Ch 167: Is There Really Such a Good Thing? [QT]

Shen Yunxuan was more than ready to start her new life. After a good night’s sleep, she felt completely refreshed. Say what you will, but the system’s ability to adjust her body to its optimal state was an incredible benefit.

When she was a child in the orphanage, an older kid used to bully her, often stealing her food and leaving her hungry. It wasn’t until the director found out that the situation was resolved, but by then, she had developed chronic stomach problems and frequent pain.

In her past life, in order to avoid Zhang Yang, she had worked tirelessly under a business tycoon, constantly striving for promotions. Late nights and overtime became the norm, and by the time she reached her forties, she frequently suffered from stomach pain and headaches. Fortunately, by then, Zhang Yang was already dead, so she was able to focus on maintaining her health, which eventually alleviated her symptoms.

But this time, thanks to the system’s cheat-like abilities, her stomach didn’t hurt at all. Even after being left out in the cold for hours last night, she had expected to catch a cold, yet she felt perfectly fine.

She felt as strong as an ox!

So, the system did have its perks after all.

Feeling intrigued, Shen Yunxuan asked, “Can your system enhance my stats? Like in a video game, can I increase my health bar, mana bar, or get some special skills?”

The system responded, “Yes. These are rare rewards and difficult to obtain. If the host diligently improves through dimensional travel, there is a chance to earn attribute-enhancing rewards.”

Shen Yunxuan was still in the process of figuring out how the system worked and wasn’t very familiar with its rewards. However, based on her recent trip to the interstellar world, she noticed that retrieving ordinary objects didn’t earn many interdimensional currency points. Studying knowledge that didn’t exist in her current world earned more, and recording information from other dimensions yielded even higher rewards.

She flipped through the books she had brought back. They were difficult to understand—many of the concepts were just being introduced in her world, but they had long been implemented in the interstellar dimension. She wasn’t a professional, so even beginner-level books were hard to grasp.

Moreover, she couldn’t let anyone see these books; she had no way to explain their existence.

She placed the books back in the interstellar garbage bag, tied it up, and stored it in one of the small backpack’s compartments. Good, just as she had hoped—it only took up one slot as long as the items were grouped together.

Checking her bank account balance, she saw that she still had over 8,000 yuan saved up from years of scholarships and part-time jobs.

Today was the 16th, meaning she had two weeks before the 1st of the next month. In that time, she needed to prepare self-defense weapons, clothes suitable for different time periods, water, food, and medicine. Everything cost money, and if necessary, she might have to dip into her interdimensional currency.

She opened her phone and browsed various financial apps. After some hesitation, she activated a loan service. She had never used these services before, always preferring to earn money through hard work. But this time, she needed cash fast, so she gave it a try.

Within minutes, the loan amount was approved. Excited, she clicked to check her limit.

“200?”

“Only 200?!”

She stared at the number in disbelief. Why was it so low? She clearly remembered that Xie Lili once borrowed money from this same service when she couldn’t repay her debt. Back then, Shen Yunxuan had seen that Xie Lili’s loan limit was 10,000! So why did she only get 200?

She tossed her phone aside in frustration.

Forget it. She wasn’t in the mood to apply for credit cards either—loan systems were interconnected, and she probably wouldn’t get a high limit anywhere else. Besides, she had just realized that if she took out a loan, she would need to pay it back quickly, which meant she would have to ensure she brought back valuable items from the next world. Otherwise, her credit score could be affected.

Whatever. She wasn’t that desperate for money yet. She’d deal with it later.

At least her rent was already paid—three months upfront as part of a shared lease with Xie Lili.

Even though she had to continue living with Xie Lili, at least she had a place to stay and didn’t need to spend extra on rent.

After checking out of the hotel, she went to a supermarket, had a cup of instant noodles, and then rode her bike back home. Now that her body was in peak condition, cycling for an hour didn’t even make her tired. It felt amazing.

When she entered the apartment, Xie Lili was applying makeup. Seeing her, she immediately pulled a sour face and said, “What’s wrong with you? There’s a limit to being reckless, you know? Running off alone in the middle of nowhere? It’s one thing to reject a confession, but why run off like that? Do you know how worried everyone was?”

