The Joy of Growth

The curtains fluttered gently, letting in a sliver of sunlight.

The calendar on the wall was flipped forward two pages by the wind, rustling softly.

Faintly, there was also the splashing sound of a running faucet.

Suddenly.

A shrill "ring-ring-ring" shattered the quiet atmosphere.

The bathroom's sliding door rattled open.

Bare-chested, Fang Cheng rubbed a towel between his hands and shuffled out in slippers, quickly turning off the alarm clock.

He glanced at the time.

7:30.

He narrowed his eyes at the morning light outside the window and let out a soft breath.

How wonderful would it be to take a refreshing shower after exercising?

Unfortunately, the rented room was too small and had no shower room, so he could only give his body a simple wipe-down.

At this thought, Fang Cheng couldn't help opening the panel again to admire the results of his morning workout.

Push-Ups Experience +18

Boxing Experience +3

Focus Experience +2

...

Skill Panel

Speed Reading Lv1 (28/250)

Focus Lv1 (65/250)

Cooking Lv0 (34/100)

Cleaning Lv0 (75/100)

Boxing Lv0 (64/100)

Push-Ups Lv0 (51/100)

Potential Activation (23:09:12)

In the blink of an eye, two days had passed, and all his skills had improved noticeably.

Especially Push-Ups, which had consumed most of his energy—the experience bar was already more than halfway full.

At this rate, it would only take a few more days to successfully level up to Level 1.

After wiping the sweat from his chest and back.

Fang Cheng wet the towel, washed it again, wrung it dry, and hung it on the rack.

Then, facing the mirror, he touched his face.

He didn't know whether it was an illusion, but his complexion seemed much rosier, and his arms appeared to have grown a bit more muscular.

When he looked at the Character Panel again, his Attribute Values remained unchanged.

After only a few days of training, expecting his body to show significant improvement was obviously unrealistic.

But upon closer inspection, he discovered a tiny percentage Progress Bar on the right side of the Attribute Bar.

When he focused on it and tapped in, a new interface popped up.

The screen was filled with Prompt Information.

...

You practiced Boxing for 3 minutes. Constitution increased by 0.001.

You practiced Boxing for 4 minutes. Strength increased by 0.001.

You practiced Boxing for 5 minutes. Agility increased by 0.001.

You mopped the floor for 10 minutes. Constitution increased by 0.001.

You carried heavy objects for 5 minutes. Strength increased by 0.001.

You walked 1,000 steps. Constitution increased by 0.001.

You walked 1,200 steps. Agility increased by 0.001.

You slept for 7 full hours. Spirit increased by 0.001.

You slept for 8 full hours. Constitution increased by 0.001.

You performed 5 Push-Ups. Strength increased by 0.001.

...

Scrolling down, he could still reach the bottom.

But scrolling up, he could not find the very first message at all.

Just like skills, physical attributes could also be leveled up by grinding experience.

Every workout and every bit of exercise increased them at a slow pace.

It simply wasn't displayed in order to avoid flooding the screen and distracting the host.

"Every line of information here, every increase in value, is proof that I've worked hard..."

Fang Cheng muttered under his breath. Hope flickered in his eyes, like a farmer inspecting the growth of his crops.

It might be slow, but grains of sand could form a tower and soil could pile into a mountain. Quantitative change would eventually bring qualitative change.

Especially when he saw that the Physical Quality attribute had already reached 99% progress.

His heart burned with excitement, and his fists clenched.

"Hiss—"

Apparently, he had moved too sharply and pulled a strained muscle. Fang Cheng couldn't help sucking in a cold breath.

Training hard certainly had its benefits, but recovering afterward was a headache.

For the past two days, Fang Cheng's arms, shoulders, and chest had been faintly aching, sore and weak.

Without the assistance of the Focus Skill, he probably would have found it difficult to keep going.

Because of that, his training efficiency had also dropped considerably.

Fortunately, the panel only counted repetitions and did not track the average time consumed.

Fang Cheng could slow down and lengthen his rest periods to achieve the same goal.

According to his plan, the required 100 Push-Ups each day could be split into ten sets.

After getting up in the morning, he would try to finish the training within an hour and a half.

