## Chapter 1: I Just Want to Catch My Breath
Shen Ningning crossed the finish line under a sky washed clean by sunlight.
Cheers rose from every direction. Her friends crowded near the barriers, shouting her name with flushed faces and raised arms, their excitement overflowing as though the exhaustion she carried in her body did not exist.
She heard them, yet their voices sounded distant, as if separated by a thin layer of water.
Her breathing had already become uneven long before she reached the finish line. Each breath burned her lungs, and her heartbeat thundered violently in her chest. She tried to slow herself down, but her legs no longer listened.
Someone called out to her again.
"Ningning, you did it!"
She smiled faintly and raised her hand, wanting to reassure them. However, her vision darkened without warning, and the world in front of her began to tilt.
"I just want to catch my breath," she said, her voice hoarse but light, as though she were joking.
The moment she stepped past the finish line, her strength gave out completely.
Her body collapsed forward.
The breath she wanted never arrived.
Shen Ningning died of a sudden heart attack.
—
Death did not hurt.
When her consciousness separated from her body, she felt an unfamiliar sense of weightlessness. It was as if she had finally been freed from a body that could never quite keep up with her will.
She drifted in an endless abyss, her awareness floating quietly without direction. There was no sound, no pain, no fear. Only an all-encompassing darkness that seemed to stretch on forever.
Cold gradually seeped in.
The chill was deep and persistent, wrapping around her consciousness and lingering for an immeasurable length of time. Just as she began to wonder whether this was what eternity felt like, warmth slowly appeared.
The darkness trembled.
Soft light spread through the abyss like cracks forming in ice, and soon a glowing tunnel emerged before her. Drawn by instinct, Shen Ningning walked toward it.
When she opened her eyes again, her entire body was enveloped in warmth.
It was heavy, firm, and surprisingly gentle.
White filled her field of vision.
For a brief moment, she thought she was wrapped in a blanket.
Frowning in confusion, she lifted her head.
Two golden eyes stared back at her.
Her heart leapt violently, so fast that she almost felt it jump out of her chest.
The warmth was not a blanket.
It was the body of a massive white snake.
Her thoughts stopped completely.
Was it going to eat her?
Considering her body size, she suspected she would provide quite a substantial meal for it.
As panic surged, another thought surfaced in her mind. How had she arrived here? Just moments ago, she had been running a marathon. There was no logical explanation that involved a giant snake.
Before she could organize her thoughts, a translucent panel suddenly appeared in front of her.
Displayed upon it was a date she did not recognize.
Shen Ningning froze.
Her breathing stalled as an absurd yet undeniable possibility formed in her mind.
Had she transmigrated?
She had only ever seen such things in novels.
The snake's body tightened slightly, its gaze fixed on her with an unreadable expression. The sense of danger became immediate and overwhelming.
She needed to escape.
Desperation pushed her into action before fear could restrain her. Shen Ningning lowered her head and bit down with all her strength.
The snake hissed sharply.
Its body loosened violently, tossing her aside. She hit the ground and rolled, pain flaring through her body, but she forced herself upright and began to run.
After only a few steps, she realized something was wrong.
She was slow.
Unnaturally slow.
She glanced at her hands and saw that they were still soft and chubby.
Her lips twitched.
She had transmigrated, yet nothing had changed.
There was truly no escape from fate.
Even so, she continued running.
Suddenly, a shadow loomed over her. She turned her head just in time to see that the snake was gone.
In its place was a tall man wearing nothing but a loincloth, his long strides closing the distance between them with alarming ease.
Her steps faltered in shock.
Before she could react, a powerful tail appeared from behind him, wrapping around her waist and lifting her into the air.
She gasped.
The man's golden eyes gleamed as he leaned closer, his tongue flicking out as he spoke with a low hiss.
"Is this how you repay your savior, little piggy?"
Her mind went blank.
"You were drowning," he continued calmly. "I saved you."
His tail tightened slightly.
"And this is how you thank me?"
"By biting me?"