Chapter 1

Although it was the dead of winter in Nancheng, there was no snow.

Still, the howling wind reddened Rao Ke's cheeks and made her shiver.

She hugged a small cardboard box as she stood at the company entrance, slowly exhaling a breath that turned into white mist in the cold air.

Despite the biting wind, it couldn't dampen the warmth in Rao Ke's heart; in fact, she couldn't contain the joy bubbling inside her.

As an orphan, Rao Ke's childhood dream had always been to open her own little shop, raise a cat and a dog, and live the life she'd always imagined.

So from a young age, she worked incredibly hard, got into a good university, and after graduating, landed a great job without any trouble.

After five years of working, she had saved up enough money. Her next plan was to rent a storefront, find suppliers, and get the necessary business licenses.

Her current company was actually quite good—her boss was a wealthy roommate from college who valued her skills and drive, and had warmly invited her to join.

Rao Ke naturally didn't refuse, since the terms were generous and the company was both well-funded and well-managed.

It was more than enough to help her achieve her dream of saving up and opening a shop.

When she handed in her resignation this time, her boss, though reluctant, respected her decision and said the company doors would always be open for her.

Her colleagues were also pleasant to work with, and the cardboard box she was carrying was filled with carefully prepared farewell gifts from them.

The reason Rao Ke decided to quit and open a shop was because, during a recent medical check-up, a doctor had told her that her heart condition had suddenly worsened.

The doctor advised Rao Ke to go to a larger city hospital for another examination and then be admitted for treatment.

Having lived with this condition for so many years, she had already come to terms with what the future might hold.

As a child, she used to fantasize that if she didn't have a heart problem, maybe she wouldn't have been abandoned at the orphanage's doorstep and would have had a happy family.

But now, she no longer dwelled on those thoughts, because she could be happy and content on her own.

Humming a tune, Rao Ke put on her helmet, stowed the box securely, and rode her electric scooter toward her apartment.

"Ding-ling—"

Rao Ke carefully cradled the cardboard box, a bunch of other things dangling from her hands, and unlocked the door before stepping inside.

She set the box down gently, then tossed the rest of the items aside.

"Meow~"

The box wiggled slightly, and a few soft, milky kitten cries came from inside. Finally, a fluffy little head popped out.

An adorable black kitten leaped out, patrolled around the home, and eventually curled up in a corner.

Rao Ke had encountered this little black cat on her way home—it had practically ambushed her while she was riding her scooter.

The cat had suddenly appeared in front of her, and Rao Ke had slammed on the brakes, nearly falling flat on her face.

The kitten was limping, and worried it might be injured, Rao Ke took it to a nearby pet hospital for a check-up.

After confirming the kitten was perfectly fine, Rao Ke decided to keep it, since she'd wanted a pet anyway.

If fate had brought them together, so be it, she thought with a clear conscience.

So at the pet hospital, she took care of all the formalities, bought a ton of supplies for the kitten, and brought it home.

"Pretty young and already knows that three minutes of acting can buy a lifetime of comfort," Rao Ke teased as she watched the kitten lounge around, then went to prepare its food.

She mixed goat milk formula and poured it into a fresh yellow bowl she'd bought specifically for the kitten. She also soaked some cat food in the milk, planning to feed it once softened.

The goods trading system 7723, curled up in the corner, a flicker of guilt passing through its big cat eyes.

Of all the bindable targets 7723 had encountered, Rao Ke had made the best first impression. After a week of observation, 7723 was even more thrilled with her.

She had a stable personality, was calm and gentle, and most importantly, her background was perfect for cross-world goods trading.

According to the data 7723 had gathered, Rao Ke was an orphan with a heart condition—the candidate with the fewest ties to this world.

"Sesame Paste, come eat," Rao Ke called as she set the bowl in front of the kitten, smiling at it as it ate. "We're family now. Think you'll go by Sesame Paste?"

7723 happily nodded. As a newbie system, its trainers had said that systems given names by their hosts were ones with deep bonds.

Even though this host didn't know it was a system and their bond wasn't that deep yet, that didn't matter—feelings could be developed over time.

The important thing was that it had a name now!!!

"Looks like you like it, Sesame Paste." Rao Ke smiled and stroked it.

"Ding-dong!"

"Coming!" Rao Ke got up and opened the door to find a strikingly beautiful woman standing there, holding several bags.

"Ke Ke! Take these, they're heavy!" The beauty, Xu Ruozhen, spoke and instantly shattered her glamorous image.

Rao Ke took the bags and let Xu Ruozhen inside.

Xu Ruozhen collapsed onto the sofa the moment she entered, then noticed Sesame Paste eating nearby.

"Ke Ke!! When did you get a kitten?!" Xu Ruozhen crouched beside Sesame Paste, curious.

Rao Ke carried the items to the kitchen, "Just picked it up."

