I opened my eyes to the sound of voices, people were making so much noise, and there were even drum beats and the sound of flutes mixed into it.
This was the kind of noise that could get someone arrested.
I slowly tried to sit up, rubbing my blurry eyes as my head felt heavy. But getting up was a serious problem for some reason.
In my last life, I was so thin that I could even do a somersault if I wanted a dramatic way of sitting up, but now…
I could not even use my legs to support myself properly.
I had to gather all my strength and push myself up bit by bit before I was finally able to sit upright.
But the moment I sat up, my eyes widened in shock as I stared at my surroundings.
The room was made of wood, rough and simple, but it carried a strong historical feeling.
However, that was not the strangest part.
The entire room was decorated in red.
Bright red cloth hung around the room, red ribbons, red decorations everywhere.
Even I was dressed in red.
I quickly looked down at myself and raised my hands, only to see that I was wearing a traditional outfit.
My heart skipped a beat.
"Is this what that system guy was talking about… but he did not say anything about me getting married or…"
My words slowly trailed off as something suddenly hit me.
I froze.
Then I slowly looked down at my body again.
My hands. My arms. My waist.
Everything felt… big.
My eyes widened even more.
"I… I… I am fat?!"
Just as my words fell, a familiar blue screen suddenly appeared in front of me.
It flickered once before becoming clear.
[ Host has successfully entered the mission world. ]
I stared at it, my expression slowly turning cold.
"You again."
I looked down at my body, then back at the screen.
"You really did me dirty this time."
I lifted my sleeve slightly, staring at the thickness of my arm with disbelief.
"I went from a skinny working machine to… this?"
My lips twitched.
"And you did not even give me a warning."
The screen remained calm, as if my complaints meant nothing.
[ Host identity has been assigned based on mission compatibility. ]
I let out a short laugh.
"Compatibility?"
I glanced around the room again, at the red decorations, the wooden walls, and the loud noise still coming from outside.
Then I looked back at the screen.
"Explain it properly."
The screen flickered, and new words slowly appeared.
[ Host has taken over the identity of Liu Yanyu. ]
I frowned slightly.
"Liu Yanyu?"
[ Nineteen years old. Villager of Wu Village. ]
More words appeared.
[ Personality: Rude, arrogant, and mischievous. Known troublemaker. ]
My face went blank.
"…Of course."
[ Reputation: Disliked by all villagers. Tolerated only due to the good deeds of her deceased parents. ]
I crossed my arms slowly.
"So nobody likes me."
[ Correct. ]
I let out a breath through my nose.
"Continue."
[ Family: Two elder sisters who care deeply for host despite her behavior. ]
My eyes flickered slightly, but I said nothing.
[ Marriage: Husband — Yan Ning. ]
I paused.
"Yan Ning?"
[ The marriage was forced by host to repay a debt owed by his family. ]
I blinked once.
Then twice.
"You are telling me…"
I pointed at myself.
"I forced someone to marry me?"
[ Correct. ]
Silence filled the room for a moment.
I slowly rubbed my forehead.
"…This body really knows how to cause problems."
The noise outside grew louder, laughter and music mixing together.
I looked down at the red clothes on my body again, my expression becoming more serious.
"So this is the wedding night."
[ Correct. ]
I narrowed my eyes slightly.
"And the mission?"
The screen flickered again, and the tone shifted.
[ Warning: Critical event will occur tonight. ]
My body stilled.
"What event?"
For a brief moment, the screen went quiet.
Then the words appeared one after another.
[ A group of men will arrive at Wu Village tonight. ]
[ The village chief will be killed. ]
[ All villagers will be driven out immediately. ]
My fingers slowly tightened.
"They will not even have time to pack?"
[ Correct. ]
The room suddenly felt colder.
I looked toward the door, as if I could already see what was about to happen.
"So from tonight… everything changes."
[ Yes. ]
I took a slow breath, my mind beginning to clear.
A troublesome identity, a forced marriage and a disaster waiting to happen tonight... All at once.
I let out a quiet scoff.
"…What a start."
Then I lifted my head slightly, my eyes steady.
"System."
[ Yes, Host. ]
"Since you brought me here…"
My lips curved into a faint, cold smile.
