Floating life reflects two lotuses

When Xiao Jinlian woke up, her head was buzzing again. It wasn't a hangover, nor was it from overwork, but rather—that familiar yet shrill voice.

"Xiao Jinlian, who exactly are you? Why are you inside this princess's body?" Chu Wanlian's voice carried the same royal authority as always, but to Xiao Jinlian, it sounded like an alarm clock ringing on an endless loop.

"Who else could I be?" Xiao Jinlian rolled over and lazily uttered, "A corporate slave, what else?"

"A... slave?" Chu Wanlian's voice was instantly filled with confusion. "What does this mean? Are you an official from some dynasty?"

"I guess so, but our modern 'corporate slaves' are even worse off than those officials. They're exploited every day, crying over their paychecks every month, and the boss thinks they deserve it." Xiao Jinlian said casually, grabbing a piece of pastry and stuffing it into her mouth, her voice muffled. "So what about you? Your Highness, how did you end up inside me?"

Chu Wanlian was silent for a moment, then her tone became serious: "This princess was just about to ask you the same thing. Last night I fell asleep in the palace, and when I opened my eyes again, I was in this unfamiliar body. You must have done something!"

"Ah, I'm not taking the blame for this." Xiao Jinlian raised her hands in a gesture of surrender. "Do you think I want to transmigrate into the body of an ancient princess, being chased by memorials and palace intrigues every day? I still have a briefing to finish, and the client is driving me crazy with pressure!"

"Briefing?" Chu Wanlian didn't understand at all. "What kind of vocabulary is this? Anyway, I suspect it's that bracelet that's causing the trouble."

"A bracelet?" Xiao Jinlian looked down at the white jade lotus bracelet on her wrist, her eyes narrowing slightly. "You think so too?"

“Of course! This bracelet was a gift from Consort Yan, and her actions have always been suspicious. I originally wanted to investigate carefully, but I didn’t expect such a turn of events.” Chu Wanlian’s voice carried a hint of annoyance.

Xiao Jinlian touched the bracelet, her brows furrowing. "Speaking of bracelets, before I transmigrated, I met a strange old lady who gave me a bracelet like this. Could they be in cahoots?"

"What old lady?" Chu Wanlian became alert. "Explain yourself!"

Xiao Jinlian then recounted in detail how she helped the old lady carry oil and how she was "forced" to accept the bracelet, her tone full of complaints.

After listening, Chu Wanlian coldly commented, "It's because you meddle in other people's business that you've gotten yourself into this trouble."

"Oh, okay, is this my fault? I did a good deed and I'm wrong?" Xiao Jinlian retorted indignantly. "Then how about I just refuse her? But if she hit me with her cane, do you think I could have run away?"

Chu Wanlian sighed, seemingly unwilling to dwell on the matter: "In short, we need to find a way to send our souls back to our bodies. This state cannot be maintained indefinitely."

“I agree to that.” Xiao Jinlian nodded, then suddenly added, “But there’s one thing we need to agree on first.”

"What is it?" Chu Wanlian asked.

Xiao Jinlian said seriously, "Since we've swapped bodies, let's not mess around with each other's bodies. Let me tell you, my life is already chaotic enough. If you cause any more trouble, I'll just lie down next time and won't care anymore."

"Hmph, this princess has no interest in your life." Chu Wanlian retorted, not to be outdone. "But you! Don't act recklessly because of my status as a princess, especially in front of Li Heng. Don't say a word!"

"Tsk tsk, who is Li Heng?" Xiao Jinlian raised an eyebrow, a mischievous smile playing on her lips. "He's not yours—"

"Shut up!" Chu Wanlian shouted sharply. "Li Heng is my fiancé, don't spout nonsense!"

"Ah, so he's your fiancé. I'm relieved." Xiao Jinlian yawned. "I have no interest in interfering in your love triangle."

The two of them talked back and forth, as if they were arguing with each other, or as if they were testing each other, wary of each other yet forced to cooperate.

“Alright, let’s cooperate for now.” Xiao Jinlian shrugged, her tone suddenly becoming lighter. “But remember one thing—modern corporate slaves aren’t so easy to bully.”

"Remember this—the princess of Great Chu is not to be trifled with!" Chu Wanlian snorted coldly, and then the two of them fell silent at the same time, each calculating their next move in their minds.

A sense of defiance permeated the air, and a "soul battle" that transcended time and space was about to begin.

The next morning, sunlight streamed into the room through the gaps in the curtains, and Chu Wanlian woke up earlier than usual. She stretched, and Xiao Jinlian's serious voice echoed in her mind: "Your Highness, we must make a plan today and find the secret of the bracelet as soon as possible."

