Lu Yu looked up at the person straddling him, his expression calm.
But Lin Beixing—now on top of him—was anything but composed.
She had his wrists pinned, still frozen mid-lunge in her attempt to snatch back the phone.
Her hands had always been naturally cold since childhood, and now she was holding "her own" icy hands while staring into "her own" unnervingly serene face. Her heart hammered in her chest.
Lu Yu's eyes swept over "himself" once.
He'd never realized his own body was this strong—strong enough to pin him down so completely he couldn't even lift his head.
Or maybe… it was just that Lin Beixing's body was so soft and weak, like a bundle of cotton, utterly lacking in strength.
His gaze settled on "his own" almond-shaped eyes.
Even without effort, they radiated a gentle, almost tender emotion—locking eyes with them felt strangely intimate, as if the other person were utterly devoted.
…Huh. Lu Yu had to admit—it was true. He *was* kind of handsome.
He'd never scrutinized his own face this closely before.
Now he understood why some boys muttered behind his back about him "flaunting himself."
He'd always thought, *How am I "flaunting" anything? I'm just a harmless slacker!*
Under Lu Yu's unblinking stare, Lin Beixing grew flustered.
Even though she knew he was just looking at *his own face*, it still made her deeply uncomfortable.
"You're the one who pushed me down—why are *you* blushing?"
Lu Yu's voice floated softly into her ears—light, teasing, and undeniably Lin Beixing's.
Lin Beixing jolted back to reality.
She snatched the phone away and released his wrists in one swift motion.
Lu Yu sat up slowly.
He instinctively wanted to brush off his pants—but when he looked down, all he saw was "his own" smooth, bare ankle.
So instead, he gave the pleated skirt a token straightening.
After all, he was in a girl's body now—and Lu Yu had always been quick to adapt.
"What were you doing on the rooftop?" he asked casually.
But Lin Beixing's sudden silence caught his attention.
"Nothing…" she murmured.
"Oh…" Lu Yu trailed off.
If this were a simple soul swap, then Lin Beixing's body had genuinely been standing on the rooftop—
not just *on* the rooftop, but *outside* the chain-link fence…
just half a step away from falling.
He wanted to press further, but the look on Lin Beixing's face—now cold and closed off—made it clear she wouldn't talk.
…Still, even with that icy expression, *he* looked pretty damn cool.
Lu Yu allowed himself a rare moment of self-admiration.
"So… what now?" he asked, turning to her.
Lin Beixing sat on the ground in her usual elegant sideways pose—knees together, posture picture-perfect.
…Old habits died hard.
Meanwhile, Lu Yu himself was sitting cross-legged like a boy, a stark contrast to the school beauty's refined demeanor.
"I… don't know," Lin Beixing said quietly, shaking her head.
Logically, as the guy, Lu Yu should've taken charge.
But this involved *two* people—and right now, he was occupying *her* precious body. He owed it to her to ask.
Since she had no suggestions, Lu Yu didn't hesitate.
"Let's go eat lunch at the cafeteria."
He slapped his thigh and stood up.
"You're still thinking about *food*…?" Lin Beixing's nerves were frayed beyond repair.
She'd never imagined swapping bodies with a boy—let alone *becoming* one.
"What, should we just starve to death?" Lu Yu retorted.
"Until we figure out how to switch back, we've got no choice but to accept reality."
"For now, just survive. We'll deal with the rest later."
Lu Yu never carried worries—he'd always been straightforward like that.
"You coming or not?" he pressed.
Lin Beixing hesitated, then nodded.
"…Alright."
Lu Yu pushed the rooftop door open.
Oddly, a door that normally swung open with one hand now required both arms and all his strength.
With a loud *creak*, it finally gave way.
Without looking back, Lu Yu headed downstairs.
From the sun-drenched rooftop into the dim stairwell—
his vision blacked out for a split second as his eyes adjusted to the sudden darkness.
Lin Beixing took a deep breath.
For some reason, it felt like she'd been given a second chance at life.
......
As they descended, the two quickly hashed out a temporary agreement about their bizarre situation:
**Rule 1:** For safety's sake, they'd temporarily impersonate each other.
**Rule 2:** Don't do anything the other wouldn't normally do—preserve each other's reputation, personality, and social relationships as much as possible.
**Rule 3:** No peeking at each other's bodies. If unavoidable (e.g., using the restroom), eyes must be closed at all times.
Lu Yu thought the last rule was pretty unnecessary.
After all, he was just a regular guy—nothing extra, nothing missing.
Sex ed class had long ago taught him the basics of anatomical differences, so he felt perfectly at ease.
But Lin Beixing was different.
Handing her body over to a near-stranger was terrifying enough—setting clear boundaries was only natural.
Lu Yu respected that.
The stairwells of Jiangshui No.1 High were dark but spotless—
every step meticulously cleaned three times a day by assigned students.
It was lunch break.
