Please, I'm Trying to Study, Your Highness! - chapter 3

Just three hours later…

The forced reboot of my physiological functions arrived right on schedule.

I struggled to open my eyes.

Based on past experience, every part of my weak body should be protesting with soreness after last night’s hours of cleaning.

Why don’t I feel anything today?

I propped myself up on the mattress, thoughtful.

Could it be…

I walked into the bathroom, stood in front of the toilet to take care of my needs.

The sound of water hitting the ceramic echoed in the cramped space.

After finishing, I habitually lifted my head.

The reflection in the mirror made me dazed for a few seconds.

Huh?

Did I get even more handsome?

Instinctively, I leaned closer.

Looking carefully, it seemed as if some invisible chisel had subtly refined the contours of my features.

My skin was still very pale.

But it was no longer that lifeless, corpse-like pallor-it now had the healthy, jade-like texture of cool white skin.

The dark shadows under my eyes stubbornly remained.

Yet on this face, whose contours had become more defined, the shadows looked almost like carefully applied makeup.

They added a certain allure to those perpetually tired, half-dead eyes.

What kind of ultimate moody vibe guy is this?

Damn, isn’t this as handsome as Sasuke!

My gaze dropped as I pulled up my wrinkled T-shirt.

Where my abdomen used to be flat, it was now covered with smooth, defined muscles.

Not exaggerated, nor with the blocky impact of a bodybuilder.

Instead, it resembled the taut muscles of a cheetah gathering strength beneath its fur-every inch radiated a restrained, dangerous power.

My shoulders were broader too, filling out the previously loose collar.

This body had been completely transformed overnight.

I analyzed calmly.

Last night’s exhaustion, that “Absolute Defense: Holy Virgin Barrier” title, and the skill called “Goblin Hero”…

[Passive Effect]: Unyielding

Physiological functions and physique permanently enhanced…

I see.

All my doubts were answered.

“Does this mean I won’t get so tired after long study sessions anymore?”

I chuckled at myself as I sorted out my thoughts. The familiar translucent panel floated before my eyes again, its refreshed stats confirming my theory.

–Personal Panel–

[Name]: Lin Hui

[Charm]: 8/10 (Your already good looks have evolved again, granting you an even more deadly appeal)

…

Seeing the number “8,” I frowned deeply.

Crap!

What’s the use of being as handsome as the readers in front of their screens?

Though it increases immersion, an outstanding appearance is often not a blessing, but a beacon for disaster in this desire-ridden world.

Only by making myself ordinary can I minimize my presence and safely muddle through until the mission ends.

So…

I reached out and pulled down the hair that had been swept back while I slept.

My hair is soft and fairly long, so the bangs covered my forehead and part of my eyes, instantly dulling most of that strikingly handsome aura.

The light, sliced by my bangs, cast deeper shadows over my eye sockets,

making the dark circles under my eyes appear even heavier.

Next, I grabbed a pair of black-rimmed glasses from the small shelf beside the sink.

The lenses had no prescription-they were my go-to disguise for hiding my looks since moving to this southern city.

I put on the glasses.

The cold frame pressed against my nose.

The lenses reflected faintly, further blurring the contents of my gaze.

I looked at the mirror again.

Long bangs hung down, the black frames covered the most striking parts of my features.

The heavy dark circles made the person in the mirror look like a classic gloomy otaku, obsessed with anime and living a nocturnal life.

Perfect!

The personal panel seemed to sense my intent, and the stats shifted again.

[Charm: 5 (8) / 10]

The “8” in parentheses represented the true essence of this body, while the “5” in front was the result of my disguise.

From a “Daniel Wu” who could cause a stir, I’d returned to an utterly unremarkable “passerby.”

The tension in my heart finally eased a little.

I closed the panel, peeled off my sticky T-shirt and tossed it into the laundry basket.

I stepped into the shower and washed off all the disgusting smells and traces as quickly as possible.

The warm water flowed over my body, and I could clearly feel the latent power in my muscles.

Even in this illogical otherworld, it could give me the strength to protect myself.

Not bad.

After blow-drying my hair, I put on the blue-and-white school uniform with zero sense of design-the loose fit conveniently hid the changes in my body.

I slung my backpack over my shoulder, changed shoes at the entryway, and headed out.

With a click, the door locked behind me.

My tiny personal refuge was temporarily cut off from me.

I walked downstairs, the humid morning breeze unique to southern coastal cities brushing against me.

On the bus, I was surrounded by students in the same school uniform, bustling and noisy.

I kept my head down, silently blending into the crowd like a drop of water merging into a rushing river.

—-

Arriving at class, I lugged my heavy backpack through the aisles between desks, heading for a secluded corner at the back.

I dropped my bag with a dull thud, making a few eraser crumbs jump on the desk.

“Xiao Huihui, morning!”

A mountain of a figure squeezed into the seat next to mine.

His name was Wang Lei, one of the two friends I’d made in high school to maintain my ordinary persona.

