The white light exploded. I snapped my eyes open, gasping for breath.
Familiar pink walls. Diet magazines spread open on the desk.
I had been reborn!
"Yuanyuan, look what I bought?" Zhen Shunshun pushed my door open, carrying a heaping plate of fried chicken. "Your favorite! Fresh out of the fryer, extra crispy~"
I stared fixedly at that face identical to mine.
In my past life, I hadn't resisted the temptation. I'd eaten that chicken, starting the vicious cycle.
"I'm dieting. I won't eat."
Shunshun blinked, then snorted dismissively. "Oh, please. When have you *ever* succeeded at a diet? Stop pretending." She deliberately took a huge bite of chicken in front of me, grease dribbling down her chin. "Mmm… so good. Sure, you don't want any?"
I clenched my fists under the blanket. "No. Get out."
Shunshun rolled her eyes. "Suit yourself. Don't blame me if you starve."
She sashayed out on her slender waist, deliberately fanning the greasy aroma towards me.
As soon as the door closed, I leaped out of bed and found the scale.
The numbers flashed and settled: 80.0 kg – 176 pounds. This was my weight after inexplicably gaining 26 pounds in a month, the start of my past nightmare. I pulled out a notebook, neatly wrote down the date and weight, and began planning.
Cucumbers. Tomatoes. Chicken breast. Lots of water. Daily exercise.
These methods had never worked before. But now, everything was different.
5 AM. My alarm hadn't even rung when my eyes snapped open.
The second day of rebirth. I needed to confirm that the voice wasn't a hallucination.
I tiptoed towards the scale, afraid to disturb anything.
Bare feet on the cool plastic surface. The numbers jumped... 79.6 kg. I covered my mouth. Tears splashed onto the display.
It was real. The system was real. In my past life, no matter how hard I starved, my weight only ever climbed.
"What's all the racket so early?" Shunshun pushed the door open, rubbing sleep from her eyes. She wore a silk nightgown, revealing her delicate collarbones and legs.
Seeing me on the scale, she snorted. "Weighing yourself again? Don't bother. The number won't change." She strode over, deliberately bumping me aside, and stepped onto the scale herself.
The number settled: 49.0 kg – down 0.8 kg from yesterday.
"Wow! Lost more weight!" She twirled in delight. "Guess my metabolism is just that fast." She completely failed to notice that this loss matched my gain exactly.
I silently recorded the data.
In the past life, she'd always glance pointedly at my higher weight before smugly declaring, "The fat all goes to you."
Mom's voice called from the kitchen: "Shunshun! Mom made your favorite bacon and egg pancakes!"
"Coming!" Shunshun skipped out, throwing a triumphant glance back at me. "For the dieter? No share for you~"
I opened the fridge, pulling out my prepped ingredients: cucumber, chicken breast, and two hard-boiled eggs.
Grandma passed by the kitchen, saw my plate, and curled her lip scornfully. "Putting on airs."
I kept my head down and ate.
In the past, these words would have broken me, leading to a binge. Now, every insult was fuel for my resolve.
That morning, Shunshun set up her eating stream.
Dressed in a tight T-shirt and hot pants, she arranged the camera in the dining room. The table groaned under the weight of fried chicken, pizza, cream cake, and bubble tea.
"Three, two, one… Action!" She pressed record, instantly transforming into a picture of sweetness. "Heyyy, everyone! Today's the weekly big eater challenge!"
I pulled on workout clothes to go for a run.
Shunshun immediately swung the camera towards me. "Look, my sister's off to waste her time again." She leaned towards the mic, pretending to whisper but loud enough for all to hear: "She runs five kilometers every day, but just gets fatter. It's hilarious."
The chat instantly flooded with mockery:
[Hahaha genetic gap!]
[Some people gain weight just from water!]
[So jealous Shunshun can eat anything and stay thin!]
I tied my shoelaces and calmly looked at the camera. "Sis, you've got cream on your mouth."
Shunshun's face froze. She frantically wiped her lips.
I closed the door behind me, still hearing her flustered recovery: "My sister loves to joke…"
I started a slow jog around the complex. My heart pounded, unused to exertion after so long.
Last life, I'd have given up, gasping, within 500 meters.
Today, I finished the whole route.
When I got back, Shunshun's stream was still going.
She'd finished enough food for three people and was rubbing her belly for the camera. "So full! I'll gain three pounds tomorrow~"
I knew tomorrow she would lose three pounds. And as long as I stuck to my plan, I'd keep losing weight.
Before showering, I secretly created a social media account: "Metamorphosis Diary". I posted a picture of my healthy meal and exercise stats. No face shown. Just the caption: "Day 1, -0.8kg. Goal: Health."
Immediately, an ID "NoReturnDate" liked and commented: "Keep going! Scientific weight loss will succeed." It was the first kindness I'd received since rebirth.