Chapter 20: The Perils of Shared Souls and Public Display

Su Liyue had a dream, one she hadn’t experienced in what felt like ages.

Within that dream, she envisioned Earth’s azure oceans and boundless skies, where women in bikinis frolicked joyously in the crashing waves.

Just as she was about to excitedly drag Mu Wanqing into the inviting ocean, a bizarre sensation of alternating warmth and chill abruptly assailed her.

‘What in the world was that?’

“Ding—dong—ding—dong—”

The crystalline chime of the wake-up bell instantly shattered the remnants of her dream.

Su Liyue groggily pushed herself upright, a few rebellious cowlicks, remnants of her profound sleep, stubbornly spiking from her crown.

They swayed with the subtle movements of her morning-grumpiness, making her resemble a bewildered fledgling creature just emerged from its den.

“This wretched air conditioner is so unreliable,” she mumbled, “my entire back feels drenched in sweat…”

Rubbing her eyes, she mumbled, a faint, dreamy imprint still visible on her cheek.

“Mmm…”

Mu Wanqing, rubbing her eyes and pulling the quilt tighter, countered, “Air conditioner? It’s perfectly cool in here… Yueyue, could you possibly be coming down with a fever?”

“A fever?” Su Liyue froze for a moment.

While her current female form was undeniably less robust than her male cultivation body, it surely wasn’t so delicate as to succumb to a common cold, was it?

Yet, the sensation of being caught between ice and fire felt startlingly real. She could still perceive it even as she changed into her school uniform. Then, a sudden realization struck her, causing her delicate frame to jolt:

‘Damn it! Ye Xingchen must have fallen asleep on his side!’

In the corridor, Ye Xingchen’s eyes snapped open, instantly impaled by a multitude of searing gazes.

“Holy crap! Brother Ye, you’re a legend!”

The fellow student serving his punishment nearby gave him an emphatic thumbs-up. “To fall asleep while maintaining a flawless military posture—that’s a skill most people couldn’t master even if they dedicated their lives to it!”

“He was even talking in his sleep!” another student chimed in, barely stifling a chuckle.

“One moment he was shouting, ‘Oh, the beach is so hot, the ladies are so pretty!’ and the next he was wailing, ‘The seawater is so cold! Big sister, hurry up!'”

Ye Xingchen self-consciously wiped a hand across his face, then cast his gaze downward.

Unbeknownst to him, his jacket had been meticulously tied into a bow, while his tie hung askew around his neck, resembling a makeshift scarf.

“What are you all gawking at?!”

A furious roar reverberated, as terrifying and abrupt as a thunderclap, instantly shattering the boisterous laughter that filled the corridor.

The dorm instructor, his face aflame with anger under the sunlight, directed his wand accusingly at the assembled students:

“The wake-up bell has already chimed three times! Are you all planning to stand at attention in military posture until graduation?!”

“Holy crap! The Familiar Practical class!”

The assembly of students erupted into instant chaos. Like startled cats whose tails had been trodden upon, they stumbled and scrambled towards the teaching building.

Some students sprinted, fumbling their uniforms over their heads as they went.

Others, treating their familiars like mere backpacks, slung them over their shoulders and bolted.

And one unlucky individual tripped over his miniature Blazing Winged Lion, cascading head over heels down the entire flight of stairs.

The moment Ye Xingchen lifted his foot, the instructor seized him by the back of his collar:

“Student Ye.”

The tip of the wand tapped against his jacket, which was still tied into a bizarre bow. “Do I need to instruct you on how to dress yourself, hmm?”

“Almost done!” he stammered, fumbling frantically with his buttons, only for a piercing female shriek to suddenly echo from the spiritual connection he shared:

“Qingqing, my socks are inside out, ahhh—”

Mu Wanqing’s voice, equally piercing, then sliced through the corridor:

“Yueyue, your shoes are on the wrong feet!”

Ye Xingchen abruptly pinched the philtrum beneath his nose.

So close!

Just a hair’s breadth away from disaster!

Though his soul housed a thousand-year-old ancient being, the surging hormones of this youthful male body paid no deference to any grand, powerful demeanor.

His blood was surging wildly in two distinct directions:

Upwards, towards his face, where he desperately fought to suppress a nosebleed.

And downwards, towards his lower body, which was in dire need of a ‘moral sealing technique.’

The most vexing issue, however, was the design of the girls’ school uniforms in this world.