If he lacked the strength, he would not force it and would make up for it during breaks at work.

Every evening After Work, he would judge according to the circumstances. If he got home early, he would do one or two extra sets.

A training volume of 100 Push-Ups seemed enormous.

But when split apart, it was not really beyond his limits.

The main reason for his current condition was still that his foundation and Physical Quality were too poor.

Fang Cheng bared his teeth and shook his head, then briefly cleaned up the Bathroom.

He tossed his sweat-soaked underwear, briefs, and smelly socks into the creaking old washing machine.

During his student years, he had buried himself in books all day and rarely participated in extracurricular activities. His physical education grades had always ranked near the bottom of the class.

Only after starting work, when he often did manual labor, had his Physical Quality improved a little.

When people stayed in their comfort zone for too long, they got used to it.

And once they got used to it, they muddled through life, believing that the world was simply like this.

Laziness, desire, lactic acid, dopamine...

There were far more obstacles to overcome on the path to becoming stronger than one might imagine.

"I'll endure it for now. Once the cooldown on Potential Activation ends, this should ease up."

"And tomorrow morning's training can unlock another new skill..."

At this thought, although his Whole Body still ached, Fang Cheng's fighting spirit blazed anew.

He immediately got dressed and headed toward the Bedroom.

Next came his morning reading and self-study time.

Ever since unlocking the Push-Ups skill, Fang Cheng seemed to have undergone a transformation.

He had completely broken his old night-owl habit of sleeping late and waking late, becoming more disciplined than ever.

From five to seven-thirty, he trained, rested, and washed up.

From seven-thirty to eight-thirty, he studied for the Graduate Entrance Examination.

Then he made his own breakfast, ate, caught the 9:05 bus, and arrived at work on time.

The morning was the key to the day.

Working out did not necessarily mean training a certain amount or achieving a particular result.

What mattered most was persevering every day and defeating that lazy, anxious self filled with Negative Emotions.

Tap, tap, tap.

Two eggs were cracked into a bowl while oil heated in the wok.

The blade danced swiftly across the chopping board, dicing scallions, cucumber, carrots, and chicken breast into tiny pieces.

He then added the side ingredients and seasonings one after another before pouring in all the leftover rice from the rice cooker.

He stir-fried everything evenly, making sure every grain of rice was coated in sauce.

He turned off the heat, plated it, and served it.

Cooking Experience +1

Smelling the fragrance of the rice in the bowl, Fang Cheng wore a satisfied expression.

Just like yesterday, he had made a simple serving of Egg Fried Rice.

"Even if I don't take the Graduate Entrance Examination, I'd be qualified to run a breakfast stall. Either way, I definitely won't starve to death in this life..."

The physical exertion had given Fang Cheng an astonishing appetite, and he ate three bowls in a row.

Only after licking the bottom of the pan spotless did he finally stop, still wanting more.

Back then, his breakfast had only consisted of two buns and a bag of soy milk.

He quickly finished eating and washed the pots, bowls, and utensils.

8:49.

Fang Cheng put on his Black Fleece-Lined Jacket, slipped into his Warrior Sneakers, picked up his satchel, and headed out for work.

As he walked into the hallway, he saw that Auntie He's door across from his had also just opened.

The sound of a naughty child crying and fussing came from inside, along with a stream of nagging instructions.

"Xiumei, these two have chili in them, and the others don't. The rice is pressed down at the bottom, so remember not to spill the soup!"

"Okay."

Auntie He, dressed in a floral quilted pajama set, stood at the door carefully explaining things to her daughter.

When she looked up and spotted Fang Cheng passing by, she immediately smiled.

"A Cheng, are you working overtime on Sunday too?"

"Yes. Where are you two headed?"

"Your Uncle Zhou and his colleagues are working on a murder case. They haven't slept all night, so I asked Xiumei to bring them some hot soup to warm their stomachs."

While speaking, a sudden crash came from inside, as though a bowl had shattered, followed by an elderly person's urgent coughing.

"Oh, my little ancestor, you're taking my life... Mom, I told you to drink slowly, slowly, but you just wouldn't listen..."

The door closed.

