Golden sunlight just kind of poured through Li Wei's window, like someone up there thought he deserved a little break after the day he'd had. The floor was glowing with these lazy stripes of light, and honestly, it made the whole room feel softer, like the universe was giving him a pat on the back for surviving that alley brawl. Li Wei was sprawled out on his bed, limbs flung everywhere, every muscle grumbling about the beating he'd taken. He looked like he'd been run over by a bike—bruises starting to show on his arms, his shirt sticking to him with sweat. But the weirdest part? He felt calm, like some big storm inside him had finally blown over.
Right under his shirt, the pendant was pressed against his chest. Not just warm, but almost… well, alive? Like it had a tiny heartbeat of its own, thumping right along with his. It was the kind of thing that might freak you out if you thought about it too hard, but for Li Wei, it was almost soothing—a silent promise that he wasn't alone in whatever was happening to him.
He turned the pendant over in his hand, running his thumb along its smooth surface. The past few days had been wild: every so often, he'd get these random bursts of speed, or his reflexes would kick in before his brain could catch up. But today, something felt different—more electric, like energy was crackling right under his skin. He flexed his fingers, kind of expecting to see sparks, then grabbed a pillow and let it drop, just to see if it felt any different. It did, actually—lifting it was way easier than it should've been. Almost like the laws of physics had loosened up just for him.
He whispered, "What's happening to me?" His voice just kind of melted into the quiet, like he was afraid the walls might listen in. He pressed the pendant close, feeling it beat along with his heart, and suddenly he got it: this wasn't some lucky charm. Whatever it was, it was waking something up inside him, and no way was it just a coincidence.
Sitting up, he caught a glimpse of himself in the mirror. He took a good, hard look—not just at the bruises, but at the way he was holding himself. He looked… stronger, like he was wearing a brand-new version of his own body. His muscles felt tighter, his posture different, like he could suddenly take on the world—or at least not get flattened in the next alley fight.
Testing it out, he dropped down and started doing sit-ups. Usually, he'd be groaning by rep ten, but now? Lighter, smoother, almost like his body was running on some high-grade fuel. The ache faded fast, soaking away like a sponge; it almost felt like the pendant was drinking up his pain, leaving him with nothing but energy.
He remembered Zhang Jie's words from earlier: "You're changing, Wei… stronger, faster…" And yeah, Zhang wasn't kidding. This was way beyond luck. The pendant was taking whatever was inside him and cranking it up to eleven.
And then there was Xinya—he couldn't help thinking about her, even though she probably had no clue about all this weirdness. Protecting her used to be this vague idea, something he'd say but not really believe. Now, with this new energy, it felt possible. But there were questions too. How far could this go? Was there a limit, or was he just going to keep changing until he didn't recognize himself?
He couldn't just sit around wondering. So he ducked outside, the neighborhood quiet and stretched out under those long shadows. He started jogging, just to see, and the difference was huge. His legs felt like they'd grown springs. He sped up, going faster and faster, and it was like running was the easiest thing in the world. Even when he sprinted full-out, breathing hard, he didn't feel the usual fire in his lungs. He just kept going.
Finally, he stopped, hunched over and trying to catch his breath, but the pendant was still buzzing against his skin, even warmer now. It felt like it was egging him on, happy with his effort. A little scary, but there was a thrill in it, too. His whole body was changing, and while he didn't quite get it, he knew he couldn't just ignore it anymore.
He noticed more, too—his senses were sharper. He picked up on tiny sounds, like a dog barking somewhere far off or the soft clatter of a scooter down the block. Even the way shadows flicked and moved caught his eye. The pendant wasn't just making him faster and stronger; it was turning his whole world up a notch.
Of course, Zhang Jie's warning was still rattling around in his head: "Be careful. Chen Guang won't stop…" And that was the thing—if Li Wei got careless, if anyone saw what he could really do, it'd be trouble. Big trouble. He had to walk a fine line between using this new strength and not letting the wrong people catch on.
When he finally made it back home, the sky was turning that deep purple that means dinner's coming soon. Madam Li was in the kitchen, humming away and totally in the dark about her son's secret superhero transformation. She glanced up, concern softening her features when she saw his red cheeks and the sweat still clinging to him.
"Li Wei, you're late again," she said, but there was a smile in her eyes, like she was mostly just glad to see him safe.
Li Wei just gave her one of those tired, crooked grins. "Yeah… just running errands," he said, already heading for the sink to wash up. No way was he ready to dump all this craziness on her—not yet, anyway. But inside, there was this spark of excitement, this feeling that life had just gotten a whole lot bigger, and he was right at the center of it.