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Chapter 3: Beauty, Brains, and Banter
In the bathroom, Lin Feng stood in front of the mirror, holding a pair of scissors like a soldier holding a sword. His long hair cascaded down to his shoulders, framing his delicate, almost androgynous face.
He narrowed his eyes.
"Alright, time to chop this mop," he muttered, lifting a strand. But as he positioned the scissors, his hands froze.
His expression twisted as a memory surfaced.
---
Flashback:
A much younger Lin Feng, face twisted in determination, had decided to give himself a haircut before school.
Ten minutes later, he'd ended up with bangs that looked like uneven mountain peaks and patches that could only be described as "randomized disaster."
The trauma had been sealed forever in his yearbook.
---
He shivered.
"Yeah no. Let's not repeat history," he mumbled. "Why take jobs from professionals anyway? Gotta support the economy."
Putting the scissors down solemnly like a wise monk, he turned to the system. "Alright System, bring out the Charm Enhancing Elixir."
Ding!
Retrieving [Charm Enhancing Elixir] from inventory…
A small glass vial materialized in his hand, filled with shimmering liquid that looked like melted stars.
Lin Feng admired it for a second. "Looks like fairy dew."
Then, without hesitation, he popped the cork and drank it down in one gulp.
At first, it was surprisingly pleasant—sweet, slightly citrusy.
Then—
"AAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHH!"
His body suddenly flared up like someone had set him on fire from the inside out. Muscles tensed, skin tingled, every inch of his nerves screamed in agony.
Host seems surprised. Did you not read the fine print?
Transformation elixirs hurt. Pain is part of beauty. As the ancient ones said: EMBRACE THE SUFFERING.
"THE ANCIENT ONES CAN GO TO HELL!" Lin Feng shouted internally, collapsing into the bathtub as his body burned like a volcano.
Ten minutes. Ten eternal minutes.
When it finally ended, he panted, body drenched in sweat, steam rising faintly from his skin. Slowly, cautiously, he stood and looked in the mirror.
His jaw dropped.
"…Holy—who is that?"
The boy—no, the man—in the mirror looked nothing like the Lin Feng of before. His skin was flawless, glowing like porcelain under soft light. His facial features were delicate, yet there was a sharp edge to them—his thick, arched eyebrows, slightly upturned eyes, those long lashes…girlish.....
And then his physique.
Gone was the slightly lanky teen body. Now, he was 187 cm tall, lean but defined, with sculpted abs, a faint mermaid line, and muscles that were just aesthetic enough to make fitness influencers jealous.
> System Notification:
Original Attractiveness Score: 86/100
Post-Elixir Score: 99/100
Host's physique has been optimized to aesthetic peak. Height has been adjusted to 187 cm. Face: dangerously pretty. Aura: visually addictive.
Lin Feng blinked.
"…I'm literally a walking fan-service panel but why do I still look like a girl, am I destined to be a femboy?," he muttered.
> You're welcome, the System said smugly.
Feel free to call me the Miracle Worker.
"Pfft… narcissist."
> Careful, Host. I can hear your thoughts.
And arrogance is simply confidence without modesty.
Lin Feng snorted but couldn't help smiling. "Alright, let's fuse the Positive Aura and Heavenly Scholar."
> On it, Captain!
Initiating fusion process…
As soon as the process began, a sharp pain erupted in his head. Like someone was downloading an entire library of human knowledge into his skull using a fork.
"Gahhhh!" he clutched his head and staggered.
> Side Effect Warning: Fusion may cause temporary migraine. Effects include: intelligence boost, laser focus, supernatural memory, mild headache, and the realization that calculus is suddenly sexy.
After what felt like a mini-exam crammed into a blender, the pain eased.
Lin Feng stood still. Breathing in. Breathing out.
"….Wow"
Everything felt clear. His thoughts were rapid and organized. His senses sharper. Even the smell of the shampoo bottles was more distinct.
And he smelled… amazing?
He sniffed his wrist. A gentle scent, like fresh mountain air mixed with wildflowers.
"Well… guess I'm never buying cologneagain," he chuckled.
