Chapter 5: Body Swap

“Argh!!!”
A strange, piercing scream erupted.
The light tore through the blood-red haze before my eyes.
That warm glow felt as if my grandmother were still by my side, holding me gently.

But in reality, what held me was a terrifying ghost.
Beyond its green-faced, fanged skull, it had only an upper body—a skeletal frame draped in bloody tendrils, gripping me tightly.

Yet the light grew brighter, pushing the ghost outward.
The skin that had been strangling me, nearly suffocating me, was forced open by the radiance.

The ghost let out shrill, ear-piercing cries.
Suddenly, the light exploded, tearing a rift in the skin.
The ghost was hurled backward, crashing through the previously locked rooftop door and vanishing.
My vision went dark, and I completely passed out.

I don’t know how much time passed.
When I managed to open my eyes, the sky was dark, with sparse stars visible.
My body felt cold; the rooftop breeze was chilly at night.

Wait!
I was just attacked by a ghost!
I scrambled to my feet, spotting a trail of blood leading to the rooftop door.
Two bloody handprints, shaped like skeletal palms with foot-long, sharp bone fingers, marked the door—clearly not human.

It wasn’t a nightmare!
I really was attacked by a ghost!
I looked down at the ground.
A translucent jade pendant glowed warmly.
It was this light that had driven the ghost away.

I’d always worn this pendant, but I was certain it had never glowed before.
When I picked it up, its warmth enveloped me, easing the chill in my body.

“Huh?”
That’s when I noticed something was wrong.
My skin was now fair as snow, soft and smooth.
Two prominent peaks rose on my chest.
And the reason I felt cold was because, aside from knee-high black stockings, I was completely naked.

Scattered on the ground, amid dried bloodstains, were tattered scraps of fabric.
By their color, they were Jianlong High School’s uniform—specifically, the girls’ uniform, with a skirt torn in half.

The reason the rooftop breeze felt so cold was because I was exposed to the air, save for my legs.

“What’s going on?!”
I shouted to the sky, running my hands over my new body.
The sensation was incredible—firm, elastic, flawless—but I could also feel myself being touched.

Had I… turned into a girl?
Then I noticed a smartphone on the ground nearby, likely dropped by Xia Yubing.
Such a high-end phone was rare among students at our school.

I picked it up.
The lock screen used facial recognition.
When the camera activated, I saw a face—delicate, pure, and beautiful.
It was Xia Yubing’s face!

I threw the phone away as if I’d seen a ghost, stumbling back several steps.
The image of Xia Yubing’s face splitting open flashed in my mind, along with the moment she swallowed me, revealing that hideous ghost.
That beautiful face had left a deep psychological scar.

“Am I… have I turned into Xia Yubing?
Why did this happen?”
I touched my body again, especially my face, confirming that for some reason, I had become Xia Yubing.

None of my own belongings remained, except for my grandmother’s jade pendant—no keys, no uniform.

I retrieved Xia Yubing’s phone.
The earlier facial scan had unlocked it.
I opened the camera again to confirm.
That stunning face, now filled with fear, panic, and confusion, was undeniably mine.

What now?
I’d inexplicably become the school flower, with nothing to prove my identity.
Why did that ghost attack me?
Why did it turn me into Xia Yubing?
I was completely lost.

Wait!
There was one person who could help me—Ou Zhiqing.
She’d warned me earlier that I might be in danger!

Thankfully, I remembered her phone number.
Since I didn’t have a phone of my own and occasionally contacted her, I’d memorized it.
I hurriedly dialed her number.

The ringtone played for a while before she picked up.
Her familiar, bell-like voice came through:
– Hello, who’s this?

“Xiao Qing! It’s me! I ran into a ghost! You have to save me!”
I babbled incoherently to Ou Zhiqing.
She was my last hope.

– That voice… Xia Yubing?
– How did you run into a ghost?
Ou Zhiqing sounded confused.
I vaguely recalled her saying she wasn’t close with Xia Yubing, despite being classmates.

“No, it’s me, Luo Xiao!
Xiao Qing, I really saw a ghost! Please come save me!”
I explained frantically.

– Stop joking, Xia Yubing.
– What nonsense are you talking about?
– Weren’t you meeting Xiao-ge?
– Where is he? What did you two do?
Ou Zhiqing sounded quite displeased.

“I’m really Luo Xiao!
That Xia Yubing—she’s a ghost!
She attacked me, swallowed me, and then somehow ran off.
When I woke up, I’d turned into a girl.
I don’t know what to do anymore!”
My words were a chaotic mess, barely coherent, but I didn’t know how to explain this bizarre experience.

Surprisingly, Ou Zhiqing didn’t seem shocked by my words.
Instead, she asked skeptically:
– Are you really Xiao-ge?

“It’s me!
I’m so sorry for not listening to you and insisting on meeting Xia Yubing.
This morning, you wanted to see my jade pendant.
You also tried to drag me into that occult story club.
And you have two moles on your butt!”
I blurted out everything I knew about us, desperate to convince her.

– Okay, stop talking!
– I believe you.
– You’re definitely Xiao-ge, though I don’t know why you sound like a girl.
– Where are you right now?
Ou Zhiqing said immediately.

“I’m on the rooftop of the school building.
After Xia Yubing attacked me, I passed out and woke up still here.”
I replied.

– What? You’re still at school this late?!
– Wait there. I’m coming to find you.
– Stay on the rooftop, and don’t wander off!
Ou Zhiqing said urgently.

“Oh, and bring me some clothes!”
I added quickly, realizing I was still naked.

Xiao Qing hung up.
I curled up helplessly, huddling in a corner of the rooftop.
Utterly lost, I didn’t know what to do.
Tears streamed down my face.

After a while, I calmed down a bit.
I walked to the edge of the rooftop and looked out.
The city below was aglow with lights, but Jianlong High School was shrouded in darkness, not even a streetlamp lit.

An inexplicable chill seemed to rise from the depths of the school.
If this were before, I’d have bolted downstairs and fled the school in less than ten minutes.
But now, I didn’t even have the courage to leave the rooftop.