"I don't feel any physical changes."
"The only change is that I can randomly select one skill."
"Let me check the skill description."
[Charisma Talent Skill]
[Skill One: Walking Pheromone]
[Passive Skill]
[System Description: Your body continuously emits a peculiar scent. This produces special effects on females with lower charisma than yours, but simultaneously causes females with equal or higher charisma to reject and despise you.]
[Effects on females with lower charisma when they smell the scent: heart-stirring, weakness in limbs, inexplicable attraction.]
"I absolutely don't want this thing!"
Su Cheng looked at the system introduction in horror.
This was a passive skill, after all. How could he confess his feelings to anyone with this?
He feared the other person would throw themselves at him before he could even speak.
His charisma was currently at 8!
People with charisma levels of 8 or 9 were rare in school.
"Let's look at the third one."
Su Cheng ignored the second skill, as it was quite straightforward - presumably some kind of eye-related talent.
The third one was harder to understand, so he directly checked Skill Three.
[Skill Three: Chaotic Field]
[Passive Skill]
[System Description: When people with lower charisma than yours are nearby, their thoughts, thinking, and logic become slightly slower, confused, and dull. They enter a special chaotic state with simplified thinking patterns.]
"Wow, protagonist's halo!"
Su Cheng was overjoyed.
This skill was absolutely perfect!
Isn't this basically an AOE intelligence-reduction aura?
"System, I want to learn this!"
Su Cheng said eagerly.
[Begin Random Selection?]
"Huh?"
The system's prompt was like a bucket of cold water, instantly sobering him up.
"Let's check the second one."
Su Cheng took a deep breath, trying to calm himself down.
[Skill Two: Gaze of the Abyss]
[Anxiety, anger, pain, grievance, dissatisfaction, hatred, fear - all transform into the gaze of the abyss.]
[Active Skill]
[System Description: In your previous life, you followed the law but died unjustly in an accident. Although you've been reborn, it doesn't mean your inner world has been reborn as well. Therefore, you'll manifest your darkest inner aspects through your eyes.]
[Skill Description: When people with lower charisma than yours meet the Gaze of the Abyss, they'll experience negative emotions such as intimidation, fear, pressure, panic, and anxiety.]
"..."
Seeing this skill description, he suddenly fell silent, his face turning terribly dark as gloom filled his heart.
At the same time, clouds covered the sun in the sky, leaving only faint rays of light shining through.
Su Cheng looked up at the sky, his brows furrowed, his mood extremely heavy.
There were three skills in total.
Two passive skills and one active skill.
If he thought about it deeply, the conclusion was easy to reach.
The two passive skills were given by the system.
But this active skill...
It was his innate talent from his previous life.
Because of this skill, memories from his previous life came rushing back, scene after scene floating before him, pulling him into silence.
"Junior~"
Suddenly, a familiar voice came from behind.
Hearing the familiar voice, Su Cheng snapped back to reality and turned around.
He saw Liu Qingyue standing with her hands behind her back, lips slightly pursed, body leaning forward slightly, eyes smiling as she looked at him.
"Have you eaten yet?"
Liu Qingyue asked softly.
"Not yet..."
Su Cheng shook his head.
"Perfect timing, I just bought these!"
Liu Qingyue brought out several sticks of tri-colored dango from behind her back and handed them to Su Cheng.
"What are these?"
Su Cheng was puzzled looking at the skewers.
"These are 'tri-colored rice dango,' sweet but not overwhelming. They're delicious and should suit your taste, junior."
Liu Qingyue said softly, then handed the three skewers in her right hand to Su Cheng.
"Thanks..."
Su Cheng took the three dango skewers from Liu Qingyue with a complicated expression.
"Let's take a break."
Liu Qingyue said, pulling Su Cheng by his sleeve to a nearby lawn. After sitting down, she said, "Try them, they're really good."
"Oh... okay."
Su Cheng nodded and sat down, then took one of the dango skewers and put it in his mouth.
"Mm! These are pretty good."
Su Cheng gently put another dango in his mouth and praised.
"Right~"
Liu Qingyue also gently put one in her mouth, her eyes curving into crescents as she opened her lips, revealing two rows of neat white teeth, giggling, "Sweet treats really can cure all troubles!"
