Five days passed.
Gu Xi opened his eyes at 6:30 a.m., no alarm needed.
It had become routine—wake up early, light stretches, a 20-minute jog, then a simple wash-up before breakfast. He'd stuck to the plan. Not just out of discipline, but because each time he checked the mirror, he saw something change.
Today was no exception.
[Status]
Strength: 25
Wisdom: 37
Charm: 35
Physique: 40
Vitality: 38
Evaluation: "Clean and clear. Slightly eye-catching from certain angles."
Minor Skills:
• Cooking: 60
• Singing: 60
• Linguistics: 40
Active Quest: "Male God's Body" – Progress: 30%
He exhaled as he looked at the mirror.
There was no system sound this time. No glow. Just reflection.
And what a difference five days made.
He had grown. From 160 to 165 centimeters. It wasn't towering, but in this world—where men usually stayed around 160 and women shot past 175—it was something.
His skin tone had lightened just enough to be noticed. The sallow yellow undertone was gone, replaced with something more even, more photogenic.
His jaw had sharpened slightly. His cheeks no longer sagged. The baby fat was gone.
His torso was lean now. Not muscular—but the curve of his waist was tighter, his arms slightly more defined. Even his butt, embarrassingly enough, had lifted. The old softness had turned into a firm, compact shape beneath his uniform trousers.
He tugged his blazer straight and frowned at the mirror.
"Still oversized," he muttered, adjusting the shoulders. The school blazer hung awkwardly, making him look slimmer than he was. But the longer legs were real. His posture was better. And most importantly—
No acne.
None.
He ran a hand through his now-dry, combed hair, revealing the soft auburn glow underneath. His eyes didn't look hollow anymore. They looked... awake.
Still room to improve.
But progress was undeniable.
He stepped out of his room just as Gu Lin emerged from hers.
For once, they didn't run into each other—they met like synchronized shadows.
She blinked when she saw him.
Her sharp eyes moved once from top to bottom. Then she narrowed them, pausing.
"You've lost weight."
Gu Xi pulled on his shoes with practiced ease, not bothering to meet her gaze.
"Didn't notice."
"How?"
"I stopped eating trash."
She looked like she wanted to press the issue but thought better of it.
Instead, she turned to the table, grabbed a breakfast bar, and poured herself a glass of milk. Gu Xi grabbed a boiled egg and some leftover porridge from the pot.
Neither of them sat. They just ate standing up, the kind of casual, cold routine that passed for family in their household.
By 7:05, they were out the door.
The cab ride to school was, as usual, silent.
Gu Lin looked out the window. Earphones in. No expression.
Gu Xi stared at the back of the passenger seat. The cab driver—a woman in her mid-thirties with thick eyeliner and a voice rough from chain-smoking—glanced at them through the rearview mirror.
"You two siblings?" she asked.
"Mn," Gu Lin replied.
"Hard to tell. She's all legs and you're like… a campus deer."
Gu Xi raised an eyebrow.
"Thanks," he said dryly.
"You're welcome, xiao gege," she grinned, making a turn. "Girls gonna eat you alive in two more years."
"I'll light incense for them."
She cackled.
Gu Lin glanced sideways at him but said nothing.
The car pulled to a stop just outside the school gates.
Gu Lin got out first, slinging her bag over her shoulder.
"I'm going in. You wait a bit."
Gu Xi didn't move. "Yes, Your Majesty."
She didn't respond. Just walked off without a word, disappearing into the front courtyard.
And then—
"AHHHH! Gu Lin-jiejie is back!!"
"I missed her so much!!"
"She cut her hair—it looks SO good!"
"She still smells like cedarwood and victory—"
"Do you think she's taking boyfriend applications this semester?"
Gu Xi rubbed his temples as the cab window filled with screeching fanboys in neatly ironed uniforms, all forming a spontaneous reception line like chicks chasing their hen.
He sighed.
Then caught the cab driver giving him a look.
"What?"
"You sure you're her brother?" she smirked.
"Trust me," he muttered, opening the door. "If I wasn't, I'd be dead by now."
She snorted. "You take care, xiao gege."
"Drive safe, big sis."
The door shut behind him.
He took one step toward the school gate when his phone vibrated in his pocket.
He fished it out, expecting a junk notification.
Instead—
[Incoming Call: Su Daji 💅 // "Bestie"]
He stared at the screen.
"...What?"