C1 The School Belle Who Confessed to You Is Rewarded with a Billionaire Mansion

"Confessing to the campus beauty and triggering a sign-in system?"

Howard rubbed his eyes and gave his thigh a sharp pinch before refocusing on the shimmering golden text that seemed to hover before him, visible to him alone.

Was this just a heat-induced hallucination?!

He found it hard to believe.

It was the first day of military training, and the sun was merciless. As a frail scholar who rarely exercised, Howard wasn't surprised that he'd succumbed to a mild case of heatstroke.

The golden text had only appeared after he'd come to in the medical tent.

Maybe he should give it a shot?

Howard wavered for a moment.

Regardless, it was worth a try.

If there was no system, the worst-case scenario would be becoming the butt of jokes for the week.

But what if the golden text was real?

Even if he ended up embarrassed, he had nothing to lose!

Howard sat up, took a sip of cool water, and pondered how to confess his feelings to the campus belle.

After all, he'd been single for eighteen years.

He'd never even held a girl's hand, much less confessed his feelings. If not for the enigmatic golden text, he doubted he'd ever consider romance, even after graduation.

"You're awake. How do you feel? Is there any discomfort?"

A crisp, cool voice snapped Howard back to the present. He looked up and replied, "I'm okay now, just a bit of a heavy head."

Was that Senior Sister?

Could this be destiny?

He was just about to confess, and there she was.

Howard's mind began to wander.

However, Fredia was merely there to assist a close friend. This year's freshmen were alarmingly frail; over thirty had collapsed on the first day of training.

With only one person manning the medical station, it was overwhelming.

She had come to lend a hand, and now that the critical tasks were done, Fredia decided to check on the patients to ensure there were no emergencies.

But why was this junior staring at her so intently?

His gaze was earnest and intense, different from the other guys.

"Junior, is there something you want to say? Staring at me like that isn't very polite," Fredia said, her eyebrows arching slightly.

Oh no!

Howard chuckled sheepishly, then climbed down from the bed to face Fredia with a serious expression. Gathering his courage, he declared loudly, "Senior Sister, I like you. Will you be my girlfriend?"

Ah!

Two exclamations rang out.

One belonged to Fredia, her cheeks ablaze with a rosy flush as she stared at Howard in disbelief. Was this, this, really his idea of a straightforward confession?

The other came from the entrance of the medical station.

A gentle woman in a white coat stood there, caught in a moment of embarrassment. Hesitant at the doorway, she offered cautiously, "Um, I didn't see anything. Please, carry on."

With that, she drew the curtain closed and swiftly made her way to the adjacent medical tent, patting her chest as she muttered, "Wow, Fredia sure is a hit. She's got even the freshmen completely smitten."

Her sentiment, however, was a stark contrast to the scene she left behind.

The air between Howard and Fredia grew thick with tension, the awkwardness reaching a palpable peak, particularly for Howard. In that instant, he wished the ground would swallow him whole.

What a blunder!

Howard was on the verge of tears, though none would come.

His sole consolation was that the golden text wasn't a figment of his imagination—it was very much real. The confirmation came after his confession, as a prompt resonated in his mind.

Ding! The Perfect Life Sign-In System is now fully activated.

Ding! Confession to the campus beauty successful: You have earned a private seaside manor villa.

The system was no joke!

The confession had paid off!

Sure, it was awkward, but in the grand scheme of things, what was a bit of embarrassment compared to a private seaside manor villa?

If embarrassment came with such rewards, then let it come with full force!

Once Howard verified the system's property deeds were legitimate, he snapped out of his reverie. He lifted his gaze to meet her clear, bright eyes and, touching his nose subconsciously, he said, "Uh, Senior Sister, I apologize. I didn't mean to put you on the spot."

"It's okay," Fredia replied with a serene smile. "I'm quite accustomed to it. But, little junior, you've been quite rash. Who confesses the first time they meet someone?"

"It was love at first sight!" Howard laughed off, unabashed and carefree, which drew a light laugh from Fredia. "Junior, you're quite the character. Let's set aside the confession for now—how about we exchange WeChat contacts?"

Alright.

Being turned down was to be expected.

Howard wasn't heartbroken. Managing to connect on WeChat was an unexpected bonus—he definitely came out ahead on this one!

Once they had added each other, Fredia pocketed her phone and remarked, "You seem full of energy, so head back to your squad. Otherwise, you're sure to fail the military training."

Uh-huh!

Howard nodded eagerly.

University credits, especially for military training, were hard to come by.

He had no intention of just throwing away those credits.

"Senior Sister, I'm truly sorry. I owe you a meal sometime!" Howard flashed a grin and dashed off toward his class.

No sooner had Howard left...

The woman in the white coat entered, her face etched with sarcasm. "Well, well, our Iron Tree has finally blossomed, exchanging WeChat info with a boy, no less."

"Mengyao, cut it out," Fredia chided, the corners of her mouth lifting as she clutched her phone, a soft warmth in her eyes. "Maybe, just like he said, it was love at first sight."

Ha!

Mollie was taken aback, her face a picture of shock. "You're serious?"

"Come on, I just added him as a friend. We'll start from there and see where it goes. If things work out, why not give it a shot?" Fredia's voice trailed off as she crouched down, her cheeks flushing.

This...

This guy had really hit the jackpot.

Mollie's lips twitched. What more could she say? Her best friend really did need a boyfriend. If she stayed single much longer, Grandpa Liu and Grandma Momo would surely be rushing to set her up on blind dates.

"Fine, but you better keep me in the loop. I'll be your lookout!" Mollie pinched Fredia's cheeks, her warning earnest.

After all, appearances can be deceiving.

If Howard turned out to be a smooth-talker preying on her naive, cool-on-the-outside best friend, Mollie vowed to make sure he learned how the last eunuch came to be in post-revolutionary history!

Yikes!

Why was there a sudden draft down there?

Back in formation, Howard, standing at attention, felt an inexplicable chill in his groin. The sensation made him clamp his legs together. "Who's out to get me?"