Qiu Yingying is reborn and bound to a learning system.

As the train pulled into Shanghai Station, it was just dawn. The morning mist, carrying the aroma of breakfast from the alleyways, wafted through the train window, and Qiu Yingying's heart jumped. With a backpack on her back and a suitcase stuffed with cured meat and sausages in her hand, she transferred subway lines twice before finally standing at the entrance of the Joyful Song residential complex.

The morning light bathed the beige apartment buildings in a warm golden glow. Steam rose from the breakfast stalls downstairs, the crispy aroma of fried dough sticks mingling with the rich sweetness of soy milk, making one's stomach rumble. Qiu Yingying took out her phone to check the apartment number on the rental agreement—2202—took a deep breath, and walked into the building.

The elevator dinged and stopped on the 22nd floor. As soon as the doors opened, a rich aroma of porridge wafted out, making her nose tingle. The door to apartment 2202 was ajar, and the soft sound of a clay pot hitting the stove could be heard from inside. Qiu Yingying gently knocked on the door, and the aroma of the porridge grew even stronger, mixed with the freshness of green vegetables and the tenderness of shredded meat.

"Who is it?" a clear and somewhat capable voice called out.

The door opened, and a woman in a burgundy loungewear stood in the doorway. Her long hair was loosely tied into a bun, with a few stray strands lazily clinging to her temples, making her oval face appear even more radiant; her willow-leaf eyebrows were curved, and her almond-shaped eyes were slightly upturned at the corners, carrying a touch of charming allure, yet revealing a sharp and capable spirit in their every glance.

Beneath her pert nose were a pair of exquisitely shaped red lips, which revealed shallow dimples when she smiled. Qiu Yingying was captivated; no matter how many times she saw Sister Fan, she was always stunned by her beauty.

She held a small porcelain bowl filled with chopped scallions, and a beige knitted shawl draped over her slender wrists. Despite her casual attire, her exquisite figure was undeniable. It was Fan Shengmei from Qiu Yingying's memory.

Fan Shengmei paused for a moment when she saw Qiu Yingying at the door, then looked her up and down. The girl was wearing a simple white T-shirt and jeans, with long, wavy hair cascading over her shoulders. She had fair skin and bright eyes, like they were filled with morning dew, giving her a refreshing and pleasant look. She was thin, and had lost even more weight after taking the beauty pill!

"Hello, my name is Qiu Yingying, I'm new here." Qiu Yingying quickly smiled and handed over the rental agreement provided by the system. "I rented the second bedroom here."

The moment the words fell, memories of her past life flooded back like a tide, and Qiu Yingying's nose suddenly stung with tears. In her previous life, when she first came to Shanghai, she was naive and reckless, easily deceived by a scumbag, losing her job and her heart. When she was hiding in her rented room crying her heart out, it was Fan Shengmei who knocked on her door, brought her a steaming hot meal, and sat by her bedside, patiently comforting her.

On a whim, she decided to open an online coffee shop. Lacking experience and connections, Fan Shengmei helped her come up with ideas and even got her friends to support her, promoting it enthusiastically on social media. When she felt wronged, she would vent her anger on Fan Shengmei, but Fan Shengmei never blamed her and continued to lend a helping hand whenever she needed it.

But what about herself back then? She was only focused on indulging in her own emotions. In the relationship, she couldn't see the difficulties Fan Shengmei faced behind her glamorous facade, and she couldn't share any of her burdens. She even argued with her over trivial matters. Thinking about all this, Qiu Yingying felt a deep sense of shame, and her eyes reddened slightly.

Fan Shengmei took the agreement, glanced at it, raised an eyebrow, and then flashed a warm smile, her red lips curving into a beautiful arc: "Oh, it's Xiao Qiu! Come in, come in quickly, I thought the landlord wouldn't bring anyone for another two days. I'm Fan Shengmei, let's discuss any work or life issues in the future." She stepped aside to let Qiu Yingying in, taking the suitcase from her hand with a slight effort from her slender arm, yet her movements remained elegant. "Tsk tsk, this suitcase is heavy, what good stuff is in it?"

Qiu Yingying composed herself, suppressing the surging emotions in her heart, and followed her inside, her voice tinged with a barely perceptible sob: "It was my mother who packed me cured pork, sausages, and braised beef."

The living room wasn't large, but it was spotless and tidy. A crocheted lace scarf was spread on the light gray fabric sofa, several potted succulents sat on the coffee table, and two small floral-patterned quilts were drying on the windowsill, bathed in warm sunlight.

The living room connects to the open kitchen, where a clay pot on the stove is still bubbling away, the source of the porridge. On the cutting board next to it are finely shredded meat and washed and chopped green vegetables.

"I'm making breakfast right now. I cooked a pot of vegetable and shredded pork porridge, and also made some pickled vegetables. Do you want to eat some with me?" Fan Shengmei put her suitcase at the door of the second bedroom, turned around and smiled at Qiu Yingying, her long eyelashes fluttering twice. "Judging from your appearance, you must have just gotten off the train and haven't had breakfast yet, right?"

Qiu Yingying's stomach growled at just the right moment, making both of them laugh. She nodded a little shyly, "Then... then I'll trouble you, Sister Fan."

"No need for trouble, we'll be roommates from now on." Fan Shengmei waved her hand, turned and went into the kitchen. She lifted the lid of the clay pot, and a rich aroma of porridge instantly wafted out. Qiu Yingying leaned over to look. The rice porridge in the clay pot was thick, soft and mushy, and the rice grains had all bloomed. Tender green vegetables were soaked in the rice oil, and the pink and white shredded meat was wrapped in a faint rice fragrance. Just looking at it made one's stomach warm.

