Back in high school, no one had any respect for Mu Fu.
To her classmates, she was quiet, withdrawn, and socially awkward. On top of that, she was overweight, taking up the space of two girls. There were always nasty rumors floating around about her—claims that she had body odor, that she didn’t shower, or that she washed her socks and underwear together. Mu Fu had grown used to it all. She kept to herself, didn’t bother making friends, and had little to no interaction with anyone in class.
But when she showed up to the reunion, she realized that most of the people who used to mock and bully her were now just living average, unremarkable lives—nothing special at all.
And just like that, the resentment she’d been carrying on her shoulder for years… vanished.
Still, Mu Fu couldn’t quite believe how disgusting those people could be.
When they saw that the “fat pig” who used to top the class rankings was now doing incredibly well, the same bullies from back then couldn’t handle it.
“How could someone from the trash heap end up just like us?” they thought.
“No, she belongs in the garbage, rotting and forgotten.”
After Xu Kangning—once the school’s heartthrob—lost a round of a drinking game, they all jeered and dared him to go after Mu Fu as a punishment. And to make it count, they said he had to take a photo with her once he succeeded and share it as proof.
At first, Xu Kangning refused. But after some goading and mockery, he finally agreed.
Mu Fu, of course, had no idea what was going on.
So when Xu Kangning—still effortlessly handsome—suddenly started pursuing her, she felt flattered, but also confused.
They’d never spoken much in school. He was just another classmate.
Could it be because of her success now?
She vaguely remembered hearing from the boys back then that his family business had something to do with fashion.
Even after turning him down several times, she noticed that Xu Kangning wasn’t giving up. He kept trying. And eventually, she started to waver.
No one knew that back in high school, Mu Fu had harbored a quiet, persistent crush on Xu Kangning.
He had been charming and carefree.
She had heard that he had an older brother who was expected to take over the family business, so Xu Kangning could simply enjoy life—his path already paved for him.
Mu Fu had envied him so much. But she never let it show.
The only hint was one embarrassing moment: a nosy male classmate once caught sight of a scrap paper where she had written Xu Kangning’s name over and over, and he spread the word like wildfire.
That’s how the entire class found out the “fat pig” had a crush on the school heartthrob.
From that day on, whenever she walked near Xu Kangning, the class would erupt with teasing.
But after a while, people lost interest. She never acted like she had a crush on him. She treated him no differently than anyone else. And as Xu Kangning grew increasingly irritated by the teasing, everyone eventually dropped it.
Some of the girls said, “Maybe she was just pretending all along.”
But hardly anyone paid attention. The novelty of the story had worn off.
Now, Mu Fu had decided to give herself a chance. A chance to rewrite the past and offer something kind to that lonely, younger version of herself.
Just when she thought this might be the beginning of a new experience—a different chapter of her life—reality hit her like a truck.
A classmate asked to meet up. And when they did, they revealed the truth behind Xu Kangning’s pursuit. Then came a screenshot—a picture from his social media.
In the image, he was still sweet-talking her over messages. But the caption? A brutal blow.
Her face went pale. Her hands and feet went cold. Still, she forced herself to open his profile and scroll through his posts.
She couldn’t find it.
He had hidden it from her.
Xu Kangning: [Photo] “Goodbye 👋 Finally got her!”
It was the photo they’d taken together to celebrate “officially becoming a couple.”
Suddenly, her vision blurred.
Ah. She was crying.
That smug little waving emoji—God, how it mocked her.
She wiped her tears, then deleted and blocked Xu Kangning from her life.
He never reached out after that post either.
And just like that, the two of them cut each other off—as if in perfect, unspoken agreement.
At university, Mu Fu had made a few close friends. They’d been with her through her entire entrepreneurial journey. So, of course, they knew the whole story.
When they learned how Xu Kangning had played her, they were furious—and guilt-ridden.
They blamed themselves, because every time Xu Kangning came around, they were the ones cheering him on, teasing Mu Fu to give him a chance. They hadn’t seen through his act. Not at all.
And when they saw how she never dated again in the three years after—how she buried herself in work, trying to escape that heartbreak—the guilt only grew heavier.
They wanted to help her heal. So when they found out about Love Exchange—a dating reality show that invites exes to participate—they convinced her to sign up. Somehow, Xu Kangning agreed to join, too.
To prepare for the show, Mu Fu’s friends practically forced her to take a break from work. They wanted her to focus on getting ready—maybe shed some weight, stun that heartless ex, and, who knows, maybe even find new love on the show. Of course, that last part was just wishful thinking on their end.
But truthfully, Mu Fu wasn’t as devastated by that past relationship as her friends believed. From the moment Xu Kangning suddenly showed interest in her, she already knew it wasn’t real. After all, she was no Cinderella, and he was no charming prince. She’d long stopped believing in fairytales like that.
