Fourth Soul Swap
On Wednesday, when Lu Er woke up, she had transformed back into Ruan Xiyan. Even after the rain, the summer heat in Huai'an remained intense.
The air conditioner was set too low, so Lu Er fumbled for the remote to turn it up a bit. A black and white cat jumped onto the headboard and boldly kneaded Lu Er.
Lu Er stroked its fur and said softly, "You got to know him pretty quickly." In her memory, this stray cow cat suddenly appeared in the community. It was unruly and difficult to train. Several residents' dogs were so frightened by it that they hurriedly hid behind their owners and would shrink back and look around timidly when they went out.
Lu Er fed it a few times and gradually became familiar with it. The black and white cat probably also remembered her, a human, because no matter how playful it was, it would appear at her window on a punctual evening as the sun was setting. During winter break, she saved enough money to have the black and white cat spayed/neutered.
The kitten, a stray every day, still manages to lick its fur clean. It doesn't hurt people, nor does it initiate affection. Recognizing Ruan Xiyan is a rare thing.
Lu Er had noticed how diligently Ruan Xiyan had been taking care of the kitten lately. Thinking of this, she took out her phone and typed a WeChat message for Ruan Xiyan: "Are you awake?"
Ruan Xiyan is definitely not awake. Lu Er added that she would bring him breakfast.
Halfway through the Chinese class, Ruan Xiyan replied to the message. He said okay. Lu Er reached into the drawer to warm her hands; the milk was still warm, so she put some snacks in.
Ruan Xiyan took Lu Er's breakfast. There were no seats available around her today, so he casually chose a seat towards the back.
In English class, Ms. Mina asked everyone to practice the dialogue from the text with the student sitting to their left or right. Ruan Xiyan was listless, exchanging a few words with the person next to her. Suddenly, the girl leaned closer and said in a low voice, "Are you dating Ruan Xiyan?"
Ruan Xiyan's brow furrowed for a moment, then he said, "No."
"Oh. We saw you two getting so close, we thought your relationship was... special." The girl seemed eager to strike up a conversation, and quickly started talking, "In this tutoring class, the boy named Ruan Xiyan is the most famous. He's incredibly handsome. Not only here, but also in the neighboring classes, many girls are asking which school he goes to and want his contact information."
Ruan Xiyan found it funny, but didn't say anything: "Is he handsome?"
The girl clicked her tongue twice: "He's handsome. He's the most handsome guy here. Don't you like him? I certainly do. Who doesn't like a handsome guy? I bet all the girls here like him."
Ms. Mina stepped down from the podium. The girl turned her head back, and the two of them continued to read the English sentences aloud in a pretentious manner. As Ruan Xiyan read, he thought about what had just happened, and he felt that what the girl said was a bit fake.
If all the girls here like him, then Lu Er definitely won't be one of them.
Ruan Xiyan clenched her knuckles absentmindedly, thinking that she didn't seem like someone who liked him.
—
After math class in the afternoon, Lu Er packed her bag, thinking of helping out at the flower shop, and texted Ruan Xiyan on WeChat. She still wasn't used to taking advantage of others.
[Slow Momo]: Are you at the flower shop? I'll stop by and help you.
【11】: No, no need to come. (Waving hands frantically)
[Slow Momo]: I don't have any other plans this afternoon, I'll go over.
[11]: You've already helped me with my lessons, so it's normal for me to help you with some chores. You should go home and rest for a while. "Little Eight Holding Flowers"
Lu Er was still hesitant when Ruan Xiyan sent her a message that dispelled her idea. Ruan Xiyan said that it was probably going to rain soon, and she would have to change back later, so he was too lazy to make another trip.
This reason convinced Lu Er. She looked at the overcast sky above and replied, "Okay."
Just a few minutes after arriving home, Lu Er heard the doorbell ring. She went to the door, a little puzzled. Ruan Song and Ruan Tang weren't there, and even if they were back, they would have entered the door directly by entering the password. If it wasn't them, then who could it be?
