C16 Autumn Trip

October 20th, 2020, Tuesday.

Today was the day Harlos No. 1 Middle School had scheduled its autumn outing.

Early in the morning, the campus was buzzing with excitement. Students huddled in small groups, eagerly discussing the day's adventure.

For most, the prospect of playing outside during school hours was pure bliss.

Yun Chen had risen exceptionally early as well.

Truth be told, it wasn't by choice that Yun Chen was up with the dawn.

Shen Siyu had come knocking on his door while it was still dark outside.

Consequently, a groggy Yun Chen was coerced out of bed.

By six o'clock, they had already reached the school.

Rubbing his bleary eyes, Yun Chen glanced at the ever-chatty Shen Siyu beside him. He was momentarily speechless, yet a quiet sense of relief washed over him.

Seeing Shen Siyu again didn't unsettle him as he had anticipated.

Everything felt normal, harmonious even, as if the events of the previous day had simply vanished.

"Actually, this is pretty good," Yun Chen mused internally.

He wasn't prepared for the onset of a romantic relationship, particularly one where Shen Siyu might be involved.

With this thought, Yun Chen's heart felt lighter. He turned to the still-babbling Shen Siyu and asked, "Is today's school outing about climbing a mountain?"

"Yes, we're heading to Celestial Dragon Mountain in N City!" Shen Siyu responded immediately.

Shen Siyu, too, felt a wave of relief.

Despite her bold move to kiss Yun Chen the day before, it had been a spur-of-the-moment act of bravery.

Now that her impulsive courage had faded, repeating such an act was out of the question!

She had spent the previous evening deep in thought, primarily about how to navigate her relationship with Yun Chen.

But as she mulled it over, sleep took over without yielding any answers.

She was, after all, inexperienced in matters of the heart.

The next day, however, Shen Siyu was pleasantly surprised to find that, as was her habit with any exciting news, she rushed to Yun Chen's house to summon her Mr. Yun.

Shen Siyu came to a realization that Yun Chen had become an integral part of her life, as natural as breathing. It had turned into a habit, and habits can sometimes be frighteningly powerful. So, before the crack of dawn, she found herself knocking on Yun Chen's door.

What surprised her, though, was the sudden change in Mrs. Jee, Yun Chen's mother. She greeted Siyu with an unexpected warmth and concern, treating her as if she were her own daughter. Mrs. Jee had always been kind, but this morning her enthusiasm was extraordinary, leaving Siyu puzzled for quite some time.

"Regardless, I must look after Mr. Yun," Siyu resolved internally. "With his exceptional talents, it would be terrible if someone else snatched him away."

Yun Chen's remarkable medical skills had left an indelible mark on Siyu's memory, lingering persistently. She even had a hunch that his abilities were unparalleled in this world.

Unaware of Siyu's thoughts, Yun Chen was grappling with the news that the autumn excursion was set for Celestial Dragon Mountain in N City. "It's that far?" he exclaimed, trying to hide his surprise.

"Yes, that's why we need to rise early and make our way to the site," Siyu replied, nodding in agreement.

"Okay, I must have missed that detail during class," Yun Chen confessed, a bit embarrassed, recalling that he might have dozed off during the announcement.

Just then, a crisp voice called out from behind them, "Hey, Siyu, up so early?"

Both Yun Chen and Siyu turned to see who it was. Approaching them was Lin Chuxia, a girl whose beauty was almost too much to take in. Her long hair draped effortlessly over her shoulders without a hint of disarray. Her eyes, clear and expressive, were unforgettable at first glance. Her tall nose, cherry-like lips, flawless skin, and perfect figure left no room for doubt—she was indeed the famed campus belle.

As soon as Shen Siyu recognized the newcomer, her face lit up with a smile. She walked over and affectionately hugged her arm, saying cheerfully, "Chuxia, you're up early!"

"Yes!" Lin Chuxia nodded warmly, clearly indicating a close bond with Shen Siyu.

Her attention then shifted to Yun Chen as she playfully remarked, "This must be the Mr. Yun that Siyu can't stop talking about!"

"He seems quite impressive! No wonder Siyu is always mentioning him!"

Her teasing was evident in her tone.

Shen Siyu's cheeks flushed with embarrassment as she protested, "That's not true at all! Chuxia, you're making things up!"

The two friends then broke into playful banter.

Meanwhile, Yun Chen's face had become a mask of stiffness because standing before him was none other than Lin Chuxia!

