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

There was a fourth person on the sofa.

A woman, around thirty years old, was wearing a beige chiffon blouse, dark wide-leg pants, and flat shoes.

She sat a little distance from Su Yuan and his wife, leaning slightly forward, her hands resting on her knees, her fingers interlaced, occasionally opening and closing them. Her hair was tied in a low ponytail, and she wore light makeup, looking quiet and gentle.

People who buy houses.

"Look at this living room, it's square and makes excellent use of space," the real estate agent's voice came from inside, professional and enthusiastic, speaking quickly. "With the sofa arranged like this and the TV opposite, the sense of space is fantastic. And with this orientation, the sun shines on you from morning until two or three in the afternoon."

Lin Bei leaned against the wall in the corridor and took another step toward the door frame so that he could see more clearly.

The woman in the beige shirt stood up, walked to the window, and reached out to touch the windowsill.

"When were these windows replaced?" she asked. Her voice wasn't loud, but it was clear and earnest.

"It was replaced the year before last," Su Yuan said. "It was replaced during the renovation two years ago. It's made of thermally broken aluminum, with double-glazed windows, and the heat and sound insulation are quite good."

The woman nodded, then walked to the wall, tapped the wall with her finger, and listened to the sound.

Watching her actions, Lin Bei thought: This is someone who's serious about buying a house, not just casually looking around. She asks about details and checks the quality; she's genuinely considering whether or not to buy this house.

The house she was considering buying was left to her by Su Wantang's mother. It was Su Wantang's last stronghold in this world.

Once it's sold, you'll have nothing left.

He took a deep breath and silently chanted in his mind: Mind reading, activated. Target: Su Yuan.

The next second, a chaotic, struggling thought flooded his mind.

"...Are you really going to sell it...? This is the house that Wan Tang's mother left behind..."

"...She's right...we won't have money if we don't sell the house...the mortgage on the house in Cuipingyuan is over three thousand a month...my salary is only a little over four thousand...and she doesn't have a job..."

"...She said to let Wan Tang stay here...and reserve a room at Cuiping Garden...but...last time Wan Tang came for dinner...her face...Wan Tang definitely didn't eat enough after she went back...if she really stays here..."

"...She said she'd get a divorce if I didn't sell the house...I just bought Cuipingyuan six months ago...I've already signed the loan agreement...I finally got remarried, I can't get a divorce now..."

"...Wantang...Dad is sorry...but Dad has no choice...there's really no way..."

Lin Bei leaned against the wall of the corridor, his arms crossed over his chest. His expression remained unchanged, but his heart had already turned cold.

I bought Cuipingyuan six months ago, and my monthly mortgage payment is over three thousand.

These pieces of information pieced together a complete picture in his mind: After remarrying, Su Yuan bought an apartment in the Cuipingyuan residential area in the east of the city to start a new family. With the mortgage burden heavy, his new wife suggested selling the old apartment. He refused? Then they would divorce. Su Yuan didn't want to lose another marriage, so he chose to compromise.

As for his daughter? He said he would leave a room for her in Cuiping Garden, but Su Yuan knew in his heart that Su Wantang's life would not be easy after she moved in.

Lin Bei gritted his teeth.

Just then, a thought flashed through his mind.

Su Yuan's new wife.

He had heard Su Yuan's thoughts, but what about this woman's? What was she really thinking?

Lin Bei shifted his gaze to the woman in the red dress and silently chanted in his mind: Mind reading, target switch.

The next second, a sharp, calculating voice surged in, completely different from Su Yuan's. If Su Yuan's thoughts were a jumbled mess, then this woman's were like a razor-sharp knife, each word slashing straight down in a certain direction.

"...The real estate agent said this house could sell for over 400,000...plus the price of the one in Cuipingyuan..."

"...Find a reason to kick Su Yuan out in six months...split the house and property in half...that's another several hundred thousand..."

"...This one is much easier to fool than the previous two...He's completely devoted...He'll believe anything I say..."

