Gu Jianli pulled Ji Wujing back into the room, rummaged through the wardrobe, and handed him another set of clothes, insisting he change.
— She would not allow Ji Wujing to use her body and go out dressed like that!
Ji Wujing glanced at the clothes in his arms. A light apricot short jacket and a dark blue long skirt. Too plain, right? With such a captivating face, she always preferred wearing these understated colors.
“I won’t change.” Ji Wujing casually threw the clothes onto a nearby table.
Gu Jianli was about to plead with him not to mess around but, looking at her own face, she suddenly realized that perhaps she could approach this differently?
She walked towards Ji Wujing.
Ji Wujing looked up at her, becoming wary. “What do you intend to do?”
Gu Jianli easily grabbed Ji Wujing’s wrist and pulled him over.
Ji Wujing’s expression instantly darkened.
Meanwhile, Gu Jianli felt a strange sensation. So this is what it feels like to be strong and easily pull someone over… it feels quite arrogant? And the body she pulled over was her own…
“Gu Jianli, don’t push your luck,” Ji Wujing threatened menacingly.
Gu Jianli blinked, making Ji Wujing’s foxy eyes look purely innocent, making Ji Wujing feel powerless.
Gu Jianli remembered that they had switched bodies and that she now possessed Ji Wujing’s strength, reversing their power dynamics.
In an instant, Gu Jianli recalled many past scenes.
She took another step towards Ji Wujing, directly reaching out to undress him. Ji Wujing instinctively tried to block her, but Gu Jianli easily restrained both his hands.
In this contrast, Gu Jianli realized how small her original hands were.
“Gu Jianli, let go!”
Gu Jianli gathered her courage. “Is this how you used to restrain me, not letting me move? You even tied me up with a rope…”
“You!” Ji Wujing was choked up, but then he smiled, saying, “Gu Jianli, are you stupid? If you want to tie someone up, you’d be tying up your own body, wouldn’t you? Are you bullying yourself?”
Gu Jianli quickly said, “Who wants to tie you up? I just want you to change clothes, stop wearing such pink and frilly stuff!”
She denied the brief impulse she had to actually tie Ji Wujing up…
Ji Wujing glanced at Gu Jianli, exasperated. “Gu Jianli, when you’re using my face, could you stop frowning and looking so aggrieved? It’s really displeasing, honestly.”
“Then don’t upset me. Change your clothes!”
“Don’t say ‘ne,’ say ‘ah.1The phrase “Don’t say ‘ne,’ say ‘ah'” refers to correcting a casual or colloquial speech habit. In Chinese, ending a sentence with “呐 (ne)” can add a casual, informal tone, often used in conversation to make the statement feel softer or more conversational. On the other hand, ending a sentence with “啊 (ah)” can still convey a casual tone but might be considered a bit more neutral or standard in certain contexts.‘” Ji Wujing slowly turned around, pointing to the clothes on the table. In the end, he didn’t wear the outfit Gu Jianli handed him. Instead, he walked to the wardrobe, rummaged through Gu Jianli’s clothes, and found a pomegranate-red dress.
Gu Jianli glanced at it. Although she still thought it was a bit too bright, it was acceptable.
Standing aside, Gu Jianli watched Ji Wujing change clothes, feeling extremely awkward. Although it was her body, seeing it from an observer’s perspective…
Gu Jianli sighed and turned away—forget it, better not to look.
Feeling embarrassed watching her own body was indeed a bit ridiculous.
Before Ji Wujing finished dressing, Gu Jianli frowned, lowered her head, and her expression turned grim, standing still and stiff.
After a while, Ji Wujing finished dressing and walked over to her, noticing her tense stance, and asked, “What’s wrong now?”
Gu Jianli slowly lifted her head to look at Ji Wujing. Then Ji Wujing noticed Gu Jianli’s face blushing again.
He sighed heavily.
Before Ji Wujing could speak, Gu Jianli suddenly walked towards the west room.
Ji Wujing watched her back, puzzled for a moment, then realized she was heading to the lavatory.
Even the usually carefree Ji Wujing subtly furrowed his brows, feeling a bit awkward.
In the lavatory, Gu Jianli’s hands trembled as she untied the belt.
