Haha, so many people are up early

Su Bai woke up in a daze.

No, not exactly a daze—more like a familiar sensation… one he’d experienced before, thanks to Zhou Jialu.

But Su Bai had never felt it in that half-asleep, half-awake state, so it was oddly refreshing.

He let his body follow its instincts, and soon, it was over.

Only when he sensed someone returning did Su Bai lazily yawn and open his eyes.

To his surprise, it was Chen Yusheng, freshly brushed teeth and all, sitting beside him.

Her usually cool expression carried a hint of playful smugness.

"So it was you. I thought it was Jialu."

"...Why would you think it was her?!" Chen Yusheng nearly lost her composure.

"She’s the type to do something like this. If it were you, you’d only do it if you were pissed off."

"I wasn’t."

Chen Yusheng pouted, leaning against Su Bai’s shoulder and swaying lightly. "Did you like it?"

"Yeah."

"Great! Then play games with me!"

Su Bai agreed without hesitation.

Truth be told, even if Chen Yusheng had dragged him out of bed just to game, with no extra perks, he’d have been happy.

After all, he’d promised Yusheng they’d grind games during the break. Keeping promises mattered to girls, and Su Bai wanted to balance things fairly—every girl’s feelings counted.

Pixel-art indie games often start slow, picking up steam around Chapter 2.

Once you’re hooked, it’s hard to stop.

Chen Yusheng kept Su Bai gaming until 3:30 AM before exhaustion finally claimed her, and he carried her to bed.

Su Bai stayed by her side, admiring his girlfriend’s sleeping face until dawn.

And guess what?

Staying up all night gaming had consequences—his energy got reset by the system.

Su Bai had a sneaking suspicion this system was designed by a Dark Souls fan.

A master of resets and cancellations.

Ah, the legendary "Souls 5" system!

There’s something special about outdoor workouts at the crack of dawn, especially with a nice route. The small garden near Yashige Pavilion was perfect, and looping around the plaza made for a great morning run.

Su Bai geared up properly.

High-end running shoes, a sports watch… honestly, running gear doesn’t get much fancier than that.

Compared to trendy sports like badminton or cycling, it’s downright affordable.

Jogging steadily through the greenery, breathing in the dew-kissed air, Su Bai felt content.

Not everyone gets to enjoy the luxury of a morning workout, after all.

Most people are too busy or exhausted from work, using mornings to catch up on sleep instead.

After two laps around the plaza, Su Bai still wasn’t satisfied. Checking his watch, he weighed his options.

His only real plan for the morning was a scheduled home theater installation.

Since this was a rental, major renovations were off the table, so he’d settled for a decent setup.

A Dynaudio all-in-one home theater system, priced at 147,000 yuan.

"Decent" by his standards, but still beyond most people’s reach.

Once he bought his own place, he’d upgrade to a million-yuan setup.

Su Bai wasn’t keen on house-hunting during National Day—too crowded for his taste.

He preferred things quiet, without the chaos.

"Guess I’ll run by the river then. Might as well trigger a stamina reset, digest everything, and treat myself to a fancy breakfast afterward."

Decision made.

Gotta admit, the system’s reset feature was handy—burning through stored energy not only enabled his carefree lifestyle but also sped up digestion, letting him savor food even more.

The riverside was misty, and before long, Su Bai spotted a fellow early-morning runner.

A rugged, athletic-looking middle-aged man with an air of authority.

Unlike Xue Tao’s dad, this guy had a refined edge—probably a corporate executive or high-ranking official.

The moment the man saw Su Bai, his eyes lit up.

Probably rare to see a young face out this early.

He gave Su Bai an approving nod.

Su Bai’s lips twitched. He could practically hear the man’s internal monologue: "Ah, the future of our nation!"

In reality, without the system’s help, Su Bai wouldn’t have bothered with morning runs.

He was just enjoying the thrill of infinite stamina.

Su Bai nodded back politely and kept running.

Once his shirt was damp with sweat, he figured it was time to push himself.

He sprinted full-speed until his stamina drained, triggering the system’s reset.

Then, panting, he slowed to a stop.

"Whew…"

Sitting on a bench by the grass, Su Bai wiped his forehead and realized his stomach was growling.

He snapped a photo of the riverside view and posted it to his social feed.

Funny how, after coming into money, he’d started sharing snippets of his life more often.

Back when things were mundane, there wasn’t much worth posting—Su Bai wasn’t the type to air personal drama online.

The post racked up likes almost instantly.

Were this many people really awake?

Su Bai was stunned. It was only the second day of National Day vacation—time to investigate.

First like: some distant relative, probably on a tourist bus at dawn. Predictable.

Second like: the Mercedes sales rep he’d met before, who not only liked the post but also commented.

They chatted briefly—apparently, the rep was swamped with a car show. Holidays meant nonstop auto expos these days.

Su Bai had heard as much from his senior.

Third like: the overly enthusiastic anime club senior who’d awkwardly recruited him before.

Her username: [Strawberry Mochi Bear].

She messaged him privately, saying she was prepping for a cosplay event and already doing her makeup.

Her relentless enthusiasm for the anime club made Su Bai wonder if it was less of a club and more of a spider’s web—step in, and you might never leave.

As Su Bai scrolled on his phone, the middle-aged runner’s booming voice cut in:

"Kid, you’ve got some stamina. Left me in the dust back there… Back in my army days, I was a cross-country champ."

"Ah… haha, just luck. Maybe I’ve been training more lately," Su Bai deflected modestly.

The man gave a friendly warning: "Don’t sit right after running. Walk it off—sudden stops are bad for your legs."

"Thanks, I already stretched."

"Good. By the way, you’re out here this early—must live nearby?"

"Yeah, not far."

"Let's add each other as friends. We can go outdoors together sometime—I'm great at off-roading, fishing, and all that."