"...The first two dragged on for a year and a half...the other for ten months...this one will only take six months...the divorce should be finalized before the end of the year..."

Lin Bei's back suddenly straightened.

The first two.

This one is much easier to fool than the previous two.

This woman had already fooled two people.

Su Yuan wasn't her first target; he was her third.

[Red Alert: "Professional marriage scammer" detected. Let me repeat, this is not a drill. This woman may have a small notebook with entries like, "Target 1: Zhang Moumou, 18 months, profit XX million; Target 2: Li Mou, 10 months, profit XX million; Target 3: Su Yuan, estimated 6 months..."]

Lin Bei's fingers clenched unconsciously.

He forced himself to keep a straight face so that no one could see the shock he was feeling, but his mind was in turmoil.

In his previous life, he had seen too many news stories like "Woman caught after swindling money from men in marriage" and "Woman marries multiple men to swindle money"... When he read them, he felt they were far removed from his own life, and after reading them, he would just go about his business, at most leaving a comment saying, "This kind of person should be sentenced."

To him, the victims in the news, the men who were deceived both emotionally and financially, were just a few lines of text on his phone screen, a few photos with their images blurred, and a string of cold numbers.

The anger is real, but that anger is seen through a screen, like watching fire through glass—it doesn't burn you.

But now, this very person was standing right in front of him, in his neighbor's living room. She was wearing a red dress, holding Su Yuan's arm, and had a gentle smile on her face.

The next second she's going to sell his house, run off with his money, and then leave him behind, leaving a middle-aged man who's been swindled out of everything and a daughter whose life is hanging by a thread.

Lin Bei cursed inwardly.

What the hell is going on?

[Su Yuan bears some responsibility for this. But the primary responsibility lies with that woman. Su Yuan is foolish, she is wicked. Foolishness can be redeemed, but wickedness... requires evidence.]

Lin Bei took a deep breath, forcing himself to calm down. Now was not the time to be angry; anger wouldn't solve anything, it would only make him lose his temper.

His gaze shifted to the woman in the beige shirt.

People who buy houses.

Could her inner thoughts provide some useful information? For example, is she genuinely interested in buying it, or is it possible to persuade her to give up?

Lin Bei silently recited in his mind: Mind reading, target switching.

The thoughts of the woman buying a house drifted in, clearer than Su Yuan's, more peaceful than the woman in the red dress, carrying a pragmatic tone of careful calculation.

"...The paint on the walls is alright...no need to repaint...saves some money..."

"...The windows are made of thermally broken aluminum...that's acceptable...replacing windows would cost several thousand..."

"...We need to check the bathroom pipes...the pipes in older houses are most prone to problems..."

"...Total price: 420,000...30% down payment...300,000 loan...monthly payment: approximately 2,000...within my budget..."

"...The location is indeed good...30 minutes by bus from work...better than renting now...renting costs over a thousand a month, paying off the landlord's mortgage, it's better to pay off my own mortgage..."

"...Let's take another look...No rush to decide...Look at a few more properties and compare them...Buying a house is a big deal, don't get carried away...Nine out of ten of what that agent said, 'If you don't buy now, it'll be gone,' is false..."

Lin Bei deactivated the mind-reading ability.

The woman buying the house simply wanted to buy a comfortable home within her means. She was unaware of the story behind the house, who Su Wantang was, or that her purchase might plunge someone's fate into despair.

She was just looking at apartments, like millions of other young people struggling in the city, hoping to find a small nest of her own in the concrete jungle.

She did nothing wrong.

The one at fault is the woman in the red dress. It's Su Yuan, the father who knew his daughter would get hurt but still chose to compromise.

Lin Bei: System, you're right this time.

[The system, rarely receiving such affirmation from its host, has decided to take a screenshot. Screenshot format: text. Save location: the folder "The host occasionally uttered a human word" in system memory.]

Lin Bei: ...