Chapter 432 - 431: Extra 27: The Original Shi Lan 2

Chapter 432: Chapter 431: Extra 27: The Original Shi Lan 2

Shi Lan named the manga she drew *Interstellar Rebirth*.

The name was very cliché and unoriginal, but luckily, the online reception was surprisingly good.

Many netizens felt her art was very realistic and immersive. They found the world-building detailed and captivating, especially the cool tech elements.

After all, all of this came from Shi Lan’s own real experiences.

Slowly, her work accumulated some attention and fans.

Of course, being an artist wasn’t a profession that made money easily. For the first two months, Shi Lan was a complete unknown. It wasn’t until her third month, when her popularity grew a little, that she successfully signed with a manga company and started earning a meager income.

Compared to the original owner’s savings, it was very little.

Shi Lan always admired the original owner in her heart. Especially after learning about her family background, she felt the girl was a very strong person, much more capable than she was. The money and resources the original owner left behind had also given her a great deal of convenience. Therefore, she sincerely wished that the girl would have all the good things in the world she had gone to.

Shi Lan thus began her career as an artist. She was often home alone and didn’t like to go out, so she would sometimes get bored. To combat this, she got a cat—a small, pure-white kitten she named Xue Tuan.

With Xue Tuan in the house, Shi Lan was no longer bored. Every day, the cat would cuddle up to her, acting cute, and occasionally make a mess for her to clean up. Her life became much more fulfilling.

Oh, right. Xue Tuan came from the original owner’s friend’s cat cafe. The friend’s name was Chen Xinyi, and she was a lot like Jiang Yan—very talkative and enthusiastic.

She didn’t mind Shi Lan’s quiet nature and would ramble on, showing her concern. She had even said that a cat at the cafe had given birth to kittens and offered to give one to her.

That cat was Xue Tuan.

Because of the kitten, Shi Lan often asked her for advice on raising a cat. Without realizing it, the equally reclusive Shi Lan had accepted this person as a friend in her heart.

Shi Lan’s life in the modern era was peaceful and wonderful. She would no longer be scorned for being a "waste female," nor would she be constantly dragged out for spiritual power comparisons. She didn’t have to worry about not having a Beast Husband by the 25-year-old marriage deadline, and even less did she need to fear the world-ending invasions of the Insect Clan. This was a peaceful era where the people lived and worked in contentment, and the country was prosperous and strong. It was the world she had always longed for.

Her heart had always yearned for this kind of tranquility. For the first time, Shi Lan felt she had found her direction in life.

Shi Lan’s manga was titled *Interstellar Rebirth*. After swapping souls with the original owner, she didn’t know what the original owner would experience next, but she knew the girl was very capable. So, after the soul swap, the "Shi Lan" in that other world was just like the original owner in her imagination—powerful, strong, and possessing everything wonderful.

First, she was no longer a "waste female." Then, she met many Beast Husbands and friends who truly loved her.

She focused not on her own story, but on the story of the original owner in that other world. Perhaps she felt her own story after the soul swap was a bit boring and wouldn’t be very appealing.

However, as the manga neared its end, many readers urged her to write a sequel—a second part about her own story after the soul swap. One reader in particular, named "Little Orange," sent her private messages every day, praising and encouraging her. They even donated a lot of money each time, all for the sake of seeing the story of the one who swapped souls.

Shi Lan really didn’t want to write it, but this reader was so sincere, and they gave her so much money. In the end, she sent her own story to them, and them alone.

The story was simple, just a few pages long, but the reader replied, "Thank you for letting me see this story. I’m so happy to see that this girl got such a wonderful ending too."

They said, "My sister’s experience was a bit like this girl’s. She was often mocked at school for being overweight, and later she committed suicide by taking a lot of sleeping pills. It was just the two of us, relying on each other. At the time, I was busy working to make money and didn’t pay attention to her emotional state. I always thought she just needed more money, so I only gave her that, but I neglected the most important thing—care."

"She also passed away in her sleep. I hope that, like the protagonist of this story, she met a god and found her own happiness in another world."

After reading what they said, Shi Lan felt a bit heavy-hearted.

