Walking to the payment desk, Jiang Chen took out his black card and swiped it, feeling a brief flicker of anxiety in his chest.
Even though the system had already confirmed the conditions were met, there was still that instinctive fear—like a poor person stepping into a luxury store and expecting to be humiliated at the register. But the next moment, the payment went through smoothly.
The cashier's professional smile stiffened for a split second before returning, and Jiang Chen let out a slow breath, the corner of his lips lifting faintly. The two saleswomen who had been snickering earlier were now staring at him like they'd seen a ghost.
Shuqing stood beside him, holding the receipt with both hands, her fingers slightly tense. She was still trying to look composed, but the faint redness on her cheeks betrayed her.
Jiang Chen glanced at her and said casually, "Say… let me treat you to something later. If you're fine with it." The words weren't loud, but in the quiet, polished atmosphere of the store, they carried clearly.
The other receptionists' eyes widened, and their expressions turned complicated. A moment ago, they had treated him like a penniless student wandering into the wrong place. Now he was casually paying for a full set of new clothes and inviting the prettiest girl in the store out like it was nothing.
Shuqing's face turned even redder.
She hesitated.
It wasn't rejection, but more like she didn't know what the correct answer was. She was a first-year student, working part-time.
She wasn't the kind of girl who accepted invitations from strangers easily. But at the same time, Jiang Chen didn't give her the uncomfortable feeling some men did.
His gaze wasn't greasy, his tone wasn't pushy, and when he spoke, he didn't seem like he was trying to show off. That made her heart calm down a little.
Jiang Chen noticed her hesitation immediately and didn't press. He smiled and softened his tone. "Don't be troubled by it. We can still meet some other time. I'll invite you later on. After we get a bit more acquainted, I guess."
Shuqing's shoulders relaxed slightly, as if she had just been given permission to breathe. But instead of stepping back, she bit her lip and shook her head quickly.
"No… it's alright," she said, her voice small but firm. "I'll go with you. But I'm still busy with work."
Jiang Chen nodded, as if it were the most natural thing in the world. "Mm. I'm still around. Here—call me at this number."
He unlocked his phone and showed her his contact, letting her save it. Then, after she finished, he added calmly, "Also, can I have your number? I normally don't pick up unknown calls easily."
The excuse was smooth, practical, and impossible to argue against. It didn't sound like a pickup line. It sounded like something a normal person would say.
Shuqing glanced at him once, then lowered her gaze and entered her number into his phone. Her fingers moved quickly, but her ears were still faintly red.
Jiang Chen saved it without any dramatic reaction, then slipped his phone into his pocket.
Shuqing looked at him again, and her eyes carried a new kind of curiosity—like she was seeing him differently now. Not just as a customer. Not just as a student. But as someone… interesting.
At that moment, a quiet notification flashed in Jiang Chen's mind.
[Lin Shuqing Favorability +1]
Current Favorability: 5
He kept his expression calm, but inside, he felt a faint satisfaction.
This was what favorability meant. Not love. Not devotion. Just a slightly better impression. A seed planted.
He nodded at her. "I'll wait nearby. Don't rush."
Shuqing gave a small "Mm" and watched him walk away.
The moment Jiang Chen stepped out of the store, the atmosphere inside shifted instantly. The other saleswomen who had been watching finally couldn't hold back. They surrounded Shuqing, their voices low but excited.
"What did you two talk about?"
"Is he your boyfriend?"
"Wait, he really bought all of that? How much was it?"
Shuqing panicked, clutching the receipt and shaking her head. "No! He's not… he's just a customer. Stop talking nonsense."
But her denial only made them laugh more. They had all seen her blush. They had all seen the way she looked at him.
Outside, Jiang Chen walked slowly through the bustling street, the store's elegant glass doors closing behind him. The commercial area near the university was lively—students, couples, and delivery scooters passed by, and the faint smell of fried food drifted from nearby stalls.
He adjusted the collar of his new jacket, feeling the difference immediately. The fabric was clean, structured, and carried a quiet sense of quality. He looked like a different person.
More importantly, he felt like one.
In an alleyway between two shops, he briefly stopped and shifted the shopping bags into the system inventory. The moment the bags vanished, his hands felt light again. No one nearby noticed; people in this world were strangely indifferent, as if they had learned to ignore anything that didn't involve them directly.
Jiang Chen glanced at the time.
Shuqing would need at least a few hours before she finished her shift. He had time. And now that he had money, a new look, and a system pushing him forward, there was no reason to waste this momentum.
His gaze drifted across the street.
A familiar building stood there, its entrance glowing with neon light, the letters shining like a lure.
Raylight Club.
Jiang Chen's eyes narrowed slightly. He knew this place.
In the adult comics he remembered, the Raylight Club wasn't just any club. It was a hub. A gathering point for rich second-generation men, spoiled young masters, socialites, and women who were either stunningly beautiful or dangerously ambitious. If there was any place where he could run into a "female lead," it would be here.
His heartbeat sped up faintly.
'This world… isn't just one comic, is it?'
The thought made him feel both uneasy and excited.
If multiple comic storylines overlapped, then the number of heroines, supporting girls, and high-value targets would be far higher than he originally assumed. Which meant more opportunities. More battles. More danger.
But also more reward.
Jiang Chen stepped forward and entered the club.
The moment he crossed the threshold, the sound hit him like a wave—heavy bass vibrating through the floor, layered with laughter, clinking glasses, and the distant squeal of someone cheering. The air was warm and thick with perfume, alcohol, and faint smoke. Colored lights flashed across the crowd, painting bodies in shifting blues and purples.
The atmosphere was completely different from Earth.
On Earth, clubs were wild, yes, but there was still a kind of boundary. People played, but most of them still cared about reputation, about being seen, about consequences.
Here?
Jiang Chen could feel the laxity in the air.
Like the whole world silently accepted that indulgence was normal.
As he walked deeper inside, he saw the dance floor packed with bodies moving close together. Some couples weren't even trying to hide how intimate they were. Hands slid around waists. Lips brushed ears. A few pairs disappeared into darker corners, their silhouettes merging in ways that left little to the imagination.
And the strangest part?
Other people ignored them completely.
No one stared.
No one judged.
It was as if this was simply… routine.
Jiang Chen's gaze sharpened as he scanned the crowd.
Then he saw her.
A woman with light blonde hair, standing near the bar like she owned the place. She wasn't laughing loudly or dancing wildly. She simply stood there, holding a glass with two fingers, her posture elegant and composed. Her figure was mature, full, and dangerously seductive in a way that made men unconsciously glance twice.
If Shuqing was the pure type, the kind of girl who made you want to protect her… Then this woman was the opposite. The kind of woman who didn't need protection.
The kind of woman who could destroy a man with a smile.
She was a glamorous, high-class femme fatale type—a curvy blonde beauty with a cold, elegant vibe, dressed in a sleek black bodycon dress with fishnet lace sleeves and stockings, giving off strong seductive "rich socialite / mature temptress" energy.
Jiang Chen's throat tightened slightly. Because he knew her.
Bai Meilin. A female lead from a comic he remembered clearly.
And the moment he recognized her, Jiang Chen realized something that made his heart beat harder. This world wasn't built from just one story.
It was a patchwork. Several comics layered together. Which meant the protagonist he was meant to steal from… might not be the only one.
Jiang Chen slowly exhaled.
Then he stepped forward into the darkness, his eyes locked onto Bai Meilin like a hunter spotting rare prey.