Jiang Zheyu cried softly for a while. Remembering that she had apparently just bonded with a system, she hastily asked, "System, can you send me back?"
The system fell silent for a moment before replying, "My apologies, Host. Transmigration is an irreversible event. You will live in this world from now on, and this system will do its best to help you survive."
Jiang Zheyu's mouth fell open, her tea-colored eyes filled with a shattered look. "Then why couldn't you have put me into a better body?"
This current identity was truly despised by everyone and their dog.
'There's probably someone out there using the thought of getting revenge on her as their sole motivation in life.'
'If she wanted to find a sugar daddy, no one would probably even have her.'
'Life is so hopeless.'
"Rest assured, Host," the system consoled her. "I am a spiritual power purification system. As long as you complete the required daily Purification Value, you can not only increase your own spiritual power, but also earn System Points. These points can be used to purchase anything in the System Mall, including but not limited to all sorts of modern-day delicacies and daily necessities."
Jiang Zheyu recalled that while this interstellar world was technologically advanced, its cuisine was becoming increasingly barren. Most Beastmen simply consumed nutrient solution.
So, the problem of having no good food was temporarily solved.
All that was left was the matter of purifying spiritual power.
In fact, according to the original owner's memories, spiritual power soothing was typically performed through mating between Beast Mates. This was because a female's spiritual power wasn't as strong as a male's, so they couldn't separate out spiritual power filaments for purification. Only by joining body and spirit could they purify a male's spiritual power.
Generally, only a female with A+ spiritual power or higher could separate spiritual power filaments for purification.
The backdrop of this interstellar world was one of few females and many males. Females with soothing abilities were even rarer, to say nothing of those with A+ spiritual power or higher.
Across the entire Interstellar Empire, only the Little Princess of the Empire had tested as a female with A+ spiritual power.
The original owner's spiritual power had only tested as C-rank.
Soothing ability corresponded to spiritual power strength, ranked from lowest to highest: F, E, D, C, B, A, S.
Each rank was further divided into four tiers. For example, C-rank included C+++, C++, C+, and C.
The original owner's soothing ability was a C, a perfectly average level, yet she was already treated like a treasure by the Empire. She was not only assigned a large villa but also an officer for a Beast Mate—the very same giant python from earlier.
This world also offered all sorts of legal privileges to females.
As long as you didn't go looking for trouble, a life of wealth and luxury was actually quite easy to obtain.
Jiang Zheyu realized this as well. 'If I don't cause trouble, I can just cling to my officer Beast Mate and be a kept woman my whole life. A life of being served hand and foot would be a piece of cake!'
At this thought, her tea-colored eyes suddenly lit up.
But a moment later, she remembered that the original owner had already sealed her fate by courting death, and the light in her eyes dimmed once more.
And yet, in the very next instant, her eyes lit up again!
'I can find someone who doesn't know me, someone I've never bullied, and start a new relationship, a new life!'
'This is an interstellar world where females get tons of privileges. I have a system that can improve my spiritual power. Finding a powerful patron here has to be easier than finding one back in the modern world!'
Jiang Zheyu's hope for life was rekindled.
She got up from the blanket and, guided by her new memories, walked into the bathroom.
Jiang Zheyu stared at her reflection in the mirror, the corner of her mouth twitching. 'What in the world is this makeup? It's so caked-on and garish, like some kind of grotesque ghost painting.'
She quickly grabbed some facial cleanser and makeup remover and scrubbed her face. When she looked up again, even though she had braced herself, her eyes still widened slightly. This face looked exactly like her own when she was a teenager.
The girl in the mirror had a pair of clear, tea-colored eyes and smooth, shoulder-length brown hair. Her features were fair and delicate, with picturesque brows, a small, elegant nose, and soft pink lips. She was beautiful and pure—stunningly so.
The reason the original owner had painted her face into that ghastly state was all because of her "good best friend." The original owner had been a fool and listened to everything her friend said.
Case solved. She was a frenemy.
Jiang Zheyu: ...
'She looks exactly like me. With looks like these, what couldn't she do? Why was she so dead set on being the villain!'
"Master Yu Yu, do you require assistance?" a mechanical male voice suddenly asked.
The sudden voice nearly made Jiang Zheyu jump. Only then did she remember that this villa had an intelligent butler she could command at any time.
Also, the original owner's name was the same as hers: Jiang Zheyu.
"Xiaoyi, please draw a bath for me. I'm going to take a shower," Jiang Zheyu said softly.
"Understood, Master Yu Yu," Xiaoyi the butler replied.
Soon, Jiang Zheyu was enjoying a rose-scented bath. She didn't have to lift a finger. She only had to speak, and Xiaoyi the butler would deliver whatever she needed right to her using levitation technology.
With so many objects flying through the air, you might think you'd entered a world of Magic if you didn't know any better. In reality, it was just magnetic levitation, a product of advanced technology.
Jiang Zheyu didn't understand the specifics. All she knew was that she only had to ask, and Xiaoyi would bring things to her.
According to her memories, some females even bought bionic robots to tend to their daily needs, allowing them to live a life where they never had to lift a finger or a toe.
The original owner hadn't bought any, though. She figured she could just apply to the Empire for a few more Beast Mates, and they could take care of her. But before she got the chance, she croaked.
Jiang Zheyu sat cross-legged on the soft bed while a hairdryer automatically activated to dry her hair for her.
After the full routine of bathing and skincare, Jiang Zheyu felt so comfortable that she just wanted to lie down and sleep.
She sat cross-legged on the bed, her head already starting to nod off.
"Master Yu Yu, it's finished," Xiaoyi's voice announced. "You can get a good night's sleep now."
"Thank you, Xiaoyi..."
Upon hearing this, Jiang Zheyu flopped limply onto the bed and fell asleep.
She'd had Xiaoyi change the sheets on this bed, too.
'Yes, I'll just sleep for now,' she thought. 'I'll deal with my problems tomorrow.'
The room's temperature automatically adjusted to a comfortable level for sleeping.
Jiang Zheyu, dressed in a loose, calf-length pink nightgown, lay on the soft, clean bed, the corners of her lips curling up slightly in contentment.
After all, the tension had melted away after that fragrant, hot bath.
The nightlight in the room cast a soft, warm glow.
「The next day.」
Jiang Zheyu woke up in a daze to the system's voice in her head: "Host, today's purification task has a value of 5. It must be completed before midnight. Failure to complete it will result in a penalty, you know."
"You didn't say anything about a penalty yesterday," Jiang Zheyu said, on the verge of tears.
"Because the Host didn't ask, and I forgot to mention it." The system's mechanical female voice seemed to let out an embarrassed laugh.
Jiang Zheyu weakly asked in her mind, "What's the penalty for not completing the task?"
"Our spiritual power purification system is very humane. We don't resort to cruel punishments like electric shocks or obliteration for failing tasks." The system chuckled. "We only force the Host to do some embarrassing things, including but not limited to: stealing someone's underwear, climbing into a stranger's bed, confessing your love to a stranger on the street..."
As a self-proclaimed introvert, Jiang Zheyu silently hung her proud head. "How... How is that not cruel?"
For an introvert, that was indeed a bit much to accept.