In winter, they consisted of short skirts paired with over-the-knee black stockings, while summer unveiled light, sheer white socks that left their calves exposed.

‘What kind of anti-female design is this?!’ The mere thought of Su Liyue and Mu Wanqing having to don those over-the-knee black stockings in winter sent a shiver down Ye Xingchen’s spine, prompting a…

At that very moment, at least five girls in the corridor were bending over, meticulously adjusting their familiar equipment.

Ye Xingchen awkwardly averted his gaze, focusing instead on the backs of the girls as they bent to arrange their familiar equipment.

The summer design, with its sheer white socks revealing their calves—’that designer must undoubtedly be an old pervert!’

The most profound irony, however, was that as Su Liyue’s true self, he understood better than anyone else:

The elastic bands of over-the-knee stockings inevitably left angry red marks on the thighs, and without them, the stockings would simply slide down.

Short skirts also necessitated the use of safety shorts and anti-exposure magic arrays. Moreover, whenever his female self had to don this attire, she felt an overwhelming urge to commit murder.

“What are you staring at?!”

The dorm instructor sharply rapped him on the head with his wand.

“Wipe that lewd expression off your face!”

At that very moment, Ye Xingchen’s ears caught the distinct sound of a familiar voice. Not far in the distance, Su Liyue was being dragged by Mu Wanqing, jogging along the ancient stone path.

“Qingqing, slow down!” Su Liyue gasped, her voice laced with complaint. “This weather is absolutely stifling!” One hand remained clasped by her best friend, while the other relentlessly fanned herself.

Her school uniform’s skirt hem billowed softly with each stride, tracing a graceful, youthful arc beneath the sun’s benevolent gaze.

Mu Wanqing, without a backward glance, propelled her fair calves swiftly forward under the scorching sun:

“If you dally any longer, we’ll be late! Do you want to lose academic points?”

Ye Xingchen, feeling as though he had been granted a great reprieve, seized the opportunity to quicken his pace and follow them. The trio swiftly disappeared around the corridor’s bend.

***

With the classroom now looming tantalizingly close, Mu Wanqing abruptly turned back, gasping aloud:

“Yueyue! Your husband is chasing us!”

Su Liyue and Ye Xingchen simultaneously lost their footing.

‘Chasing myself?! What kind of absurdity is this?!’

“No!” Su Liyue cried out, still maintaining her frantic pace. “He probably just wants… Jizhi Cough Syrup!”

Didn’t a rather catchy, almost hypnotic advertisement from her past memories once feature such a scene?

A beautiful woman sprinting madly, a cheetah in relentless pursuit, all accompanied by a distinctive voiceover: “Why are you chasing me?” “I want Jizhi Cough Syrup!”

Mu Wanqing slammed to an abrupt halt, her cowlick snapping upright with a distinct ‘swish’:

“Jizhi Cough Syrup?! Yueyue, you really did catch a cold! Is he rushing to bring you medicine?”

“Thud!”

At the far end of the corridor, Ye Xingchen nearly executed a spectacular face-plant for all to witness.

Su Liyue, meanwhile, choked on her own saliva, coughing until her face was a vibrant crimson.

‘These Earth memories are truly a menace!’

The surrounding students immediately erupted, their whispers spreading like wildfire.

“Look! Ye Xingchen is chasing Campus Belle Su!”

“They really do have something going on!”

“I noticed it during the summoning class this morning; Student Ye purposely tackled Senior Su!”

The students’ murmurs escalated into a clamor.

“It’s confirmed! Ye Xingchen publicly declared Campus Belle Su this morning!”

“More than that! I personally saw them sign a couple’s contract!”

“Holding hands? That’s nothing! They even have matching familiars!”

The rumors spiraled at an astonishing speed.

“I heard the betrothal gifts have already been exchanged!”

“What? They’ve already named their children?!”

Ye Xingchen and Su Liyue listened, each new rumor more preposterous than the last, as if they were about to be dragged to the auditorium for an impromptu wedding.

“Wait! We’re just…” Su Liyue, unable to bear it any longer, spun around.

Before she could finish her sentence, her foot caught.

“Bang!”

She tumbled headfirst into Ye Xingchen’s arms, who had just caught up.

The entire corridor fell silent instantly.

Three seconds later, the corridor erupted with deafening cheers and shouts:

“Pro-pose! Pro-pose!”