Reborn as a high school freshman with an awakened system, a fat boy transforms into a male god.

Chen Guodong put the cigarette in his hand on the coffee table and rubbed his hands together.

"My shop has been open for over ten years, always in the south of the city. The old city area has been demolished, and good properties there are becoming increasingly scarce. The east of the city has developed rapidly in recent years, with many new buildings and a burgeoning secondhand housing market. I'm thinking of opening a branch there." He said, glancing at Lin Jianhua, "Your dad said he wants to give it a try."

Lin Bei glanced at his father again.

Lin Jianhua leaned back on the sofa, holding a teacup in his hand, without saying a word. He was wearing a light blue long-sleeved shirt today, and his hair was neater than usual. He looked down at the tea leaves in the teacup, his fingers gently tracing the rim of the cup.

"I'm a person," Lin Jianhua finally spoke, his voice lower than usual, "I've been driving for twenty years, and all I know how to do is drive. Your mother has suffered most of her life with me, and now that we're not short of money, if I'm still out there driving every day, what's the difference between our lives and your mother's?"

He paused.

"Old Chen said he could give me a try, so I thought I'd give it a shot. If it works, great; if not, oh well. But if I don't try..." He looked up at Lin Bei, "I'm afraid your mom will think that all I've ever learned in my life is how to step on the gas. If I don't try now, I'll be even less likely to do it later."

Lin Bei looked into his father's eyes. There were bloodshot veins and fine lines in those eyes, and a light he had never seen before.

He remembered his previous life. After his father's car accident, he became completely despondent, sitting on the sofa in a daze every day, unable to even watch TV. Back then, he didn't understand anything and could only say, "Dad, don't think too much."

This life is different.

"Dad," Lin Bei said, "you can try if you want."

Lin Jianhua was stunned for a moment.

Chen Guodong was also taken aback for a moment, then smiled. He picked up the unlit cigarette on the coffee table and twirled it between his fingers twice.

"Xiaolin, you speak more fluently than your father."

Lin Jianhua glared at him: "What's wrong with me?"

"You just told me, 'Old Chen, I want to give it a try.'" Chen Guodong mimicked his tone, his voice low and hesitant. "Your son said 'If you want to try, then try,' which was very decisive. Look at the difference."

Lin Jianhua was speechless. His lips twitched a couple of times, but he ultimately did not refute him.

After laughing enough, Chen Guodong tucked the cigarette behind his ear and said in a more serious tone, "But Jianhua, I'm serious. I can't manage the shop in the east of the city by myself. If you're willing to come, we can work together."

"Okay!" Lin Jianhua glanced at him, picked up his teacup, and took a sip. Lin Bei noticed that the hand holding the teacup was steadyer than before.

Lin Bei sat beside them, watching his father and Chen Guodong bicker back and forth, and the corners of his mouth curved slightly.

Chen Guodong stayed to have dinner with everyone. He hadn't driven there; he planned to have drinks with Lin Jianhua and then take a taxi home after dinner.

After finishing his meal, Lin Bei went into his bedroom to do his homework.

When I got to the third question, my phone vibrated.

He picked it up and saw that it was a message from Su Wantang.

"Are your legs sore after your run today?"

Lin Bei stared at the message for two seconds, then thought, "Sour."

"Will I still be able to go for a run tomorrow morning?"

"able."

The person on the other end kept typing for a while, then sent a message: "I'll tell Dad to make breakfast tomorrow."

Lin Bei stared at the message, his finger pausing on the screen for a moment.

"it is good."

He put down his phone and continued working on his problems.

But the smile on his lips never faded.

Wednesday.

At six o'clock in the morning, before the alarm clock rang, Lin Bei opened his eyes.

His legs were still sore; every muscle from his thighs to his calves was protesting, as if someone had rolled him up from head to toe with a rolling pin. He threw off the covers and sat up, grimacing as he moved his ankles.

[Good morning, host. The system suggests you run slower today. Muscle soreness after interval training is normal; pushing yourself too hard can easily lead to injury.]

