Chapter 047

The first time Tang Mingyue learned of Tang Wangshu was through the news.

That year, she was only sixteen. Her family was ordinary, her grades were at the bottom of her class, and the only thing worth noting about her was a pretty face. But that didn’t bring her any advantages. On the contrary, her parents favored her mediocre younger brother. Her meager allowance wasn’t even enough to buy a dress she liked, and strict school rules forced her to cut off the long hair she loved.

At that time, Tang Wangshu’s entire family was involved in a car accident, and she was the sole survivor. The news was flooded with discussions about the Tang family’s tragedy, estimating the value of the inheritance. The vivid figures on the screen stimulated the eyes of every viewer.

Tang Mingyue envied the girl in the news. They were the same age, born at almost the same time, yet their fates were separated by an unbridgeable chasm. From birth, Tang Wangshu possessed everything Tang Mingyue craved but could never have: a wealthy family, a privileged background, and total freedom. Even after the accident, she was the only one to survive. That massive inheritance fell entirely into her lap. It was incredibly lucky.

If, if only she had those things, how wonderful would it be?

Under a pedestrian bridge near her home, there was a blind old man. Every day he would mutter nonsense, saying frightening things to the onlookers. He had no family and no friends, sleeping under the bridge every night wrapped in tattered clothes. Tang Mingyue showed him kindness a few times, and eventually, the old man asked her if she had a wish.

Then, she became Tang Wangshu.

She possessed the life she wanted most!

Her closest “family” had already passed away, so no one discovered that she wasn’t the real Tang Wangshu. Thus, she used Tang Wangshu’s identity to live the life of her dreams.

The company was snatched away? It didn’t matter. She didn’t know how to run a business anyway, and the remaining assets were enough to keep her wealthy for a lifetime. She lived in a beautiful mansion, and anything she wanted was within reach. Her vast wealth meant she didn’t need to work hard like the vast majority of ordinary people in the world. From the very beginning, she stood at the finish line that ordinary people could hardly reach in a lifetime.

She didn’t need a top-tier education or outstanding abilities. As long as she had enough money, she could get anything she wanted. She squandered these easily obtained riches, and without realizing it, her money gradually dwindled. The friends around her changed quickly, until one day, she suddenly snapped back to reality. She found her credit cards maxed out, the bank sending debt collection notices, and her mansion facing auction. Meanwhile, the boyfriend she loved had made off with her jewelry collection and vanished without a trace.

Everything she had gained through Fate Swapping was gone, leaving her with nothing but a mountain of debt.

It was then that she saw news of Tang Wangshu again.

To be precise, it was the Tang Wangshu who had become “Tang Mingyue.”

Right after they had swapped bodies, she had received messages from Tang Wangshu. Familiar numbers kept calling, and after she blocked them, they changed to other unknown numbers. She changed her own number and went abroad to rest for a while, so Tang Wangshu couldn’t find her. Later, the harassment from Tang Wangshu disappeared.

When she looked into Tang Wangshu again, she discovered that after the swap, Tang Wangshu hadn’t fallen into the gutter. She had been admitted to a top domestic university, joined a famous company, became an excellent designer, and even married a rich man. Although President Lin was more than a decade older than her, he was well-maintained. In photos, he looked refined, easygoing, and elegant. In the news photos, the two of them looked like a perfect match.

But at this moment, Tang Wangshu’s life wasn’t going smoothly either. Her life as a wealthy wife was coming to an end; Mr. Lin wanted a divorce.

The gossip tabloids dutifully reported on the high-society drama. Mr. Lin had always been generous to his ex-wives. They listed Mr. Lin’s net worth, using his two previous wives as examples to estimate the assets the current Mrs. Lin would receive after the divorce. Just like the speculations about Tang Wangshu’s inheritance years ago, the massive figures made Tang Mingyue’s heart race with excitement.

That was originally her body anyway. What was wrong with taking it back?

If she could get those assets, wouldn’t she be able to continue her previous life of wealth and comfort?

And so, Tang Mingyue returned.

After returning to her body, she came back without pause to agree to the divorce. However, Mr. Lin suddenly changed his mind, and things didn’t go as smoothly as expected. But it didn’t matter. She was very patient. Before achieving her goal, she began to play the role of “Mrs. Lin.”

Because of the divorce proceedings, the couple was already sleeping in separate rooms. The nanny at home knew everything about “Mrs. Lin,” so it didn’t take much effort to piece together everything about Tang Wangshu’s life. She patiently played the role of a good wife and a good mother. When she first saw a Master coming to exorcise ghosts, she was a bit nervous, but then she realized those Masters couldn’t discover her secret, so she relaxed. Perhaps that blind old man she met was the only Master with real ability.

