“Zzz~ Zzz~…”
“Zzz… Zzz… System energy is insufficient…”
“Zzz… System loading progressed 90%…”
“Loading progress 100%. Melon-Eating System No. 233 at your service.”
“Detected that the host’s body is relatively weak. Please replenish the system’s energy as soon as possible…”
……
Lin Baiyu’s mind was a mess, and her whole body felt weak and sore. She thought that after finishing this project, she really needed to take some time off and rest properly.
She wanted to lie down and sleep a little longer, but the unfamiliar mechanical voice ringing constantly in her ears made it impossible for her to fall asleep peacefully.
Slowly opening her eyes, Lin Baiyu was greeted by a completely unfamiliar sight. Confusion filled her gaze, but one thing she was certain of was that this was not her room.
A half-worn cotton quilt covered her body. The house looked like an old yellow mud dwelling one would only find in a remote mountain village, and even the clothes she was wearing were made of coarse cotton and linen.
Wait!
Lin Baiyu suddenly looked at her hands and widened her eyes in shock.
These hands clearly did not belong to her either!
Before she could fully process what was happening, a flood of fragmented memories suddenly surged into her mind.
A moment later, clarity gradually returned to Lin Baiyu’s eyes as she absorbed those memories. At the same time, she realized that she seemed to have transmigrated, and not just anywhere. She had transmigrated into a novel she had once read, becoming a minor bystander character who happened to share her exact name, Lin Baiyu.
Lin Baiyu had thought that was already absurd enough, but what came next was even more unbelievable. The voice she had heard while unconscious had not been a hallucination at all.
There really was a system.
At that moment, the system’s notification sounded in her mind again.
“Ding! Melon-Eating System No. 233 has detected that the host’s soul state is stable. Would you like to bind with the system?”
“Please choose: Yes or No?”
A Melon-Eating System?
There was no such thing as a free lunch. This was probably some kind of trap. Still, if it was giving her a choice, choosing no should be fine, right?
Lin Baiyu silently complained to herself.
“If you choose no, host, you will permanently lose the opportunity to bind with the system.”
“You should be able to feel how weak this body is right now. By binding with the system, completing tasks, and collecting the energy needed for system upgrades, not only can you live to ninety years old, but returning to your original world will also be possible.”
Lin Baiyu had not expected the system to hear her thoughts. It seemed that communication could be done through her mind.
More importantly, what the system was offering was extremely tempting to her current situation.
After weighing her options carefully, Lin Baiyu realized she had no reason to refuse.
“I choose yes,” she replied silently.
“Ding! Host Lin Baiyu has successfully bound Melon-Eating System No. 233.”
“The host may now assign a name to the system.”
Lin Baiyu thought for a moment.
“Then I’ll call you Xiao Bai.”
“Xiao Bai, now that I’ve come here and taken over this body, what happened to the original Lin Baiyu?”
“The original Lin Baiyu was already physically weak. Cases like hers are not uncommon in this world. However, a variable appeared in this world’s timeline. After hitting her forehead and developing a fever, her body became excessively weakened, causing her to pass away earlier than she otherwise would have.”
“Did she have any unfinished wishes?”
“Her greatest wish before death was for her grandparents to enjoy a peaceful old age and for her brother to live a happy life.”
Lin Baiyu silently committed that wish to memory.
In her previous life, she had never experienced the warmth of family affection. Since she had inherited the original Lin Baiyu’s body, she would do her best to fulfill the poor girl’s final wish.
“As this is the host’s first system binding, the system will issue a beginner’s gift package. The host may also perform one Lucky Wheel draw.”
As soon as the words fell, a system status panel appeared before Lin Baiyu’s eyes.
Host: Lin Baiyu
Gender: Female
Age: 18
Physical Condition: Extremely Weak (Out of breath after only a few steps)
Beside the status panel was an inventory tab. After switching to it, she discovered a grid-like storage space containing the newly issued gift package:
1 Strengthening Pill
1 Bottle of Clear Spirit Water
100 Yuan
5 Jin of Milk Candy
1 Tin of Milk Powder
As she examined the items, Lin Baiyu continued speaking with the system.
