System 555 shook its host awake. Feng Mian felt as if her insides had been folded like origami and sucked into space when she was transported away. There was a white stream of light flashing blindingly on top of her and her eyes blinked twice to get rid of its haziness and refocus.
She occupied a large office that was furnished in minimalistic, modern interiors but one could tell at one glance that each piece of furniture came from a designer's brand.
Weirdly enough, although she remembered the last world's tragic event vividly, there was no longer the feeling of sadness and betrayal in her heart. As if what she had gone through was merely a passing dream.
"Baobei, did you do something to me?" As soon as the question left her lips, she was surprised by the deepness of her own voice that sounded rich and husky; like fine velvet.
She figured it was because she had just woken up.
System 555: "Yes, host. Your emotion scale had gone through the roof in the last world. As a protection measure for the safety of task-takers, the main system allowed us supporting systems to shut down your emotions temporarily if they've reached a certain dangerous quota."
Feng Mian nodded absentmindedly.
System 555: "And another thing Xiao Mian. Because the system has made a mistake, transporting you several years earlier than expected, the main system had issued a free lottery spin for you."
In front of her, a virtual hologram popped up showing a colourful mystery wheel roulette.
"Take a spin host."
Feeling like her luck couldn't have been worst than the last world, Feng Mian inattentively spun the wheel in one plunge.
The wheel spun for several rounds, finally landing on 'Divination'.
"What's divination?" she asked 555.
System 555 bounced in excitement. "Woah! Lucky hands, Xiao Mian! Divination means that you can inherit the memories and skills of the original owner, even permanent task-takers would fight tooth and nail for this ability. That's a grade-A ability!"
Feng Mian remembered how she had to fake memory loss from the last world before she could integrate herself and felt that this ability was indeed one big golden finger. Having the previous owners' memories would certainly make it a whole lot easier for her to do her task.
A system prompt went out.
[SYSTEM PROMPT: Target location: City A…. Downloading soul server…. Original host's wish: Make me a billionaire.]
Feng Mian frowned. Those sure are some lofty goals, a billionaire huh?
"555, what's the current body's occupation?" she asked her system.
"Oh, you're a multi-millionaire CEO of a rising IT company host. Isn't that great? You'll be able to live, shop, and boss people around freely in this world. You can thank this daddy for picking out a host with such good criteria."
Feng Mian was honestly moved. "Really, a female CEO? You're truly the only one who treats me well baobei~"
555 went silent for a moment.
"... You wanted to be female?"
"....."
Feng Mian solidified to become a stone buddha. The air stilled, the time stopped, transportations screeched, and every living being paused.
System 555 laughed nervously. "Haish, what difference does one gender make? You humans look all the same anyway. Besides, what is one extra organ compared to the luxurious CEO lifestyle you'll be living, right?"
Feng Mian bolted into her office's private bathroom like satan was on her trails. She looked closely at her reflection in the oval mirror by the sink, touching and stretching parts of her skin.
System 555: "See? So handsome ah! Look at those heroic eyebrows, those untamed grey eyes, those chiselled jaws, and not to mention those six-packs beneath all that muscle. This daddy has really sold it to you for cheap!"
System 555 saw its hosts' face melting into a calm easiness and figured that his argument had finally gotten through to her.
"Baobei, how many points does it take to change gender?" she asked calmly.
System 555: "Eh? That would be 600 000 points host. You can't afford it."
Feng Mian: "En. When this sister has enough money I'll pay for you to undergo the transgender operation."
System 555: "Ehhhhhhh? Why would this manly system change to a girl?! Don't scare this daddy, Xiao Mian!"
Feng Mian: "What difference does gender make? You systems look all the same anyway."
System 555: "...."
Fine, he admits that he was wrong.
"... Baobei ah." Feng Mian softly called out.
"Yes, host?"
"I need to pee."
"Then pee ah." 555 said bewilderedly. 'Why do you need to tell this daddy about your psychological problems?'
"I don't know how to use the equipment. You're a male, you teach me."
***
Feng Mian felt that her soul had slipped out of her body. Her virgin eyes had been traumatised by her thing whose size could be expanded.
'Omma… she was no longer pure.'
After unbuckling her pants, she couldn't fork up the courage to do her business, so in the toilet 555 had to make sounds of water gurgling until her nerves finally loosened and she could let it out.
"Shhhhh…. Shhhhh... Shhhhh…," 555 repeated.
Feng Mian felt that she's lost every ounce of integrity there is in her body. She sat on her oakwood desk with her hands covering her face.
A secretary knocked on the door twice and came in. "Mr Li, Ms Chun Hua is here to see you."
'Who the hell is Ms. Chun Hua?' Feng Mian rubbed her temples.
"Hn. Send her up."
Feng Mian: "Baobei, transfer the original's memory."
Feng Mian leaned into her chair as the memories begin to fill her brain. She felt a second of headache kicking in before she saw images of the original host's recollections go by in fast motions.
