"It’s not a big problem! Every little bit counts. If I can increase my height by 0.1 centimeters and my weight by 0.2 kilograms every day, that’s 3 centimeters and 6 kilograms in a month. Give it a year or two, as long as I keep at it, beating Tyson to death in three punches will just be a matter of time!"
At this thought, Chen Jingle was instantly filled with high spirits again.
He could almost picture a muscle-bound version of himself—punching his way through Nanshan Nursing Home, kicking his way across Beihai Kindergarten, entirely unstoppable, slaughtering gods and buddhas alike if they dared to stand in his way.
It felt exhilarating just thinking about it.
However, his fantasies didn’t last more than two seconds before a sharp soreness in his limbs made him stumble, nearly sending him crashing to the floor.
With no other choice, he plopped down on the spot and began massaging his various muscle groups with his fists. It was absolutely essential to stretch after a workout, otherwise he’d be in for a world of full-body aches the next day.
[Dinner time! A regular diet and balanced nutrition are key factors in a baby’s healthy growth. Little Chen Jingle, please complete your dining task on time. The meal must contain a proper balance of meat and vegetables. Time limit: one hour. You can definitely do this, right, baby?]
The gentle system prompt made Chen Jingle freeze right as he was pounding his limbs to relieve the muscle fatigue.
"Didn’t I just eat? Why do I have to eat again?"
[Food consumed outside of designated dining hours does not count toward the task.]
"Alright!" he said.
Though he was a bit speechless, he considered the golden rule of fitness: it was thirty percent exercise and seventy percent diet. Eating multiple smaller meals throughout the day was the right approach. With that in mind, he calmly accepted it.
The only problem was that he had just eaten around three or four o’clock, and digesting food took time. Even if he wanted to eat right now, he couldn’t stomach much.
Therefore, Chen Jingle simply boiled a bowl of noodles, cracked an egg into it, and tossed in two stalks of choy sum. He figured he would wait until his stomach had digested his earlier meal a bit more before eating.
A short while later.
His phone buzzed with a new message notification.
"Hey, hey, hey! You there? You there?"
It was his cousin, Chen Xiuyun.
Surprised, Chen Jingle replied, "I’m here. Just tell me what’s up."
Chen Xiuyun sent back a giant smiley face sticker. "I’m heading back to the village in a bit. I’ll drop off a box of mooncakes for you on the way."
"You’re back in Jiangbei?"
"I’ve been in Jiangbei this whole time, okay! Please, at least pay *some* attention to the outside world!"
"Uh, I haven’t checked Friends Circle in years." Chen Jingle scratched his head awkwardly and asked, "Didn’t you say you were working as a counselor at Teacher College?" Find the original chapter at novelping.com.
His cousin was generally someone people rarely had to worry about. Originally, she had planned to take the civil service exam, but the competition had been far too fierce over the past couple of years. She had applied for a position restricted to an unpopular major, thinking no one else would apply, only to find out that almost everyone who made it to the interview stage held a master’s degree from a top-tier university, and some were even from Qingbei.
It was utterly terrifying.
In the end, she only ranked fifth and wasn’t hired. Fortunately, she later passed the exam to become a counselor at Teacher College. Considering she had completed her undergraduate studies there as well, it was a pretty solid career choice.
All in all, despite a few bumps along the road, she was doing quite well now.
She was also married to a great guy—her former high school classmate, who now worked at the state power grid. If they had a child in a couple of years, they would be a perfect, harmonious family of three. That was likely the ideal, happy life most ordinary people yearned for.
"Our college’s department moved to the new campus, so naturally, I’m working in Jiangbei," Chen Xiuyun explained.
"I see." Chen Jingle was so embarrassed he could have curled his toes into the floor. "That’s great. It’s close to home, so commuting is convenient."
Her husband’s family lived in North City, which wasn’t far from the new Teacher College campus.
"Exactly!" Chen Xiuyun replied. "It only takes me five minutes on my electric scooter. I finally don’t have to wait until the weekend to come back from Chibu."
"Wait for me, I’m heading out now. I’ll be there in about ten minutes."
"Drive slowly!" Chen Jingle quickly urged.
