The system’s customer service gave a warm reminder: “The newcomer is Yan shi, Lu Jinchao’s principal husband.”
At this moment, Yan shi was lowering his voice as he scolded Qing’er.
“Getting all handsy just putting on clothes—don’t think I don’t know what you’re up to. We’re all men here. Put away those scheming thoughts. If you don’t behave yourself, I’ll have you sent off. What kind of thing are you? You’re going to corrupt a perfectly good young lady.”
Qing’er kept his head down, not daring to speak. Lu Jinlan clenched her teeth and decided to go all in. Life is a play—watch my acting.
She turned around, grabbed Yan shi’s wrist, and said warmly, “Father, I was the one holding his hand. Don’t be angry so early in the morning. Qing’er, don’t just stand there—go brew a cup of tea.”
Yan shi froze when she pulled him like that. It was rare for his daughter to be so affectionate with him.
Lu Jinlan sized him up. He looked to be around thirty-six or thirty-seven, adorned in gold and jade, dignified and handsome. Though time had already left its marks at the corners of his eyes, he must have been a great beauty in his youth.
After giving him a careful look, Lu Jinlan praised him, “You look especially well today—so graceful, still full of charm. This outfit suits you perfectly. Mother will definitely like it when she sees you.”
Ding! The system rang with a pleasant notification.
The elderly customer service agent excitedly told her, “Congratulations to the host for grasping the male-novel spirit of gazing upon all members of the opposite sex regardless of status. Advanced reward triggered: Life points +30. Shop exchange function unlocked!”
A smug smile spread across Lu Jinlan’s face. As expected, she had nailed the essence of male-oriented novels.
Just now, she had deliberately recalled the male-oriented novels she’d read. Most of them openly ran harems. Not to mention those that blatantly despised women—even the slightly better-written ones never let a single opposite-sex character escape.
Anyone the male lead fancied was bound to be fair-skinned, beautiful, with prominent curves. As for other women, regardless of identity, none could evade the male lead’s gaze. The young ones were “buds about to bloom,” the older ones “still full of mature charm.” The vibe was overwhelming—almost suffocating.
So the first core principle she grasped of the male-novel spirit was this: discard moral restraint when facing the opposite sex.
This kind of behavior wasn’t hard to learn. The only real difficulty was that she was a woman whose moral standards were above the human average—and she had to break through her own psychological barriers.
Of course, under the system’s life-or-death pressure, she managed to do just that.
Although she had only just arrived in this world, she quickly understood one thing: people are products of their environment.
In this world of female dominance and male inferiority, everyone’s state of being constantly shattered her preconceptions.
For example, Yan shi, as Lu Jinchao’s principal husband, was at the age where fading beauty and waning favor were real concerns. He suffered from serious appearance anxiety.
Hearing Lu Jinlan praise him, his heart blossomed with joy, though he still said shyly, “Making fun of your father so early in the morning. I don’t see you putting this much effort into your studies, but you’ve certainly improved at sweet-talking.”
Lu Jinlan smiled. “How could that be? Everything I said was the truth—straight from the heart.”
Yan shi had brought breakfast with him. He pulled Lu Jinlan to sit down, and the male servant behind him immediately opened the food box.
“Your mother went out early this morning and will surely eat outside. Your two younger brothers are still staying at the boys’ academy. It’s just the two of us today—nice and quiet for a meal.”
As he ladled soup for her, Yan shi couldn’t help but start fussing.
“Your mother has social engagements every few days. Those young men practically have green light in their eyes when they see her. Your father really can’t guard against it all. Having one Song shi in the house is already annoying enough—I’m truly afraid another young, handsome one will show up…”
“It won’t happen,” Lu Jinlan said softly as she drank her porridge. Then she suddenly heard Yan shi sigh, “It’s all my fault—my belly wasn’t up to the task. I only gave birth to you, a single daughter…”
Pfft! Lu Jinlan choked on a mouthful of porridge, coughing until her face turned red.
Yan shi was startled. “What’s wrong? Quick, rinse your mouth!”
