Xue Ji stood before the aircraft door at an altitude of six thousand meters, her heartbeat quickening as the hatch slowly opened. She took a deep breath and tightened her grip on the parachute gear in her hands. From this height, the city below looked like a toy within reach. A gust of cold wind rushed in, carrying the crisp, biting freshness unique to high altitudes, slapping against her cheeks as if reminding her that her return trip would be an unprecedented, hardcore experience—a direct freefall.
An inexplicable fear welled up in Xue Ji’s heart. Staring at the distant ground beneath her, she felt her legs weaken as if weighed down by a thousand pounds. She swallowed hard, trying to calm her racing heart, but the dizzying sensation from the altitude lingered stubbornly.
Because of her urgency to return, Ye Gaoyuan had directly arranged this “jump service” for her. Now, she was already regretting it. Glancing back at the soldiers behind her, their serious expressions made it too awkward to back out, so she had no choice but to steel herself and go through with it.
After double-checking her equipment to ensure everything was secure, Xue Ji, at the signal of the crew, leaped out with trepidation. But to her surprise, the moment she lost support and began freefalling, what she felt wasn’t fear—but an exhilarating sense of unrestrained freedom.
She quickly grew to love the sensation, experimenting with limb movements to control her wingsuit. Stretching out her arms and legs, she felt as though she were embracing the entire city. Slowing her descent, she began attempting lateral movements. She picked it up fast—then came an even bolder idea. Tucking her limbs back in, she pressed her arms tightly against her thighs, diving downward like a missile.
The thrill of the rapid descent sent a surge of euphoria through her, and she couldn’t help but let out a shout. Suddenly, Ling Xiaoxiao’s lively voice rang out beside her: “If you liked this so much, you should’ve said so earlier. I could take you out to do this every day!” As soon as the words left her mouth, Ling Xiaoxiao weaved a series of hand seals, and golden incantations enveloped Xue Ji.
Ling Xiaoxiao’s fingers danced deftly, forming mysterious seals. Strands of golden script coiled around Xue Ji’s body like silk, glowing softly before vanishing like dissipating wings. Xue Ji felt her body suddenly lighten, as if the force of gravity binding her had disappeared entirely. She was like a bird in free flight, the entire sky now hers to roam.
With a smile, Xue Ji turned her head and saw Ling Xiaoxiao beside her, dressed in the same red ruqun she had worn when they first met. Ling Xiaoxiao’s grin was as radiant as the sun, her hair fluttering in the wind, stirring a peculiar, stifled feeling in Xue Ji’s chest—some emotion she didn’t yet understand was quietly building. Ling Xiaoxiao moved through the air with effortless grace, her motions carrying a natural rhythm and beauty that infected Xue Ji, allowing her to relax completely. Their descent slowed further, and Xue Ji’s playful spirit flared up.
She drifted closer, trying to grab Ling Xiaoxiao’s sleeve. But every time she neared, Ling Xiaoxiao would pull away slightly, sparking a game of chase midair. They twisted and turned like two brilliantly colored koi playing in water. With a sudden spin, Ling Xiaoxiao darted in front of Xue Ji, and the two faced each other, laughing. The wind and clouds fell silent around them as they plunged into a bank of white mist, accelerating again and scattering the fog in their wake.
Xue Ji pulled off her mask, cupping her hands around her mouth as she shouted excitedly to Ling Xiaoxiao: “Ling Xiaoxiao! I love this feeling!”
Her voice was swallowed by the wind. Ling Xiaoxiao brought a hand to her ear, straining to respond: “Love what?”
Xue Ji took another deep breath and shouted, enunciating each word: “I… LOVE… YOU…”
From the moment she woke up until now, Ling Xiaoxiao’s heart had never pounded so fiercely—it felt like a wild deer was about to burst out of her chest. Her hand instinctively reached for Xue Ji’s; she desperately wanted to hold that soft hand.
