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

Lin Bei's spoon froze in mid-air: "Aren't you going to put walnuts in?"

"I don't like eating walnuts."

"Then you'll peel it for me to eat?"

"Hmm." She lowered her head and took another sip of porridge without looking up. "Anyway, I'm just killing time."

Lin Bei glanced down at his bowl of porridge. Crushed walnuts had been mixed into it, and he could taste a few in every mouthful. He swallowed the porridge and didn't ask any more questions.

After finishing breakfast, Lin Bei stood up, took the bowl into the kitchen, and washed it. Su Wantang stood beside him wiping the bowl; the two worked together seamlessly.

Lin Bei dried his hands and paused as he turned to leave the kitchen. On the coffee table in the living room sat a transparent food storage container containing a small bag of walnut kernels, next to a small wooden hammer—the kind specifically used for cracking walnuts, with a few tiny shell fragments still clinging to its head.

He looked at it for two seconds, then looked away without saying anything, turned around and left.

Arrived at school.

As Lin Bei walked into the classroom, Zhou Ziheng was slumped over his desk catching up on sleep. Hearing footsteps, he looked up, a hint of weariness in his eyes, but a smile played on his lips: "Good morning, Brother Bei."

"Good morning." Lin Bei sat down in his seat.

Zhou Ziheng rubbed his eyes. "I wrote until 2 a.m. again yesterday. I originally planned to stop after writing 12,000 words, but I got stuck when I got to 10,800 words. I didn't get through until 1:30 a.m., and it was past 2 a.m. when I finished writing."

Are you sleepy now?

"I'm sleepy. But I got through that part yesterday, and I feel like my whole body is flowing smoothly. Like..." He thought for a moment, "like the feeling of finally being able to pass stool after being constipated for three days."

Lin Bei paused as he was putting his schoolbag down: "Can't you use some normal metaphors when you write novels?"

"We've run out of normal metaphors," Zhou Ziheng said matter-of-factly. "Besides, this metaphor is very accurate. Think about it, something you've been holding back for a long time finally comes out, and you feel completely relaxed. Isn't that exactly the same?"

Lin Bei: "..."

[Zhou Ziheng precisely defined the "pleasure after breaking through a creative block" as "finally passing stool after three days of constipation." The system judged this metaphor to be crude but effective.]

Just as Zhou Ziheng was about to say something, Lin Bei reached out and turned his head back: "Alright, go to sleep."

He really did fall silent.

The bell rang to signal the end of the last class in the afternoon.

Lin Bei packed up his textbooks, slung his backpack over his shoulder, and headed to the playground. Zhang Mingyuan was already waiting by the track; the mats were laid out, and he was squatting down, flattening the four corners. There was also a jump rope next to him.

"Brother Bei, shall we jump rope first today, then work on our abs?"

"Um."

Zhang Mingyuan stood up and moved aside, saying, "Then you jump first, and I'll count for you."

Lin Bei stood on the open ground next to the mat, picked up the jump rope, adjusted the handle length, took a deep breath, and started jumping. After three sets, a thin layer of sweat had appeared on his forehead. He stopped to catch his breath, then jumped a fourth set.

After finishing four sets of jump ropes, he put them down and lay down on the mat.

Zhang Mingyuan walked over: "What are we practicing today?"

"You decide."

"Let's try a different training method today," Zhang Mingyuan squatted down, "Instead of dividing into exercises, we'll divide them into groups of abs. Choose two exercises for each of the upper abs, lower abs, and obliques, and do three sets of each exercise until exhaustion."

Lin Bei didn't say anything and lay down.

[Training program upgrade detected. The probability of developing abs has increased from "far from certain" to "somewhat possible." The host is advised to take this seriously. The system also reminds you: Before going to sleep tonight, you might reconsider the philosophical question, "Why am I training for abs?" due to abdominal muscle soreness. Answer: Because you promised Su Wantang.]

Before Lin Bei could even respond in his mind, Zhang Mingyuan's voice had already fallen.

Upper abs, V-shaped sit-ups plus reverse crunches. He could control the rhythm for the first few sets, but by the second set, each rep felt like it was being twisted in half. He gritted his teeth and finished the last set, then lay back down to catch his breath. Before he could recover, Zhang Mingyuan's voice came down again.

[Zhang Mingyuan is currently in Coach Mode. In this mode, the system does not recommend that the host attempt to bargain. The system would also like to remind you: when the host did the V-sign to stand up just now, his facial expression management completely failed; the degree of facial distortion was approximately "a severe form of constipation." Fortunately, Su Wantang was still in the stands and was far enough away not to see.]

Lin Bei: "..."

Lower abdomen, leg raises plus scissor kicks. The soreness in this area comes on slowly, but it's agonizing. By the third set, his legs started shaking uncontrollably. He put them down to rest for five seconds, then raised them again, trembling as he finished the rest. It felt like something was burning deep in his lower abdomen, both sore and heavy, and even his lower back started to feel weak.

He rolled over, kneeling for a moment, sweat dripping from his forehead onto the mat, forming several dark spots. He heard a familiar voice coming from the stands: "Brother Bei! Go for it! Your abs are waiting for you!"

Lin Bei knew it was Wang Jun without even looking up. He was squatting on the steps of the stands, holding a bottle of water in his hand, his bright orange cotton coat standing out in the twilight.

"When did you arrive?" Lin Bei asked, panting.

"I've been here for a while." Wang Jun placed the water bottle on the steps beside him. "I saw you start squatting when you were working on your upper abs. Bei-ge, when you did the V-sit just now, your facial expressions were really rich. I feel like if I drew that expression, I could submit it to an art exhibition. I've even thought of a title: 'A Man's Self-Redemption'."

"Go ahead and draw it," Zhang Mingyuan chimed in from the side. "Hang it in your shop when you're done, and use it as your shop's prized possession."

"That won't do. The store's prized possession has to be edible. Brother Bei's face can't be eaten."

Lin Bei: "..."

He felt he didn't want to speak anymore today.

[The host has currently entered a "don't want to talk" state, which is a necessary step in awakening abdominal muscles.]

Lin Bei ignored the system.

Side crunches, bicycle crunches, and side-lying crunches. Alternating between left and right, each side felt like it was being rhythmically scraped by something, burning hot. By the third set, the burning sensation in his side came quickly and intensely. He wanted to stop, but Zhang Mingyuan didn't tell him to, so he continued.

After finishing the last one, he lay back on the mat, catching his breath for a while before finally speaking: "Next time, try something easier..."

Zhang Mingyuan lay down next to him: "We'll talk about it next time."

Lin Bei: "..."

Dusk had fallen, and the streetlights cast a dim, yellowish glow.

"Brother Bei."

"Um."

"I bought the down jacket."

"Did you buy both sets?" Lin Bei asked.

"Yes. One dark gray set for Chen Yutong's mother. One light blue set for Chen Yutong," Zhang Mingyuan said. "I went to the mall last night and spent a long time choosing. I originally wanted her to choose the colors herself, but I was afraid she wouldn't accept them if I asked. So I chose them myself."

"and then?"

"Then I brought it to her this morning." Zhang Mingyuan paused for a moment. "When she opened the bag and saw the down jacket, she froze for several seconds without saying a word. She looked up at me and asked, 'Did you buy this?' I said, 'Yes.' She said, 'Didn't you say you were saving up to buy it for your mom?' I almost said it was for our mom, but I held back and finally said, 'It was for your mom.'"

Lin Bei paused for a moment: "You almost said 'our mom'?"

"Yes. Almost." Zhang Mingyuan said, chuckling to himself.

Lin Bei: "..."