Hot.
That was Jinli's only feeling as she laid motionless on the ground, completely drained of energy. Her head throbbed as her mind drifted in and out of consciousness.
What... what is happening?
Taking a deep breath, she summoned all her energy and pried her eyes open. Immediately, she saw a pair of frenzied eyes staring back at her. It was inching closer and closer until Jinli could almost feel its heavy, lecherous pants on her cheeks.
"???!!!"
Facing this, her jumbled thoughts immediately jolted her awake.
A domineering voice boomed at the same moment," I don't care who you are, woman, I--"
"Bam!"
Alarmed, the man froze in silence. The blow forced him to swallow any remnant of his scandalous remarks.
His eyes widened in disbelief after scanning his perpetrator thoroughly. Immediately, a sense of dissatisfaction and displeasure surged through him. Yet, weakness rushed through his limbs as he felt his knees buckle under his own weight. Against his will, he collapsed.
Argh! So heavy!
Jinli chucked away the wine bottle which she'd conveniently picked up as she threw a loathing glare at the scum, shamelessly lying on her chest. Her eyes burned through this failure of a man as she unceremoniously pushed him off herself.
She teetered about, struggling with her light-headedness. Her vision was still blurry, her mind faint and disoriented. She attempted to pull herself together as she took a much-needed rest on the sofa.
I'm sure I was just taking a drink from the Grand Elder's wine stash not long ago. Did I have too much to drink?
As her consciousness seeped back, Jinli immediately realised that something was off. This body was not her Immortal Body.
Meridians all clogged, natures in a huge mess. Obviously, this body has zero cultivation, like a peasant's.
Suddenly, Jinli bolted straight up. She seemed to have recalled something. Squeezing out whatever little hazy memory her body retained, she managed to find the bathroom mirror.
An elegant lady peeked back from within. Her tall, sculpted physique was the epitome of grace and beauty. Her captivating figure was world-class by any standards. Following the slender and curvilinear waist up, her full, alluring lips met Jinli's eyes. Then her delicate, dainty nose, and finally, her set of enchanting, sakura-pink eyes. These eyes, sparkling like jewels, were bewitching, tugging at heartstrings with every gentle blink. In anyone's eyes, this charming lady would be classified as the pinnacle of beauty.
Yet to Jinli, the woman was severely lacking. Outdated makeup, terrible skin condition, old-fashioned aura. She was anything but beautiful.
To think she shares even three-quarters of my looks. Shame! What a shame!
For the next three minutes, Jinli managed to slip into this woman's memories. Her name was Bai Jinli.
An ordinary, plain-jane 3rd rate actress. In the eyes of many, she had not produced any notable works. In reality, her only skill was in provoking scandals. It could have been anything. Be it having an inflated ego to plastic surgery, from show-girling to engaging in affairs, and even sparking baseless, false rumours. Bai Jinli was always the audience's target for defamation and slurs. She was truly the undisputable Queen of Scandals.
Seeing all of this, Jinli was at a loss for words. She was utterly confounded. Never had she ever imagined that a person could be so intellectually bankrupt. Such a person was truly hard to come by. If not for the lucrative commercial potential that Bai Jinli's body presented, she would have been completely neglected by everyone, professionals and audience alike.
Of course, Bai Jinli's managers did not exactly possess the purest of intentions. More than half, if not all, of Bai Jinli's scandals, could be traced back to their hands. All the vices she engaged in were initiated by her company. Yet, those were not the most evil of their schemes. Given a chance, Bai Jinli would have already been thrown on the beds of any wealthy investors. As far as the company was concerned, the potential investment and programmes had actual value. However, Bai Jinli should consider herself lucky. Her upbringing from the suburbs was her saving grace. Her deep-rooted traditionalist morals had saved her from losing her chastity.
Well, that was also the main factor in why she hadn't reached success. She lacked talent. She lacked a formidable background. She lacked critical social skills. Yet, she had refused to pawn her marketable body for success. In light of all this, it was unsurprising that she was unsuccessful.