Though the couple was intimately familiar with each other’s bodies, still…
Gu Jianli stayed in the lavatory for a very long time.
Afterward, she meticulously wiped herself with paper, continuing until it hurt before stopping.
She adjusted her clothes, her face now a deep shade of red.
She didn’t leave immediately but instead poured water from a pot and repeatedly washed her hands in a basin. She rubbed the rose soap from the shelf over and over.
Taking a deep breath, she pretended nothing had happened. All right, she pushed the door open and went out.
Gu Jianli walked out expressionless. Returning to the bedroom, she sneaked a glance at Ji Wujing, who was still lazily sitting in the chair, legs spread apart, making the pomegranate-red skirt billow out.
Gu Jianli expected Ji Wujing to mock her, but surprisingly, he remained silent.
She walked over in small steps, reached out, and poked Ji Wujing’s knee, gently pushing his legs together.
“Knock, knock, knock—” Kang Xinglan knocked on the door.
“Mother, come out!” Xiao Xiao called.
Ji Wujing and Gu Jianli both looked up simultaneously, first towards the door, then exchanged glances.
Ji Wujing stood up, gave Gu Jianli’s hand a brief squeeze, then let go and walked out.
Gu Jianli felt a bit relieved and looked up at Ji Wujing before following him.
“Mother, why did you take so long to come out?” Xiao Xiao stood beside Kang Xinglan, her little hand held by her sister.
Gu Jianli coughed lightly and mimicked Ji Wujing’s lazy tone, “Is everything packed?”
Xiao Xiao’s gaze swept over Ji Wujing and Gu Jianli before she nodded.
Kang Xinglan gently said, “Everything’s packed. Xiao Xiao’s grandfather and little uncle are already on the carriage, waiting.”
Having spent so much time with Gu Jianli, Kang Xinglan had adopted some of Gu Jianli’s calm and gentle mannerisms in her speech.
On the carriage, Kang Xinglan taught Xiao Xiao how to play with a delicate lock.
Worried about revealing herself in conversation with her father, Gu Jianli decided to mimic Ji Wujing’s usual lazy demeanor, leaning against the carriage wall with her eyes closed to rest. Throughout the journey, Ji Wujing glanced at her several times, his eyes showing hints of surprise. He lowered his head in silence, lost in thought.
When they reached the bustling market, the family found a congee shop and sat down, listening to the performers singing upstairs.
The waiter brought over a tray, placing several steaming plates of buns, congee, and side dishes on the table. While the buns were similar, each type of congee was different.
Ji Wujing habitually picked up the fish congee, stirring it with a spoon as steam rose from it.
Xiao Xiao tilted her head, scrutinizing Ji Wujing, and asked, “Mother, why are you eating Father’s congee?”
Gu Jianli quickly looked at Ji Wujing.
Ji Wujing paused just before eating, then lightly stirred the congee again with the spoon, saying, “It’s too hot. I’m cooling it down a bit before giving it to your father.”
With that, Ji Wujing handed the fish congee to Gu Jianli.
Gu Jingyuan snorted, grumbling in a rough voice, “Can’t he cool it himself with his own hands and feet? Is he treating my daughter like a maid?”
In the past few years, Gu Chuan, like his father, was very dissatisfied with Ji Wujing, always eager to grow up quickly to rescue his sister from the clutches of this villain. He threw himself into martial arts training with the sole aim of someday surpassing Ji Wujing in skill and rescuing his sister. But as he grew older and became a young man, he saw more and no longer harbored the same hostility towards Ji Wujing as he did in childhood.
Hearing his father speak this way, he tried to mediate, “Father, brother-in-law didn’t say a word. He didn’t ask my sister to do it. This is just mutual kindness between husband and wife, treating each other with respect. It perfectly demonstrates their deep affection for each other.”
Gu Jianli wanted to explain but feared saying too much would make things worse, so she remained silent, lowering her head and eating the fish congee one bite at a time.
Gu Jingyuan glanced at Gu Jianli from the corner of his eye, surprised that Ji Wujing didn’t snap back at him today. Arguments usually involved a back-and-forth exchange, but with only one side participating, it lost its appeal. He felt bored, taking large bites of his bun.
