The First Meeting After the Swap

After leaving the banquet hall, Zhong Ruanxing received a message from Song Jinxing with a license plate number: "Get in this car. The driver will take you here."

Zhong Ruanxing replied: "I'm lost! Your house is too big!"

Song Jinxing: "Head south, walk past a lotus pond. There's a jade screen at the front gate."

Zhong Ruanxing: "I'm from the south."

Song Jinxing: "So?"

Zhong Ruanxing: "I can't tell east from west."

Song Jinxing: "..."

"Take a photo of what's directly in front of you."

Zhong Ruanxing quickly stood still and snapped a photo. Song Jinxing replied shortly after:

"Walk toward the front-left direction."

With the help of his texted instructions, Zhong Ruanxing finally managed to find her way out of the luxurious estate. Sure enough, the car Song Jinxing had mentioned was already waiting at the entrance. It was a black Bentley. The driver, dressed in a suit and wearing white gloves, respectfully opened the car door for her.

Zhong Ruanxing: 'So this is the world of the rich, huh?'

The car was filled with a faint scent of fir trees. As the engine started, the driver asked,

"President Song, shall I take you home?"

Zhong Ruanxing responded in a deep voice,

"To the Binhai villa."

'Damn, this voice is seriously attractive.'

The night scenery swept past the car window as they gradually left the city behind. Binhai Road ran along the coast, where the mountains stood tall and the air was cool—a typical area for ocean-view homes. Most of the villas in this region served as vacation retreats for the wealthy.

Zhong Ruanxing lowered the window and heard the sound of waves crashing against the rocks. The car steadily climbed the hillside until it stopped in front of a manor at the very top.

It was a summer night, and the walls on both sides of the manor gate were covered with blooming roses, large and vibrant under the moonlight. The sea-scented night breeze carried the sweet aroma of the flowers through the air. Zhong Ruanxing took a deep breath and stepped into the estate.

A tall, sturdy figure stood on the stone path at the entrance. When he saw her approaching, he greeted her in a low voice, "Boss."

Zhong Ruanxing guessed he must be Song Jinxing's assistant, Fu Ling. She nodded, and heard him say, "The young lady is already inside."

He hesitated for a moment, then added, "She got injured and used the first-aid kit in your wall cabinet."

Zhong Ruanxing was shocked. "She's injured?! Where? Is it serious?"

Fu Ling: "..."

The boss had always disliked others touching his things. He had hesitated earlier, unsure whether he should stop the woman, but ultimately let her be.

To be honest, that young lady had a cold, distant aura—eerily similar to the boss himself—so he hadn't dared stop her.

But what surprised him even more was that his usually composed and aloof boss was showing such emotional concern. That woman must be very important to him!

Fu Ling quickly added, "It's not serious. She just scraped her knee when she fell. The wound's already been treated."

Zhong Ruanxing waved her hand and hurried inside.

Fu Ling stared at his boss's anxious back and thought with deep emotion: 'Are we about to have a boss's wife?'

As she pushed open the door, the spacious and quiet living room felt almost too empty. The first thing Zhong Ruanxing saw was the grand floor-to-ceiling window—beyond it, the moonlit sea sparkled gently.

The lights in the living room were on, and the window reflected a slender, graceful silhouette.

Zhong Ruanxing turned her head—and saw herself sitting properly on the sofa.

Their eyes met. Both froze at the same time.

Perhaps it was the sheer strangeness of seeing oneself from another perspective, but neither of them spoke. In the distance, the sound of waves crashing against the shore could be faintly heard. After a long pause—

Song Jinxing: "You…"

Zhong Ruanxing: "You…"

They both hesitated.

Song Jinxing said, "You first."

Zhong Ruanxing hesitated. "Is your bra… on backward?"

Song Jinxing: "?"

He looked down at his chest.

He had thought it felt strange when putting it on. It was tight and uncomfortable, but he assumed it was just something he had to get used to.