Lu Jinlan waved her hands repeatedly. “I—I got it on my clothes. Father, you eat first. I’ll go change and come back.”
She hurried back to her room to calm herself down. She double-checked—yes, she definitely had a woman’s body, with no abnormalities in her physiology. If that was the case, and men were the ones giving birth here… then how exactly did that work?
“What did I just hear? Men give birth?”
“Of course. This is a gender-swapped story. After the swap, maternal-role penalties become paternal-role penalties.”
“Oh my heavens! Does that mean I don’t have to be pregnant for ten months in this world—and I can have someone else give birth for me?”
“Correct. Whoever you want to give birth, you simply release your ovum to them. Their body will carry the pregnancy for ten months, and the child can then be surgically removed.”
Pain-free motherhood? The child takes my surname? I’m really living the good life now! A strange joy surged up in Lu Jinlan’s heart. She finally, truly experienced the exhilaration of a gender swap.
“Without having to carry a pregnancy myself, I can still have my own child… I feel like my urge to reproduce just skyrocketed. Thinking about it this way feels a bit wrong—wouldn’t that make me just like those men?”
The customer service agent fell silent for a few seconds, then suddenly asked in return, “Why can’t you be just like them?”
Yes—why is it that as long as a man doesn’t commit certain unforgivable acts, he’s considered a good man? While no matter how well a woman does, the moment someone digs up even a tiny flaw, she’s no longer a good woman?
Even when women are victims, they must be perfect victims—otherwise, they’re accused of ulterior motives.
In that kind of environment, how could being a man not feel good? Their space for survival is infinitely vast.
And how could women ever feel at ease? Landmines are everywhere—forcing them to tread carefully at every step, terrified of making the slightest mistake, lest they instantly become targets of a collective hunt.
The saddest thing is, even if a man commits a huge crime, his own gender will find excuses to cover for him. But if a woman makes even the tiniest mistake, her fellow women with ultra-high moral standards will rush to attack her, cutting ties to prove their own “goodness.”
Damn morality—go to hell with it!
Lu Jinlan immediately declared: “I’ve realized it again. From now on, I’m going to seriously study male-centric behaviors. I’m not afraid of being called a bad person.
I want to be openly bad, proudly bad. I want to be so notoriously bad that my reputation spreads for generations.
I want future women to be able to say with complete confidence: ‘I did all this and you’re still not satisfied? At least I didn’t do what Lu Jinlan did, so be grateful.’
Who says we have to be good? I’ll be bad!”
The moment Lu Jinlan embraced being bad, she felt the world open up before her.
She changed her clothes and, full of pride and swagger, returned to the dining table, fiercely biting into a steamed bun.
Looking at Yan Shi seriously, she said, “Father, I want to marry eight or ten men in the future and have them give me a whole bunch of children.”
Unexpectedly, Yan Shi looked at her with affectionate eyes. “Fine, whatever you want.”
“Ah? Don’t you think I’m going too far?”
Yan Shi spread his hands. “What’s the big deal? You’re the only daughter your mother and I have. Your two younger brothers will get married sooner or later. Even though Song Shi had a daughter, it was raised by a minor father—how could she possibly inherit the family business? Our Lu family is wealthy; everything will eventually be yours. My hopes rest entirely on you.
Whether you marry eight, ten, or even eighty men, our family can afford it. As long as you treat them well, you’re a good woman and a fine lady of the house.”
Lu Jinlan blinked. “B-but didn’t you just say you’re bothered by my mother having a Song Shi?”
“Oh, I just said that casually. Women, three husbands or four husbands, that’s normal. I’m not going to be petty like those jealous, foolish men. I don’t like Song Shi, but I know in my heart your mother treats me extremely well. With your mother spoiling me and you being filial, whether it’s in Xizhou City or across the entire Dahuang Kingdom, how many men like me could be so proud?”
Lu Jinlan nodded repeatedly, finally understanding. A domineering mother and a doting father. After having a daughter, the father aligned himself with the women’s camp, completely ignoring the position of men.
People truly are products of their environment.