The original host's name was Li Xiaocheng, a business tycoon who made his own empire at the age of 22. As a rich, prominent, and young bachelor, he was the dream husband of many young ladies in City A.
Alas, those ladies could only look but cannot touch as this heartthrob's heart had already been snared by his childhood sweetheart who lived next door from an early age. However, before he could profess his love, this childhood sweetheart of his moved overseas to study fashion designing. After years spent pining for this white moonlight and staying chaste, an accident happened on his 26th birthday party.
His drink was spiked and he ended up sleeping with a stranger.
After his grandfather knew about it, he and the woman were urged to tie the knot and were engaged on the spot. On the day of the wedding, his white moonlight came back, making him regretful and his anger was turned towards his soon-to-be wife.
This title of wife became nothing but a vase and the lawfully wedded wife was ignored most of the time. He and his wife had already been married for over a month but other than when he was drugged, they had not spent the night together ever since.
Feng Mian felt like throwing up from the cliche plotline. "This plot, this level of scumminess, and this type of cliche storyline... it's like it's taken straight out of a modern-day dog-blooded novel."
System 555: "You're right host, this plane is from a popular novel franchise. It's called The Villainous CEO Chases After Me: Cheeky Wife, Don't Run Away.
Feng Mian: '..... This generic titling.'
His office's door clicked open without notification. A busty, elegant figure in a red dress and high stilettos strolled in with a smile so seductive it could hook a straight-as-a-pole female. This was the infamous gorgeous white moonlight, Chun Hua.
"Hi, Honeyyyyy~" Her voice was as sticky as Canadian syrup.
The straight-as-a-pole Feng Mian: "... Hey honeyyyy~"
System 555: "Don't holler back! Careful not to go OOC!"
Feng Mian: "This sister was just caught off guard! It's reflex! Reflex!"
Feng Mian got her bearing and mustered what she could remember from the original's host memories to imitate his cold president style.
She gave Chun Hua a moderately handsome grin and said in a masculine tone, "Take a seat, Chun Hua."
Chun Hua sat on the couch right next to him without reservations. Feng Mian felt even though she was a girl inside, the woman sat too close to comfort. She tried worming away slowly to widen the gap.
But this Chun Hua was like an unshakeable parasite that is stuck to her buttcheeks no matter how hard she tried to avoid her.
The lady wrapped her well-manicured nails around her biceps suggestively. "Xiaocheng Gege~ Why didn't you come to fetch me from downstairs?"
Shivers up crawled Feng Mian's spine from being addressed so sweetly. She stood straight as a board, not knowing if she should pry those sharp fingers off of her.
"Busy," she said dismissively.
'Don't try to play coy with this sis, this sis has seen all sorts of schemes and green tea bitches at the back of the palace.'
Chun Hua's mouth upturned into a pampered pout. "Gege is always busy, when are you going to take Chun Hua out?"
Feng Mian: "Can I take her out baobei?"
System 555: "You can't punch her host."
Feng Mian breathed in deeply. She stood up abruptly, causing Chun Hua's fingers to loosen their hold.
"Ge----"
"I need to use the toilet." Feng Mian immediately speed-walked out of his own office.
Chun Hua: "... But there's a toilet in your office."
Feng Mian was already gone. She hid in one of the men's bathroom cubicles until work hour was finished and people congregated at the entrance to head home. It gave her ample time to think about how to solve this troublesome side mistress of hers.
Feng Mian: "Turns out the original host is a scum."
System 555: "You can't expect too much IQ from a president of a romance novel. They're meant to attract female readers with dreams of being a Cinderella, Xiao Mian."
At 5 pm sharp, a white BMW executive car came to pick her up. Feng Mian rode the car in silence as they passed through several high-cost districts. As befitting his wealthy status, the original owner lived in a three-storey villa at the corner lot which had been the most expensive land in the neighbourhood.
The driver stopped at the porch. Feng Mian looked at the modern house and noted how large the front lawn was.
She keyed in the door's password and it creaked open after the beep.
Feng Mian was surprised to see, on the couch of the lounge room, was a slim woman lying down with her eyes closed.
System 555: "That's your wife host."
'Ahh, the poor wife whom the original character neglected. How tragic ba.'
Feng Mian walked up to the sleeping figure and nudged her by the elbow.
"Hey, hey, don't sleep here. Go sleep in your room." She kindly reminded.
The woman's lashes fluttered open and bright hazel orbs greeted her.
Her gaze lingered for a dozen seconds.
The pretty woman's voice was still hoarse as she gestured at Feng Mian to come close.
"Come here, I have something to say to you."
Feng Mian was dumbfounded by the request but still brought her ears closer.
She spoke tentatively, "Feng Mian, you asshole... You forgot to turn off the gas."
[SYSTEM PROMPT: Soul fluctuation detected. Awakening revived by 100%. Congratulations host, main mission accomplished. Task completion rate - 50%.
Soul collection rate - 20%]