Everything went very smoothly. This morning, she successfully divorced and received a large settlement. Regarding the child’s custody, she didn’t fight President Lin for it, generously giving it to him.

Of course, she didn’t like children. She hadn’t even experienced the ten months of pregnancy¹ herself, so she had no feelings for that child. Because she gave up custody, she received even more assets.

The only slight pity was that Tang Wangshu was still lingering on her last breath in the hospital. But it didn’t matter. Tang Wangshu would never open her eyes again to snatch back her things.

With the divorce finalized, there was no longer any need for her to pretend. After leaving the Lin family, a life of limitless freedom awaited her.

• That was how smoothly things were supposed to go.

Tang Mingyue couldn’t control her mouth. Along with the questioning from the others, she blurted out the entire truth that only she knew. She looked at the people before her in horror, watching their expressions shift because of her words, until finally, their faces all darkened in unison.

The Talisman Paper in her palm had turned into a soggy clump from her cold sweat, but her fingers could not let go. The man’s hand gripped her like iron pincers. As she spoke, his strength increased, and Tang Mingyue felt a sharp pain in every finger, as if her bones were about to be crushed.

Whether it was her cold sweat soaking through or the Talisman Paper simply losing its power, the mysterious force suddenly vanished. She clamped her mouth shut instantly, not daring to utter another word.

However, it was already too late to be quiet.

Everything that needed to be said had been said, and every secret had been revealed. Everyone present had heard her words.

Lin Qing took a sharp breath, rubbing her arms as her hair stood on end. “This whole thing… it’s just, it’s just…”

It was simply too terrifying!

Putting herself in those shoes, if she woke up one day to find someone else had stolen her identity and was enjoying everything she owned, it would be a living nightmare. And Tang Wangshu had experienced such a nightmare twice.

All her hard work had only served to benefit someone else, and that person wasn’t even ashamed. Instead, she was gloating.

Lin Qing couldn’t help but move closer to Qiao Man, standing by the child’s side as if it would provide some peace of mind.

Now that everything was out in the open, Tang Mingyue was no longer afraid.

“We’ve already signed the divorce papers,” she said with a relaxed smile. “I’ve secured my share of the assets. Even if you want to call the police, there’s no evidence, and they won’t arrest me for something like this.”

If the divorce hadn’t gone through smoothly, she might have worried about being forced to leave with nothing. But now, the assets from the settlement were already in her name. She was free. What was there left to fear?

Tang Mingyue brushed off President Lin’s hand and tossed aside the crumpled Talisman Paper. She sat up straight and composedly, elegantly smoothing out her clothes, which had become disheveled during her earlier struggle. She had originally been a girl from an ordinary family, but the dozen or so years she had spent living as Tang Wangshu had changed many of her habits.

Xiao Jing looked at her in terror. This was his mother’s familiar face, yet he could no longer feel even a shred of affection from her. His mother would never look at him with such a cold, stranger’s gaze. Never.

“My mommy…” He fought back tears, unable to stop himself from crying out, “Give me back my mommy!”

Tang Mingyue smiled. “This is my body. I’ve simply returned to what is mine. If anything, I’ve already returned her body to her.”

“You’re absolutely shameless,” Lin Qing spat. “You’ve taken all the benefits for yourself. Did you ever get her consent when you made the swap?”

Tang Mingyue felt no shame, nor did she regret her choice. If she had remained Tang Mingyue, she might have been trapped in that poor, cold family for the rest of her life, living a mediocre adulthood, counting the pennies in her pocket day after day. Perhaps she could have used her looks to marry a somewhat wealthy man, but how could that ever compare to Tang Wangshu’s life?

It hadn’t always been smooth sailing for her, either. The old man who helped her with the Fate Swapping had told her she could only go back on it once, and that old man was nowhere to be found now. From now on, she would have to manage her wealth carefully and not repeat her past mistakes.

Tang Mingyue looked down to admire her exquisite manicure from the day before. Her fingers were fair and supple; only money could maintain such delicate hands. “If you’re looking for Tang Wangshu, you can find her at the hospital. If you’re lucky, maybe she’ll even be able to respond to you.”

Xiao Jing looked at his father in a panic. “Dad?”

President Lin’s face was grim, his hands clenched tightly at his sides.

Xiao Jing looked to the other side, completely lost. “Xiao Man?”

Everyone turned their gaze toward the child, and Tang Mingyue was no exception.

Tang Mingyue was somewhat wary of this child.

It was that strange Talisman Paper he had produced that had forced her to reveal everything. This child was the “Master” the Lin family had invited, and he clearly had some real skill. Of all the masters the Lin family had brought in, only this child had seen through her.

But… he was just a child. What else could he do?

