contradiction

Su Xuan had a particular fondness for soy milk, especially freshly ground and still warm, its aroma irresistibly tempting. While fresh soy milk wasn’t available in the evenings, bottled versions could certainly tide him over.

He pulled out his phone and began scrolling through it.

The top-pinned content was always the live anti-invasion updates, filled with various messages that Su Xuan had already seen that morning, so he paid no mind to them.

With a swipe, a new headline appeared:

“Three Tricks to Turn You Into an Exquisite Girl!”

‘??’

Su Xuan rubbed his eyes in disbelief.

How could this be?

He had never delved into such content, so why was this appearing on his feed?

He glanced around; the nearest person was at least three meters away, making him feel relatively safe.

He tapped it!

Su Xuan was captivated by the beautiful women’s clothing and exquisite makeup tutorials, unconsciously imagining himself as the protagonist.

He pictured himself in women’s attire, stunning others with his appearance, and couldn’t help but chuckle softly to himself, a trickle of saliva involuntarily escaping his lips.

“Yangzhou fried rice, ready!”

The boss’s voice snapped Su Xuan out of his reverie.

“…Oh!”

Only then did Su Xuan realize he had been staring at his phone for another five or six minutes without realizing it.

He quickly went to retrieve his fried rice and dumplings, then returned to his seat.

He opened his phone, exited the article, and clicked the small ‘X’.

[Poor content quality, fashion, women’s clothing…]

Su Xuan selected the reasons.

Only after the article disappeared did he feel a sense of relief and began scrolling through other content.

“Become a Fashionable Girl: Just Meet These Few Points…”

“This Kind of Outfit Will Capture Your Male Idol’s Heart…”

Seeing more articles with elements of women’s clothing appear on his feed, Su Xuan put his phone down and clutched at his head in exasperation.

Some people successfully quit gaming, but if they scrolled past news about that game, they would easily click on it, often leading them to download the game again.

‘I must resist this!’

Su Xuan secretly resolved, shifting all his attention to the fried rice and dumplings, devouring them with a fierce intensity, as if in a silent battle with someone.

Thus, for Su Xuan, the meal passed without incident, albeit with a slight scare.

He hastily settled the bill and quickly headed home to rest.

****

Su Xuan lay on his soft bed, letting out a weary sigh.

Even though he hadn’t attended school all day, the emotional exhaustion he felt surpassed anything he typically experienced.

His struggle against that malevolent thought had left him in a state of utter exhaustion, as if caught between heaven and hell.

His gaze once again fell upon the dark red wardrobe.

Though it was sealed, he could easily imagine the clothes within, like Pandora’s Box, holding a profound allure for his mind.

One thought urged him to open this forbidden box and don the women’s clothing, while another warned him vehemently not to succumb, lest even the gods abandon him.

Caught between these two conflicting desires, Su Xuan slowly drifted into the realm of dreams.

****

“I can’t believe how beautiful you are, Su Xuan!”

A man before him muttered, seemingly astonished by how stunningly beautiful his long-time friend looked in women’s clothing.

Su Xuan shyly lowered his head, trying his best to conceal his blushing face from others.

“Wow! So pretty!”

The girls behind them chattered excitedly, seemingly fascinated by Su Xuan’s sudden transformation into a beautiful woman.

“Could Su Xuan be coming out publicly?”

“Maybe, oh, how romantic!”

“Such a beautiful, poignant scene…”

Their discussions made Su Xuan duck his head even lower, wishing he could somehow shrink into his own chest.

He awkwardly hurried towards his seat, not daring to look up at his surroundings, but he accidentally missed a step and stumbled.

“Ah~”

The imagined fall to the ground didn’t happen; instead, he was caught in someone’s embrace.

“Are… are you alright?”

Su Xuan looked up.

The person had an acne-scarred face, yet their eyes were filled with a mixture of confusion and awe.

It was Zhang Xun, his closest friend.

“I’m fine… Thank you!”

Su Xuan quickly stood up, offering his thanks.

“Wow! So passionate!”

“I can’t take it anymore, I’m absolutely swooning!”

The girls’ chattering voices drifted into Su Xuan’s ears, making his neck turn crimson, and he felt steam practically rising from his head.

The class, strangely, flew by.

Before Su Xuan could fully process anything, it was already dismissal time.

Su Xuan, still dressed in women’s clothes, packed up his desk and began walking home.

As he walked, he suddenly found himself in a strange, dark alleyway where flies buzzed and stray dogs roamed freely.

Su Xuan had no idea why he was there.

Suddenly, several voices drifted over.

“Well, well, little sister, are you lost?”

He turned around to see a group of hoodlums, all staring at Su Xuan, brazenly scrutinizing his form.

He had captivating, soul-stirring eyes, cherry-like lips that gleamed with an inviting luster, and long, slender legs, like something out of a manga—the ultimate fantasy for leg enthusiasts.

“Heh heh… get her!”

The hoodlums quickly moved forward, cornering Su Xuan against the wall, their faces twisted into lecherous grins as they watched him huddle there.

“Don’t come any closer… Help me!”

Su Xuan screamed in fear, but no one came to his aid.

Riiiiip~

His JK uniform was brutally ripped open.