The familiar-looking man with the buzz cut came into view; it was Chen Xiang.
"Xi Yan," Chen Xiang greeted her.
Lu Er stepped aside to let him in. Chen Xiang, still carrying a bag, skillfully changed his shoes and said, "You've been so busy these past few days that I couldn't get you to come out, so I had to come to your door. Tell me, aren't you loyal?"
Before Lu Er could answer, Chen Xiang suddenly changed his tone, put his fingers on her shoulder, glanced around, and whispered in her ear with a mysterious look: "Your family isn't home, are they? I brought you something nice today. The same thing we talked about last time, something good."
"..." What kind of code is that? Lu Er couldn't understand his winks at all, slapped his hand away, and walked out of the entrance hall. "Not here."
Chen Xiang didn't care much: "Let's play games first. Come on, let's go to your room." He went straight to Ruan Xiyan's bedroom, started the game, and said, "How about PUBG today? Or King of Glory? Carry me to rank up. The teammates I've been matched with these past few days have been terrible. I'm really fed up."
Alarm bells were ringing in Lu Er's mind, but she maintained her composure on the surface, not letting anyone notice her abnormality: "...Can I play Identity V?"
Chen Xiang glanced at her, and she clenched her sweaty palms, trying her best to remain calm: "I'd rather play this one." Actually, this is the only one she knows how to play right now.
Chen Xiang was incredibly slow-witted; without even thinking, he readily agreed: "Sure. It's been a while since I played that game, let's play. I heard there's a new collaboration event coming out recently, and I haven't even pulled for that treasure yet."
But a moment later, Chen Xiang regretted agreeing.
"Ruan Xiyan, come save me! I'm almost halfway there!" Chen shouted. Following the command, Lu Er ran over to the chair, and then... Four eye-catching red characters popped up on the screen.
"..."
"This can intimidate people?" Chen Xiang laughed, still unaware that something was wrong. "You're making such a fuss."
After being caught out by four, the two started a new game. Chen Xiang glanced at her character pool and casually remarked, "Why have you been playing the Doctor so much lately?"
Lu Er felt as if she had been hit on the back of the head. She lowered her eyes, still trying to appear calm: "Being a doctor is quite fun. I'll choose something else next time."
A short while into the game, Lu Er's heart started pounding, and she was quickly stabbed. Chen Xiang, who was repairing a machine in the middle of the game, watched her kite the hunter and laughed so hard he slumped in his chair: "Seriously? You kited the Red Butterfly, then backed up and killed yourself?"
Chen Xiang tried to scout her out a few times, but Lu Er died again within two or three seconds. Chen Xiang finally got angry and said, "Why do you always run into the supervisor's arms? Are you trying to stun me?"
Lu Er calmly wiped the sweat from his forehead: "I... haven't played in a while either."
In the next round, Lu Er pondered for a while and chose the character "Prophet," which Ruan Xiyan had played last time.
This time, Chen Xiang was the one being chased at the start, and he urged her loudly, "Hurry up! Give me the bird, I'm going to die, I'm out of cricket balls."
What does "give a bird" mean? Lu Er frantically activated his skill, accidentally using the bird command on himself. While Lu Er's bird flapped its wings, Chen Xiang lay on the ground, exclaiming, "My god, are you really deliberately acting against me?"
"My hand slipped," Lu Er explained. She had never prayed for the rain to start falling so quickly.
—
After several consecutive rounds of dismal performance, Chen Xiang felt increasingly tired: "I'm not playing anymore, it's even more infuriating than King of Glory." Lu Er sighed deeply and quickly exited the game.
"You still have your DVD player, right?" Chen Xiang said, getting up and expertly rummaging through the cabinet, pulling out a small projector. Lu Er guessed he was going to show her that so-called "good stuff."
Chen Xiang dug a CD out from deep inside his backpack. The cover flashed before Lu Er's eyes; the disc was so white that she couldn't see it clearly.
