Chapter 4: Escape and Remedy

“I feel stuck. No matter how I revise that part about the modernization of traditional cultural elements, it always feels like something’s missing…”

Moving in Fu Yi’s body, Yu Qing followed two enthusiastic team members, and after only a few steps, he felt his social energy bar rapidly plummeting.

Every laugh had to be deliberately higher-pitched, every response paired with an exaggerated expression.

This was the ultimate torture for a mild social phobic like him!

“Yiyi, does this data model seem off to you?”

The Short-haired Girl leaned in, pointing at the tablet.

Yu Qing immediately summoned all his acting skills, forcing his lips into a brilliant arc.

Leaning forward slightly, he spoke in a sweet, crisp voice that even he found cringeworthy.

“Aiya~ really! The variable settings here do look a bit strange. Should we check again, just to be sure?”

?

Crap, why did it sound like a steamed bun speaking?

The moment the sound left his mouth, Yu Qing nearly died of embarrassment.

Too robotic! What kind of steamed bun becomes sentient!

Sure enough, the Short-haired Girl froze, giving her a strange look, but didn’t dwell on it, just nodded.

“Mm, okay.”

Help…so tired…can’t I just quietly be an ice-cold beauty?

Yu Qing kept a stiff sunny smile on his face, screaming inside.

He had to retreat, immediately!

Seizing a lull in the conversation, Yu Qing quickly furrowed his brows, mixing a look of apology and slight exhaustion—just like how female leads ditch male leads on TV.

No way this could be wrong!

“Um, sorry.”

Yu Qing slowed his speech, adding a just-right hoarseness for realism.

“I suddenly remembered there’s something urgent in the dormitory. I need to go back first. We can sync the discussion details online later, okay?”

“Huh? Yiyi, are you okay? You seem a bit… today…”

The Glasses-wearing Girl sensed something off, but didn’t finish her thought.

“It’s fine, it’s fine,”

Yu Qing interrupted quickly, afraid of being probed.

She tried to wave her hand casually but with a hint of finality.

“Maybe I didn’t sleep well last night, so my mind’s a bit slow. I already have some ideas for the plan, I’ll post them in the group tonight.”

Yu Qing dared not say more, fearing the more she spoke, the more suspicious it’d become.

Maintaining a final “tired but still strong” smile, she turned and walked away.

Her steps appeared calm, but in a blink, she was almost out of sight of the two girls, her entire body radiating the urge to escape the crowd.

“Yiyi…didn’t she rent with us off campus…since when does she have a dormitory?”

Watching Yu Qing’s panicked retreat, the Glasses-wearing Girl’s eyes flashed with confusion.

Only when she reached the little pavilion by the artificial lake, a spot where she was sure no one would disturb her, did Yu Qing finally relax.

All the forced smiles disappeared in an instant.

He took a deep breath, replaced by a bitter helplessness.

“Forget it, let’s change back first.”

Yu Qing glanced around to confirm there was no one nearby.

He took out a small Iron Candy Tin from his pocket.

He’d gotten it with some candy he bought before and had always kept it in his jacket pocket, never thinking to throw it away.

Who knew it’d be useful now.

He opened the lid, placed the Black Pearl from his jacket pocket inside, then set it on the wooden bench, calculating the distance in his mind, and slowly moved away from the mysterious bead.

Ten meters…

A familiar subtle constriction swept through his body, his vision flickered for a moment.

Looking down again, Yu Qing saw his own slightly oversized gray jacket and male hands.

“This feels more natural.”

Yu Qing murmured, his voice returning to its original low pitch.

He gently rolled his neck, returned to the bench, and placed the tin back in his pocket.

But the tin didn’t feel secure enough.

The connection between the lid and the box wasn’t solid.

If the bead bounced out during intense movement and triggered a live transformation, that’d be pretty terrifying.

Thinking it over, Yu Qing spotted his old Camera Bag nearby, which had soft linings and compartments inside.

Double security, just in case.

He carefully wrapped the Iron Candy Tin in a small piece of soft cloth, stuffed it into the innermost pocket of the Camera Bag, and zipped it up.

“This should be foolproof now.”

