Lustful and Devoted

In her previous life, Zhao Xin’s fate was far from fortunate. Born into a farming family, she possessed a straightforward, carefree nature, never pondering much about the future. As the eldest child with two younger brothers, she grew up in a rural environment where sons were favored over daughters. Once she started middle school, her parents claimed poverty as an excuse to stop her education.

Having spent her childhood in a small town, she was isolated from the outside world, unaware of the importance of education. Influenced by her parents and fellow villagers, she dropped out and went to work. Without a diploma, finding decent work was impossible, so she followed the local girls into the factories.

If she had been ordinary, it might have been easier, but her beauty drew unwanted attention. The factories were filled with rough, uneducated men, and she was constantly harassed, not only by colleagues but also by supervisors. Frustrated, she confided in a kind-hearted aunt from the dormitory, who had been working in the city for years. The aunt suggested Zhao Xin switch jobs and promised to help her.

Instead, she was deceived and sent to a disreputable nightclub, where she was assaulted and forced into prostitution. Her life was ruined from that moment on. She never returned home, except to send money each year, until her tragic death at the hands of those who toyed with her.

Reborn, armed with the wisdom of her past life, Zhao Xin bought a lottery ticket and won the grand prize of five million. Now, her family could not deny her education. She kept none of the money for herself, for she possessed her greatest asset: a portable space.

Whether it could be upgraded like a farm game, she didn’t know. Yet, gazing at the six acres filled with fruit trees, the clear stream, and the elegant wooden cottage, Zhao Xin knew her fate had changed utterly. Even without the prize money, she could grow rich by selling the fruit from her space.

After drinking water from her space, her skin—which had darkened from farm work and play—became fair and radiant, and she grew even more beautiful, though she endured hours of stomach pain in the process.

Secretly, she replaced some of the vegetables and fruit in the kitchen with those from her space. Her family, after eating them, didn’t suffer as she did, but they all spent more time in the bathroom. Soon, her mother looked ten years younger, her brothers became much healthier, and her father’s rough complexion softened into a healthy wheat-like tone.

Villagers noticed the transformation, assuming the family’s newfound fortune had brought youthful vigor to them all.

Today, she was persuading her parents to buy a house in the county. Her reasoning was simple: both brothers were growing up, and with money now available, they deserved a good education.

Their windfall had already made others envious, and if they lingered, the local thugs might demand a share. Still, those in the village who had good relations with Zhao’s family, and some relatives, received benefits as well.

Zhao Xin’s parents were no fools; after listening to their daughter, they had long asked Zhao Qian’s father to find them several apartments in Rong City, preferably close to his own, so they could look out for each other.

Having lived in poverty all their lives, the sudden windfall did not bring wild joy to the elder couple, but unease and anxiety.

This was not a mere few thousand, but five million; after taxes and gifts, they still had four million left. Such a vast sum was unsettling to keep. So, following Zhao Xin’s advice, the elderly couple decided to use part of the money to buy and renovate a house, and to invest in future business ventures. The rest they saved for their daughter's dowry.

As for marriage expenses, they were still alive and strong, weren’t they? Once both sons had homes, plus the village house, there would be no shortage of women eager to marry them.

Today, Zhao Qian’s parents were taking Zhao Xin’s parents to view houses, while Zhao Qian herself went hiking with Lin Xia and the others. Zhao Xin had initially planned to join the house hunt, but upon hearing Chen Zi Mo’s name, she changed her mind. Property values would only rise, but she might never have another chance to connect naturally with Chen Zi Mo.

And so, the earlier scene unfolded. She hadn't expected her luck to be so fortuitous: Chen Zi Mo personally offered her a ride.

Though Zhao Xin had never attended high school in her past life, thanks to her cousin Zhao Qian, she knew Chen Zi Mo’s famous name. Later, Chen Zi Mo saved her life by accident, and she began to follow his every news, learning how the young master of the Xu family quarreled with him over Liu Zi Qing, and how both died because of her.

Liu Zi Qing, the culprit, survived but became a vegetable, doomed never to awaken.

This time, Zhao Xin was determined to rescue Chen Zi Mo from Liu Zi Qing’s quagmire.

Sitting behind Chen Zi Mo, Zhao Xin reflected. Her past life was gone; this rebirth belonged to her alone.

The sun was bright, and the youths rode bicycles along the embankment, the breeze caressing their cheeks. Laughter rang out, lifting everyone’s spirits.

After a quarrel with Zhou Meng, Xie Xi Tong realized Lin Xia hadn’t caught up. She planted her feet on the ground, waited for Lin Xia and You Xin, and, regardless of whether Zhou Meng could hear, gave him a glare and complained, “That man is so annoying, shamelessly following us around. Truly shameless.”

