After his shower, Tang Song found that Wen Ruan had already left.

Scenes from just a moment ago lingered in his mind, leaving him somewhat dazed.

He had to admit, older women really had a different level of allure—they always left him stunned. Even with some perks on his side, he still couldn’t quite keep up.

Sitting on the bed, he glanced at the unread messages on his phone. Most of them were from Gao Mengting, discussing shipment orders and new hires.

Tang Song carefully read through each one, replied, then set his phone down.

He opened the system interface and went into his inventory.

There, a red-glowing gift pack lay quietly.

After ten days of effort, he had finally completed his fitness task. A small achievement worth celebrating.

He selected the [Workout Gift Pack] and opened it immediately.

Ding! You've received a special item: [Double Effect Card].

Ding! You've obtained [Outfit - Boundless Energy].

A new outfit?

Tang Song’s heart skipped a beat, a look of excitement crossing his face. His current two outfits had both come as unlockable rewards. This was his first time receiving one directly through a task.

He checked the item details. Nᴇw novel chapters are publɪshed on Nov3lFɪre.ɴet

[Double Effect Card]: When used, it doubles workout effectiveness during task progression.

Note: Not a single drop of your sweat will go to waste.

What an amazing reward! Over the past ten days, he had only taken it easy yesterday while with Wen Ruan; the rest of the time, he was fully committed.

Plus, he had been using the [Magic Protein Powder] and [Stamina Recovery Potion].

Now, with the help of a system item, he’d gain a doubled workout effect.

He selected the item and used it immediately.

A sudden shiver ran through his entire body.

It felt like he was being submerged in a hot spring, the warm waters continuously soaking his muscles—a wonderfully soothing sensation.

After about a minute, his body gradually returned to normal.

He stretched, noticing a difference right away.

His muscles had bulked up visibly.

There was now a faint outline of abs on his lower abdomen. With a slight flex, the six-pack became more defined. He gave them a poke—solid and elastic.

Tang Song excitedly pumped his fist.

He finally had abs! He’d officially made it to the “fit body” club!

After admiring himself in the bathroom mirror for a while, he finally emerged feeling satisfied.

He entered the [Outfit Center], and a new Portrait Card appeared on the dazzling interface.

With a thought, he gently tapped the card, activating the familiar AR effect.

[Outfit - Boundless Energy]: Stamina +2, Agility +4, with advanced sweat-wicking and breathable properties.

Outfit components: Dark gray sports T-shirt, black athletic shorts, breathable running shoes, black sports briefs.

Special Effect: Boundless Energy (When wearing this outfit, players receive a 50% boost to stamina and performance during exercise).

Note: Players are required to purchase or make the outfit in the real world. The closer the style, color, and details match, the closer the effects.

A highly practical outfit.

This would significantly shorten the time needed to boost his physical appeal. He planned to buy a few similar outfits later.

Exiting the Outfit Center, he reviewed his personal stats.

[Player: Tang Song (Charm 46)]

[Role: President of Songmei Fashion]

[Height: 182 cm, Weight: 81 kg]

[Attributes]: Constitution 64, Stamina 66, Agility 57, Insight 78

[Assets]:

Balance: 2.0516 million yuan

Company: Songmei Fashion

Properties: 390 m² residence in Yanjing Tiancheng, 2010 m² office space in Yunxi Tower

...

As his physical stats and appeal increased, his overall score reached 46 points, though it was clear progress would only get harder from here.

After assessing his gains, Tang Song got dressed and headed downstairs.

In the activity area on the first floor, Wen Ruan was sitting cross-legged on the sofa, playing a mobile game with some coworkers.

Tang Song greeted her coworkers, then naturally sat down next to her, slipping an arm around her waist as he breathed in her scent, watching her game.

She was the kind of person who enjoyed life with a variety of hobbies. She was also pretty skilled at gaming.

Playing as Luna in the jungle role, she led the team with her seamless moves, dazzling everyone with her constant flow of ultimates.