“And just great, we had barely started watching the meteor shower when we heard you were gone. It totally ruined the mood and spoiled the whole gathering.”

Shen Yunxuan changed her shoes and placed her keys on the shoe cabinet. “Then you should blame Zhang Yang. He started it, didn’t he?”

Xie Lili looked at her in disbelief. “He just wanted to confess to you! What’s so wrong about that? If you don’t like him, just reject him. Why run away?”

Shen Yunxuan rolled her eyes. “Who told you I ran away? Go check the street cameras—you’ll see that you guys left first, and I left after. I went looking for you all but found that you had already gone. My bike was stuffed into some bushes, and I had to search for it for a long time. Look, if anyone is at fault, it’s Zhang Yang. If you want to settle accounts, go talk to him. I have nothing to say to you.”

She had no proof that she had been drugged, and even if she mentioned it, it could be twisted into nasty rumors. It was better not to say anything. Besides, she had already decided not to stay friends with them any longer—they were just acquaintances from school anyway.

Shen Yunxuan walked into her room and shut the door, but she could still hear Xie Lili raising her voice in the living room. “What’s with your attitude? Why are you like this?”

Shen Yunxuan opened the door again and said, “Maybe you should reflect on yourself. You haven’t shown me a single bit of concern, but you’re busy defending Zhang Yang. Why don’t you two just get together? At least be quiet and stop bothering me.”

With that, she shut the door once more.

Xie Lili stood in the living room, her chest rising and falling in anger. “What kind of person are you?!” Yet, deep down, she felt a little guilty. Had Shen Yunxuan figured out that she liked Zhang Yang? And what was that about Shen Yunxuan’s bike being hidden? What exactly had happened when Zhang Yang called her out?

She was annoyed but also unwilling to continue arguing after what Shen Yunxuan had said. After tidying up her makeup kit, she slammed the door and left. That was another reason she felt guilty—she had been getting ready to go out for dinner with Zhang Yang. He had asked to meet her to talk about Shen Yunxuan and had specifically told her not to mention it to her.

Thinking about it, she felt a pang of jealousy. What was so great about Shen Yunxuan? She dressed like an old lady, had no sense of fashion, and spent all her time working. She, on the other hand, was full of charm and femininity. Zhang Yang was tall, handsome, and a standout among his peers, yet he was fixated on Shen Yunxuan and completely ignored her.

Every time she helped Zhang Yang, she felt a sour resentment in her heart.

Meanwhile, Shen Yunxuan, having dismissed Xie Lili, lay on her bed, flipping through the books of memories while thinking about how to handle her current predicament.

In her past life, the reason she suspected Zhang Yang had been assassinated was because there were too many suspicious things about him. He had become rich overnight, possessed numerous treasures, and was incredibly secretive. There were even rumors that he had cured a powerful businessman’s illness—where did he get the medicine?

It was exactly because of these mysteries that she believed Zhang Yang had been targeted and ultimately killed.

Now, she knew it was because he had bound a system and brought things back from other dimensions. That made her even more cautious—she couldn’t make the same mistakes Zhang Yang did. He had casually brought back an antique and sold it, which eventually attracted attention. If she did the same, she would be under scrutiny in no time. She needed a safer way to make money.

The problem was that time was too short. She had no idea where she would be sent on the 1st of each month. The business strategies and stock market investments she had mastered in her past life all required time and timing, making it difficult to find a quick and risk-free way to earn money.

Even a hero can be stumped without money. Shen Yunxuan never expected that her biggest challenge after being reborn would be financial.

For now, she could only take things one step at a time, ensuring her safety while finding a way to make money.

She checked the stock market trends but found nothing promising. Then she looked into funds and investments.

Suddenly, she spotted gold.

She remembered that during the summer after her graduation, gold prices had surged. She had seen it on the news and heard Xie Lili mention it multiple times. Based on the timeline, the price would continue rising for another ten days before stabilizing.

With too little money on hand, she couldn’t invest in much else. Gold was her best option for making a quick profit. However, at this point, gold was priced at 400 yuan per gram—her 8,000 yuan wouldn’t yield much profit.

