Reborn as a comedic artist

"System settlement in progress...!"

Hidden Quest: Full of Twists and Turns (Completed)

[Successfully used acting skills to defuse the crisis and once again obtain "sponsorship" from the target.]

[Evaluation: This was a textbook example of psychological maneuvering. You successfully leveraged women's sympathy and their preference for physical attractiveness to cleverly defuse the current crisis.]

[Reward: Artistic Value +500, Acting Skill Upgraded to Professional Level]

[Hidden Quest: The Dust Has Settled - Release in Progress]

Creating something interesting is valuable, but life itself is more precious; however, for the sake of creation, both can be sacrificed.

The system simply cannot believe that an ordinary art school could simultaneously produce such brilliant talents. Host, please be sure to recruit them into your ranks. Rewards will be given based on your performance…!

[Host: Cheng Ming]

Art Value: 700

Current Skill:

[Auditory Skills: Piano (Professional), Guitar (Professional), Vocal (Amateur), Percussion (Amateur)]

[Visual Arts: Photography (Professional), Painting (Professional)]

[Taste: Cooking (Beginner)]

[Physical Skills: Dance (Beginner), Acting (Professional)]

[Lifestyle/Other: Fishing (Beginner), Video Editing (Amateur)]

[Special Note: Skill levels are divided into Beginner, Amateur, Professional, Expert, World, Master, and Legendary.]

[System Shop: Now Open]

[Next mission refresh countdown: 131 hours, 18 minutes, and 09 seconds]

Cheng Ming felt a strange flow of knowledge enter his mind, and the feeling of complete physical and mental elevation made him squint his eyes.

A master of light and shadow, a talented painter, and now a tragic actor?

...................

The tree-lined path outside the second canteen.

"Old Cheng, you're a fucking genius... no, you're a prodigy!"

Wang Shuo was still tightly gripping the action camera in his hand, and with his other hand he couldn't help but slap Cheng Ming hard on the back, so hard that he almost made Cheng Ming spill the soy milk he had just drunk.

"Cough cough... Fatty, take it easy...! I just overexerted myself and I'm half dead. Are you trying to finish me off while I'm still low on health, and then reap the benefits...?"

Cheng Ming rolled his eyes at him, then casually tossed the empty soy milk cup into the roadside trash can.

"No way! I was just completely captivated by your acting skills. The feeling is still lingering, so it's understandable that I got a little excited...!"

Wang Shuo's face, with its thick eyebrows and large eyes, was filled with disbelief as he looked through the playback footage on the camera, marveling at it:

"The rhetoric you just made up was absolutely outrageous! ...Isn't that just some cheesy joke from a magazine ten years ago? It's 2015, and they actually believe it?"

In the scene, Cheng Ming's eyes were slightly red, and his expression was sorrowful; every micro-expression was perfectly captured.

Especially that final, coy rejection gesture—it was practically a textbook example of a scumbag actor.

Upon hearing this, Cheng Ming stopped in his tracks.

He turned around, straightened his collar, and there was no trace of the dejection and desolation on his face.

At this moment, he exuded a lazy confidence. If those three girls from earlier had seen him, they would probably have been so angry that they would have had a stroke on the spot.

"Fatty, you need to remember one truth."

"In this appearance-obsessed era, under the double attack of good looks and tears, girls' IQ usually temporarily runs away from home. This is called—as long as the villain is handsome, their values ​​follow their facial features."

Cheng Ming spoke with earnestness, as if he were a philosopher imparting knowledge and teaching skills.

Wang Shuo was stunned for a moment, then gave a thumbs up: "Brilliant! Absolutely brilliant! I've learned something new..."

Although he said that, as the initial excitement wore off and Wang Shuo calmed down, he still had some doubts.

He scratched his head: "But this video... I still think it's a bit risky."

This is a real person appearing on camera, and it's a school cafeteria. If this gets exposed, those three suckers will tear us apart.

Besides, if things go wrong with the school... it might be a case of more harm than good!

Cheng Ming patted Wang Shuo's broad shoulder: "What are you afraid of? I've put in so much effort, I'm risking my life to act, all for our own future..."

Besides, don't worry about the school, I have my own solutions.

As for the three sisters!

If the other party really comes looking for us, then that's good; it's just the right time to put an end to this ill-fated relationship.