’But,’ she couldn’t help but think, ’if gods truly exist, maybe one really did answer that girl’s wish and take her to another, happier world.’

However, this person’s words gave Shi Lan a direction for her next work.

As a result, her subsequent works all focused on school bullying.

So-called school bullying isn’t just about physical fights; verbal abuse, insults, discrimination, suspicion, and ridicule are all forms of bullying.

She had experienced these things herself, so when she drew, her depiction of the characters’ psychological and emotional states was very detailed.

A huge number of readers online were moved to tears. "Little Orange," the fan who had donated to her before, was among them, always quietly supporting her work.

A sort of unspoken understanding seemed to form between the two of them. Every time she released a new work, "Little Orange" would be her number one fan, staying with her until the work was completed.

To thank them for their support, Shi Lan sent them quite a few gifts and autographed copies of her work during this time.

In their fourth year of knowing each other, the two met in person.

It was only then that Shi Lan learned that the reader she had always assumed was a girl was actually a man.

He seemed to be a boss of some kind. On the day they met, he wore a brand-new suit, his face showing the composure of a mature man. He wore a pair of glasses, making him look refined and a bit distant.

But at their first glance, it was as if they had known each other for a long time.

He smiled at her naturally, his expression softening considerably. "You must be Master Lucky?"

Lucky was Shi Lan’s author name on the manga platform, and "Master" was a common term of respect for creators in the manga community.

Shi Lan hadn’t expected a man who looked like a corporate elite to say something like that. This, combined with her surprise at his gender, left her stunned for a good while. She finally took two restrained steps back, hiding her nervousness behind a cool, expressionless mask. "Hello. Yes, I am. You’re... ’Little Orange’?"

She was incredulous, but he nodded calmly. "Yes. My sister’s name was Lu Ju. I used to call her Little Orange."

He chuckled lightly and added, "You’re not what I imagined, either. I didn’t realize you were so young."

"Let me introduce myself. My name is Lu Sheng."

Shi Lan wasn’t used to interacting with strangers, but she had been chatting with this netizen for several years. She forced down the urge to flee and replied in kind, "My name is Shi Lan. And I’m not that young, actually. I’m almost 30."

"Then I’m five years older than you. That’s good. At least I won’t feel ashamed for being an old man robbing the cradle."

Lu Sheng let out a low chuckle. Shi Lan was so preoccupied with how nice his laugh sounded—and with her own nervousness—that she didn’t quite catch what he had said. 𝒻𝑟ℯℯ

Later, the two of them went to a high-end restaurant for dinner.

Lu Sheng was a true gentleman, taking care of her throughout the entire meal. By the time dinner was over, Shi Lan’s nervousness had faded quite a bit.

Of course, after she got back, Shi Lan still resolved to never see him again. She wasn’t used to being around men. But unexpectedly, Lu Sheng frequently invited her out. Every time she refused, he wouldn’t make a fuss; he would simply accommodate her schedule and wait for the next opportunity.

After refusing so many times, Shi Lan started to feel bad.

Later, without realizing it, the two began spending more and more time together. Lu Sheng was very patient with her slow-to-warm-up nature. Half a year later, Shi Lan was the one who took the initiative to break through the final barrier between them and agreed to be his girlfriend.

After they officially became a couple, Lu Sheng’s attitude toward her never changed. He would always make time to see her, no matter how busy he was. Even their intimacy was kept restrained, never doing anything that would make Shi Lan afraid.

Even though they were both adults, Lu Sheng always managed to control his passion, saying they should wait until marriage.

Shi Lan couldn’t bear to make him hold back for so long. So, after they had been together for a year, the two were married in a grand wedding arranged by Lu Sheng.

Life after marriage continued to be peaceful and happy. Whenever they had a small argument, Lu Sheng would always be the first to yield. He would always say, "I’m taller than you, so it should be me who bows my head. I’m also older, so it’s my job to take care of you."

"Besides, Xiao Lan, I was the one who invited you to become my family, my beloved. I can’t let you down."

Shi Lan had never loved anyone before, but with Lu Sheng, she slowly learned what love was. They accepted each other, and their relationship grew even more solid.

Three meals a day, through all four seasons, with her lover and her cat by her side.