Qiu Yingying quickly pulled a small packet of braised beef from her suitcase: "Sister Fan, I have some braised beef here. I can cut up a plate to go with the porridge."

Fan Shengmei's eyes lit up, a look of surprise flashing in her almond-shaped eyes: "Oh, this is great! I love this kind of food." She took the braised beef and pointed to the second bedroom, "Go and pack your things first. The second bedroom faces the sun and has great lighting. I just ventilated it for you yesterday."

Qiu Yingying pushed open the door, and sure enough, a refreshing breeze rushed in. The second bedroom wasn't large, but it was square and neat. A single bed was against the wall, and there was a light wood-colored bedside table next to the bed. Outside the window was the community's green belt, and the morning breeze rustled the leaves. On a whim, she opened the system's inventory. Besides taking out the pots and pans she used for sharing the apartment, she also categorized and put ten sets of clothes into the wardrobe. She even specially dug out a Chanel lipstick that she had received as a system reward. The lipstick was a classic mauve color, with a black and gold case that was very exquisite. She thought that since it was their first meeting, she should bring Fan Shengmei a small gift.

In this life, she not only wants to live a good life on her own, but also to accompany Sister Fan and be the one who can shelter her from the wind and rain when she needs it.

When she finished tidying up and came out, breakfast was already laid out on the table. A white porcelain bowl held a thick, sticky porridge of vegetables and shredded pork, sprinkled with bright green scallions. Next to it was a plate of thinly sliced ​​braised beef, its marbling clearly visible, and its aroma irresistible. Fan Shengmei had also placed two small dishes of pickled vegetables, one of pickled cucumbers and the other of dried radishes, which looked very appetizing.

"Please sit down." Fan Shengmei served her a bowl of porridge and put a few slices of braised beef into it. She parted her red lips slightly and said with a hint of pride, "Try my cooking. I cooked this porridge for almost an hour. The rice grains are cooked until they are soft and it's very good for your stomach."

Qiu Yingying scooped up a spoonful of porridge and put it in her mouth. The soft rice porridge, combined with the refreshing green vegetables and tender shredded meat, and the aroma of scallions spread on her tongue, along with the savory flavor of braised beef, was simply divine.

"It's so delicious!" Qiu Yingying couldn't help but give a thumbs up. "Sister Fan, your cooking is amazing!" As she spoke, she took out a gift bag from behind her and handed it to Fan Shengmei, her eyes full of sincerity. "By the way, Sister Fan, since it's our first meeting, I'd like to give you a little gift. Here, take this lipstick. The color is perfect for a beauty like you."

Fan Shengmei blushed, then looked down and her eyes lit up instantly. It was the very color she hadn't been able to bring herself to buy. She picked up the lipstick, her fingertips tracing the black and gold casing, a hint of surprise flashing in her eyes. "Oh, how could I accept this! Xiao Qiu, you're too kind." While saying this, her fingers couldn't resist unrolling the lipstick, revealing a gentle mauve color. Sunlight fell on the lipstick, giving it a delicate sheen; it was clearly an authentic product.

"Here you go, Sister Fan," Qiu Yingying said with a smile, "I'll need your help in the future."

Fan Shengmei felt incredibly touched. She had initially assumed Qiu Yingying was a poor recent graduate due to her simple attire, but she hadn't expected her to be so generous and polite. She carefully put the lipstick into her pocket, thinking she would help this younger sister whenever she needed it! Her smile deepened as she filled Qiu Yingying's bowl with a generous spoonful of porridge: "Thank you, Little Qiu! From now on, I'll protect you here!"

Looking at Qiu Yingying, Fan Shengmei felt that this girl was refreshing and clean, and spoke and acted with generosity and propriety, much better than the roommates she had encountered before. Unlike some people who were petty and troublesome, Qiu Yingying seemed like an honest person.

Qiu Yingying ate with a smile on her face, her mouth full of food, and her words were a little slurred: "My mom's cured pork and sausages are also amazing. I'll make you cured pork rice another day."

The two chatted over their meal. Fan Shengmei asked Qiu Yingying about her plans in Shanghai, and Qiu Yingying honestly replied that she wanted to find a job first and work steadily for a few years. Upon hearing this, Fan Shengmei patted her chest and said, "No problem! If you don't understand anything in the future, just ask me! I've been in Shanghai for so many years, I still have some connections."

Looking at Fan Shengmei's smiling face, Qiu Yingying felt a warmth in her heart. She was determined to make up for the regrets of her past life in this one. She not only wanted to live her own life well, but also to stay by Fan Shengmei's side.

After dinner, Qiu Yingying insisted on washing the dishes, and Fan Shengmei didn't refuse. Leaning against the kitchen doorway, she watched Qiu Yingying deftly wash the dishes and chopsticks, then take out the set of pots and pans from the system's inventory and arrange them. She couldn't help but tease, "You're quite well-equipped, aren't you? You even have a clay pot?"

Qiu Yingying laughed it off, "My mom was worried I wouldn't eat well when I was out, so she specially prepared this for me."

Sunlight streamed through the kitchen window, warming the two of them. The porridge in the pot was still warm, the succulents in the living room were lush and green, and the leaves outside rustled softly. Looking at everything before her, Qiu Yingying suddenly felt a sense of peace.

This is her new home.

In Shanghai, in Ode to Joy, in 2202.

Her journey to rebirth has only just begun.