Li Jing's rented apartment was in a high-rise building in the city center, where all sorts of men and women lived, most of whom were young people striving in Celestial Sea City.
Although Li Jing had food and accommodations provided for his project, he rented this two-bedroom apartment for his girlfriend and parents' convenience.
As soon as he entered the elevator in the apartment, Li Jing ran into a female neighbor from the same floor, who was rushing over with a small bag.
"Wait, wait!"
"An Tong?"
Seeing the female neighbor An Tong catch the elevator at the last second, Li Jing was slightly surprised.
An Tong rented on the same floor and was one of the few neighbors he was fairly familiar with in this apartment.
This was mainly because she was outgoing and sociable.
An Tong steadied herself against the elevator wall, slightly out of breath, her black V-neck shirt rising and falling, revealing a seductive glimpse.
"Li Jing, you're back so early today?
Are you like me, late to work but always on time to leave?"
An Tong caught her breath, straightening up, and jokingly spoke familiarly to Li Jing.
She had a typical S-curve figure, shapely in all the right places.
Moreover, with her regular fitness routine and fashion sense, even in her business attire, her outstanding figure couldn't be hidden.
"I'm a free man now, not like you office workers who need to clock out."
Li Jing was familiar enough with her to tease back freely.
Upon hearing this, An Tong arched her carefully styled brows, remembering he had recently lost his job, and quickly smiled to smooth over the topic:
"Yes, yes, you're such a smart guy, you'll find a good job sooner or later. Now that you have some rare freedom, you should enjoy life."
"Enjoy life..."
Hearing these four words, Li Jing felt a strange feeling stirring in his heart, and nodded seriously, "Indeed, I should learn to live well."
An Tong was taken aback by his unexpected response; in her impression, even though Li Jing wasn't a workaholic, he wasn't far off, yet here he was talking like that.
Perhaps he's facing too many setbacks finding a job recently?
An Tong had quite a bit of goodwill towards this fellow young person striving in the big city, so she continued:
"Yeah! Look at you, a young guy in your twenties. How long has it been since you watched a movie, went on a trip, or even shopped?
Now that you have the time, why not let your girlfriend accompany you to unwind and have some fun?"
Talking about his girlfriend, Li Jing's expression changed slightly, then he joked: "Guess what, I'm now not just a free man, but also freshly single as of today."
An Tong was momentarily shocked, not expecting both topics she brought up to touch on his sore spots, feeling a mix of awkwardness and apology: "Sorry about that..."
"It's okay."
"There are plenty of fish in the sea, someone as excellent as you will surely find someone better."
Seeing the elevator arrive at their floor, An Tong offered encouragement and then smiled, "If you're really feeling down, you can invite me to keep you company for a little outing."
Li Jing looked at her amusingly, "Come on, you're a stunning beauty, aren't your schedules packed with beauty routines? I wouldn't want to take up your beauty time."
Though An Tong was an ordinary company employee, she spent more time and money on her looks and body than many women earning tens of thousands monthly.
According to what Li Jing knew, every day after work, she would work out, take care of her skin, dance, and have various activities to enhance her charm.
It had to be said, with these efforts over the past two years, An Tong's charm truly stood out among her peers.
Even Li Jing, when occasionally encountering her, would be drawn by her aura, not to mention her naturally good figure.
"Don't regret it, missing a chance to be accompanied by this beauty is rare."
As they walked out of the elevator together, Li Jing knew she was just joking to console him, so he smiled and shook his head.
Besides, Li Jing's mind was more occupied with the system, so he didn't take An Tong's jokes too seriously.
Though that's what Li Jing thought, his reaction seemed more like maintaining a calm facade for male dignity, with his mood undoubtedly heavy and bitter.
An Tong's eyes subtly shifted, as if contemplating something, she gave Li Jing a mysterious smile, waved goodbye, and they each went to their own rooms.
...
In his room, Li Jing took a refreshing cold shower, gradually stabilizing the emotions stirred by the system.
Then he changed clothes, sat by the bed, looked at the bank message on his phone, and after confirming it wasn't an illusion, he exhaled deeply.
He looked at the resumes he had prepared yesterday on the table and decisively went over to tear them into pieces, tossing them into the garbage bin, thus bidding farewell to his past self.
"Finally, no more drudgery as a working stiff. Working is all about living better, now I'm someone who can enjoy life too."
Li Jing withdrew his gaze from the trash bin and began contemplating his next plans.
His original life plan was to work hard, settle in the big city, get married and have children, and bring his parents to live better lives.
But now, he no longer needs to work hard. What he should do is enjoy life while also making more money.
Currently, his parents had just moved into a new house and had some savings, so there was no urgent need for money.
He himself didn't have any immediate financial needs either.
Li Jing's gaze grew firm as he looked at the scenery outside the window: "Since destiny has allowed me to enjoy life, why worry so much, it's best to just enjoy it.
Enjoying life while the system rewards money, isn't it killing two birds with one stone?"
Li Jing walked to the window, gazing at the sunset in the distance: "Next, I need to learn how to live more happily."
From childhood, studying hard, taking exams, working hard, he'd been diligent for twenty-some years, only to find unsatisfactory results.
Now with the system, why not let loose in life?
Life is a wilderness, with no survival pressure, it's better to run free and enjoy a lifetime unexpectedly.
Isn't this the life he once dreamed of?
Thinking about it, the first plan popping into Li Jing's mind was to first revamp himself, completely saying goodbye to his past self.
Like most people, Li Jing also wanted to be outstanding in appearance, have a prominent aura, able to attract attention from the opposite sex in crowds.
For men, charisma often ranks money first, followed by looks and aura.
Facial features can't be altered, but clothing makes the man, and suitable, quality clothes can drastically change one's outward demeanor.
Previously unaffordable shoes, buy them without hesitation.
Never dared to enter clothing stores, try them boldly!
Li Jing was certain this kind of consumption would elicit positive emotions, and with positive emotions, the system would double the consumption amount.
The more he spends, the more money he gains.
The very thought of it made his heart excited.
Damn it, this is life!
Having decided, Li Jing was about to head out when he heard the doorbell ring.
He raised an eyebrow slightly; normally not spending much time in the rental, logically, no one should visit him.
Could it be the property management?
With doubt, Li Jing opened the door, visibly surprised, a hint of admiration flashing in his eyes.
It was An Tong, whom he'd just met on the elevator, standing smilingly at his door.
She had changed out of her work attire, into a white spaghetti strap dress with a spicy girl style, perfectly showcasing her impressive figure, her straight white legs looking even longer with small white shoes.
She stood with her arms folded at Li Jing's doorstep, eyes sparkling with humor:
"You seemed down on your luck recently, as your neighbor for several years, let me accompany you out for a breather.
Consider it a return favor for the time you lent me money to get through tough times."