"That jawline… It does kind of match."
"He always kept the upper half of his face hidden before."
"Oh my god… The world has gone mad. Zhou Yi—a white-shirted heartthrob!?"
"I think I'm going to faint. I used to insult him so badly…"
"Same here. Now it feels like he's looking at us like we're clowns."
As the system continued to flood Zhou Yi with notifications of increased favorability, his expression remained devoid of arrogance. Instead, a faint trace of resignation lingered in his eyes—a reflection of humanity's shallow nature. Of course, he was no exception either. After all, he too preferred beautiful women above all else.
Zhang Wu swallowed nervously, his gaze fixed on Zhou Yi with a mix of confusion and tension. "Wait… Are you seriously Zhou Yi?"
Zhou Yi's eyes grew colder as they locked onto his desk-mate. If it weren't for Zhang Wu snooping through his diary and spreading its contents far and wide, none of this chaos would have unfolded.
In a calm, measured tone, Zhou Yi responded, "After sitting next to me for so long, are you telling me you can't recognize me after just a few days?"
Zhang Wu stumbled backward in disbelief. That voice… There was no mistaking it. It belonged to his pathetic, groveling desk-mate, Zhou Yi!
But how could he have changed so drastically in such a short time!? Plastic surgery couldn't work miracles overnight, which left only one conclusion: Zhou Yi had always been this attractive—he'd simply concealed it beneath his long bangs.
Jealousy burned fiercely within Zhang Wu. Such a perfect face wasted on someone like Zhou Yi? What a travesty! Someone as worthless as him didn't deserve it!
Zhou Yi caught the venomous glare directed his way and smirked, his lips curling into a smug smile brimming with disdain and mockery.
This reaction ignited Zhang Wu's fragile ego. The original host would never have dared to look at him like that. Enraged, he lunged forward, grabbing Zhou Yi by the collar. "What the hell is that look supposed to mean?! How dare you look down on me?!"
Zhou Yi met his fury with an even more contemptuous expression. "Oh, please. After what you did—sneaking into my private life and broadcasting it to everyone—you expect me to treat you kindly? You're nothing but a petty coward."
Zhang Wu laughed bitterly, his anger reaching new heights. "Petty? Reading your diary makes me petty? Isn't it worse that you—a lowly nobody—dared to fantasize about Su Ning? Isn't *that* the real disgrace?"
With deliberate calmness, Zhou Yi brushed Zhang Wu's hand away. "Peeking into someone's diary and announcing it to the entire school—isn't that the definition of despicable behavior? Technically, you violated my privacy rights. Consider yourself lucky I haven't reported you."
His voice carried loudly enough for the surrounding classmates to overhear. Whispers broke out almost immediately, though this time, the content of their conversations had shifted dramatically.
"You know, Zhang Wu really is kind of scary. Sneaking into someone's secrets and blurting them out loud like that… I think I'll keep my distance from now on."
"Actually, Zhou Yi was just quietly crushing on Su Ning. He didn't cause any trouble. It was Zhang Wu who dragged both of them through the mud. That's pretty messed up."
"To be honest, who hasn't had a crush on the school beauty? I've tried pursuing her myself. As long as you're not bothering anyone, silently liking someone isn't a crime."
"But Zhou Yi isn't some lowly toad. Look at him—how could anyone call him that? He's miles better-looking than Zhang Wu."
"Sure, Zhou Yi might've acted like a love-struck puppy in the past, but you could also call it devotion. Honestly, he's not as bad as people made him out to be."
The female students in the class were pragmatic creatures. Seeing Zhou Yi's handsome face paired with memories of his past actions, their opinions shifted almost instantly.
What Zhou Yi had done for women could be cruelly labeled as fawning, or generously interpreted as unwavering devotion. An unattractive man displaying excessive submissiveness earned him the label of a "simp." But when that same level of devotion came from a man who looked like a model, suddenly it became romantic, even admirable.
Such was the case with the original Zhou Yi. His actions had been painfully humble, bordering on self-deprecating. But now, armed with a stunning appearance, people were beginning to see him in a new light.
This was the undeniable power of looks. Beauty equaled validation—not just for men, but for women too.
And this was only the beginning. From this point onward, Zhou Yi would steadily reshape everyone's perception of him, transforming into the untouchable, perfect idol every girl dreamed of.