In the hallway, Fang Cheng and Zhou Xiumei walked one behind the other.

Neither of them seemed inclined to speak.

Fang Cheng walked faster and had already gone down the stairs.

Zhou Xiumei had yet to emerge from the dimly lit hallway.

She wore a white down jacket and padded pants, with a blue cloth headband around her head and a wool scarf wrapped around her neck.

The bulky clothing did not make her as plump and sturdy as her mother. Instead, it made her Whole Person seem rather sluggish.

Her slender Fingers carried two large Plastic Bags. With a slight furrow between her brows, she looked extremely cautious.

There were likely more than a dozen boxed meals inside the bags.

It was clear they were indeed heavy, and she was struggling somewhat.

Fang Cheng looked back.

Seeing this, he turned around and walked back up, taking the bags from her.

"I'll carry them to the bus stop for you."

As their Fingers touched, Zhou Xiumei's shoulders shrank slightly. She wanted to refuse.

"No need..."

But when she raised her head and happened to meet Fang Cheng's bright Eyes, she immediately lowered her head and shifted her gaze away like a startled deer.

"Thank you."

Her reply was as soft as a mosquito's buzz. It was unclear whether Fang Cheng had heard it.

Yet her cheeks seemed stained with a layer of Morning glow, and the earlobes hidden beneath her long hair felt a little hot.

Fang Cheng did not think much of it. He simply felt some pity for this frail, sickly girl next door.

Come to think of it, they had met on the very first day he moved here and had played together.

From elementary school through middle school, they had always been used to going to and from school together.

It seemed that from the time they entered separate high schools, the two had gradually grown distant.

Afterward, he was admitted to East Capital University, while Zhou Xiumei took leave from school due to illness and stayed home. They rarely spoke alone after that.

Sunlight passed through the old buildings towering like cliffs on either side, leaving the street alternately bright and dark.

After walking out of the Sleeve Building, Fang Cheng drew back from his thoughts and glanced at the girl trailing half a step behind him.

Her feet in Little White shoes stepped through puddles of filthy water as she silently followed.

Her long hair hung smoothly over her shoulders, emanating the faint, fresh scent of shampoo.

A cold wind swept past, lifting a few strands that lightly brushed her smooth forehead and her jade-carved delicate nose.

It also veiled her black gemstone-like flickering eyes, as well as the blush that had yet to fully fade from her cheeks.

Though they still had to catch the bus, Fang Cheng did not seem too anxious as he walked slowly with her.

The street was narrow, with many breakfast stalls set up along both sides.

Steamed Dumplings, Egg Pancakes, Sticky Rice Cakes, Lard Shrimp Wontons—the aromas of all kinds of food drifted into their noses.

Some neighbors who had gotten up late simply came out in slippers and padded robes, sitting beside the stalls and eating heartily.

Together with Zhou Xiumei, he walked down this old street that had remained unchanged for more than a decade.

It was as though he could see his childhood self, collecting bottles with a Little Girl wearing Pigtails and selling them for money to buy sugar cakes.

Fang Cheng shook his head and smiled.

Many People missed their childhoods, mostly because they missed that carefree state of mind.

But he was different. He could not indulge in the past or flee from reality.

Because he had to take the initiative and shoulder even more responsibility.

After leaving Old Factory Street, the bus stop was not far from the intersection.

A Bus No. 13 plastered with a cosmetic Breast Enhancement advertisement happened to pull up.

The Club and Jiangbei District Police Station were not in the same direction.

Fang Cheng handed the bag back to Zhou Xiumei and reminded her:

"Remember to walk slowly and watch out for traffic. I'm heading to work first."

Zhou Xiumei's gaze froze for a moment.

It seemed that their relationship had not been this harmonious in a long time.

She immediately lowered her head in embarrassment and replied softly:

"Mm, you too..."

Fang Cheng smiled, then turned and ran toward the bus that had arrived.

Zhou Xiumei raised her head, her lips parting as though she wanted to say more.

In the end, she merely watched his back as he boarded the bus, without saying a word.

In the refracted sunlight, her eyes were gentle and bright, yet also misty.

She could not help feeling that Fang Cheng seemed to have changed somehow...