Seeing her outstretched hand, Xue Ji reached back with her right while keeping her left cupped around her mouth, continuing: “…R… SPELL!”
Ling Xiaoxiao’s hand paused midair—but she still took Xue Ji’s hand anyway. “Why would you entertain such unrealistic fantasies?” she chided herself inwardly. “She’s finally living the life she once yearned for. Would you really ruin that?”
“What’re you thinking about? Time to prepare for landing.”
Snapping out of her daze, Ling Xiaoxiao responded with her usual bright smile.
Xue Ji deployed her parachute at the right altitude, drifting down gently, while Ling Xiaoxiao descended much faster, waiting for her in the Third High School campus. Strolling leisurely, Ling Xiaoxiao caught Xue Ji in a princess carry the moment she touched down.
Still riding the high of soaring through the sky, Xue Ji let herself be held like that—until the parachute fabric draped over them both.
Finally realizing how awkward the position was, Xue Ji squirmed in Ling Xiaoxiao’s arms. “Ack, put me down! I can’t see anything!”
In her struggle, her hand accidentally brushed against something soft and warm, startling her into yanking it back and falling silent.
“Pfft—ha! Xue’er, you get shy whether I tease you or you ‘accidentally’ tease me. There’s seriously no one more fun to mess with than you.” Laughing, she set Xue Ji down and patted her chest to smooth out the wrinkles in her clothes. The motion made a certain area jiggle conspicuously. Xue Ji averted her gaze—but her eyes betrayed her.
“We’re both girls, why are you so embarrassed? If you were still a guy, you’d probably stay single till thirty and become a ‘grand wizard,’ huh?” Ling Xiaoxiao teased, referencing a meme she’d recently seen.
Xue Ji’s face flushed. “That was then, this is now! The old me wasn’t like this—”
Then she suddenly remembered how she used to be practically invisible in class and immediately lost her rebuttal. Plus… she was a mage now. Not just any mage—a Sage, the pinnacle of spellcasters.
Blushing harder, she changed tack: “What’s wrong with being a mage?! Keep this up and I’ll re-seal you into that fat bird form!”
“F-fat bird?!” Rage ignited in Ling Xiaoxiao’s heart. She hoisted Xue Ji over her shoulder, fully intending to carry her back like this.
“Hey—put me down!”
Ling Xiaoxiao gave Xue Ji’s butt a light pat, grinning smugly. “Nope. What’re you gonna do about it?”
“You—!”
“Keep complaining and I’ll do it again.” She wiggled the offending hand tauntingly. Defeated, Xue Ji could only let herself be carried.
……
Ling Xiaoxiao stubbornly hauled Xue Ji all the way home like this. Along the way, more than a few people pulled out their phones to film them—their looks and outfits made many assume they were cosplayers. A few bold souls even tried approaching for photos, but Ling Xiaoxiao’s pace was too quick to intercept.
Jokes aside, there was no way Ling Xiaoxiao would let anyone take Xue Ji from her. Xue Ji wasn’t set down until they reached her doorstep, her face so red it looked about to drip blood.
Seeing Xue Ji standing there, head bowed and practically steaming, Ling Xiaoxiao leaned in and whispered by her ear: “Xue’er… you wouldn’t want our little ‘deal’ getting out, would you?” With that, she strode inside without a backward glance, leaving Xue Ji in disarray at the doorway.
Xue Ji fell into deep self-doubt. Wasn’t the post-gender-bend script supposed to involve heart-fluttering moments with all kinds of beauties? That’s how it always went in the novels she’d read!
“Hey, this isn’t right! What kind of storyline is this?! It’s getting weirder by the minute!”
“Author! Get out here! I’ll buff you into next week!”
A solemn voice echoed from the void: “Blame your own personality for this, not me.”
Just then, Xue Ji’s mom called out, snapping her out of her spiral: “Xiao Ji, what’re you doing standing at the door? Come in and eat!”
“O-oh! Coming!”