A Sudden Revelation and a Forced Embrace

Feeling a strange pull, that evening, whether by intention or by chance, Bai Chen found himself standing before Bai Qiao’s room. Though the events surrounding him were utterly incomprehensible to Bai Qiao—things like ‘flashing’ and ‘inner energy’—she would undoubtedly have dragged Bai Chen to a psychiatrist if she hadn’t witnessed them firsthand, convinced he was suffering from a severe case of chuunibyou. Bai Qiao, for her part, had grown accustomed to Bai Chen’s eccentricities. However, Bai Chen had only just begun to suspect this particular truth, having deduced it himself. The more he pondered it, the stranger and more unsettling the feeling became. ‘How could there be two people… one person…’ The very thought felt unnatural, even to utter.

Bathed in a soft, purplish light that lent an enchanting aura to the room, Bai Qiao and Bai Chen sat silently opposite each other at a table. The atmosphere was thick with unspoken thoughts, yet strangely, neither found it unsettling.

Bai Chen gazed intently at Bai Qiao, who sat across from him. He had never truly observed her before, only recognizing her as a beautiful young woman. But today, he truly *saw* Bai Qiao. To say her skin was like snow would be no exaggeration. Her slightly exposed shoulders carried a faint blush, her arms were smooth and fair, and though her delicate garments concealed her form, they only served to highlight her perfect figure. Her expressive eyes, framed by fluttering lashes, held an unintentional yet captivating allure. Under the purple glow of the lamps, her naturally rosy lips seemed to possess an irresistible charm.

Having understood his own heart, Bai Chen could no longer dwell on whether they were truly the same person. Regardless of who she was, ‘This King’ only knew she belonged to him. Rising to his feet, he strode towards Bai Qiao, then forcefully bent down, pressing his lips against hers. He completely disregarded her struggles, simply gripping her chin firmly, forcing her head to face his.

After a prolonged struggle, Bai Chen finally released her. A mist formed in Bai Qiao’s eyes—not tears of emotion, but purely physiological ones. Perhaps it was due to her body’s sensitivity, or perhaps Bai Chen had been too forceful.

Nevertheless, Bai Qiao angrily shook off Bai Chen’s hand from her shoulder. She rose to her feet in a furious rage, sweeping everything around her onto the floor. Whether it was a priceless vase or a jade tablet symbolizing honor, each item shattered into fragments as her hands rose and fell. The maidservants behind her gasped in unison, watching Bai Qiao shatter everything in such a fit of pique. ‘These items… any one of them would be worth a fortune!’ they thought, silently.

Gao Shi stood silently to the side; though his heart ached, he was faring better than those around him. After all, he had once served the White King, and the things shattered in his anger had been far more numerous and valuable than these. ‘How remarkably similar these two are in their habits,’ he mused. ‘Even their expressions when smashing things are identical…’

Bai Chen made no move to stop her, watching with a hint of amusement as Bai Qiao systematically smashed every object within reach. ‘Tsk, tsk, tsk…’

Once Bai Qiao had shattered everything she intended to, and was too exhausted to continue, Bai Chen slowly approached her. He bent down and scooped up the flushed, weary Bai Qiao into his arms. He paid no mind to the small figure’s futile kicks and punches, which felt like nothing against him. Carrying her into the inner room, the door behind them silently swung shut.

He tossed Bai Qiao onto the bed. Though soft, Bai Qiao had no intention of staying there. She quickly moved to scramble up, but just as she propped herself up on her wrists, a handsome face suddenly appeared before her. Two arms braced on the bed on either side of her, effectively trapping her. At this moment, Bai Qiao was truly like a ‘beast’ caught in a cage.

Though her heart pounded with nervousness and her body trembled slightly, she still managed to project an air of nonchalance and furious indignation, glaring fiercely at Bai Chen:

“Get. Out. Now…”

Her words, forced out one by one, indeed carried a sense of oppression. However, they seemed to have no effect on the man looming over her. With that same oppressive presence and a teasing smile, he slowly traced her lips with his long, slender fingers. The touch sent a shiver through Bai Qiao’s body. Seeing her react like a startled fawn, Bai Chen couldn’t help but let out a soft laugh, then turned to sit beside her.

Bai Qiao took a deep breath and quickly sat up. ‘Being pinned down like that was truly unsettling, truly shameful…’

“I’ll let you off tonight. I want you to come to me willingly…”

‘What kind of joke is this? He wants me to be willing? I don’t even like men! Is ‘this me’ out of his mind…’ She cast a pitying glance at Bai Chen.

Bai Chen, naturally, was not foolish. A slight smirk played on his lips:

“Of course. I still want to have some fun with this female version of myself for a while. This kind of experience is rare! It’s great that I ran into you; I must seize the opportunity…”

Bai Qiao froze on the spot, so stunned that she didn’t even notice Bai Chen, who had already crossed her personal boundaries. ‘How did this guy… how did he find out?’

Originally half-skeptical, Bai Chen, seeing Bai Qiao’s reaction, had most of his suspicions confirmed. He sighed inwardly, ‘It seems there are many things that truly exist… things like being the same person… it really exists…’

“What do you mean ‘really exists’? What’s so surprising about it? Your mental fortitude is far too weak!” Bai Qiao retorted, unsparingly.

Hearing such words, Bai Chen was momentarily stunned. His body instinctively leaned forward significantly, causing Bai Qiao to continuously retreat:

“W-what do you want?!”

Her chin was clamped between two fingers, her face forced upward, as Bai Chen’s grim voice whispered in her ear:

“You know what I’m thinking? Why don’t I know what you’re thinking? That’s quite unfair…”