Saying this, she put another one in her mouth.
"Here."
Then, Liu Qingyue took out a can of drink from her dress pocket and held it out to Su Cheng.
"Uh, I'm not thirsty."
Su Cheng shook his head and reached out to decline.
"Then help me open it, I'll drink it."
Liu Qingyue said with a smile.
"Oh, okay."
"Thank you."
Liu Qingyue took it and immediately tilted her head back to drink, then licked her lips with her tongue.
Liu Qingyue stood up from the lawn, brushed off the grass stuck to her black stockings, turned to throw the trash in the nearby bin, and smiled, "Junior, I'm heading back to class now, see you tomorrow~"
With that, she prepared to leave.
"Okay~"
Su Cheng nodded.
Liu Qingyue waved and walked away.
Su Cheng looked away and then at the tri-colored dango in his hand, chewing slowly.
He wasn't planning to select a skill right now.
This matter required careful consideration.
If he got the passive pheromone skill now, wouldn't that be terrible?
After all, there was PE class in the afternoon.
After exercising, wherever he went...
Tsk tsk...
He couldn't even imagine that scene!
So he needed to think of countermeasures first.
First, analyze the nature of the skill.
The nature of body odor is...
Should he go to the hospital to have his sweat glands removed?
Could perfume mask it?
Or maybe...
Should he wait until he gets home to shower and change before making the selection?
Su Cheng fell into deep thought, even considering using feng shui principles for the selection.
"Achoo~"
Suddenly, a cute sneeze broke the silence, making him jump.
"Who's there?"
He looked around alertly, then saw a figure with long black hair nearby.
Long black hair...
Black opaque stockings.
Holding a book, black hair cascading over her shoulders, face exquisitely flawless, expression completely calm, gaze peaceful like a deep ancient well, devoid of any emotion, like a sculpture.
He couldn't connect her with the person who had just sneezed so cutely.
Li Guanqi.
Looking around, he realized that his senior had brought him to Li Guanqi's territory.
Which meant Li Guanqi had been here the whole time.
Then he instinctively looked at Li Guanqi's book and noticed it wasn't web fiction this time, which made him sigh in relief.
"Human and Emotions."
He was familiar with this book.
It was about strengthening self-awareness and learning to observe others' behavioral patterns to adjust one's own responses for better communication and influence over others.
"Su Cheng, do you need something?"
Li Guanqi seemed to notice Su Cheng's gaze, closed her book, tilted her head slightly, and looked at him impassively.
"No, I was just surprised to see you here."
Su Cheng replied stiffly.
"Oh, web novels are strictly prohibited in the library now."
Li Guanqi said in an even tone, picking up her bag beside her and standing up, suddenly coming to stand in front of Su Cheng, her clear black eyes looking at him.
"What!"
Hearing Li Guanqi's words, Su Cheng's eyes widened: "I haven't even had the chance to borrow any, how are they already restricted!"
"Don't know."
Li Guanqi's voice was flat and emotionless, then she sat down next to Su Cheng.
Su Cheng sat in place, head lowered.
He didn't know what to say - he couldn't exactly steer the conversation toward the library and web novels, could he?
"Here, take this."
Just as Su Cheng was about to stand up and say goodbye, Li Guanqi handed him half a cake from beside her.
"I just ate, I'm not hungry."
Su Cheng waved his hand.
Li Guanqi ignored his protest and pushed the half cake into Su Cheng's hands, her tone still flat: "Take it, and be grateful as you eat it!"
"?"
Su Cheng was suddenly taken aback - hearing such words from Li Guanqi's mouth felt strangely out of character.
It didn't match her usual personality at all!
He found it quite shocking, as those were the kind of things only Cornelia would say.
Thinking this, he looked up to the side, only to find Li Guanqi's gaze already fixed on him. She then picked up "People and Emotions" and slowly said, "I'm roleplaying someone who can't express their feelings honestly."
As she spoke, she opened the book, flipped to a certain page, and pointed.
"So, you're roleplaying a tsundere?"
"Yes."
Li Guanqi's answer was very concise.
"Why roleplay?"
"Because my natural personality doesn't allow me to act this way."
"So you're roleplaying a tsundere?"
"You could say that."
Li Guanqi nodded.
"......"
Su Cheng was left speechless.
