Lu Mingjun was dead.
She had been accidentally killed—by her own mother.
Mother Lu believed that since she had raised Lu Mingjun, everything Lu Mingjun had belonged to her. It was a habit formed over many years—one of constant plundering.
So, when she discovered that Lu Mingjun had just received an N+1 severance payout from her company, she immediately rushed over to take it.
But this time, things didn't go as smoothly.
For Lu Mingjun—who was nearly forty (thirty-five, but let's round it up)—this money was the seed capital for the next stage of her life. Despite her usually simple and accommodating nature, she refused her mother's demand.
Rejected and humiliated, Mother Lu flew into a rage. In the heat of pushing and shoving, she accidentally killed her only daughter.
Staring at her bloodied hands in disbelief, Mother Lu could only watch as Lu Mingjun lay dying in a pool of blood. When her daughter took her final breath—bitter and unwilling—Mother Lu finally broke down, sobbing in fear.
She swore to the heavens that she never meant to kill her. She only wanted the money.
But Lu Mingjun, now a drifting soul, was unmoved by her mother's cries.
The debt of giving birth had been repaid. This blood bond could now end.
For someone who had lost her father early and had a mother who never truly loved her, death came as a kind of relief.
Still, Lu Mingjun couldn't help but reflect—was this how her life would end? Confused and meaningless?
Since graduation, she had been constantly scrambling just to survive. She'd never once chased the dreams of her childhood.
That thought made her heart ache. What a waste.
And yet, in the human world, Mother Lu was now guilty of manslaughter. She'd spend the rest of her life behind bars, weeping in regret.
So, the verdict was clear. It was all over.
What gnawed at Lu Mingjun most, however, was that her stepfather—the man lurking behind her mother, manipulating everything—remained untouched.
Uncle Zhu, by virtue of being her stepfather, ended up inheriting the last 50,000 yuan she had left in the world.
Even as a ghost, Lu Mingjun was so furious that she cursed him aloud: If you dare spend my money, may misfortune follow you forever!
She wondered—was she now a ghost?
In the novels she used to read, being haunted by a ghost could make people sick—or even kill them. Maybe she could haunt them, drive them mad, and call that revenge?
And so, ghostly Lu Mingjun began her mission—haunting the Zhu father and daughter day and night.
It had only been two or three days. Whether the Zhus had fallen ill was still unknown, but Lu Mingjun was already seething.
Because, shockingly, the Zhu family had been celebrating nonstop these past few days.
With both Mother Lu and Lu Mingjun conveniently dead or disposed of, and a hefty sum left behind, how could they not throw a party?
Drunk on success, Zhu Zhaoqiang—Uncle Zhu—began boasting, revealing truths Lu Mingjun had never known.
Her father, it turned out, had died in a car accident. The driver had paid Mother Lu 500,000 yuan in compensation in exchange for a letter of forgiveness.
All that blood money was spent by Mother Lu—on the Zhu family.
Lu Mingjun also learned that for years, the rent from the property her father had left behind had been used to support the Zhu household.
Even the proceeds from selling her father's house—money that was supposed to be saved as her dowry—had been used to fund her stepsister Zhu Qing's marriage instead.
Lu Mingjun was so enraged she wished she could turn into a vengeful spirit and claim what was owed.
But alas, all she could do was drift.
Even after harassing the Zhu family endlessly, not a single sneeze from them—not even a cough.
Sometimes, Lu Mingjun wondered why she had to die before learning the truth.
Why couldn't she take revenge?
Why hadn't the Ox-Head and Horse-Faced Deities come to guide her into reincarnation?
Then, just as boredom set in, she heard an emotionless mechanical voice:
"Soul detected. Host, would you like to bind to the system?"
A system?
In her past life, Lu Mingjun used to read online novels under the influence of her office coworkers.
In fact, the money she spent reading on Tomato Novel Network was probably more than what some failed authors earned writing.
So, she knew what a system was—it was essential in any good fantasy setup.
But why had this useless system waited until she died to appear?
Was it not allowed to bind to living people?
Curious, Lu Mingjun asked, "Can a ghost even bind to a system?"
Would it let her rule the underworld or live a carefree ghost life?
The voice ignored her sarcasm and responded flatly:
"The host's current status qualifies for system binding. Do you wish to proceed?"
Lu Mingjun hesitated. If she bound to this system, could she be reborn?
She had questions—but also hope.
In her past life, she'd been crushed under her mother's control and emotionally manipulated by her stepfather.
If this system could give her a second chance—even a slim shot at revenge—she would grab it without a second thought.
Maybe, just maybe, things could change.
"I'll bind," Lu Mingjun said, taking a deep breath. She wasn't letting this opportunity go.
"System binding initiated. Please wait, host."
In that instant, Lu Mingjun's soul was pulled into a strange, empty space.
There was nothing—except a single floating orb of light, glowing softly.
"Welcome to the 'Efforts are Rewarded System,' Host Lu Mingjun," the mechanical voice said.
"This system is designed to encourage hard work, fulfill your wishes, and help you build a brilliant new life."