"Manman, do you need any help?"
A neighbor passing by the door peeked in curiously.
Yun Manman, who was busily working, wiped the sweat from her brow. She paused her task, turned her head, and smiled as she thanked the neighbor and declined the offer.
"No need, I'm almost done!"
Due to the prolonged physical activity, Yun Manman's fair cheeks were flushed, and a few wisps of hair clung to her face, damp with sweat.
The neighbor was a warm-hearted middle-aged woman surnamed Zhou, who had helped Yun Manman a great deal.
Aunt Zhou nodded, "Are you about to open for business soon?"
Even though Yun Manman was confident, hearing the words "open for business" still filled her with excitement.
Her smile grew even brighter, her large, round emerald-green cat eyes sparkling like fine gems. Two dimples slowly appeared on her cheeks, which still retained a hint of baby fat.
Yun Manman nodded vigorously, "Yes, yes! I got my license yesterday. Once I finish stocking up, I'll open in a few days!"
"What's the name of your shop?"
Yun Manman had long since decided: "It's called 'Perfect Dessert Shop'."
Having enough money to spend, no longer struggling with part-time jobs, and doing the baking she loved – nothing could be more perfect!
"When the time comes, Auntie, you must come visit! I'll treat you to some delicious cakes!"
Aunt Zhou, recalling the unprecedented and incredibly tasty desserts Yun Manman had given her a couple of days ago, happily agreed, "Of course. If you need any help, make sure to let me know, okay?"
It was no wonder Aunt Zhou was concerned. After Grandma Yun passed away, Yun Manman seemed to have undergone a drastic change in personality. She was still as vivacious as ever, but the cold aloofness that had previously made her difficult to approach was gone, and she no longer kept to herself.
Now she was gentle and easy to talk to, and she could make delicious desserts!
But she always seemed confused and clumsy, not even knowing how to operate the cleaning system at home.
It was hard not to worry about her.
Having received Yun Manman's assurance, Aunt Zhou walked home with a spring in her step.
Yun Manman watched Aunt Zhou's tail swaying happily behind her and the ears on top of her head, thinking to herself that Aunt Zhou must be in a really good mood.
She had been in the Lingyi Continent for quite some time now, but she was still amazed by the sudden appearance of tails and ears on people here.
Yun Manman had originally been a struggling worker, toiling away at her job for a meager salary.
That night, she had been pressured by her boss to revise a proposal until past three in the morning. After barely two hours of sleep, she was rushing to the company again in response to her boss's urgent calls.
The combination of sleep deprivation and skipping breakfast triggered a hypoglycemic episode in Yun Manman, who had long suffered from low blood sugar.
Fortunately, she always kept small packets of white sugar in her bag for emergencies.
Just as she was shakily reaching into her bag to pour the white sugar packet into her mouth, a thin, bony hand suddenly reached out and snatched the sugar away from her.
It was an elderly man with a righteous look on his face.
The old man clutched the sugar packet he had taken from Yun Manman tightly, pointing at her with disappointment:
"How can a young lady like you be taking such things! You can't eat this anymore, I'm calling the police!"
His tone was extremely self-righteous; Yun Manman could almost see the golden "light of justice" behind him.
Yun Manman's vision darkened.
Grandpa, you've misunderstood! Help!
That was the last packet of sugar in her bag!
Why did something so absurd, which only happened on social media, have to happen to her?
Fighting her dizziness, she tried to explain, "No, grandpa, I have low..."
The old man took a wary step back, as if afraid she might try to grab the sugar, "No what? Look at how your hands are shaking, you must take this stuff all the time! Don't try to run, I'm calling the police!"
Yun Manman was on the verge of a breakdown, her hands shaking even more violently.
Although her life might not be worth much, she couldn't die like this!
At the very least, she needed to deliver the proposal she had stayed up all night working on to the company. It couldn't all be for nothing.
She stumbled backward, intending to turn and go to the convenience store behind her to buy some sugar.
But in her hypoglycemic state, her limbs felt as weak as noodles, and there were puddles on the road from last night's rain.
Yun Manman's foot slipped in a puddle, and her body fell uncontrollably towards the road.
At that moment, a speeding car struck her.
Amidst the shocked cries of bystanders, Yun Manman felt her body become strangely light.
Before closing her eyes, she thought, what a pity, she hadn't had the chance to spend the money she'd earned, or to give the handsome neighbor across the hall the mango pancakes she'd made...
Oh well, it is what it is. After all, she was alone in this world; if she was gone, she was gone.
It was just a bit embarrassing to die in such a ridiculous way. If she could choose, she'd prefer to die from overeating her favorite strawberry cheesecake. Being a full ghost wouldn't be so bad...
She hoped the old man hadn't been too frightened; he was quite elderly...
Her thoughts suddenly cut off, and when she regained consciousness, Yun Manman found herself in the Lingyi Continent.
It was a soul transmigration, not a body transmigration.
But the original body looked exactly like her, except for those emerald-green cat eyes.
And the tail and ears!
Kashida was one of the countries in the Lingyi Continent, primarily inhabited by beastkin. Besides Kashida, there were reportedly other nations of vampires, elves, dwarves, and more.
Every person in the Lingyi Continent possessed Spirit Power, which was classified into five levels: S, A, B, C, and D, based on strength. Spirit Power could be transformed into a sharp spear to attack others or a sturdy shield for self-protection.
Almost everyone suffered from Spirit Power disorders, which could cause mental confusion, loss of rationality, and transformation into a Beastfiend.
