After Swapping Identities With My Archenemy - Chapter 57

Chapter 57: Sleep in My Room

Jiang Huaiyi felt the blood rush to her head, but her first instinct was: This isn’t a living person.

Amidst the terror, she felt a strange relief. If it wasn’t a living person, at least she wasn’t being watched by a pervert. Her mind raced, but her hands didn’t stop. She kept her gaze fixed on the gray eye, terrified it would vanish if she blinked.

Her hand swept across the television stand, brushing Xiao Die’s fur before grabbing the stiff antenna wire. She yanked it out and, without hesitation, jammed the hard plastic end into the hole with explosive force.

A faint squelch was swallowed by the howling wind. The eye vanished, replaced by the jammed antenna. She tried to pull it back, but it was wedged tight. She didn’t dare pull too hard, fearing she might drag something or someone through the wall with it.

A soft knock sounded at the door. Thinking it was her teammates, she checked her phone while walking toward the entrance.

The knocking was quiet, as if trying not to alert the other rooms. Jiang Huaiyi reached for the handle, but a text message from Shen Wensi flashed on her screen:

Shen Wensi: Do not open the door. That is not me.

Jiang Huaiyi’s hand froze. The lock was a fraction of a second away from clicking open. She withdrew her hand instantly.

The knocking grew more rhythmic—knock, knock, knock—becoming increasingly urgent.

Jiang Huaiyi: What is out there? Should I wake the others?

There was no immediate reply. Jiang Huaiyi backed away from the door, pulled a talisman from her bag, and slapped it onto the wood. The vibration of the knocking ceased, but the sound remained.

Shen Wensi: Nothing at my door. It’s only at yours. Stay inside. I’m going to alert the others.

Suddenly, the knocking stopped. It was replaced by a heavy dragging sound, like something crawling away across the hallway carpet. Then, silence.

Two hours passed. Jiang Huaiyi sat on the edge of her bed, clutching Xiao Die. Her phone buzzed again.

Shen Wensi: I woke two of them. Song Rong isn’t responding, she must be a heavy sleeper. Her room is safe, don’t worry.

Jiang Huaiyi frowned. Something felt off. Why would Shen Wensi be so casual?

Suddenly, Xiao Die, sitting in her lap, flattened her ears and looked up with an unusually submissive, “pet me” expression. As Jiang Huaiyi reached out, she jolted upright.

The room blurred. When her vision cleared, she realized she wasn’t sitting on the bed. She was standing at the door, her hand gripping the handle, midway through turning it.

A cold sweat broke out on her neck. She scrambled back. The knocking was still there—not urgent anymore, but soft and inviting, like a gentle lure.

She stuffed earplugs into her ears and sent a frantic message to Shen Wensi, explaining the hallucinogenic nature of the “visitor.”

Shen Wensi: They’re all dead asleep. It looks like a Weasel Spirit.

A Weasel? Jiang Huaiyi thought of the one from the scroll. Could it be?

She coordinated with Shen Wensi. On the count of three, they both opened their doors. Standing in front of Jiang Huaiyi was a half-meter-tall weasel, frozen in a knocking posture. It looked up, saw Jiang Huaiyi’s familiar face, and turned to bolt.

Shen Wensi stepped out of the opposite room and stomped on its tail.

The Interrogation

Minutes later, the weasel was tied up in a bundle. Jiang Huaiyi poked its belly with a toilet plunger. “Talk. Why are you here?”

“If I knew you grandmas were here, I wouldn’t have come if you killed me!” the weasel wailed. It turned out to be the same one from the scroll, somehow survived and returned to its “hometown.”

Chu Lianxue drew her sword. “Let’s just make gloves out of it.”

“Wait!” the weasel shrieked. “You’re looking for the Dragon! I can lead you! I know where the Spirit Spring is!”

After the weasel surrendered its Inner Core (a glowing amber bead) to Shen Wensi as collateral, they agreed to let it lead them.

Because of the “eye” incident and the hole in her wall, Jiang Huaiyi couldn’t stay in her room. She ended up moving into Shen Wensi’s room for the night.

The room had one bed. Jiang Huaiyi paced nervously, wearing her modest white pajamas, while Shen Wensi sat in silk robes, playing with the weasel’s core.

“Stop pacing and get in bed,” Shen Wensi said.

Jiang Huaiyi hesitated, looking at the small sofa. “I’ll just sleep there… the bed is a bit… small.”

Shen Wensi laughed softly, reached out, and pulled Jiang Huaiyi down beside her. Jiang Huaiyi froze. She had never shared a bed with anyone. But the warmth and the faint, elegant scent of the woman beside her were surprisingly grounding. Exhaustion took over, and she fell into a deep, dreamless sleep.

The Incident on the Stairs

The next morning, the group prepared to head into the mountains. Jiang Huaiyi, dressed in oversized mountain gear, headed down the stairs.

She was looking at her phone when she felt a foot hook her ankle. She pitched forward, gasping as she tumbled down the steps.

She slammed into Shen Wensi, who was waiting at the bottom. Shen’s arms wrapped firmly around her waist, catching her steady. The coldness in Shen Wensi’s eyes intensified instantly.

“Did you trip?” a lazy, mocking voice came from above.

A tall woman in a leather jacket and sunglasses Zheng Ji strolled down, a fake look of concern on her face.

“Are you sick in the head?” Jiang Huaiyi snapped, turning around. “Don’t act like a saint. You tripped me.”

“I tried to catch you,” Zheng Ji smirked.

“My shoes were dusty from yesterday,” Jiang Huaiyi pointed at the woman’s jeans. “There’s a white mark on your pant leg where you hooked me. Don’t play me for a fool.”

Zheng Ji went silent, looking at the mark. Jiang Huaiyi threw an orange at her, grabbed Shen Wensi’s hand, and walked away. She didn’t see the chilling look Shen Wensi cast over her shoulder, or the lip-read message she left for the stranger: Watch yourself.

Into the Qinling Mountains

Led by their guide, Er Shu, the five women headed deep into the forest. The air was frigid, the ground covered in pine needles and mud. Other teams moved through the trees, keeping a wary distance.

By noon, they reached a high ridge. Jiang Huaiyi pulled Shen Wensi aside, making an excuse about needing a “private moment” to test their radio equipment away from the guide’s eyes.

She walked a short distance away, ensuring Shen Wensi was nearby but out of sight. Just as she pulled out the radio, a hand tapped her on the shoulder.

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