In a secluded corner by the river, everything was still and quiet. Few people ever came here, apart from the occasional night runner.
But on that running track, a large patch of filth had appeared sometime recently, surely to draw a curse from the next person who passed by.
Following the faint trail left by the mess, which seemed to drag for a long distance, a large garbage can sat at the end.
The atmosphere was profoundly tranquil, and as time passed, the night grew deeper.
"Bang!"
A sudden sound rang out, shattering the pitch-black night as if breaking free from a cage. The large blue garbage can had toppled over, and then a large figure scrambled out in disarray, covered in all kinds of disgusting garbage, like a wriggling maggot.
In the heavy darkness, the figure stumbled and crawled away from the spot, looking pathetic but resolute.
"Splash..."
As the showerhead sprayed hot water, the bathroom filled with steamy, warm air. Water vapor condensed on the cold surfaces, forming mist that permeated the entire room. I scrubbed my body meticulously, over and over, washing away all the filth. I had, after all, managed to escape.
After showering, I dried my hair and body, changed into clean clothes, and finally collapsed onto the bed. I let out a long, comfortable sigh, feeling a sense of satisfaction and peace unlike ever before. After the extreme emotional turmoil, my spirit seemed to have undergone a profound elevation, and my state of mind reached a strange new place.
Extreme fatigue washed over me. Before I fell asleep, I thought I heard a strange sound, but I was too exhausted and quickly drifted off into a deep, sound sleep, like a log—not even thunder would wake me.
A New Routine and a Revealing Encounter
The next day, I slept until noon. I didn't linger in bed. After getting up, brushing my teeth, and washing my face, I opened the fridge. My hand paused in mid-air as I saw the fridge was completely empty. In the past, I never had to worry about this; someone would always take care of it, and the fridge was always fully stocked.
"I guess it's time to buy some things."
I took my fully charged phone, went downstairs to eat some fried rice, and then went back upstairs. I bought some yogurt and fruit and put them in the fridge.
Holding a carton of yogurt, I sat at my desk and looked through my books. I had pulled out my freshman-year textbooks, intending to start learning from the very beginning.
But after looking at them for a long time, I still found them hard to understand. So, I opened my phone, went to a certain video site, and started searching.
I clicked on some tutorial videos and started watching. After only a short while, I thought they were great. Honestly, this was much better than trying to teach myself blindly. It was still very dry, though, so I forced myself to study.
After studying for a while, I finally started to grasp some concepts. But it truly was incredibly boring. Several times, I felt the urge to go do something else, but the memory of what happened yesterday brought an inexplicable feeling to my heart, forcing me to refocus.
In the afternoon, after I had dinner, I went back upstairs to read.
After one or two hours, I figured it was time, so I went downstairs and walked to the gym.
This time was better than the previous times. I wasn't as inhibited as before, but the workout itself was much harder. Last night's long run had nearly killed me, and just showing up at the gym was an accomplishment.
So, I mainly coasted, messing around with the dumbbells a bit, and I didn't dare get on the treadmill. I was afraid I would instantly fall off and completely embarrass myself.
While I was slacking off, I ran into Chen Ge again.
"Well, look who's here again. That's good," Chen Ge smiled, wearing a white, tight-fitting shirt that showed off his solid muscles.
I felt a little embarrassed because I hadn't really done much today.
"I can't push myself," I admitted.
"If you can't push yourself, then rest. It's totally normal to take it easy and give your body time to recover. You just started working out; your body needs time to adapt," Chen Ge said, munching on a corn cob. He must have missed dinner.
"My workout volume is too low. I'm totally coasting," I said, a little ashamed.
"You look like you're trembling when you walk. What's up, secretly working out on your own?" Chen Ge changed his posture, sitting on a bench, looking me over.
"No way." Last night was a complete accident. I just lost it when I saw Mom and Sister.
"You have to progress slowly. You can't go all out from the start. Most people who train too hard at the beginning don't stick with it later. That's my experience," Chen Ge stated, sounding quite experienced.
"Is that so?" I rubbed my chin and nodded thoughtfully.
"Just rest and recover. Chat a bit, and when your body feels better, you can train again." Chen Ge handed me a corn cob, and I took it.
"Didn't you have dinner?"
"I'm eating right now, aren't I?" Chen Ge pointed to the contents of a bowl. I looked inside. Good grief, it was all boiled stuff that looked utterly tasteless.