That was when she turned her attention to credit cards and loan apps.

She applied for a credit card as a test. The approval was quick, but the limit was only 2,000 yuan, and she could only withdraw 1,000. Useless.

She researched other options and finally found Jingdong Gold Bars, which approved her for an 80,000 yuan loan. It even offered a first-month, interest-free repayment option. Without hesitation, she took out the full 80,000 yuan and used it to buy 88,000 yuan worth of gold, keeping only a small amount of cash for daily expenses.

Since gold could be sold at any time, she planned to cash out before the 1st and use the money to buy supplies. As long as she repaid the loan within a month, she wouldn’t owe any interest. Even if she opted for installments, the repayment process would be manageable.

Now, she finally had enough capital to work with.

Next, she opened Pinduoduo and started shopping for costumes from different historical periods, choosing the cheapest ones.

She bought cold medicine, fever reducers, antiviral medication, Yunnan Baiyao, and other essential medicines—all of which were much cheaper online than in physical stores.

For food, she selected compressed biscuits, bread, sausages, and instant noodles.

For self-defense, she picked an extendable baton, a laser pointer, pepper spray, and an electric shock device rumored to have 100,000 volts.

When searching for saws, she was surprised to find that a hand saw as long as her forearm cost only three yuan—a perfect makeshift weapon. Encouraged, she also searched for electric saws and found them affordable as well. In the end, she opted for a fully stocked toolbox.

She also bought several power banks.

After adding everything to her cart, she searched for discount coupons to save as much as possible. She planned to sell her gold two days before the 1st and make all her purchases immediately. Most of the items were from local sellers, so they would arrive the same day. She was making the most out of every cent.

Her phone buzzed with a WeChat notification. It was from the group of friends who had gone stargazing together. They were inviting her to a gathering, saying they should meet up and clear up any misunderstandings over dinner.

Shen Yunxuan replied that there was no need, as she was busy with work after graduation, and wished them well.

The group was confused. What exactly had happened? Someone suggested meeting up in person, even offering to visit her at home.

Shen Yunxuan knew that from their perspective, they didn’t know the truth. But she also couldn’t explain it—if she mentioned being drugged, passing out, waking up late at night, or going to the hospital, it would only lead to more unnecessary speculation. Cutting ties under the excuse of job hunting was the easiest solution.

However, they were still young and full of curiosity. They wouldn’t let it go so easily.

With a sigh, Shen Yunxuan opened her social media feed and scrolled through her past posts. She recalled that in her previous life, after discovering that Xie Lili had slept with Zhang Yang, she had cut ties with her. It was only then that she noticed how smugly Xie Lili had been flaunting their relationship in her posts all along. No one had suspected anything at the time because no one had been looking for it.

She guessed that Xie Lili hadn’t caused a scene earlier because she had made plans to meet Zhang Yang. Sure enough, when she checked her social media feed, Zhang Yang had posted a picture of himself holding up a glass of wine. Below the post, several friends commented, comforting him and telling him not to be discouraged—so what if his confession had failed? He should just try again.

Shen Yunxuan scoffed. Zhang Yang was disgusting as always, misleading people like this.

Then she found Xie Lili’s post—a picture of a steak, with her smiling happily at the camera. At first glance, it seemed unrelated to Zhang Yang’s post. But upon closer inspection, she noticed that the plate peeking out from under Zhang Yang’s wrist in his picture had the exact same decorative pattern as the plate in Xie Lili’s post.

Looking further back, just a few days ago, when they had all agreed to watch the meteor shower, Zhang Yang had posted a picture of himself trying on new clothes in a store. Meanwhile, Xie Lili had posted a photo of herself holding a Luckin Coffee cup while standing on a city street. But if you looked carefully at the background, you could see the blurred outlines of a store across the street—the very same store where Zhang Yang had tried on his clothes. That meant Xie Lili had been with him that day, helping him pick out an outfit.

Following the usual routine, Zhang Yang probably told her that he wanted to look his best when confessing to Shen Yunxuan.

