Chapter 126: Chapter 25: Flawless Face

Looking at the long list of names provided by the system prompt, Zhang Yan furrowed his brows.

"Shen Jiayi?" he wondered. "Is that Yiyi’s real name? Brother Tongzi really is resourceful, though I suppose it’s just standard operation for a system. That makes sense.

"Li Huamei... is that Sister Mei from Hongmei Cottage? I’m really something else, aren’t I? I’ve only met her once, and she’s eleven years older than me...

"Then again, with her looks, figure, and temperament, it’s not like she’s a bad choice!

"As for this Xie Yuxin, who is she? This list seems to be sorted in the order I met these women. In that case, she’s probably the female companion who was with Chu Chengxi.

"Her boyfriend was right there next to her, yet she still winked at me. Talk about being shamelessly flirtatious. Her looks and figure were quite outstanding, too. It seems I took a liking to her right then and there."

After his brief moment of confusion, Zhang Yan realized a potentially serious problem.

He was now absolutely, positively certain that Brother Tongzi could read his mind.

Setting aside the women he had actually slept with, Brother Tongzi had rattled off the names of women he had merely met—women he hadn’t even realized he was sexually attracted to until he thought about it deeply.

If that wasn’t mind-reading, what else could it be?!

"Brother Tongzi is the best system in the world! Brother Tongzi and I will be best bros for life!" he tentatively shouted in his mind. It was never too late to make amends.

Although he didn’t receive any response, Zhang Yan repeatedly warned himself to show more respect to Brother Tongzi in the future. It wouldn’t end well if the system decided to make things difficult for him during a mission out of spite.

"Wait, no!" he quickly corrected himself. "Brother Tongzi wouldn’t have such petty, worldly desires! Brother Tongzi is the most fair and just system in the world!"

To stop his mind from wandering any further, Zhang Yan decided to ignore the remaining new features for now and slowly opened his eyes.

The moment he opened his eyes, he saw a pair of deep eyes looking in his direction.

Beauty, sorrow, and reminiscence—countless emotions brewed within those irises.

Of course, Zhang Yan wasn’t narcissistic enough to think Sofia was actually looking at *him*. Her pupils were unfocused, staring into empty space. She was clearly lost in her own emotions.

Curious as to what had triggered this mood, Zhang Yan couldn’t help but stare at her a little longer.

Since the effects of the Concentration Potion hadn’t worn off yet, he was still in a state of Absolute Focus.

He had observed another girl he happened to meet while in this state before, but that experience hadn’t been very pleasant.

One of the main reasons makeup drastically improved a person’s appearance was its ability to conceal flaws.

Under the state of Absolute Focus, every single blemish was infinitely magnified—enlarged pores, uneven skin texture, traces of foundation, and other cosmetics...

Right now, every microscopic detail of Sofia’s face was laid bare before him. Yet, to Zhang Yan’s absolute amazement, he still couldn’t find a single flaw even in this heightened state.

The true gap in beauty lay in the details.

Compared to an average Eastern girl, Sofia’s facial features were more three-dimensional, yet not overly sharp. She possessed the best of both worlds.

Her skin was fair and delicate, radiating a porcelain-like luster. The fine peach fuzz on her face was slightly more pronounced, a hallmark of her mixed heritage, but it wasn’t heavy enough to detract from her beauty.

Her face had a slender, perfect curvature with a slight oval shape and a smooth jawline, perfectly blending delicacy and elegance.

Her eyebrows were fine and even, gentle yet full of spirit. Her deep azure eyes were long and beautiful, carrying a captivating depth; gazing into them was like gazing into the night sky.

She had a high nose bridge with a slightly upturned tip that made one want to playfully tap it, and full, rosy lips that looked as though they had been brushed with honey, tempting anyone to steal a kiss.

Without realizing it, he found himself somewhat mesmerized.

He wasn’t captivated merely by her beauty, but rather by the faint, lingering sense of familiarity that surrounded her.

When Sofia’s gaze finally refocused, she noticed Zhang Yan staring at her in a trance.

Instead of feeling shy, she flashed a generous, open smile. "Aiser, have you finally realized that I am much more fascinating than your book?"

Used to the reserved nature of Huaxia girls, Zhang Yan found Sofia’s personality quite refreshing.

She was like the physical embodiment of summer itself—fiery, radiant, and beautiful.

"I’ve never denied your charm," Zhang Yan replied. "But you’re probably tired of hearing compliments like that, so I won’t repeat them."

"So you act a bit... well, less fond of me, just to show how special you are?"

"No, no, no, I think you’ve misunderstood. The reason I disliked you was because my first impression of you wasn’t very good."

This was the first time someone had ever told Sofia to her face that they "disliked" her. This novel experience only piqued her interest further.

"Just because I greeted you with my French name? Are you some kind of extreme nationalist?"

"I don’t think I’m as extreme as you make me out to be. It’s just that, from our brief interaction, I judged that you grew up on this land, didn’t you?"

"Uh-huh."

"Then regardless of your nationality, you must have once had an equally beautiful Huaxia name."

"Uh-huh, I do indeed have a Huaxia name of my own."

"Exactly. When you were a child playing with your friends, you must have introduced yourself using that Huaxia name, right?

"Yet now, you’ve subconsciously forgotten that fact, all while constantly claiming this place is your homeland. Isn’t that a bit contradictory?"

Now understanding why Zhang Yan had disliked her, Sofia still had no desire to explain her past or the things she had been through.

That was her secret. Perhaps only one person in the world had the right to share it with her.

"Alright, Aiser. I understand your perspective," she said. "So, what can I do to change this terrible first impression you have of me?"

In truth, Zhang Yan’s initial poor impression of Sofia had been fleeting.

As the saying goes, one’s moral compass tends to follow the attractiveness of the other person’s face!

After spending so much time together, he could tell that Sofia wasn’t a bad person at her core. She was definitely a good girl. His opinion of her had long since improved, so he didn’t dwell on the past.

"Hmm... For example, you could start by telling me your Huaxia name. We can reintroduce ourselves and reset that first impression."

"I’m sorry, Aiser. If you had asked a few days ago, it might have been fine, but I’ve just decided that I want to save my name for someone who is very special to me. I want him to be the first to say it."

"Well, that’s a pity, then."

Zhang Yan didn’t really mind.

Although Sofia’s looks were undeniably top-tier—among all the women he had met, only Xia Xiqing could stand shoulder-to-shoulder with her in that regard—he wasn’t exactly lacking in female companionship right now, so he didn’t feel any desperate yearning for her.

Since she already had someone special in her heart, Zhang Yan naturally wouldn’t force the issue. After all, he wasn’t some perverted creep.

"Miss Sofia, I hope you find that special someone soon. I’ll be taking my leave now."

"Thank you, Aiser."

If you find any errors ( broken links, non-standard content, etc.. ), Please let us know < report chapter > so we can fix it as soon as possible.