“Rourou, I’ve done so much for you, don’t you have even a little love for me?”
A beautiful JK girl stared at the stunning beauty before her, eyes filled with obsession.
A trace of sorrow appeared on the beauty’s face.
“I’m sorry, Tangtang, we’re really not suitable to be together, after all, we—”
“Don’t say any more! I already know, you still have Qianqian, Momo, Ruanruan…”
The girl suddenly shouted angrily.
“Rourou, you’re still lying to me!”
“How did you know?”
A flash of panic crossed the beauty’s face, but she quickly regained her composure.
“Th-Those are just my best friends.”
The girl’s furious expression suddenly turned calm, and she spoke coldly.
“I read the chat history.”
“What? When did you read it?”
The panic on the beauty’s face could no longer be concealed.
Her red lips parted to explain, but a sudden stabbing pain in her chest left her frozen.
“Go to hell, you scumbag who plays with feelings!”
The girl shouted, driving the knife deeper.
Agonizing pain spread from her chest.
In her final moments of consciousness, the beauty saw the beautiful girl’s face stained with blood, eyes deranged with obsession, lunging toward her like a madwoman.
It sent chills down her spine.
Darkness swallowed her.
Sin?
“Bai Rourou, during your life you deceived sixty-seven women, causing sixteen to fall into depression, thirty to lose money, and three to commit suicide for love. What do you have to say for yourself?”
When Bai Rourou regained consciousness, a voice echoed in her ears—neither male nor female, ethereal.
“Wh-Who are you?”
Surrounded by a white, hazy space, Bai Rourou looked down in panic to find her body had become a ball of light.
“Call me Shangshen.”
“I’ve seen plenty of men cheat women out of money and love, ruining many, but for a woman like you to deceive so many girls—how strange.”
Bai Rourou hurriedly defended herself.
“I couldn’t help it! They were attracted by my looks, and being with girls didn’t cost me anything. I was forced! The suicides were their own choice, I couldn’t do anything! Shangshen, please judge fairly!”
As soon as she finished, the ethereal voice sounded again.
“Stubborn. Sending you to hell is too easy. I sentence you to bear the pain suffered by the girls you harmed.”
Before Bai Rourou could react, her consciousness sank into darkness again.
Bai Rourou was woken by someone pushing her, curses echoing in her ears.
“Wh-Where is this?”
Still dizzy and disoriented, Bai Rourou felt a sharp pinch at her waist, so painful she nearly cried.
She had never suffered like this before.
“In order to slack off you hid in the bathroom? Your wages will be docked!”
A fierce-looking middle-aged woman came into view.
Bai Rourou, still dazed, was shoved to a work station by the woman.
“Hurry up!”
The woman shouted with a booming voice.
“Bai Rourou slacked off—dock 200 yuan from her pay! Anyone else caught will face the consequences!”
Bai Rourou, still in a trance, stared at the table piled high with headphones and slots, feeling dizzy again.
Then a surge of foreign memories flooded her mind, threatening to make her head explode.
To the woman, this rebellious girl was clearly going against her, refusing to move even after being fined.
“What are you standing there for? Have Finance come over, settle her pay, and get her out!”
With a suitcase in hand and a washbasin full of random personal items at her feet, plus a wad of cash, Bai Rourou stood dumbly by the roadside, overwhelmed.
“It’s a mess.”
Rubbing her head, Bai Rourou sat down at the roadside, not caring about appearances, and started sorting through the mass of unfamiliar memories in her mind.
The original body’s name was also Bai Rourou, a ‘child of divorce’ whom neither parent wanted to care for.
She’d lived alone since her first year of middle school, often going hungry and only asking her parents for living expenses when desperate.
Even then, the pitiful sum barely lasted half a month and came with a scolding, sometimes even a beating.
Fortunately, people from the Street Office helped her, allowing her to live in the school dorms for free during junior and senior high.
After that, she began working odd jobs to earn some money, but being under sixteen, few were willing to hire her.
