anxiety spiked.
Stepping into the tiny changing stall, he double-checked just in case:
“System, what’s Lin Yi’s affection toward me?”
【Lin Yi: 61】
Not bad. Though the number seemed modest, it was actually close to Wang Sheng’s level of affection toward him.
That eased his nerves slightly, and he began unpacking the bag—only to pull out the qipao and freeze in horror.
“What the hell?! Lin Yi—why is it a *short* qipao?!”
“What did you expect?!”
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