An Unsettling Awakening

Wait! Why wasn’t I wondering how these two mounds of flesh had appeared on my body? Why was my first impression about their size? What kind of joke was this! In an instant, Bai Chen’s usually proud brain short-circuited, plunging into utter chaos.

Bai Chen unsteadily pushed himself up. Ugh, his center of gravity was truly off. He quickly braced himself against a nearby tree trunk. He truly couldn’t fathom why girls had to carry such things, and he had even wished for them to be bigger before… Huh, what was with this sudden surge of respect for women?

But, really… the most important thing was… what the hell was going on? What was happening to him, a pure man? Uh, down there… Bai Chen quickly reached down to feel… It was cold… empty? Empty?!

“Aaaahhhhhh!!!”

The desperate cry echoed throughout the entire forest. No special effects were needed; a few falling leaves perfectly complemented the scene. Despite it being daytime, the forest remained eerily dark and secluded, growing blacker with distance until the deepest parts were completely obscured from view.

Bai Chen leaned blankly against the nearby tree. He simply couldn’t accept this sudden change. He was in an unknown place, and inexplicably, he had turned into a girl. All of this was too melodramatic, like a dream… ‘Huh? A dream?’

“Slap!”

Bai Chen mercilessly slapped his fair cheek, leaving a reddened handprint. The slap was quite forceful, surely enough to wake him up. His head buzzed. After a moment, he shook his head, steadying his mind. The scenery before him slowly sharpened into focus, and Bai Chen felt his heartbeat accelerate. A familiar neighborhood, familiar people… Not a chance! It was still the same unfamiliar forest. Bai Chen even suspected he had traveled back to the primitive era, to a time before humans… This was truly too tragic…

“Hey, hey!!! Wake up!”

Bai Chen opened his eyes, only to be forced to squint by the intense light. Through the slits between his fingers, he vaguely saw several people dressed as knights standing before him. Their clothes were lavish, their attire splendid… But none of that mattered. People! Real people! Although it felt strange, he had finally encountered other humans. This was wonderful… Bai Chen was so excited he was almost in tears. The feeling of seeing people when he had believed himself stranded in an uninhabited, primitive land, destined to live out his days alone… It was simply too good…

A man standing slightly behind spoke to the one at the very front. “Hey… is she… mute? Look at what she’s wearing, it’s so strange…”

True to his dissolute nature, Bai Chen, without even expressing surprise that they spoke the same language, retorted: “Hey! This lord is perfectly fine! And I’m not mute!”

The middle-aged man at the front, his sword-like brows furrowed, bellowed sharply. “Impudent! An ill-mannered girl!” An invisible sense of oppression poured down from above, a pressure that could not be achieved by mere aura.

Cold sweat instantly drenched Bai Chen’s entire body, and even his legs began to feel weak. Yet, his inherent pride compelled him to hold firm. Even as his legs trembled, he straightened his back, an unyielding spirit burning in his eyes.

The man paused, a faint smile playing on his lips. ‘This girl is quite interesting,’ he thought. ‘Her fiery temperament is unlike any I’ve seen. If she were presented to that lord, he would likely be pleased…’

“Hey! What are you thin—… ting…” Suddenly, a numbness spread through his shoulder, swiftly followed by his entire body. His consciousness rapidly faded, his vision went black, and Bai Chen collapsed to the ground.

****

“Ugh…” The scenery slowly sharpened. Bai Chen struggled to open his eyes, trying to clear his muddled thoughts.

“Oh? Awake, are we?” A voice, tinged with amusement, echoed nearby. But this voice… it was so familiar…

Bai Chen struggled to prop himself halfway up. He then discovered, to his astonishment, that he was now dressed in clothes identical to those worn by the people here. His face instantly flushed crimson:

“Who! Who changed my clothes!” His voice was filled with a mix of anger and shame. After all, he was currently in a girl’s body, and this feeling was utterly bizarre.

“Oh? Is that your first question?” The bed dipped on one side as a man sat on the edge.

Bai Chen glared at him in annoyance, but then froze completely. The man before him, or rather, the youth—despite the different attire—how could Bai Chen possibly fail to recognize his own face?!

His appearance, his voice, his build—it was undeniably himself!

The man seemed somewhat disappointed: “I thought you would be different, but you’re just like all the others, only staring at my face!”

Hearing this, Bai Chen snapped back to attention, his tone undeniably fierce: “While narcissism is everyone’s right, it’s best to know when to stop!”

Hmph! He had never even commented on his own looks before, let alone praised himself so brazenly.

“Oh? I’m narcissistic?! You’re the first one to say that!” The man raised an eyebrow, a hint of interest sparking in his eyes. He used his fair, slender fingers to lift Bai Chen’s chin, forcing her to meet his gaze. Bai Chen had never endured such treatment and immediately tried to turn her head away. However, the female body possessed little strength, and the man’s grip was powerful. His two fingers clamped onto her chin like iron pincers, rendering her utterly immobile.

The man tightened his grip on Bai Chen’s chin and asked, “You… what’s your name?”

“Why should I tell you—… Ugh!” Feeling the man’s fingers tighten, she couldn’t help but let out a pained groan.

“Fine, I’ll tell you! Remember this! This young master is called Bai Chen!”

“Oh?” The man, somewhat surprised, released her chin. ‘Bai Chen…’ he mused.

“This king has decided, from now on, your name shall be Bai Qiao.”

What?! Bai Chen’s mouth twitched involuntarily. What the hell was with this casual name change?! What a joke! He expected him to change his name just because of one sentence?! Who did he think he was? Did he think Bai Chen would go soft just because he looked exactly like him?!

“No! I won’t change it!” Stubbornly, he turned his head away. Bai Chen didn’t realize that, in his current state, any expression of anger would only be perceived as pouting.

“Good girl!” A mischievous smile played on the man’s lips. He leaned down, his lips pressing against Bai Chen’s soft, red ones. His powerful tongue pried open Bai Chen’s teeth, the last line of defense, and savagely swept through every corner of her mouth, naturally not sparing her red tongue.

The man chuckled softly at Bai Chen’s astonished expression, then turned and left the room, leaving Bai Chen alone, sitting blankly on the bed, the man’s taste still lingering in her mouth.

His brain was still struggling to process everything. He had accepted too many unacceptable things in one day, feeling his head was about to explode…

With trembling hands, he touched his lips. Had he just… been forcefully kissed?! By a man?! And one who looked exactly like him?! Excuse me?!