The sky fell.
Yu Huishui looked at his broad hands, then touched his sturdy arms, and finally, trembling, moved a bronze mirror to take a look. In the dim reflection, it was Zang Liujiang’s face!
“Ah!”
In broad daylight, seeing a ghost, Yu Huishui screamed and threw the mirror. The round mirror clattered on the ground, rolling a couple of times before lying there pitifully.
What’s going on, what is this! He had just looked at Zang Liujiang’s body and thought to himself how nice it would be if he had a strong body too.
But not like this!
A figure rushed in from outside, and a ‘Yu Huishui’ tripped over the threshold, falling flat on the ground like a dog pouncing on food, taking a hard fall.
“Ouch!”
Zang Liujiang cried out in pain, his voice rough, “That hurt! The threshold wasn’t this high before!”
Yu Huishui panicked, immediately rushing over to lift Zang Liujiang up, checking his own body left and right, “Zang Liujiang? What’s going on, don’t get me hurt.”
Zang Liujiang rarely experienced being lifted around, especially by himself. Being held up by Yu Huishui, he felt a mix of joy and worry.
The joy was that his body was holding Yu Huishui’s body, the worry was if they couldn’t switch back, he’d have to hold himself forever.
A black and white magpie flew onto the window sill, its beady eyes staring at the two inside. Suddenly, it tilted its beak and spoke human words:
“Ahem, humans who have their wishes granted, I… Gah!”
Before the magpie could finish, Yu Huishui grabbed its neck and pulled it inside. Not yet used to his newfound strength, he almost strangled the divine substitute to death.
“You mean,” Zang Liujiang rolled up his sleeves, glancing at his slender arms, “you’re a deity, bringing good fortune near the year’s end, coming to fulfill people’s wishes?”
“Exactly, exactly.” The magpie, tied with a grass rope and hanging upside down on the pen rack, dared not move, cawing in agreement.
“This isn’t my wish, whose is it?” Zang Liujiang habitually raised his delicate eyebrows, leaning towards Yu Huishui, catching sight of his own fierce face.
Damn, is this how scary he looks when he’s angry?
Zang Liujiang dared not move, afraid Yu Huishui might accidentally damage the body with a slap.
“No need to fulfill such ridiculous wishes.” Yu Huishui waved his large hand, his brows furrowed, “How do we switch back?”
“Caw caw!” The magpie cawed twice, pretending to be dead with drooping wings, but had to speak, “It’ll be fine after tonight, once the sun rises tomorrow, you’ll switch back.”
There was no other way, after all, it was a deity. Yu Huishui had to untie the rope and let it go. The magpie didn’t fly away, instead hopping around the beam, looking quite pleased.