Chapter 19: The Fairy (Part I)

Only after Jiang Xuanü descended from the men's dormitory did Xiao Yu stroll with her around the campus. As she walked, Jiang Xuanü reviewed legal statutes while answering some of Xiao Yu’s questions.

Xiao Yu laughed, "She has a formidable capacity for learning, and her perception of the world is quite different from ours. After studying law for a long time, she became distracted by a cat, then spotted birds in the trees. She gave up on her phone, observing the cats, dogs, and birds on campus for the better part of the day. Finally, she squatted down to observe the habits of ants, and then you returned."

Lu Xing dared not imagine how "he" looked squatting on the ground watching an anthill; it would only make sense if it were Jiang Xuanü, with her petite, delicate, and expressionless demeanor.

"Does the virtual world really lack these small animals?" Xiao Yu asked curiously.

Lu Xing shook his head. "None. No cats, no dogs. There are bird calls in the trees, but no birds. I checked; the models for the flowers, grass, and trees are quite mediocre. If you crush them with your hands, the petals just shatter into fragments, completely unlike the real world."

Xiao Yu did not play many games, but she understood the basics and quickly concluded, "So the virtual world of the future isn't very refined?"

"Exactly. Using the level of realism in online gaming novels as a benchmark, it’s probably only at forty percent."

Lu Xing shared what he had observed over those three days.

Xiao Yu remarked, "Only half a day has passed here, yet you spent three days in the future. Of course, that’s not the point. The point is, why would an artificial intelligence do this?"

Lu Xing shook his head. "Too little information. I can't deduce it."

Xiao Yu smiled slightly. "You didn't come back empty-handed from this trip. At least you made contact with other humans. I asked Jiang Xuanü, and she said she had never seen another human before."

"She disguised herself too well; humans all took her for an android."

The two walked and chatted, moving from the grove to the teaching building, then to the chemistry lab, over to the women's dormitory, and finally back to the cafeteria where Jiang Xuanü had been watching the ants.

"I'm hungry, I’m going to grab something to eat. How about you?" Lu Xing asked, then added with a smile, "If you want to eat at the canteen, I'll treat you."

"You're treating me?"

Xiao Yu glanced at the cafeteria, feeling a bit embarrassed. "I'll treat you instead," she added, "I graduated years ago; it’s not really appropriate for me to be wandering into your canteen."

She didn't want to say that, as it made her feel old!

Lu Xing shook his head. "I'm too tired today and don't want to go out. I'll just grab something simple. Let's do it another day. Once I have some money, I'll treat you as a token of thanks for your help today."

Xiao Yu nodded slightly, and they parted ways.

Lu Xing had a quick meal and returned to his dorm. Qi Wenyu immediately jumped up. "Brother Six, I've already contacted a doctor for you. For heaven's sake, don't wet the bed again before you go see him!"

"Get lost."

"Hahahaha."

Lu Xing had roughly figured out what happened. Jiang Xuanü didn't know how to use the restroom. Fortunately, she didn't ask Qi Wenyu to teach her, but instead contacted Xiao Yu after entering the bathroom.

Xiao Yu had inhabited Lu Xing’s body, and conversely, Lu Xing had inhabited hers.

They were in a relationship where they had each occupied the other’s body.

"Are you asleep?"

After Lu Xing finished his shower and came out, he saw a WeChat message from Xiao Yu.

"Not yet. Is something wrong?"

"I've organized some names and photos of the people in my social circle. You can take a look at them for now."

"How thoughtful! [Thumbs up] I'll organize mine and send them to you tomorrow."

"Does Brother Six have a girlfriend?"

Qi Wenyu leaned over, trying to catch a glimpse of his phone. Lu Xing quickly covered it. "No, no, just chatting."

"Just chatting, sure." Qi Wenyu laughed, full of envy. "Your picture is already on the campus confession wall, with a beautiful lady beside you! The replies are blowing up!"

Lu Xing didn't know whether to laugh or cry. "She’s not even from our school; why put her on the confession wall?"

"What company is she with? What's her name? Does she have a boyfriend? Brother Six, introduce me! I love that type of older sister!"

"Didn't you say you always like freshmen?"

"In principle, yes, but for a beautiful older sister, I can break my principles!" Qi Wenyu clenched his fist in a forceful gesture.

"Why don't you break your moral bottom line and become a pervert instead?"

After some nonsense, Lu Xing played a few games with him, not lying down until midnight, still feeling energized.

This was the life a college boy should have during the National Day holiday!

But.

As soon as Lu Xing opened his eyes again, he found himself lying in a frozen wasteland, atop a bed of cold jade. He propped himself up, and a cascade of raven-black hair spilled over smooth, fragrant shoulders. Just by looking, Lu Xing knew he must look like a beauty in a delicate, morning-drowsy slumber.

Such a beautiful person—she was the Ice Fairy, not him.

Lu Xing quickly steadied himself; he had, after all, transmigrated many times now.

Looking around, the ice chamber was no different from the last time he was there, except that the mirror had been flipped. At the end of the writing he had left last time, a new line had appeared:

*Hold the mirror, and you may travel the Three Realms and Six Paths at will.*

"That's it?"

Lu Xing searched carefully. There was indeed only this one line. Regarding the questions he had left last time, the Ice Fairy had provided no answer, nor had she even told him her name.

Lu Xing was speechless for a long moment.

He wondered if this fairy disdained speaking to a mere mortal like him, or if she held reservations and refused to leak further information.

Perhaps, it was simply that she was cold-natured and extremely stingy with her words, whether toward people or matters.

Thinking it over, the sentence she left behind contained quite a bit of information.

First, she was immensely powerful.
Second, the mirror was trustworthy.

After a moment of consideration, Lu Xing decided to trust her. He stepped off the bed with his bare, jade-white feet, dressed in a simple white gown, and walked across the ice to look into the mirror.

The face of a fairy once again appeared in the glass, reflecting into Lu Xing's eyes. It left him stunned; it was as if the entire ice chamber had become radiant and colorful, like a celestial palace, due to her beauty.

Lu Xing had nothing more to say. Any urge he had to complain about her earlier had vanished.

There was no helping it; humans are visual creatures. Her peerless, ethereal grace was enough to make even her enemies willingly bow at the hem of her white dress.

"My dear daughter, are you awake?"

The beautiful woman in red appeared in the mirror once more. She locked eyes with Lu Xing through the glass and immediately reacted. "You are that ghost from Earth?"

In an instant, countless figures appeared within the mirror—some innocent and adorable young girls, others elegant and gentle matrons; some virtuous, some cold—all staring at Lu Xing.

The difference was that last time they had occupied the entire surface of the mirror, but now they stood back from the glass, allowing the mirror to reflect all their appearances. They were all beauties of exceptional grace and temperament.

There were great beauties and small beauties alike.

Pure and cute, lively and moving, icy and peerless, graceful and luxurious...

This mirror could be said to have gathered all the beauties of the world!

"I am from Earth, but I am not a ghost!"

Lu Xing steadied himself and bowed to the many beautiful women in the mirror. "Greetings, everyone. My name is Lu Xing."

The expressions of the women in the mirror varied, and faint whispers could be heard.

"Lu Xing? He is the one from Earth?"

"To be able to enter our bodies without alerting the Mirror of Reincarnation... is Earth perhaps the Celestial Realm?"

"No, Earth lacks spiritual energy; one cannot cultivate there."

"You have never been to the Celestial Realm; how would you know what it is like?"