Exorcise a ghost? This was her original body. He couldn’t drive her out.

Qiao Man was staring in her direction, his gaze unfocused, as if he were looking through her at someone else.

Suddenly, as if awakened by the sound of someone calling his name, the child blinked and snapped back to reality. He glanced around blankly for a moment before meeting her eyes, two sweet dimples appearing on his cheeks.

His smile was soft and adorable, his youthful, rounded face full of nothing but innocent charm, softer than a marshmallow. Yet, for no reason at all, a chill ran down Tang Mingyue’s spine.

She heard the child ask curiously, “Since you didn’t like your fate, why did you swap back?”

…

Tang Wangshu lay on the hospital bed, motionless.

She was conscious. The scent of disinfectant filled her nose, and the sound of nurses’ footsteps echoed in her ears. She was the patient they spoke of, and from their conversations, she heard her original name.

Just as she hadn’t known how she had left her body in the first place, she had returned to it just as inexplicably.

When she was first swapped, she was only sixteen. Her family had met with disaster, and her loving parents had both died in a car accident. Before she could even process her grief, she had lost everything. She had tried every way she could think of, but she couldn’t get back into her own body. The messages she sent and the calls she made vanished without a trace. She could only learn news about “herself” from the media, watching as her uncles snatched away the company her parents had worked so hard to build, and watching as “she” went abroad to clear her head and start a new life far away.

After trying many methods and failing to return to her body, she had no choice but to pull herself together and embrace a new life.

More than a decade had passed since then. She had a new family, a husband she loved dearly, and a precious son. She had been Tang Mingyue for almost as long as she had been Tang Wangshu. Just as she was beginning to forget everything about being Tang Wangshu, she had been swapped again.

But this time, she could only perceive the world outside. Even if she used every ounce of strength she possessed, she couldn’t lift a single finger.

Angry screams vibrated in her chest, but no matter how turbulent her emotions were, in the eyes of outsiders, she remained silent and still. Only the rising and falling lines on the heart monitor proved that she was still alive.

But what was the point of living?

No one could hear her voice, and her hands could touch no one. A single tear slid silently from the corner of her eye, disappearing into her hair.

She had already endured this once; why was it happening a second time?

It didn’t matter if they took her identity or her money. Her parents were already gone, and she had built a new life with a new family, including her most precious treasure, Xiao Jing. But why did they have to take this away from her too?

Would that person be kind to her Xiao Jing?

The life belonging to “Tang Wangshu” no longer had any family or friends. During her time lying in the hospital bed, not a single person had come to visit her. Through the day-after-day torment, nothing remained in her heart but hatred.

Why could someone just take her life without her consent? If lying on this hospital bed was that person’s retribution, why was she the one forced to endure it?

Would anyone ever find her?

Would it be just like the first time they were swapped? Would no one notice “her” abnormality? Would everyone simply accept “her” changes? Would that thief naturally inherit everything she owned?

She thought with fearful anxiety, vaguely hearing the sound of crying coming from far, far away. A familiar call lingered in her ears, a panicked voice crying out, “Mama!” It was her Xiao Jing.

Panic flared in Tang Wangshu’s heart. She tried desperately to reach out, wanting to pull her child into her arms and comfort him, but her body wouldn’t budge.

Just then, it felt as if a pair of soft little hands brushed over her, smoothing away the agitation deep within her soul. In her urgency, her soul closed its eyes, and her consciousness gradually sank into darkness…

“Beep-“

The heart monitor beside the bed emitted a sharp, prolonged wail. Nurses rushed over as the lines representing vital signs on the EKG turned into a flat, continuous line.

“The patient in Bed 302 has lost all vital signs!”

…

When her consciousness returned, Tang Wangshu opened her eyes once more.

It felt as if her soul had been kneaded into a ball by a hand, stuffed into a tiny space, and then allowed to stretch out again. Her eyelids felt heavy and stiff, yet the body that had lain motionless for over a month wasn’t as rigid as she had imagined.

The first thing she saw was a magnificent crystal chandelier. The piercing light made her instinctively close her eyes, but soon, the sound of something thumping to the floor echoed nearby. Immediately after, a familiar, haggard face appeared before her. Tang Wangshu dazedly processed the joy on his face: “…Husband?”

Before she could react, a soft, small body lunged into her arms. She instinctively held him tight as the child burst into loud sobs against her chest: “Mama!”

“Xiao Jing…”

“Waaah! Mama!” Xiao Jing squeezed her with all his might, wailing, “Mama! Mama!”

Tang Wangshu held him in a daze, tears streaming down her face.

Was she back?

Thank God. Thank God.

…

Meanwhile.

In a corner of a distant city.

The sunset glow filtered through the dusty glass windows into the room. A stiff body gradually resumed breathing.