> Aura successfully bound.
Congratulations, Host. You're now a top-tier specimen of humanity with the brain of a genius and the scent of a spring breeze.
Do you wish to thank the System?
Lin Feng rolled his eyes. "Yeah, thanks, System."
> Love you too, Host.
"Yeah yeah, talk to the mirror, Narcissus."
He ignored the system's happy humming and stepped out of the bathroom, towel slung around his neck, muscles still lightly steaming. The morning sunlight poured into his room.
Time to get dressed.
Time to begin again.
This time… with style.
---
Lin Feng stepped into his bedroom with a towel still around his neck, faint wisps of steam trailing behind him. The room smelled faintly of shampoo, fresh linen, and his new natural forest-flower scent. Yeah, he admitted — not bad.
He opened his closet with a small hum, glancing over his uniform with practiced ease. "Alright, let's get this show on the road."
The crisp white school shirt slid on easily — fitting snug in all the right places. He buttoned it halfway, admiring how the fabric hugged his now lean, muscled upper body.
"Damn, even the shirt's thanking me," he smirked.
Then came the pants.
He pulled out the usual dark blue slacks — standard high school issue. One foot in. The other foot in. Tug.
Nothing.
"Eh?"
He tugged harder. The waistband hit his thighs and refused to go any further, like a stubborn donkey at a petting zoo.
He grunted, hopping around the room like a flamingo trying to wrestle itself into skinny jeans.
"Don't tell me—" he paused, looking down. "These things don't fit anymore?"
It wasn't that his legs were too thicc or anything — okay, maybe just a little more muscular now. But mostly, the problem was clear: his legs had grown longer. Way longer.
"These pants were made for a 182 cmnerd," he sighed, yanking them off. "Not a 187 cm demigod."
> Host, shall I remind you again that your physique has been optimized to perfection?
"Quiet, Narcissus," he muttered.
Back to the closet. He skimmed through the hangers until he found a pair of oversized black chinos he'd bought online on a whim — some "K-pop idol airport fashion" style that never saw daylight.
He held them up. "You were supposed to be baggy. Let's see how baggy you feel now."
He pulled them on. Fit snug at the waist, a bit loose at the legs — just enough to look casual but still clean.
"Hah. Perfect."
With clothes finally sorted, he walked to the dresser, picked up the blow dryer, and flipped his head over. A minute later, with a dramatic fwoosh, he popped back up and faced the mirror.
His now-dry hair fluffed up like a silky halo, soft and full of volume.
He paused.
"…I look like a girl who just stepped out of a bath in a romance drama."
Long lashes, glossy lips, skin practically glowing, hair cascading down like some shampoo ad. His features were delicate, sharp, beautiful — too beautiful. It was starting to feel illegal.
He tilted his head left. Then right.
Was this how girls felt when they saw their crushes?
He smiled a little... until his eyes drifted downward — and landed on the firm lines of his abs. The subtle V-line. The definition on his arms.
"…At least I'm a girl with abs," he muttered proudly, flexing just a little in the mirror.
Then he blinked. Stared at himself.
"Wait."
His smile froze.
"…Am I becoming a narcissist?"
A moment of silence.
Then he shrugged with both hands in the air.
"Eh. I'm already shameless. What's a little self-love gonna hurt?"
He grabbed a black hairband from his drawer and tied up his hair, making sure it stayed out of his eyes. With his sharp jawline now exposed and his school shirt half-buttoned, he looked somewhere between a top-ranking idol and a webtoon protagonist who'd just woken up from an ice coffin.
> Host is now officially a walking fantasy.
Want to thank the system again?
Lin Feng rolled his eyes. "Thank you, Your High-and-Mightiness."
> You're welcome, peasant.
Still grinning to himself, he turned toward the door. Each step felt light, like gravity was working half as hard on him.
The sun filtered through the window, the warmth brushing against his face.
He took one last look at himself in the mirror — gave a mock wink and finger guns.
"Time to turn heads."
With a chuckle and a smug spring in his step, Lin Feng walked downstairs, ready to face a brand-new day.
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[End of Chapter 2]