Chapter 4: The Greatest Rival Is Yourself

Chapter 4: The Greatest Rival Is Yourself

"Not bad—wake up, eat, play, then sleep."

Chen Jingle sat on a small stool, holding the little kid in one arm while leisurely trimming a plant with the other.

Since the system required one hour of practical tasks, he decided to stick to the rules—trim slowly, as there was no quota to meet.

Little Mingyue lay on his arm, curiously observing the surroundings without making a fuss.

"Ha?"

Upon hearing this, Liang Cheng felt the watermelon in his hand suddenly lost its sweetness. Jealousy crept into his voice: "That’s great! Unlike me, working myself to death every day. Lately, we've been organizing a cultural promotion project—constant overtime. It’s driving me nuts!"

Liang Cheng worked in a township government office, where the workload was intense.

Nearly five years into the job, he had been trying to transfer back to the city. Commuting 50 kilometers daily burned a significant hole in his wallet just from fuel expenses.

If he could get a city position, he’d have more time with his family. Even if it meant taking a smaller role, he’d happily trade for it.

After all, anyone nearing 30 without reaching mid-level management had little to aim for. A harmonious family life was more than enough.

Chen Jingle chuckled, "Even us ‘wastes’ lying at home all day feels draining."

"Get lost!"

Liang Cheng shot him a look of disdain before pausing. "Honestly, as long as the family understands, it’s all good. Look at you—living alone in a big house, doing whatever you want. Isn’t that freedom? Man, staying unmarried really has its perks."

"Ew, starting to regret the ‘grass is greener’ side, huh?"

[TN: a popular idiom used to describe the human tendency to believe that other people's situations, lives, or opportunities are better than one's own.]

"Just being real."

"The woes of a middle-aged married man?"

"Yup, you know how it goes. Once you have a family, you start considering everything from multiple angles. Look at my phone—Apple just released the iPhone 16, and I’m still using the iPhone 11. I’m even debating whether I should switch to an Android flagship. A few years ago, I wouldn’t have cared. But now? Mortgage payments, baby formula, diapers, and trips to the pediatrician every other week. Plus, my wife’s been hinting we should get a new car next year. Just thinking about it gives me a headache."

[TN: Iphone 11 is still good though]

"Tsk. If even a dual-income household like yours feels this much pressure, the rest of us can’t even imagine. Guess staying single and child-free was the right call after all."

"Hey, that’s not entirely fair. Complaints aside, being alone forever isn’t ideal either."

Liang Cheng quickly shifted his tone. "My wife and I met through a blind date, but we dated for a while before tying the knot. Let me tell you, a sweet relationship really does bring a lot of joy to an otherwise dull life."

His face lit up as he spoke.

"Ugh~~"

Chen Jingle shot him a sideways glance, visibly unimpressed by how quickly his tone flipped.

Yet deep down, there was a faint twinge of bitterness.

It wasn’t like he didn’t want a sweet romance himself.

But imagine this: the first time you fall in love, you’ve just held hands, only to be told you’re the third party in someone’s relationship. Scratch that—you’re not even the third; you’re the fourth.

The disgust was overwhelming.

How could people be so vile?

That experience left Chen Jingle scarred. From then on, he kept his distance from any unmarried women around him.

…

"Who would’ve thought that among all our dormmates, you’d be the first to get married and have kids?"

Chen Jingle sighed.

"Yeah, I didn’t see it coming either. Can’t believe you guys are still slacking."

"Get lost! Like you’re some overachiever!"

Liang Cheng burst out laughing before suddenly sighing. "Remember when I mentioned setting you up with my wife’s younger sister? You wouldn’t even give it a shot."

Normally, Liang Cheng wasn’t keen on matchmaking. It often left him caught in awkward situations.

But knowing Chen Jingle for over a decade, he trusted his character and temperament. Setting him up was far more reliable than random introductions.

"She’s eight years younger than me, bro!"

