Transmigrated Into an Ancient Filial Piety Novel as a Scumbag Alpha (GL) - Chapter 1

Chapter 1

Ji Huan woke up because of the noisy sounds outside. In her groggy state, she heard the harsh clamor, but the sounds seemed muffled, as if a thin veil blocked them, making them unclear.

Her head throbbed with dull pain. When she tried to listen harder, she lost consciousness again.

When Ji Huan regained awareness, she felt a warm sensation on her face, as if someone used a towel to wipe it. Her eyelids remained heavy, and her body felt like it was filled with lead, refusing to move.

After an unknown amount of time in this hazy state, Ji Huan finally gathered enough strength to open her eyes. She slowly opened them, but the glaring sunlight made her squint. After adjusting to the light, she saw everything around her, which felt completely unfamiliar.

The first thing Ji Huan noticed was the tattered bed curtain in front of her. She turned her head slightly to look around the room and saw a crude table made of simple wooden planks nearby, along with two long benches that looked uncomfortable. On the table sat a few chipped porcelain bowls and an oil lamp with barely any oil left.

Looking further, she saw a worn mud wall next to an old wooden cabinet that didn’t close properly. Beside the cabinet lay a dirty, tattered straw mat, and next to the mat, someone had neatly folded an old quilt.

Ji Huan struggled to prop herself up on the bed’s wooden frame. Her mind felt foggy. Her bed at home had a latex mattress, which definitely didn’t feel like this, and this room was clearly not her home.

She remembered working in her studio the previous night, firing a batch of Jian ware. She always handled things herself, closely monitoring the electric kiln to ensure the temperature stayed perfect. Then her consciousness faded, and she woke up here.

Ji Huan looked down at her clothes. She wore a tattered cotton jacket with five or six patches. The quilt covering her was the same, with over a dozen patches visible at a glance.

Ji Huan took a deep breath to calm herself. As if recalling something, she rolled up her right sleeve. When she saw the rose tattoo on her right hand, she let out a small sigh of relief.

Thankfully, this body seemed to be hers. Two years ago, she had accidentally cut her right wrist, leaving a six-centimeter scar that extended to her forearm. Though the scar had faded, she had gotten a rose tattooed over it.

A clear “ding” sound snapped Ji Huan out of her thoughts. She warily scanned her surroundings as a cheerful metallic voice echoed in her mind.

“The host is really smart! Yes, this body is still your original body. However, due to years of intense work, your health rapidly declined. In your previous world, you already passed away…”

Ji Huan ignored the rest of the voice’s words. Her mind fixated on the phrase “passed away.”

She was only 24 and had died?

As if sensing her disbelief, the system continued chattering. “Yes, you died suddenly last night. Because of your skills, our refreshing story system chose you and brought you here. We activated your deceased body. If you can help us fix the plot, you can continue living in this small world.”

“What plot?” Ji Huan, confused by the explanation, quickly asked the system in her mind.

“It’s the plot of this book. The world you’re in is inside a book. The original body you’ve replaced was a pitifully obedient daughter who slaved away for her family her whole life. In the book, her family never respected her. Our refreshing story system doesn’t allow such depressing plots. You need to turn this miserable story into a refreshing one and ensure Jiang Yubai lives a good life. Only then can you live safely in this world. I won’t say more. I’ll send you the original book to read briefly. Our system only guides; how you do it is up to you. I’m going on vacation after this, so don’t bother me.”

The system’s tone carried worry, as if it genuinely feared Ji Huan would cling to it.

Ji Huan processed the information. When she tried to ask the system more, it didn’t respond. If not for the full text of the book now in her mind, she would have thought it was all a hallucination.

“Going on vacation already? Can’t you be more reliable?” Ji Huan muttered to herself, feeling her system was untrustworthy. Others got golden opportunities and invincible scripts from the start. What was her script? Taking it one step at a time?

Ji Huan helplessly shook her head. Though this was her modern-world body, the system must have tampered with it. She felt weak and powerless, barely able to get out of bed.

As Ji Huan struggled to move and get off the bed to check her appearance, the old wooden door creaked open. A young woman, about seventeen or eighteen, walked in. Her skin was fair, her eyes slightly upturned at the corners, and her dark eyelashes fluttered with each blink. Her thin, pink lips pursed slightly from nervousness.

Though she wore no makeup, the woman’s beauty shone through. However, her dress was even more tattered than Ji Huan’s, with more patches.

Without the system’s help or the original owner’s memories, Ji Huan decided to stay calm and wait for the woman to speak first. Fortunately, the woman spoke up.

“You’re awake? Mother told me to bring you food. There’s an egg in it. Eat it while it’s hot.” The woman carried a bowl of noodles to the bedside, her gaze fixed on Ji Huan.

Ji Huan met the woman’s eyes, looked for a moment, then averted her gaze, mumbling, “Oh, I’m still weak. Can you help me up?”

The woman’s hands tightened together, and her eyes held a hint of scrutiny as she looked at Ji Huan.

Seeing the woman’s reaction, Ji Huan’s heart raced with alarm. Had she already slipped up with her first words?

When the woman didn’t respond, Ji Huan tried to move herself but struggled. After a long effort, she couldn’t even lean against the wooden headboard.

Seeing Ji Huan’s genuine struggle, the woman hesitantly asked, “Do you really need me to help you?”

Ji Huan didn’t understand the woman’s hesitation. Helping her up wasn’t a big deal, so why did the woman keep emphasizing it? Still, she followed the woman’s lead and replied, “Yes, I really don’t have much strength.”

The woman pursed her lips, placed the noodle bowl on the nearby table, and returned to sit on the bed’s edge. She slipped one hand behind Ji Huan’s waist and used the other to support her back, helping her sit up.

With the woman’s help, Ji Huan managed to sit up slightly and leaned against the hard wooden headboard with effort.

Her gaze drifted back to the woman’s face. It wasn’t that Ji Huan was interested in her; she just loved looking at beautiful faces. She often stared at her own reflection and couldn’t resist sneaking glances at attractive women.

The woman seemed to sense Ji Huan’s intense stare. Her brow furrowed slightly as she met Ji Huan’s smiling eyes.

Caught off guard by the woman’s sudden look, Ji Huan awkwardly pressed her forehead, pretending to feel dizzy.

The woman lowered her eyes slightly, picked up the steaming noodle bowl from the table, and handed it over. “Can you eat by yourself?”

After asking, the woman seemed to regret her words, and the faint light in her eyes dimmed.

Ji Huan noticed the woman’s low mood but didn’t dare say much since she still hadn’t grasped the basics of this world. She replied in a neutral tone, “I can.”

Ji Huan took the noodle bowl from the bedside and ate eagerly. Honestly, she was starving. Though it was just a simple bowl of noodles with an egg, she ate with relish.

After getting Ji Huan’s response, the woman sat forlornly on the far bench. She knew it—Ji Huan was just like the others.