Volume 2. Game Update in Progress
Time flew by in an instant.
From the day I died until now, a month had already passed.
During this month, I had also gone through a permanent mission.
Counting the S-rank mission that pulled me into the game, I had experienced two missions in total.
And each time, it had been a narrow escape from death.
Even with the Evil Spirit Form, I still couldn’t guarantee my survival perfectly.
Although I claimed not to be afraid of death, when I really imagined myself turning into an evil spirit, endlessly and mindlessly devouring other people's souls day and night, I still felt a strong sense of disgust.
So, whenever possible, it was better not to die.
The day I got into the accident was at the end of November.
After resting for a month, now it is already the end of December.
So tomorrow was the day to return to school, and also the day of the midterm exam.
This was a good thing for me.
At least at this stage, I didn't need to interact with classmates.
Nor did I have to endure the classroom atmosphere that I simply couldn't stand.
And now, what I had to do was to hold my own urn and attend my own funeral.
However, in fact, this was just a formality.
After all, before I died, I hadn’t really had any friends.
Those few who could truly be considered friends had mostly left the city, chasing their dreams elsewhere.
On the day I was discharged from the hospital, I had already contacted these people.
Originally, I expected about ten people to show up.
But on this day, I truly understood the phrase “out of sight, out of mind.”
The only one who came was a junior I had once taken care of while working in a kitchen, who was now just twenty years old.
I talked with him for a long time.
Facing my urn, his eyes were filled with tears.
Perhaps it was because I had taken extra care of him when he had just stepped into society, and he was very grateful to me.
Of course, he was also surprised that “I” had such a young and rich girlfriend.
He even laughed and said, "Brother Zhang really doesn't look like someone who would go for a young girl. Back then he told me he preferred older women~".
Of course, in his smile, I saw a trace of sadness.
Maybe it was because we shared similar misfortunes.
This kid was also an orphan, growing up in an orphanage.
That was why I had taken extra care of him back then.
It was probably because I had found a rare sense of familial affection in him.
Later, when I developed a sense of world-weariness, and because my personality wasn't suited for part-time work since I had a bad temper, I eventually chose to stay at home and write novels.
I then asked him what he was doing now.
He shook his head and told me things he hadn’t told “me” all these years.
Perhaps the fact that I now had a female identity made him more relaxed.
Or maybe it was the presence of “my” urn that let him open his heart.
According to him, ever since I became a shut-in, he worked to earn money while looking for his biological parents.
And he found them.
But what he found was a father who was an alcoholic and had cancer, and a mother who was a prostitute.
His father and mother had him by accident.
After getting married, they quickly divorced.
Then they secretly left him at the local orphanage.
His mother later built a new family and had another child, living a normal life.
As the saying goes, "A fallen virtuous woman is worse than a reformed prostitute."
His mother still had some conscience.
She treated him fairly well.
But that family could not accept him.
And he also found his father.
According to him, after he met his father, the old man quit drinking.
Every day he went out to work.
But with cancer and no money, eventually... his father still passed away at the end of the second year after they reunited.
What he hadn’t expected was that before his father died, he left him nearly 100,000 yuan in savings.
In other words, during these two years of working, his father hadn't spent a single penny on himself.
He had saved it all for this son.
His mother also gave him 100,000 yuan and then rarely contacted him.
After all, that woman had her own family and could only choose one.
“What are you planning to do in the future?”
Regarding this junior I had once cared for, I had indeed felt a rare sense of familial affection toward him.
Maybe it was empathy as well that made me take special care of him.
“I plan to use this money to set up a small stall in the city. I’ve already completed all the paperwork. I'll just sell some breakfast... Haha... My cooking skills aren't as good as Brother Zhang's, but they’re edible. If Sister-in-law doesn’t mind — oh sorry — if you don't mind, you're welcome to visit my shop next time. It’s just a breakfast shop…”
“Mm, there will be a chance.”
After seeing him off, I looked at... the elderly phone I had just bought.
The phone number inside was still mine, but it no longer belonged to the current me.
"It's useless now..."
I had contacted ten people whom I considered friends.
But in the end, only one showed up.
Truly, "out of sight, out of mind."
I got into the customized BMW 760Li that Gong Lianyu had ordered for me.
I said to Shao He in the front seat, "Go home."
Just like that... my funeral ended.
However... there was no urn buried in that cemetery.
It was just a cenotaph.
My real ashes would, of course, not be placed there.
When summer came, I would go to the seaside and scatter this box of ashes into the ocean.