Chen Jingle was exasperated. "That’s a massive generational gap. Just thinking about how I was in college while she was still in elementary school—it’s just weird."

Liang Cheng scoffed, "How would you know without trying? An eight-year difference isn’t that big of a deal."

Chen Jingle smirked and smoothly changed the subject: "The main issue in my household now is the conflict between the ever-growing demand for material and cultural fulfillment and my severely lagging productivity."

"Ew~ I don't think you're short on money, though. Look at this villa—you’ve got me green with envy. If circumstances allowed, I’d want to move back to the countryside and build a house just like yours," Liang Cheng said, rocking lazily on his recliner, his tone filled with genuine admiration.

"I'm not short on pocket change, but who doesn’t need more? Many people fall into poverty after marriage, you know."

"Money’s endless—you’ll never make enough. So what, you plan to stay single forever?"

"I’m waiting for a rich lady to see through my bravado and welcome me into her heart."

"Keep dreaming!"

"A man just needs good looks. A rich lady’s love is guaranteed."

"You?"

Liang Cheng laughed so hard he squealed like a pig. "Maybe ten years ago, sure. But now? You’re just an old man. Rich ladies love fit, dark-skinned athletes or those puppy-like younger guys. Who’s going to love someone your age? What, are they looking for the scent of mothballs?"

"Get lost. If anyone reeks of mothballs, it’s you. And don’t underestimate the underdog middle-aged man. Got it?"

Chen Jingle dismissed him with a sneer.

Armed with the system, how could he possibly fail to rise above?

His current lifestyle was about taking it easy, not giving up.

Now, with the system unlocking endless possibilities for his future, the idea of giving up his ambitions for some shallow romance felt ridiculous.

He had the audacity of a man holding the metaphorical long spear, ready to seize the dragon—a sense that his greatest rival from now on would no longer be anyone else, but himself.

"Don't underestimate the poor middle-aged man, or the poor old man—what's next, the deceased is supreme?"

Liang Cheng was laughing so hard he sounded like a crow.

"Ha! Just wait. When I win over a rich lady, you’ll be dying of jealousy!"

"Sure, sure. I’ll be waiting for that day."

Both of them knew it was all in jest—just some lighthearted banter.

After all, someone like Chen Jingle, who held minimal material desires and rejected petty pleasures, wasn’t the type to seek financial security by becoming someone’s sugar baby.

Unless, of course, that rich lady shared his lofty ideals and values.

But the odds of that happening were about as high as the national men’s soccer team making it to the World Cup finals.

...

With their aimless chatting, an hour passed before they even realized it.

[Congratulations, baby! You successfully completed your learning task. Your reward: the removal of one scar on your palm.]

"Scar removal?"

Hearing the system’s gentle notification, Chen Jingle froze momentarily before glancing at the base of his left thumb.

Where once a stubborn scar over a centimeter long had resided—courtesy of a childhood knife-sharpening experiment gone wrong—it had completely vanished.

For years, that scar had been a permanent fixture, impossible to get rid of. Now, after simply completing one practical task assigned by the system, it was gone.

Even better, despite no longer being in the "possessed" state of hyper-focus during the task, he could still feel that some of the planting skills he had grasped remained with him.

Chen Jingle took a deep breath, his face lighting up with joy.

The system might’ve seemed unreliable at first, but based on its rewards, it was proving to be highly worthwhile!

That was more than enough for him.

As long as he kept completing these tasks—whether they involved learning, practical exercises, or physical training—he could only imagine how much he’d transform over time.

The thought alone filled him with excitement.

"What’s up?" Liang Cheng asked curiously.

Chen Jingle shook his head. "Nothing, just thinking about something irrelevant."

"By the way, Lin Qiuyu is getting married on the 11th. Are you going?" Liang Cheng asked suddenly.

Chen Jingle paused before shaking his head. "We haven’t spoken in years, and she didn’t invite me. No point crashing the party."