This only improved a little in high school.
But only a little.
“So tragic. A hellish start.”
Bai Rourou looked at her thin, veined hands and bit her lip.
The original owner had apparently died of sudden illness in the bathroom, allowing her to take over.
“Too honest… working over ten hours a day, collapsing from exhaustion before sneaking to the bathroom for a break.”
She looked at the cash in her hand.
Seven thousand eight hundred forty-three yuan.
It looked like a lot, but it was all the pay from the end of the college entrance exam until now, mid-August.
Only two days off a month, fourteen hours of work per day, meals and lodging included, pay calculated by piecework.
It seemed suspiciously low, but the job was just plugging headphones into slots.
Anyone could do it, so the pay got pushed down…
“Sigh~”
Bai Rourou sighed, glanced around, and looked up at the blazing sun.
Even under the tree, the heat was suffocating.
Where would she live now?
The original owner had planned to work another ten days before moving into the school dorm.
“AJ!”
Suddenly, a strange sound rang in her ears, making Bai Rourou shudder.
Was this a System?
【I am a System sent by Shangshen to supervise you. My role is to assist the Suffering Recipient in completing the Suffering Baptism and returning to the cycle of reincarnation.】
A string of mechanical noises echoed, and a panel appeared before her eyes, moving with her gaze.
【Suffering Recipient (Bai Rourou)】
【Suffering Points: 0】
【Suffering Task: Deliver handmade love breakfast… love lunch… love dinner to Gong Nanxue…】
【Punishment Progress: 0/50 | 0/50】
Bai Rourou examined it curiously, then willed open the Suffering Task column to see various requirements.
Delivering meals was only one category among many.
“Is this for real?”
Bai Rourou panicked.
“I don’t remember having a girlfriend treat me this well.”
The System’s mechanical voice answered.
【Of course suffering must be doubled】
【If the task is not completed within the specified time, you will be subjected to electric shock. Multiple failures result in immediate entry to hell】
“That’s too much.”
Bai Rourou had never experienced such humiliation.
She’d always been pampered.
The sudden drop was hard to accept.
“I didn’t do anything—those girls were the ones who clung to me and spent money willingly. If I got bored, I’d move on. How can depression, suicide, and bankruptcy be blamed on me?”
Resentful, Bai Rourou thought angrily.
Suddenly, a sharp pain exploded inside her.
“ABOJ QBO QBOJ!”
【Warning: Initial electric shock for punishment】
“That much pain is only the initial stage?”
Feeling her first electric shock, Bai Rourou immediately calmed down and started thinking seriously about how to complete the tasks.
“What do these two fifty percents mean?”
【The first is the Suffering Task completion rate. The second is the hidden Punishment Progress, which will be quantified based on the pain and effort endured by the Suffering Recipient.】
So, even finishing the Suffering Task isn’t enough?
The hidden Punishment Progress must also be fulfilled?
A chill ran through Bai Rourou’s heart.
Was she being treated like a Japanese character?
“What about Suffering Points?”
【After completing a world’s Suffering Tasks, Suffering Points are awarded based on performance. These can be used in the System Shop to exchange for items to assist with tasks or to purchase End of Suffering Journey】
A thousand points.
As the mechanical voice ended, the System Shop opened automatically on the panel.
The most eye-catching item at the top was the End of Suffering Journey, priced at a thousand points.
“Whew~ at least there’s something to hope for.”
Bai Rourou’s frozen little heart eased a bit.
She didn’t know how many Suffering Points she’d get for a world, but at least there was hope.
“Who is Gong Nanxue?”
Searching the original body’s memories, Bai Rourou quickly found the answer.
She was a female school bully at the same regular high school, with average grades, who ended up in the same university and was even assigned to the same Gold major and class.
“Uh… the original’s grades were poor due to working, but how did she get in?”
Bai Rourou decided not to think about it, as it was too hot and she felt like she was roasting alive.