“Xiao Bai, what exactly is this Clear Spirit Water?”
“Host, considering your current physical condition and the requirements of future tasks, Clear Spirit Water can enhance your hearing and eyesight.”
“I see. If I use both of these now, will there be any unusual changes to my body?”
Lin Baiyu raised the question again. The last thing she wanted was for others to think she was some kind of monster.
“There will be no obvious abnormalities. The Strengthening Pill and Clear Spirit Water will gradually improve the host’s body. To outsiders, it will simply appear that your health is slowly recovering.”
Hearing that, Lin Baiyu finally felt reassured.
The weakness in her body was extremely uncomfortable, so she immediately took out the Strengthening Pill and the bottle of Clear Spirit Water and consumed them.
After taking them, a warm sensation spread throughout her body, and she instantly felt much lighter and more energetic.
She opened the system panel once more.
Host: Lin Baiyu
Gender: Female
Age: 18
Physical Condition: Weak (Much weaker than an average person)
Seeing the expected result, Lin Baiyu closed the panel.
Estimating her current condition, she carefully got out of bed. After taking a few slow steps, she gradually adapted to the body. With the system’s help, she figured it would not take long before she could function like a normal person again.
Once she became tired, she returned to bed to continue resting and recover her strength.
Soon, a wave of hunger struck her.
Judging by the time of day, Grandma Lin should be returning from work soon.
Sure enough, before long she heard the door open.
A moment later, an elderly woman who still looked remarkably strong for her age entered Lin Baiyu’s room.
Thanks to the original owner’s memories, Lin Baiyu recognized her immediately.
This was Grandma Lin.
Grandma Lin hurried to sit beside the bed, her face full of excitement.
“Xiaoyu, how are you feeling today? Grandma thinks you look much more energetic. It’s truly a blessing from Heaven. I knew you’d slowly get better.”
“Don’t worry, Grandma. I feel much better today. I think I’ll recover completely before long.”
Lin Baiyu smiled as she reassured her.
“Good, good, that’s wonderful. You must be hungry, Xiaoyu. Grandma will go make dinner first. It’ll be ready soon.”
With that, Grandma Lin quickly got up and headed to the kitchen.
Lying on the bed, Lin Baiyu experienced the care of a family member for the first time in her life.
A strange warmth filled her heart.
She thought that from now on, she was Lin Baiyu, and Lin Baiyu was her.
She would take good care of Grandma Lin.
Before long, dinner was ready.
Rather than waiting for Grandma Lin to bring the food over, Lin Baiyu had already gotten out of bed and walked to the dining table in the main room.
“Grandma, I’m much better now. I can’t stay in bed all the time. Moving around a little will help me recover faster.”
Lin Baiyu patiently explained.
Grandma Lin sighed helplessly.
“You’ve always had a mind of your own since you were little. Fine, if that’s what you say. But you still need to rest more.”
On the table sat a bowl of steamed egg custard, a bowl of white rice, a bowl of corn porridge, and two sweet potatoes.
Grandma Lin pushed the steamed egg and sweet potatoes toward Lin Baiyu while keeping the corn porridge and one sweet potato for herself.
Once again, Lin Baiyu saw the old woman’s deep affection.
Without realizing it, she sped up her meal and then pushed half of the remaining steamed egg toward Grandma Lin.
“Grandma, you know I don’t eat much to begin with. We can’t let food go to waste. It’s so hot these days that it’ll spoil if we leave it. You should eat it.”
Afraid Grandma Lin would refuse, Lin Baiyu deliberately pretended she was already full.
Although Grandma Lin was somewhat suspicious, Lin Baiyu’s performance looked genuine. Food was still precious in these times, so after muttering a few words, she finished the egg.
There was very little entertainment in the countryside at night.
After dinner, the two chatted for a while before each returning to their own room to rest.
In this world, there were no late nights spent working overtime. As someone who had been a workaholic in her previous life, Lin Baiyu found it somewhat difficult to adjust.
However, her weakened body quickly pulled her into a deep sleep.