“Can I take a nap first when I get home?”  

The two had just reached the school gate when Lu Yu suddenly turned to ask the person behind him.

Lin Bei Xing was walking with her backpack neatly strapped on, head down, lost in thought.  
Only when Lu Yu stopped did she snap out of her daze.

“No. You have to do your homework first.”

“What about taking a shower, then?”

“That’s also not allowed.”

Her answer was firm.

“What if we don’t switch back for ten days—or even a month? I’ll start to smell,” Lu Yu protested.

It wasn’t like he was trying to take advantage—he was just used to showering twice a day: once in the morning and once before bed.  
In this sweltering summer heat, going without a shower was unbearable just to think about.

Lin Bei Xing’s expression grew complicated, her cheeks flushed pink in the evening glow.

“…I’ll… figure something out.”

“LIN! BEI! XING!!”

“You promised to wait for me after school—where’d you run off to?!”

From beneath a sun umbrella by the gate, a girl came barreling over.

Lin Bei Xing watched helplessly as her best friend threw herself straight into Lu Yu’s arms.

Her already conflicted expression darkened further.

“…Who’s *he*?”  

The girl quickly noticed the “Lu Yu” trailing behind them.  
She seemed vaguely familiar with him.

Leaning in with a mischievous grin, she pressed her soft chest against “Lin Bei Xing” and latched onto her arm.

“Oho? Something’s going on?” she whispered with a sly, almost sinister chuckle.

The girl’s name was Lan Xi—Lin Bei Xing’s inseparable best friend since elementary school.  
They’d gone through middle school entrance exams together, all the way to high school.  
Truly, there wasn’t a secret between them.

So with just one glance, Lan Xi instantly deduced the situation.

She stole another quick look at the “Lu Yu” behind them, then lowered her voice:  
“Did you catch him?”

“…Catch who?”

“Lu Yu!”

Lan Xi ducked her head, terrified the real Lu Yu might overhear.  
“Aren’t you the one who’s been super into him lately?”

“Was I?”

“Don’t play dumb with me! Just tell me—are you two together now?!”

“No…”

“Then why’s he walking you out of school?!”

She glanced back at the tall boy trailing them.  
He was usually bright-eyed and effortlessly handsome—someone even picky girls like her would approve of.  
But today, he looked oddly tense.

“Lu Yu” was biting his lip, as if holding back words.

Right now, all Lin Bei Xing wanted was to pry her chatty, gossip-loving bestie away from Lu Yu.  
She worried Lan Xi—expert fan-gossiper and drama-hunter—would somehow connect the dots and land right on *her* secret.

But she was stuck in Lu Yu’s body—she couldn’t just grab either of them in public.

“I’m going this way. Lu… Lin Bei Xing *classmate*, see you tomorrow.”

She deliberately added “classmate” to dispel any misunderstanding.

Lu Yu gave her a knowing smile and replied smoothly:  
“See you tomorrow, Lu Yu *classmate*… Don’t forget to finish the assignment the teacher gave you~”

His words carried hidden meaning, and his smile was a perfect imitation of Lin Bei Xing’s practiced politeness.

Lin Bei Xing shot him a glare and turned to leave.

Lan Xi immediately sidled up to Lu Yu:  
“What was that glare for? What’s going on between you two?!”

Lu Yu stayed silent, scanning the street for the black car Lin Bei Xing had described.

His silence only deepened her curiosity.

She clung to “Lin Bei Xing’s” arm, swinging it back and forth like a petulant child.  
“Pleeease tell me~ Xiao Xing~ Xing Bao~~~”

Lu Yu remained unmoved—only frowning slightly.

Lan Xi smelled faintly sweet, probably from her shampoo.  
Girls’ bodies *were* soft and fragrant… but Lu Yu wasn’t impressed.  

After all—he *was* a girl right now.  
His own body was even softer, even sweeter-smelling.

“Ugh! You heartless woman!! Just tell me—what’s going on with you and Lu Yu?! I *need* to know!!”

When cute pleading failed, Lan Xi switched tactics—grabbing “Lin Bei Xing’s” cheeks and squishing them mercilessly.

Lu Yu winced from the pain but stood still, unsure how Lin Bei Xing normally interacted with her friend.  
Best not to say anything reckless.

Still… he *was* curious about what Lan Xi had said earlier.  
Lin Bei Xing had been “into” him?

But as far as Lu Yu remembered, before today’s body swap, their only interactions were standard class monitor–student exchanges.  
Nothing more.

“C’mon, tell me already, Bei Xing~ wuwuwu~~”

Seeing her bestie unresponsive, Lan Xi panicked—  
If they weren’t at the school gate, she’d probably be rolling on the ground in a full tantrum.

Lu Yu let her shake him, his eyes fixed on a black sedan approaching from across the street.

The silver “RR” emblem on the hood gleamed under the sun.

The car pulled up to the gate.  
An elderly butler with silver hair and a tailored suit stepped out.  
He swiftly walked around to the back seat and opened the door, standing silently in wait.

This must be Lin Bei Xing’s ride home.

Lu Yu tightened his grip on the shoulder straps of the backpack and said gently to the clinging girl:  
“I need to go now, Xiao Lan. We’ll talk tomorrow.”

“Waaah! You’re not giving me *anything*?! Pleeease~?”

Lan Xi refused to let go, now wrapping both arms around “Lin Bei Xing’s” waist.

Lu Yu was helpless—he’d never known how to deal with persistent girls.

“Me and Lu Yu…”

“Lin Bei Xing.”

Just as he was about to say something, the passenger window of the black car rolled down.  
A calm, measured voice called out her name.

In the window sat a woman with chestnut curls, elegant light makeup, and deep red lipstick.  
Her poised demeanor and unfamiliar face carried an unspoken weight of authority.

Her sharp eyes narrowed slightly, locking silently onto Lu Yu.

Lu Yu’s whole body tensed.

Though he’d never met Lin Bei Xing’s mother before, his body instinctively recoiled in fear.

“Your mom’s picking you up today…” Lan Xi murmured, having also spotted the woman.

She, too, seemed intimidated—her grip on Lu Yu loosened instantly.

“Y-you… you should get in the car… we’ll talk tomorrow.”

She added softly, “Remember to rest sometimes. Don’t just study all the time. And if anything’s wrong, *tell me*.”

Lu Yu nodded and walked down the school steps.

Reaching the car, he forced out a quiet, flat “Mom.”

“Get in,” the woman said—her tone even, yet unmistakably stern.

With the butler’s help, Lu Yu shrugged off the heavy backpack and slid into the car.