As the voice of Zixia Fairy echoed beside him, Tang Song’s phone suddenly buzzed in his pocket.

He took it out, his eyebrow raising slightly.

Well, well. Xu Qing! Finally awake, are we?

---

Beicheng Garden Community

“Aaahhhh! Aaaaahhhh!”

A piercing scream suddenly echoed through the room, shaking the bedroom door.

Xu Qing rolled over in bed, landing on the floor with a thud.

Her long black hair was disheveled, making her look a bit of a mess.

Heavy footsteps approached as Shen Yuyan, who had been putting on her makeup, hurried over.

She quickly helped her friend up, asking with concern, “Qingqing, what’s wrong?”

Xu Qing shuddered, quickly shaking her head. “Nothing, nothing! Just a bad dream that startled me awake!”

Despite her words, her eyes darted around, looking a bit guilty.

Last night, she had accidentally sent the wrong photo! And it was one of those slightly risqué ones where she’d purposefully lifted her skirt, showing even her undergarments.

The sheer mortification made her wish she could crawl into a hole.

And the worst part—it was sent to Tang Song, an old classmate. Would he think she was trying to flirt with him? Would he go bragging to others?

If this leaked out, how could she face her classmates again?

Ahhhh! The reputation of Xu Qing, the lady of elegance, ruined by one picture!

Thump! She hammered her head with a fist, stars appearing in her vision.

Seeing her friend’s meltdown, Shen Yuyan raised an eyebrow. “Qingqing, did you… do something you shouldn’t have?”

Blushing, Xu Qing waved her hands. “What are you talking about! I just had a nightmare about getting locked in a dark room by readers, whipped and forced to write non-stop. That’s what scared me awake.”

Shen Yuyan looked at her with a deadpan expression. “I’ve told you so many times to stop writing novels. It’s exhausting, and you barely make any money.”

“What can I say? Poor life! Every bit of income counts.” Xu Qing blinked her big, dark eyes, clinging to her friend’s arm playfully. “Yanyan, your company’s about to get funding soon, right? That means your shares will be worth a ton, won’t they?”

Shen Yuyan pinched her cheek, smiling. “It’s not certain yet. Thanks to Lu Ziming, we have the chance to attend the investment conference, but it’s just a chance. Even if there’s interest, actually securing the deal will still take a lot of work.”

Xu Qing encouraged her, “Then you’ve got to give it your all! When you’re successful, I’ll come work for you as head of legal, no more suffering for me. You give me a 10k salary, and I’ll quit my side job writing novels.”

“Oh, please~! Most people hope their partner or dad makes it big, but you’re putting your hopes on your bestie.”

“Well, what can I say? You’re just that talented. I underestimated your startup before, but I might actually rely on you for the rest of my life.” Xu Qing looked at her friend with admiration.

Shen Yuyan had worked for a year after college, gaining enough experience before starting her own business with some classmates.

With her strong social skills and connections, she secured seed funding from a wealthy former classmate.

Now the company was finally profitable and looking for angel investors.

“All right, I’m done chatting. I need to finish my makeup. We have a company meeting later to discuss next week’s conference details.” Shen Yuyan ruffled Xu Qing’s hair. “Get up and eat, okay?”

“Yeah, yeah.”

After her friend left the room, Xu Qing’s expression fell again.

She opened Tang Song’s chat, thought for a moment, and typed, “I’m so sorry! I was exhausted last night and sent it to the wrong person. Just delete it, please, and don’t share it. I didn’t mean anything by it.”

Ding-dong—

[Tang Song: “Send over the full set of your photos, and I’ll forgive you.”]

Xu Qing’s hands clenched her hair.

ε＝ε＝ε＝(#д)

How dare he blackmail me!

Xu Qing doesn’t back down from a fight!

Fine, it’s do or die!

After racking her brain for a while, and giving her stuffed bear a good pummeling, Xu Qing bit her lip and replied, “Deal!”

He may be a client of her company, and she couldn’t afford to offend him.

But she would get her revenge in her novel!