Going even further back, a little over a month ago, they had all moved out of their school dorms and settled into their new places. Some had already secured jobs, while others were still looking for work. Shen Yunxuan had turned down Zhang Yang’s invitation to hang out that day because she was busy sending out job applications.

Later, she heard that their gathering had been canceled, and everyone had gone their separate ways. That same day, Zhang Yang posted a short video of himself skipping stones at the beach, and people in the comments were comforting him, telling him not to feel down.

Meanwhile, Xie Lili had posted a picture of her meal at a small restaurant. The image didn’t reveal any identifying details, but the location tag showed exactly where the restaurant was. Zhang Yang hadn’t tagged his location, but everyone knew that the beach in his video was right next to that restaurant.

Shen Yunxuan took screenshots of all these ambiguous posts, highlighting the connections, and then posted them in their friend group chat—aptly named “Meteor Group”—where both Zhang Yang and Xie Lili were members.

After posting the images, she tagged them both and wrote: “I always thought you two were a couple. What was last night, some kind of truth-or-dare punishment? Did you guys have a fight? Looks like you made up over steak and drinks. Next time, don’t drag me in as your cover—everyone’s not that stupid.”

Then she addressed the rest of the group: “Thanks for your concern. At least I got to see the meteor shower in the end. A perfect end to our graduation. Wishing everyone a bright future. I’ve been busy lately, so I won’t be meeting up. If I don’t reply to messages, please understand—I’ll be running around job hunting.”

With that, she left the group chat. She didn’t block anyone, but her message made it clear that she didn’t want further contact.

The remaining group members were stunned by the screenshots and messages.

What the hell? Zhang Yang and Xie Lili? They were a thing? If they were together, then why had Zhang Yang been chasing Shen Yunxuan? Why did they all play along with his confession, making things so awkward?

One by one, people started tagging Zhang Yang and Xie Lili in the chat.

“Come out and explain! Is this for real? You two go on dates all the time, and Zhang Yang, you still claim to like Shen Yunxuan?”

“No wonder you weren’t even worried when Shen Yunxuan left last night. Turns out, you didn’t care at all. You just went off to eat steak with Xie Lili. So you two were the real couple all along, huh? Were the rest of us just background props for your little act?”

Meanwhile, Xie Lili had just finished her meal and checked her phone, only to freeze in shock.

“Zhang Yang! Look at the group chat!” she gasped.

Zhang Yang pulled out his phone. “What’s wrong?”

Then he saw the flood of messages and accusations. He also saw what Shen Yunxuan had posted.

The screenshots genuinely surprised him. He had no idea about any of this. He even clicked into Xie Lili’s profile to double-check—those posts weren’t visible to him.

His eyes narrowed as he looked at Xie Lili.

Xie Lili’s face flushed with embarrassment. Those posts had been set to be visible only to Shen Yunxuan. It had been a little game of hers, a subtle way of rubbing it in. She had always assumed that Shen Yunxuan rarely checked social media. How did she suddenly become so aware of every single post? This two-faced woman!

Flustered, Xie Lili quickly typed into the chat: “It’s not like that! Yunxuan misunderstood. Don’t jump to conclusions!”

Someone immediately shot back: “Xie Lili, are you saying those posts aren’t yours? If you’re lying, may you stay broke forever!”

Xie Lili fumed but didn’t dare deny it. They had just graduated and were about to start working—getting cursed to be broke for life was no joke.

“Forget it, this is ridiculous. You two deserve each other. What a joke.”

“Zhang Yang, don’t just sit there in silence. You had us all help you chase after Shen Yunxuan, and now we find out you were just messing with us?”

“Let’s just disband the group. Shen Yunxuan was right—we’ve graduated, and that’s the end of it. We all have our own paths to follow.”

“Agreed. Wishing everyone success in their future careers. Disbanding the chat now.”

The group admin posted a farewell message and then deleted the group chat entirely.

Xie Lili tried to message some of them afterward, only to realize they had all blocked her. Even Shen Yunxuan had blocked her.

She panicked, eyes welling up with tears. “Zhang Yang, what do we do? I… I…”

She had no idea how to explain herself. And now, in front of the boy she liked, she felt even more humiliated.

