Chapter 30: A Campus Belle, a System Mission, and a Sharp-Eyed Friend

City No. 1 High School’s primary focus had always been on students studying diligently and excelling academically. Their goal was to significantly boost university admission rates.

However, as society evolved, the mindset of the younger generation began to shift.

The alarming frequency of suicide incidents, in particular, made the school hesitant to continue its high-pressure policies.

They feared that any misstep could lead to an official reprimand.

Consequently, they had no choice but to keep pace with the times, launching a series of activities designed to relax students’ minds and bodies. This initiative aimed to mitigate the risks of unforeseen incidents stemming from excessive stress.

Among these new initiatives, the annual Campus Belle Competition stood out as an event highly anticipated by the entire student body. It was second only in popularity to the grand annual school festival.

“Oh, I forgot. You just transferred, so you wouldn’t know No. 1 High School’s traditions…” Shen Hua began, his voice buzzing with excitement.

“This Campus Belle Competition, it’s absolutely fantastic! Rows upon rows of beauties will compete in succession. I’ve been thrilled for a whole week, already planning to use this chance to find myself a few more girlfriends…”

“Hold on,” Ji Wenyan interjected, “You’ve been here so long. Are there really any girls in this school you haven’t seen before?”

“But the Campus Belle Competition allows them to wear makeup! Even if I see them every day, they’re all barefaced and unadorned, earnestly insisting they need to focus on studying and will only bother with makeup once they’re in university…”

As he listened to Shen Hua’s incessant complaints, Ji Wenyan couldn’t help but raise a hand to his forehead in vexation. ‘Why did I even open my mouth?’ he thought.

Once that guy, Shen Hua, started talking, there was simply no end to it!

While the Campus Belle Competition sounded intriguing, Ji Wenyan harbored no desire to partake in the excitement.

His mother had often dragged him to various international beauty pageants in the past. He had long grown weary of screens filled with endless long legs, slender waists, and voluminous, wavy hair.

What, then, could a mere Campus Belle Competition at a small No. 1 High School possibly offer that would capture his interest?

“Alright, enough with the chatter,” Ji Wenyan said dismissively. “I have no interest in any of that.”

“No interest? Really?” Shen Hua pressed. “Even if Bai Mengze is going to participate, you’re still not interested?”

The moment Shen Hua uttered those words, Ji Wenyan’s expression froze. He was just about to retort when the system’s voice abruptly echoed in his mind.

[Random Mission: Help Bai Mengze secure first place in the Campus Belle Competition. Reward: 500 Star Origin Points, 10 Vitality Points, 10,000 RMB.]

‘Couldn’t the system’s mission have arrived a little sooner?’

Hearing the mission the system had just assigned, Ji Wenyan let out an involuntary sigh. He realized that despite his lack of interest in the Campus Belle Competition, he now had no choice but to get involved.

Ten Vitality Points were precisely the reward he coveted most at this moment! They could alleviate a full day of his current weakness!

‘Bai Mengze will absolutely secure first place in this competition!’

“Bai Mengze, are you planning to participate?”

Ji Wenyan didn’t bother to continue his conversation with Shen Hua. Instead, he directly addressed Bai Mengze, inquiring whether she intended to participate in the Campus Belle Competition.

‘If Bai Mengze chose not to participate, it would require a significant amount of extra effort from him.’

“Those who are nominated are obligated to participate; refusal isn’t an option,” Bai Mengze explained. “However, I did compete last year, and I was eliminated even before the finals.”

Fortunately, Bai Mengze did not refuse, confirming her attendance at the competition. Yet, she also candidly brought up her elimination from the previous year, directly implying that her chances of a good ranking weren’t high.

“Last year’s competition, that was entirely rigged!” Shen Hua declared.

“The girl who snatched first place had already signed a contract with an entertainment company. She was slated to debut immediately after graduating high school, so she merely leveraged No. 1 High School’s Campus Belle Competition as a publicity stunt to boost her fame.”

“Such a thing happened?”

“Of course,” Shen Hua replied, “if she genuinely became famous, it would have benefited the school’s publicity too. However, even though she gained a bit of buzz last year, her actual performance was subpar, and she wasn’t even as attractive as Bai Mengze…”

He then paused, his eyes widening. “Huh, I haven’t seen her for just a few days, but how did Bai Mengze get so much prettier?”

While Shen Hua was casually providing his ‘insider’ knowledge, his gaze inadvertently drifted across Bai Mengze’s face. Suddenly, as if he had stumbled upon a new continent, his eyes filled with astonishment as he spoke.

‘Where did Bai Mengze go for a beauty treatment recently? How did she become so much prettier?’

Although Bai Mengze wasn’t currently as stunning as a celestial fairy, there was a definite noticeable difference compared to her previous appearance. Her overall attractiveness had clearly ascended by a considerable margin!

Witnessing this, the seated Ji Wenyan immediately leaned forward, swiftly blocking Shen Hua’s line of sight. He needed to prevent his friend from discerning any more subtle changes.

‘Bai Mengze’s beauty attribute had only increased by a mere fifteen points, yet Shen Hua had already detected a difference…’ he mused.

‘Shen Hua’s observational skills are far too sharp!’