"You eat this? That's torture," I said, taking a bite of the corn.
"What's torturous about it? I drink and eat BBQ too, but that's with friends. Usually, I eat clean. You can indulge occasionally."
"Oh," I nodded.
"By the way, if you're trying to lose weight, the most important thing is to pay attention to your diet," Chen Ge suddenly looked at me.
"Diet?" I was taken aback. I had never paid attention to that. Aside from cutting out junk food, I ate whatever I wanted for meals.
"You don't need to be fanatical about it. Eat normal meals, but don't eat anything too greasy, and don't eat snacks. If you want to lose weight fast and look good with abs, you need to pay closer attention to this aspect," Chen Ge explained.
I started thinking about this. The place downstairs that I've been eating at for so long... is that okay?
"If you have the means, cook for yourself. It's easy and cheap," Chen Ge said casually. Another person came up, who must have been Chen Ge's friend. He reached into the bowl and took a big corn cob.
"I see." I nodded, already plotting in my mind to learn how to cook. After all, nobody in my family could cook. Mom used to be too busy, so Sister and I mostly ate out. Now that I thought about it, cooking was a very rare skill in our household.
Just like that, I had given myself another task: learn to cook.
This meant I'd have to buy groceries, cook, and wash dishes. It seemed like a bit of a hassle, but I decided to take it one step at a time.
After finishing the corn, I didn't insist on exercising anymore. I said goodbye to Chen Ge and walked home from the gym.
An Interruption and a Suspicious Lead
On the way home, I ran into a classmate, Li Zhishang. We weren't strangers, but we weren't close, either. Still, a greeting was appropriate.
"Lin Nan," he nodded at me.
"Li Zhishang," I replied.
"What have you been up to? You're covered in sweat," Li Zhishang looked me up and down.
"Nothing, just working out a bit," I smiled.
"That's a gym back there. I didn't realize you were planning to lose weight and exercise," Li Zhishang sounded surprised.
"I'm just starting. I've barely done anything yet."
"Oh, well, I hope you stick with it. Turn into a muscle man," Li Zhishang grinned, then suddenly changed the subject. "Do you know Director Mu Feipeng? I just ran into him on my way over."
"Oh? The Dean of Moral Education, the Old Witch's husband?" I knew him. The two were birds of a feather. As the saying goes, two different kinds of people don't sleep in the same bed. Mu Feipeng might not be as notorious as his wife, but he had a temper and was very good at making things difficult for people. His reputation was also poor.
"Yeah. I just saw him with a woman. I looked closely, and it didn't seem to be Mistress Extinction," Li Zhishang chuckled. "These rich people really know how to play."
"Another woman? Are you saying he's cheating?" My interest was piqued, and I spoke in a low voice.
"Pretty much," Li Zhishang nodded. "Even though he was dressed all in black and wearing dark glasses, I still recognized him when he got out of the car. He had his arm around some broad and walked into a bar. And get this—the car was a really nice Land Rover Range Rover. I don't know where he got it. I remember he usually drives a beat-up Volkswagen. He seems pretty discreet." Li Zhishang grinned.
"Bar? Luxury car?" My brow furrowed, and I suddenly felt a thread of a potential lead emerge, becoming clearer moment by moment. I don't know why, but I felt a sudden urge to grab onto this thread. It might be very useful to me in the future.
"I didn't dare go inside. I've never been to a bar. I just watched from a distance. Do you think Mistress Extinction would file for divorce if she found out?" Li Zhishang chuckled maliciously.
"Did you take a picture?" I asked.
"No, why? What are you trying to do? We just watch for the fun of it. Who knows, maybe Mistress Extinction is into that kind of thing privately, too," Li Zhishang speculated maliciously, a smirk on his face.
"Alright," I nodded, then asked, "Do you know which bar it was?"
"The Rose Bar. It's a bit far from here. Why are you asking?" Li Zhishang looked at me, examining me up and down. He clearly didn't think I was the kind of person to be a busybody.
"Nothing. I was just asking. I've never been to a bar. Why would I dare to get involved in the Director's business?" I rubbed my head and smiled.
"True. I can tell you wouldn't dare." Li Zhishang nodded, completely unsuspicious. After all, everyone knew my personality.
"Well, I'm heading home now." A plan was forming in my mind, and I wanted to get away quickly.
"Okay, bye," Li Zhishang nodded.
"Bye."