Perfect Lover
Professor Wang from the Computer Science Department and Professor Li from the School of Social Sciences are a loving couple. Legend has it that Dean Li once wrote code like crazy for love, leaving behind an immortal story on the school forum.
So, Dean Li, who was over fifty years old and old-fashioned, joined other professors to teach a mandatory course on love for the whole school, which was tested by the "Pink Bubble System" independently developed by University A.
In response, Lin Yehuan, the only student in the entire school to achieve the feat of six battles and six losses, unlocking countless hidden bugs and attracting much attention, was frantically pressing F5 to refresh the exam interface for the seventh time, thinking to himself: "Who the hell created this contrasting character for the old man? It's simply outrageous!"
[Candidates are entering the examination room; information verification in progress...]
The familiar mechanical sound rang in his ears, and Lin Yehuan couldn't help but shiver.
[Generating a strategy target for you... Current progress 1%]
[A missing setting association has been detected. A remedial procedure will be initiated shortly.]
Lines of code raced before Lin Yehuan's eyes until the mechanical voice sounded again.
[Dear Lin Yehuan, welcome back to this system. Unlock the achievement: "Iron Will, Unyielding Spirit".]
With the mindset that "meeting a normal person is a victory," Lin Yehuan seemed to see his graduation certificate beckoning to him.
So much so that the next second, when the familiar 404 error page filled the screen again, Lin Yehuan just wanted to go back to his freshman year and stuff all the offerings he had bought for everyone from the Matchmaker to von Neumann back into his pocket.
By the time I realized what was happening, the camouflage uniform was already stuck to my back.
The scorching wind, carrying the unique scents of summer grass and trees mixed with the smell of sunscreen from the plastic running track, sent shivers down Lin Yehuan's spine as he went from freezing temperatures to feeling like he was in military training.
"You really got back? This system can even understand human speech?" Lin Yehuan couldn't help but exclaim.
[Welcome, test taker! This is your first successful entry, surpassing 0.001% of the candidates. Your identity panel will be displayed shortly.]
Lin Yehuan skipped over the basic information and a bunch of dizzying rule annotations and preambles in front of him, focusing his attention only on a few lines of bold red Song typeface.
[Major: Bioengineering]
IQ: 0.575 (extremely low)
Health: 37 (Endangered)
Emotional progress: 0%
Your identity is: NPC
Lin Yehuan couldn't help but wipe a bead of sweat. "Are you kidding me? What kind of course is this? Don't take advantage of me just because it's my first time here!"
Also, I'm a liberal arts student, who gave me this opportunity!
"Who told you to move! Did you submit a report?"
"Report, please organize this." Lin Yehuan was jolted awake by the sudden shout, bringing back memories of military training.
[Speaking power -1, remaining output quota for today: two sentences (It is recommended that you save them for lunch and dinner).]
"move."
The health value on the screen plummeted with the instructor's powerful shout, and Lin Yehuan slowly bent his knees, finding a comfortable angle to lie down.
Before losing consciousness, all Lin Yehuan could hear in his mind was the faint sound of guitar music coming from the front of the formation and his own silent cry: "Is there anyone to help me up? It's almost three-tenths cooked."
[The current temperature does not meet your requirements. Would you like to raise the temperature?]
"I'll upgrade you to your scum!" Looking at the 999+ upgrade tasks on the electronic screen, Lin Yehuan sprang up from the bed in the infirmary.
[Negative emotions detected in the host, triggering penalty: Difficulty of all theoretical courses increased by 10%]
"I was just concerned about your binary ancestors," Lin Yehuan chuckled, trying to cover it up.
[The appeal was invalid; the data has already been entered into the database.]
Lin Yehuan finally gave up struggling and began to study the main quest.
[Your task is to: create your perfect image, unlock all of the male protagonist's experiences, and help him build the perfect image of his lover.]
As a die-hard fan of system novels, Lin Yehuan raised a question: "Where's the reward?"
[Complete all tasks and max out the male lead's affection level to return to the original world and win the heart of the handsome man.]
"Perfect Lovers, I've already written it perfectly."
Although "Introduction to the Fundamentals of Love" is a public course created by University A in recent years, its teaching system is quite comprehensive, and it is generally divided into two parts: theoretical courses and virtual practical courses.
The final assignment for the theory class was to describe one's ideal lover. Most others submitted a short essay of about 800 words to get by, but Lin Yehuan wrote a lengthy 50,000-word description of the two of them based on the theory.
Because it was so detailed, the academic affairs teacher gave up importing her information every time. In addition, the matching mechanism of the "Pink Bubble" assessment system independently developed by University A was not yet mature, which caused her to encounter new bugs every time.
Over the past three years, Lin Yehuan's nickname has changed from "the girl who failed her exams" to "the system maintenance worker."
[Your current perfect image is 65% complete. Please keep up the good work.]
Lin Yehuan readily accepted that he was already close to perfect.
[The male protagonist is currently in his factory settings; he's still 99% away from becoming the perfect lover.]
[The only one that meets the criteria is male.]
"Oh, it's a 'raising a child' story," Lin Yehuan thought to himself. "They call this the male lead, but what's the difference between this and raising your own kid?"
