Exchange of Movie Queens - Chapter 8

Of course, Ruan Yesheng didn’t dare to actually try it.

Every actress in the industry cherished their face and figure. If they accidentally fell while filming, their first instinct was to protect their face—it was practically second nature. Even though Ruan Yesheng was now wearing Xi Mo’s skin and indulging in some verbal teasing, her ingrained strict standards for her appearance and physique remained unchanged.

So, in the end, she only ate what she considered a reasonable portion.

Xi Mo waited for Ruan Yesheng to finish eating before saying, “Clean up.”

Ruan Yesheng watched as Xi Mo maintained her usual queen-like demeanor, giving orders without hesitation. She didn’t say anything in response but swiftly tidied up. Xi Mo then took the plastic bag and went out to throw it away.

“I’ll be back soon. Open the door for me,” Xi Mo said without turning her head as she walked out.

“This humble servant respectfully sends off Her Majesty the Queen. Not only will I open the door, but I’ll also kneel in welcome when you return,” Ruan Yesheng called after her with a smile.

Xi Mo had the strong urge to slam the door in Ruan Yesheng’s face, but since this was a hospital and she had to keep quiet, she closed the door gently—though her grip on the handle trembled slightly as she did so.

When Xi Mo returned, Ruan Yesheng opened the door for her. “Your Majesty has arrived! Your Majesty personally took out the trash! Your Majesty has worked hard!”

Xi Mo shot her a sidelong glance. “No need to kneel. Just step back to the table and wait. I have something to say.”

Ruan Yesheng obediently sat back down at the table. Xi Mo took a seat, spreading out the paper and pen she had brought with her.

“From now on, every word I say is important. Pay close attention and remember it,” Xi Mo said.

Ruan Yesheng rested her chin on her hand, her eyes brimming with charm. “Go ahead.”

Xi Mo picked up the pen and began sketching on the paper. “Tomorrow, before dawn, Lu Qingming will come to transfer you to another hospital—a private one where paparazzi can’t get in. Lu Qingming is trustworthy, so just follow his instructions and don’t slip up. If anything comes up, text me, and I’ll tell you what to do. Delete each message after sending it. Don’t leave any evidence that could be discovered.”

Ruan Yesheng listened attentively, not making a sound.

Xi Mo glanced at her, seeming slightly satisfied with her focus. “After you’re discharged, find an excuse to stay at the company for a while. Under no circumstances are you to go back to my place—you wouldn’t be able to get in anyway.”

Ruan Yesheng said, “Oh? Do I seem like I’m dying to step foot in your home?”

Xi Mo: “…”

Would it kill you to just listen quietly like you were doing a second ago?!

Xi Mo paused briefly, finishing a simple diagram with annotations before continuing. “There’s a private room reserved for me on the 24th floor of the company. I sometimes rest there, though I don’t use it often. You’ll stay there for the time being. Here’s a layout of where things are stored in the room—familiarize yourself with it so you don’t mess things up. Everything must stay in its original place. If you need anything, have Lu Qingming arrange for someone to buy it. There are also a few spare cards in the safe—those are my backup pocket money.”

At this, Ruan Yesheng began wondering just how many millions this so-called “pocket money” amounted to.

Xi Mo went on without pause. “Keep two of those cards for your use. I’ll give you the passwords for the room, the safe, and the two bank cards. Memorize them carefully—don’t mix them up.”

Deep down, Ruan Yesheng was truly proud. Her eyes grew calm and restrained as she said, “No need to tell me, Kami. I never use other people’s money. Just find an excuse to have Tangtang bring my things from my place and hand them over to me.”

What was hers remained hers.

What wasn’t hers would never be hers.

Xi Mo replied coldly, “Do you think I want to give you money to spend? I’m providing for my own body. Let me make this clear—since you’re using my body now, don’t let it suffer even the slightest bit. Buy whatever it needs. I’ll give you a list of daily care and precautions later. Follow it exactly.”