Lu Yu, stomach growling, walked down the stairs beside Lin Beixing.
If Lin Beixing alone could draw 90% of all passing glances…
then adding Lu Yu to the mix pushed that number to 100%.
Lin Beixing was the undisputed school beauty.
Lu Yu? Secretly voted "school hunk" by countless girls.
Together, walking side by side?
Every passerby did a double-take.
Mouths dropped. Gossips ignited.
"Wait—isn't that...?"
"Since when are Lu Yu and Lin Beixing together?!"
"This is huge!"
"No… my goddess!"
"Holy crap!"
Amid the buzzing whispers, one voice practically screamed—
a boy came sprinting up the stairs, grabbed "Lu Yu's" arm, and started shaking him violently.
"Dude! Bro! Did you sleep so hard you lost your mind?!"
"What's gotten into you, Brother Lu?!"
"Women are just slowing down your gaming rank, man!!!"
It was Ren Jie—Lu Yu's deskmate and self-proclaimed bestie.
Eyes wide with shock, Ren Jie looked genuinely heartbroken.
"I saw you sleeping so peacefully, so I thought, 'Let him rest!'" He waved a takeout box proudly. "Look—I even got your food, extra two chicken legs, just how you like it!"
"I only left for *ten minutes*—how did you get snatched up by—ahem—the *class monitor* so fast?!"
Ren Jie couldn't believe his bro had finally "awakened to love."
"Ren—"
Lu Yu tried to speak—but his voice came out soft and girlish.
Dazed from the shaking, Lin Beixing shot him a desperate look for help.
Lu Yu steeled himself and stepped in.
"Ren Jie, why don't you just eat that meal yourself? Lu Yu and I are heading to the cafeteria—we have some things to discuss. Thanks for the food, though. He'll reimburse you later."
"Whoa—*Sister-in-law*!"
Lu Yu had only meant to clarify, but his words only confirmed Ren Jie's wildest theory.
The school beauty was *defending* his bro?!
Tears welled in Ren Jie's eyes. He was moved by this display of "wifely devotion."
He turned dramatically toward "Lu Yu" (actually Lin Beixing) with trembling reverence.
"Sister-in-law! You're amazing!"
Lu Yu: "…."
"Uh… you've got the wrong idea," he said gently, forcing Lin Beixing's signature polite smile.
"Sister-in-law," Ren Jie wiped his eyes, voice thick with emotion, "Lu Ge's a bit slow on the uptake—you'll have to be patient with him!"
He puffed out his chest with brotherly pride.
"Don't worry! Even though he's my bro, if he ever mistreats you, I'll *personally* beat him up for you!!"
Lu Yu: "…."
*God, I really want to punch him right now.*
But he clenched his fists and held back.
Hitting Ren Jie would break their brand-new agreement.
And if their cover blew this early, the whole charade would collapse.
"Ren Jie…"
Lu Yu took a breath, softened his tone, and carefully smoothed his expression.
"We're just going to the cafeteria to eat. It's senior year, and the teacher asked me to help him study—give him some academic encouragement."
He kept his face carefully neutral.
"Oh… *just* that?"
Ren Jie tilted his head, studying "Lu Yu's" expression.
The "Lu Yu" before him was unreadable—as always.
Sharp brows, detached gaze, utterly indifferent to the world.
…Right.
This was the same guy who refused to "marry" even a 2D waifu in gacha games.
There was no way he'd suddenly cozy up to the school flower.
Ren Jie instantly relaxed.
"Yeah, that makes sense. I'll send you the chicken leg money," Lin Beixing said flatly, giving a stiff nod.
She was doing a surprisingly good job—her mannerisms, her tone, even her posture eerily mimicked the real Lu Yu.
It was as if she'd studied him for a long time and rehearsed this performance.
"Hmm…" Ren Jie scratched his head, still sensing something off—but he couldn't quite put his finger on it.
Shrugging, he handed the takeout box to "Lu Yu."
"Then you and… ahem, *Class Monitor Lin* share it. I already ate."
He elbowed "Lu Yu" playfully and leaned in to whisper:
"Once you've *locked her down*, you gotta treat me to a meal, Bro Lu."
"Wishing you god-tier success~"
With that, Ren Jie dashed off.
Lin Beixing stood frozen.
Shockingly, "Lu Yu's" ever-stoic face had flushed slightly pink.
"What did he say?" Lu Yu asked, curious.
"N-nothing!" Lin Beixing shook her head vigorously.
The hallway was filling with students.
This was no place to linger.
She gave Lu Yu a firm shove on the back.
"Hurry up, let's go."
"Okay."
Lu Yu trailed after her lazily.
*Damn, she's strong.* That push nearly sent him tumbling down the stairs.
He glanced around at the surrounding crowd—already whispering, pointing, filming on their phones.
Lu Yu sighed inwardly.
This was going to be *very* complicated.