Never judge a person by first impressions—eighty percent of the time, you’ll be wrong. Whether it’s me, Xu Lingzhu, or anyone around me, beneath their sanctimonious masks always lies a hidden side…

Mrs. Nalan once called me one of the most normal men she’d ever met. My first reaction was disbelief and sudden anger. After all… what’s wrong with being a perverted guy!?

But now I realize my petty issues seem trivial. The Student Council President is a hardcore gamer girl, even more obsessed than Ouyang Lian. Her brother? A hopeless playboy beyond redemption. Even perverted bookworm Jia Baoyu and the cynical master artist Yan Qing have far sharper personalities than mine.

If I view this through idealism, I’m just a fool clinging to the past. Gender doesn’t matter—true essence lies within. They’ve all embraced their beastly natures openly.

I panicked under Xu Lingzhu’s intense, unwavering gaze.

“Wait—you’ve mistaken me for someone else! I won’t join some cult!”

Xu Lingzhu pointed down at my nose, her mysterious aura crushing me since our first meeting. “No mistake! Even if that email wasn’t yours, didn’t you lose to me on the tennis court today?”

“Yes, it was me. But you can’t force me into this… this G Club?”

“G for Game. No game, no life!”

Saying it in such a cringey tone wasn’t cool at all—though it sounded way more imposing than when Xiao Yi said it.

Gu Hengbo quickly scribbled the phrase in her notebook, treating it like a lesson in femininity. This club advisor was clearly an idiot, wasting her youth on IT skills meant for engineering nerds.

“You lost. That’s fact. Xu Xian threw the match for you, and you suck at tennis anyway—but you lost!”

I nodded, unsure where she was going.

Xu Lingzhu shook her head at my blank stare. “You forgot. Did you really think I stalked you online daily for fun?”

“Well… yeah?”

“You promised to grant me one wish if I ever beat you!”

A bead of cold sweat trickled down my forehead. I had bragged to some ten-pack-ab warrior out of arrogance. “D-Did I?”

Her eyes screamed, “I never took you for a liar.”

I didn’t want to waste my best years in this suspiciously cozy club. I argued back, “I meant in-game challenges! Fishing or cooking count—there’s no tennis in the game!”

“Nope. You said ‘under any circumstances.’ And I have the replay footage if you want proof.” Xu Lingzhu’s lips curled slightly, utterly confident.

Footage!? She was as relentless as her brother. I silently reaffirmed: I’m such an idiot…

“Silence means consent, right?” Xu Lingzhu flashed a victory sign. “Advisor Gu, meet our new member. Uh… what’s your name again? I always see Xu Xian buzzing around you like a fly, but I never caught your real name.”

Gu Hengbo watched me with keen interest, clearly treating this club as her femininity training ground.

I shot them both a glare. “Finally asking my name? So you remember this is our third meeting.”

Xu Lingzhu grinned sweetly. “Don’t be cold. No obligations here—you can skip anytime.”

Her unspoken words hung heavy: I’ve got leverage on you. I heard them loud and clear.

Another worry gnawed at me. These two idiots still thought Flawless Flower was a girl. Revealing my real identity would blow my cover fast—one was Student Council President, the other a homeroom teacher. Someone would snap. This time, it’d be unfixable…

“Not telling is fine. I’ll find out soon enough.”

True. Xu Lingzhu would have another hold over me shortly. I sighed. “Jiang Lan. Lan as in waves.”

“Teacher Jiang? Hmm… that rings a bell.” Gu Hengbo blinked. Xu Lingzhu frowned in thought.

The soothing school bell cut through the tension, easing my immediate crisis.

Gu Hengbo slapped her forehead. “Ah! I have class!”

No kidding. Weren’t we all?

Outside, Xu Lingzhu gave me a deep look. As we descended the stairs, she said earnestly, “Thank you, Jiang Lan. And welcome to Project G.”

What was this wave of rural, cringey otaku energy…

“Project G?”

Xu Lingzhu smirked mysteriously. “You’ll see soon enough.”

I stayed silent, nodding as I followed Gu Hengbo’s high heels down the other corridor. Thinking: Soon… you won’t thank me at all.