Chapter 4: It Is I Who Have Taken Over Your Body

Chapter 4: It Was Me Who Occupied Your Body

Xiaoling Fang clutched her luggage, her heart pounding like a drum as she reached the entrance of the community. She feared that Yi Shen might chase after her and disrupt the plan, and Roland had never mentioned what to do if Yi Shen appeared. She glanced around anxiously, waiting for the final step of the plan, but Roland was nowhere to be seen.

“Xiaoling, I knew you were lying to me. You actually have nowhere to go, right?” Yi Shen called out as he jogged nearby. “Come home first. It’s not safe for a young woman like you to be out so late.”

Before the words had even left his mouth, a bald man suddenly appeared from somewhere and strode up to stand before Yi Shen. “Stop right there. Miss Fang has nothing to do with you anymore.”

“Who… who are you?” Yi Shen asked, just as a sleek black car pulled up at the community gate.

The car window slowly rolled down, and a handsome young man wearing sunglasses leaned out and said, “Sister Ling, get in. President Luo is waiting for you in the car.”

Xiaoling Fang was still in shock when the bald man approached, grabbed her luggage, and stuffed it into the trunk. “Miss Fang, President Luo truly loves you. Otherwise, he wouldn’t have waited all these years or given you six hundred thousand yuan to help you with that poor guy. Who else in this world would love you like that? Don’t hesitate any longer.”

“President Luo?” Yi Shen was utterly stunned. No wonder Xiaoling suddenly came up with six hundred thousand yuan to buy a car when they got married—it was someone else’s money?

“You’re the Yi Shen?” The bald man pushed Yi Shen. “Miss Fang gave up President Luo for you, and now you’re out there chasing other women?”

Yi Shen had never faced such a scene before. The bald man looked so fierce that Yi Shen’s legs nearly gave way. “W-What are you doing? This is a society ruled by law!”

The bald man shook his head. “I really don’t understand why Miss Fang would choose someone like you.”

Xiaoling Fang began to realize it was all Roland’s arrangement. Nervous yet excited, she watched the bald man open the car door. Without fear, she acted as if she was familiar with the place and slid into the car. Sure enough, Roland was inside, sitting right beside her.

The bald man climbed into the front passenger seat. Once the door closed, the car sped away, leaving Yi Shen standing there dumbfounded.

“Roland, you’re amazing!” Xiaoling exclaimed excitedly. “Everything went exactly as you predicted, especially the last scene. It was… it was exhilarating! I’ve only seen such plots in movies!”

“Basic operation,” Roland smiled slightly. “Let that Yi Shen regret it. He won’t get a good night’s sleep tonight.”

“Yeah!” Xiaoling laughed happily. “By the way, are they actors you hired?”

“Oh, the guy in the front seat is the third brother. The driver is a bit of a rogue—I don’t even know his name.”

“Call me Little Tiger,” the driver smiled, showing a row of white teeth.

The bald man slapped the driver’s head. “You call her ‘Roland’ too? The Dragon Lord calls her ‘Granny,’ we should call her ‘Ancestor’!”

Roland grabbed the bald man’s ear. “You call her ‘Ancestor.’ The driver’s a good-looking young man; he can call me ‘Roland.’”

“Alright, Ancestor! Whatever you say!” The bald man shivered as he recalled recent events. The Dragon Lord, infamous for killing without blinking an eye, knelt respectfully and called this woman ‘Granny.’ If the Dragon Lord learned about what happened on Backstreet, they’d surely be skinned alive.

Roland let go. “Anyway, your acting wasn’t bad just now. As for what happened on Backstreet, I won’t hold it against you.”

The bald man felt a chill. This woman was truly uncanny—just as he was thinking of Backstreet, she brought it up. Could she hear his thoughts?

“Don’t overthink it. The less you know about me, the better. Knowing too much won’t do you any favors.”

“Yes, yes!” The bald man agreed quickly, sweat pouring down his neck.

Just listening made Xiaoling gasp. What kind of friends had she made during the time she was unconscious?

After some time, the car finally came to a smooth stop. Xiaoling saw Roland get out and followed immediately.

Roland tapped the front passenger window. The bald man quickly rolled it down and respectfully said, “Ancestor, your orders?”

“Tell that stinky Pan Long that just because I won’t let him cause trouble in the city center, it doesn’t mean he can do as he pleases in Backstreet. Changing locations to play word games with me? If I catch him acting up again, even if he’s my grandson…” Roland’s eyes were like knives as she spoke slowly and clearly, “I’ll wipe him out!”

“Uh—yes, yes! I’ll definitely tell him!” The bald man’s voice turned hoarse. “Farewell, Ancestor. Take care.”

The car sped off as if fleeing for life. Xiaoling followed Roland for a few steps, then suddenly remembered, “Oh no! I left my luggage in the trunk!”

“Everything you need is at home.” Roland took her hand and walked toward building three. “Look around carefully. Do you recall anything?”