Seeing Cheng Ming's confident demeanor, Wang Shuo gritted his teeth and decided to take the plunge.

"Fine! Let's die then! I'm going all in, it's no big deal, we'll die together!"

Wang Shuo patted his chest, looking as if he were ready to die.

Cheng Ming was amused and hooked his arm around Wang Shuo's thick neck:

"Okay, that's enough. But we need to hurry."

"Hold on to what?"

"Editing!"

Cheng Ming quickened his pace, his tone becoming serious:

"Given the sisters' reaction speed, once they leave that specific emotional atmosphere, they'll quickly spot the flaws."

We need to create a time gap; the most important thing right now is to finish editing the video!

Wang Shuo was also a man of action. Upon hearing this, he immediately nodded and said nothing more.

The two hummed an unknown tune and quickly disappeared at the end of the path leading to the boys' dormitory.

……

On the way to the girls' dormitory.

A cool, damp morning breeze swept by, and Gu Xiao stood in the wind. Her brain, which had been overheating, gradually cooled down as the wind cooled it.

That attribute known as "hindsight bias" finally started to take hold in her mind.

"What's wrong, Xiaoxiao? Why aren't you leaving? Are you thinking of buying Chengming some more milk and fruit? After all, you were the only one who didn't pay anything earlier, and honestly, you're so thin it's heartbreaking...!"

Lin Yiyi was still clutching the wet tissue in her hand, tears still streaming down her face, and she was still sobbing.

Zhao Yufeng also stopped, sniffed, and sighed:

"Yeah, that's so pitiful. I should have given him an extra 500. What can you do with 500? It's not even enough to buy a set of skincare products."

Gu Xiao remained silent.

She stood still, her brows furrowed, her arms crossed over her chest, and her eyes behind her sunglasses slightly narrowed.

In my mind, the scenes from the cafeteria just now began to rewind and replay.

Every move Cheng Ming made, every word he said, and every glance he gave was scrutinized frame by frame in her mind.

Not right.

The sense of incongruity grew stronger and stronger, like a thorn stuck in her logical nerves.

"wrong."

Gu Xiao suddenly took off her sunglasses, a cold glint flashing in her clear eyes—the sharpness that came from her intelligence regaining its dominance.

"Those shoes..."

She murmured softly.

"What happened to your shoes?"

Zhao Yufeng looked bewildered: "Those canvas shoes are all white from washing, how pitiful. I think the brand looks like a cheap street vendor item, the kind that costs a few dozen yuan a pair."

"Those canvas shoes looked old, the uppers were faded, and there was even some wear..."

Gu Xiao's voice suddenly rose, her speech rapid, carrying a chilling calmness:

"However, the rubber lining around the shoe is spotless, without a single stain..."

Those were fresh paint marks; I even smelled a faint bleach odor when I was close by!

"what?"

Zhao Yufeng and Lin Yiyi exchanged a glance, looking completely bewildered, as if they were listening to gibberish.

Cleaning shoes...isn't that normal?

"besides!"

Gu Xiao gave them no time to react, continuing to unleash her attacks, her eyes blazing with fury.

"Whose family has a gambling father, a sick mother, and a sister who has no food to eat, yet still manages to have such stylish hair?"

Although the hairstyle looked messy, like it hadn't been washed for days, the roots were fluffy and the curls were natural and bouncy, clearly the result of a carefully styled "foil perm"!

Lin Yiyi and Zhao Yufeng were completely dumbfounded.

They may be naive, but they are not fools.

With Gu Xiao's analysis, the details that had been hidden by tears and good looks instantly surfaced.

Would someone so poor that they have to return their sister's allowance have spare money to get a perm? Would they have the leisure to polish a pair of worn-out shoes until they're spotless?

"We've been tricked!"

Gu Xiao gritted her teeth and squeezed out the words one by one.

Then, she turned around abruptly and slammed her fist hard into the lamppost next to her.

"Bang!"

A muffled thud.

Her entire hand was throbbing and red from the shock, but she seemed oblivious to the pain as her chest heaved violently.

"That bastard! It was all an act! He was taking advantage of our sympathy!"

Gu Xiao was so angry that she trembled all over.

She always prided herself on being smart and calm, but she never expected to be outmaneuvered by a seemingly harmless pretty boy!

They were even put on an act and went up to comfort her, almost offering to pay her money!

This is an absolute disgrace!

................................