Still, Yan Shi kept saying he gave birth to her. Did he not know Lu Jinlan had been brought from outside? Or was she kidnapped as a child and later retrieved?
Lu Jinlan’s thoughts swirled, chewing absentmindedly, her food tasteless in her mouth.
Suddenly, a commotion outside, voices shouting through the doors: “Mother is back! Mother is back!”
Lu Jinlan hurriedly set down her chopsticks. Looking into the courtyard, a dozen young male servants rushed in, each carrying three-tiered food boxes.
Housekeeper Aunt Zou said with a smile, “Master and young lady, wait a moment. Mother hasn’t eaten yet. She specifically ordered various small dishes from the Jianghu Restaurant, packed them to share with you both. She’s just changing her clothes now, she’ll be here shortly.”
Yan Shi’s eyes lit up. “See how much your mother cares for us? That Jianghu Restaurant is new and very popular; the small dishes are especially fresh and authentic.”
He immediately gave a flurry of instructions to the servants to quickly bring two large tables and lay out the dishes.
Lu Jinlan didn’t need the system to prompt her; she eagerly scanned all the young, handsome male servants, occasionally shooting them a flirty glance, making their faces flush.
The system chimed continuously, and in no time she collected 60 life points.
Ah, that easy reward feeling—so satisfying!
As Lu Jinlan rubbed her nose in secret delight, a voice called from behind: “Lan’er.”
She turned slowly to see Lu Jinchao stepping toward the main seat with a dignified smile, male servants moving in tandem on either side.
Two servants on the left quickly placed pearwood grand chairs behind her, while two on the right laid out bowls, chopsticks, and teacups in front of her. Four of them moved efficiently, bowing and stepping back.
Amid the moving shadows, Lu Jinchao sat upright, his gaze piercing as he looked at his wife and daughter, radiating extraordinary presence.
Lu Jinlan was stunned. Her mother truly was a formidable woman.
Seeing her dazed, Yan Shi laughed and nudged her. “What are you thinking, child? Go greet your mother.”
She didn’t know the proper etiquette, but thought, showing affection is never wrong.
And at this moment, she genuinely admired Lu Jinchao from the bottom of her heart.
She quickly stepped forward, hugging Lu Jinchao’s shoulders and leaning on her mother’s shoulder, a surge of happiness flooding her.
“Greetings, Mother. May you be well, Your Excellency.”
Lu Jinchao smiled, patting her head. “You’re sixteen already, still acting like a little child. Did you do something wrong and now trying to be cute in advance?”
Yan Shi chuckled. “I was just saying, this child is exceptionally well-behaved today.”
The three of them laughed and chatted, sitting down to enjoy a huge table of delicious food.
Golden, crispy shrimp with salted yolk, fragrant pan-fried tender tofu, exquisite crab soup, and various unknown cold dishes so delicious one could burst…
Every flavor—salty, sweet, sour, spicy—was there, except bitterness.
The sunlight was particularly gentle, everything felt like a dream, and Lu Jinlan felt light and blissful all over.
Lu Jinchao said, “Lan’er, your academy classes are nearly over. It’s time to start learning how to manage family affairs. Next month is my birthday. On that day, I intend to officially appoint you as the young master of the Lu family, and introduce you properly to our stewards across the docks and shops.”
Hearing this, Lu Jinlan’s eyes widened. Such a thing existed? She quickly replied, “Mother, don’t worry. I’ll work hard.”
But Lu Jinchao immediately added, “However, you must promise me one thing: for your graduation exams, you must rank at least 200th. At the birthday banquet, so many people will ask about your results—you need to be able to answer properly.”
Although her heart skipped a beat, Lu Jinlan agreed on the spot. After all, she’s the protagonist—she won’t embarrass herself. Besides, she had never worried about exams before.
She had extraordinary focus and a photographic memory. If her family background hadn’t been poor, her hometown’s education resources backward, and with huge information gaps, she wouldn’t have ended up at a top university, only to recklessly choose a Chinese Literature major, struggle to find work, and eventually switch to civil service exams.