Chen inserted the disc into the DVD player. While it was starting up, he ran to the back to draw the curtains and check that the door was properly closed. After doing this, he rubbed his hands together expectantly, swallowing a few times.
Without the light, the room quickly plunged into darkness. Lu Er wondered what it was that needed to be made so mysterious before watching. Perhaps it was for the right atmosphere. Lu Er thought; she had heard of people who enjoyed the atmosphere of movies.
The film begins with a slightly hazy, vintage-style picture. A plump Caucasian woman appears on screen, carrying a flower basket, and pushes open the door of a small wooden house. A Caucasian man follows behind her.
What style is this? It feels a bit gentle, like a healing film? Lu Er thought to herself.
Immediately afterwards, the man pinned the woman down on the bed, kissing her passionately, the flower basket scattering all over the floor in the scuffle. Lu Er's eyebrows furrowed slightly.
The man groped her, pulling at her sundress, which flowed down her body like water, revealing a large expanse of her milky-white skin—a high-definition, uncensored scene.
Lu Er jumped up, her mind suddenly jolted. Chen Xiang was engrossed in watching when Lu Er abruptly broke the atmosphere. He looked up and saw Lu Er standing motionless, her eyes still glazed over, and asked in confusion, "What are you doing?"
Lu Er pursed her lips, her lowered hands slowly clenching. She didn't speak, and suddenly her vision blurred; the next second, the scene in front of her changed to the entrance of a flower shop.
Lu Er squatted in front of the potted orchid, the sound of rain outside peaceful. She lowered her head to her chest, only her ear was visible, it was red as if it had been filled with blood.
When Ruan Xiyan realized she had returned to normal, she found the room so dark she couldn't see anything. Chen Xiang, standing beside her, was still completely baffled: "You've been acting so strangely today. Ruan Xiyan, I have every reason to suspect you've been possessed."
The DVD player was still playing. The obscene scene and the woman's loud moans instantly made Ruan Xiyan understand everything. The whole story was clearly pieced together in his mind, and a thunderbolt struck him, his face flushing: "...What are you doing?"
"What do you mean, 'what do I do'? This is a resource I went through a lot of trouble to find for you. I'm sharing it with you instead of keeping it all to myself, and you're blaming me?" After all that commotion, Chen Xiang lost interest in the project. He turned off the DVD player and said irritably.
Ruan Xiyan sat down, feeling as if ants were crawling on him. Even standing, he felt an uncomfortable sensation, as if his ribs were being pressed against something. After a while, his face still burning, he quietly spoke up: "Don't bring this kind of random stuff next time."
Chen Xiang: "..." He looked at Ruan Xiyan in disbelief, "I really suspect that you have been possessed."
How could he face Lu Er after this? Ruan Xiyan had no words to express her bitterness and lowered her head, becoming mute.
Chen Xiang didn't want to argue with him. After playing on her phone for a while, she nudged him and said, "Sheng Jiao said she's coming back tomorrow. Do you want to come with me to pick her up at the airport?"
Sheng Jiao and Ruan Xiyan were practically childhood sweethearts, and they got along quite well before she went abroad. As for why before she went abroad, it was because it was Sheng Jiao's birthday, and she used that occasion to confess her feelings to Ruan Xiyan.
Ruan Xiyan refused, and the two had a cold war for a while, leading their friends to believe they had fallen out. Then Sheng Jiao went abroad, which took about three years.
Chen Xiang felt that Ruan Xiyan didn't seem like the type of person who would hold a grudge for so many years because of a friend's confession. Besides, Sheng Jiao had finally returned to the country, so he should give her some face and at least move on from this matter.
Ruan Xiyan: "What time is the flight?"
"I heard it's in the morning, around ten o'clock."
"I'm not going. I have class to attend." Ruan Xiyan shook his head, still preoccupied with what had just happened.
Ruan Xiyan wondered what Lu Er thought of him. She covered half her face in frustration.
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