Lin Bei was taken aback: When did you start caring about me?

[The system has always cared about its host. It just usually shows it in a rather subtle way… mainly through teasing. Today, your legs are sore, and the system is worried you'll be too exhausted to complete the 800-meter task, so it's taking a more gentle approach. This only applies to today.]

Lin Bei's lips twitched. Ignoring the system, he put on his sportswear and went out.

He ran along the river embankment, his pace much slower than usual. By the third kilometer, his legs weren't so sore anymore, as if his muscles had finally given up and stopped protesting, beginning to cooperate. After finishing the five kilometers, he supported his knees and panted for a while, sweat dripping onto the concrete pavement, forming small dots.

[The system detected that the host did not force themselves to run six kilometers, but adjusted the running distance based on their physical condition. The system won't mock you today; it will praise you.]

Lin Bei straightened up, a slight smile playing on his lips, and turned to walk back.

After getting home, he took a shower, changed his clothes, and at seven o'clock, he stood at the door of apartment 502 and knocked.

The door opened. Su Wantang stood behind the door. Today she was wearing a white knitted cardigan over a T-shirt, and her hair was tied up more neatly than usual.

"morning."

"morning."

Lin Bei changed his shoes and walked into the living room. On the dining table were two bowls of white porridge, a plate of cold seaweed salad, a plate of pickles, and two fried eggs that were golden brown on both sides.

He sat down and took a sip of the porridge. The white porridge was thick and soft, the rice grains had dissolved, and it had a sweet taste.

Halfway through the meal, Su Wantang put down her chopsticks: "Are your legs still sore today?"

Lin Bei paused for a moment: "It's sour. But it's a little better than this morning."

Su Wantang nodded, got up and went into the kitchen, brought out an enamel mug and placed it in front of him. The mug contained hot water with a few slices of ginger and a few red dates floating in it. The sweetness mixed with the spiciness of the ginger slowly diffused in the air.

"Ginger and jujube tea," she said. "My mom used to say that drinking this after exercise can relieve muscle soreness."

Lin Bei looked down at the cup of tea, which was still steaming. The ginger slices were very thin, and the red dates had been torn open, with the pits removed.

He didn't ask, "When did you cook this?" He picked up his cup and took a sip. The spiciness of the ginger and the sweetness of the dates slid down his throat, spreading a warm feeling in his stomach.

"Thanks."

"You're welcome." Su Wantang lowered her head and continued drinking her porridge, but the tips of her ears turned red again.

I rode the bike to the school gate.

Lin Bei parked the car, and Su Wantang jumped out of the back seat. The two walked into the school gate together. As they passed the old locust tree at the school gate, Zhou Ziheng was squatting under the tree, engrossed in a book. Hearing footsteps, he looked up, his eyes lighting up.

"Brother Bei! Sister-in-law! Good morning!"

Su Wantang's ears instantly turned red. She glanced at Zhou Ziheng, said nothing, and quickened her pace into the teaching building.

Lin Bei watched her figure disappear at the top of the stairs, then turned around and looked at Zhou Ziheng.

"What did you call her?"

"Sister-in-law," Zhou Ziheng said matter-of-factly, "What's wrong? Did I call you the wrong person?"

Lin Bei looked at him and remained silent for two seconds. He tried to find a rebuttal in his mind, such as "Don't call me that" or "We're just classmates." But when the words came to his lips, he found that he didn't want to refute him.

The morning classes went by as usual.

At noon, after most of the students had left the classroom, Lin Bei took out a thermal bag and walked to Su Wantang's seat. Today's dishes were cola chicken wings and stir-fried bok choy.

Wang Jun came over again with a lunchbox. He sat down opposite him, glanced at Lin Bei, then at Su Wantang, a signature smile on his lips.

"Brother Bei, I read the latest chapter of your novel last night."

Su Wantang looked up, glanced at Wang Jun, then at Lin Bei: "What novel?"

Before Lin Bei could even speak, Wang Jun chimed in, "It's a novel written by Brother Bei! Serialized online! Sister-in-law, haven't you read it?"