As she walked along the corridor back to her courtyard, Ye Jinyun was still lost in her thoughts. She barely paid attention to where she was going and was just about to walk straight into a pillar.
[Beep, beep. Warning. Due to the host’s inattentiveness while walking, collision with a pillar is imminent. Please pay attention.]
The sudden mechanical voice in her mind startled her back to her senses.
Looking up, she saw that she was only one step away from crashing into the pillar. She quickly stopped daydreaming and focused on walking properly.
When she finally returned to her courtyard, the reality of the situation sank in.
She really was going to enter the palace and participate in the imperial selection.
Then another thought occurred to her.
Although there was no way to avoid attending the selection, there was no reason to worry so much. After all, she still had the large red birthmark on her face.
Surely the emperor wouldn’t choose an ugly woman to enter the imperial harem.
The moment she thought of that, her mood brightened considerably.
She still hoped to marry a good man someday.
Although a monogamous marriage was practically impossible in this ancient era, she would be satisfied as long as husband and wife treated each other with mutual respect.
The imperial palace, however, was a completely different matter.
With her level of intelligence, she felt she probably wouldn’t survive more than two episodes in a palace drama.
Having sorted out her thoughts, Ye Jinyun rubbed her stomach.
She was hungry.
She had barely eaten any breakfast, then spent half the morning sitting through the family meeting. Her stomach was already empty.
She immediately instructed Qing’er to bring lunch.
The dishes were served quickly.
Qing’er brought water for her to wash her hands. After drying them, Ye Jinyun pulled out a chair and sat down, only to stare at the table in surprise.
Good heavens.
Why was today’s meal so lavish?
Normally, her meals were plain, and meat dishes were rare.
Yet today there were dishes such as Eight-Treasure Roast Duck and Shrimp Tofu Soup—foods that usually only appeared on her table during major festivals.
Perhaps Madam Yang had decided that, since she would be participating in the palace selection, it would look bad if word got out that she was being mistreated.
That could easily lead to trouble.
Ye Jinyun immediately had Qing’er wash her hands as well and join her for the meal.
Over the years, mistress and servant had depended on each other for survival.
Neither of them had lived particularly well.
Whenever Ye Jinyun received something good, she always saved a portion for Qing’er. If there was delicious food, she insisted on sharing it.
Qing’er was deeply grateful to the young lady who treated her like family and silently vowed to serve her faithfully for the rest of her life.
The two of them enjoyed the meal together.
Ye Jinyun ate so much that she nearly stuffed herself.
In her previous life, she had been a devoted foodie.
After being reborn, however, she had neither loving parents nor a comfortable life, only a cruel stepmother.
Whenever good food appeared, she ate as much as she could.
Besides, with the System, she never worried about gaining weight.
No matter what happened to her body, the System could automatically restore it.
Back when she had first been reborn and discovered the existence of the System, she had spent a long time talking with it.
She learned that it was a Host Protection System from an advanced interstellar civilization.
It was because the System had chosen her that she had been able to reincarnate into the body of the Second Miss of the Ye family.
The System also explained that it needed a host to sustain its own operation and avoid being eliminated.
Their relationship was mutually dependent.
After examining her, the System determined that her original physique was far too weak and vulnerable.
In order to help her survive in this ancient world, it completely reconstructed her body.
The process had been agonizing.
Her entire body had hurt for over half a month.
But the benefits were tremendous.
First of all, every organ in her body had been enhanced.
Her hearing became extraordinarily sharp, allowing her to hear sounds from great distances.
Her eyesight improved as well; she could see clearly even at night.
Her voice had become flawless.
Whenever she spoke, her voice carried a naturally alluring softness that was pleasant and captivating.
If she deliberately acted coquettishly, anyone listening would probably feel their bones melt.
Her body’s healing and detoxification abilities were also incredibly strong.
She was practically immune to poison.
In the past, Ye Jinrong had repeatedly tried to cause trouble for her.
Once, she even slipped laxatives into her food, hoping to embarrass her publicly.
Yet after eating them, Ye Jinyun was perfectly fine.
The result had infuriated Ye Jinrong so much that she stomped her feet in frustration.
Unwilling to give up, she later brought servants to harass and prank her.
However, thanks to the System’s warnings and assistance, Ye Jinyun managed to avoid every scheme.
After countless failed attempts, even Ye Jinrong grew tired of trying.
Eventually, she realized it was pointless and mostly stopped targeting her directly.
Another benefit of the System’s modifications was her physical health.
She was as healthy as anyone could possibly be.
Since her transformation, she had never fallen ill once.
Compared to the delicate and fragile people of this era, her constitution was vastly superior.
Her body had also developed beautifully.
Despite rarely receiving nutritious supplements, she possessed a graceful figure with a slender waist and long legs.
It was exactly the kind of body she had dreamed of having in her previous life.
As for her appearance, there was even less to say.
The original owner of the body had already been a pretty girl.
After all, both her parents were attractive.
But after the System’s modifications, her features became even more refined and flawless.
Her skin grew smooth, delicate, fair, and rosy.
Touching it felt softer and silkier than a baby’s skin.
Moreover, a faint natural fragrance constantly lingered around her body.
The scent was pleasant and soothing.
To avoid attracting attention, however, she deliberately wore strongly scented sachets to mask it.
After all, even though she had a red birthmark on her face, her figure was absolutely first-rate.
Just from behind, anyone could tell she was a great beauty.
And her snow-white, flawless skin drove both her stepmother and younger sister nearly mad with jealousy.
Ye Jinrong might possess stunning facial beauty, but her skin was merely average.
No matter how many milk baths or flower-petal baths she took, she could never come close to matching Ye Jinyun’s complexion.
As a result, her jealousy only deepened.
She constantly mocked Ye Jinyun and looked for faults to criticize.
Even without knowing about the natural fragrance, they already caused endless trouble.
There was no way Ye Jinyun would let them discover that secret as well.
It wasn’t that she feared being targeted.
It was simply exhausting dealing with people.
Thinking of all this, Ye Jinyun called out to the System in her mind and sincerely thanked it for giving her such an extraordinary body.
[Beep. No need to thank me, Host. Products made by the System are always premium quality.]
Ye Jinyun was speechless.
This System was surprisingly narcissistic.