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

The alarm clock rang precisely at six o'clock the next morning.

Lin Bei slapped it, and the alarm clock screeched to a halt.

He opened his eyes, threw off the covers, and sat up.

The system panel popped up:

[Task progress: 0.2/2.5kg]

[Today's exercise: Not started]

[System Evaluation: You lost 0.2 kg of water yesterday, but today is the real start. Fat won't disappear on its own; you have to keep running. I suggest increasing your speed by 10% today, otherwise these 7 days will just be a formality.]

Lin Bei ignored the system, put on his old T-shirt with a loose collar and faded sweatpants, and went out.

The hallway was quiet. The motion-activated lights were on, and the door to room 502 was closed.

He glanced at the food storage container on the floor mat.

Missed.

The food container was gone, and the chopsticks were nowhere to be found. Only a tissue remained on the floor mat, blown by the wind to the corner, stuck to the baseboard.

Lin Bei bent down, picked up the tissue, stuffed it into his pocket, and then went downstairs.

The city on the river was still the same in the early morning. Dewdrops clung to the leaves of the plane trees, sanitation workers swept away the fallen leaves with their brooms, and the distant whistles of cargo ships echoed on the river.

Lin Bei walked briskly along the river embankment, following the same route as yesterday, but about 10% faster. His heart was pounding even harder than yesterday, but he didn't stop.

When he reached five kilometers, he stopped and braced himself against his knees to catch his breath. Sweat dripped down his nose, staining the ground with small dots.

The system popped up:

Today's exercise: 5.2km brisk walk

[A little faster than yesterday, but not enough. We'll increase the speed by another 10% tomorrow. Don't ask why; the system decides.]

Lin Bei straightened up, panting heavily, and turned to walk back.

I got home just after seven o'clock.

Wang Xiulan was busy in the kitchen when she heard the door open and poked her head out: "You're back? Go wash up quickly, the porridge is ready. I added millet today, it's good for the stomach."

Lin Bei responded and went to the bathroom to take a shower.

When I came out, there were two bowls of porridge on the table, one large and one small. Next to the large bowl, there was also a small dish of side dishes and two poached eggs.

Lin Bei lowered his head and took a sip of porridge. The rice grains were soft and sticky, and the aroma of millet mixed with the sweetness of rice.

"mom."

"Um."

"Su Wantang's father came last night."

Wang Xiulan put down her bowl and looked at him.

"He's not here to see her, he's here to sell the house," Lin Bei said. "He brought a real estate agent and his new wife. If a woman is looking at the house, she must be interested in buying it."

Wang Xiulan fell silent.

"That girl..." she began, then paused, seemingly choosing her words carefully, "Is she alright?"

"This is bad," Lin Bei said. "She closed the bedroom door and didn't come out."

Wang Xiulan ran her fingers along the rim of the bowl a few times.

"The girl was only fourteen when her mother passed away," Wang Xiulan said. "When I went to pay my respects, I saw her kneeling alone in front of the mourning hall, wearing a white dress, her knees bruised from kneeling. I said to her, 'Child, get up,' but she didn't move, she just kept kneeling there."

Lin Bei looked down at the porridge in the bowl.

"Later, when I reached the door, I looked back one last time, and she was still kneeling there." Wang Xiulan's voice lowered. "I'll always remember that figure."

The living room was quiet for a while.

"Lin Bei," Wang Xiulan looked at him, "if you want to help her, Mom won't stop you. But you have to promise Mom that no matter what happens, you have to take care of yourself first. How can you help others if you can't take care of yourself?"

Lin Bei raised his head and looked into his mother's eyes.

I promise you.

Wang Xiulan didn't say anything more and lowered her head to drink her porridge.

After finishing breakfast, Lin Bei changed into his school uniform, took a food container from the refrigerator, wrapped it in two layers of insulated bags, and stuffed it into his schoolbag.

He paused when he reached the door of room 502.

The door was closed.

Then he went downstairs.

When I arrived at the school, the classroom was already mostly full.

Su Wantang sat in her seat, an English book open in front of her, and was writing something with her head down.

As Lin Bei passed by her, he glanced at her out of the corner of his eye. What she was writing wasn't a notebook; instead, a page of blank space was filled with circles, one inside another, layer upon layer, like a maze.

Her fingers gripped the pen tightly.

Lin Bei didn't stop, and walked straight to the last row.

At lunchtime, students gradually left the classroom.

Lin Bei took out an insulated bag from his schoolbag and walked to Su Wantang's seat.

She was still writing those circles, one inside the other, which had already filled the entire page.

"Eat first." Lin Bei placed the food container on her table.

Su Wantang looked up at him. The dark circles under her eyes were even deeper than yesterday. Her lips were dry and chapped, with a thin layer of skin peeling off.

"You didn't sleep last night?" Lin Bei asked.

Su Wantang did not answer, put down her pen, and looked at the food storage container on the table.

Lin Bei opened the food container, and the aroma of braised pork ribs immediately wafted out, filling the space between the two of them.

"Let's eat first."

Su Wantang looked down at the box of ribs, neither speaking nor touching it.

Lin Bei didn't rush her. He opened his lunchbox, picked up a piece of pork rib, put it in his mouth, and chewed it a couple of times.

"My mom put two star anise in today, it smells almost too strong," he mumbled. "Look at the color, it's a bright red, even better looking than the braised pork from yesterday. My mom said she went to the market specifically to pick out these ribs, saying, 'They're for your classmate, they can't be too bad.'"

Su Wantang's finger twitched.

"Auntie...knows?"

"Know what?" Lin Bei picked up another piece of pork rib. "Know that I brought you lunch? Yes, I know. My mom even said that if you like it, she'll make more next time."

Su Wantang remained silent for a moment.

"She also said she owes your mother a debt she can never repay in this lifetime," Lin Bei said softly. "Your mother helped her back then, during her most difficult time. I didn't make that up, it's true."

Su Wantang was taken aback. "My mom... helped Auntie?"

"Your mom delivered meals to the neighbor who had just given birth for a month. Carp soup, pig's trotter soup, chicken soup, a different dish every day," Lin Bei said. "My mom said she'll never forget it."

Su Wantang lowered her head.

Lin Bei noticed her shoulders tremble slightly. It was so slight, almost imperceptible, but he saw it.

She didn't cry out loud, but tears fell drop by drop onto the lid of the lunchbox, splashing small patches of water on the plastic lid.

Lin Bei didn't offer a tissue or say anything. He picked up his chopsticks and continued eating his meal, eating slowly and chewing each bite carefully.

After about two minutes, Su Wantang's shoulders stopped shaking.

She looked up, wiped her eyes with her school uniform sleeve, and then opened the food container in front of her.

The ribs were already cold, but she picked up a piece and put it in her mouth, chewing very slowly.

"Is it good?" Lin Bei asked.

Su Wantang nodded.

"My mom said it won't taste good when it's cold. She'll make it earlier tomorrow and put it in a thermos, one of those double-layered ones, which can keep it warm for four or five hours."

"No need for that." Su Wantang's voice still had a slight nasal tone.

"My mom doesn't think it's troublesome," Lin Bei said. "She feels a great sense of accomplishment when someone is seriously eating the food she cooks."

Su Wantang didn't say anything, but picked up another piece of pork rib.

The two ate their meal quietly.

Halfway through the meal, Su Wantang suddenly spoke up.

"Lin Bei".

"Um."

"If the house is sold, I..." She paused, poking around in her lunchbox with her chopsticks, "I don't know where I'll live."