Zhang Yang handed her a tissue and smiled gently. “It’s no big deal. We were all bound to drift apart after graduation anyway—this just sped things up a little. In the future, we won’t even be in the same social circles. Who cares what they think? There’s no need to explain anything. As long as you have a clear conscience, that’s what matters.”

Xie Lili wasn’t sure if she was imagining it, but she felt like Zhang Yang was flirting with her just now. But then she hesitated—maybe she was reading too much into it? After all, when he handed her the tissue, he withdrew his hand quickly and didn’t help wipe her tears. And his words about having a clear conscience… how could she possibly have a clear conscience? She had done it on purpose.

Xie Lili hesitantly said, “When Yunxuan got home today, she argued with me and told me not to talk to her or bother her anymore. I… I don’t even know how to face her when I go back. Will she keep arguing with me? I’m kind of scared.”

Zhang Yang sneered inwardly. In his past life, Xie Lili had been the most eager to stir up trouble for Shen Yunxuan, constantly picking fights with her. As if she would be scared now.

On the surface, he put on a concerned expression. “Why is Shen Yunxuan acting so aggressive all of a sudden? She was never like this before. I didn’t expect this side of her. What are you going to do? If you’re really scared, you can stay at my place for the night. I’ll sleep on the couch and change the sheets for you in the bedroom.”

Xie Lili’s heart pounded. “Really? Wouldn’t that be inconvenient?”

“Not at all. You only argued with her because of me. Tomorrow, I’ll take you back, and we’ll explain things to her together. Come on, it’s late. We should get some rest.” Zhang Yang got up, paid the bill, and gestured for Xie Lili to follow him.

For a moment, Xie Lili felt a pang of jealousy when he mentioned explaining things to Shen Yunxuan. But then his words, “We should get some rest,” sounded so sweet, as if they were a couple returning to their shared home.

If there was one thing Zhang Yang enjoyed most from his past life, it was being surrounded by beautiful women. This time, he had no system and no treasures from other worlds, but he knew he would rise quickly in the business world. His confidence made him even more imposing, and in Xie Lili’s eyes, he appeared mature, dependable, and incredibly charming.

Zhang Yang basked in her admiration. He had already decided to take her in. She had practically thrown herself at him—it would be a waste not to accept. He understood her personality well. He didn’t need to make the first move. All he had to do was keep his distance while dropping ambiguous hints, and she would take the initiative herself.

In the end, he would just be an unfortunate man drowning his sorrows. A few drinks, a blurry night, and something “just happened” between them. How could it be his fault? And if it did happen, he would just hesitantly “take responsibility” and let it continue—over and over again. That would make her the first “fish” he reeled in this lifetime.

Feeling smug about his own charm, Zhang Yang casually paid the bill, hailed a taxi, and brought Xie Lili home. He even poured himself a drink, pretending to be troubled over Shen Yunxuan’s rejection.

Everything played out exactly as he expected. By the time the night was over, he and Xie Lili were tangled up together in his bed.

Xie Lili felt like she had finally gotten what she wanted. She was ecstatic, and she didn’t even notice the satisfied expression on Zhang Yang’s face—there was no hesitation, no resistance.

Meanwhile, Shen Yunxuan woke up the next morning and immediately noticed that Xie Lili hadn’t come home. It wasn’t hard to guess what had happened—Zhang Yang, now reborn, had clearly taken Xie Lili in.

That scumbag really was just like the playboys in novels—flirting with every woman he met, keeping those who fell for him, and harassing those who didn’t. And if they resisted, he would even cause trouble for them. In his mind, every woman in the world should love him. What a lunatic.

As for Xie Lili, Shen Yunxuan felt no sympathy.

In her past life, Xie Lili had made trouble for her countless times. Even after knowing Zhang Yang was stringing multiple women along, she had willingly stayed by his side just because he was rich and powerful. Not only that, but she had been jealous of Shen Yunxuan the entire time, constantly creating problems for her.

There were millions of women in the world—some good, some bad. Shen Yunxuan had no interest in those like Xie Lili, who willingly followed a scumbag like Zhang Yang. She only cared about real, trustworthy friends.

And actually, this was perfect. The less Xie Lili came home, the more peace Shen Yunxuan would have.

