A Failed Attempt to Swap Back

Li Yue sat on the bed, gripping the soft fabric of her modern clothing, her breathing shallow.

She was beginning to hate mirrors.

In the dim glow of the bedside lamp, the face reflected at her wasn't hers—it was Song Rui's.

The sharp eyes. The short, unadorned black hair. The slightly furrowed brows.

The face of a stranger.

A face that she had been forced to wear.

Days had passed since she woke up in this bizarre world. She had tried to adjust, tried to pretend—but the weight of it all was suffocating. The clothes, the fast-moving vehicles, the strange glowing screens—everything felt wrong.

And the worst part?

She wasn't supposed to be here.

She clenched her fists.

She needed to go back.

Tonight.

The moment Li Yue drifted into sleep, she felt it.

A pull.

It was different from normal dreaming—this was something deeper, something forceful. She was being summoned.

And when she opened her eyes, she was no longer in Song Rui's modern apartment.

She stood in the void.

A vast, infinite space, stretching into nothingness.

It was neither light nor dark, neither warm nor cold.

This was where she always met Song Rui.

And sure enough—

A figure stood a few feet away, arms crossed.

Li Yue's own body.

Or rather—Song Rui, is trapped inside it.

Song Rui exhaled, running a hand through Li Yue's long, silky hair.

"Finally," she muttered. "I thought you wouldn't fall asleep."

Li Yue stepped forward, her throat tight. "We need to try again."

Song Rui let out a bitter chuckle. "Yeah. And maybe this time, the universe won't completely ignore us."

She was trying to sound lighthearted, but Li Yue could hear the frustration beneath her voice.

They had tried this before.

They had focused, commanded, and even begged to return to their rightful bodies—

And yet, nothing had worked.

Li Yue took a deep breath. "We must be missing something."

Song Rui rolled her shoulders. "Then let's figure it out."

They sat on the ground of the void, mirroring each other's posture.

The plan was simple:

Close their eyes.

Concentrate on their own body.

Will their soul return?

Li Yue exhaled slowly and did just that.

She thought of herself.

The weight of silk robes.

The scent of jasmine oil in her hair.

The sensation of the palace's stone floors beneath her feet.

She remembered who she was.

Li Yue.

Princess of the Yue Kingdom.

She focused on everything that was hers.

The way the wind felt through the open pavilion.

The sound of servants calling her name.

The presence of her father—the once-mighty king—smiling gently at her.

And then—she imagined moving into herself again.

Her rightful place.

She could feel something shifting—

A strange pull, like the universe was listening.

Her heartbeat pounded, her skin tingling.

She was so close—

And then—

Nothing.

The sensation collapsed.

Like a door slamming shut.

When Li Yue opened her eyes, she was still in Song Rui's body.

And across from her—Song Rui, still in hers.

Song Rui let out a frustrated scream, throwing herself backward.

"Oh, COME ON!" she shouted. "What is WRONG with this universe?!"

Li Yue swallowed hard, trying to keep her emotions in check.

It hadn't worked.

Again.

She felt a hollow emptiness in her chest.

Song Rui groaned, sitting back up. "I mean, seriously! We did everything right. We focused, we meditated, we poured our souls into this—WHY won't it let us go back?!"

Li Yue stared down at her hands.

"We're missing something."

Song Rui snorted. "No kidding."

Silence.

Then, more softly, Song Rui said, "We might be stuck like this."

Li Yue's breath caught.

She didn't want to believe it.

But—what if it was true?

No.

She refused to accept that.

"I refuse to believe we're trapped," she said firmly.

Song Rui let out a tired chuckle. "Well, denial is better than a breakdown, I guess."

Li Yue forced herself to think logically.

"If this isn't working," she said, "then we need to figure out why."

Song Rui tilted her head. "You mean, look for a cause?"

Li Yue nodded. "Think. What was happening before we switched?"

Song Rui frowned, running a hand through her hair.

"I was investigating Lin Cheng," she said. "I found a huge lead—something so big that if I exposed it, he'd be completely ruined. But before I could do anything… something pulled me out of my body."

Li Yue listened carefully. "And I—"

Her voice caught.

Her wedding.

The betrayal.

The poison.

The ritual.

She swallowed hard.

Someone had done something to her.

A spell. A curse.

And somehow, it had pulled Song Rui into her place.

Song Rui gave her a sharp look. "Something happened to you, didn't it?"

Li Yue hesitated. Then, slowly, she nodded.

"I was betrayed," she admitted.

Song Rui exhaled sharply. "Damn. So that means someone did this to you."

Li Yue clenched her fists. "And now we're both suffering for it."

The air between them grew heavy.

For a long moment, neither of them spoke.

Then, Song Rui straightened. "Alright. If we can't switch back through sheer willpower, then we need to find another way."

Li Yue nodded. "Agreed."

Song Rui smirked. "I'll investigate my side, and you investigate yours."

Li Yue hesitated. "You mean…?"

"I mean," Song Rui said, her voice sharp, "I'll look into the weirdest part of all this—Lin Cheng."

Li Yue's blood ran cold.

Lin Cheng.

Even in this new world, he still existed.

Could he be the key to undoing this nightmare?

Song Rui's gaze darkened. "We're not giving up yet, princess. If someone did this to us, we'll find out who. And when we do—"

Li Yue clenched her fists. "We'll make them fix it."

The two women exchanged a look.

A silent agreement.

They weren't trapped forever.

This wasn't over.

Not yet.