By the time Fang Yi got home that night, it was already a bit late. As he opened the door, he found Zhuang Shufen sitting on the sofa, yawning non-stop.
"You still remember how to come home, huh?"
Seeing him walk in, she gave him a grumpy look and spoke in her usual snippy tone.
Fang Yi glanced at the wall clock in the living room—barely 9:30 PM. If this were the future, nightlife would only just be getting started.
But in this era, most residents of the Anchor Chain Factory residential compound were already fast asleep.
"Where's Dad?"
He asked while kicking off his shoes and switching to slippers.
"Your dad just went to bed. I'm heading off too—I'm exhausted," Zhuang Shufen said with another yawn, then shuffled back to the bedroom.
Fang Yi grabbed a change of clothes and headed to the bathroom to shower.
Standing in front of the mirror afterward, looking at his own defined musculature, he couldn't help but recall the fight earlier that evening.
He knew his body was in good shape—that much was obvious—but not to the point of effortlessly swinging around a 50-60 pound bicycle like it was nothing.
And then there was that hit to the back—squarely on his left shoulder blade. Based on his past experience, that kind of blow should've fractured the scapula.
But when he'd massaged the spot just now in the shower, it only felt sore—no sharp pain, no signs of serious injury.
Clearly, his physical condition had improved significantly.
Not only was he stronger, but his resistance to damage had also leveled up.
Was this the second little perk of being reborn?
Excellent.
With a body like this, as long as he kept working out, he'd have the capital to go all-out in the future.
He was feeling a bit tired anyway, so he decided to skip writing tonight and get some proper sleep. Early to bed, early to rise—he'd start training his body from tomorrow.
—
The next morning, 5:00 AM.
Fang Yi was up bright and early.
This shocked Zhuang Shufen so much she couldn't help but make a snide remark. "Wow, the sun must be rising from the west today."
"Mom, save me some breakfast! I'm going for a run!"
After a quick wash, Fang Yi called out and headed out the door.
He jogged around the neighborhood compound for half an hour. By the time he returned home, both his parents had already left for work. After a short rest, he pushed himself through 50 push-ups and another 50 sit-ups.
By the end of the workout, his clothes were completely drenched in sweat.
After a refreshing shower, Fang Yi felt invigorated—clear-headed and sharp.
He polished off the egg-fried rice that Zhuang Shufen had left for him, then strolled leisurely back to his room and settled down to write more of his novel.
As for the publishing house, he planned to leave them hanging for a few more days. That way, he'd have the upper hand when it came time to negotiate the price.
—
In the following four days, Fang Yi maintained this exact rhythm:
Wake up early to train, write for a few hours, and occasionally visit Qiu-ge for a chat.
He didn't go back to Xijin Ancient Ferry, but he kept in touch with Han Ning. The two of them spoke on the phone often.
—
On the fifth afternoon, Fang Yi put down his pen and let out a long breath.
Ghost Blows Out the Light – Part Two: The Dragon Ridge Labyrinth was finally complete!
He rubbed his sore wrist and glanced at the clock—3:00 PM sharp.
He had kept the publishers waiting for five days. That should be enough.
Since it was still early, Fang Yi hopped on his bike and headed to Feiyu Internet Café.
—
It had been several days since his last visit, and Feiyu was now even busier than before.
Holy crap. The entire place was packed. Behind every seat were at least two or three people waiting in line.
At this rate, when would he even get a spot?
He might have to wait until nightfall… and even then, there was no guarantee.
Forget it. Things weren't going his way today. He'd keep the publishers hanging just one more day.
With that, Fang Yi turned his bike around and left the café.
—
"Fang Yi!"
He hadn't gone far when a familiar voice called out from across the street. He was at an intersection, waiting for the light to change.
He looked in the direction of the voice and saw Han Ning on the other side, waving at him from her little blue bicycle.
Today, Han Ning was fully covered—a pair of jeans, a long-sleeved shirt, and a sunhat. She was wrapped up so tightly that if she hadn't waved and called out, Fang Yi wouldn't have even recognized her.
As soon as the light turned green, Fang Yi pedaled across the intersection to meet her.
Once beside her, he gave her a quick up-and-down glance and asked curiously, "What's with the outfit?"
"Just came back from driving school!" Han Ning replied. Then she added, "What about you? I thought you were supposed to be home writing. How come you're out?"
"I went to the internet café to handle something," Fang Yi said.
"Did you get it done?"
"Nope. The place was swamped. If I waited, I probably wouldn't get a spot until night."
Just thinking of that wall-to-wall crowd made Fang Yi shake his head in frustration.
Han Ning suddenly offered, "Why don't you come to my place? I have a computer."
"You're connected to the internet?" Fang Yi's eyes lit up.
"Yeah, it's all set."
His first reaction was excitement, but then his face showed a flicker of hesitation. "Wouldn't that be inconvenient?"
Han Ning looked puzzled. "What's inconvenient? My parents aren't home."
Her parents aren't home?
Say less!
"Then what are we waiting for? Let's go!"
Fang Yi's enthusiasm was immediate, and he eagerly nudged her forward.
It was only after she heard herself say those words that Han Ning realized how ambiguous they sounded.
Her cheeks flushed a little, but alongside the embarrassment was a flicker of something else—thrill, anticipation.
Ever since that night when she followed Fang Yi and experienced the rush of a real fight, something inside her had been stirred—something wild that had long been buried.
Something she was only just beginning to explore.
—
Ten minutes later, they arrived at her neighborhood and cycled into the compound.
It was clearly a new development—just the landscaping inside was enough to tell it was a higher-end area.
They parked under Building 10. Han Ning led the way up to the third floor.
"Come in."
She pulled out her keys, opened the door, and motioned for Fang Yi to enter.
Inside, Fang Yi scanned the room.
It was a typical two-bedroom apartment with an extra study. Not a huge space, but perfectly cozy for a family of three.
The interior design was stylish and refined—classic European style.
Just the renovation alone must've cost a fortune.
Seems like Han Ning's family wasn't doing too bad.
"Want something to drink?" Han Ning asked as she opened the fridge.
Fang Yi glanced inside and said, "A soda, maybe?"
She handed him a bottle of Coke. "The computer's in the study. Go ahead and use it. I'm going to wash my face first."
"Alright."
Without any fuss, Fang Yi strolled toward the study, unscrewing the ice-cold Coke and taking a long gulp.
The study wasn't very big, but it had a faint, pleasant fragrance—exactly like the one that lingered around Han Ning.
Smelled really good.