That morning, Shen Yunxuan went out for a run around the neighborhood, then practiced self-defense techniques in the activity area. She also looked up online tutorials to learn more. She couldn’t afford professional classes, so self-study was her only option.

Luckily, there were plenty of helpful netizens sharing their training experiences. With some careful searching, she found reliable videos and educational content.

When Zhang Yang brought Xie Lili home, he spotted Shen Yunxuan from a distance. She was in the activity area practicing punches. His lips curled into a smile—so she really had bound the system and traveled to another world. She must be worried about her safety and trying to learn self-defense.

She was underestimating the dangers of other worlds. Take the apocalypse, for example.

He had traveled to apocalyptic worlds over ten times. If he appeared in a safe zone, he was lucky. But if he landed in the wild, surrounded by zombies, it was like being dropped into hell itself.

He had escaped by using other people as shields, stealing food, and even deliberately tripping others so the zombies would get them instead.

A soft-hearted girl like Shen Yunxuan? She would probably freeze in fear at the sight of a zombie. Did she really think practicing a few punches would help? Zombies could bite her fist off in one chomp.

The thought excited Zhang Yang. Unfortunately, he wouldn’t get to see that scene himself.

In just two weeks, it would be the 1st again. If Shen Yunxuan got sent to a dangerous world, would she die? And if not, would she break down mentally from the experience?

He decided to check on her that day and see if she returned safely.

If she ended up in a peaceful world, maybe she would bring back something valuable. He would keep an eye out for an opportunity to get his hands on whatever she found.

A new idea formed in his mind. There was no need for him to be Shen Yunxuan’s enemy.

Instead, he should continue pursuing her—wait until she was at her weakest, most vulnerable moment, and then swoop in as her “savior.” That was the best way to become her boyfriend.

That way, every time Shen Yunxuan traveled between dimensions, he would get a share of whatever valuable items she brought back—without having to take any risks himself. Wouldn’t that be perfect?

With this thought in mind, Zhang Yang immediately put some distance between himself and Xie Lili. He told her, “Let’s just pretend last night never happened. I mistook you for someone else—it really wasn’t intentional. I’ll make it up to you when I start making money. But I don’t want Yunxuan to misunderstand, so please don’t say anything reckless.”

“As for those social media posts, just say that you secretly had a crush on me and posted them yourself. That’s the only way Yunxuan will believe me. Consider it a favor—I’m begging you.”

Xie Lili stared at him in disbelief.

This morning, after everything that had happened, he had seemed so conflicted, apologizing and saying he was in a mess and needed to think. He had even said he felt guilty about what happened.

But the moment he saw Shen Yunxuan, he suddenly wanted to cut ties?

Shen Yunxuan! That wretched woman! It was all her fault!

Zhang Yang took quick strides toward Shen Yunxuan and spoke to her with concern. “Yunxuan, are you okay? Why are you suddenly practicing boxing? You’ve never liked this kind of thing before.”

Shen Yunxuan gained a new level of understanding of just how shameless Zhang Yang could be. Did he think she had lost her memory? He had personally drugged her and dumped her in the wilderness, and now he had the nerve to act like nothing happened?

She was just in the middle of a move when her punch landed directly in his stomach.

Zhang Yang, exhausted from last night, was already feeling weak. Caught off guard, he staggered back and collapsed to the ground with a pained groan.

Xie Lili immediately rushed over to help him up. “Yang-ge, are you okay? Does it hurt? Your face looks pale!” Then she turned to glare at Shen Yunxuan. “Are you insane? How could you hit someone?”

Shen Yunxuan continued following the video tutorial, unfazed. “Didn’t notice. Just an accident. A grown man, and you’re this weak? One little bump and you go down? Pretty pathetic.”

Zhang Yang clenched his teeth. Was she calling him useless? Whether in front of Shen Yunxuan or Xie Lili, he refused to lose face.

He took a deep breath, forced himself to his feet despite the pain, and gritted out, “I’m fine. I was just caught off guard and lost my balance. Yunxuan isn’t that strong—it doesn’t hurt anymore.”

Shen Yunxuan ignored him and continued practicing.

