The Great Human Transformation: Xu Mo's Hidden Skill

The atmosphere in the living room fell into a brief, awkward silence.

Xu Fuqiang let out an awkward, pig-like laugh. "Haha... That’s my Xu family bloodline for you. Guess I overlooked that..."

At that moment, Xu Fuqiang realized something.

This approach wasn’t working.

But he could also blame Xu Mo for this.

Who told this brat to always act so ostentatiously?

He’d practically branded himself as the "Nation’s Husband," as if he was afraid people wouldn’t recognize him.

Xu Mo coughed awkwardly as well.

But to be fair, Old Xu’s suggestion wasn’t bad.

Xu Mo was actually tempted.

Ever since graduating from university,

he’d been meticulously following the script,

terrified of missing any moment where the protagonist got to show off or humiliate someone.

Without him, the villain, present,

he’d been cooped up in Shanghai for too long.

It had been ages since he’d gone out to travel and unwind.

Old Xu’s proposal

rekindled the wanderlust in Xu Mo’s stagnant heart.

"The world is so big, I want to see it."

That line sounded fake—too hollow, too insincere, and downright misleading.

It needed a follow-up: "But only if I have enough money to spend."

That way, it’d sound natural and realistic.

Dreaming of traveling without a dime or connections?

You’d be broke in no time.

"Dad, I think your idea is pretty good..." Xu Mo’s voice suddenly trailed off.

That was because he noticed Xu Shi standing behind Su Ting, her eyes sparkling with excitement.

He’d almost forgotten about this oversized loli fairy.

Xu Mo had no intention of dragging deadweight along on this trip.

In other words,

he didn’t want any female leads tagging along.

For two lifetimes now,

he’d been struggling to survive in the cracks between male and female leads.

Now that the male lead was dead,

only the female leads remained.

But survival was exhausting work!!!

Before, he’d lived for the sake of his villain persona.

Now, he was living for himself.

Otherwise, if that damn system suddenly went berserk

and dragged him down with it,

he’d have to start all over again.

Might as well take this chance to go out and have some fun.

"Huh? What nonsense are you spouting? Didn’t you say everyone recognizes you? Plus, wherever you go now, people are watching. It’s not realistic," Xu Fuqiang said thoughtfully.

Easy fix.

Just slap on some ugly makeup.

Xu Mo knew how!!!

Huh? You think wearing makeup is shameful?

It’s the only way.

Back when he was following the script in his past life, the system gave him nothing.

The damn protagonist never held back.

Xu Mo had to pretend to be severely injured (though in reality, he’d already arranged for the most expensive, top-grade bulletproof vest to be worn under his suit).

Some injuries were unavoidable,

but logically, they shouldn’t have been that bad.

The rest?

Pure acting—something Xu Mo excelled at—

and the makeup skills he’d honed over time.

Later, after some intense negotiations with the system,

and a lot of back-and-forth, he finally managed to secure a god-tier makeup technique.

Not for anything else,

just to suffer a little less in this mortal world.

The system agreed.

"Yeah!!! Mom, Xu Shi, it’s getting late. You two should go to bed," Xu Mo said, shooing the mother and daughter away before grabbing Xu Fuqiang, who was about to follow them upstairs.

Xu Shi left, her eyes filled with reluctance.

But there was nothing she could do.

It was late,

and the oversized loli was no match for her mother’s authority.

Meanwhile, Xu Fuqiang shot Xu Mo a confused glare.

Xu Mo grinned. "Dad, I really think your idea earlier was great."

"Cut the crap... Pretty much anyone online knows who you are..."

"Dad, wait here for a sec. I’ll be right back."

Seeing Xu Mo’s serious expression,

Xu Fuqiang thought it over and finally nodded in agreement.

He sat back on the sofa, curious to see what trick Xu Mo had up his sleeve.

Xu Mo hurried back to his room.

Zhou Qiaoqiao hadn’t come home today—she’d gone back to the Zhou family’s main residence.

There were some matters she needed to handle there.

"Now for the grand transformation..." Xu Mo walked over to the vanity.

