Double Gold in Card Draw

The next day.

Su Bai went for his usual morning jog by the riverside.

While lazing in bed could earn him some indulgence rewards, those rewards were practically negligible for someone like Su Bai now—mere pocket change compared to the joy of a morning workout.

Besides, he needed so little sleep that lying around after waking up wasn’t all that fun anyway.

Su Bai finally understood why so many healthy, energetic people felt "restless" and always needed to keep busy.

Even a lazy slacker like him had to find ways to burn off his excess energy.

Of course, he could always rely on the girls from the riverside villas to help with that. Unfortunately, last night had been a bit too much fun with the Wan sisters, followed by some quality time with his senior.

Now, most of the ladies were on cooldown.

Everyone has their limits, and from that perspective, Su Bai figured there was nothing wrong with having a few more close female friends.

By the river, Su Bai ran into Liu Chenhu again.

The middle-aged man looked full of vigor, his face lighting up with genuine delight at the sight of Su Bai, wrinkles crinkling into a cheerful bunch.

"Hey, I’ve noticed that ever since our Chen'ang started hanging out with you, her complexion’s improved a lot. Birds of a feather flock together, after all—gotta stick with positive, uplifting folks."

"You flatter me, Uncle."

"Ah, don’t be so modest. Come on, let’s run. Let’s see how many laps you can lap me by today."

Was it possible that Yangyang’s improved complexion had nothing to do with Su Bai’s "positive influence"?

If anything, it might be related to his… enthusiasm.

Su Bai stayed silent and just kept running.

Ex-military men like Liu Chenhu tended to be competitive, driven by a strong desire to win.

But in the end, Liu Chenhu still fell behind.

Reaching the pavilion—the same one where he and Yangyang had once toyed with fate—Su Bai paused and glanced back.

No sign of Liu Chenhu.

Ah well, might as well wait for the old man. Su Bai wanted to chat and maybe fish for information about that mysterious Taoist priest.

He hated these meddling con artists who stuck their noses into other people’s family affairs.

No need to ask outright, though. He could just steer the conversation toward Taoist culture. The uncle would probably be thrilled to see a young guy taking an interest in traditional heritage. Heh.

While waiting, Su Bai decided to try his luck with the gacha.

Gacha draws were all about atmosphere, and today, the riverside was wrapped in a thin, clean mist—not smog, but something almost ethereal.

Close enough to divine energy. Perfect for pulling.

"Use all draw attempts!"

[Ding! Congratulations, Host. You have obtained: 「Intermediate Body Modification Serum」, 「Intermediate Body Modification Serum」, a sum of cash…]

[Duplicate items converted… Congratulations, Host. You have obtained: 「Skill Proficiency Upgrade Card」X1]

Su Bai froze.

Damn, not even a full ten-pull, and he’d scored two golds?

Just yesterday, he’d been wondering if there was a higher-tier version of the body modification serum—and here it was.

Too bad the system didn’t have a mechanic like "combine two one-star items into a two-star item."

The skill proficiency upgrade wasn’t bad either. Most of Su Bai’s skills were already at master level, and pushing them further would elevate them to transcendent status. He hadn’t decided which skill to boost yet, so he’d shelve that for now.

The 「Intermediate Body Modification Serum」, though, could be used immediately.

Based on his last modification experience, the process would be subtle, like a gentle rain nourishing the earth.

Sure enough, Su Bai felt no side effects—just an endless surge of raw energy.

Instinctively, his gaze drifted toward the river.

His gut told him he was now the strongest, most fearsome creature on land. Even a nimble mountain tiger would lose in a one-on-one.

Plus, with his 「Master Swimming」 skill, his aquatic abilities were top-notch. The upgraded respiratory system even allowed him to stay underwater for extended periods!

Perfect. Now he wouldn’t have to worry about shady dive operators yanking his oxygen tube for ransom abroad…

Well, just kidding. He’d never been worried in the first place. If a guy with his wealth couldn’t find a reliable dive instructor, he might as well give up on being rich.

On a whim, Su Bai stripped off his shirt and pants, folded them neatly in the pavilion, and dove into the river.

Swimming in rivers was something teachers always warned kids against—currents were unpredictable, and even the best swimmers could get tangled in something or run into danger.

Su Bai had no such concerns. He was already considering ultra-long-distance swimming, like crossing European straits… sounded like fun!

Might even break a world record.

The October river was bitingly cold, but Su Bai adjusted quickly, gliding through the water with ease.

His speed was… not quite human.

At one point, he passed a fisherman on the bank. The man squinted at the high-speed blur in the water, adjusted his glasses, and frowned.

Wait, dude.

Since when do we have sharks in freshwater?

No idea, no idea…

The fisherman raised his phone, zooming in to snap a shot, but Su Bai had already submerged.

……

By the time Liu Chenhu arrived at the pavilion, panting and sweating, Su Bai had already toweled off and was getting dressed.

"Ha… Kid, don’t tell me you went for a swim?"

"Guilty as charged."

"Could’ve caught a cold."

"Nah, my constitution’s got too much yang energy. Some old Chinese doctor told me when I was a kid to balance it out by exposing myself to cold stuff."

Su Bai spun the tale effortlessly.

Liu Chenhu nodded slightly but added, "Strong yang energy’s good, but… moderation is key in daily life."

A smooth segue into the topic.

After some back-and-forth, Su Bai realized Liu Chenhu wasn’t particularly into mysticism—which was odd, given how devout he seemed about Yangyang’s situation.

Su Bai figured they were close enough now that the uncle wouldn’t hold back, so his casual remarks likely reflected his true stance.

Then why had Liu Chenhu insisted on raising Yangyang as a boy?

Su Bai considered two possibilities:

One, a senior member of the Liu family deeply trusted that so-called Taoist priest, and Liu Chenhu, though skeptical, had to comply.

Two—darker—the priest had helped Liu Chenhu’s career in some major way… or maybe had dirt on him.

He’d investigate slowly.

No need to rush.

Not that there was any urgency. Su Bai had noticed Yangyang’s mental state improving lately. Plus, he planned to gradually enhance her physique using causality-reversal massage and… well, that other thing.

Results would be the best way to convince the Liu family elders to reconsider.