"Someone, prepare water! I need to bathe!"
The moment Song Shixuan, that bastard, was taken away, Lu Zhuxin's demeanor shattered like glass.
His lingering scent clung to her, wrapping around her, and she felt utterly repulsed. It was as if she had been smeared with his filth, and all she could think about was scrubbing it away.
The thought of a good, cleansing bath was all she could think about.
[Host, you could just use a purification spell to cleanse your body; bathing isn't necessary.]
Lu Zhuxin dismissed the system's suggestion without a second thought.
She was well aware of what it implied—she had read enough novels to know. But even in this new life, she remained fundamentally human, and her habits weren't going to change overnight. Moreover, she had no desire to change them.
Transmigration felt more like an ordeal or a game, not a substitute for her existence. She was determined to shatter the confines of this game's rules!
The maidservants of the Demon Palace were impeccably trained; no matter how peculiar the command, they executed it with impassive composure.
Before long, a luxurious bathtub was ready for her.
Without hesitation, Lu Zhuxin stripped down and plunged into the warm water, relishing the sensation. She scrubbed her skin vigorously as if trying to peel away a layer, determined to rid herself of that vile odor.
Only when her skin was flushed and the scent had vanished did she finally relent.
"Whew…" She leaned back against the tub's edge, her eyelids drooping with contentment.
[Host seems to be getting quite accustomed to being in a female body.]
The system's voice carried an unexpected sigh.
"Accustomed? Do I look like I'm accustomed to this?" Lu Zhuxin mused, pausing to gather her thoughts. "I'm just rationalizing it. This is merely a role-playing game, and I'm learning to accept it."
[Role-playing?]
"Have you ever played a game?" she replied. "Online games or single-player ones, the type that lets you customize your main character or choose their gender."
[And?]
Lu Zhuxin stretched, a smile creeping onto her lips. "I have a routine when I play. In every game that allows it, I always opt for a female character as my player avatar."
"So, I can treat this transmigration like a game."
"A fully immersive role-playing experience!"
"The Heavenly Dao acts as the game's rules. I need to dodge any paths that could lead to a BAD END and steer the narrative toward a glorious HAPPY END."
"Specifically, the ending where I completely obliterate the Heavenly Destined Male Protagonist, Song Shixuan!"
"Thinking about it like this makes it so much more thrilling!"
[So, the Host is simply treating this as a game?]
"What else would it be?" Lu Zhuxin chuckled, her demeanor now relaxed, a stark contrast to the anxiety she had felt when she first transmigrated.
"Make the best of a bad situation," she added, waving her hand dismissively.
"Clear the game, and I can leave this place and return to my original world. Fail, and I'll lose my life, stuck in this hell."
"Ah, the classic transmigration system cliché. It's pretty much the same process I've written in several stories," she mused.
"Maybe I was a bit nervous at first, especially after you warned me how terrifying it would be. But honestly, when I think about it, it's just like that."
Then, Lu Zhuxin paused as a thought struck her. "What? Is it not as simple as I think? Can I not go back?"
[That's naturally not the case, as long as the Host can complete the objective.]
[Yes, provided the Host can complete the final objective.]
"Oh…?" Her eyebrows lifted slightly at the system's response. There was something in its tone that hinted at a deeper meaning.
Why emphasize the condition of her completing the objective? It almost felt like the system doubted her ability to succeed.
Could secrets be there lurking behind her transmigration?
"You wouldn't… be hiding something from me, would you?"
[The system will not deceive in any way; all clues related to the mission will be truthfully informed to the Host. It's just strange, being a man, aren't you curious about a woman's body?]
"What's there to be curious about?" Lu Zhuxin brushed off the system's abrupt shift in topic.
From the very beginning, she had sensed that her system was far more intelligent and free-spirited than the rigid, mechanical ones she was used to.
"Women? It's not like I haven't seen them before." She rolled her eyes. Did she really look that desperate?
"You seem to really want me to notice my current body."
[Host, aren't you just a bit curious? This body of yours is also a gift prepared for you by the original owner, Ming Zhaoxi. The system wants to know your reaction when you see this body.]
"A gift from Ming Zhaoxi?" Lu Zhuxin frowned, the revelation sending a shiver down her spine.
Her current body was actually prepared by that nine-tailed fox demon who had stabbed her seventy-two times?
What on earth did Ming Zhaoxi intend to do?
As the thoughts swirled in her mind, a sense of foreboding crept in.
She stepped out of the bathtub and conjured a shimmering water mirror with a flick of her wrist.
In its reflective depths, she could see every inch of her body, from her delicate head to her dainty toes.
Without a stitch of clothing, Lu Zhuxin took in the sight of herself.
Though she had glimpsed her form while bathing, this full view stirred a different sensation entirely.
What she saw was a cute, innocent face framed by long, silvery hair and striking wine-red eyes.
Her skin, a cool porcelain white, looked so tender it seemed as if a light pinch might cause it to glisten with droplets.
Standing at about 1.6 meters tall, her slender waist could easily be circled by two hands.
Her breasts were modest, easily concealed by a single palm.
On that snowy canvas, hints of soft pink added an alluring touch, hinting at secrets waiting to be uncovered.
"This…" Lu Zhuxin frowned, and the girl in the mirror mirrored her expression, a cute frown accentuating her youthful features.
The Lu Zhuxin reflected back was undeniably a young girl, one who hadn't fully matured yet.
"Ming Zhaoxi prepared this body for me?" Lu Zhuxin mused. "What does she want from me?"
"Why did she give me such a barren physique?"
[Host, is it pretty?]
Naturally, it was pretty. Even with her discerning gaze, Lu Zhuxin struggled to find a flaw in that face.
"But why does it look like a little girl?!"
"Where is my alluring, tall, curvy fox demon big sister?!"
[Does the Host really want to be a sexy woman?]
Lu Zhuxin chose to ignore that question, staring intently at the mirror until realization struck her.
"I get it now!" she exclaimed.
[Host, what do you understand?]
The system seemed a bit perplexed.
"This is Ming Zhaoxi's plan!" Lu Zhuxin declared, her voice laced with indignation. "She turned me into this flat-chested, flat-bottomed form so I would be a bottom!"
"To humiliate me!"
Irritated, she tugged at her hair. "Ming Zhaoxi, that woman! How could she be so cruel?!"
"I was once a 1.88-meter-tall, high-quality human male. Even if I've switched genders, I should at least be a big top! How could I end up as a weak bottom?"
"What a malicious woman!"
[...]
[So the Host's focus is on this?!]