You said you hated men, why are your eyes now full of love?

"Mrs. Chu, it's clear that your daughter was the first to make a mistake today, but considering that Ji Mu also hit her, we can consider it a truce."

The principal spoke slowly, announcing his decision with a light touch.

"Do you have any objections?"

The question seemed to be asking for her opinion, but who would dare to say "no" at this moment?

The noblewoman's face turned grim as she reluctantly agreed.

"No."

The headmaster nodded slightly.

Since the matter was settled, there was no need to waste any more words on unimportant details.

His gaze fell on the boy standing there, yawning lazily, and the stern face of the headmaster broke into another smile.

"How have your studies been lately?"

Hearing the principal initiate the conversation, Ji Mu was somewhat taken aback.

He straightened his posture and replied as usual, "It's going well."

The principal smiled, his voice soft and measured as he continued, "How confident are you about the upcoming inter-school exam?"

"I'm confident, but not completely."

When it came to exams, Ji Mu was always modest.

"I should be able to beat the second place by about thirty to forty points or so," he added.

"Damn, isn’t that just being sure you’ll take first place?"

The head of the student affairs department, who had been lurking in the corner, nearly stumbled at the youth’s words.

So arrogant, and he still calls that not being very confident?!

Even the principal couldn’t help but be amused.

"Good!"

He was in a very good mood and reached out to pat the boy on the shoulder.

"Just focus on your studies at school; you don’t need to worry about anything else."

In that short sentence, a lot of information was subtly conveyed.

The wealthy woman felt dazed, her head throbbing with confusion.

At that moment, she once again realized the weight the boy carried in the headmaster's heart.

The vengeful thoughts that had initially arisen from her resentment vanished in an instant.

With the headmaster as a towering presence, any attempt to harm Ji Mu would be an invitation to death.

The head of the student affairs department, who had served as a running commentary, was also shaken.

As a seasoned veteran, how could he not understand the subtle message of the principal?

After all, whether it was the second inter-school examination or the upcoming exposure ceremony, this young man was a crucial figure.

If he doesn't take good care of him, he'll surely suffer the consequences.

Damn it!

The head of the student affairs department cursed inwardly.

He was already annoyed with the brat's class.

Now he had to deal with another "Grandmaster."

--

Friday.

This was a special day for most students.

If they could just grit their teeth and get through one more day, they would be rewarded with two full days of pleasant vacation.

The orange twilight gave the classroom a warm glow.

As the lesson drew to a close, many of the boys were already whispering about where they were going to have fun.

The noise was low, but Ji Mu, sitting not far away, heard every word.

When the word "Friday" reached his ears, he paused, momentarily distracted from his dual focus of playing cards with the system.

It's already weekend time again?

Time really flies.

Should I spend these two days playing games, watching anime, or reading novels in bed?

Hmm, it's a hard choice...

[Host!!]

Seeing that Ji Mu was hesitating, the system that was in the heat of the game urged him on.

[What are you waiting for? Are you still playing or not?]

Ji Mu replied absentmindedly.

"I don't want to, you play the card."

[Oh.]

The system didn't think much of it, as it was only two cards away from winning.

Determined to claim the title of Gambler King, this game was a must-win.

[2!]

"Four 2s."

[No... Wait, what?!]

The system suddenly became alarmed.

[Host, what are you doing? There can't be five 2s in a deck of cards!]

"Cough."

Ji Mu finally realized his mistake.

He rubbed his nose.

"I was thinking about something and didn't notice. Consider this round my loss."

The system pouted, unconvinced.

[Pfft, you would have lost anyway.]

Was the title of "High Source in the System World" just for show?

Ji Mu pretended not to hear.

His peripheral vision caught the teacher who had already left and the homework written in the corner of the blackboard.

The students were moving around and the atmosphere in the classroom was chaotic.

Disliking the noise, he turned his head and buried it in his arm, planning to sleep until the end of class.

After all, with the presence-reducing effect of the Extra Glasses, the next teacher would hardly notice him.

Pata--

The faint sound of something falling reached his ears, but he ignored it and drifted off to sleep.

The sound of something landing on the nearby desk caught Ji Mu's attention and he raised his head.

He met the clear, fox-like eyes of a girl.

"Didn't you sleep well last night, Ji Mu?"

Her soft voice was filled with concern.

"A little."

Ji Mu slowly sat up and rubbed his temples. "I went to bed late."

Noticing the drink on the desk, he raised an eyebrow and asked.

"Is that for me?"

A few drops of water slid down the side of the can of Coke, giving off a faint chill that clearly indicated it had just been purchased from a vending machine.

"Yep."

The girl nodded, confirming his suspicion.

Ruan Qingqing pushed the Coca-Cola in front of her.

"This is today's payment."

Ji Mu didn't hesitate.

He said, "Thank you," and casually opened it and took a sip.