Ji Wujing lifted his eyelids to glance at Gu Jianli, his gaze drifting down to the bowl of fish congee that should have been his. He stared for a while until Gu Jianli finally noticed. She thought for a moment, then mimicked Ji Wujing’s irritating expression, squinting her eyes with a lazy demeanor.
Adopting Ji Wujing’s languid tone, she said, “This fish congee isn’t good at all.”
With that, she placed the remaining half bowl of fish congee in front of Ji Wujing, looking disgusted. “Gu Jianli, you finish it for me.”
Gu Jingyuan slammed the table. “Why are you giving my daughter your leftovers? Why should my well-raised daughter eat what you didn’t finish?”
He pointed at Ji Wujing and ordered, “Jianli, you’re not allowed to eat it!”
Xiao Xiao swung her short legs and said, “I want to eat it.”
The words Ji Wujing was about to say got swallowed back. He placed the remaining half bowl of fish congee in front of Xiao Xiao.
Xiao Xiao resembled Ji Wujing in many ways, one of which was her love for fish.
Ji Wujing watched his little daughter eat the fish congee in small bites, silently looking away. To think that he, the esteemed national father, couldn’t even get a bite of fish congee.
Gu Jianli glanced at him quietly, knowing he was unhappy about not getting any fish. She made a mental note to cook fish for him at home. If they ate out for lunch, she would make sure to order several fish dishes.
After finishing their meal, the family headed towards the shopping street.
Today was not a market day, so it wasn’t expected to be bustling. However, they encountered three simultaneous wedding processions. The long lines of bridal and groom entourages made the street unusually lively. One family had even invited a lion dance troupe, creating a grand spectacle in front of the bridal sedan chair, drawing crowds and cheers from the onlookers.
“Lanlan, keep an eye on Xiao Xiao,” Gu Jianli reminded.
Gu Jianli wanted to carry Xiao Xiao, but Xiao Xiao preferred walking while holding Kang Xinglan’s hand rather than being with the adults.
As they crossed a long stone bridge, a bridal sedan chair was just passing. Everyone on the bridge stood close to the edges, waiting for it to pass.
At that moment, the red bridal sedan chair suddenly shook violently. Immediately after, a bride in her wedding attire burst out of the sedan chair, crying and seemingly ready to throw herself into the river.
She lifted the red silk covering her face, revealing a look of utter despair, and cried out, “Chen Lang, I’m coming to join you!”
She ran towards the edge of the bridge, completely disregarding everything else. Unfortunately, she ran directly towards where Xiao Xiao and Kang Xinglan were standing.
In her grief-stricken rush to end her life, the bride jumped off the bridge, not noticing she had bumped into a little girl, pulling her into the river as well.
“Sister!”
“Xiao Xiao!”
Ji Wujing saw this. He could have leapt to catch Xiao Xiao. In fact, he rushed forward immediately. However, he forgot that he and Gu Jianli had switched bodies, and the body he was in now was frail and had no internal strength!
Gu Jianli, in Ji Wujing’s body, had his martial prowess, but she didn’t know how to use it!
Nevertheless, both Ji Wujing and Gu Jianli jumped off the bridge without hesitation.
Gu Jingyuan and Gu Chuan, who were buying toys and snacks for Xiao Xiao across the street, saw the scene from afar. Their faces turned pale with fright. Dropping everything, they ran and jumped into the turbulent river.
Kang Xinglan stood on the bridge, her fingertips trembling, tears streaming down her face. She hadn’t cried in years, but now tears fell like when she was a child.
It wasn’t until Ji Wujing held Xiao Xiao in his arms that he breathed a sigh of relief. Yet, his face remained cold, his nerves still taut.
It was his fault; it was his oversight.
The sudden body swap caught the couple off guard, leading to the neglect of their youngest daughter.
“Baby!” Gu Jianli swam over and wiped Xiao Xiao’s face with the back of her hand.
Ji Wujing sent someone to fetch Ji Jingyi, who arrived quickly.
Xiao Xiao had fallen into the river without getting hurt, which was fortunate. However, she did catch a cold from the cold water and started running a fever as soon as they got home.