Without hesitation, she checked into the cheapest nearby inn to rest and recover.
“So weak…”
Bai Rourou stared blankly at the girl in the mirror.
She had waist-length black hair, a delicate but slightly rough oval face, clear and adorable eyes with heavy dark circles, and skin so pale it was almost paper-white.
Her thin, fragile figure looked as if a breeze could blow her away.
Malnutrition had made her skin sallow, and her thin arms were covered with exposed veins.
Her natural beauty had been wasted by hardship, but there was no help for it.
“This face is too pale. But sudden death explains it.”
Bai Rourou splashed cool water on her face, lay down on the bed, and let the air conditioner wash over her, feeling much better.
“Being in the same school should make things easier.”
Maybe because the body was so exhausted, Bai Rourou fell asleep almost instantly.
When she woke again, it was deep night.
Pa-ta.
Turning on the light, Bai Rourou rubbed her eyes, used the bathroom, and ordered takeout.
She felt like she was starving.
“Not much money left…”
Using a cheap phone given as a phone recharge bonus, Bai Rourou finally tapped on Pinhaofan, ordering a seven-yuan fried rice.
“With the original’s savings and salary combined, there’s eleven thousand three hundred yuan. Tuition and other fees add up to thirty thousand. A loan covers twenty thousand, so that leaves only thirteen hundred!”
Bai Rourou was shocked.
No wonder the original worked until just before school started.
She really needed those last ten days’ wages.
“Finding a job is urgent!”
After some thought, Bai Rourou decided to look for tutoring work and ask the Instructor if she could move into the school early.
Although the original’s grades were average, she herself was skilled, especially in English.
Once she made up her mind, she acted.
Otherwise, she couldn’t have juggled so many girlfriends without getting caught.
After quickly finishing her fried rice, Bai Rourou messaged the Instructor, pouring out her hardships, then went back to sleep.
The next day, before dawn, Bai Rourou set out to find tutoring work.
A City might not be coastal, nor was the province, but its economy was still strong.
The university town hosted many universities—even without 985 or 211 schools, there were two public and three private universities, plus several colleges.
Students generated a constant flow of income, supporting countless surrounding businesses.
Likewise, with so many universities, there were plenty of high school students and a strong demand for tutoring.
Bai Rourou didn’t waste time searching randomly.
She went straight to a tutoring agency, used her fluent English to impress them during a single class, and was immediately signed to a contract.
“Base salary three thousand, including three hundred for full attendance and two hundred for performance. At least four classes a week, each no less than four hours. No pay during the five-day training, and only eighty percent salary during probation.”
“If you teach extra classes, fifty yuan for each two-hour session, plus a one hundred yuan commission if a student joins.”
Bai Rourou was barely satisfied with the job.
She still had a lot of System tasks to do for Gong Nanxue and didn’t have much spare time.
This way, she could avoid starving and have some free time outside of classes.
Her phone buzzed—a message from the Instructor saying she could move in early.
Bai Rourou breathed a sigh of relief.
Staying at the inn cost one hundred a day!
“Instructor is really a good person!”
With permission granted, Bai Rourou packed up her things, moved into the school dorm provided by the Instructor, and cleaned the place thoroughly.
She might have been pampered, but in a pinch, she could endure anything.
Years of relentless study and work had worn down this body.
She would have to focus on recovering her health.
“Training starts tomorrow. Gong Nanxue still hasn’t accepted my friend request in the class group.”
That night, lying on the dormitory bed and staring at the dark ceiling, Bai Rourou’s mind went blank.
From being stabbed by her ex-girlfriend, to meeting Shangshen, and now starting the Suffering Journey—one thing after another tested her nerves.
Most importantly, the looks and body she prided herself on were gone, and she was inhabiting the bones of a starved girl.
“At least I’m alive, right?”
After dying once, Bai Rourou felt that being alive was enough—even in someone else’s body.
She was still human and could eat all sorts of delicious food.
“Sleep. Sleep.”