If Qiao Nan had known what would happen after the system finished calculating the results, she would have definitely refused on the spot, no matter what, and tried everything to convince Tuan Tuan to postpone this reward she had been looking forward to for so long. 

At the very least, she wouldn’t have let two awkward situations happen right next to her at the same time. 

But of course, that was all just Qiao Nan’s regret in hindsight. 

By the time the girl realized something was off, she was already sitting on the downstairs couch, held by her brother Qiao Li. The CD he’d been holding earlier was now playing in the DVD player, and the opening notes of Jasmine Flower had started playing over a black screen. 

At that moment, the system’s voice also sounded in Qiao Nan’s ears: 

⌈ System evaluation complete. Beginning mission recap. Video cannot be skipped or turned off. Evaluation will proceed accordingly. ⌋ 

Huh? Mission recap? 

Still dazed from her brother’s surprise attack, Qiao Nan barely had time to process before a video started playing in the air to her left. 

From the bargaining between the girl and her coach over song selection, to the actual performance, and finally to the online reactions—it was all seamlessly compiled into one video. The high-tech system had perfectly summarized everything in the clearest and simplest way possible. 

Honestly, in the Qiao family villa, everyone except Qiao Nan looked thrilled and excited. Even with the video’s so-so resolution, they watched carefully, trying to spot every move she made. 

Meanwhile, Qiao Nan—forced to watch both screens at once—could only think: Thanks, but can I skip this whole event next time? 

Even though she had felt her movements were smooth during the performance, Qiao Nan had once been a competitive skater capable of doing triple jumps and participating in adult competitions. If it had been her coach reviewing the performance and pointing out mistakes, she could have handled it. But facing a chorus of rainbow-colored flattery from her family members, Qiao Nan just wanted to find a crack in the floor and vanish into it without a word. 

The less attention she got, the better. 

After all, jumps that were full of deductions on the scoresheet were praised by her parents as clean and neat. The spins that were downgraded for lack of speed were called beautiful, and the footwork that had been sloppy due to a late reaction to the rhythm was praised as fluid… 

Even though Qiao Nan knew her family didn’t really understand much about this, as an “insider,” she still managed to die of secondhand embarrassment just from listening. 

Scratch that—double embarrassment. 

Because while Xie Luoying and the others were giving their comments, the system’s evaluation also appeared. 

Along with… a bunch of compliments. 

⌈ Host’s song choice showed significant cultural influence abroad. In this novice mission, your work was praised by a total of 1,277 viewers. Your name has been searched over 50 times online. ⌋ 

⌈ Factoring in the song’s intrinsic value, the system has rated your performance as a B-. Your reward has been deposited in your inventory. Call Tuan Tuan to retrieve it. ⌋ 

B-. Not a great score, but good enough to earn her that rumored performance-enhancing drug. 

Without time to dwell on her emotional death in front of the family, she quickly volunteered to excuse herself just as they were enthusiastically preparing to rewatch the video yet again. 

Out of sight, out of mind. With everyone still smiling and teasing, she slammed the door shut behind her. 

“Tuan Tuan, mission reward,” she pressed against the door, blurting it out eagerly. 

⌈ Retrieving reward. ⌋ 

⌈ Novice reward: Physical Enhancement Capsule has been redeemed. ⌋ 

A flash of white light—and a capsule, sealed in a clear, round case, appeared in her hand. 

The capsule didn’t look any different from the fever medicine she used to take when she was sick. Except for a faint snowflake-shaped logo on the transparent case, there was no other indication that it came from the system. 

“This is it?” Qiao Nan held it up to the light, totally unconvinced. “Tuan Tuan, are you sure this is safe?” 

“No label, no certification, no nothing—how am I supposed to trust this mystery capsule?” 

The tiny ice crystal that loved hanging out on her shoulder popped up. 

⌈ All system products undergo strict safety checks. Don’t worry, Qiao Qiao. ⌋ 

⌈ I’ll report your feedback to the system. ⌋ 

It seemed that even the system was open to negotiation. 

In that case… 

“Tuan Tuan,” Qiao Nan said seriously, “you ever heard the phrase ‘when in Rome, do as the Romans do’?” 

⌈ What does that mean? ⌋ 

“I mean stuff like instruction manuals, safety certifications, that kind of thing.” 

“If you don’t have those, fine. But at least give me an expiration date or tell me how long the effects will last!” 

✵✵✵ 

Even though Qiao Nan received a Physical Enhancement Capsule for completing the novice mission, it was only a booster—it didn’t magically transform her. Without consistent training, the capsule wouldn’t do much. 

Unlike the novels where someone wakes up the next day as a world champion, Qiao Nan didn’t slack off at all after taking it. If anything, she trained even harder. Whenever she had free time, she’d be seen running laps. 

She didn’t really have a choice. According to Tuan Tuan’s follow-up info, the capsule’s effects weren’t permanent. Since the system hadn’t done any human clinical trials, no one knew exactly how long it would last. 

The only thing Tuan Tuan could guarantee was that it would be effective for at least six months. 

Qiao Nan: What’s the point of this system, then?! 

What she thought would be a miracle drug that fundamentally improved her body turned out to be just a medication that boosted neurotransmitter secretion. That instantly made it feel a lot less mysterious—and the pressure on Qiao Nan grew even heavier. 

She had just six months to get her physical condition up to at least a passing level. For someone the system rated a measly 15 out of 100, that was a tall order. 

Even though Tuan Tuan kindly helped her draft a rough daily progress chart after syncing with the system, it didn’t really ease her stress much. 

Figure skating doesn’t officially have an off-season, but most competitions take place between October and March. So having no major events during the six months while the capsule works? That was honestly one of the few bits of good news for Qiao Nan. 

Every sport improves different aspects of endurance, and the corresponding equipment can’t all be used at once. 

The Qiao family could totally afford to buy all that fancy gear, but dropping millions on equipment for just one person’s daily training? Yeah… even Qiao Nan thought that was a bit excessive. 

Still, pricey or not, she did know of a place where she could access everything she needed. 

After two weeks of running around between school and different training venues, the girl finally made up her mind. Right after ballet class on the weekend, she borrowed Xie Luoying’s phone and dialed up someone she hadn’t spoken to since he returned to China—Cheng Cheng. 

“Hello? Uncle Cheng?” Qiao Nan asked sweetly, sitting in the back seat of her family’s car with a big smile. “It’s me, Qiao Nan. I’m not sure if you still remember me?” 

“I wanted to ask… how can I join the provincial team?” 

Author’s note: 

Qiao Nan: I swear I’m not just trying to use your training equipment! Really!