[Wasn’t it 50,000? How did it become 5,000?] Ye Xiangwan narrowed his eyes slightly. Did this system take a cut for itself?

System:

[······This system’s integrity shall not be slandered! While the host did indeed have 50,000 yuan in savings, once converted into General Store currency, it becomes only 5,000. However, the host can top up anytime—one tael of silver equals 100 store credits.]

Upon hearing that, Ye Xiangwan started calculating with his fingers. 50,000 to 5,000—that’s a 10:1 exchange rate?

He felt like he’d been shortchanged. But what could he do about it?

The system, unaware of Ye Xiangwan’s suspicions, continued to dutifully introduce itself:

[Currently, the host owns a Level 1 store. Only three items can be refreshed at a time, and the store updates every ten days. Once you reach Level 2, one more item will be added per refresh. As for what kind of item—well, that depends on the host’s luck.]

Ye Xiangwan frowned deeply. So it all depends on whether I’m lucky or not?

But as someone who’s never won a free drink under a bottle cap in his life, did he really have that kind of luck?

[So how do I level up to Level 2?]

System:

[Easy. To upgrade from Level 1 to Level 2 requires 100 experience points. Level 2 to Level 3 requires 1,000 points, Level 3 to Level 4 needs 10,000, and so on. The highest level is 10. However, this system has a hidden Level 11. If the host reaches Level 11, a hidden reward will be granted.]

[What kind of reward?] Ye Xiangwan’s eyes lit up with interest.

System:

[The host’s level is currently insufficient. Access to that information is restricted.]

Ye Xiangwan curled his lips. Tch, “hidden reward”? More like a bait to lure me into leveling up!

[What are experience points?]

System:

[They depend on the host’s personal achievements—how far you can go. The final interpretation rights of experience points belong solely to the system.]

After hearing that, Ye Xiangwan became even more certain of his suspicions. Still, he didn’t say anything. Either way, having this thing was still a major advantage for surviving in this unfamiliar ancient world.

[When does the item refresh start?]

System:

[At midnight tonight. A reminder: only items refreshed by this system can be purchased.]

Ye Xiangwan nodded and began carefully examining the screen of light in front of him—something only he could see.

The interface was very minimal. At the top, in big letters, it read: [System Shop]. The name sounded grand, but there was nothing in the shop at the moment. In the center, a loading flower spun slowly with the words above it:

[Refreshing······]

Ye Xiangwan tapped the button below to open his personal dashboard. His avatar was a white Samoyed dog, and underneath it read: [Level 1 Merchant].

His wallet showed a balance of 5,000 store credits. They looked like shards of crystal, sparkling and beautiful.

Further down was an icon shaped like a small house, labeled [Warehouse].

Ye Xiangwan chuckled. “This must be where the items I purchase from the system shop are stored?”

System:

[Correct. The warehouse can be upgraded as the General Store levels up. As the host is currently a Level 1 Merchant, the warehouse can only hold 100 items.]

That’s not bad at all, Ye Xiangwan thought. He was quite satisfied with the warehouse. It was like having a personal storage space. It might not be as magical as those “portable spaces” in fantasy novels, but it would definitely suffice for now—he wasn’t picky.

Waiting was incredibly boring. After eating his fill and drinking enough, Ye Xiangwan strolled around the courtyard a bit. Since he was unfamiliar with this place and time, he decided not to wander too far—he didn’t want to attract trouble.

Besides, his so-called “husband” was still unconscious in bed. If he went off wandering, wouldn’t that make him look heartless? After thinking it through, Ye Xiangwan decided it was best to stay in his room and take a nap.

Outside, Ningbi glared at the tightly closed door, her heart full of envy and bitterness. “The sun’s already high in the sky and he’s still lazing around like a pig—eat, sleep, repeat!”

Hongzhu frowned at her comment. “Ningbi, no matter what you think, he’s still the Second Young Madam. It’s not your place to speak like that.”