The system continued reading the assessment rules according to the procedure.
Lin Yehuan's originally playful expression gradually stiffened, finally turning into a look of disgust that froze on his face, as if he wanted to rush into the screen and delete all the settings immediately.
According to her life motto since childhood, she would rather take on everything herself than cooperate with others.
We need him for money, and we need him for intelligence too. Is his family business really legal?
[Both of the setting books you submitted have independent character development paths. This is the optimal bundling method calculated by the system.]
Also, with so many settings, each branching out into eight hundred mission points, which one is the main storyline?
[Skilled in studies, research, romance, and career, with a backup plan to save the world. A perfect romantic partner; the premise is reasonable.]
"I refuse."
[Your strong resistance has been detected. You will be deported soon, and you will miss your last chance for assessment.]
"Stop!" Lin Yehuan struggled desperately. "I agree."
Although the system rules were tedious, long, and somewhat anti-human, Lin Yehuan briefly enjoyed the benefits of being an NPC—successfully escaping two weeks of military training thanks to his extremely low health and almost non-existent presence.
In short, apart from being penniless after paying all the fees and not knowing how long she would go hungry if she went out, the rest of her life was practically her ideal life.
"Ye Za!" The door to the infirmary opened, and Lin Yehuan seemed to see a lifeline.
Xu Pengpeng and she grew up together, sharing the same pair of pants, making them practically sisters despite having different fathers and mothers.
Lin Yehuan stared blankly at the bright "S" on her head, and guiltily touched the top of his own head.
Seriously? Do attributes have to be displayed like this? That's way too unrestrained!
The system launched into its lengthy explanation once again.
[This storyline corresponds to the "saving the world" setting. Those marked with the ES level are members who violated the exam rules. Rescuing them will raise your level accordingly!]
Lin Yehuan was disgusted by the affected, mechanical voice, so he turned off the notification sound and read the rules himself.
In short, the "Pink Bubble" system cannot fully understand the complex emotions of humans.
Therefore, although many students who participated in the assessment met the passing criteria, their real lives were severely affected by the assessment experience. Based on the difficulty of rescue, the system divided them into six levels: ES.
The system already has a solution for EA-level characters; she only needs to complete the task according to the system's prompts at the appropriate time. As for S-level characters, whether or not they can be resolved in the end is entirely up to fate. Therefore, the system has not included rescuing S-level characters as a necessary condition for returning to the real world.
Lin Yehuan temporarily convinced himself that he had a reason to stay here, except to get the perfect male lead from his fantasy.
Xu Pengpeng was the girl she admired most since childhood, and of course, she was also the person she envied the most. She had topped the science list for three consecutive years in high school, and she really couldn't understand why such an outstanding person would be defeated by such a trivial matter.
Forget it, thinking about it now won't solve anything. Lin Yehuan shook her head and stopped thinking about it. She just blinked her big eyes and listened pitifully as she rambled on and on until she finally got to the sentence she had been waiting for the most.
"Come on, I'll take you to celebrate properly after you've just recovered from your illness."
Lin Yehuan glanced at his health, which had only recovered to 23, and gave an embarrassed smile. "After the celebration, I might have to lie in bed for another two months."
Xu Pengpeng helped her carry her luggage back to the dormitory, grabbed a sun-protective shirt and handed it to her, then shook the car keys in her hand, "Let's go have lunch first, and I'll take you out for a drive this afternoon."
Lin Yehuan checked the system rules several times to confirm that "except for NPCs, all characters trapped due to testing have unlimited funds." He took the clothes and walked out, saying without any politeness, "Treat me."
"No problem, just don't try to scam me after you finish eating."
For the entire afternoon, Lin Yehuan clung to his last remaining words.
The dialogue limit can only be unlocked by interacting with the male protagonist; NPCs have no rights whatsoever!
Xu Pengpeng thought she was up to some new trick, so she cooperated by exchanging flirtatious glances with her.
"Hi, Pengpeng, we meet again." In the supermarket, a refined-looking boy walked towards her, bypassing Lin Yehuan and greeting Xu Pengpeng directly.
Lin Yehuan scrutinized him closely. He had a thin face, a pair of half-rimmed glasses perched on his high nose, and a refined and cultured demeanor, but his clothes made him look like an unearthed artifact.
In short, he exudes a humorous air of someone showing off to an acquaintance.
As the one being approached, Xu Pengpeng looked confused, as if to say, "Dude, who are you? Do I know you?"
Lin Yehuan had only wanted to watch the excitement, but he witnessed it firsthand: when Xu Pengpeng approached, a large "MATCH" light up above his head.
[Please help Xu Pengpeng recall the characters.]
Do you think I really want to get to know him? Lin Yehuan looked at that familiar yet infuriating face, cursing inwardly, but still did as he was told.
"Shao Xi? Where's Li Zheng? Hahaha...ha...ha."
Lin Yehuan felt utterly hopeless, having no last words left to say.
The other two fell into a long silence.
Xu Pengpeng frowned and didn't respond to anyone. After half a minute, she still couldn't recall the two names. After a polite farewell, she grabbed Lin Yehuan, who was in a standby state, and left together.
