"Ugh… Another day. Dead tired."

After work, Yu Mo collapsed onto the sofa like a salted fish stripped of all purpose—limp, drained, as if mercilessly toyed with.

"Hang in there! Just a few more days till the month ends. Then college entrance results drop *and* the subsidy hits—double the joy!"

Though exhausted too, Leng Shuang felt energy surge at the thought: exam results coming, his wallet slowly plumping.

"Leng Shuang, you’ve *already* got phone money. Why keep grinding? Just wait for the subsidy—a clean ten grand. Way easier than slaving away." Yu Mo grumbled from the couch.

"You," Leng Shuang shot him a disdainful look, "always chasing easy cash with zero effort. Where’s that fairy tale job? Face it—we’re wage slaves. That’s our fate." He smirked. "Unless… you marry rich. Find a wealthy wife. You’re not bad-looking, after all."

"Marriage?!" Yu Mo’s eyes widened. He shook his head fast. "No way! I’m *eighteen*! Haven’t even lived yet. Marry? Pfft. Become a househusband? Serve a wife all day? Hard pass."

"Exactly. Bad grades, no good jobs, refuse early marriage? Guess what—we grind."

Leng Shuang headed to the kitchen with takeout cold dishes. Cook rice, heat sides—dinner’s ready.

Lately, Yu Mo ate here daily. Leng Shuang’s mom was always out late, unintentionally giving them space.

"Sigh… Should’ve studied harder."

"If ‘should’ve’ were real, there’d be no Yu Mo," Leng Shuang joked.

"Hmph. *Our* school flower Leng Shuang studied so hard—surely Sakura City University awaits?" Yu Mo drawled with sarcastic sweetness.

"Who knows? Maybe I do have a shot."

Leng Shuang dried his hands, stepped out of the kitchen, hands on hips. A quiet confidence bloomed on his face—like a proud white swan arching its elegant neck.

Yu Mo rubbed his eyes weirdly. "This confidence… if it’s not from Liang Jingru, it’s gotta be from part-time work, right?"

"Ahem." Leng Shuang coughed awkwardly.

…Yu Mo was right. This confidence? Forged on the job.

They’d hit every gig nearby—not just bubble tea shops. Every boss praised him, added tips. Leng Shuang figured: as long as it didn’t need brains, he aced it. Maybe he *was* born for this wage-slave life.

"Keep that confidence. Wait till results drop—you’ll be feeling pretty blue," Yu Mo teased.

"Hmph. I’m ready. Even if I fail, no big emotional crash." Leng Shuang huffed lightly.

"We’ll see."

——

Five days vanished.

Leng Shuang had quit gigs early. Waiting made his usual calm fray at the edges. Even meals felt dull.

Yeah. He cared.

"Hahaha! It’s here!"

Yu Mo clutched his shiny new phone beside Leng Shuang, watching seconds tick down.

"Results unlock at midnight. One minute left! Our school flower Leng Shuang… nervous?"

Unlike Leng Shuang, Yu Mo had bounced his eraser for every multiple-choice answer. Zero expectations—just here to watch his friend sweat.

Today, every Sakura Nation senior held their breath.

Ace it? Joy.

Fail? Back to grinding.

"I’m *not* nervous!"

Leng Shuang bit his lip, typed his login details—fingers trembling over the box.

"Stubborn much? Gotta tell Lin Mo to kiss that mouth senseless."

Leng Shuang’s cheeks flushed crimson. He shot Yu Mo a glare.

"Stop glaring! Ten… nine… eight… seven…"

*Click click click!*

*In!!*

Page loaded. Leng Shuang froze mid-breath. Yu Mo went silent—tenser than Leng Shuang himself.

"Chinese 92, Math 65, English 81, Comprehensive 168. Total: 406…"

Leng Shuang’s face stayed placid—handsome, pure, unreadable.

Yu Mo’s brows knotted. Mouth opened. Closed.

After a beat, Leng Shuang turned. "Seems… better than I expected."

"Huh?" Yu Mo blinked. "I thought you aimed for 600+?"

"No. I know myself. Over 400? Already great." Leng Shuang said it plainly.

"This won’t get you into Sakura City Uni, but outside schools… maybe? Talk to your mom?"

"Nah. Barely scraping the line. Even if admitted—some small-town campus. Not worth it. And my mom…" He trailed off.

He’d dreamed of university, yes—but *Sakura City*. Where credentials ruled. With grads everywhere, a diploma from some fly-by-night college? Useless here. He wouldn’t fake "hardworking student at mediocre school."

Plus, tuition was sky-high. His mom? Lazy, indulgent, left him to fend for himself. Her pockets probably held less than his mandatory subsidy. Tuition? Forget it.

"Sigh. Just grind. Once subsidy hits, you’ll be a mini-rich guy." Yu Mo grinned slyly. "Leng Shuang—I think you can snag the top-tier subsidy!"

Standard subsidy: 10k yuan. Max: 30k. Required looks-and-height eval. No one had scored 30k in years.

"Hope so. 30k’s huge. How much’d *you* get?"

Yu Mo had gone with classmates yesterday—to avoid disturbing lovebirds.

"Me? …20k." A faint blush dusted his cheeks. Rare shyness.

"Twenty *thousand*? Nice!"

"Eh. Validates my looks, I guess. Registration sheet showed barely anyone over 20k. Clerk said—no 30k records lately." Yu Mo’s voice held quiet pride. Looks matter.

"Hope you break the record. Nationwide, no 30k in years."

"Nah. Happy with 20k. Online rumors say a new evaluator started yesterday—super strict. From ‘Brave New World.’ Saw a cute guy get only 15k from her. Lucky I wasn’t in her group…" Yu Mo shuddered with relief.

"But *you*? You could hit 30k. Lin Mo looks mismatched beside you. Only Kazue Iinoue might balance your vibe—and even *she’d* need heavy filters."

"Yu Mo, heh. Stop. I almost believed you," Leng Shuang muttered awkwardly.

"What? You still don’t *see* yourself?" Yu Mo’s eyes widened.

"I’m just… slightly better-looking than average? Maybe." Leng Shuang scratched his head. Honestly? He felt ordinary. Just… fewer handsome folks around made him stand out.

"You! I’m lecturing you!" Yu Mo yanked him to the bathroom mirror. "Look! Hair, skin, eyes, nose, lips… *Wow*. ‘Slightly better’? Are you blind? Your proportions beat male influencers wearing hidden elevator shoes and Photoshop! You really think bosses tipped extra for *hard work*?" He stared like Leng Shuang was an alien.

Leng Shuang gazed at his reflection, confused.

After adapting to Sakura Nation, past-life memories faded. But he knew: his looks barely changed. Eyes just *a tiny bit* brighter. Nose *a tiny bit* straighter. Lips *a tiny bit* rosier. Skin *a tiny bit* dewier. Hair *a tiny bit* glossier. Build *a tiny bit* more balanced…

That’s all.

*Is this… actually handsome?*

He eyed Yu Mo warily. "You’re not flattering me to set me up for failure, are you?"

"*Hah?*" Yu Mo’s jaw dropped. "You’re impossible! Fine—I’ll post our grad pics online. Let everyone judge: do you have Liu Qiangxi-level eyesight or what?!"