Chapter 26: A Lucky Discount and an Unwanted Skill

After Ji Wenyan posed his question to the system, he immediately received a definitive answer.

Indeed, it was so!

This meant that once Ji Wenyan completed his first main quest, he would directly acquire a perfect-grade skill.

This unexpected surprise filled Ji Wenyan with an overwhelming sense of delight.

A perfect-grade skill, after all, typically required a million points.

This was an absolute steal!

Initially, Ji Wenyan, under the looming threat of death, hadn’t been particularly thrilled about the task of nurturing Bai Mengze, though he wasn’t averse to it either.

His sole motivation had been survival.

However, with the Star Source Chart now activated, Ji Wenyan suddenly felt a surge of motivation.

He was especially determined to obtain that perfect-grade mathematics skill!

It was a free gift; it would be foolish not to claim it!

Bai Mengze truly was his lucky star!

[System: Detecting Host possesses 100 Star Source Points. The Star Source Shop has initiated a ‘Lucky Discount on Discount’ event. Host, do you agree to use 100 Star Source Points to exchange for a random master-grade skill?]

[Selection countdown: 10 seconds.]

Yet, just as Ji Wenyan intended to close the Star Source Chart, the system unexpectedly spoke up again.

This left Ji Wenyan stunned, wondering what the system was trying to achieve.

One hundred Star Source Points could, at most, only be exchanged for a novice-grade skill.

A master-grade skill, on the other hand, demanded 100,000 Star Source Points.

Anyone with an ounce of sense would make the same choice.

“I agree!!!”

[System: Congratulations, Host, on acquiring the master-grade ‘Makeup’ skill. It will now be imported into your memory. Please confirm.]

‘…Alright,’ Ji Wenyan mused, ‘perhaps he shouldn’t have been so eager for a bargain.’

‘Cheap goods rarely proved good.’

‘Damn it!’

‘Out of all the skills to randomize, why did it have to be makeup?!’

‘Did a grown man like him really need to wear makeup?’

‘Or was the system hoping to see him become a cross-dressing master, thus granting him this benefit in advance?’

“System, can I exchange this skill? I’m a man; makeup is useless to me!”

[System: Return rejected.]

‘Fine!’

The system was practically forcing a sale, leaving no room for negotiation.

Ji Wenyan, feeling utterly dejected, exited the Star Source Chart. Before he could even take a few steps, a ‘boom’ echoed in his mind, and a flood of information fragments instantly appeared.

It took a full five minutes for Ji Wenyan to recover.

He shook his head, feeling a dizzying muddle, and the lingering phantom sensation of hands continuously applying cosmetics before his eyes made him feel as though he might vomit.

‘Damn, this method of skill infusion was far too brutal!’

However, once he had somewhat recovered, Ji Wenyan immediately noticed a peculiar sensation.

It was as if his hands were itching, eager to find someone to apply makeup to.

“Ji Wenyan, you dare to show your face here again!”

As Ji Wenyan suppressed his newfound urge to do makeup and painstakingly made his way into the living room, a stern voice suddenly rang out. His body flinched involuntarily, and a dreadful thought echoed in his mind: ‘I’m finished!’

‘His dad definitely knew about the mall incident!’

“Dad, I admit my mistake!”

“Admit your mistake? Do you even know how much the mall lost today?”

“No, I don’t.”

“…You unfilial child, I’ll beat you to death!”

Standing meekly before Ji Wenlin, Ji Wenyan presented a docile appearance, not bothering to argue or make excuses, but readily admitting his fault.

Yet, it was precisely this obedient confession that left Ji Wenlin seething with unvented fury.

‘This was clearly a case of a dead pig not fearing boiling water!’

His son was simply too mischievous; he absolutely needed a good lesson today.

The mall incident wasn’t major, nor was it minor, but seeing Ji Wenyan’s arrogant and overbearing behavior through it filled Ji Wenlin with deep worry.

‘His son hadn’t gone astray, had he?’

This simply wouldn’t do! The Ji family only had this one heir; he absolutely couldn’t be allowed to go crooked!

Everything belonging to the Ji family would eventually be inherited by Ji Wenyan!

However, when Ji Wenyan lowered his gaze and spotted the wooden stick by his father’s side, he didn’t choose to meekly accept his beating. Instead, with a swift maneuver, he darted to his mother’s side, where she was sipping tea, thus evading the impending thrashing.

‘His dad was actually serious about this!’