"Um..." When Xie Fang opened his eyes, it was already morning. The sun was shining brightly in the sky, and the birds were chirping.
Outside, it was sunny and fresh. People were busy in their own world. Some were going to work, while some were going out to relax.
Xie Fang's room was tightly covered with curtains. No light from outside could enter the room, making it completely dark, and a gloomy aura filled the air.
Xie Fang felt his head spinning; it felt like it was going to burst. He shut his eyes tightly and opened them after a few minutes when the headache faded a little.
Seeing Xie Fang wake up, Xiao Ba opened the curtains and walked towards him. The sudden brightness made Xie Fang squint his eyes. It took him a moment to adapt his eyes to the light.
"Feeling sick?" Xiao Ba asked, but there was no concern in his voice, as if he already knew what was happening.
Xie Fang looked at Xiao Ba and asked in a small and hoarse voice while getting up, "Um... I was fine yesterday, but I suddenly got sick today. What is happening?"
Xiao Ba looked at him and spoke nonchalantly, "This is normal. When your soul was transferred into this body, both you and this body needed time to blend perfectly."
"Now your soul is perfectly blended into this body, which means you now have a weak body, will get sick easily, and cannot do heavy exercise like the original owner."
Hearing this, Xie Fang pursed his lips. He didn't know if he should feel relieved that no one would doubt him anymore or panicked. He could only nod for now to show his understanding.
• • • • •
On the other side, Li Yuxi was feeling a tingling sensation all over her body. She felt like screaming, like letting out a painful cry, but couldn't. She was afraid that others would hear her voice and come to check on her.
She was a poor girl from another world. Her family was living in poverty, struggling to make ends meet. When she saw her classmate living a carefree life and laughing happily, she felt jealous.
'Why do I have to live like a rat in a gutter while others are living such a happy life?!'
She hated this world and everyone living in it! She hated this world for being unfair, her parents for being poor, her classmates for being able to live such carefree life, and... she hated herself for being born into such a poor family.
Li Yuxi thought she would be able to live a better and carefree life if she studied hard, so she spent all her time on studying.
She always came first in her class, always working hard for her future, but her
dream collapsed when she actually entered the society.
She thought she could get a job in a good company and earn money to fulfill her dreams, but she realized that she was not the only one with such a dream.
There were hundreds of thousands of poor people with such dreams. All were working hard, but only a few could actually achieve it, and... she was not one of those few.
''Why?... Why is this happening to me?!'' She questioned like a lunatic, yelling and crying, but no one was there to answer her.
She realized good marks meant nothing; it all depends on networking, which she didn't have.
People worse than her were able to live the life that she had always dreamed of just because they are likeable and have powerful networking, while she is still rotting in the old, empty house!
At that time, she felt completely crushed. All her hopes were destroyed by the harsh reality. She felt there's no meaning in keeping on living.
When she was at her most hopeless moment and wanted to end her life, a voice came from behind. "Is this what you truly want?"
Li Yuxi trembled and looked behind her, but... no one was there. She thought she was hallucinating, but that voice came again.
"Do you want to live a life of richness, where you are adored and liked by everyone? Where you don't have to work so hard to achieve little things?"
Li Yuxi looked around with horror in her eyes. There was no one, but she could feel the presence of something unknown.
Finally, her attention was caught by her own moving shadow. It was her own shadow, but it could move on its own like a free being. Li Yuxi felt the chill run down her body.
"W... who are you?" Li Yuxi asked in a shaky voice. She wanted to run away, but this unknown being's words were like a hook. Li Yuxi was afraid of this unknown being but also tempted by its words.
Shadow knew Li Yuxi was tempted when he saw her asking questions instead of running away. The human heart is like this, he thought. The more you can't get something, the more your heart desires it.
He looked at the tempted person in front of him and said, "Who I am is not important; what I can give you is."
He continued, "Don't you have desires? I can help you fulfill all of them; you just have to say yes."
Shadow's words were like a sweet poison, which Li Yuxi was willing to drink happily. She knew he must have some purpose, but it didn't matter to her anymore. Even if she has to give her soul to the devil... she would happily sacrifice.
'Is this my time to shine...? Did the god pity on me?' She thought to herself.
Li Yuxi's face was filled with hope. "I am willing to exchange anything as long as I can get what I want!" There was a determination in her voice. She had already imagined her bright future ahead.
'Foolish and greedy human,' Shadow thought. He chanted some incantations, and a contract appeared in the middle. Shadow told Li Yuxi to drop her blood in the contract to form a contract.
Li Yuxi did as she was told and came to this world. Here, she got everything she had ever dreamed of: a luxurious life, admirers, and a handsome fiancé.
She doesn't have to stand in the corner and look at other people like a loser anymore. Now, she is in the spotlight!
• • • •
Li Yuxi was lying on the ground, which was covered with soft mattresses, lost in thoughts.
"Host...?"
"Host, are you conscious?"
A robotic voice rang in Li Yuxi's ear, making her come back to her senses. She hummed and closed her eyes.
Li Yuxi was tired; she felt like her body had been run over by a truck. When she tried to move the muscles of her body, a painful tingling sensation spread all over. She just wanted to close her eyes and fall asleep right now.
But the robotic voice didn't seem to understand and continued:
"Host, your luck value is decreasing."
"You are lucky that you only got electrocuted this time as a reminder. "
"You have to gain luck value as fast as possible, or you won't be able to continue living like this in the future."
These words hit Li Yuxi's sore spot. She knew that if she didn't reply, this garbage system will continue to speak.
Li Yuxi gritted her teeth and replied unwillingly, "I know that. You don't have to keep reminding me. Shut up for now!"
"Who is your target, host? Do you have anyone in mind, or do you want me to look for a suitable target with a high luck value for you?"
"Do whatever you want!" After saying that Li Yuxi closed her eyes and didn't reply anymore no matter what the system says.
The system didn't seems to care and spoke on it's own:
"There are a lot of suitable targets. Xi Rong, Zhang Fei, Bai Ling, and Xie Shing's brother... Xie Fang ."