Qirong, prior to his transmigration, was a second-generation farmer. Having lived for sixteen or seventeen years without experiencing much of the world, he found himself utterly bewildered, rooted to the spot.
“Hurry and get in the car! If we don’t go back for lunch soon, you’ll be late this afternoon.”
The blonde woman regarded Qirong with a hint of confusion. Beneath her short, one-piece dress, a pair of long, pale legs seemed poised to step out of the car.
“Oh… right… alright…”
Fearing exposure, Qirong could only steel himself, open the rear car door, and slide inside. The fragrant scent within the vehicle intensified, growing ever more pervasive.
“Why are you sitting in the back, Qiu? There’s no one in the passenger seat.”
The blonde woman turned, questioning him with a puzzled expression. Her beautiful, willow-like brows furrowed even tighter.
He remained silent.
Qirong had no idea how to explain, so he could only tremble slightly.
The blonde woman didn’t press further, simply starting the luxury car in silence.
‘She hasn’t noticed anything, has she?’
Qirong’s heart pounded with trepidation.
“Sweetie, have you been bullied at school again?”
The blonde woman spoke abruptly.
‘Should I say yes or no?’
Qirong was utterly flustered, but in his panic, a flash of insight led him to choose silence. ‘Since this ‘cheap’ foreign mom is coming up with her own reasons,’ he mused, ‘why should I go out of my way to refute her?’
“I’m sorry, darling! It’s all Mom’s fault for giving you a face like this.”
The blonde lady’s voice was thick with guilt.
“My face? What about it?”
Qirong touched his face, puzzled. However, when his gaze fell upon his hand, he froze, seeing it smudged with a layer of black grime.
“Is there something on my face?”
Qirong asked the blonde woman in front, a hint of embarrassment in his voice.
“No, but sweetie, you’ve been sweating. Your makeup has smudged.”
The blonde woman glanced back, then responded with an irrepressible laugh.
“I have makeup on my face?”
Qirong asked instinctively. He hadn’t noticed this detail when he’d looked in the mirror earlier in the classroom, which suggested the original owner of this body possessed considerable makeup skills.
“Yes, you put it on yourself. Did you forget?”
The blonde woman replied without turning her head.
Qirong’s heart jolted, and he dared not speak again.
Silence settled within the car, and Qirong simply turned his gaze towards the window.
Familiar buildings flashed past like a revolving lantern. Qirong realized that this county-level city was identical to how it had been before his transmigration.
However, the number of establishments catering to women had significantly increased, especially clothing boutiques and cosmetic stores. Women-only buses were visible everywhere on the roads, making it seem as if the entire world revolved around the female gender. Everything felt utterly novel.
Qirong continued to gaze out the window with curiosity until his ‘cheap’ mom drove him home.
Peering through the car window, Qirong realized they had reached the urban-rural fringe. Within the roadside green belts, tall, pointed-roof villas vaguely emerged, resembling castles straight out of a fairy tale.
‘This is the Xincheng Villa District,’
As a local, Qirong naturally recognized the complex. Rumor had it that only the exceptionally wealthy or influential resided there.
After rigorous inspection by the gate guard, the luxury car finally pulled to a stop in front of a villa within the complex.
Qirong hesitantly stepped out of the car. His ‘cheap’ foreign mom drove off to park, leaving him to awkwardly stand there, unfamiliar with his surroundings.
Seizing the opportunity while he waited, Qirong surveyed the villa before him. This three-story residence boasted a predominantly European design, with pure white exterior walls and a tall, slender, light-blue peaked roof, creating an impression of striking brilliance and elegance. The grand columns at the entrance were adorned with exquisite carvings, imbuing the villa with an artistic flair that tempered any potential ostentation.
“Qiu, why aren’t you going inside?”
Soon, his ‘cheap’ foreign mom parked the car and walked back.
“I… I was waiting for you.”
