NOVEL NEXT WORLD Chapter 1:
Chapter 1: A Fateful Life—What Year Is Tonight?:
[You were struck by lightning and died.]
[Soon after your death, Lady Huang took her own life for you. Her love was truly moving.]
[…]
[System evaluation begins.]
[In this life, you committed countless sins. You deliberately spread false rumors, leading the emperor to suspect General Guo of Zhenyuan, which indirectly caused the execution of his entire household—over 300 people. Only you and Lady Huang managed to escape.]
[To save a few coins on a string of candied hawthorn, you murdered a peddler in the wilderness and discarded his body in a mass grave.]
[Your exceptional culinary talent allowed you to stand out in a restaurant.]
[Using your knowledge of soap-making, you secretly extracted oil from human bones in the mass graves to produce soap, earning your first fortune.]
[Under the cover of darkness, you slaughtered the family of the wealthy benefactor who took you in and seized their mansion.]
[You colluded with corrupt officials to seize farmland, leaving peasants with no land to cultivate, forcing them to work in your soap factory, where you provided them with only two meals a day.]
[At a banquet, you used a rare slow-acting poison to assassinate a rival. The poison took effect that very night, but no evidence pointed to you.]
[Your fated partner, Lady Huang, remained devoted to you, unwavering and loyal.]
[As a mere kitchen steward, you were deeply favored by the general’s wife. Your life was well worth it.]
[You lived for a total of twelve years. In the end, after committing countless atrocities, you were struck down by divine retribution.]
[Evaluation: Serves you right!]
…
“Huff!”
“This simulation is really addictive.”
Su Mo stretched lazily. Despite staying up all night, he felt refreshed—probably a perk of the simulation.
He wasn’t originally from this world.
On his second day after transmigrating, he had answered two impossible couplets during a Lantern Festival event. This won him favor at the Zhenyuan General’s Mansion, allowing him to pass their test and become a servant.
A mere lowly laborer.
Before transmigrating, he often cooked for himself, developing impressive culinary skills.
One day, after casually preparing a few dishes, he astonished the steward, who then promoted him to manage the kitchen.
Since taking on this role, he had awakened a simulation called “Fateful Life”, which allowed him to experience alternate lifetimes.
Before each simulation, he could randomly generate birthplace, identity, and initial talents.
Talents heavily influenced the final outcome.
Once, he had drawn the talent “Top-Tier Martial Artist,” instantly making him a Jianghu expert in the simulation, able to traverse the world freely.
During each simulation, a randomly assigned real-world female character would become his fated partner.
The simulation played out like a holographic movie—his simulated self followed a predetermined life path, but at key moments, Su Mo could intervene and make choices that changed the outcome.
Though he couldn’t directly control his character, watching the unfolding lives had its own appeal.
However, after multiple runs, Su Mo realized something frustrating—
“Fateful Life” was a complete scam.
No matter how many simulations he completed, he never received any actual rewards.
That was a huge letdown.
Being transmigrated without a cheat ability was a nightmare.
If not for his quick thinking, he might have already died on the streets.
Eventually, he stopped taking it seriously. Instead, he deliberately chose the worst possible options, maximizing chaos, destruction, and suffering.
To him, the simulation characters were just data. This was just a mindless pastime with no real rewards.
Ironically, this latest simulation had one of the better endings.
Previously, he had always been assassinated by enemies or poisoned to death.
Getting struck by lightning? That was almost a mercy.
But thinking back to his fated partner in this simulation, Su Mo felt a strange awakening in his heart.
His partner had been Lady Huang, the general’s wife.
A woman second only to the general in status. Ordinary people weren’t even allowed to make eye contact with her.
Yet, in the simulation, Su Mo’s identity had overlapped with his real-world one, leading to a twelve-year entanglement with Lady Huang.
Throughout those years, he had committed countless evil acts, yet somehow, he had still won her heart.
He could only attribute this to “Fateful Life’s” twisted logic.
No matter how outrageous his actions were, the system always made his fated partner rationalize them in the most favorable way.
By now, it was already daytime.
Running another simulation would have to wait until nightfall.
Su Mo put on his short jacket and looked out the window.
It was already the fifth watch of the night.
A faint glow of dawn stretched across the sky.
Time to head to the kitchen.
After a quick wash, Su Mo stepped outside.
The moment he exited, a biting northern wind lashed against his face, making his cheeks sting.
The winters in this world were brutally cold.
His thin clothing offered little warmth, forcing him to stomp his feet and rub his hands as he hurried toward the kitchen.
Inside, the comforting heat of the fires immediately softened his frozen limbs.
The cooks bustled about, their faces illuminated by flickering flames.
Since Su Mo was still new, he didn’t give orders. Instead, he silently inspected the ingredients.
He ensured the vegetables and meat were fresh.
Once the purchasing boy returned, he would also verify the quantities and prices to prevent any discrepancies.
Just then, a burly head chef called out roughly.
“Steward Su, no need to check today. It’s the Second Young Miss’s birthday—I already inspected everything beforehand.”
“If anything goes wrong, you and I will both be held responsible.”
Su Mo nodded calmly.
“Thanks, Chef Liu. But routine checks still need to be done.”
Seeing Su Mo’s insistence, Chef Liu’s greasy, plump face darkened with irritation.
He let out a cold snort.
“Suit yourself!”
Of course, I will.
Su Mo sneered inwardly.
‘We’ll both be responsible’? If something goes wrong, the blame will fall solely on me as the kitchen steward.
You, a mere cook, won’t have to answer for anything.
…
Meanwhile, in the general’s wife’s chambers…
A graceful woman with arched brows like distant mountains and eyes like autumn waves sat before a dressing table. Two maids—one plump, one thin—helped her arrange her hair.
She appeared to be in her early thirties.
Stunningly beautiful.
Her fair skin was as delicate as white jade.
A soft glow seemed to envelop her figure.
But faint red marks on her swan-like neck hinted at something intimate, evoking a sense of pity.
Gazing into the bronze mirror, Huang Qingwan looked dazed.
Wasn’t I supposed to be with Su Lang already?
Why am I back here?
“What day is it today?”
Hearing the question, the two maids froze before quickly responding.
“Madam, today is the Second Young Miss’s birthday!”
“Lin’er’s birthday…?”
Huang Qingwan fell into a trance.
She vaguely remembered that half a year after Lin’er’s birthday, their entire household had been executed due to a fabricated rumor.
Only Su Mo had fought to rescue her, allowing them to escape under new identities.
Later, using his mysterious soap-making skills, they had lived comfortably together.
She had thought they could quietly spend the rest of their days in peace.
But fate was cruel.
Her Su Lang had been struck dead by lightning.
The grief had been unbearable.
Not long after, she could no longer endure life without him and ended her life with a silk ribbon.
But now…
She had returned to the very day of Lin’er’s birthday.
What was happening?
Could Su Lang… also be here?
A surge of emotions tightened her chest, as if an invisible hand was squeezing her heart.
Her face flushed.
Memories flooded back—his meals, his care, his warmth.
And the nights of unrelenting passion.
She had returned.
But was this Su Lang still her Su Lang?
Would he still recognize her?