After Swapping Identities With My Archenemy - Chapter 78

Chapter 78: Keep Your Mouth Clean

Xiao Die quickened her pace into the kitchen. The flash of a red hem she had seen felt like a hallucination. Am I too tense? she wondered. Is my mind playing tricks on me? After a thorough scan of the kitchen revealed nothing, she let out a breath of relief and trotted back out.

Downstairs, Shen Wensi remained on the sofa, her head tilted as she gazed toward the kitchen.

“Come out,” Shen Wensi said calmly.

A festive figure materialized in the kitchen doorway, holding a kitchen poker. Seeing the unfriendly glint in Shen Wensi’s eyes, the figure maintained a bright, sunny smile but subtly hid the poker behind their back.

“Keeping such a creature in your home… aren’t you afraid? Don’t you care for the mortal living here?”

“Before you worry about her,” Shen Wensi replied, “you should worry about leaving. You know I don’t like guests in my house.”

The red figure vanished into thin air. The indentations on the seat smoothed out, and silence reclaimed the living room. Shen Wensi looked toward Jiang Huaiyi’s room, lingered for a long moment, and then looked away.

The New Year’s Banquet

Since the silk paper remained blank, the two spent the rest of January resting at home. As the Lunar New Year approached, the streets outside grew lively, decorated with lanterns and streamers. Shops were bustling, and families whose students had returned for the winter break were already gathering for early celebratory dinners.

Jiang Huaiyi’s uncle usually hosted a dinner around this time, but this year was special—he had invited Shen Wensi as well. Since their relationship had stabilized into a comfortable, if somewhat shy, friendship, Huaiyi was glad she wouldn’t have to spend the holidays alone.

Ever since the “incident” in the living room, a strange tension lingered between them. Neither brought it up. Aside from eating and grocery shopping, they spent most of their time tucked away in their respective rooms.

However, once the date for the Sect Gathering was set, they began to talk more. Every year, the various Taoist and metaphysical sects held a grand assembly. Jiang Huaiyi had been ridiculed at these events for over a decade; going back always required a massive amount of mental preparation. She hated it, but for the sake of her Master’s legacy, she had to show up.

This year, the awkward role fell to Shen Wensi, who would be attending as Huaiyi’s “companion.” Huaiyi was actually looking forward to the shift. Usually, she was so stressed by the insults that she couldn’t taste the food. This year, she planned to eat her fill while Shen Wensi dealt with the social storm.

“When is your sect’s banquet?” Huaiyi asked, stuffing a mouthful of shredded potatoes into her mouth. “I’ll attend yours, and you attend mine.”

According to Mu Ze, Shen Wensi didn’t have a great time in her own sect either. Huaiyi figured they could trade places. Hearing people insult “her” while she wasn’t actually the one they were talking about sounded like a great way to relieve pressure.

Shen Wensi’s expression turned slightly odd. She imagined Jiang Huaiyi sitting in her place, surrounded by the terrifying faces of ghost-cultivators who offered her grim sacrifices. Would the girl crawl into her lap in fear? A hidden smile tugged at the corner of Wensi’s mouth.

The Grand Assembly

The day arrived. Despite being in the 21st century, the elder generation insisted on traditional customs. Jiang Huaiyi didn’t wear her usual Taoist robes. Instead, she had a set custom-made for Shen Wensi, whose tall stature meant she couldn’t fit into Huaiyi’s old ones.

Huaiyi dressed in low-key, casual clothes: a gray down jacket, white jeans, a gray scarf, and a black beanie. The entire outfit had been a gift from Shen Wensi, chosen in soft, low-saturation tones that Huaiyi loved.

Shen Wensi, meanwhile, wore the Taoist robes. As the wind caught the fabric, she looked back with a cold, almost divine gaze. Huaiyi felt a pang of reverence; she realized why she hadn’t dared to kiss Wensi’s face directly she felt like she was touching a deity.

The four of them Huaiyi, Wensi, the Senior Sister (Chu Lianxue), and the Uncle stood at the entrance of a suburban restaurant. Unlike the deserted “Ghost Village,” this place was packed with people in uniform Taoist robes.

Jiang Huaiyi’s palms sweated. She usually carried a memento of her Master to these events for comfort, but she had forgotten it today. Instead, she squeezed the silk paper in her pocket.

Suddenly, a warm hand slipped into her pocket and squeezed her own. Shen Wensi dropped her cold facade for a moment. “Don’t be afraid. Today, I’m here. You just sit and eat.”

Huaiyi’s eyes grew misty. Master, even when you aren’t here, someone else is helping me now.

They entered and sat at a side table. The restaurant was organized by hierarchy: young disciples on the outer rim, elders in the middle, and the most prestigious masters on the second floor. The Uncle snorted as he sat down, glancing at the “important” figures above. “Look at them, putting on such a show every year, and yet none of them actually do anything when trouble starts.”

“Master, please don’t say the quiet part out loud!” Chu Lianxue hissed, trying to cover his mouth. Usually, this was Huaiyi’s job.

As they began to eat, a group of seven or eight people walked in, led by an old man with a sharp, judgmental gaze. He scanned the room and walked straight toward their table.

Jiang Huaiyi set down her tea, her heart sinking. It was Tang Guoxin, her Master’s lifelong rival. Every year, he would come by to deliver a few snide remarks about Huaiyi’s lack of talent.

Tang Guoxin stopped at their table and looked at Shen Wensi (thinking she was Huaiyi). “Nephew, why are you sitting so far back this year? I have a seat reserved at the front. Now that your Master is gone, try not to embarrass her too much, or you won’t even be allowed through the door next year.”

The Uncle slammed his chopsticks down and stood up. “Old ox-nose, keep your mouth clean, or I’ll break your old bones so you can’t leave your house for the rest of the year!”

The entire restaurant went silent. Every eye turned toward their table. Chu Lianxue pulled her hand back, a pained smile on her face. Tang Guoxin had managed to set the Uncle off instantly, and now the Uncle was insulting everyone in the room by association.

Chu Lianxue mouthed two words to Huaiyi: “We’re doomed.”

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