Chu Wanlian rolled her eyes: "I know, I know, I've said it eight hundred times yesterday. So, tell me, how do you plan to investigate?"

Chu Wanlian snorted coldly: "Also, first you have to tell me what kind of strange and ingenious techniques exist in modern times that can be used to find clues."

“Strange tricks? Hahaha,” Xiao Jinlian almost burst out laughing. “These days, finding clues is easy, isn’t it? Just search online, and you can dig up your ancestors for eighteen generations in no time.”

"What is 'going online'?" Chu Wanlian asked, puzzled.

Xiao Jinlian slapped her forehead: "Oh no, I almost forgot you don't even know how to use a cell phone. Oh well, let's take it slow, after all, this is your first time encountering high technology."

"High-tech?" Chu Wanlian's voice betrayed a hint of wariness. "Could it be some kind of sorcery again?"

Xiao Jinlian was too lazy to explain, so she sat up and said, "Stop talking nonsense. Let me teach you how to use a mobile phone first. Remember, this is the most powerful tool for modern people, comparable to your ancient sword and imperial edict. You can take it with you wherever you go."

She picked up her phone and patiently explained to Chu Wanlian, "This is called unlocking, swipe the screen. This is the search engine. Enter keywords, such as 'mysterious bracelet.' Look, the results are out! Lots of articles, forums, and even a blogger who specializes in ancient runes."

"Can this thing communicate with the gods?" Chu Wanlian asked, both puzzled and wary.

"What kind of gods are you talking about! Modern people don't turn to gods when they encounter problems, they turn to netizens, understand?" Xiao Jinlian said speechlessly. "Netizens are more capable than the strategists in your palace. Throw a question at them, and they'll analyze it perfectly in no time."

Chu Wanlian paused for a moment, clearly still processing this information: "Then tell me, how do we make use of this 'online friend'?"

"Don't rush, let me search for the design of this bracelet first." Xiao Jinlian opened her camera, took a picture of the bracelet, and uploaded it to a search engine. Soon after, several related links appeared on the screen.

"See this? It says that similar runes were found at an archaeological site and are related to an ancient figure named Luo Yuan." Xiao Jinlian read aloud as she looked at it, her gaze becoming increasingly focused.

“Luo Yuan?” Chu Wanlian’s tone instantly turned serious. “I know this person. He was a wizard in the early years of this dynasty. Legend has it that he mastered the power of runes.”

"Tsk tsk, there's definitely something going on." Xiao Jinlian's lips curled up slightly. "It seems our clues are on the same page. Next, we'll have to see what treasures Luo Yuan left behind."

"How can we continue the investigation?" Chu Wanlian asked.

“Modern archaeologists might know more,” Xiao Jinlian said, pointing to an article on the screen. “It says here that these runes are related to royal secrets. We can try to contact this expert.”

"But how do you convince them to cooperate with you?" Chu Wanlian clearly didn't believe it.

Xiao Jinlian stroked her chin and blinked: "Well... as long as there's money, cooperation isn't a problem."

"Do you have money?" Chu Wanlian asked, her tone clearly questioning.

"..." Xiao Jinlian felt embarrassed for a moment, then chuckled twice, "If we don't have money, we'll just pretend we have some research, learn their terminology, and sneak in first."

"Xiao Jinlian!" Chu Wanlian couldn't help but roar, "Can't you be a little more reliable?!"

"Don't worry, Your Highness, my abilities never come from money, but from my brains." Xiao Jinlian patted her chest confidently. "Today, let this modern-day office worker open your eyes."

Thus, the two reluctantly reached a consensus, preparing to search for clues in their own timelines. Xiao Jinlian turned on her computer and began researching Luo Yuan's information, while Chu Wanlian tried to recall any clues about the bracelet in the palace.

“But let’s make it clear,” Xiao Jinlian suddenly added, “don’t do anything strange with my body, especially… don’t eat random things! My figure is already difficult enough, if I get any fatter I’ll never be able to get married.”

"This princess is not a glutton!" Chu Wanlian sneered. "As for you, don't embarrass yourself by touching this princess's body!"

"Disgraceful? Please, I'm here to save your reputation!" Xiao Jinlian retorted. "By the way, how's the food in your palace?"

Chu Wanlian replied dismissively, "It's a hundred times more refined than your modern 'takeout'."

"Really?" Xiao Jinlian licked her lips, a hint of longing flashing in her eyes. "Why don't you help me eat some good food to make up for it? We'll both benefit."

"Xiao Jinlian!" Chu Wanlian's roar echoed in her mind once again.

The two bantered back and forth, their banter surprisingly lighthearted. Despite the lingering mystery, this unusual "teammate" relationship seemed to be gradually making them accustomed to this absurd soul-swapping.