At night, the Canglan International community felt like a vast galaxy in the universe. A gigantic artificial sky dome enveloped the entire complex. During the day, thin light filtered through the screen, reaching the crystal hanging high above, reflecting light that was just comfortable for the human eye.

At night, except during special festivals or for VIP requests, the artificial sky displayed a flowing sea of stars. Xiaoling’s neck grew sore without her realizing it. Lost in the beauty, when she finally came back to herself, she was captivated by the meticulously trimmed plants, sculpted like works of art.

“I must have never been here before,” Xiaoling murmured. “If I had, I would never forget it in this lifetime.”

Roland was silent for a long time. She seemed to want to say something but held back, simply pulling Xiaoling into the building’s entrance.

Xiaoling struggled to describe what she was seeing. Beyond shock, she felt an unprecedented sorrow—a profound compassion for the multitude of lives around her. The gap between people was as vast as two worlds—two parallel universes that would never intersect.

To the right of the elevator stood a little girl holding a lollipop. As Roland approached, the girl’s limbs elongated, her hair shortened, facial features sharpened, and her Lolita dress transformed into a black suit. Within seconds, she became a gentleman.

“Miss Roland, welcome home. Do you recognize the lady behind you?”

“Don’t be afraid. It’s artificial intelligence,” Roland explained to Xiaoling. “They can take different forms according to the VIP’s preferences. I had it set as a gentleman butler.”

Xiaoling understood but still nervously hid behind Roland.

“She’s my friend. Help me call the sea elevator. We’re going to the thirty-second floor.” Before Roland finished speaking, the elevator doors opened automatically, a fragrant scent wafting out. Fresh flowers clustered tightly around wooden swing chairs.

Before the elevator doors closed, Xiaoling’s eyes never left the AI outside. She felt as if when she looked at it, the robot smiled back. Yet it wasn’t staring at her continuously—more like a mirrored gaze synchronizing with hers. It made her deeply uncomfortable.

“Remember anything?” Roland asked again.

Xiaoling was at a loss for words. Holding her breath, she shook her head slowly, just wanting to get off the elevator. The scent was too strong and made her nauseous.

As the elevator doors opened, Xiaoling fled out, gasping for breath.

At that moment, she no longer envied Roland. Frowning, panting heavily, she said, “I finally understand why the gap between us is so vast, why I wasn’t born into a wealthy family.”

“Why?” Roland raised an eyebrow, finding Xiaoling suddenly more interesting.

“Ugh—” Xiaoling gagged weakly. “Because… my soul doesn’t belong here. It’s like a freshwater fish that can’t adapt to the ocean. You’ve been asking if I remember anything. I can tell you for certain, if I had really been here before, then the soul inside this body isn’t mine. No matter how many bowls of Meng Po’s soup I drink, I’ll never forget this disgusting place!”

“Is it that bad? You hate it that much?”

“This place has drained my will to keep living,” Xiaoling said, fighting back the sour waves in her stomach. “Everything seems meaningless, like seeing the idol I desperately admired licking the feet of a rich woman. I don’t know how else to describe it except disgust.”

“I understand how you feel.”

“You don’t.”

“I do.” Roland held Xiaoling’s hand as they walked down the seemingly endless corridor. They stopped before a door. After standing there for a moment, the door opened automatically. The lights brightened slowly, like a sunrise, until it was as bright as day.

Xiaoling looked at the resplendent interior and collapsed onto the nearest sofa, bitterly shaking her head. “You can’t understand.”

Roland stood at the door watching Xiaoling rest her legs on the coffee table. She wanted to say something but didn’t. Instead, she took off her high heels and neatly placed them in a nearby cabinet.

“I’m tired. Let’s talk tomorrow,” Xiaoling closed her eyes, planning to sleep through the night. Maybe when she woke, it would all be a dream, and Yi Shen would be beside her, wearing a black tank top, sleeping foolishly with his back turned.

“Alright.” Roland slipped on slippers and walked to her room.

“Roland,” Xiaoling murmured with closed eyes, “thank you.”

Roland paused, silent for a long time, then whispered so softly even she barely heard it, “I’m sorry.”

After Roland closed the door, Xiaoling’s mind filled with images of Yi Shen closing his door and jumping onto the bed. “Honey! Look what I found! These photos are from our trip to Disneyland. Surely you can remember something now?”

Then Roland’s voice echoed in her mind, “Remember anything?”

Voices of relatives and friends surrounded her. “How could you forget?”

Even old classmates who hadn’t contacted her in ages knew things about her relationship with Yi Shen. “Surely you remember something about this?”

Yi Shen played videos from his phone’s gallery. “Don’t be nervous. Think carefully. Look at the video—it’s you. Don’t you remember?”

Xiaoling’s head throbbed painfully. She clutched her head, tears streaming down her face, desperate to remember even a little, but nothing came. Suddenly, she opened her eyes and grabbed a cup from the coffee table, about to smash it over her head. But Roland, who had silently appeared beside her, caught her wrist.

“It was me,” Roland took a deep breath. “Those months, it was me who occupied your body.”

(End of Chapter)