Yun Chen couldn't overlook the glaring mission in his mind: "Mission: The Campus Belle's First Kiss!"

And the target of this "Campus Belle's First Kiss" was the very Lin Chuxia standing before him!

"What kind of situation is this?!" he muttered to himself, his head feeling like it was swelling with the pressure.

Noticing Yun Chen's odd expression, Shen Siyu ceased her playful tussle with Lin Chuxia and looked at him with concern, "Mr. Yun, is something wrong?"

"It's nothing," Yun Chen replied weakly, stealing a glance at Lin Chuxia.

Catching his look, Shen Siyu grinned and said, "Oh, I almost forgot to introduce you two. This is Chuxia, our school's renowned campus belle. You must know of her, Mr. Yun?"

Lin Chuxia gave a playful pinch to her own cheek before extending her hand to Yun Chen, saying, "Lin Chuxia, Siyu's good friend."

"It's an honor to meet you!" Yun Chen shook her hand, his expression one of pleasant surprise, though he quickly withdrew his hand.

Lin Chuxia gave Yun Chen a thoughtful look before turning to whisper with Shen Siyu.

After all, her acquaintance with Shen Siyu was barely a month old, and she knew even less about Yun Chen!

Her curiosity about Yun Chen stemmed from wanting to see the man that Siyu, a beauty whose looks rivaled her own, couldn't stop talking about.

Today, she finally caught a glimpse of him, only to realize that Yun Chen didn't seem to possess any remarkable qualities aside from his handsome appearance.

The "compliment" she had offered earlier was merely a polite gesture.

While Lin Chuxia felt a twinge of disappointment for Shen Siyu, she wasn't one to pry into the affairs of others.

After all, to each their own, and it wasn't her place to judge!

Thus, Lin Chuxia's interest in Yun Chen waned quickly, and she joyfully engaged Siyu in conversation about their upcoming autumn excursion.

Despite their brief acquaintance, Lin Chuxia genuinely enjoyed the company of Siyu, who was a year her junior. She found Siyu's sincere presence comforting, often feeling an impulse to confide in her.

This sense of authenticity was a rare treasure compared to the deceit and manipulation Lin Chuxia was accustomed to in her own life.

Meanwhile, Yun Chen, noticing Lin Chuxia's fleeting interest, touched his nose in mild amusement.

Before acquiring the system, he was just an average high school student, the kind who would blend unnoticed into a crowd.

Now, even with the system and its extraordinary abilities, unless he demonstrated them, they remained invisible to others.

It seemed only natural for him to be quickly forgotten.

But Yun Chen was indifferent. If not for the system's assigned mission, he would never have considered any interaction with Lin Chuxia.

After all, they were from different worlds.

However, just then, the system notification sounded:

"Ding! Main Mission Triggered: Lin Chuxia's Favorability. Mission Introduction: System analysis indicates Lin Chuxia's opinion of you is mediocre. As a man destined for greatness, how can you be underestimated by your designated mission target? Young man, go forth and win over Lin Chuxia's favor!"

"Mission Target: Achieve 50% favorability from Lin Chuxia (Current favorability: 5%). Mission Duration: Three days."

"Mission Success: Receive a crafting type red packet. Mission Failure: Lose the symbol of your manhood with no recovery for three years!"

Yun Chen: "(○o○)..."

He was instantly enraged and silently raged, "Damn system, are you messing with me?"

"All you talk about is reaching the pinnacle of life! Can't you come up with something else to say?"

"And what the hell kind of tasks are you assigning me?"

"Getting Lin Chuxia's first kiss was already a massive headache! Now you want me to win her favor?"

"Why don't you just ascend to heaven?!"

Yun Chen had never felt this furious before. You're a system, but does that mean you have to toy with people like this?

But the system's next line utterly deflated Yun Chen's fury.

"Ding! The host may choose to abandon the mission!"

"Kind Reminder: Abandoning the mission is tantamount to failure, and should the mission fail, the host will face a penalty!"

Yun Chen's head drooped in resignation. He had anticipated this outcome.

The thought of the mission's failure penalty sent a chilling sensation through his body.

He certainly did not want to spend the next three years as the last eunuch in China!

"Fine, I'll just have to take it one step at a time," Yun Chen sighed, reluctantly bowing to the system's tyranny.

Just then, a line of tour buses began to slowly make their way onto the campus. It was time for them to set off.