Xu Yecheng jolted awake and sat up abruptly, completely bewildered.
Had he just fallen asleep?!
He glanced at his phone glowing beside him—and was startled all over again.
But before he could process anything, a wave of overwhelming exhaustion crashed over him.
It felt as if all the strength had been drained from his body. Then, a strange sensation came from his right arm—as if something were peeling away. He froze, turned to look at his hand, and saw a soft, flesh-colored sheet lying on the bed.
Utterly confused, Xu Yecheng picked it up. It looked exactly like a facial mask—but even softer, with a texture resembling latex.
He checked his arm. The spot where that black, sticky lump had clung yesterday was now just slightly reddened.
So… this was the thing that stuck to him last night?
But hadn't it been charred by fire? How was it now perfectly intact?
The more he thought about it, the weirder it got.
First, a random explosion. Then, something inexplicably stuck to his arm—impossible to remove. And now, in the morning, it turned out to be… a mask?
He pinched his own cheek. Sharp pain confirmed it wasn't a dream.
Staring at the mask in his hand, he examined it carefully. Aside from its unusual material, it seemed completely ordinary.
Yet, a gut feeling told him this thing was anything but normal.
He tugged at it—surprisingly tough.
Should he try it on?
Even though it looked plain, its bizarre origin screamed "special."
Xu Yecheng pressed the mask against his face. An icy chill spread across his skin—just like applying a sheet mask. Instantly, a strong suction sensation pulled at his face. He stiffened, a flicker of unease sparking in his chest.
But then… the feeling vanished completely.
"Huh!? What—" He touched his face. His fingertips met his own skin—no trace of anything covering it. It felt entirely natural.
What the hell?!
He scrambled out of bed. Their dorm had loft beds with desks underneath. As he climbed down the ladder, his foot slipped—he nearly tumbled headfirst.
A bad feeling prickled in his gut.
Panicked, he rushed into the bathroom—but it was pitch dark. He darted back out to flip the light switch.
When he finally faced the mirror, he froze.
Staring back at him was… a stunningly beautiful girl.
Big, sparkling eyes, delicate lips, fair porcelain skin—utterly ethereal. Xu Yecheng was speechless.
He leaned closer, examining his reflection from every angle.
"No way…" he muttered, dazed. "This is insane!"
It looked 100% real.
The only issue? His hair was still his original, very-much-male cut—making the whole look jarringly mismatched.
Sure, he wasn't exactly muscular, but his frame was undeniably masculine. Now, topped with this jaw-droppingly feminine face—it was like a visual whiplash.
The shock took a while to sink in.
Wait… is this all the mask does? Just give him a ridiculously pretty girl's face?
Don't get him wrong—it was already absurdly powerful. But it felt… underwhelming. Where was the flashy, cinematic superpower?
He pinched his cheek again. The skin felt smooth, soft—undeniably feminine.
Back when he was with Ji Qingying, they'd barely held hands, let alone kissed or done anything intimate.
Now, in stark contrast, his womanizing roommate He Xiaohan—only a week into a new relationship—and the girl was already throwing herself at him for "grown-up stuff."
Xu Yecheng suddenly felt cheated.
If he could rewind time, he'd pin Ji Qingying against the wall and kiss her senseless…
The thought sent a rush of heat through him—followed immediately by crushing disappointment.
He knew he'd never actually do that. He was just a coward.
His expression darkened with resignation.
He sighed, then tugged at his skin again. The mask clung seamlessly—so real he couldn't even tell where it ended. But that raised a terrifying question:
How the hell do you take it off?!
He ran his fingers along his face, searching for an edge—but everything felt perfectly smooth. Then, near his jawline, the flawless texture suddenly stopped.
"Yecheng! Open the door!"
A loud knock jolted him from his panic.
Oh no—his roommate was back!
His reflection—a gorgeous girl now wide-eyed with panic—stared back as his hands began to tremble.
"Babe Cheng! Hurry up! My arms are full!" came the muffled voice from outside.
"Hold on!" Xu Yecheng shouted back, frantically patting his face.
Where's the edge?! How do I remove this thing?!
He felt along his neck—still nothing.
Was he stuck like this forever?!
His face went pale.
His already bleak life was about to be completely ruined…
"Xu Yecheng! Are you jerking off in there? Hurry the hell up—I'm dying out here!"
Just then, that same icy sensation swept over his face—and the mask peeled off by itself.
Blinking in confusion, he looked at the mask in his hand. Another impatient knock pounded on the door.
He quickly stuffed the mask into his pocket and rushed to open it.
A tanned guy staggered in, lugging a heavy cardboard box. He dumped it on the floor with a thunderous thud.
Wiping sweat from his brow, he glared at Xu Yecheng.
"What the hell were you doing in there? I've been calling forever! Did you have a girl hidden inside or something?"
Xu Yecheng gave him a weird look, then snorted sarcastically, "If I *did* have a girl, I definitely wouldn't open the door for *you*."
"Fair," the guy chuckled, still catching his breath. "Knowing you, you're too much of a wimp to pull off something like that anyway."