Chapter 19: The Deskmate and the Girl Met by Chance
Chapter 19: Chapter 19: The Deskmate and the Girl Met by Chance
[Task: Regain Health - Progress increased by 1%]
For the first time in a long while, Zhang Yan had a vivid dream. He was back in his junior high school days, an age of pure, naive innocence. Tearing his gaze away from his exercise book, he knew that the girl buried in the deepest depths of his memories was sitting right next to him. His desk-mate.
But his gaze didn’t move any further. In this dream, he couldn’t control himself. No matter how hard he tried, his dream-self refused to act according to his will, as if this version of him had a mind of its own. From the corner of his eye, he could faintly make out a blue-and-white school uniform resting on a cream-colored desk mat, along with a few soft strands of hair fluttering in the air.
Suddenly, his dream-self finally moved. His head turned slowly to the side. SCRATCH, SCRATCH. An elegant, pale hand gripped a black plastic ballpoint pen, writing something on a piece of paper.
"Just a little higher! I want to see that face one more time!" he thought.
THUMP!
"Ouch!"
Early in the morning, Zhang Yan woke up by slamming his head against the nightstand.
"Hss—my head hurts! I think I was having a dream, but that hit just knocked it right out of me!"
Zhang Yan felt a sense of loss. He couldn’t remember what the dream was about, but a lingering feeling of unrequited yearning remained, leaving a heavy weight in his chest.
DING!
[A ray of light beside a teenage boy’s desk is a distant memory that can never be touched again as the years go by.]
[Now in middle age, you recall your junior high days. It was the happiest time of your life. In a daze, you remember your ’desk-mate’ from the depths of your memories.]
[Side Quest: Reconnect with Li Ke. Reward: 100,000 yuan.]
"So that’s what I dreamt about." Zhang Yan chuckled unconsciously as a flood of memories surged up.
Li Ke. The first girl he had ever liked.
How could he not want to reconnect with her? But back then, he didn’t have a phone, and Li Ke had left so suddenly. They hadn’t exchanged any contact information. Not to mention, his family had moved once since then, and the past had long been rendered unrecognizable. Without fate on their side, they were destined to never cross paths again.
Shaking his head, he picked up his phone to check the time. It was 4:58 a.m. Because he had overdrawn his mental energy yesterday, he had gone to bed at eight o’clock, which was why he woke up exceptionally early today.
As usual, he started with a set of Kegel exercises to boost his masculine vitality!
[Task: Regain Health - Progress increased by 5%]
[Current Task Progress: 40%]
After stretching his muscles, he felt ravenous and had a quick, simple breakfast.
"They say the morning sets the tone for the day. I might as well test my morning study efficiency!"
Zhang Yan drank today’s newly refreshed Concentration Potion, sat down in front of his computer, and continued reading the unfinished e-book from yesterday.
Soon, he could distinctly feel that his condition today was more than just a step above last night’s! It was then that he finally remembered the description Brother Tongzi had given him: the Concentration Potion’s effect was to boost his attributes by 100%.
He hadn’t paid much attention to it at the time, but after this practical test, the conclusion was obvious—as long as he could improve his normal baseline condition, he would get an even greater boost after using the potion!
One hour later, it was 6:45 a.m.
Because he had just woken up, Zhang Yan’s state was much better than last night. Therefore, although he felt mentally exhausted, it was nowhere near yesterday’s level.
"My efficiency has skyrocketed!"
Last night, he had read nearly a fifth of the content in an hour, but this morning, in the same amount of time, he had read almost a third!
The old sayings were right!
However, his mind was still thoroughly drained. He wouldn’t be able to do any more reading for the time being. Since he hadn’t eaten much for breakfast, his food had already digested enough that he didn’t feel bloated. Zhang Yan changed into his sportswear and prepared to head out for a morning jog.
"Today’s goal: 10,000 meters!"
It was Thursday. Even though it was still quite early, the streets were far from empty.
Watching the bustling crowds, Zhang Yan couldn’t help but think that if he hadn’t accidentally awakened the system, he would most likely be one of them right now. And he would stay like that, day after day, for ten, twenty, or forty years. As for how long he’d ultimately have to work, that would depend on whether the retirement age got pushed back again...
But now, his life had completely changed.
While peers his age were busy, anxious, and struggling, he could leisurely admire the street views while enjoying a relaxed workout.
"I don’t even have to go to class. Now this is the life!"
Zhang Yan felt great today. When he reached yesterday’s turnaround point, he didn’t feel tired at all, so he kept running forward, planning to turn back at around the 5,000-meter mark.
Although his rented apartment wasn’t in some expensive residential complex, there was indeed a top-tier neighborhood nearby. Zhang Yan knew it existed but didn’t know its exact location. Coincidentally, his route today took him straight toward it.
Not wanting to inhale car exhaust along the main roads, Zhang Yan tried his best to stick to quiet, secluded paths. Since he had GPS on his phone, he wasn’t afraid of getting lost.
As he ran, his eyes suddenly lit up.
In the distance ahead of him, an absolutely stunning silhouette was also on a morning jog!
Although she was still quite far away, Zhang Yan’s eyesight was decent enough to tell that the girl had a fantastic figure.
In a situation like this, the universal reaction for the vast majority of men would be to speed up, overtake her, and then pretend to admire the scenery to sneak a peek at her face.
Zhang Yan was an ordinary guy, too. A surge of energy coursed through him, and he gradually picked up his pace, closing in on that beautiful figure.
As he drew nearer, the girl’s silhouette became clearer.
She wore a light gray baseball cap, her long, loose hair bouncing rhythmically with every step. Her hair was clearly of excellent quality, shimmering under the sunlight. She had on a light gray, slim-fit sports top that highlighted the perfect curves of her waist from behind. For her lower half, she wore black tight-fitting leggings that accentuated her slender, elongated legs, especially those two round...
Even though it was just her back, Zhang Yan was already ready to rate her a seven or eight out of ten.
"I hope she doesn’t just look good from behind, or else this great body would be a total waste," he thought.
With one final burst of speed, Zhang Yan overtook her by half a body length. Pretending to casually turn his head, he swept his gaze across her face.
The girl’s features were exquisite. Her eyebrows were like distant mountains, her eyes like a clear lake, exuding an aura of cool aloofness.
"I’d give this bare face a nine out of ten. But why does she look a bit familiar?" he wondered.
That cool, aloof face was currently carrying an impatient look in its eyes. With a slight frown, she glanced in Zhang Yan’s direction, locking eyes precisely with his "casual" gaze, seemingly having seen through his intentions all along.
In fact, she had. Every morning during her jog, the girl encountered several men like Zhang Yan who would speed up from behind just to catch a glimpse of her true face. Many even came straight up to hit on her, which annoyed her endlessly.
And this was already the result of her trying her best to cover up.
When she first started running in the mornings, she would wear a camisole and shorts, which was much cooler. However, because her naturally flawless, pale skin was far too eye-catching, she frequently drew in swarms of men trying to strike up a conversation. Eventually, she resorted to her current outfit—long sleeves, long pants, and a baseball cap—and frequently changed her running routes.
Caught in the act, Zhang Yan unabashedly gave a polite nod, flashed a smile, and accelerated forward to continue his run.