The household staff were all on high alert, not daring to make a sound.
It wasn’t until evening, as the sun set, that Xiao Xiao’s fever finally subsided. Only then did the busy Gu Jingyuan and Gu Chuan relax a bit and leave to go home.
Gu Jianli took the thin congee from a maid and was about to feed it to her daughter when she remembered their body swap. Silently, she handed the bowl to Ji Wujing, letting him feed Xiao Xiao.
Ji Wujing had never fed Xiao Xiao before. He carefully scooped a small amount of congee with Xiao Xiao’s special spoon, adjusted the portion, and blew on it before offering it to her.
Xiao Xiao, with her eyes half-closed, took small bites.
After a while, Xiao Xiao shook her head. “It doesn’t taste good.”
Her expression was remarkably similar to Ji Wujing’s.
“Eat a bit more, then we’ll take the medicine,” Ji Wujing said.
Xiao Xiao glanced up at Ji Wujing, sighed, and opened her mouth again.
Gu Jianli, sitting by the bed, felt heartbroken. She adjusted the quilt around Xiao Xiao and asked, “Xiao Xiao, were you scared?”
Xiao Xiao mumbled, “What’s there to be scared of?”
She opened her mouth again, took another bite of the congee, and said, “It doesn’t taste good. I don’t want to eat it. I want to take the medicine.”
Gu Jianli wanted to persuade her further, but Ji Wujing simply said “Okay” and agreed. He took the medicinal soup from a maid and fed it to Xiao Xiao.
Xiao Xiao drank the entire bowl of cold medicine in one go, but the bitterness made her frown deeply.
“My candy, where’s my candy?” Xiao Xiao stretched her hand out to Ji Wujing.
“You can’t eat candy right after taking such bitter medicine. Wait a little while, and then you can have some,” Ji Wujing said, holding his daughter’s tiny hand in his own.
Gently, but also firmly.
Gu Jianli watched silently from the side. She extended her hand, holding Ji Wujing and Xiao Xiao’s hands together.
Xiao Xiao, still a bit fuzzy from the fever, was confused—why didn’t Mother tell her a story to sleep tonight?
But she didn’t need a story to fall asleep. The medicine took effect quickly, and she rubbed her eyes and lay down.
Watching their youngest daughter fall asleep, Gu Jianli and Ji Wujing tiptoed out of the room. As soon as they reached the door, Gu Jianli repeatedly instructed Xiao Xiao’s two wet nurses to keep a close eye on her. If she woke up in the middle of the night or showed any signs of discomfort, they were to inform them immediately.
Just as Gu Jianli and Ji Wujing returned to their bedroom, Kang Xinglan followed them in. Her eyes were red and swollen, tears still lingering. She had been crying the entire time.
“It’s my fault. I didn’t take good care of Nan Nan. I didn’t hold her hand tightly. If I had, she wouldn’t have fallen.” Kang Xinglan sobbed uncontrollably. “I’m here to accept my punishment.”
Gu Jianli stepped forward, wanting to wipe her tears, but then remembered she was using Ji Wujing’s body. It wouldn’t be convenient. She squeezed Ji Wujing’s hand and handed him a handkerchief.
Ji Wujing glanced at the handkerchief, then walked over to Kang Xinglan and wiped her tears.
Gu Jianli shook her head and said, “You’re just a child yourself. Nan Nan’s accident was our oversight, not yours.”
Kang Xinglan kept crying, repeating, “It’s my fault. I didn’t take good care of Nan Nan. I’m useless…”
“Lanlan, you’re as important to us as Xiao Xiao. Even though you’re her older sister, it’s not your duty to take care of her. That’s our responsibility, not yours.”
Gu Jianli patted her head, “Lanlan, don’t think you’re different from Xiao Xiao. And stop crying, you’re making your face all puffy.”
Kang Xinglan looked at Gu Jianli and Ji Wujing through teary eyes. She had expected her parents to be angry and blame her for not looking after her sister properly. Instead, they didn’t blame her at all. This made her feel even guiltier, and she silently vowed to take better care of her sister in the future, protecting her from any harm.
“Don’t cry anymore,” Ji Wujing said, wiping her tears.
