The Priceless Princess

Lingran awoke to a searing pain encircling her neck and the sound of several women weeping, and in her heart, she was overjoyed. After five years of torment from leukemia and finally succumbing to death, she found herself before a judge in the underworld, who informed her that her time was not yet up. But when she wished to return, her body had already been cremated, so he promised to find her a new vessel for a second chance at life.

Lingran then laid out a long list of requests: first, she refused to start life anew as a baby, fearing she would suffocate from boredom; second, she wanted to be a beautiful young woman—if she woke up as a man, she’d weep upon discovering her new appendage; third, she didn’t want to be poor—if her family had been wealthy in her previous life, she could have afforded that bone marrow transplant and survived... As for points four, five, six, and seven, before she could finish, an imp gave her a hard kick, sending her off.

“My poor child…” wailed a woman sprawled atop her, sobbing. Others around her joined in or tried to console. Clearly, the body’s mother. Not wanting to be crushed any longer, Lingran coughed as forcefully as she could.

“Ling… Ling’er isn’t dead yet!” cried a deep-voiced woman.

Lingran thought, Well, at least I won’t be smothered anymore. Who could have guessed that the woman pressing her down, upon hearing she was still alive, went mad, seized Lingran’s throat with both hands, and shrieked, “Why won’t you just go! Die and be done with it! Hurry up and die!”

Lingran had no time to react before s