By the stone table in the small grove next to the teaching building, Su Mo and Ye Qingyi sat facing each other in silence.
After a brief pause, they spoke simultaneously: “Actually, I’m Su Mo (Ye Qingyi).”
“Why did you steal my body?” Ye Qingyi clenched her teeth, her handsome face full of grievance.
“Don’t jump to conclusions—who took whose body first is still up for debate,” Su Mo retorted, forcing himself to stay calm. “And what do you mean, ‘steal my body’? Phrase it properly!”
Ignoring his complaint, Ye Qingyi continued, “I was just sitting in a taxi when I suddenly felt drowsy. The next thing I knew, I woke up like this.”
“Lady, I’m just as confused! I only took a quick nap, and now fate’s playing this huge joke on me. Half an hour ago, I was a grown man, and now I’m a young girl—where do I even go to file a complaint?” With his current delicate appearance, Su Mo looked pitiful enough to melt anyone’s heart, making even Ye Qingyi soften slightly.
What a strange feeling… Ye Qingyi opened her mouth but ultimately stayed silent. Deep down, she knew neither of them was to blame—it was just cruel fate.
“Look, here’s the thing,” Su Mo said, seeing she had calmed down. “First, we have no idea why this happened, so let’s set that aside for now. The priority is figuring out how to keep this a secret—it’s way too bizarre for anyone to believe.”
Ye Qingyi finally stopped protesting and sat obediently by the table, biting her lower lip as she buried her frustration.
“Right now, I’m ‘Ye Qingyi,’ and you’re ‘Su Mo.’ We should exchange information to understand each other better—at least enough to fool our roommates and avoid unnecessary trouble.”
“Fine,” Ye Qingyi nodded reluctantly.
“I’ll go first,” Su Mo cleared his throat. *”I’m Su Mo, 18, from Class Chem 2101, born in Tianyu City, Longzhou Province. I’m outgoing, helpful, handsome, and full of sunshine… (omitting ten thousand words of self-praise)”*
“Enough already—most of that was useless. My turn.” Ye Qingyi composed herself and said irritably, “Ye Qingyi, 17, Archaeology Class 2101, from Jiangcheng, Chuzhou Province.”
She paused, hesitating.
“Hey, we’re in this together now. Don’t even think about lying to me, or we’re both screwed,” Su Mo warned.
“I know.” With clear reluctance, she revealed her family background—and the details shocked Su Mo.
He had guessed she came from a privileged background, but he never expected her to be the heiress of a prominent family, with an older sister who held a Ph.D. in archaeology from Jingjiang University.
Su Mo clicked his tongue. Talk about an unfair comparison.
“My family’s easy to handle—they’re usually too busy to check in often. The real problem is my sister,” she sighed. “You’ll need to be ready for her calls anytime—sometimes once every few days, sometimes several times a day.”
“Wow… now that’s sisterly closeness,” Su Mo couldn’t help but remark.
“Hey… do you believe supernatural beings exist in this world?” Ye Qingyi suddenly asked.
Her serious expression told him she wasn’t joking, and Su Mo’s heart skipped a beat.
Normally, he’d scoff and declare himself “a modern youth who only believes in science!”—but now, he hesitated.
Seriously, what could be crazier than swapping souls?
Even time travel isn’t this absurd.
“What are you getting at?”
Ye Qingyi sighed. “I shouldn’t be telling you this—it’s risky for both of us. But fate’s tied us together, so I have no choice.”
For over half an hour, she spoke nonstop while Su Mo listened in stunned silence.
“Damn… so you’re saying supernatural beings have always existed in our world, hiding in plain sight?”
“Exactly.”
According to Ye Qingyi, supernatural beings—primarily cultivators, along with rarer types like espers—had always walked among humans.
In Xia (China), cultivators were ranked in six tiers: Tempered Body, Qi Condensation, Sea of Qi, Snow Mountain, Noble Spirit, and Celestial Being—corresponding to the global F, E, D, C, B, and A classifications.
And Ye Qingyi? She was a Tempered Body (F-rank) cultivator.
With a bitter expression, she extended her hand. “Here, test my strength.”
Su Mo gripped it, using only about 30% of his force—and Ye Qingyi instantly lost.
“I’m this strong?!”
“Correction—I’m strong, not you.”
“Same difference…” Su Mo grinned.
“Same difference my foot!” Ye Qingyi fumed. She had trained that body for five years—only for someone else to reap the rewards.
“What’s done is done. We can’t undo it, so let’s just make the best of things,” Su Mo patted her shoulder.
As she said, fate had bound them together. Running wasn’t an option—cooperation was their only way forward.
“Stop touching me!” She slapped his hand away.
“Excuse me, I’m touching my body,” Su Mo smirked.
“You—!” Realizing she had no comeback, Ye Qingyi fell silent.
Suddenly, her expression twisted, her face flushing red.
“What’s wrong?” Su Mo blinked.
“I need to use the bathroom…” Her voice was barely audible.
“Uh… then go? Do you need instructions?”
“You—you’re shameless!” She stormed off toward the nearest restroom in quick, stiff steps.
Moments later, she returned, looking even more embarrassed. “There’s someone inside…”
“Isn’t that nor—uh, maybe wait a bit?”
“I can’t hold it…” She looked ready to cry.
“There are stalls, right? Just close your eyes and pick one.”
“But the person next to it is there.”
“That’s why I said close your eyes!”
“But…”
Just then, the other person exited. Ye Qingyi bolted inside—first in long strides, then instinctively hunching over into tiny, hurried steps.
Watching her disappear, Su Mo’s mind wandered. She’s a girl—what if she gets too curious and, uh, damages something?
He shook his head, scolding himself for the ridiculous thought.
Before long, Ye Qingyi emerged from the men’s room looking relieved—though her sneaky, slightly guilty demeanor made her look… suspicious.