The national exams were like crossing a bridge alone among thousands. Others were busy attending cram schools; she was busy repaying student loans. Yet even working while preparing for the exams, the two positions she applied for—contested by 30,000 people—she could easily secure one.
Ranking 200th? That wouldn’t challenge her.
She had Qing’er fetch her book attendant, Ximo, a naive and innocent girl, who managed to give a rough outline of the situation in a few sentences.
The graduation exams were the day after tomorrow; the academy was on break, so classmates were studying at home. That meant Lu Jinlan had two days and two nights to review.
She flipped through the books in front of her. Thank heavens, they were only in traditional Chinese, easy enough to read. But writing with a brush required going through thick stacks of textbooks—a tight schedule with heavy tasks.
Two hundredth? Lu Jinlan rubbed her chin. “How many students are at the academy?”
Ximo: “Over two hundred.”
Lu Jinlan couldn’t believe her ears. “Over two hundred… how many exactly?”
“Two hundred and three, weren’t you… usually number two hundred and three?”
Lu Jinlan slammed the table. “You’re saying I’ve been last for years?”
Ximo hurriedly denied, “N-no, that’s not it. Last month, it was Miss Yin, and last year… in August, Miss Sun was last.”
Lu Jinlan nodded thoughtfully, realizing she and these Yin and Sun girls likely always occupied the bottom three.
Shocked, she muttered, “Out of over two hundred students, I could still come last? Am I an idiot? And yet my mother would hand the family business to me—how spoiled is that?”
Ximo quickly said, “You can’t say that. In my view, you’re smart—you just didn’t apply yourself to studying.”
Hearing this familiar line, Lu Jinlan bitterly slapped the book onto her head, unwilling to open her eyes.
She realized another fact: her greatest ancestor is herself.
“Ma’am, does our system have a ‘possessed by exam god’ function?”
________________________________________
Author’s Note:
July 23, 2025 – Due to some controversy, I want to clarify regarding “male childbirth.” Many assume this takes women’s ability and gives it to men, depriving women of reproductive rights. Here’s the setup: physiological structure remains unchanged. During intercourse, the woman decides whether to release the egg. If the man receives the egg, it forms a fertilized egg inside him, gestates for ten months, and is delivered via cesarean. Whether to give birth and who carries it is decided by the woman.
I also believe that today, so-called reproductive rights are largely stripped away: women are coerced into giving birth, their children take the father’s surname, and the biological mother is treated as an outsider. Where’s the power in that? Some argue reproductive ability is too important to give to men. How important is it, really? Does it allow women to reach the pinnacle of power? To enjoy privileges? If women had such ability, why are they still oppressed in a patriarchal society?
Exactly—because it’s a patriarchal society. The problem lies there. Whoever holds power decides everything. In this story, women hold power: famous, feared, expanding territories, protecting the country, even ruling vast lands. Some only care about whether women give birth. Look around: women give birth, yet what do they get?
Of course, this is just my opinion. I don’t force anyone to agree. I’m not ignorant—I’ve studied and thought this through. Any shortcomings are due to ability, not intent.
In short: if the heroine doesn’t want to bear children, let men carry them. It harms the protagonist in no way. If anyone says, “Trade your uterus for supreme power, top status, endless wealth,” I’d just say the benefits are obvious—where are the downsides? If giving birth were truly desirable, why do so many people not want to? You don’t want to, yet want my protagonist to? Hello? That’s cruel. There are plenty of stories about women giving birth—even hundreds—so go ahead. PS: I don’t mean male childbirth is bad; I just don’t want the story forced to make it female childbirth in a matriarchal setting.
One day, for the last time, I want to boldly emphasize: in this story, female and male physiological structures remain unchanged. Just like real humans, you can tell at a glance who is female and who is male.
Don’t tell me that not giving birth means a woman isn’t a woman. A woman is a woman—she doesn’t need to use reproduction to prove her identity.
Am I somehow less of a woman if I remain infertile my whole life? Women are not born with the duty to gestate. If the uterus is idle, so be it. Women who do not give birth can still be great.