“I… I’m a man…”

“Ah~ Haha, a man?”

He felt as though he’d been struck by lightning, utterly collapsing.

“Haha, little beauty~ Remember my name…”

“Hah!”

Su Xuan gasped, bolt upright, his hand instinctively reaching for his forehead, which was slick with countless beads of cold sweat.

He had never imagined he would have such a terrifying nightmare; he had nearly been… nearly been…

Su Xuan checked the time; it was five-thirty in the morning, the usual time he woke up.

The dream, like a vivid memory, etched itself deep into his mind.

Su Xuan remembered every single detail with horrifying clarity, especially that final scene…

“No! Forget it, forget it!”

Su Xuan frantically pounded his head.

This nightmare, more terrifying than any other, utterly broke him.

Every time that specific scene replayed in his mind, Su Xuan couldn’t help but shiver, as if he had truly lived through it.

Piteously, Su Xuan clutched his blanket, sitting hunched against the wall.

His considerably lengthened hair clung messily to his scalp, making him look like a girl who had just suffered a violation.

His eyes were devoid of light, filled only with a profound emptiness.

“Was this all your doing?”

Su Xuan demanded of his phantom soul in his mind.

Just one session of cultivation had left him utterly broken like this.

Su Xuan couldn’t imagine what kind of person he would become if he had continuously used the phantom soul to aid his cultivation for the past three years.

“Hmph… Is this what you call a strong will? I did nothing, and I can do nothing.”

The voice in his mind dripped with sarcasm, as if she held Su Xuan in utter contempt.

“Hmph! Do you dare claim you had nothing to do with it? You must have tampered with something during my cultivation!”

Su Xuan shot back, challenging her.

Who would believe she hadn’t manipulated his body or mind?

Yin-aligned soul essence was inherently a special kind of hormone, and just like estrogen, it had the effect of feminizing a person.

This was precisely why Su Xuan had refused to let her assist his cultivation.

“Just give me that blade! You can stay out of it!”

Su Xuan suddenly remembered the crimson blade, and a terrifying thought struck him.

Perhaps that blade was his true phantom soul all along, and this woman… was a powerful entity using him for reincarnation!

Su Xuan couldn’t help but recall the transmigration chapters from novels he had read.

The more he thought about it, the more plausible it seemed.

He had dismissed such thoughts for various reasons before, but now, she had suddenly produced a blade radiating Yang energy.

How could a Yin-aligned phantom soul possibly split off a blade embodying the purest Yang?

Was she a deity or something?

So, her purpose in having him cultivate with her was to feminize his body, leading to the day she would seize control?

A shiver ran down his spine.

How utterly malicious!

It was an insidious plot, designed to destroy him from within.

Indeed, the prettier the woman, the more deceitful she was!

The heart of a beauty was truly the most venomous.

Rage, cold dread, trembling!

When would he ever reclaim what was rightfully his?

The thought of his own phantom soul, the crimson blade, being oppressed by her, filled Su Xuan with sorrow.

“What are you thinking about~”

A voice echoed in his mind, as if curious about Su Xuan’s current thoughts.

“Nothing…”

Su Xuan feigned nonchalance, then said:

“Can I borrow the blade?”

“…Why?”

“To practice with the blade!”

Su Xuan said coldly.

A red blade appeared in Su Xuan’s hand, radiating a potent Yang aura.

Su Xuan picked up an energy stone and began cultivating.

“Hehehe…”

The false phantom soul seemed to recall something, mocking Su Xuan.

‘Just wait until I cultivate with this blade, then we’ll see what you can do!’

Su Xuan secretly made up his mind, frantically spurred his will, absorbing energy particles from the energy stone.

However, no matter how hard Su Xuan tried, the blade offered him no assistance, not even a single iota.

‘Has she already obliterated you?’

Su Xuan couldn’t help but feel a pang of sorrow in his heart.

What a detestable woman, to have killed his own phantom soul and usurped its place.

“This blade is merely a part of me; naturally, it cannot assist your cultivation!”

“Hmph, you old hag, aren’t you a thousand-year-old monster who possessed my body to revive? I, Su Xuan, will never let you succeed!”

“Oh? Ha ha, Su Xuan, you are truly adorable, and so naive!

You won’t even acknowledge your own phantom soul, and ‘possession’? Do you think this is some fantasy world?”

The voice burst into laughter, making Su Xuan’s face turn a furious shade of liver-red.

“What’s so funny?

How could a Yin-aligned phantom soul produce a blade radiating Yang energy?

You must have murdered my phantom soul and taken its place!”

“Haha, think what you will.

If believing that helps alleviate some of your inner guilt when you need me, then so be it!”

“Bullshit!

You’re talking utter nonsense; it seems you need a new brain!”

The red glow faded from Su Xuan’s hand, merging back into his body, becoming formless.

He slumped miserably onto the bed.

Su Xuan knew that this so-called ‘possession’ was merely wishful thinking on his part; after all, the concept of possession simply didn’t exist in this world.

Yet her existence transcended reality.

Su Xuan couldn’t quite grasp what was truly happening, but he understood that as long as he guarded his inner self, he wouldn’t need to fear her intrusion!