At least, it would fulfill one of my past wishes.
The car slowly moved forward.
Recalling the first thirty years of my life... I suddenly realized that I had lived so emptily.
I had wasted my precious time on meaningless things.
Maybe... I still had a chance to live again.
When passing by the bridge on the way home, I opened the window.
I let the cold wind blow in through the car window.
I lowered my head and looked at the elderly phone in my hand.
I reached out and threw the phone, along with the phone number that would never be recharged again, out of the window.
I noticed Shao He observing me through the rearview mirror.
But I didn't care at all.
I just watched as the phone spun... and fell into the river, disappearing beneath the surging waves in the blink of an eye.
The complex emotions in my heart... were beyond words.
I slowly closed the car window.
Looking at the river that would probably freeze in another three to five days, I took a deep breath.
I was ready to embrace my new life of happiness or... perhaps, fear.
On the day I returned home, I knew Shao He would report my situation to Gong Lianyu and Liu Wanqian.
But I didn’t care.
Having died once, I had already seen through everything.
I even had a sudden impulse to retire and live in peace.
Let me just properly savor this heavy feeling.
After all... tomorrow, I will live a whole new life with a brand-new face.
----------
December 28th.
Today was the day of the midterm exam.
I got dressed early in the morning.
I had to admit that humans were highly adaptable.
Just one month was enough for me to get used to the morning routine of showering and changing into new underwear.
I had also become skilled at wearing women's underwear.
I could even perfectly put on a bra with my eyes closed, without pinching my skin.
Recalling the second time I pinched myself while wearing a bra... hiss~ it still felt a bit painful even now.
After showering, I changed into a new set of underwear.
Honestly, I used to be very lazy.
I would sweep the floor every three days, mop every five days, and sometimes not change my underwear for several days.
Back then, I had already given up on myself.
But now... with such simple conditions for maintaining hygiene, I suddenly found myself enjoying cleanliness a lot.
"Has my obsession with cleanliness gotten even stronger?"
According to some online comments and what colleagues said before, women supposedly had a seafood smell...
But unfortunately, I still hadn’t detected such a smell.
Maybe it was because of my individual constitution.
It was said that any smell was usually due to mild inflammation or infection.
Normally, there shouldn't be any odor.
In my memories, Liu Yunyan had a slight trace of it.
But after I possessed her body, that situation disappeared.
Maybe it was because of the existence of the Evil Spirit Form.
After all, the Evil Spirit Form not only strengthened endurance and physical strength but also greatly enhanced immunity.
However... honestly, it was really troublesome for women to maintain hygiene.
After using the restroom, I complained about the inconvenience of not having a faucet while wiping and cleaning myself before changing into my school uniform.
Previously, Liu Yunyan didn't want to appear too different, so she rarely used her family's car when going to school.
But for me, there was no such taboo.
I asked Shao He to prepare and bring everything I needed.
As a high school graduate with my current memory, taking a junior high school midterm exam was simply child's play.
If it weren't for worrying about scaring Gong Lianyu and Liu Wanqian, I even felt confident enough to retake the college entrance exam right now.
After all, there were still memories of other people's knowledge stored in my mind.
"Phone, keys, cigarettes... hehe, quit that, so phone, keys, wallet, tissues, wet wipes, spare hairpins and elastic bands, handkerchief, oh right... and the Sennheiser Orpheus and Audio-Technica L5000... these two cost me 115,000 yuan after all..."
I was originally someone who liked music a lot.
Plus, my current body has enhanced hearing thanks to the Evil Spirit Form.
I could even hear sounds that normal human ears couldn't pick up.
For someone like me who loved music and had extremely sensitive hearing, having such portable treasures was already very satisfying.
As for desktop audio setups?
I had to admit that the one Liu Wanqian used before was truly outstanding...
After stuffing all these things into my bag, I hurried downstairs with my stuff.
I quickly finished breakfast.
I said goodbye to Liu Wanqian.
I also greeted Aunt Zhao, who was walking Sha Ha.
Then I rushed to the front of the BMW, pulled open the car door, jumped in, and waved my hand boldly!
"To school!"
Shao He responded, and the car slowly started moving.
Although I didn’t like attending classes, I still carried a bit of anticipation in my heart for this new beginning.
However...
When I entered the school and arrived at the classroom door, the moment I opened the door, I saw all the classmates sitting inside with distorted, ferocious faces.
The teacher also had a strange and terrifying smile.
My whole body stiffened.
Then I naturally closed the door.
"Sorry to disturb you."