It was actually on backwards?!

'Why would a bra even have clasps in the front?! That's ridiculous!'

Zhong Ruanxing said matter-of-factly, "It's a front-clasp bra. The hooks go in front."

She walked over and naturally reached out to touch her (his) chest. "The side that supports the bust goes in front, obviously. Just take it off…"

Song Jinxing's body stiffened, instinctively blocking her hand.

Zhong Ruanxing burst into laughter. "It's my body!"

Feeling awkward, Song Jinxing pulled his hand back.

That little scene broke the tension, and the atmosphere became noticeably lighter. Zhong Ruanxing sat down beside him, tilting her head to look at him. "What were you about to say just now?"

Song Jinxing regained his composure. "What were you doing tonight? We need to find the cause of the body swap and reverse it as soon as possible."

Zhong Ruanxing thought for a moment. "I went with my manager to a cocktail party hosted by a potential investor. I was trying to land a role in Director Zeng Mingsong's new drama. After that…"

She suddenly realized she had no clear memory of what happened next. "I had two drinks at the party. Did I get drunk? But I'm not that much of a lightweight."

Song Jinxing replied, "You were drugged."

He then explained everything that had happened after they swapped. Zhong Ruanxing went from shock to growing fury as she listened. Song Jinxing found it a bit strange to see his usually expressionless face cycling through such vivid emotions.

"Do you know who did this to you?" he asked.

Zhong Ruanxing's expression darkened. She clenched her teeth and said, "I have a pretty good idea."

Then, with a serious tone, she added, "Thank you for saving me. If I were in my own body, I don't think I could've handled that situation alone."

Song Jinxing casually waved it off. "It was nothing. I hadn't been drinking—just went back to the old house and fell into a deep sleep. Looks like the only thing we had in common was being unconscious at the same time."

Why the swap happened, and how to reverse it—those were mysteries. Reversing it was an even bigger unknown.

Zhong Ruanxing thought for a moment and suggested, "How about we consult a metaphysics master? I know one. Heard a lot of celebrities go to him to raise little ghost spirits—he's seriously effective."

For the first time, Song Jinxing, who had never been stumped by anything in his life, truly felt what it meant to be at a loss. "…We can give it a try," he said in a low voice. Then he asked seriously, "Until we figure out how to switch back, we'll have to live each other's lives temporarily. Can you handle that?"

Zhong Ruanxing replied confidently, "Playing a cold CEO? Easy. The real question is, can you handle it? I'm about to join a drama crew, and I've got a few publicity events and variety shows lined up. You sure you can do that?"

Song Jinxing: "......"

It was the first time Zhong Ruanxing had ever seen such a stern and icy expression on her own face—and she found it oddly refreshing. Honestly, this new persona kind of looked cool.

Taking a deep breath, Song Jinxing quickly accepted reality and handed her phone back to her. "Let's exchange basic information first."

It was already late into the night.

Outside, Fu Ling stood anxiously at the door, watching the two figures in the living room. He couldn't help but worry—faced with such a stunningly sexy beauty, was his boss really just planning to sit and talk till sunrise? At the very least, couldn't they watch a movie together?

An hour later, Zhong Ruanxing suddenly interrupted, utterly shocked. "Wait, wait! It's your eldest uncle who's already a grandfather, not the second uncle. The eldest one is Song Xinwen, and your second uncle is Song Jingwu. Your eldest brother is Song Jiaci, and the second brother is Song Lecheng. The one with kids is your eldest brother, Song Jiaci. Song Lecheng is still single!"

Song Jinxing replied with a blank expression, "I already told you, I've only been back in the country for half a year. I'm not familiar with them."

Zhong Ruanxing exclaimed, "Help! I know more about the Song family than you do!"

She pulled out the family profile she had quickly studied at the Song family estate. "Come, let me give you a crash course on the Song family lineup. You're the third son—that much you know, right?"

Song Jinxing: "......"

Oh, that part I know all too well.