She had learned how to heal on her own.
Now, her biggest priority was losing weight.
And somehow, she had a feeling—this time it would work.
Sure enough, the next day when she stepped on the scale, the number had dropped by a full seven pounds. Her appearance hadn’t changed much yet, but she knew the scale wasn’t lying. She had used it for years. Almost ten pounds down overnight—unbelievable.
Thrilled, Mu Fu jumped into action, determined to ride this wave of progress while it lasted.
She stuck closely to her fitness plan and adopted a cleaner, healthier diet.
What she didn’t know was that she’d already be losing weight even without exercising. It was the Jade Pill working its magic—gradually improving her body from the inside out, melting away excess fat. The first weight loss came from the fat wrapped around her internal organs. Next would be her belly fat.
And in less than a month, Mu Fu finally saw it: the fat that had clung to her body for twenty-five years was vanishing.
Her belly flattened, the thick legs that once reminded her of elephant trunks slimmed down into the long, lean legs she’d always envied—smooth, evenly shaped, and pale. Even the rough calluses on her feet, built up over years, had disappeared. Her soles were now soft and pink, like a baby’s.
She burst into tears of joy. No more excuses like, “I just don’t like wearing skirts,” or “Pants are more comfortable.” Now she could finally wear the dresses she’d always dreamed of.
In fact, one of the reasons she chose to study fashion design in the first place was because she couldn’t wear skirts growing up. She’d dreamed that someday she’d design a beautiful dress—and actually wear it.
Most astonishing of all was how her face had changed.
Mu Fu had a petite bone structure and a face shape somewhere between a heart and a round face, once full of baby fat. Now, after slimming down, her jawline remained soft and feminine, without becoming too angular. She no longer looked heavy or stocky.
Her features had always been delicate, but they were buried under layers of fat that made her look greasy and unappealing.
Now, as she gazed into the mirror, she could hardly believe the pure, sweet-faced girl staring back was actually… her.
Mu Fu’s eyes were like dewy, almond-shaped fawn eyes—delicate and radiant. Her nose had a refined bridge with a dainty, droplet-shaped tip, making her look exquisitely cute. Her lips were slim and gently pressed together, hinting at a quiet, reserved personality.
The freckles that used to spot her face had completely vanished. Though her face wasn’t the trendy V-shape people often chased these days, Mu Fu adored it just the way it was.
And the best part? She looked stunning from every angle—no bad sides in photos. It felt like a dream.
What made her happiest, though, was that her bust hadn’t shrunk with the rest of her body. Even after the weight loss, she was still proudly an enviable E-cup.
And more changes had followed. As she slimmed down, Mu Fu noticed something entirely unexpected—she’d developed a natural, alluring body scent, something only the most beautiful women seemed to have.
At first, she thought it must be her body wash. But after working out, the scent grew stronger. It was sweet and fresh, like ripe peaches—so deliciously fragrant that even she was tempted to take a bite out of herself.
Her weight now sat comfortably at ninety-six jin. She was satisfied. No more dieting.
With just a few days left before filming Love Exchange, Mu Fu decided it was time to share her weight-loss success with her friends. Plus, she needed a whole new wardrobe—none of her old clothes fit anymore, swimming on her slimmer frame.
“You really lost weight? How much?” Zhu Mixue squealed with joy.
Her excited voice drew curious glances from those nearby.
“What’s going on? Who are you talking to?”
Zhu Mixue quickly made a “shh!” gesture. Nothing was more important than this moment—Mu Fu had actually pulled it off.
“Yes, really. I’m ninety-six jin now,” Mu Fu said, curled up on the sofa with a throw pillow, smiling softly into the phone.
On the other end of the line, all she could hear were high-pitched, overjoyed squeals.
Zhu Mixue was genuinely thrilled. She’d seen Mu Fu struggle so many times before. All their gentle nudges to try losing weight were never taken too seriously—but this time, she’d done it!
“Mu Fu, I’m so excited—I’m coming over right now! Don’t go anywhere, wait for me!” Zhu Mixue exclaimed, already grabbing her bag.
“Okay, okay, I won’t go anywhere. Drive safe. I’ll be right here,” Mu Fu replied with a laugh.
After hanging up, Zhu Mixue couldn’t help but tell everyone nearby the good news.
Everyone else immediately wanted to come too.
All of them were founders at the same company—and close friends of Mu Fu’s. They even shared the same office space. Mu Fu’s desk was right next to Zhu Mixue’s.
So naturally, the ones crowding around Zhu Mixue’s desk now weren’t strangers—they were the people closest to Mu Fu.
When the four of them showed up at her place, Mu Fu wasn’t surprised at all. She had known the moment Zhu Mixue found out, the others would soon follow. So she hadn’t bothered messaging them individually—she’d been waiting for this.
Axolotl Translations 
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