Chapter 3

Chapter 3: Baibao Can Assess Men When I slowly opened my eyes, I felt as though I were lying in an extraordinarily soft mass of cotton, surrounded by endless darkness. In an instant, a terrifying thought flashed through my mind—could I have already died and fallen into the legendary underworld? This situation was truly difficult to explain. All I had done was make a slightly worldly and frivolous wish before the Buddha. How had I provoked the Buddha’s wrath so badly that he had killed me outright? Wasn’t the Buddha supposed to embody compassion? I wondered whether, after death, my body would drift about freely and without restraint, just like the ghosts shown on television. Driven by curiosity, I slowly raised one arm. But instead of the lightness and weightlessness I had expected, I felt a heavy sensation caused by an obese body, pressing down on me until I could barely catch my breath. When I realized that I could move my arm freely, yet it felt completely unfamiliar, my heart jolted. I hurriedly tried to sit up. That movement shocked me even more. Although I could move every part of my body with ease, every inch of it felt strange. This body wasn’t mine! In an environment so dark that I couldn’t see my own hand, I helplessly reached out and touched my body, trying to understand this unbelievable situation through physical contact. I first slowly ran both hands over my cheeks. When my fingertips touched the smooth, delicate skin, I secretly felt relieved. But the moment I felt how much flesh there was, I wanted to bang my head against the wall! Ah—what is this? Why is my face covered in so much flesh? The texture feels nice, but isn’t this a little too much? Completely unnecessary! Then, anxious and flustered, I reached down and felt around my abdomen. The instant I touched it, I felt as though I had been struck by lightning and nearly screamed. Aaaaaah—someone save me! Why did I end up with such a huge belly after death? It was practically the beer belly of some greasy middle-aged man! Furious and aggrieved, I slapped the place where I was sitting and shouted through clenched teeth, “What kind of heartless underworld is this? Why did I turn into a fat person after dying? Shouldn’t a ghost still look like the body it had when it was alive?” As soon as my voice fell, a clear female voice suddenly came from not far away. Although it wasn’t loud, it sounded especially abrupt in the silent darkness of the night. “Miss, are you having a nightmare, or are you awake?” The unexpected voice made my heart contract violently, and it nearly leaped out of my throat. “Oh my god! You nearly scared me to death by suddenly speaking!” As I cried out, I instinctively patted my chest. Wait a minute. Could it be that I hadn’t died? “Miss, I’m sorry for frightening you. Please wait. I’ll light the lamp.” Before long, the pale yellow glow of candlelight slowly appeared before my eyes, gradually dispelling the darkness around me. I sat quietly, surveying my surroundings. It was an old-fashioned room filled with the charm of bygone days. The girl who had spoken earlier looked about fourteen or fifteen. She wore the white undergarments commonly seen in historical television dramas, with a peach-pink, frog-buttoned robe draped casually over her shoulders. After lighting two candles, she walked toward me. “Miss, do you need to get up during the night?” she asked softly, slightly bending forward. I was dazed, my mind completely blank. Even my words came out haltingly. “No… no need.” “Um, what’s your name?” I tried my best to calm myself. The girl looked at me in confusion, then answered, “This servant’s name is Taohong. Miss, what’s wrong?” “Ah—nothing, nothing! My head feels heavy from sleeping, and I suddenly couldn’t remember. Go back to sleep. I’m going to sleep too!” With that, I quickly threw myself back into bed, pulled up the covers, and turned my back toward Taohong, trying to conceal the panic in my heart. At least judging from the situation so far, Taohong posed no threat to me. There was a very high chance that my soul had transmigrated into the body of her Miss. Taohong seemed to believe me. Her footsteps gradually faded into the distance, and then she blew out the candles. The room once again sank into darkness. Why had my soul occupied this body without receiving even the slightest bit of its original owner’s memories? Heavens really didn’t play by the rules! I was thinking irritably when my hand accidentally touched something slightly cold at my neck. It seemed to be a jade pendant. I gently rubbed the jade pendant with my fingers, and an inexplicable sense of familiarity welled up inside me. Feeling it carefully, I found that its design looked somewhat like the Maitreya Buddha Statue I had worshiped before my death. Suddenly, the jade pendant seemed to emit a faint glow, which vanished in an instant. The light was concealed beneath the covers