Ningbi scoffed disdainfully. “Second Young Madam? Hah! Just a good-for-nothing who got lucky! If it weren’t for the Second Master being gravely ill, someone like him would never even dream of stepping into a noble place like Rongguo Mansion! And now he’s acting all high and mighty?”

Rolling her eyes, she spat in the direction of the door.

Qinghe glanced at Ningbi and pursed her lips. You’re just a maid. No matter what you say, he’s now Second Young Madam, and you’re still nothing but a servant bowing and scraping to him.

Still… once the Second Master woke up, who knew how things would turn out?

Inside, Ye Xiangwan rolled his eyes as he heard them talking. Finally, he couldn’t hold back anymore. He got up, walked to the door, and flung it open. Leaning against the doorframe with his arms crossed, he looked lazily down at Ningbi and said:

“What a pity, isn’t it? That someone like me—this so-called nobody—ended up becoming your Second Young Madam. From now on, I sit while you stand. I eat while you watch. I drink tea and you pour it. I sleep and you make the bed. And if I’m ever in a bad mood, I can cut your food allowance. Even if you complain to the Old Madam, I’ll still have a case. Might even let her see what kind of little queens the maids in Second Master’s courtyard have become!”

When Ningbi first saw him come out, her face was still full of contempt. But as Ye Xiangwan’s words landed one by one, her expression paled drastically.

Faced with Ye Xiangwan’s half-smile and mocking gaze, she lowered her head and bit her lip. Then, with a bitter heart, she fell to her knees, eyes welling with tears, full of humiliation and resentment.

“Please forgive me, Second Young Madam. This maid spoke out of turn. Please have mercy on me just this once.”

She bowed her head, feeling the gazes of Hongzhu and Qinghe fall on her like daggers. Her heart burned with shame and hate.

Ye Xiangwan watched her kneel and beg, then yawned, looking bored.

“Forget it. I’m merciful, and this is your first offense. I won’t stoop to argue with a little maid. But if there’s a next time, I’ll personally report you to the Old Madam. The second Master’s courtyard has no place for someone like you.”

“Thank you, Second Young Madam. Thank you…” Ningbi said gratefully, but in her heart, she was furiously praying for Jia Lian to wake up soon and cast off this useless rooster who couldn’t even lay eggs!

Once Ye Xiangwan shut the door again, Hongzhu and Qinghe went over to help Ningbi up.

“You really ought to watch what you say. He’s still your Second Young Madam, after all,” Hongzhu said, unable to hold back her scolding.

Unexpectedly, Ningbi flung their hands away angrily. “You two just wanted to see me humiliated! Hmph! Let’s see how long he lasts. When the Second Master wakes up, I doubt that man will keep his title. You two are already trying to cozy up to him—just wait and see if you end up with nothing!”

Qinghe didn’t back down. She snorted coldly and pulled her hand away. “So tough, huh? Then why didn’t you talk back to him just now? Cat got your tongue?”

Ningbi’s face flushed with shame at the reminder. She glared at them, then turned and ran off in tears.

Back in the room, Ye Xiangwan lay on the bed, hands behind his head, one leg crossed and bouncing lazily. He glanced at the sleeping “beauty” beside him and chuckled.

“Didn’t think you’d be so popular, brother. Then again, it makes sense. Good looks, wealth, status—of course the girls are into you.”

He chuckled again, but suddenly, the leg he was bouncing stopped.

[System, didn’t you say earlier I had a newbie gift pack?]

System:

[Yes. Would the host like to open it now?]

[Open it! Open it!]

System:

[Very well.]

As soon as the system’s voice fell, a large red gift box tied with a pink bow appeared in front of Ye Xiangwan.

Rubbing his hands together excitedly, Ye Xiangwan clasped them in prayer, closed his eyes, and muttered, “Bless me, O Luck God, let this be a good one.”

After silently chanting a few times, he opened his eyes and carefully tapped the box.

The gift box exploded instantly, showering him in a flurry of dazzling fireworks. Ye Xiangwan silently scoffed, so flashy… wonder what’s actually in there.