Zhang Yang spoke again. “Yunxuan, we came to explain. There’s really nothing between us. You have to believe me. From the beginning, I’ve only ever liked you—I’ve never changed.”

In her past life, Zhang Yang had always said the same thing, which was why those women insisted she was his “white moonlight.”

White moonlight, my ass! Shen Yunxuan wanted to curse out loud. Those women just couldn’t see the truth—Zhang Yang had always been scheming against her!

She replied coldly, “No need. You disgust me.”

Zhang Yang and Xie Lili’s faces turned particularly sour.

They had just spent the entire night together, and now Shen Yunxuan was calling them dirty?

Xie Lili couldn’t take it anymore and snapped, “Shen Yunxuan, you’re going too far! Fine, fine, I admit it—I was the one with a crush on Zhang Yang, okay? It had nothing to do with him. He’s only ever liked you! Happy now? Stop with the snide remarks! We’re both single—what do I owe you?”

Shen Yunxuan stopped mid-punch and looked at her in surprise, then scanned her up and down.

Xie Lili snapped, “What are you looking at? And what’s with that expression?”

“I’m looking at an idiot.” Shen Yunxuan smirked. “I really didn’t think you were such a love-struck fool. You’re actually willing to put up with this kind of humiliation? Guess your love for Zhang Yang is real.”

She grabbed her phone, slung a towel around her neck, and said, “You two psychos, stay away from me. If you bother me again, I’m calling the cops. Don’t show up in front of me again.”

She turned to leave.

Xie Lili yelled after her, “We’re co-renting this place! Why should I avoid you? If you don’t like it, you move out!”

She desperately wanted Shen Yunxuan to move far away. If Zhang Yang lost contact with her, then she could finally have him all to herself.

Shen Yunxuan shrugged. “I don’t have money. If you pay me compensation, I’ll move out.”

“You! Why would I give you money? Dream on!”

“Then shut up. And by the way, female roommates aren’t allowed to bring men home. Otherwise, I’ll tell the landlord.” With that, Shen Yunxuan walked away briskly. Just breathing the same air as them made her sick.

She needed to figure something out. The next time she traveled to another world, she had to find a way to make money legally, so she could move into a well-managed apartment complex and never have to deal with them again.

Meanwhile, Zhang Yang was actually feeling pleased.

Back in his first-ever dimension jump, he had brought back an antique and earned system points, which he converted into over 40,000 yuan. But Shen Yunxuan had returned empty-handed.

What did that mean?

It meant that when she went to another world, she was too timid to do anything. She hadn’t dared to take or bring back anything!

With just the beginner’s gift pack of 100 system points, the most she could exchange was 10,000 yuan. No wonder she was broke.

Zhang Yang’s mood improved. He didn’t even care that Xie Lili’s crying had smudged her makeup. Patiently, he comforted her and took her away.

After all, she refused to go home and insisted on staying with him to vent her frustrations. Well, that was fine—he didn’t lose anything by keeping her around.

From her apartment, Shen Yunxuan peeked out the window and saw them leave. She quickly pulled the curtains shut, disgusted. Even one glance at them was too much.

In the following days, Xie Lili didn’t come home—either because she didn’t want to face Shen Yunxuan or because she was busy trying to completely win over Zhang Yang. Either way, Shen Yunxuan was perfectly happy with the situation.

She spent her days running, practicing boxing, learning how to use self-defense weapons, and browsing online forums for discussions on how to navigate different time periods after dimensional travel.

Surprisingly, these playful discussions in the forums turned out to be useful. Some people compiled lists of inventions that would be valuable in different historical periods, such as soap, glass, and hotpot. Others pointed out inaccuracies, mentioning that hotpot had already existed in ancient times, or that certain dynasties lacked chili peppers and corn.

In the end, a particularly diligent user summarized a final version—an actually practical guide. Shen Yunxuan printed out the list, along with step-by-step instructions for making things like soap, glass, cement, and firearms in ancient times, which she had gathered from various forum posts.

Some of these processes were things she had encountered in the books of memories, as alternate versions of herself had implemented them in different worlds. However, she had never personally researched or executed them—she had always assigned the tasks to others. This time, she had collected all the details and read through them carefully.