"Lucky you. I'd love to have a cat and a dog too." Xu Ruozhen sighed. "So, you're really going to open a shop?"

"Yeah, since who knows how long I've got, and I've saved enough money. I just want to enjoy life now."

Xu Ruozhen fell silent for a moment, then said, "Then when I've saved up enough too, let's travel together!"

"Sure." Rao Ke smiled in agreement.

"Gurgle gurgle~"

As the broth in the pot came to a rolling boil, Rao Ke and Xu Ruozhen started enjoying their hotpot.

"So, are you staying in Nancheng?" Xu Ruozhen asked while blanching beef slices.

Rao Ke wasn't sure yet. "I'll see."

"My parents miss you so much. Make sure you come over for dinner sometime." Xu Ruozhen blew on some duck blood before eating it.

A warm feeling spread through Rao Ke's chest. Xu Ruozhen's parents had always been incredibly kind to her, always sending her things through their daughter.

"I'll find the time." Rao Ke nodded.

Xu Ruozhen's parents had been so good to her, filling a void in the heart of someone who'd never known family love. Rao Ke planned to have a meal with them before leaving Nancheng.

"Sesame Paste~ Come here, auntie's here~" Xu Ruozhen chirped sweetly while waving a feather wand at it.

Rao Ke sat off to the side, snapping pictures for Xu Ruozhen's social media.

Sesame Paste kept reminding itself that it was a high-dimensional goods trading system, yet it couldn't help staring at the wand swaying in the air, its heart and paws itching.

Finally, with a burst of motion, Sesame Paste lunged and grabbed the wand, rolling around the floor with it.

Mid-play, it suddenly froze, its big cat eyes meeting the phone camera recording it.

"Huh, why did it stop?" Xu Ruozhen, who was filming, looked confused.

Then she watched Sesame Paste toss the wand aside, lift its head high, and stalk off to the other end of the sofa to curl up.

As a hardcore internet cat lover, Ms. Rao knew this was normal—cats were kings, after all.

Checking the time and finding it late, Xu Ruozhen got ready to head home.

"I'm off! Don't forget dinner at my place!" She called out as she changed shoes at the entryway, reminding Rao Ke since her memory was indeed hit-or-miss.

"Alright, I've got plenty of time now; it's not like I'd miss a meal." Rao Ke smiled as she saw her out.

"True."

"Be careful on the way!"

"Got it!"

Watching Xu Ruozhen leave, Rao Ke returned to her room, gathered her clothes, and took a shower.

After washing up, she lay in bed playing with her phone.

She turned her head and spotted Sesame Paste, which had somehow appeared in the room and was trying to climb onto the bed.

She initially didn't want to allow it, since online advice warned against letting cats get used to sleeping on the bed, but remembering it had just had a bath, her heart softened and she let it stay.

"Just for tonight," Rao Ke said with a smile as she ruffled its head.

She played with her phone for a while. Though it wasn't that late, she felt a dull ache in her chest, so she turned off the light and prepared to sleep.

Sesame Paste glanced at Rao Ke, a glint of green flashing in its eyes, then lay down beside her and shut its eyes.

In the dead of night, Rao Ke, deep in sleep, suddenly frowned and started breathing rapidly. Soon, she was drenched in sweat.

Sesame Paste stood up and placed a paw on Rao Ke's head. The next second, she calmed down, her breathing steadying.

Sesame Paste let out a sigh, then hardened its gaze. The situation was critical—it had no choice but to force open a portal.

The medical system of this world was powerless to treat Rao Ke's heart condition, so for now, the only thing Sesame Paste could do was keep her stable.

It hadn't expected Rao Ke's heart problem to flare up so severely so soon after they'd met, almost causing her death.

For now, it had to use the remaining energy to bring Rao Ke to another world and start accumulating energy points. Otherwise, not only would Rao Ke lose her life, but Sesame Paste itself might become stranded in this spacetime and dissipate.

Because the energy it had left was only enough to jump to the main system's designated mission world.

So whether Rao Ke would agree to go to another world was no longer something Sesame Paste could consider—those were problems for later.

Sesame Paste shut Rao Ke's eyes, placed a paw on her, and a flash of white light enveloped them. The next moment, both Sesame Paste and Rao Ke vanished from where they lay.

The blinding white light faded, and the room fell silent, as if nothing had ever happened.

At that moment, on the edge of the Adventure Forest on the Kaqisha Continent, a rundown wooden cabin suddenly appeared.

The Kaqsha Continent was in the throes of its harsh winter calamity, and pure white snowflakes drifted down softly.

Sesame Paste brought Rao Ke into the cabin. The flimsy walls barely fended off the snow, but there was no stopping the bone-chilling cold.

That was what woke Rao Ke. She blinked groggily and found a pair of golden cat eyes staring back at her, making her shiver.

"Sesame Paste? Where are we?"

"Meow! Welcome to another world!"