From her husband’s place in North City to his house, ten minutes definitely wouldn’t be enough time. She didn’t reply, so she had likely already left.
Chen Jingle put down his phone and pondered, "Mooncakes... Mid-Autumn Festival..."
Oh well, it didn’t really affect him. His parents weren’t home, so spending the holiday alone wouldn’t be any different from his usual routine. When the time came, he would just buy some fruit and deliver it to his grandparents and his uncle.
Soon after.
Chen Jingle had just finished his bowl of noodles when Chen Xiuyun arrived. Her little red Nissan Tiida was quite conspicuous.
"YAHOO!"
The moment she stepped out of the car, she let out a weird screech like a wild monkey. Accompanied by loud laughter, she waved her hand vigorously. "Student Chen Jingle, I am here!"
Could anyone imagine this being the mental state of a grown woman?
He honestly wondered why her dignified-looking husband would like this type of girl, let alone be madly in love with her. Yikes. Truly bizarre!
Chen Jingle sighed helplessly. "You’re almost thirty, yet you still don’t act like a proper adult."
"What do you mean thirty? Bullshit! I’m in my twenties, smack dab in the prime of my youth!" Chen Xiuyun retorted with a cheeky grin. "Young people should act like young people—full of vigor and overflowing with energy! Being utterly lifeless like you is what’s wrong. You’re the one who deserves to be criticized!"
"Ah, yes, yes, yes," Chen Jingle said noncommittally.
"Here, I know you love sweets, so I grabbed a box of lotus seed paste mooncakes. Oh, and a pomelo too." Get faster updates on g.com.
"Thanks. Now I won’t need to buy anything for the Mid-Autumn Festival," Chen Jingle said, accepting the items graciously.
"You’re welcome."
Chen Xiuyun waved her hand dismissively. After handing over the goods, she decisively commandeered Chen Jingle’s rocking chair.
Chen Jingle just let her be. He pushed out a small cart loaded with fruit and snacks, then took a seat on a plastic chair nearby.
"You really know how to enjoy life!" Chen Xiuyun marveled. "This little villa, this little courtyard, a rocking chair, plus fruits and snacks... Tsk, tsk, tsk."
"Isn’t your luxury apartment nice enough?" Chen Jingle replied with a chuckle.
Chen Xiuyun immediately frowned. "Ugh, seven or eight people living together under one roof. My parents-in-law might like the lively atmosphere, but I prefer peace and quiet. Just cooking every day is exhausting enough."
"True," Chen Jingle agreed.
As if suddenly noticing something, Chen Xiuyun stared intently at Chen Jingle. "Why does it look like your complexion is so much better than before? Have you been using some new skincare products lately?"
A person’s image was very intuitive. From top to bottom, from their superficial appearance to their demeanor and temperament—when someone familiar underwent a new change, it was incredibly easy to spot.
In Chen Xiuyun’s eyes, her cousin was noticeably different from before. How should she put it? He just looked much more pleasing to the eye, completely lacking his former decadence.
Yes, decadence!
Even though he was a young man who had just turned thirty, he acted like an old man with one foot in the grave. He was entirely lifeless, exuding an overwhelming old man vibe that made him seem closer to eighty than even their grandfather.
Chen Jingle blinked. "I haven’t. I rarely even use facial cleanser anymore; I just wash my face with water. Maybe it’s because my diet and sleep schedule have been pretty regular lately."
"That’s possible." Chen Xiuyun felt a twinge of envy. This guy’s skin actually looked better than her own. Dammit!
She wondered if early retirement was really that magical.
In truth, Chen Jingle didn’t think the changes were that drastic. Although the system had indeed helped shrink his enlarged pores and fade a few acne scars, his fundamental facial features hadn’t altered at all.
He hadn’t expected Xiuyun to notice the difference after just a few glances.
He thought to himself, "Looks like I definitely have to stick with it."
After all, who would resist the opportunity to slowly better themselves?
A moment later.
"Hey, did you prune these flowers yourself?" Chen Xiuyun asked through a mouthful of watermelon that Chen Jingle had cut for her, her gaze falling upon the row of potted plants in the courtyard.