Chi Mu leaned back in the driver’s seat with her eyes closed, feeling a soft pressure cover her lips. She didn’t even need to open her eyes to know it was Nie Yijun.
Their lips remained pressed together for what felt like an eternity. When Nie Yijun finally began to pull away, Chi Mu opened her eyes. Her head still throbbed with agony, and the Nie Yijun before her still wore Chi Mu’s own face—nothing had changed.
“It seems,” Nie Yijun whispered, “it didn’t work.”
“Again.” Chi Mu grabbed Nie Yijun’s collar, pulling her back. “Do it again. I don’t want to be in your body anymore. It hurts so much, Nie Yijun again.”
Nie Yijun had no choice but to lean in once more. This time, Chi Mu locked her hands around the back of Nie Yijun’s head and forced her tongue inside. She felt Nie Yijun’s momentary shock and reflex to pull back, but Chi Mu used every ounce of her remaining strength to pin her in place.
Chi Mu was desperate. If a simple touch of the lips wasn’t enough, she would turn it into a deep, visceral kiss. She would deepen the connection until it broke the curse.
Nie Yijun was a complete amateur when it came to kissing; she had no idea how to respond. Throughout the entire ordeal, it was Chi Mu doing all the exploring, her tongue insistent and searching.
Beep! Beep! A sudden car horn blared nearby, jolting Nie Yijun enough to finally push Chi Mu away.
Chi Mu gasped for air, a triumphant grin spreading across her face. “We’re back, Nie Yijun.”
As it turned out, it required a deep kiss.
Nie Yijun’s lips were swollen and red, and her eyes darted around in a panicked haze. With her headache gone and her strength returned, Chi Mu patted Nie Yijun’s cheek playfully. “What are you so scared of? Consider that a free lesson.
Don’t be so stiff next time—you’re supposed to kiss back, you know.”
Nie Yijun remained silent, but someone else spoke up.
“Oh my, am I interrupting Dr. Nie’s little tryst?”
Chi Mu was facing away from the car window, but the moment she caught the scent of the incoming pheromones, she rolled her eyes. She turned around to see Dai Yin driving past them, wearing a wide, mischievous grin. “Dr. Nie, you’re playing a dangerous game with an Alpha? Cough, cough.”
“Is it any of your business?” Chi Mu snapped. “You want to police the world, and now you’re policing who kisses who?”
“No, no,” Dai Yin shrugged, looking amused. “By all means, ladies, carry on.”
As Dai Yin rolled up his window and drove off, Chi Mu muttered a “What a freak!” under her breath.
“That man is just begging for a beating,” Chi Mu said, turning back only to find Nie Yijun still standing there in a dazed stupor.
“What’s with you?” Chi Mu asked. “Headache?”
She reached out to massage Nie Yijun’s temples. She knew exactly how much it hurt; she had been feeling it only moments ago.
“No.” Nie Yijun tilted her head to dodge Chi Mu’s hand. “Since you’re fine now, you should head back. Your car is parked outside the Emergency Room.”
“Wait.” Chi Mu was confused. “You’re driving yourself back?”
“Yes.”
“You.” Chi Mu clicked her tongue. “You’re going to drive in this state? You aren’t in pain?”
If she hadn’t experienced it herself, she wouldn’t have believed the sheer level of agony hidden beneath Nie Yijun’s calm exterior.
“It’s okay,” Nie Yijun said. “I’m used to it.”
“Used to it?” Chi Mu stepped back from the car, pacing a few steps in disbelief. “Nie Yijun, I don’t want to yell at you, but Director Lu told me today that you need surgery as soon as possible. This condition is treatable, isn’t it? If you’re sick, you get treated—isn’t that common sense? You’re a doctor; you should know that better than anyone. Why won’t you do it?”
Nie Yijun gripped the steering wheel with both hands. Even though she was “used to” the pain, it was clearly affecting her cognitive focus. She pulled the door shut. “I don’t need it. I’m perfectly fine.”
With a sudden rev of the engine, she sped out of the underground garage, leaving Chi Mu standing in a cloud of exhaust.
“Freak! Nie Yijun, you absolute psycho!” The pain had been so bad Chi Mu wanted to die, yet Nie Yijun claimed she was “fine.”
What a world-class masochist.
Chi Mu decided to stop worrying. Let the freak suffer! She was finally back in her own body. Even if they had to swap again in two days, she was going to enjoy her freedom while it lasted.
She drove to Zhao Tongtong’s dance troupe. With a performance looming, everyone was working overtime. Chi Mu stood outside the rehearsal room, watching through the glass.
The room was crowded, and Zhao Tongtong was positioned far in the back. Chi Mu couldn’t see her clearly, but watching the synchronized movement was a form of therapy for her. She stood with her arms crossed, her eyes full of longing.
During a break, Zhao Tongtong spotted her and ran out excitedly. “Sister! You came!”