With Xi Mo’s status and earnings in the industry, her income was staggering, and so were her expenses—especially since she was so particular and demanding in her daily life. Ruan Yesheng knew she couldn’t possibly match, let alone compare to, Xi Mo’s level right now. Her own funds were far from enough to sustain the lifestyle of a diva like Xi Mo. After a moment of silence, she nodded.

“For now, just use what I give you. Lu Qingming also has one of my supplementary cards for daily expenses. I’ll figure out how to transfer more money to you later,” Xi Mo said, though she was equally frustrated.

After the body swap, everything had become inconvenient.

Even if she knew the keys and passwords to her own home, she couldn’t just waltz in now. Forget entering—she’d probably trigger the alarm the moment she stepped into the courtyard, not to mention the paparazzi lurking nearby. If they caught “Ruan Yesheng” sneaking into Xi Mo’s house alone, the scandal would be earth-shattering.

All her important assets were at home. The money already in her accounts was temporarily out of reach, and the daily deposits were even more inaccessible. Ruan Yesheng, not being the real her, couldn’t access them, and while she—now in Ruan Yesheng’s body—knew all the details, she couldn’t freely approach them either.

In this society, losing one’s identity meant being unable to take a single step forward—not even into one’s own home.

“What about you?” Ruan Yesheng asked, noticing the suppressed displeasure in her expression.

“Take two cards first. Find an excuse to give the rest to Feng Tangtang later and have her pass them to me,” Xi Mo said. “I trust you know how to handle it. Let’s deal with the immediate priorities first—we’ll figure out the rest later.”

She handed Ruan Yesheng the prepared list of precautions. “I’m allergic to seafood—absolutely no contact with it in my diet. Read the rest carefully.”

Ruan Yesheng already knew about this quirk. She took the list and skimmed through it with an air of nonchalance, resting her chin on her hand.

After a quick glance, it was clear that Her Highness was extremely particular about her daily life.

“Do you have any special needs for your body? Allergies, for example?” Xi Mo asked coolly. “Make a list for me. I’ll take care of them.”

“None,” Ruan Yesheng replied theatrically. “How could a lowly servant like me compare to Your Highness’ delicate and noble constitution? Even if you dragged my body to sleep on the streets right now, I wouldn’t complain in the slightest. Of course, I know Your Highness would never stoop to sleeping on the streets.”

Xi Mo: “…”

I really want to execute you right now!

Only after finishing the list did Ruan Yesheng look up at Xi Mo. “I don’t have many demands for you—just maintain your figure, since I have work later. Also, you can’t stay at my place.”

“I’ll find somewhere else to live.”

“When I left the house, besides my phone, I also had my ID and keys in my bag. They should all be with Tangtang for safekeeping. Did she give them to you?”

“She handed everything over. They’re in my hospital room. I needed the ID, but I’ll return the keys to you later.”

Ruan Yesheng lowered her head in thought before saying, “Keep the keys for now. Go to my place and pick up some essentials, documents, and my upcoming work schedule. You can return them to me afterward. Just take what’s necessary—please don’t rummage through anything else.”

Xi Mo sneered, “Not interested.”

Ruan Yesheng fell silent.

Xi Mo added, “As for what you need, you can just ask Lu Qingming. He’ll arrange everything.”

The two sat across from each other, exchanging a great deal of information. With their bodies swapped, their identities naturally followed suit. Everything had been reversed, and without prior coordination, countless complications would inevitably arise later.

Xi Mo burned the papers she had written on. It was already past ten at night.

Ruan Yesheng remarked, “It’s late, Your Majesty. Aren’t you returning to your palace? This humble servant has to wake up early tomorrow—didn’t Eunuch Lu have matters to arrange?”

Xi Mo glared at her coldly. “When are you taking a shower?”

“I’ll go now.” Ruan Yesheng stood up but suddenly turned back to look at Xi Mo. “Wait—what are you planning?”

“I’m waiting for you to shower.”

Ruan Yesheng feigned bashfulness. “Showering together?”

Xi Mo had the overwhelming urge to slap her to death, but seeing her own face stopped her.

