A Shocking Revelation and a Humiliating Exchange

“Y-y-you…!”

Bai Chen stared, wide-eyed and speechless, at the face that was both intimately familiar and utterly alien to him. His shock was profound, leaving him so stunned he didn’t even think to withdraw his hand. It was Bai Qiao who finally pulled their face away, slowly rising to their feet. With a hint of arrogance, they demanded,

“Hey! Get me some clothes!”

Bai Qiao glanced down at the short, tight clothes they were wearing, a look of distinct displeasure on their face.

“Ah? Uh, oh…” Bai Chen stammered a bewildered reply, yet remained utterly motionless. His brain, simply put, couldn’t process the situation, leaving his body rigid and unable to move.

“Pfft!” A strange amusement bubbled up in Bai Qiao’s heart, seeing Bai Chen so unlike his usual self. ‘Never mind, I’ll just find something myself…’

With that, Bai Qiao gathered the hem of the skirt and strode out. Their lithe figure meant the dress barely reached above their ankles, its tight fabric drawing gasps of surprise from anyone who might see. Bai Chen watched them run out, utterly dumbfounded. It was a long moment before a realization dawned on him. ‘Hey! Hey! You look just like me! Going out like that…!’ Bai Chen shot forward, stumbling slightly as he bolted out after them.

Meanwhile, the scene shifts. Bai Qiao stepped out, feeling utterly refreshed. The world outside had never seemed so wonderful, so truly magnificent. Having finally shed their female form, he felt an exhilarating sense of freedom!

Bai Qiao seemed utterly oblivious to the fact that he was now inhabiting a man’s body—specifically, one identical to King Bai’s. Yet, there he was, skipping down the road, still holding up the hem of what was undeniably a woman’s dress.

****

King Qing, at this moment, was practically seething with vexation. The memory of what had just transpired played over and over in his mind—the proud King Qing, publicly shamed in such a manner…

As he silently strolled through the garden, he unexpectedly ran into King Hei, his brainless arch-nemesis.

“King Qing, if you have the leisure to wander about here, perhaps you’d be better off returning to strategize, to see if some cunning scheme might still grant you a chance at luck,” King Hei sneered.

King Qing regarded King Hei with a look of utter disdain, his voice flat as he responded to the sarcastic barb. “My mood is exceedingly foul right now. I have no desire to converse with an imbecile such as yourself.”

“H-how dare you call me…!” King Hei found himself unable to utter the offensive word. Turning away in a huff, he swiftly departed. Engaging in a war of words with King Qing? That would be courting death. King Hei was not foolish enough to invite further humiliation.

King Qing slowly descended, a hint of disdain still lingering on his face, and stepped onto the path.

“Bang!”

King Qing, annoyed, looked towards the figure that had suddenly appeared opposite him. He paused, startled. Those clothes… that must be Bai Qiao. King Qing forced a smile and reached out to help Bai Qiao up. ‘Hm? This doesn’t feel right,’ he mused. ‘I recall Bai Qiao’s arm not being so… well, strong? Muscular?’

‘It makes no sense for them to have changed so much in just a few days,’ King Qing thought. Bai Qiao was about to lash out and shake off King Qing’s grip, but in that instant, a thought seemed to strike him. ‘My current appearance… it’s… uh…’

Immediately, he straightened his clothes, bowed slightly, and offered a hurried, awkward greeting in a strained voice, then tried to make a swift exit. ‘Ugh?’ A hand, like an iron clamp, suddenly seized his wrist, making Bai Qiao cry out in pain.

“I find you rather peculiar,” King Qing stated, his grip tightening. “Your voice is also quite strange. Is something amiss?”

“N-no, nothing…”

“Look at me.”

Bai Qiao froze, remaining still. King Qing observed his reaction with a mix of confusion and impatience. “I told you to look up,” he commanded, his voice sharper. When Bai Qiao still didn’t move, King Qing couldn’t help but reach out. Seeing King Qing’s hand draw closer, Bai Qiao involuntarily took a step back, his body trembling slightly. It wasn’t that he feared for Bai Chen’s reputation; it was simply that a man, dressed in such a manner, felt utterly… utterly humiliating.

“Huh?” A familiar embrace enveloped him from behind, a familiar scent mingling with his own. The voice from above his head spoke, “What is it, King Qing? What do you intend to do with my person?”

Held tightly within that embrace, Bai Qiao felt as though he might suffocate. His mind had long ceased to function; he could only press rigidly against the other man’s chest, allowing Bai Chen to half-carry, half-drag him back to the room. To be treated this way by another man, as a man himself, was utterly mortifying. He’d rather… rather be a woman again…

“Here.” Bai Chen tossed a set of his own clothes to Bai Qiao, who still sat dazedly on the edge of the bed.

Truth be told, seeing the person opposite him with lowered eyes, Bai Chen felt an almost overwhelming urge to pull him into an embrace. Yet, that identical face also held an indescribable strangeness. ‘It’s better if I just leave,’ he thought, forcefully suppressing his impulses. Bai Chen then said, “I’m going out for a bit. It would be best if you didn’t leave the room, to avoid any unnecessary trouble.”

“Mm.” This time, Bai Qiao obediently agreed. Though deeply displeased—why could he go out and enjoy himself while Bai Qiao was confined, despite their identical appearance?—he also knew not what troubles might await outside. For someone as lethally lazy as himself, perhaps staying put was indeed the wisest course.

Bang, bang, bang! In the dead of night, Bai Qiao was abruptly jolted awake by a frantic knocking at the door.

Rubbing his eyes irritably, Bai Qiao opened the door, only to be utterly stunned. Before him stood a figure, half-bent, covered in blood and dust, utterly dishevelled… It was none other than Bai Chen, the one who always carried himself with such aloof dignity. He quickly supported Bai Chen’s collapsing form and pulled him into the room. “What happened to you…”

As he tended to Bai Chen’s wounds, Bai Qiao asked, a note of confusion in his voice. Bai Chen, however, merely let out a long sigh, murmuring faintly, “As expected, it’s not that simple…”

A heavy silence then fell between them. Neither was willing to speak, nor the other to press. Yet, being two souls with an uncanny understanding of each other, their minds soon converged on the martial competition set to begin the following day. They both drew a sharp breath. In his current state, Bai Chen certainly couldn’t participate. But if His Majesty were to inquire, there would be no way out… Bai Chen looked at the ‘himself’ sitting before him.

A prolonged, awkward silence stretched between them. Finally, Bai Qiao uttered two faint words: “I’ll go…” He had no idea why he’d said it; he possessed no inner energy whatsoever. If he were drawn to compete on the first day, the outcome would be… a spectacle too ‘beautiful’ to even imagine.

****