While ordering food, Lin Yehuan scrolled through the system's information interface, feeling like a kept man.
It's one thing to lie to me, but why deduct my coins?! You want me to go on a mission with the male lead? Then release him!
[Target character detected, triggering key mission: First encounter with the male protagonist]
The transition was abrupt; zero points!
Lin Yehuan, holding the tray, was startled and bumped into the shoulder of the boy behind him as he turned around.
The sound of gold coins being credited to the account was so pleasant.
Lin Yehuan couldn't resist bumping into it again.
[Daily task completed; today's physical contact target has been met.]
"Excuse me, Platform 9¾ isn't here." The handsome young man spoke with a hint of a smile.
Handsome, perfect; 1.9 meters tall, perfect; humorous, perfect. It would be even more perfect if he could appear in a more normal way.
Lin Yehuan had no words to express her suffering, and looked at him with teary eyes, "Big brother, I understand that you have the protagonist's halo, but where does the wind come from in this sweltering cafeteria? Is this central air conditioning? I'm crying in the wind."
"I'm sorry, my friend didn't mean it." Xu Pengpeng couldn't understand why Lin Yehuan hadn't said anything, so she came over to help her out.
Lin Yehuan mustered his courage and bowed deeply at a 70-degree angle, then slipped away before the other person could react.
[Emotional fluctuations detected in the male protagonist. Click to view his data panel.]
Lin Yehuan's gaze was fixed on the blue link, waiting for the system page to redirect.
Xu Pengpeng waved her hand in front of her eyes, "Are you fainting from carbon monoxide?"
Lin Yehuan turned his head and gave a standard fake smile, then lowered his head to eat a couple more bites of rice before looking up at the male lead's information panel.
[Male lead: Lu Xingzhi, 19 years old, majoring in bioengineering at University A]
Relationships – Father: Lu Buxiu, 57 years old, Chairman of Titanium International Group
Mother: He Shuqin, 53 years old
Brother: Lu Xingming, 23 years old, MIT Master of Finance, successor of Titanium International Group
"Did I write that corny?" Lin Yehuan thought to himself. He then switched to his personal interface to check the gold coins he had just received. He quickly accepted the fact that he had 4,300 coins. "Hmm, as expected of a tycoon, very generous."
[The male protagonist's guilt level increases by 10, and his gold coins increase tenfold.]
Lin Yehuan was completely baffled by all these strange values, but he silently accepted the setting because he was being paid.
Seeing her inexplicably lost in thought, chewing her food for a long time before suddenly becoming excited with bright eyes, Xu Pengpeng couldn't help but turn her head and ask, "Are you sure you're being discharged today?"
Lin Yehuan was completely bewildered by the sudden appearance of some kind of guilt value. He then busied himself complaining about the black-hearted system's 1000:1 exchange rate, saying that after all that work, he couldn't even pay for a day's meals and that he couldn't live like this anymore.
He then turned to Xu Pengpeng with an expression that said, "I'll take care of you."
Xu Pengpeng nodded at her with a puzzled yet serious expression, secretly searching for the reason why her best friend suddenly loved performing mime.
There's a psychology lecture on Thursday afternoon, could you come with me?
Lin Yehuan searched around and found, "Participating in various practical activities with the male lead will earn you 30,000 gold coins (the male lead participates in all major events by default)."
"Go," Lin Yehuan nodded with a righteous expression.
Xu Pengpeng felt that she was a genius, and this reaction was exactly what she wanted to hear.
The lecture hall, usually freezing in winter and sweltering in summer, was packed early with freshmen lured there by the promise of volunteer hours and academic credits. Because he'd fallen behind by two minutes of sleeping in, Lin Yehuan had to sit in the very center of the first row.
If nothing unexpected happens, the male protagonist will soon be refreshed by the system and placed next to him.
"Excuse me, classmate, is this seat taken?" A familiar voice came from behind him. Lin Yehuan shook his head, indicating that the boy could sit next to him.
Xu Pengpeng recognized him at a glance; he was Lu Xingzhi, the most talked-about handsome guy in their major during military training.
Xu Pengpeng greeted him generously, then glanced at the empty half of the first row and sent a message to Lin Yehuan, whose eyelids were about to close.
"The guy next to you is in the same major as us, do you know each other?"
“I know him, but he doesn’t know me.”
Xu Pengpeng nodded. That's right. It's perfectly normal to know him. After all, how many people would insist on carrying a guitar to military training? Every day when you open the campus chat, two out of three posts are about him, and the comments section is full of people asking for his contact information.
"Hello, students," a male professor in a suit and tie walked into the lecture hall, opened the PowerPoint presentation prepared in advance by his teaching assistant, and on it were five large characters: "Psychology of Love".
Xu Pengpeng opened her phone and glanced at the notification again. It was a psychology lecture, well... it did count as psychology.
Lin Yehuan immediately became extremely vigilant and sat up straight.
From the moment she entered, she was almost blinded by the level markers above everyone's heads, since everyone here exhibited unusual romantic behavior. Perhaps, today she could address the problem at its source.
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