The heavy darkness vanished in an instant when Shen Xixuan felt a soft light shining down on his face. He moved his eyes until they adjusted to the brightness, then slowly opened them.
The first thing he saw was a spotless white ceiling—not the old ceiling of the rented room he had known in 2027. This ceiling gave off a gentle glow directly from the wall's surface, as if advanced technology were hidden inside it. There were no lightbulbs or wires, just a surface radiating a perfectly soft light.
Since when had his rented room had such a bright white ceiling? And where was the light fixture?
He shifted his body and tried to sit up, but something felt strange about it—not the body he had used for all thirty-eight years of his life. It was more delicate than before, yet felt tighter and more powerful than he would have expected. His skin was far smoother and softer than it had ever been.
This body... definitely wasn't his.
Even his voice sounded strange. It wasn't the voice he knew. It was sweeter than before. He tried looking around the room. It was a medium-sized bedroom, astonishingly clean and orderly. Every piece of furniture looked more modern than anything he could have imagined:
A bed that adjusted its incline with a single touch—he only had to place his hand on the mattress, and the bed automatically shifted angles.
A cream-colored wardrobe that opened and closed automatically when he approached—no handles, no knobs, just a motion sensor.
A desk with a transparent display glowing softly above its surface—not the thick computer monitor he had known in 2027, but merely a thin glass panel capable of displaying images.
Shen Xixuan stood frozen, staring at everything around him.
This... this definitely wasn't his rented room. And this wasn't 2027 anymore, was it? It was like he had walked into a horror movie or a time-travel novel... How many years had passed since his era, anyway?
He touched his face. His skin was much smoother and softer than before, as if it had never been exposed to sunlight. He got out of bed, walked to the mirror mounted on the bathroom wall, and froze when he saw his reflection.
He looked much younger than he remembered. His features were soft and cute, his skin as pale and smooth as porcelain, and his light-brown hair fell to his shoulders. The strangest thing of all was... a pair of small tiger ears poking through his hair, while a long tail of the same color swayed gently behind him in response to his emotions.
Tiger ears! A tiger tail! Had he... become beastfolk? What era was this, anyway?
Suddenly, memories that did not belong to him flooded into his mind like a burst dam:
He hadn't been dreaming. He... had really died.
He had died in a car accident the day before, in the 2027 he knew, and then woken up in someone else's body in an era that wasn't his at all.
This was the future era, more than 1,500 years after 2027. Humans had evolved into beastfolk with mixed animal bodies, divided into upper-class and lower-class beastfolk. Advanced technology had ushered in the interstellar colonial era. Humans lived across thousands of planets, connected by spaceships and a faster-than-light interstellar communications network.
The calendar currently in use was called the “Interstellar Calendar.” It had begun counting anew when humanity announced the founding of the Planetary Federation, and the current year was Interstellar Calendar Year 3087.
Fifteen hundred years... More than fifteen hundred years! Had the era he had lived in become ancient history, known by most people only through elementary-school history textbooks? It was unbelievable!
The body he had entered was also named Shen Xixuan. He was thirty-eight years old, a lower-class beastfolk. His current animal form was a cheetah, but his ancestral lineage came from prehistoric whales, granting him a healing ability and an extended lifespan of up to 180 years.
He lived on AG-1, an agricultural planet with excellent weather, beautiful natural scenery, and moderate technology. It was ideal for people who wanted a peaceful life far from the chaos of the capital planet. Most of the locals farmed and raised livestock. Life was tranquil, and everyone shared close relationships.
A prehistoric whale and a cheetah... Could those two even mix? This era really was strange. But... technology had advanced this far! Humans could already live on other planets! He wanted to learn about everything.
He rubbed his face, trying to wake himself from the dream, but everything around him was far too real. He left the bathroom and looked around the house again, his curiosity growing with every passing second.
From the body's memories, Shen Xixuan knew that he had only recently moved here to start a new life, though he didn't know the exact reason. Some of his memories were missing as well, as if something had been deliberately hidden.
He walked over to the desk and cautiously touched the transparent display floating above it. The screen lit up at once, showing information about this era—interstellar news, three-dimensional holographic communications, online shopping through brain-signal systems, and, most shocking of all, livestreaming. It had become the primary profession for many people in this era, capable of transmitting video and audio instantly throughout the Planetary Federation, even to its most remote regions.
Holograms! Interstellar streaming! Technology like this... In the era he had left behind, it had existed only in science-fiction movies and novels. He really wanted to try it and find out how it worked... And what was “StarNet”? It seemed to be the new internet network of this era.
Excitedly, he tried to learn the basic functions. He touched the screen little by little, learning how to open applications, check the news, and search for information. After a while, he managed to get somewhat used to it, though its complexity and unfamiliar new terms still left him confused, such as “hovercraft,” “capital planet CP-0,” and “synthetic nutrients.”