The female demon (Zhou Qiaoqiao) had stocked up on plenty of cosmetics.

Though she usually appeared barefaced,

she’d wear light makeup for important occasions—

or if Xu Mo needed it.

Otherwise, she preferred going natural.

But could a goddess’s bare face ever look like an ordinary person’s?

After about ten minutes,

Xu Mo felt he was done and stepped out of the room.

His aura had completely shifted,

now perfectly matching his new appearance.

Downstairs, Xu Fuqiang was leisurely scrolling through short videos.

Hearing movement from upstairs, he didn’t even look up.

"You’re back? What’d you forget?"

Ahem... "Little Xu! Aren’t you going to see who I am?"

"Huh? Ghost! Dad?! Is that you?! Did you come back because you were worried about your useless, spoiled grandson? Don’t worry, he’s dead tonight!"

"........."

Xu Mo raised an eyebrow, wondering if he hadn’t traumatized the old man enough.

Otherwise, how could he spout such shameless nonsense?

Xu Fuqiang was momentarily stunned,

his brain short-circuiting.

If he’d looked closely,

he would’ve noticed

that the old man in front of him—who sounded, acted, and looked exactly like his father—

was wearing his son’s clothes!

His back wasn’t that hunched,

and his face wasn’t that wrinkled either.

"Ahem... Fuqiang, my grandson is a dragon among men—you know he’s always been my greatest concern. And yet, when I came back to see you, you still refuse to repent! You infuriate me... ahem..." Xu Mo faked a cough dramatically.

After all, he was a man with the acting chops of an Oscar winner.

His grandfather had doted on him more than anyone else.

Mimicking the old man’s tone, mannerisms, and expressions?

Piece of cake.

But was this really okay?

Was it?

No... it wasn’t...

I advise you, Fuqiang, to reflect on yourself... and do better...

Xu Mo genuinely didn’t want to exploit his late grandfather’s memory, but he needed to present undeniable proof to convince Xu Fuqiang.

This was something he absolutely had to do.

Xu Fuqiang was startled, his filial instincts kicking in as he hurriedly stepped forward to support Xu Mo.

"Dad, calm down... I know I was wrong about this..."

The Xu family had always been strict with their upbringing.

But on the other hand...

Since Xu Fuqiang was their only child, and with no other direct relatives besides his parents, filial piety had been ingrained in him naturally.

The moment Xu Fuqiang held him, Xu Mo stiffened, his heart skipping a beat.

Only two words flashed through his mind—

I’m screwed.

Xu Fuqiang was baffled. Since when could ghosts have physical form?

Or was his longing for his father so strong that it had manifested this way?

What puzzled him even more was that his "father" seemed unusually robust—far healthier than him, a middle-aged man.

Outwardly, Xu Mo remained as calm as an old dog, but inside, he was panicking. Steadying himself, he changed the subject.

"Fuqiang, I came empty-handed this time. That was improper of me."

Xu Fuqiang’s lips twitched. If you had brought anything, that would’ve been the real shock.

"It’s fine, Dad. Tomorrow, I’ll burn some paper money and treasures for you..."

"Nonsense!" Xu Mo scowled, then—to Xu Fuqiang’s utter disbelief—reached out and patted his shoulder.

"It’s necessary. Very necessary."

"Wait here. I’ll go buy you some oranges."

With that, the figure Xu Fuqiang believed to be his father shuffled—no, practically sprinted—toward the door, as if urgently determined to fetch those oranges.

Boom—

Xu Fuqiang felt as if he’d been struck by lightning.

Was this a man or a ghost? A ghost or a man?

If it was a ghost, why would it use the door?

Wait... Xu Mo?

Where was Xu Mo?!

At that moment, realization finally dawned on Xu Fuqiang.

The difference in intelligence between people often boiled down to just a few minutes of delayed comprehension.

Some might pride themselves on being clever, but once they took a moment to reflect, all their past mistakes would become painfully clear.

For example—

Xu Fuqiang was a prime case.

"XU MO!!!!"

His roar shook the heavens.

If the world had no Xu Fuqiang, the belt of discipline would remain in eternal darkness!