“Ah… harder, Chengzu! You’re amazing!”
“Louder, Su’er.”
The shameless moans and dirty whispers seeped through the paper-thin wooden wall, drilling relentlessly into Shen Niao’s ears.
She hissed, clutching her aching head as she slowly opened her eyes in confusion.
An icy gust of wind swept through the open window, instantly clearing the lingering haze from her mind.
At the same time, an overwhelming flood of memories poured into her head.
In short—
She had transmigrated into a period novel and become its heroine, Shen Niao.
Shen Niao had lost both of her parents at a young age and lived with her uncle’s family. Because the Shen and Wu families had arranged a marriage between their descendants years ago, she and her cousin, Shen Su, were married to the Wu brothers on the same day. Shen Su married the elder brother, Wu Qingchuan, while Shen Niao married the younger brother, Wu Chengzu.
In the novel, Shen Niao was a kind-hearted, overweight young woman.
Not long after marrying Wu Chengzu, the political purge arrived, and the entire family was sent to the remote Beidahuang region for hard labor.
Thanks to Shen Niao’s compassionate nature, she helped many people during their years of exile, making life considerably easier for everyone around her. Wu Chengzu, who had once been a spoiled, good-for-nothing rich young master, was eventually moved by Shen Niao’s unwavering devotion. He turned over a new leaf, worked hard to improve himself, and became the perfect husband and father. After China’s economic reforms, he entered the business world and eventually became the nation’s richest man.
As for Shen Su, she avoided being implicated after following the army with Wu Qingchuan.
However, she found her husband dull and boring, constantly away on long naval deployments. She began an affair with a doctor from the town hospital, only for the doctor’s wife to expose them. Around the same time, Wu Qingchuan was martyred in a naval battle.
Because Shen Su’s disgrace had tarnished the reputation of a fallen military hero, the authorities exiled her to Inner Mongolia for labor reform. After the economic reforms, she returned looking like a woman in her seventies or eighties despite not being that old.
Although Shen Niao spent a fortune trying to restore her health, Shen Su still died just a few years later.
As the heroine, Shen Niao should have been living happily ever after.
The problem was…
Shen Su had been reborn.
And after carefully planning everything, she knocked the original Shen Niao unconscious before sneaking into Wu Chengzu’s room on their wedding night.
As for Wu Qingchuan, he had been called away on an emergency military mission and never made it back for the wedding.
The nonstop cries coming from next door made it obvious that the deed was already done.
Shen Niao expressionlessly threw off the thin blanket covering her and struggled to get out of bed.
Just that simple movement left her panting for breath.
Her gaze accidentally landed on the mirror hanging on the wall.
Reflected back at her was a greasy, pockmarked, chubby face.
The original owner hadn’t been born this way.
As a child, she had suffered a serious illness and taken countless medications, which had caused her body to become severely overweight.
According to the novel, after being sent to the countryside, years of food shortages and grueling physical labor gradually restored Shen Niao’s health. She lost all the excess weight and revealed breathtaking beauty beneath it.
Medication-induced obesity was notoriously difficult to reverse.
But now that this body belonged to her…
There was no way Shen Niao intended to stay fat forever.
This weight had to go.
Thinking about losing weight, she steadied herself against the bedside table and slowly stood up.
Suddenly, a sharp pain shot through her fingertip.
A wooden splinter had pierced her finger.
She pulled it out, and several drops of crimson blood welled from the tiny wound.
Before she could wipe it away, one drop slid down her finger and landed on the jade ring her mother had left her.
The blood vanished instantly.
The next second—
She appeared inside a pure white, immaculate space.
Shen Niao remained surprisingly calm.
I knew it.
How could someone transmigrate into a period novel without getting some kind of cheat?
Here it is.
At the same time, a translucent screen appeared before her.
Myriad Worlds Exchange Space Activated
Host: Shen Niao
Gender: Female
Age: 19
Height: 168 cm
Weight: 200 jin (100 kg / 220 lbs) (Overweight)
Physical Strength: 10 (Extremely Low)
Mental Capacity: 30 (Low)
Appearance Rating: -50 (Extremely, Extremely Low)
Exchangeable Items: Unlimited
Space Level: Level 1
Storage Capacity: 300 square meters
Notes
Items are not evaluated by value. As long as both parties agree, an exchange can be completed.
The space is currently operating at a low-dimensional level. Connections to the Myriad Worlds are weak and may require multiple attempts.
After upgrading to a higher-dimensional space, the space itself can evolve and transform.
Upon reaching the maximum level, the host may freely travel between worlds through the space.