That reason... was actually quite valid.
He couldn't find any way to argue against it.
She was fully committed to the roleplay.
If he didn't accept it, wouldn't that make him seem ungrateful?
"Thank you."
Su Cheng looked at the half piece of cake in his hand and finally gave in.
He took a bite of the cream cake, and the sweet, soft texture spread across his lips. He couldn't help but take another bite.
Then, three bites finished it off.
Just as he was about to look for a napkin to wipe his mouth, Li Guanqi had already pulled out several tissues and held them out to him.
But he hadn't noticed immediately, still looking down searching for napkins.
Li Guanqi, who had been reading, frowned slightly and directly reached out to wipe the corners of his mouth.
"What are you..."
Su Cheng froze in place, his movements becoming stiff. He watched Li Guanqi's expressionless face as she seriously wiped his mouth, not knowing what to say, only able to stand there motionless while letting her continue.
This was far too intimate.
He and Li Guanqi weren't even close!
They hadn't even exchanged contact information.
"Why are you staring at me like that?"
After finishing wiping, Li Guanqi looked up at Su Cheng and asked calmly.
As if nothing had just happened.
"Don't you feel that what you just did was very intimate?"
"Intimate?"
Li Guanqi raised an eyebrow upon hearing Su Cheng's words: "Was it?"
"Wasn't it?"
"There were several layers of tissue between my hand and your face, so there wasn't actually any contact. Therefore, it can't be considered intimate."
Li Guanqi said coolly.
Su Cheng was left speechless again.
Her logic was sound and convincing.
He was just making a big deal out of nothing!
"Well, in that case..."
Su Cheng suddenly pulled out a restaurant napkin from his pocket and without another word, started wiping Li Guanqi's bangs, saying, "There's some dead grass in your hair, let me help you clean it."
Li Guanqi, who had been reading with her head down, tensed up, her pupils contracting.
But Su Cheng really did just wipe once, removing the grass before withdrawing his hand.
Li Guanqi's expression barely changed, just giving him a slight glance before slowly saying, "Thank you."
"You're welcome."
Su Cheng put the napkin in his bag and then lay down on the grass, looking at the sky, while Li Guanqi continued reading beside him.
He noticed the sun in the sky gradually breaking through the clouds, the gloom retreating step by step, sunlight shining on the lawn, making their shadows stretch long.
And Li Guanqi's figure happened to block the sunlight.
Perhaps because of having a beautiful girl nearby, his mood became more relaxed, his mental state began to recover, and he even started feeling drowsy.
Several dozen minutes later
"Ding—"
A familiar notification sound suddenly reached his ears, startling him awake.
He abruptly opened his eyes and stood up, finding Li Guanqi playing with her phone beside him. Noticing he was awake, she apologized, "Sorry, I got an email."
"It's fine..."
"Mm."
Li Guanqi nodded: "There's ten minutes until class."
"Oh."
Su Cheng rubbed his sleepy eyes, followed behind Li Guanqi, then made a trip to the bathroom, washed his face, and headed toward the classroom.
.....................
Afternoon
Three o'clock
At the dojo.
"Club president, you signed me up??"
Su Cheng showed a shocked expression.
He had just learned that in two weeks he would be participating in some strange National University Kyudo Individual Championship.
One can imagine how shocked he was.
Ji Qingyi seemed to have anticipated Su Cheng's reaction, giving him a cool glance: "Is there a problem?"
Su Cheng looked at Ji Qingyi and asked, "President, I can't even hit the target now, wouldn't participating in that competition just be asking for humiliation?"
"Don't you have two weeks to train?"
Ji Qingyi said.
Su Cheng was momentarily speechless - was this woman really trying to get him to competition level in just two weeks?
"Two weeks is way too short!"
Su Cheng wore an expression like he'd seen a ghost, then seriously and earnestly said: "It would take at least two and a half years!"
Ji Qingyi, sitting at her desk with her face resting on her hand, tilted her head slightly as she looked at Su Cheng and casually said, "Two weeks is enough, because you're a once-in-a-million kyudo prodigy."
"Eh?"
Su Cheng didn't react immediately, but when he did, his face turned from red to pale and back again.
He hadn't expected that what he'd joked about this morning would reach her ears by the afternoon.