She thought that maybe this life of hers would also become a book of memories, accessible to another version of Shen Yunxuan in a different world. If she repeatedly studied and memorized these things, then another version of her might one day benefit from it.

Seeing all the incredible lives that the other versions of herself had lived, she felt a surge of excitement and even a little anticipation. Every single reborn Shen Yunxuan had lived well and had incredible luck. She probably wouldn’t be an exception, right?

Maybe the system that Zhang Yang rejected and resented would actually turn out to be an advantage in her hands.

She no longer resisted the idea of dimensional travel. Since she couldn’t change it, she might as well adjust her mindset and prepare for it positively.

---

With two days left before the 1st, Shen Yunxuan sold her gold. The market had been on a rapid upswing, and in just over ten days, the price had increased by 30 yuan per gram. She made a profit of 6,600 yuan in one go—almost as much as her original savings of 8,000 yuan.

This was one of the perks of being reborn. Of course, if she hadn’t remembered this particular event, she wouldn’t have made a dime.

As soon as the money arrived, she used every possible discount and coupon on Pinduoduo, buying everything she had bookmarked. She left notes for same-day delivery and urgent shipping, stating that she would confirm receipt immediately with no refunds or returns.

The special notes seemed to work, as she soon received a flood of shipment notifications.

By the day before the 1st, she had received everything. She spent hours in the living room unpacking packages, testing all the items, and confirming receipt for each one. Anything that required charging, she plugged in immediately.

She carefully labeled each outfit, making sure she could find and change into the right clothes quickly. She didn’t want to end up in ancient times wearing modern outfits—a sure way to get arrested or executed in places with no human rights.

She had bought a large supply of ink, paper, and brushes. Thanks to modern technology, high-quality paper was dirt cheap here, but in ancient times, its quality would be unparalleled. She could sell it for a good price or trade it for valuable items.

She also planned to bring solar-powered flashlights, calculators, and toys to trade for gold. Selling small amounts of gold in her world would be less conspicuous than selling large antiques or gemstones.

She stocked up on baby formula, nutritional supplements, and canned fruit, knowing that these would be valuable in times of scarcity.

She also packed books—modern knowledge would be highly valuable in other worlds, allowing her to trade for even more gold. Books were much easier to sell than things like jade or pearls.

She made sure to include a full medical kit. If she encountered sick or injured people, she could treat them for a fee.

The three-yuan hand saw turned out to be shockingly effective when she tested it on a scrap wooden board. Pinduoduo was amazing—it sold all sorts of cheap and useful items. It was officially her go-to shopping app from now on.

The electric saws were even more powerful. She had bought three of them. Since it was impossible to buy actual weapons online, if she ever found herself in danger, she wouldn’t stand a chance with just a sword.

But an electric saw? That was a tool, perfectly legal to buy. And in a fight, she doubted anyone could beat her if she revved one up.

The only downside was that the aftermath might look a bit… gruesome.

She had also stocked up on gas masks—she was fully prepared.

She packed everything into large moving bags and then transferred them into her small backpack’s storage compartment. Perfect.

After that, she checked into a hotel and waited there.

Zhang Yang had planned to check on Shen Yunxuan’s condition, but when he and Xie Lili arrived at her place, she was nowhere to be found. Even after waiting until nighttime, she still hadn’t returned.

That’s when Zhang Yang realized—Shen Yunxuan had likely gone somewhere else to wait for her dimensional travel.

His expression darkened.

He had thought Shen Yunxuan would be scared of this, but now, things weren’t going as he had expected. She was acting outside his control.

Meanwhile, in her hotel room, Shen Yunxuan packed 100 steamed buns and multiple bottles of water into a large box, which she then stored in her backpack’s last compartment.

Now, all four compartments were full.

She slept soundly, completely at ease.

The next morning, she had just finished eating breakfast when her vision blurred.

In an instant, she was in another world.

As soon as she took in her surroundings, she turned and sprinted.

“Damn you, system! This is the apocalypse, isn’t it?!”

🌸˚˖𓍢ִ໋🌷͙֒✧🩷˚⋆