"Do not expect me to play nice."
[ Acknowledged. ]
The blue screen flickered one last time.
[ System will now enter standby mode. ]
And just like that… it disappeared.
The room fell quiet again, leaving only the noise from outside.
I stood there for a moment, then slowly turned my head and looked around the room.
"This place…"
My gaze moved across the wooden walls, the red decorations, and the poorly arranged furniture.
Then I noticed a small doorway at the side of the room.
Without thinking too much, I walked toward it.
My steps still felt heavy, but I was slowly getting used to it.
I pushed the door open and stepped inside.
It was another small room.
Inside, there was a large wooden basin filled with water.
I walked toward it and stopped in front of it, then slowly looked down.
The moment I saw the reflection, my body froze.
The woman staring back at me had a plump face, round and full, something I was not used to at all.
Her eyes were small, but naturally beautiful if you looked closely.
But none of that was what shocked me the most.
It was the makeup.
Thick powder covered her face unevenly. Bright colors were smeared around her cheeks and lips without any sense of balance.
It looked messy. Overdone.
She looked like a clown.
My heart almost jumped out of my chest.
"What is this…"
I leaned closer, my expression filled with disbelief.
"Did she offend the person who did her makeup or what?"
I straightened up quickly, my face dark.
"No. This cannot stay."
Without wasting another second, I reached up and started removing the heavy wedding hanfu from my body.
Layer after layer, I pulled it off, feeling slightly relieved as the weight reduced.
Once I was done, I stepped into the basin of water.
The cold water touched my skin, sending a slight chill through my body.
But I did not care.
I bent down and began to wash my face, rubbing off the thick layers of makeup again and again until my skin finally felt clean.
The water quickly turned cloudy.
I paused for a moment, then looked down at my reflection again.
I looked better now.
Her skin was smooth and clear. She did not need heavy makeup, or even any makeup at all. She was already beautiful on her own.
Once again, I found myself staring at her eyes.
They were small, but very pretty. Calm and soft.
I let out a quiet breath and straightened up.
"At least this is something I can accept."
Immediately I was done, I walked toward the cupboards and began opening them one by one, checking if I could find something proper to wear.
Most of the clothes inside were bright, flashy, and messy, just like the makeup from earlier.
I frowned.
"Her taste is really questionable."
After searching for a while, I finally found a dark blue hanfu.
Simple. Clean.
And thankfully… my size.
Without wasting time, I quickly put it on and adjusted it properly.
Then I gathered my hair and packed it neatly into two buns, making sure it looked decent and not messy like before.
Just as I finished, the door suddenly opened.
A woman stepped inside.
The moment I saw her, a blue screen appeared beside her.
[ Name: Liu Muyan ]
I paused slightly.
So this is one of the sisters.
The moment Liu Muyan saw me, she froze.
Her eyes widened, and her mouth opened slightly in shock as she stared at my face.
I could clearly see her eyes turning red.
Then suddenly, tears filled them.
"You… you finally removed that stupid makeup after all these years… I am so, so happy."
Her voice trembled as she quickly walked toward me and grabbed my hands tightly.
I was slightly stunned by her reaction.
Before I could say anything, the door opened again.
Another woman walked in.
She was tall, just like Liu Muyan, with a slim body and a strong, sharp expression. Her hair was tied into a long ponytail, with no decorations on it at all.
The blue screen appeared again beside her.
[ Name: Liu Ruyan ]
[ Identity: Twin sister of Liu Muyan ]
She walked toward us, then stopped when her eyes landed on me.
A clear look of shock appeared on her face.
"Liu Yanyu…"
Her gaze moved over my body, from my face down to the clothes I was wearing.
"You are not wearing that ridiculous wedding dress… and you are actually wearing the hanfu I bought for you."
She frowned slightly, confusion written all over her face.
"Did you not say you hated plain and simple clothes?"
I stood there quietly, looking at both of them.
One was holding my hands tightly with teary eyes.
The other was staring at me like I had suddenly changed into a different person.
For a moment, I did not know what to say.
Then I slowly pulled my hands back gently.
"People change."
My voice was calm and steady.
"I just decided I do not want to look like a clown anymore."