Zhao Tongtong was drenched in sweat, which made the scent of her pheromones particularly intense. Chi Mu turned her head and rubbed her nose, realizing she wasn’t quite used to having such a sensitive sense of smell again.
“Go back to your work,” Chi Mu said. “I’m just here to watch for a bit.”
“The show is the night after tomorrow. I sent you the e-ticket,” Zhao Tongtong said. “Make sure you come!”
“Yeah, definitely,” Chi Mu paused, realizing the timing. “Actually, can you give me another one? No, wait—I’ll buy another one.”
“Oh,” Zhao Tongtong wiped sweat from her forehead with the back of her hand. “Are you bringing an Omega?”
“No, an Alpha,” Chi Mu said, pulling out her phone to open the booking app. “A college classmate.”
Zhao Tongtong smiled. “I see. I’ll just give you another one then. Don’t bother buying it; you won’t find two seats together now. I’ll make sure you have side-by-side seats.”
“I’ll pay you for it,” Chi Mu said, immediately transferring a sum of money.
She was so fast that Zhao Tongtong didn’t even have the chance to refuse. Chi Mu was always like this—sending money at the drop of a hat as if she were terrified the girl would run out of funds. Without even checking, Zhao Tongtong knew the amount wasn’t small.
“Go back inside,” Chi Mu said, stowing her phone. “I won’t distract you. I’ll watch for a little longer then head out.”
Zhao Tongtong wanted to chat more, but the rehearsal was critical. She nodded. “See you the night after tomorrow then.”
“Mm-hmm, go on.” Chi Mu gave her a warm smile.
Zhao Tongtong kept looking back until she disappeared into the room. Chi Mu watched for another half hour before her stomach finally forced her to leave.
By the time she stepped outside, the sky was dark. To her surprise, Chi Mu found herself lacking her usual drive. Ordinarily, she would have called up several Omegas to go out for drinks and dinner. It seemed Nie Yijun’s chronic pain combined with a week of “blood therapy” had left her soul utterly exhausted.
When she got home, her mother and Chi Xi were in the living room wearing face masks and watching TV.
“Mom,” Chi Mu greeted her and tried to head straight for her room.
“Wait a second,” Shi Ya peeled off her mask and beckoned. “Get over here.”
Chi Mu stopped and looked back. “What? I haven’t caused any trouble lately.” In fact, Nie Yijun had told her she’d been working hard at Morse.
“Get over here!” Shi Ya patted the sofa. “Stop stalling.”
Chi Mu sat down beside her, making sure to shout toward the kitchen: “Aunt Gao! Make me a big bowl of noodles! Add some meatballs!”
“Good heavens!” Shi Ya jumped, swatting Chi Mu’s shoulder. “Were you a starving ghost in a past life? You haven’t eaten this late?”
“Nope,” Chi Mu yawned, leaning back. “So why the summons? I’ve been a good girl.”
Shi Ya turned to her with a smile. Chi Mu relaxed; it wasn’t bad news. “Xiao Xi told me you saved a colleague today?”
Chi Mu blinked, slowly turning her head to look at Chi Xi on her mother’s left. Chi Xi kept her eyes glued to the TV, ignoring her.
Saving someone. That was definitely Nie Yijun’s doing.
“Yeah,” Chi Mu played along.
“That’s wonderful,” Shi Ya patted her cheek. “Keep up the hard work. Stay on this path.”
Her mother was in an exceptionally good mood, treating Chi Mu like a child who had finally done something right. A wave of guilt washed over Chi Mu. She leaned her head on her mother’s shoulder. “Aunt Gao! Are the noodles ready yet?!”
That shout immediately wiped the smile off Shi Ya’s face. She smacked Chi Mu’s forehead. “You did that on purpose, didn’t you? Shouting right in my ear!”
Chi Mu chuckled. “I’m just hungry.”
“Why are you so late coming home anyway? Were you out fooling around again?”
“Playing ball. Forgot to eat,” Chi Mu lied effortlessly.
Her mother looked at her with pure disgust. “Move over. Don’t touch me until you’ve showered.”
“I don’t think so,” Chi Mu teased.
Shi Ya pushed her forehead, shoving Chi Mu back into the sofa cushions. She stood up and brushed off her clothes. “You stink! I just showered.”
Chi Mu giggled, only to catch Chi Xi’s gaze. Her laughter froze, and she stood up to leave.
“Chi Mu,” Chi Xi said. “I saw the surveillance footage of you saving that person. Your technique was professional, and your judgment was incredibly fast. How did you know how to do all that?”
Chi Mu stiffened. She wanted to say she had studied medicine, but everyone knew how useless she was at home. She certainly couldn’t compare to the professional, Nie Yijun.
Unable to think of a logical lie, Chi Mu didn’t panic. she just lowered her head and bolted. If you can’t lie well, silence is the best defense.
Chi Xi watched her retreating back, her head tilted in deep thought.