Chapter 2 — The Beauty Drainage System

Once the training session ended, Chu Di Tang cornered me.

Lu Niem, I heard your relationship with Song Qiao Qiao hasn't been very good lately?

Who said that?

The whole camp is gossiping. They say you are jealous because she has grown so pretty, so you are deliberately distancing yourself from her.

I looked at Chu Di Tang’s meticulously made-up face and remained silent.

Let me tell you something.

She lowered her voice.

Song Qiao Qiao is not as simple as you think.

Do you remember a trainee named Fang Yuan Yuan from last month?

I remembered. Fang Yuan Yuan was in the first batch of trainees to be eliminated. Before leaving, she had lost fifteen pounds, and her hair was falling out in huge clumps. Everyone assumed the pressure had been too much for her, and her body simply could not take the strain.

Before she left, Fang Yuan Yuan said something to me.

Chu Di Tang leaned close to my ear.

She said Song Qiao Qiao was stealing her things.

What things?

She did not specify. The very next day, she was taken away.

Chu Di Tang shrugged and turned to leave.

Anyway, you should be careful.

I stood rooted to the spot, recalling the state Fang Yuan Yuan was in on the day she left. Her hair had been dry and brittle, her cheeks hollowed out, and her skin a dull, lifeless ash gray. She looked exactly like I did right now.

Chapter Four

I began paying close attention to the people around Song Qiao Qiao. There were a total of forty trainees in the training camp, divided into five groups. Song Qiao Qiao’s Group A had eight members. Three months ago, when they first entered the camp, all eight members of Group A possessed striking appearances, each with a unique charm. And what about now? Aside from Song Qiao Qiao, who remained more radiant than ever, the other seven had visibly deteriorated. One was covered in acne, another had gained weight, a third was losing hair, and yet another had skin the color of mud. Their common trait was that they all worked hard, showed immense self-discipline, and diligently followed the training regimen that Song Qiao Qiao had so kindly shared with them.

The barrage of glowing comments flashed past my eyes once again.

System upgrade notice: Multi-source extraction mode activated, beauty transfer efficiency increased by two hundred percent.

The female lead is so smart! One person isn't enough so she drains a whole crowd, this is truly a Gu insect breeding style beauty pageant!

My fingernails dug deep into my palms. She was not just draining me. She was draining everyone.

That evening, I did not return straight to the dormitory. I went to the convenience store behind the training camp and bought three bags of potato chips, two cups of instant noodles, a large family-sized bucket of fried chicken, and a large bottle of cola. When I stepped back into the room, Song Qiao Qiao was lying on her bed with a facial mask sheet on. The moment she saw the pile of food in my hands, her eyes widened in shock.

Niem Niem! Why did you buy all this? We have a physical fitness evaluation tomorrow!

Hungry.

Right in front of her, I tore open a bag of potato chips and shoved huge handfuls into my mouth. Greasy crumbs rained down onto my blanket, but I was too lazy to wipe them away. Song Qiao Qiao bolted upright, the facial mask sliding crookedly across her face.

Are you out of your mind? Do you know how many calories are in these things? Your current physique has already...

Already what?

Already... needs to be controlled.

I chewed on the chips while staring straight at her, catching the fleeting panic in her eyes. She was not worried about me. She was worried about herself. Because if I ate all this junk food, what she would siphon from me would no longer be beauty and self-discipline. It would be grease, calories, and excess fat.

Niem Niem, listen to me. I understand that your mental state isn't stable right now, but you cannot torture your body like this...

What does it have to do with you?

I opened the bucket of fried chicken, and the heavy aroma of fried oil instantly filled the dorm. Song Qiao Qiao covered her nose, her complexion turning pale.

Could... could you go outside to eat?

No.

I took a large bite out of a chicken drumstick, the oil trickling down the corner of my mouth. That night, I ate every single thing, burped three times with utter satisfaction, and went to sleep.

The next morning, two new pimples had predictably sprouted on my face. But what about Song Qiao Qiao? As she climbed down from her bed, I clearly noticed that her cheeks were visibly rounder than yesterday. The sharp lines of her chin had blurred away. The lower part of her abdomen even protruded slightly.

The comments scrolled by in a frenzy.

It's over, it's over! Lu Niem is poisoning the female lead! All the junk food she ate is transferring over to the female lead!

System warning: Quality of input source severely degraded! Beauty value converted to negative numbers! Fat transmission conduit opened!

Save the female lead! Quickly make Lu Niem resume her self-discipline!

I lay on my bed, stared up at the ceiling, and burst out laughing.

Chapter Five

On the day of the physical evaluation, Song Qiao Qiao arrived late. Normally, she was always the first to show up, her makeup flawless and her athletic wear ironed without a single wrinkle. Today, she slipped in right at the deadline, her cap pulled down extremely low and a mask covering more than half her face.

Coach Han Zheng frowned.

Song Qiao Qiao, take off your mask.

Coach, I'm having a bit of an allergic reaction today...

Face coverings are not permitted on the training ground. Take it off.

She hesitated for a few seconds, then slowly pulled the mask down. Gasps of astonishment instantly echoed through the room. Five or six inflamed, angry pimples had erupted across her chin. Her skin no longer resembled porcelain; instead, it was coated in a layer of greasy shine. Most striking of all was how her face had swelled by a full circle, obliterating the refined jawline she once possessed.

Oh my god, what happened to Song Qiao Qiao?

Is that an allergy? It doesn't look like an allergy, it looks like she suddenly gained weight.

She was completely normal just yesterday.

Coach Han Zheng looked her up and down, his brows knotting even tighter.

Managing one's physical condition is a basic skill for a trainee. Have you not been controlling your diet lately?

I have! I've been monitoring it very strictly!

Song Qiao Qiao panicked so much her voice pitched upward.

I only ate a salad last night!

Then how do you explain your face?

Song Qiao Qiao bit her lower lip, utterly speechless. Her gaze swept past the crowd and locked onto me. Within that stare lay fear, fury, and an emotion I had never seen in her before. Pure panic.

I smiled warmly at her, pulled a spicy snack strip from my pocket, and right in front of everyone, I slowly tore open the package and chewed on it piece by piece. Song Qiao Qiao's complexion instantly turned ashen.