Kang Xinglan nodded vigorously, forcing the tears back. Though her eyes were still watery, she tried to smile. “I’ll leave now. Father and Mother, you’ve had a long day, you should rest early. Don’t stay up.”
“You too, Lanlan.”
After Kang Xinglan left, Yuanping reported that the hot water was ready. They had both been in the cold river for a while, and although they had quickly changed clothes, their bodies were still chilled.
The bathroom was warm and steamy, resembling a paradise. A large bathtub for two stood in the center of the room.
When Ji Wujing had first installed the double bathtub, Gu Jianli had been embarrassed for a while. The double bathtub was a clear indication to the household staff that she and Ji Wujing bathed together. But after some time, she had come to accept it.
Gu Jianli sat in the tub, feeling the warm water envelop her body. The warmth spread from her skin to her limbs, providing immense comfort.
The sound of water made Gu Jianli open her eyes, and she saw Ji Wujing stepping into the tub.
Seeing her own body sit down in the water made her frown. She placed her hand on her forehead, feeling overwhelmed by the day’s events and the issue of their body swap.
“What should we do…” she murmured to herself.
“Don’t worry.” Ji Wujing said tiredly, leaning against the tub wall with his eyes closed. He was irritable and in a bad mood, not because of their body swap but because of Xiao Xiao’s accident.
It was his oversight, an unforgivable one. Even though Xiao Xiao was fine, he couldn’t just let it go. Given their current situation, with their physical capabilities limited, if something happened to Xiao Xiao again, he might not be able to save her in time. He thought it might be necessary to assign a team of bodyguards to her.
Additionally, he planned to order the reconstruction of all the bridges in the capital, adding railings where there were none and reinforcing existing ones.
Each of them was lost in their own thoughts, and their spirits were low. As the water in the tub gradually cooled, they both stood up and stepped out.
Ji Wujing looked up at Gu Jianli as she dressed, finally directing his attention towards her. He smiled and said, “Maybe this is all just a dream, and when we wake up, everything will be back to normal.”
He wanted to comfort her as he used to, perhaps by pinching her ear or kissing her forehead. But looking at his own slender body in front of him… he simply couldn’t bring himself to do it.
“Let’s hope so,” Gu Jianli forced a smile.
Ji Wujing had just finished dressing and was about to walk out with Gu Jianli when he suddenly stopped, his face contorting with pain.
Gu Jianli was surprised. “What’s wrong? Are you feeling unwell?”
Ji Wujing’s expression grew darker as he spoke through gritted teeth, “How do you women tolerate bleeding every month?”
Gu Jianli paused, realizing it was indeed around the time for her period.
“You…” Her gaze towards Ji Wujing turned peculiar.
“Shut up.”
Gu Jianli pressed her lips together.
In the early years, Gu Jianli’s periods were irregular, but once they became regular, she rarely experienced the severe pain that many women did. However, due to Ji Wujing’s exposure to the cold river water, he was now experiencing significant discomfort. By nightfall, he was in so much pain that cold sweat beaded on his forehead.
Gu Jianli took a handkerchief to wipe his forehead, feeling both heartache and anxiety seeing him suffer on her behalf. She placed her hand on his abdomen and gently massaged it. “Do you want me to call Mr. Ji back?”
Call Mr. Ji back for menstrual cramps?
“No,” Ji Wujing refused, his face dark.
Ji Wujing had faced countless challenges in his life, with no one able to defeat or harm him. Yet today, he was defeated by menstrual cramps…
Gu Jianli leaned against Ji Wujing’s shoulder, their hands tightly clasped under the covers.
The long night passed, and they eventually fell asleep.
The next morning, they woke up to find they had returned to their own bodies.
They turned to face each other, staring for a long time.
Gu Jianli spoke first, “I had a dream where we switched places.”
“Hmm,” Ji Wujing smiled, “I had the same dream.”
He added, “I also dreamed that little Jianli dared to try tying up her uncle.”
Gu Jianli’s eyelid twitched. She got up, saying, “I’ll go check if Nan Nan’s fever has gone down!”
Ji Wujing gently pulled her into his arms and said slowly, “Gu Jianli, if you want to, Uncle will let you tie him up.”