Spirit Power purity was used to assess the degree of Spirit Power disorder. The lower the purity, the more likely the Spirit Power was to become disordered or even go berserk; the higher the purity, the more stable the Spirit Power.
According to reports from the Kashida Center for Disease Control, the average Spirit Power purity among beastkin last year was only 50%!
Generally, a Spirit Power purity above 50% posed no risk of disorder, while below 35% made disorder likely, and below 20% almost guaranteed a descent into darkness.
In an era where the average lifespan was two to three hundred years, Spirit Power had become the most crucial factor affecting longevity.
Some people even transformed into Beastfiends without having done anything, becoming irrational beasts.
Thus, some said that becoming a Beastfiend was another form of death.
The original owner of this body was also named Yun Manman, with the weakest D-level Spirit Power strength and a purity barely over 40%. She had never met her parents and was raised by her grandmother.
Grandma had passed away a month ago, dying of natural causes at the ripe old age of 287!
Yun Manman transmigrated to this world on the second day after Grandma's death.
The original owner of this body had always been weak in Spirit Power and prone to minor ailments like colds and headaches. Overwhelmed with grief and with no one around, she developed a high fever and passed away that night.
When Yun Manman arrived, she was in a daze and before she knew it, the town mayor had her complete the entire funeral process.
Though it was called a funeral, the atmosphere was actually extremely joyous.
Many beast-people with fluffy ears and tails brought various homemade dried fish and meat, hanging them in several circles around Grandma's coffin. The whole funeral hall was filled with the fishy smell of dried fish.
Someone even brought small floating orbs that played music and flashed with colorful lights. These orbs hovered above the coffin, playing festive songs that rivaled "Happy Chinese New Year." Many people were wagging their tails and dancing hand in hand around the coffin.
It didn't look like a funeral at all; it was more like a rave party.
Yun Manman was dumbfounded: How filial! How incredibly filial!
Later, she learned from the mayor that Grandma had been the longest-living feline beast-person in the town and had loved lively atmospheres the most.
287 years old! The average lifespan of feline beast-people was only about 240 years.
So many feline beast-people from town, both acquaintances and strangers, were willing to come and bid Grandma farewell, hoping to absorb some of her "good fortune."
After the funeral, with the help of neighbors and the enthusiastic assistance of the mayor, Yun Manman spent over a month settling the inheritance matters.
Grandma's legacy included a house and enough money for Yun Manman to live an ordinary life comfortably.
It wasn't until late at night, when she was alone looking at the jewelry Grandma had left behind, that Yun Manman truly accepted the fact that she had died and come back to life.
But once again, she was alone.
Whether in her previous world or this one, she had never had any family.
She clumsily placed some dried fish she had bought in front of the original owner's grandmother's portrait, silently paying respects to the original owner as well. She decided to offer them sacrifices every year on their death anniversaries.
She also wondered, since she had transmigrated after death, what about the original owner? Was it possible they had switched to another world?
If so, she hoped the girl was doing well there. Yun Manman had left quite a bit of money from her part-time jobs.
Yun Manman still felt a bit sad and lost.
But her dejection lasted only a minute.
She quickly pulled herself together.
No difficulty could defeat Miss Manman!
Besides, she didn't have to worry about food or shelter anymore. She had a house of her own and didn't need to work herself to death or pay off a mortgage!
She could open a small shop and do what she loved most - baking!
Every day surrounded by sweetness!
Moreover, Yun Manman quite liked the country of Kashida; it sounded like delicious custard!
And her town, Lili Town, where most residents were feline animals - all cute and warm fluffballs!
Who doesn't love fluffy creatures? Unless they're cold-blooded.
Thinking about her future life, Yun Manman couldn't help but squint her round cat eyes in happiness.
As she cleaned, Yun Manman planned her future life.
The store didn't have a cleaning system yet. It was a bit expensive, but really convenient, so she'd have to install one...
She could put two sun umbrellas at the entrance and buy some cheap electric toys. The feline beast-children seemed to love playing with those...
Phew...
Finally done cleaning!
Yun Manman looked at the store she had designed herself and nodded with satisfaction.
Then she packed up her things, opened her umbrella, and hurried home.
It was already past four in the afternoon, but the sun in the sky was still blindingly bright, its rays seeming to scorch the skin.
The summer here was unbearable, especially painful for long-haired feline beast-people.
Yun Manman's T-shirt was almost soaked through.
She didn't need to touch to know that her tail was wet too.
After becoming a beast-person, all her senses had become more acute.
Yun Manman sniffed herself distastefully, felt her stomach growling with hunger, and quickened her pace.
She needed to get home and shower right away! Then eat a big bowl of egg fried rice in the air conditioning!
As Yun Manman hurried along with her flowery umbrella, her light orange ears on top of her head twitched, picking up the chatter of passersby.
"I heard the troops sent to the border to intercept the Beastfiend horde were victorious."
"Yes, I think General Lu led the team..."
"General Lu? Has his Spirit Power disorder been controlled?"
"Haven't heard... It must be better, right? Otherwise, why would he be leading troops into battle? He's really amazing..."
"Indeed..."
The voices of the passersby faded as the distance grew.
General Lu? General Lu Qi? The strongest military force in Kashida?
He had a Spirit Power disorder too?
Hmm... It had nothing to do with her.
These upper-class figures would never have anything to do with her life.
It was just too hot! She'd add a glass of ice-cold watermelon soda when she got home!
Yun Manman's thoughts wandered, her interest in food far exceeding any curiosity about some general.