He walked over and opened the large window. It was made of special material that could adjust its transparency and block sound as desired. He merely thought that he wanted to open the window, and it slid open automatically.
Whoa! It can be controlled with your mind, too? That's so cool!
Fresh air rushed inside. It smelled wonderful, a mix of grass and flowers mingled with the scent of moist earth. He gazed outside, his eyes widening.
Lush green grass rippled like waves in the wind. Large trees had bluish-green leaves—not ordinary green, but a beautiful shade mixed with blue. Other houses stood a fair distance apart, each with a distinct architectural style. Some looked as modern as his own house, while others blended traditional designs with nature. A few even floated slightly above the ground!
Floating houses! Blue-leaved trees! This place... was beautiful. It looked like the dream he had once had in his old era—a beautiful garden home far from the bustle of the city. But it was even more beautiful than his dream.
In the past, he had been a professional chef and a professional vegetable grower. He loved nature, but life in the big city had rarely given him the chance to experience it. Now that he was here, it seemed his dream had come true.
But his happiness was short-lived when he felt hungry. He walked into the kitchen, which was equipped with every kind of automatic cooking device, including a food maker that accepted voice commands. He tried giving it an order: “Make me some breakfast.”
The machine worked for a moment, then served up a meal—but it was the “synthetic nutrients” of this era, resembling colorful gelatin packed in clear plastic containers.
He tried a bite. The flavor... was awful. It had no taste at all. It was so bland, like eating fiber mixed with vitamins.
Was all food in this era like this? What a waste! With technology this advanced, couldn't they make anything delicious? What did people even eat these days? He really wanted to know how things had ended up this way... Surely everyone hadn't completely forgotten how to cook real food, right?
He closed the refrigerator and walked around the house once more. That's when he noticed a medium-sized wooden box sitting in the corner of the storage room. It looked old and was covered in dust, but the pattern carved into its lid was remarkably intricate. He picked it up and wiped away the dust with a cloth.
A handwritten message was engraved on the lid:
“If I'm no longer here... please open and read this, Xuanxuan.”
He stared in shock. His name! Curious, he opened the box. Inside were several letters, photographs printed on special material that would not deteriorate, and various documents.
He took out the first letter and read it tensely:
“My beloved little brother, Xuanxuan,
If you're reading this letter, that means I'm no longer here, right?
I'm sorry I had to leave first, but there's something I need to ask you to do.
I have three children—Xiaohu, Xiaofeng, and Xiaoyan—and there are also two orphaned twins I've been caring for on someone else's behalf.
They're on DT-3... the planet that was recently raided and destroyed by pirates.
Please help me find them and take good care of them, as their uncle.
I know you can do it.
With love, Big Brother Xihao”
Shen Xixuan's heart began to pound. His twin older brother... Shen Xihao! From the body's memories, he had a twin brother, but they had been separated when they were young and had only reunited not long before his brother...
He took out a photograph and looked at it. It showed his brother, whose features looked very much like his own, though he appeared a little stronger, hugging five beautiful children with a blissful smile. The oldest had a tough-looking face, the twins were adorable, and the two youngest were still very small.
His brother... his nieces and nephews... Where were they now? Were they safe and comfortable? If he went to find them, should he be their “uncle”? He was their father's younger brother—their uncle.
He continued reading the other letters and learned more. His brother had gone to work on DT-3 about six years earlier. DT-3 was a planet far from the Federation's center, with relatively low technology. Most of its residents farmed and engaged in small-scale trade, but the planet was frequently raided by space pirates because it lay beyond the reach of regular protection.
His brother had married a woman named Li Fei and had three children with her. There were also two other twins—Xiaolong and Xiaochao—whose mother had died during the previous pirate attack. His brother had taken them in because he had once promised their mother, who had saved his life, that he would care for them.
And now that planet was in turmoil because space pirates kept attacking it.
Shen Xixuan immediately opened the information display, both excited and anxious. He searched for the latest news about DT-3 and grew even more alarmed when he saw a headline accompanied by a holographic video:
“DT-3 Raided by Pirates Again—Severe Damage Reported, Many Residents Missing”
The three-dimensional holographic video showed destroyed buildings, sobbing people, and terrifying chaos. Shen Xixuan stared at it in shock.
A three-dimensional holographic video! So cool... But this situation was truly serious. The children could be in danger! No, this wouldn't do! He had to leave immediately! As their uncle, he had to go find them.
He began searching for information about interstellar travel. Tickets were incredibly expensive and required passing through multiple checkpoints. On top of that, tickets to DT-3 were extremely hard to find because of the dangerous situation, and many airlines had already canceled their routes there.
Shen Xixuan stood beside the window and gazed at the many beautiful stars in the sky of this era, his heart filled with worry and determination.
No matter how difficult it was... he had to find them. In his old era, he hadn't had a family. This time, he had nieces and nephews. He wouldn't abandon anyone again.