Qin Mu's real name was a common one, the kind you'd find three of in any classroom: Liu Jiahao.
The Liu family he was born into wasn't wealthy, but they were all tall and naturally good-looking. His parents were honest and frugal, and his older brother, Liu Guohao, was a sweet-talker who knew how to handle people. They were a happy family, the envy of their neighbors.
Until that woman appeared.
The sister-in-law, Su Man. She was beautiful, shrewd, wealthy, and the cousin of Liu Guohao's boss. She took one look at Guohao and decided he was handsome and charismatic enough to be molded into the kind of husband who could survive in high society.
And Guohao—slippery by nature and obsessed with "face"—thought that marrying a rich girl would save him twenty years of hard work. It didn't take long for Su Man to sweep him off his feet and into a hasty marriage.
Things only got worse after the wedding.
Once Su Man joined the family, life became a low-budget social drama. She spoke in thorns, her eyes full of disdain. "Mother, Father, your house is... a bit primitive, isn't it?" "Jiahao, you're in the sports class? I suppose studying isn't really your thing." "Guohao, don't come back here often, do you understand?" She refused to even call his parents "Mom" or "Dad."
Every time Qin Mu saw her, his throat felt like it had been scorched by fire. But the final straw was when Su Man said to his brother in front of their mother, "Guohao, marrying you was a step down for me. Just don't embarrass me in front of the Su family."
That night, Qin Mu's patience snapped. "Brother, you didn't marry her; you sold yourself to her family! Su Man doesn't even treat our parents like human beings!" He refused to even address her as "Sister-in-law."
Those words sliced into Liu Guohao's pride. With a face like iron, he dragged Su Man out of the house. From that day on, he never stepped foot in his childhood home again, not even for holidays.
Qin Mu knew that while his brother was selfish and slick, he had once been filial. All that change was because of Su Man. This incident etched a prejudice against "rich young ladies" into Qin Mu's very bones.
Cold, arrogant, condescending, and family-wrecking. He wanted nothing to do with them.
Later, he entered the entertainment industry out of reality, not dreams. Not strong in academics, his only asset was his physical fitness. To lighten his parents' burden, he chose the sports track. In his senior year, a man approached him about acting. Qin Mu thought it was a scam until he was taken to a real set. The man was a deputy director.
Wuxia dramas were trending. When Qin Mu put on the costume and tied back his hair, the director froze. "Kid, you're incredibly photogenic."
Qin Mu signed the contract. It wasn't about a dream; it was about responsibility. The company gave him a stage name: Qin Mu. It sounded a hundred times better than Liu Jiahao and felt like a rebirth. He mastered stunts easily, had perfect form in fight scenes, and never complained about injuries.
On camera, he was cold and handsome. Off camera, he was steady and pragmatic. For three years, he worked without a background or a benefactor. He didn't want charity. He wanted to live a life his parents could be proud of under the name Qin Mu.
As for love? He thought he would never go near a "rich girl like Su Man."
Until the day a rich girl who carried the "shadow of Ye Xiaoxiao"—Qiao Fei—quietly began to tear down his walls.
[The Qiao Residence]
The household was in a frenzy preparing for Qiao Fei's "birthday banquet." Madam Qiao gave orders to the kitchen, Master Qiao coordinated bodyguards, and the three brothers called relatives. The whole house felt like a festival.
Inside the bedroom, however, it was as quiet as if the world had forgotten them.
Ye Xiaoxiao sat on a velvet sofa so soft she felt she might sink into it, her hands gripping her knees. Qiao Fei (the soul) floated opposite her like a cold projection.
"You still haven't told me," Qiao Fei started, arms crossed. "Who are you? What's your name? What do you do?"
Xiaoxiao's throat tightened. "I-I'm Ye Xiaoxiao... I'm a junior assistant... in charge of costumes and props on a film set..."
Mentioning the word "assistant" made her shoulders slump. Then she looked up suddenly. "Wait! If I'm in your body, then... what about my body? Could... another soul have entered mine?"
She began to panic. "Oh my god, if someone is using my body to say or do weird things... or talk to people... I'm doomed when I go back!"
Qiao Fei watched her spiral for three seconds before speaking. "Are you asking me?" Her voice was like winter snow. "I can't even get into my own body. Do you think I'd know if someone can get into yours?"
Xiaoxiao: "......" The retort hit her like a punch.
Qiao Fei rolled her eyes, her tone sharp. "If I knew why this was happening, I would have kicked you out long ago."
"I didn't do it on purpose..." Xiaoxiao whimpered.
"Well, I didn't exactly volunteer to be stuck outside for six months either," Qiao Fei replied.
Silence fell between them. Outside, they could hear the family's joyous preparations. A grand celebration was waiting.
But inside the room, two girls were trapped—one in a body that wasn't hers, and one locked out of the world she couldn't return to.
Qiao Fei stared at Xiaoxiao, her voice finally losing its edge. "...So, you better understand your situation. I don't know why it's you." She paused before adding the final blow, "But since you're in my body, for the time being—don't screw it up."
It was a warning, but also an entrustment. Xiaoxiao bit her lip and gave a small nod.
The sounds of the party preparations seeped into the room. The fates of the two girls had officially begun to intertwine.