With a tired turn of the key, Zoe Carter made her way back to her rental apartment in Hamilton.

It was January 18th.

As a freelancer, Zoe enjoyed the flexibility to stay longer in her hometown, but it was time to get back into her routine.

After a relaxing time in the countryside, she caught a plane back to Hamilton, arriving home around ten in the evening after a subway ride.

Feeling a bit bloated from indulging in New Year's feasting, Zoe noticed the stale scent lingering in the room after a month of vacancy. She sighed, dropping her luggage and glancing at a poster that read "Yeah a tomboy, rock baby!" before taking off her glasses to clear her mind.

Without her mother's meticulous care, Zoe knew she had to tackle the cleaning herself. Despite her weariness from the day's journey, she dealt with the month-old bed linens by tossing them into the washing machine, which took more than ten minutes.

As exhaustion washed over her, Zoe felt an overwhelming drowsiness. Her eyelids grew heavy, and her body felt weak. In the next moment, the world went dark as she collapsed onto the bed.

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As the gentle rays of the sun touched Zoe's face, her closed eyelids twitched unconsciously.

When she opened her eyes, the first thing she noticed was the open window, allowing fresh air to fill the room and stir the curtains.

As Zoe slowly woke up, she realized the bed was still bare without sheets or covers. Confusion clouded her mind as she looked out at the changing colors of the sky.

The clouds shifted from blue to purple, then to red and gold, creating a breathtaking display of light and shadow.

Despite the beauty outside, Zoe's attention was drawn to a weary bird flying under the evening glow, its tired wings flapping slowly.

This scene struck Zoe as unusual. Normally, her vision without glasses was extremely poor, yet now she could see details she never could before.

Realization dawned on her as she took a deep breath, feeling something was amiss.

Reaching for her phone among her wrinkled clothes, she turned it on, ignoring the low battery warning. The time displayed on the screen confirmed her suspicions—it was January 19th, in the afternoon.

Zoe couldn't believe it. Had she slept for almost a day straight? Questions raced through her mind as confusion gripped her.

Without any explanation for her heightened senses and prolonged sleep, Zoe headed to the bathroom to confront her reflection in the mirror.

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In the mirror, Zoe's face appeared unchanged, yet it reflected her tension and confusion.

"Maybe... I'm sick?" she whispered to herself, a thought that lingered in her mind.

Quickly turning to her phone, she searched on GumGumGo, starting with symptoms of severe hallucination. Zoe couldn't shake the feeling that she might have contracted some strange illness.

After a moment of contemplation, she decided going to the hospital was the best course of action. As dusk approached, she made her way to the small clinic at the entrance of the residential area.

Thirty minutes later, riding the elevator back home, Zoe held a bag of moisturizing eye drops and groceries she had just purchased from the nearby market.

She recalled the doctor's reassuring words:

"After exhaustion, occasionally sleeping for twenty hours isn't unusual."

"As for your improved vision, no symptoms of any disease were observed. It's likely due to your ciliary muscles returning to a less fatigued state after a night's rest, temporarily improving your vision."

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"So, the preliminary diagnosis is that you've been experiencing eye fatigue recently. Just avoid prolonged phone use and use the Tropicamide eye drops before bed for a few days."

Zoe had opted for a simple diagnosis, feeling there might be something unique about her condition. Though the doctor's response seemed reassuring, Zoe couldn't shake the feeling of being different from the inside out.

As she reached to soothe the pounding heat in her chest, she pondered the possibility of more changes in the future.

Lost in thought, Zoe was startled by the elevator's "Ding!" as it stopped on the fifth floor. A slightly chubby, middle-aged man entered, holding a bottle of red wine and sporting an English-style hat, creating an odd ensemble with his tight shirt.

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Zoe instantly recognized the man as Benny, her neighbor from the top floor. They often exchanged vegetables and fruits, making them somewhat friendly acquaintances.

Benny had a peculiar habit of running to the fifth floor before taking the elevator to his own floor, claiming it was to maintain privacy. He had a knack for quoting famous sayings, sharing gossip, and discussing conspiracy theories—an eccentric character in Zoe's eyes.

While they would typically exchange a few words, Zoe remained silent today, preoccupied with her own thoughts as they rode the elevator together.

Upon reaching the sixth floor and stepping out, Zoe was startled to hear Benny's voice behind her.

"Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels once said, 'From each according to his ability, to each according to his needs--'"

"--Zoe, you've returned from celebrating the New Year, and it seems you're in even better shape now. Self-discipline is truly commendable. This fat man respects you, Seniorita~"

Benny tipped his hat, revealing his forehead, before quoting a famous saying and remarking on Zoe's appearance.

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Looking at Benny's standard gesture of tipping his hat and his words with a hint of admiration, Zoe was taken aback. Subconsciously, she looked down at her own belly.

Originally, her round belly from overeating during the New Year could now faintly be seen through her clothes with muscle definition.

Huh?

Wait?

Where's my belly fat and... saggy breasts?

Wasn't it there last night when I got home?

Wasn't that a testimony to the festive feasting?!

Glancing at her flat chest, arms and thighs, she noticed well-defined muscles.

The abnormal situation left Zoe stunned in place.

Just half an hour ago, after waking up, she hurriedly went downstairs to the small clinic to check-up. She hadn't noticed the changes in her body.

This change...

Also left Zoe frozen in place.

If it could be explained that sleeping for twenty hours and waking up with improved vision was reasonable, then waking up to find your excess fat gone and being transformed into a fit woman couldn't be considered normal.

Things...

Seemed to be progressing in some unexpected and strange direction.

Her body...

Most likely underwent some incomprehensible changes.

With this realization, Zoe's inner emotions became complex.

Almost the moment she realized there was something extraordinary about the changes in her body, Zoe immediately began to recall and consider whether the drastic changes on her body would be discovered.

She had only arrived home at ten o'clock last night.

She encountered more people on the subway and at the airport.

But those who truly saw her with her belly fat were strangers she encountered on the way home.

Most likely, there wouldn't be much impact.

The acquaintances in her hometown in the countryside didn't know about her changes.

And the acquaintances in Hamilton who simultaneously saw her with a belly fat and a fit body were none.

The time spent at home during the New Year successfully provided her with a cushion period for her changes.

This made Zoe somewhat relieved.

After a moment's pause, her innate calmness brought Zoe back to her senses.

Looking at Benny, who had just finished his hat tipping gesture and was slowly putting his hat back on, Zoe responded, "One workout at a time. One day at a time. One meal at a time."

This sentence could be considered as admitting that she had also been exercising during the New Year. After all, she couldn't just say that she had undergone a drastic change overnight. Not only would that sound ridiculous, but even if she did say it, others wouldn't necessarily believe it.

"Charlene Johnson's famous saying. You've made me want to exercise too."

Benny smiled slightly and habitually revealed the origin of Zoe's words.

This was a common occurrence in their exchanges as neighbors.

They would quote some famous sayings to each other, which was also a form of entertainment in life.

Zoe would respect or even accommodate Benny's strange way of speaking. After all, this was the wealthy neighbor who occasionally sent things over to her.

With that said, the two exchanged smiles and nodded.

Then, Zoe quickly turned around and opened the door to enter her room.

After confirming that the changes in her body wouldn't be discovered, Zoe just wanted to go home immediately and thoroughly research what other changes she had.

Meanwhile, Benny opened the door while looking at the bottle of wine in his hand, slightly furrowing his brow.

"A wine from the county can't be wasted. A warm shotgun and a cold beer~. Today, let's just drink. We'll exercise some other day."

Licking his lips, Benny then opened the door and walked in.