Ruan Yesheng gathered her change of clothes. As she headed to the bathroom, Xi Mo enunciated each word clearly, “Close your eyes when you shower. If you peek, I’ll gouge them out. If you touch where you shouldn’t, I’ll chop your hands off. I’ll time you—no locking the door. I’ll be checking.”

Holding her clothes, Ruan Yesheng arched a brow slightly. “Close my eyes? What if the shower gel slips? It’d be so inconvenient to grope around blindly for it.”

Xi Mo’s expression darkened.

This woman was insane!

Now she’s even thinking about picking up shower gel! If the soap dropped, would she drag my body around to retrieve it too?!

Ruan Yesheng continued fretfully, “And if I slip while reaching for the shower gel and damage your precious body, what then?”

“Get in,” Xi Mo spat icily.

With a chuckle, Ruan Yesheng complied.

“No locking,” Xi Mo warned sternly, gripping the doorframe. Clearly, she wasn’t joking.

Defeated, Ruan Yesheng left it unlocked. She doubted Xi Mo would actually barge in anyway.

Under the stark white bathroom lights, Ruan Yesheng tilted her head slightly, silently studying her reflection—no, the face that originally belonged to Xi Mo.

Slender fingers brushed against the buttons of the hospital gown, undoing two slowly. The collarbones emerged from the tightly wrapped fabric like the unfurling wings of a butterfly—delicate, elegant. As she gazed, her hands trembled slightly, fingertips trailing down the skin with a mix of nervousness and an indescribable thrill.

In the past, she could only admire from afar. Even when they met, an icy barrier always stood between them. Xi Mo was notoriously aloof, exuding an air of untouchable restraint. But now, as the clothing loosened, the breathtaking beauty hidden beneath was unveiled like petals blooming under moonlight—mesmerizing, intoxicating.

Finally, she could touch her.

Never had she imagined it would happen like this. Staring into the mirror, it felt as though she was secretly glimpsing the most intimate parts of Xi Mo in another form.

Though her fingers were under her own control, and this body now belonged to her, the faint joy she felt upon touching it gradually faded, replaced by an indescribable sense of shame that burned so intensely it felt like melting.

Ruan Yesheng instinctively closed her eyes and stepped under the shower to begin washing.

Her mind was in turmoil. The earlier sensations now felt like a desecration of this body’s original owner. She steadied herself, shutting her eyes tightly, not daring to dwell on it further.

Since when had something as simple as bathing become such an unbearable burden?

Outside, Xi Mo was equally agitated.

Losing control of her own body, unable to even see it—the unease gnawed at her relentlessly. If she had been suppressing it before, now, sitting outside imagining Ruan Yesheng bathing inside, she felt like she was truly losing her mind.

Ten minutes passed before Xi Mo abruptly stood up and barged into the bathroom.

Hearing the sudden intrusion, Ruan Yesheng instinctively crouched down, arms wrapping around herself, the bottle of shower gel slipping from her grasp. It all happened too fast—her eyes were still tightly shut.

Xi Mo: “…” She had rushed in anxiously just to check, never expecting Ruan Yesheng to actually keep her word and keep her eyes closed.

When Ruan Yesheng saw Xi Mo, her face flushed instantly. The instinctive shyness of a woman whose body had been exposed was written plainly across her expression.

She exclaimed, “What are you doing?! You actually came in?!”

In that moment, pure instinct took over—she forgot she was in someone else’s body, reacting as if she herself had been seen naked. And even knowing the body wasn’t hers, the sheer fact of being unclothed still brought that same exposure-induced shyness. It wasn’t the body that felt the shame, but the soul.

Xi Mo’s ears burned red, her cheeks slightly warm, as she swiftly—almost comically—slammed the bathroom door shut.

From outside, she said stiffly, “I was looking at my own body. There’s nothing wrong with that.”

Ruan Yesheng: “…”

After composing herself, Ruan Yesheng let out a dry chuckle from inside. “Later, when it’s your turn to bathe, I’ll just wash you myself. After all, I’d be washing my own body—nothing wrong with that.”

Xi Mo retorted, “You should probably pick up your shower gel first.”