He weighed the Camera Bag, confirming the Black Pearl was safely isolated and wouldn’t accidentally touch his skin.

After finishing all this, Yu Qing remembered the lie he’d told in his panic earlier—promising to post the plan to the group at night.

Damn, just to escape, he blurted that out as Fu Yi.

A pit he’d dug for himself, now he had to fill it himself.

Thinking of this, Yu Qing hurried back to the dormitory, relieved to find his roommate still absent.

He turned on his computer and quickly organized his previous thoughts on the Original Creation Project into a clear, structured document.

From the core concept to technical paths, he even listed a few potential challenges and preliminary solutions.

It was a plan that had taken days to develop.

Originally, he’d wanted to play it cool when Mei Xue asked for help, but now he had to send it over proactively, losing all initiative.

Sigh.

As he typed, Yu Qing occasionally recalled the Glasses-wearing Girl’s last puzzled look.

Obviously, his act hadn’t been perfect and had aroused some suspicion.

“……”

“Isn’t it obvious!”

A campus belle in weird male clothes, if not for her social skills, others would call it a fashion disaster.

Yu Qing clutched his head, fingers buried deep in his hair, deeply ashamed of his self from half an hour ago.

“Hopefully those two troublemakers won’t mention this to Mei Xue…”

Yu Qing smiled bitterly, but quickly refocused on the document.

Forget it, solve the immediate problem first.

Once the document was organized, he checked it again.

After confirming it was error-free, he opened the chat with Fu Yi.

He hesitated for a moment, then sent the file without any small talk.

[Yu Qing]: Mei Xue, sorry to bother you.

About your group’s issue with modernizing traditional culture, I had some immature ideas when I was brainstorming earlier.

I just organized them on a whim.

Take a look—maybe it’ll provide some reference for you guys?

[Document Attachment]

After sending the message, Yu Qing waited nervously.

Was this a subtle way of showing off? Did it seem abrupt? What if the file was subpar? Would Mei Xue dislike it?

His phone vibrated quickly.

Fu Yi: !!! Senior!!!

[Shock.jpg]

Fu Yi: You’re so fast! I just started discussing with my team members!

Fu Yi: [Received File]

Then there was a brief silence, presumably while reading the document.

A few minutes later, the chat box exploded.

[Kneel.jpg]

Fu Yi: You call this an immature idea?! You practically spoon-fed us!!!

Fu Yi: The logic is super clear! Even the tricky dynamic interaction problem had a solution! Why didn’t I think of handling it that way?!

Fu Yi: Senior, you’re my lifesaver! No—our entire group’s lifesaver! I’m posting this in the group right now! Let everyone see what a genius is! [Cheering.gif]

Watching the flood of exclamation-laden replies on the screen, Yu Qing’s lips unconsciously curled up a little.

The gloom from his failed acting and near-exposure seemed to melt away under this pure approval and gratitude.

Mei Xue was always so likable, almost no one disliked her.

People like that probably lived a fulfilling life.

Yu Qing’s thoughts wandered.

He thought of himself: ordinary, no special talents, and whatever few strengths he had were suppressed by social anxiety.

If only I could be someone like Mei Xue.

He thought of the Black Pearl.

Why think so much? He wasn’t the protagonist of some dark novel.

Being able to enjoy life in Mei Xue’s body was enough—no need for more.

[Yu Qing]: Glad I could help.

If you find this plan workable, I suggest just treating it as your idea.

The contribution points for the Original Creation Project are meaningless to a senior like me—giving them to you puts them to good use.

Yu Qing replied, still reserved, but feeling much lighter.

At least, the lie he’d told as “Fu Yi” was half covered.

As long as those two troublemakers didn’t grill Mei Xue, things should be fine.

Besides, even if exposed, Mei Xue would never suspect him.

Forget whether anyone would believe in supernatural transformations—seeing two identical people, most would assume they just looked alike.

He’d transformed in a place without a camera anyway.

While a deep investigation might turn something up, who’d bother checking that sort of thing?

After all, transformation was far too fantastical.

He glanced at the Camera Bag on the desk—the compartment hiding the secret was zipped tight.

For now, this would do.