The icy refreshment tickled his throat, the sweet bubbles stimulated his taste buds.

"Ah," he exhaled, finishing more than half of it in one breath, then burped.

The stuffy heat around him was largely dispelled by the coolness.

In fact, the taste sensation of the first sip of cola was unlike any other drink.

"I thought you only liked oolong tea."

He noticed the comfort on the young man's face,

Ruan Qingqing's eyes and eyebrows curved, and her mood seemed very good.

"Not quite," Ji Mu said, resting his chin on his hand as if he had no bones.

"I just don't often drink flavored sweet water."

Occasionally, this carbonated drink is quite good.

Ruan Qingqing hummed, probably guessing his taste.

"Is it because classmate Ji Mu doesn't like sweets?"

"Something like that."

Ji Mu didn't deny much.

Although he was a faithful follower of the tasty side, he would still eat some sugar every now and then in his daily life.

After all, you have to take care of your health.

So he doesn't really like sweet things...

Ruan Qingqing thought for a moment.

In the future, she would have to watch out for salty food.

She didn't say out loud what she was thinking, but silently wrote it down.

"Right."

The young man's voice pulled back Ruan Qingqing's wandering thoughts.

He was playing with the half-finished can of Coke, his outstretched index finger slender and graceful.

It was a casual, relaxed gesture, yet it effortlessly caught her attention.

"Silly goose, you don't have to pay me every time."

"Huh?"

Ruan Qingqing's delicate and beautiful features stiffened slightly.

"What do you mean? Are you saying that the drinks I bring don't suit your taste?"

"That's not what I mean."

The pad of his finger traced the edge of the can, Ji Mu said lazily, "Don't overthink it."

"Then why is that?"

The young man's words were too abrupt.

Of course, it was the rule he had set, but he suddenly broke it for no reason.

Does this mean that one day in the future, the relationship between the two of them will suddenly become distant?

A sudden wave of panic welled up in Ruan Qingqing’s heart.

“Classmate Ji Mu, if you’re upset because I bought a drink you don’t like without asking, I promise I won’t do it again.”

She clutched her hands tightly, her usually soft and slow speech quickening slightly.

“You clearly said before that if someone wants help, they should offer a corresponding reward..."

“Stop.”

Ji Mu raised a hand to halt her.

He was unaware of the turmoil in the girl’s mind.

From his perspective, everything was straightforward.

Since they were friends, it was only natural to help each other out; why bother with such petty calculations?

"Actually, I said those things, but..."

As he spoke, he leaned back in his chair, looking nonchalant. "I also said that I'm not willing to help others for nothing."

Ruan Qingqing was taken aback.

The carefree and radiant March sunlight filtered through the window grate.

The young man looked over calmly, the warm glow of the sunset casting a rosy hue on his attractive thin lips.

The next second, the words that reached her ears made her heart skip a beat.

"But you're different."

The four words, lightly sketched, were like the first thunderclap of the vernal equinox, echoing against the surging waves that crashed against the rocks. The silence was shattered, never to return.

Only Heaven knew how much faster her heart was beating, and how much effort it took to keep the tremor from showing on her face.

Qingqing Ruan lowered her eyelashes and barely managed to keep her voice calm.

"......All right, I understand."

Under the backdrop of twilight, the edges of her ears had already turned a bright red.

The girl's unusual state was almost imperceptible, but the system in Ji Mu's mind was in an uproar.

[Holy shit, holy shit! Ruan Qingqing's disgust for men had just dropped by ten points!]

Seeing the change on the Banruo Instrument, the system did two backflips in excitement.

[That's amazing, host! I didn't expect you to have that move!]

His eyes beamed with enthusiasm.

[By surprising her with a straightforward approach, you've effectively told the heroine that you two are no longer just ordinary classmates, but true friends.]

It's like when a classmate suddenly tells you that you're the only one allowed to copy his homework, and no one else can even look at it.

How could anyone resist such a special treat? The value of this friendship is bound to soar.

[Who would have thought that the romantic formulas of TV dramas could be applied to building friendships? Brilliant! Truly brilliant!]

Huh?

Ji Mu was taken aback by the system's effusive praise, and felt completely at a loss.

He had only wanted to stop the girl from spending more money.

At that time, he hadn't thought much beyond that.

"Tongtong."

He let out a long sigh and corrected her.

As a pragmatic person, it was important to recognize his own abilities.

"Keep it down, I didn't really want you to notice."@@novelbin@@

[666]

The system didn't doubt him for a moment.

It immediately began to shower him with praise.

[No wonder you're the top student in the six-school joint examination; your brain is really better than those low-emotion, straightforward guys.]

After two weeks, the Prajna Instrument finally had another update!

It wasn't easy.

[Host, you're a genius!]

Ji Mu lightly coughed and casually waved his hand.

"All this is unnecessary. From now on, call me the God of Friendship."