Qirong stammered, only then realizing just how incredibly tall his ‘cheap’ foreign mom was. With her white high heels, she must have been nearly 1.8 meters, easily five or six centimeters taller than his current body. Her curves were exceptionally alluring; as she moved, he could almost discern a subtle sway, a truly perfect supermodel physique.
“Heh heh…”
A hint of delight flickered across his ‘cheap’ mom’s face before she led the way, pushing open the villa’s grand door.
Qirong slowly followed her inside, where a world of opulence gradually unfolded before his eyes. Golden chandeliers illuminated the spacious living room, casting a soft glow over the exquisite array of furniture.
The spotless floors reflected one’s image, making the entire space appear as lavish as a royal palace. Fortunately, ink wash paintings adorned the walls, and antique-like tea sets graced the furniture, adding a touch of gravitas. Clearly, the master of this house understood the art of moderation.
Before Qirong could even fully process the sheer extravagance, his mouth dropped open once more. On the sofa, he recognized a familiar figure: none other than the campus belle, Chen Xuanzhu, whom he had just seen that morning.
‘Why is she here?’
Qirong’s mind went utterly blank.
“Qiu, go to the bathroom and wash off your makeup before you eat. You look like a little kitten.”
His ‘cheap’ mom instructed, then walked into the room adjacent to the living room. From the window, it appeared to be the kitchen.
“Auntie Li, is lunch ready?”
His ‘cheap’ mom’s questioning voice rang out.
“Madam Melissa, you’re back! Lunch has been ready for a while; it just needs to be served.”
A stranger, a woman, replied. From their conversation, she seemed to be a part-time helper or housekeeper.
‘The same light blonde hair, green eyes, and names that are almost identical—it’s unlikely you’d find two strangers so similar anywhere in the country. If they’re not related by blood, then something’s seriously amiss! How could I have been so foolish?’
Qirong stared intently at Chen Xuanzhu, the campus belle, as his jumbled thoughts gradually cleared. An irrepressible surge of excitement immediately overcame him. Indeed, being reborn as a family member of the campus belle—any boy would likely wake up laughing.
“Why do you keep staring at me? You were doing it this morning, and you’re doing it now. If you have something to say, just say it.”
Chen Xuanzhu, still on the sofa, furrowed her willow-like brows even tighter. She could easily ignore such a gaze from a stranger, but the person before her was her twin brother. Surely, he wasn’t coveting her beauty?
“Nothing! Nothing at all!”
Qirong stammered his reply.
“If it’s nothing, then hurry up and take off your makeup. Look at the state of your face!”
Chen Xuanzhu said, a hint of distaste in her tone.
“Alright… alright… alright…”
Qirong, as if receiving a queen’s decree, hastily acknowledged the command. Only after doing so did he realize he had no idea where the bathroom was.
Fearing he would expose himself, Qirong pretended to admire the antique calligraphy and paintings. It wasn’t until he had thoroughly ‘toured’ the living room that he finally located the bathroom, then darted inside as if fleeing.
‘Has he been possessed?’
Chen Xuanzhu’s beautiful brows were now furrowed into a tight knot.
Upon entering the bathroom, Qirong found it as dazzlingly pristine as the rest of the house. The vanity was covered with a dense array of toiletries; an outsider might easily mistake it for a cosmetics store.
Qirong hesitated to move anything, so he simply turned on the faucet, preparing to wash his face. He first glanced into the mirror, where his delicate, oval face, streaked with sweat, was covered in smudges like a car window after rain—a complete mess.
‘No wonder she was disgusted,’
Qirong couldn’t help but chuckle, then splashed water vigorously onto his face.
As the various cosmetics vanished from his face, his fair and tender skin was revealed. Like Chen Xuanzhu’s, his skin possessed the distinct characteristics of a mixed heritage: not only the pure whiteness of Westerners but also the delicate texture of East Asians. It appeared as exquisite as the finest cheese.
Qirong wiped away the water droplets obscuring his vision, then looked at his reflection in the mirror. He promptly froze as if struck by lightning, for he discovered that he possessed a face identical to Chen Xuanzhu’s.