Four embroidered pouches fell onto him. As he opened them one by one, he muttered, [System, that wasn’t very discreet. What if someone had seen that? Next time, just send stuff directly to my system inventory.]

[Understood.]

Ye Xiangwan pulled the contents out of the first pouch—a pitch-black pill about the size of a hawthorn candy ball he used to eat as a kid. He sniffed it but didn’t catch any scent.

[What is this?]

[You’re in luck, host. That’s a Power Pill. As the name suggests, once you take it, your physical strength will increase significantly.]

[How strong are we talking?] Ye Xiangwan’s interest was piqued. Since he didn’t know martial arts, strength would definitely come in handy.

[You’ll be able to lift 100 kilograms with one hand, no sweat.]

Ye Xiangwan picked up the pill and, without hesitation, popped it into his mouth. It was big, so he had to chew it for a while before swallowing. It tasted a little sweet.

After a moment, a warm sensation spread through his body. He felt like he was brimming with endless strength. Looking around the room, his gaze landed on a solid wood table. He hopped out of bed, walked over, planted his feet in a sturdy stance, and placed both hands on the table. With a grunt—

“Holy sh*t!” The sudden surge of force made Ye Xiangwan stumble backward; he nearly pulled his back. He hadn’t expected lifting the table to feel like hoisting a plastic stool—effortless.

He picked up the table with one hand, switching hands every few seconds like it was a toy. After amusing himself for a while, he put the table back in place.

Kind of boring. Gotta find a big rock to test this on later.

After finishing his experiment with the Power Pill, Ye Xiangwan walked back to the bed and grabbed the remaining three pouches, pulling out three cards.

Each card was about the size of a playing card. One had a picture of a toothbrush and toothpaste, the second a medical kit, and the third an adorable cat.

[What are these?]

[You’re pretty lucky again. The card with the toothbrush and toothpaste grants you unlimited access to dental hygiene supplies. You’ll never need to worry about your teeth again. System-brand toothpaste has tons of benefits—you’ll discover them over time.]

[The medical kit card gives you access to a portable first-aid box with common medicines. Unlike the toothbrush, though, the supplies aren’t unlimited—they’ll decrease with use. But don’t worry, you might get lucky and find medical items in future store refreshes.]

[Would the host like to activate them now? Once activated, they’ll be stored in your system inventory and can be accessed at any time.]

[Activate them.] Ye Xiangwan didn’t hesitate at all. It wasn’t like they’d take up space.

He sighed contentedly and flopped back onto the bed, picking up the final card—the one with the cute white Persian cat.

[What’s this one for?]

[Wow! You’re seriously lucky. This card gives you the ability to understand what animals are saying.]

Ye Xiangwan immediately sat up. [I can understand animals? Like, all of them?]

[Not all animals. The extent of your ability depends on the creature and your own exploration.]

[Still, that’s awesome. Activate it!] With this, he figured he’d never be short on gossip—his eyes lit up with excitement. Life just got a lot more interesting.

As soon as he spoke, the cat card dissolved into a streak of blue light and shot into his forehead. Ye Xiangwan felt a brief chill in his brain—then nothing.

[That’s it?]

[What else were you expecting?]

So simple… totally lacking in ceremony. Ye Xiangwan muttered inwardly.

Lying back with one leg lazily swinging, he felt pretty satisfied. The gifts might not be earth-shattering, but they were practical—definitely useful in this new life.

He turned his head toward the unconscious Jia Lian and sighed. “All that’s left is you, bro. But don’t worry, for the sake of my peaceful life, I’ll take good care of you.”

Unable to resist, he reached out and pinched Jia Lian’s handsome face. Just as he was giving it a second squeeze, his hand froze.

He stared into a pair of peach blossom eyes—filled with confusion and dazed curiosity.

Ye Xiangwan slowly retracted his hand and smiled sheepishly. “If I said it was an accident, would you believe me?”