His chubby face wore a goofy grin as he greeted me enthusiastically.
“Morning.” I pulled out a chair and sat down. “And, could you stop calling me Xiao Huihui?”

That name really makes it impossible not to think of a certain dutiful son who loves stabbing his own father’s back in the Green Grassland.

“Why not? Your name is Lin Hui, so Xiao Huihui sounds cute!” Wang Lei protested.

Is this how puns are supposed to work?

I ignored him.

“Xiao Huihui, you finally showed up.” Another voice came from the row in front, raspy from leftover effects of a voice changer.

“Did you pull another all-nighter gaming last night?”

That guy was Zhang Yuan, nicknamed Monkey.

The name suited him. He was as skinny as a bamboo pole, and his face was marked by ever-present pimples-his personal signature.

“Look at your dark circles, they’re about to slide down to your chin.”

Monkey turned around as he spoke, elbows propped on the desk, an all-too-knowing smirk on his face.

“Not really. I just fought for the honor of the Goblin Tribe till dawn.”

I yawned lazily and mumbled a reply. “Unlike you guys, who probably wasted last night worshipping the goddess in your hard drives.”

“Hey, you punk!”

Wang Lei’s chubby face bloomed into a chrysanthemum smile. “You’re wrong there. Last night I was studying the latest Lanshan Fantasy swimsuit PV-the texture, the details, tsk tsk.”

“Cut it out, fatty. With that crappy computer of yours, you’re probably seeing nothing but mosaics!”

Monkey didn’t hold back his ridicule, then leaned in with a wink and a nudge.

“Let me tell you, I recently got my hands on some premium content. VR. The immersion is absolutely…”

“Holy shit!”

The banter was cut off, as if something truly shocking had appeared.

Not just him-the whole noisy classroom fell silent in that instant.

The strange stillness lasted less than a second before being replaced by excited, hushed buzzing.

I glanced over.

The figure who had triggered this brief, synchronized pause in the class stepped in through the front door.

The light at the doorway seemed to gather for her, adding an exaggerated special effect.

It made my eyes hurt.

Xia Shiyu.

According to the campus forum vote, one of the recognized School Belles.

The unspoken dream girl of many ordinary Goblins.

The zipper on her blue-and-white school uniform jacket was pulled just below her chest.

With every step, the fullness of her chest gently swayed, forming a scene enough to make any adolescent male’s heart race.

Her uniform pants had been tailored, showing off the curves of her hips beneath the tight fabric.

Her eyes had a natural, seductive hook to them-classic peach blossom eyes.

She had a strikingly beautiful, bold face-a natural, high-impact beauty.

At that moment, a faint smile played on her lips.

That smile wasn’t aimed at anyone in particular, yet everyone who saw her instinctively felt it was for them.

“Good morning, Class Leader!”

“Li Meng, your new hairstyle looks great!”

“Wang Qiang, you guys played an awesome game yesterday!”

She called everyone by name, whether they were top students or inconspicuous classmates-

All bathed in the Saintess’s undiscriminating warmth.

A true, peerless Saintess.

I couldn’t be bothered to look any longer.

I dug out thick reference books and workbooks from my backpack,

stacking them up one by one, building a wall to block out the outside world.

The two friends beside me were already dumbstruck.

Wang Lei’s mouth hung slightly open, Adam’s apple bobbing as he swallowed with a “gulp.”

Monkey’s eyes shone, his body unconsciously leaning forward.

“My god…look at that!”

Monkey whispered, unable to suppress his excitement. “That waist…that ass…”

Wang Lei’s breathing grew heavier. “And that part…feels even bigger than last time. She’s developing so fast!”

I paused stacking my books, because Monkey’s jittery leg bumped my desk, almost knocking my books over.

I frowned slightly, straightening the books.

What a dull novel world.

Shouldn’t you NPCs talk a bit more normal, considering the environment?

These blunt thoughts and urges are way too over the top.

Noisy, and utterly pointless.

Watching my friends get more and more worked up, I clicked my tongue inwardly.

“Give it a rest. She’s the untouchable Saintess Your Highness.”

I spoke to shatter their self-indulgent fantasy. “We’re just Goblins scraping for scraps in the sewers. We’re not even worthy of licking her heels, yet you’re still daydreaming?”

The point is, you’re interrupting my studying. Get it?

My words were like a bucket of cold water, dousing their excitement a little.

Monkey shrank back, muttering, “Can’t we even talk about it…”

Wang Lei sighed in resignation. “Xiao Huihui’s right. Guys like us can only dream.”

“You’re teachable.”

I nodded in satisfaction, neatly stacking my books and picking up the top math exercise book.

To me, the girl who just walked in was no different from the periodic table on the wall.

Pretty? Maybe.

Nice body? Probably.

But after three years under the forced activation of my cursed talent-Sleep Difficulty Mode-

Even the most perfect female body is nothing but a complex organism of bones, organs, blood vessels, and nerves.

A true, walking pink skeleton.

Completely unappealing.

With a still mind, I opened my exercise book, ready to tackle the first function problem.

Time to study hard, kids.