Chapter 4: Day 4 of Transmigrating into an Object

Jiang Shiyang curled up alone on the cold bathroom counter. She had turned back into a ring. Her meager five minutes were completely used up, yet Shen Wenyi had refused her.

Who was it, she wondered, at the last Lily Award ceremony, who took advantage of a quiet moment to whisper in her ear, making a bet on who would win Best Actress?

When Shen Wenyi came to her with a bet, she had no choice but to accept. So how was it that when the tables were turned, when she was the one seeking a bet with Shen Wenyi, Shen Wenyi could just wave her off and watch the show?

It just proved Shen Wenyi was born to be her nemesis. Usually, when she couldn’t be bothered to get entangled with Shen Wenyi, Shen Wenyi would stick to her like a haunting spirit. But at a critical moment when she actually needed Shen Wenyi, Shen Wenyi told her “No”?!

The more Jiang Shiyang thought about it, the angrier she got. If she had hands right now, she would absolutely, immediately throttle Shen Wenyi so hard she’d wish she were dead.

Unfortunately, a ring has no hands. So infuriating.

Shen Wenyi winning the Lily Award for Best Actress only made it worse.

Through the gap in the door, she couldn’t see the bed. She had no idea if Shen Wenyi had already put down her phone and gone to sleep. It was a pity she didn’t have Shen Wenyi’s phone number; calling her directly would probably have a much higher success rate. If Shen Wenyi dared to say “no” on the phone, she would immediately unleash a barrage of mockery. She didn’t believe Shen Wenyi could keep saying “no” after that.

Actually, thinking back, she had once possessed Shen Wenyi’s phone number. Though she had blocked it countless times, it was precisely because she had blocked it so many times that the number was etched into her memory.

What a shame that was Shen Wenyi’s high school number. Who doesn’t change their number when they go to college? Shen Wenyi had definitely changed it long ago. Even if she hadn’t in college, entering the entertainment industry would have forced her to, or else she would have been harassed to the point of questioning her life choices.

Her own number had been changed several times. Sasaeng fans these days were too terrifying, infiltrating everything. She had even bought several houses—a cunning rabbit has three burrows—just to avoid being cornered by sasaeng fans at her door.

The more Jiang Shiyang thought, the more depressed she became. What she had assumed was a sure thing had ended in rejection. What now? Was she really supposed to play the mission system like a gambling game?

The key issue was that the stakes were too high. Losing meant a fate worse than death.

She tapped the System.

【I’m willing to trade my entire fortune. Can I avoid turning into a ring if the mission fails?】

The System remained silent, simply displaying a string of countless digits.

Jiang Shiyang understood. That was a bank system the System could hack into at will. The System could have as much money as it wanted; it didn’t care for hers.

Forget it. The silence around her was just too profound. The occasional drip of water was so eerie it made her scalp tingle. She was just trying to distract herself.

She wasn’t afraid of anything, except ghosts.

Before, she could comfort herself that ghosts didn’t exist in this world. Now, having suddenly turned into a ring, she wasn’t so sure anymore.

【Remaining Item Duration: 6 Days, 18 Hours, 15 Minutes, 22 Seconds】

Time was passing so quickly. It was almost 6 hours already. She had arrived last night at 9 PM, and it was now 3 AM. In another 3 or 4 hours, Little Xie would be heading to her house to pick her up.

The past two days of rushing through schedules day and night had all been for Director Chen’s film. She could already imagine Little Xie’s reaction upon finding her lying on the bathroom floor like a corpse—a shrieking, panicked marmot, clutching her head.

In a few days, fake news about Jiang Shiyang collapsing from overwork would frantically climb the trending searches, only to be slowly debunked as merely a coma.

Sigh.

Without much hope, Jiang Shiyang tapped the System again, asking if there was any chance of waiting for a gift pack. The answer she got was that besides the Newbie Gift Pack, there were Random Gift Packs, but Random Gift Packs required completing Mysterious Tasks to obtain.

Mysterious Tasks appeared randomly; the System couldn’t actively issue them. Even if it could, with her Human Form Duration squeezed completely dry, she could only stare helplessly, powerless to act.

What to do? Was she really supposed to leave it all to fate?

Jiang Shiyang wanted to scream: My fate is decided by me, not the heavens!

What a pity she didn’t even have a mouth.

She, a single ring, curled up forlornly on the bathroom counter, racking her brains to break the deadlock. From beyond the door crack, a click sounded, and a light came on.

The rustle of bedding, the sound of slippers, the dim bedside lamp outside the door crack was blocked. The door creaked open, another click, and the ceiling light blazed on. Shen Wenyi walked in casually, looked down, and picked her up. strands of hair slid smoothly off her shoulder, brushing against the ring’s band, as if tickling her neck.

She held back a laugh, completely baffled. Why did a fall to the floor not hurt, but a single strand of hair tickled? What was the principle behind this?

The System popped up at just the right moment.

【System: Shielding the Host from pain is this System’s duty!】

【Host: Then why not just shield all other tactile sensations while you’re at it? I’m afraid of the cold, and I’m ticklish.】

【System: …】

【Host: Why so quiet now? Is that all you’ve got?】

【Host: Heh, could it be you can only shield pain?】

The System never made another sound. It seemed she had really guessed— Wait, no, Shen Wenyi, what are you doing?!!!

Shen Wenyi picked her up, but instead of putting her on or taking her away, she squeezed out some creamy white facial cleanser and began rubbing it all over her, slippery and slick.

The warmth of fingertips rubbed against the ring along with the foam. The way Shen Wenyi looked down at her, eyes so gentle as if she were a rare, priceless treasure, wasn’t the usual on-camera expression for the public, but something that flowed naturally.

But—what—did—that—have—to—do—with—her?!

She was going crazy.

Going crazy!!

Don’t scrub my face! Don’t scrub my neck! Don’t scrub my armpits! Don’t scrub my chest! Don’t scrub my stomach!!!

I’m just a ring!!!

She screamed at the top of her lungs, she struggled with all her might, her entire soul was resisting, but ultimately, she couldn’t change the fate of being manhandled.

She was no longer pure.

A tear dripped from her soul.

And it was ruined by the person she hated most, Shen Wenyi.

Another tear dripped.

She felt hollowed out, like she wanted to die.

But a fate worse than death was out of the question.

Jiang Shiyang spent three minutes on psychological self-reconstruction. As she felt the ice-cold tap water washing the foam off her body, her soul shivered from the cold.

That unreliable System. If only it could have shielded her sense of touch, would she have suffered such severe damage?

A bizarre sensation, as if fingertips were still lingering all over her body. She registered her own burning face. This was from anger. Definitely from anger.

After washing for a moment, Shen Wenyi finally turned off the tap. Before she could sigh in relief, Shen Wenyi then picked up a towel and started rubbing it all over her???

Her: “………………”

The feeling was too strange. Impossible to describe.

Could you please wipe a different spot and stop rubbing the lower half of the ring?

Shen Wenyi finally dried off the water droplets, draped the towel to one side, and her fingertips once again stroked the ring. She murmured softly, “Why is it a little hot? An illusion?”

Face flushing crimson, practically steaming, Jiang Shiyang: “……………………”

How could a ring generate its own heat? Wake up, it is an illusion!

Shen Wenyi muttered to herself again, “Heat from friction?”

As she spoke, her thumb rubbed again against the lower part of the ring.

Jiang Shiyang: “!!!”

Just let me die. Tonight is my death anniversary.

My tears cannot stop flowing, because they flow backwards! Backwards into a river!