chapter 8

I stumbled out of the Shen family’s gate, dialing Shen Beichen’s number with a final shred of hope.

“Hello, who is this?”

“Shen Beichen! It’s me! I’m Chen Yanxia!”

I was so excited I nearly jumped up. Shen Beichen was one of my best friends-he would definitely recognize me!

“Liu Qingqing?”

Liu Qingqing might be overweight and dark-skinned, but her voice was especially pleasant.

Her voice was clear and soft, like a mountain spring flowing in June, or wind chimes tinkling in the mountain breeze.

“I’m Liu Qingqing right now, but I’m actually Chen Yanxia. Liu Qingqing and I swapped souls, just like in those TV shows. Really, I-”

“Liu Qingqing,” Shen Beichen sighed, cutting me off, “I know you’re not happy, but delusional disorder is an illness. You need to get help.”

“Yanxia told me everything. You often imagine you’re her, longing to live her life.”

“That’s also why she changed her mind and agreed to come to America with me.”

“I don’t know how you got my number, but I’ll be changing it.”

“I hope you won’t bother Yanxia anymore. Take care.”

“Beep beep beep…”

The call was cut off. I stood there under the sun, dazed, feeling as if a current had shot up from my feet to my heart, leaving half my body numb.

When I first discovered the soul swap, I wanted to tell my parents right away, but Liu Qingqing stopped me.

She said our parents would think we were making things up, and that we should figure out how to switch back ourselves.

She asked if I wanted to experience someone else’s life.

She said this was thrilling, and we should treat it as our own secret.

She said she had a way to switch back, and that we’d be able to do it soon.

I was so foolish!

From now on, I could only be Liu Qingqing.

That Liu Qingqing-poor, average grades, overweight, withdrawn and quiet, living like a ghost.