Seeing Zhou Meng’s indifference, Lin Xia laughed and shifted the topic, “Zhao Qian’s cousin is here, such a beautiful girl—how can ordinary folk like us survive?”

Her words, half in jest, struck a chord with Xie Xi Tong. “Indeed,” she pouted, “With Liu Zi Qing already making things difficult, now we have another one. It’s really frustrating.”

Within their four-person group, Xie Xi Tong and Zhao Qian were the prettiest: Xie Xi Tong was the cute type, Zhao Qian the delicate beauty. Sun Xiao Xiao wasn’t as striking, but had the best figure, and Lin Xia, by comparison, was the most ordinary. Though her looks could only be called delicate, her fair skin made her stand out, and among the four, she had been the palest. But after seeing Zhao Xin’s skin, so lustrous and jade-like, she felt outshone, and even her last advantage was gone. Lin Xia couldn’t help but feel a pang of envy.

You Xin laughed, “Not every boy cares only about looks. For girls, appearance isn’t most important—it's the heart, knowledge, and poise that are truly attractive.”

Zhou Meng eagerly nodded, “Exactly, exactly! Look at me—I haven’t paid any attention to Zhao Xin. In my eyes, Tong Tong is the prettiest.”

“Bah,” Xie Xi Tong scoffed, “Who’s your girl? Don’t flatter yourself.”

Despite her words, the flush on her ears betrayed her shyness and unease.

To be praised by a boy who wasn’t ugly in front of others, she couldn’t help but feel pleased and secretly delighted.

Looking into You Xin’s gentle eyes, Lin Xia gained confidence. “Well, at least there are boys who remain calm in the face of beauty.”

You Xin smiled, “You girls shouldn’t judge all men the same way. Not all men are lechers; otherwise, where would those epic, moving romances come from?”

Xie Xi Tong shook her finger, “No, no—Liu Yan said in her book, ‘Men aren’t faithful. Faithfulness is only because the price of betrayal is too low.’”

You Xin laughed, “But that’s not always true. Scientists have studied human love, exploring why some people are promiscuous while others are loyal.

In science, lab mice are often used for experiments because their life patterns are similar to humans. Scientists compared prairie voles and mountain voles. Prairie voles are social mammals, and one of the few monogamous species—much like humans. Once married, a prairie vole couple stays together for life; the males are not promiscuous at all.

Mountain voles, though closely related, are the opposite—they’re notorious for their promiscuity and lack of loyalty.

Yet, their genes are 99% identical, so scientists wondered what caused such different attitudes toward love.”

Having lived two lives, Lin Xia had never heard of such research and was intrigued, listening intently.

Especially Xie Xi Tong, a lover of stories, who urged, “And then? And then? Why is it so?”

Even Zhou Meng was paying close attention, drawing a glare from her. “Who knew mice could be promiscuous—some even more so! Hmph, certain people must be like those mountain voles.”

Zhou Meng replied playfully, “If I were a male mountain vole, and met a fierce female mountain vole, I wouldn’t dare pick flowers outside.”

Catching his meaning, the blush on Xie Xi Tong’s ears deepened. She complained to You Xin, “Hurry up and finish, Summer and I are waiting.”

She clearly didn’t regard Zhou Meng as part of the conversation, but he didn’t mind; since meeting Xie Xi Tong, she’d never shown him a friendly face.

You Xin, good-natured as ever, smiled. “So the scientists conducted a series of experiments. After observing, they found that when prairie voles, um…”

He paused. Xie Xi Tong’s large, watery eyes fixed on him, Lin Xia’s clear gaze held only his reflection. You Xin, just fourteen, recalled the article’s phrase, “when prairie voles mate,” and his face reddened.

“When prairie voles do what?” Xie Xi Tong pressed impatiently.

“Uh, when prairie voles, uh, mate, their bodies release two hormones—oxytocin and vasopressin,” You Xin stammered. “If the release of these hormones is blocked, prairie voles become as promiscuous as their mountain cousins. So, the key to loyalty lies in these two hormones.”

Then, Xie Xi Tong tilted her head, puzzled, “What does ‘when they do that’ mean?”

Her innocent question caused Zhou Meng, who was drinking water, to nearly spit it out.

P:

I have to memorize vocabulary, memorize vocabulary—damn, I haven’t even read through this once!! For those who still have to memorize words, I can’t take it anymore…

So, this miserable author is off to study vocabulary. If possible, I’ll write more later. Off I go… (To be continued. If you like this work, please subscribe, reward, and support—it’s my greatest motivation.)