Evaluation
The host currently qualifies as a low-level lifeform and is prohibited from entering higher-dimensional worlds. Personal upgrades are recommended.
Shen Niao reread the last two notes and the evaluation.
It seemed the physical attributes displayed above could all be improved.
As for how to improve them…
She would have to figure that out herself.
Then she noticed a tiny water-drop icon in the upper-left corner.
Tapping it opened a list of worlds.
Ancient World. Future World. Magic World. Cultivation World. Martial Arts World. Primitive World. Apocalypse World. Netherworld…
Beside them was a tiny search icon.
Without hesitation, Shen Niao tapped Search.
Nothing happened.
She frowned, selected Cultivation World, and tapped Search again.
This time, the interface flickered.
A glowing pop-up radiating immortal energy appeared.
Space of a Good-for-Nothing Alchemist
Level 2
Opening it revealed something similar to a game’s inventory.
Across the top was a line of text.
Tap an item to initiate an exchange.
Rows upon rows of pill bottles filled the storage.
Low-Grade Beauty Pill.
Low-Grade Rejuvenation Pill.
Low-Grade Marrow Cleansing Pill.
Low-Grade Ecstasy Pill.
Low-Grade Fragrance Pill…
…Hmm…
Those don’t exactly sound like respectable pills.
Her eyes finally settled on the Low-Grade Marrow Cleansing Pill.
From all the cultivation novels she’d read in her previous life, a Marrow Cleansing Pill could purge impurities from the body and completely transform a person’s physique.
The original owner had become obese because of years of medication.
Perhaps this pill could make losing weight far easier.
The problem was…
What could she possibly offer in exchange?
Before she could examine the interface further, someone knocked on the door outside.
Instinctively, Shen Niao thought about leaving the space.
The moment that thought crossed her mind, she found herself back in the bedroom.
At almost the same instant, the door swung open.
“Oh my, Cousin, you’re still not up? You’re already this fat—how can you sleep in so late? If it were me, I’d be so worried I wouldn’t be able to sleep at all.”
Shen Su’s affected, sugary voice barely concealed the gloating beneath it.
Her eyes brimmed with mockery and malice as she looked at Shen Niao struggling to her feet.
Seeing that the dazzlingly beautiful Shen Niao from her previous life was still an ugly fat woman made Shen Su indescribably happy.
From the moment she realized she had been reborn, she had only one goal.
She would become a wealthy lady.
She would never relive the hellish life from her previous existence.
That was why she chose Wu Chengzu—the future richest man.
As for Shen Niao…
Not only did Shen Su feel no gratitude for all the care Shen Niao had shown her, she believed Shen Niao had intentionally pitied and ridiculed her.
Even the money Shen Niao had spent treating her illness—
In Shen Su’s eyes, it had all been earned by Wu Chengzu.
If anyone deserved her gratitude, it should have been him.
Standing beside Shen Su, Wu Chengzu turned his head away in undisguised disgust.
“Why bother with her? My parents are waiting downstairs.”
Shen Su was merely pretty, but now that everything was going according to plan, there was an alluring confidence in her expression.
She leaned bonelessly against Wu Chengzu, poking his chest with a finger as she pouted coquettishly.
“Chengzu, I just feel sorry for my cousin. Why don’t you help her up? After all… she was supposed to be your wife.”
Wu Chengzu grabbed her hand and lowered his head with a wicked grin.
“After everything we’ve done together as husband and wife, isn’t it obvious who my real wife is? Say something like that again, and I’ll drag you back to the room so we can continue doing what married couples are supposed to do.”
Watching the pair flirt shamelessly with each other, Shen Niao couldn’t help twitching the corners of her mouth in disgust.
“First thing in the morning and you’re already putting on a performance. What a waste that neither of you joined an opera troupe.”
She dusted off clothes that weren’t even dirty before striding toward them.
“Aren’t we going downstairs? Fine. Let’s go together.”
“I’d love to see how everyone reacts when they find the younger brother embracing his own sister-in-law.”
With that, she shoved both of them aside and charged downstairs.
Without even sparing Wu Chengzu’s parents, who were seated in the living room, a glance, she viciously pinched her own thick thigh until tears sprang to her eyes.
Then she flung open the front door and burst outside, wailing at the top of her lungs.
“Help! The Wu family has no shame! They conspired with my cousin’s family to steal my husband! They drugged me on my wedding night and let my shameless cousin crawl into Wu Chengzu’s bed! A sister-in-law sleeping with her husband’s younger brother—where’s the justice in that?!”