Tang Mingyue opened her heavy eyelids and propped herself up. She looked around blankly at the grey walls, the old and worn wooden furniture, and the cold concrete floor she had been lying on.

Where was this?

Her entire body ached incredibly. Tang Mingyue leaned against a piece of furniture, trying to push herself up from the floor, but she soon discovered with horror that the hand gripping the chair was rough and red. Her fingers were as thick as radishes², covered in calluses, and her skin felt as coarse as sandpaper.

These weren’t her hands!

Memories of this body suddenly flooded her mind. She stumbled to her feet and found a mirror embedded in an old-fashioned wardrobe, seeing her reflection within. Her hair was dry and lusterless, her skin sallow and dark, and fine lines already crawled around the corners of her eyes. Lifting her bangs, she saw a large wound on her temple, with dried blood caked on her cheek.

Tang Mingyue touched her face in disbelief.

There was none of the delicate skin she had meticulously maintained. This body was covered in the marks of years of hard labor. Just standing there, she felt a heavy, bone-deep exhaustion.

This wasn’t her body!

With a loud bang, the door was kicked open. A drunken man walked in, clutching a liquor bottle.

He looked around and bellowed, “You damn woman, where are you!”

He quickly found his target in the bedroom. Reaching out with a large hand, he ruthlessly grabbed the woman’s loose hair.

“Ah!” Tang Mingyue let out a scream of pain. “What are you doing? Let go!”

But her cries of pain did not move him. The man’s face was flushed red with drink as he swung the bottle without mercy. The hard glass struck her body and shattered into a pile of shards on the floor. Tang Mingyue didn’t even dare to scream anymore.

“What are you doing slacking off in here? Get in there and cook!” the man grumbled. “Are you trying to starve me to death?”

Trembling, Tang Mingyue walked into the kitchen. Looking at the dilapidated space, she fumbled with the utensils, her memories of how to use them rusty. After becoming Tang Wangshu, she had been able to hire Michelin-starred chefs to prepare her three meals a day; she hadn’t touched things like this in years.

Clattering sounds drifted from the kitchen while the man leaned back in his chair, snoring like thunder.

Before long, a teenage boy in a school uniform pushed the door open and walked in. He asked loudly, “Mom, isn’t dinner ready yet?”

His shout received no response from the person in the kitchen, but it did wake the sleeping man. He stood up in a rage and stomped toward the kitchen.

Soon, the sound of a plate smashing echoed out.

Tears mixed with blood as they flowed down Tang Mingyue’s face.

This wasn’t the life she wanted!

…

“So, you guys were only gone for two days. Why did President Lin and his wife get divorced?” Maomao, who had picked up the two returning travelers, scratched his head in frustration. “Brother Lu, Xiao Man, what on earth happened?”

What kind of wealthy family secret was this? He had to hear it!

Qiao Man clutched his smartwatch, engrossed in a conversation with Xiao Jing. The two children had exchanged contact information and were now officially online friends.

Lu Jianxing glanced at the boy. Seeing Qiao Man chatting so happily that his head swayed back and forth, and then noticing the look of intense curiosity on Maomao’s face, he decided to keep quiet out of professional discretion.

“Xiao Man,” he asked with concern, “are you sure you’ll be okay after doing that?”

Something like Fate Swapping sounded incredibly dangerous.

“It’s fine! I asked everyone what they thought,” Qiao Man said, his head bobbing. “Xiao Jing’s mother has a lot of merit. It seems people gave it to her voluntarily, and it can help someone get a good reincarnation. I told Xiao Jing he needs to do more good deeds from now on.”

However, for some reason, he felt a bit uneasy, as if he had forgotten something.

What could it be?

Qiao Man looked left and right, but he couldn’t recall it no matter how hard he tried.

That evening, when Lu Jianxing went to check his homework, the boy excitedly opened his Little Yellow Duck Backpack. In that moment, he realized exactly what he had forgotten.

“Oh no!” Qiao Man wailed, his face falling. “I left my homework at Xiao Jing’s house!”

Lu Jianxing patted his head and pulled out a fresh book of arithmetic problems from nearby. “Well, you’d better do it again then.”

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Translator’s Notes

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1. ten months of pregnancy: A common Chinese expression (十月怀胎) for the duration of pregnancy. While Western culture typically counts nine months, traditional Chinese counting often uses lunar months or includes the beginning and ending months, totaling ten. ↩
2. fingers were as thick as radishes: A literal translation of the Chinese idiom ‘radish fingers’ (萝卜指), used to describe hands that are short, thick, and coarse. It typically implies a lack of refinement or a life of hard manual labor, contrasting with the slender, delicate fingers prized in traditional Chinese beauty standards. ↩