and didn’t leak into the room, so it failed to attract Taohong’s attention. After the light faded, I discovered that I had arrived in an unfamiliar place. There was a hot spring before me. Water bubbled up continuously, and billowing steam drifted through the air, veiling everything before my eyes in a mysterious haze. Suddenly, a small white animal seemed to be swimming happily in the hot spring, its figure appearing and disappearing beneath the water. Curious, I moved closer, crouching down to get a better look at the creature swimming back and forth. But just as I crouched down, before I could examine it, the creature suddenly sprang out of the water and sank its teeth into my ankle. “Ow!” I cried out in pain. Looking down, I saw that it was a tiny white lion about the size of a kitten, with snow-white fur that was incredibly adorable. This little thing certainly had quite a temper. It had bitten me the moment we met. “Master, Master, you finally have the ability to come find me.” A childish voice, like that of a young child, rang beside my ear. I looked doubtfully at the soft and adorable little lion by my feet and muttered, “That child’s voice just now… couldn’t it have come from you?” “Master, it was me. I bit you just now to establish a means of communication between us. Once my saliva mixed with your blood, we would be able to communicate through our souls.” The little lion tilted its head and looked at me with a pair of large, watery eyes. “So it really was you! But you didn’t have to bite so hard. If you weren’t so adorable, I would’ve nearly kicked you into the air!” “Master, soak in the hot spring for a while. Your injury will heal very soon.” The little lion gently rubbed its head against my leg, acting spoiled. “I can soak in the hot spring, but are you male or female? You’re not going to peek at me while I’m taking off my clothes, are you?” “Master, I’m a spirit pet. I have no gender, so don’t worry!” “Fine, then. I’ll listen to you and get in for a soak.” As I spoke, I quickly stripped off my clothes and looked down at my current body, unable to stop myself from feeling miserable. Oh my gosh—meow! It’s really so dark! And really so fat! But then I thought about it. Being given a second chance at life was already a miracle, so why should I focus too much on my appearance? When the comfortable spring water enveloped my entire body, I closed my eyes in pleasure and felt the nourishment of the hot spring. At that moment, I looked at the little lion swimming beside me and asked, “By the way, little one, do you have a name?” “Master, my name is naturally for you to decide.” The little lion raised its head and looked at me. “You’re so white, so I’ll call you Baibao! Baibao, tell me, where is this place? And do you know why I became this person?” “Master, this is the spirit realm, a treasure bestowed by the Buddha upon the Fated One. This spring has the effects of prolonging life, strengthening the body, and beautifying and reshaping the figure.” “Prolonging life? Strengthening the body? Beautifying and reshaping the figure? Really?! I’m most interested in the beautifying and reshaping effects. Hurry up and tell me more.” My eyes lit up, and I couldn’t suppress my excitement. “Master, as long as you keep soaking in this hot spring, your skin will gradually become fairer and more radiant, and your figure will become increasingly graceful and shapely.” “How amazing! It seems I died for a good cause after all. Hahahahaha…” Hearing about effects that no woman could resist, I proudly threw back my head and laughed three times. “Master, you came here because the Buddha set up a time reversal and life exchange for you, fulfilling your wish.” “So the original owner of this body went into my body and became me?” “That’s right, Master. This body’s name is Song Yuan—the Yuan character in her name is different from the Yuan in yours. She is the only daughter of the richest merchant in this country.” “But why don’t I have any of her memories? Won’t I be exposed?” “Don’t worry, Master. I’ll remind you who each person you encounter is. Our minds are connected, and we can communicate freely through our spiritual sense.” “Baibao, do you have any other special abilities? Tell me about them.” “Master, I can analyze a man’s strength at a glance.” Baibao’s mysterious words aroused my curiosity. “Strength? You mean the kind of strength I’m thinking of?” I raised my brows and asked suggestively. “That’s right, Master. After you soak in this spring, your physical desires will be far stronger than those of ordinary people. So Baibao will help you assess men, allowing you to determine your targets quickly and conveniently.” “But I’m so ugly right now. How am I supposed to seduce men? It’s not as though I can just go to Southwind House and pay to solve the problem, right?” “Master, don’t worry. As long as you’re still a virgin, the desires in your heart won’t show.”