After Swapping Bodies, the Princess and I Became Each Other’s Cheat Code - Chapter 6

Over the next three days, Chu Yue endured frequent medical check-ups while piecing together fragments of “Jiang Tian’s” life from Zhou Lecheng’s scattered remarks.

As night fell, the doctor informed Chu Yue that she could be discharged. Zhou Lecheng handled the paperwork and helped her into a yellow four-wheeled iron box—what Lecheng called a “taxi.”

Chu Yue gazed out the window at the neon lights flashing past, towering skyscrapers piercing the clouds, and the endless stream of iron boxes… None of it made sense. Her mind reeled, filled with fear of the unknown.

She clutched the hem of her dress, her knuckles white from the force of her grip. Her heart pounded like a drum, as if trying to burst from her chest. This was not the world she knew.

The taxi came to a smooth stop in front of a gray-white skyscraper. Chu Yue craned her neck to look up. The entire building seemed to be composed of countless tightly packed square cells, so tall it nearly pierced the clouds, standing out starkly and mysteriously against the night sky.

“We’re here! Our sweet little nest!” Zhou Lecheng paid the fare, her face beaming with relief, and helped Chu Yue out of the taxi.

Chu Yue’s legs felt weak, partly because her head wound hadn’t fully healed, causing pain with every step, and partly because the scene before her was so overwhelming that it filled her with trepidation.

As they entered the building, a man in uniform nodded and smiled at them. Chu Yue instinctively ducked behind Zhou Lecheng. The man’s attire was strange; she had never seen a uniform like that before, neither its style nor its material. Yet his respectful demeanor reminded her of the palace guards, though something still felt off.

“Hello, Uncle Wang!” Zhou Lecheng greeted him warmly, her face beaming with a friendly smile, before pulling Chu Yue toward a small metal room.

The moment Chu Yue stepped inside, the door slid shut automatically, swift and silent. Her heart leaped in her chest, as if an invisible hand had clenched it tightly. She instinctively grabbed Zhou Lecheng’s arm, her voice trembling, “What… what is this? Why did it lock us in?”

“It’s an elevator,” Zhou Lecheng replied, giving her a puzzled look before realization dawned. She gently patted Chu Yue’s hand, reassuring her, “Oh right, you have amnesia. This takes us upstairs so we don’t have to climb the stairs.”

As soon as the words left her lips, Chu Yue felt a tremor beneath her feet. The entire small room began to ascend slowly. She gasped, pressing her back against the wall and gripping the handrail with white-knuckled hands, her eyes wide with terror.

“Tiantian, are you okay?” Zhou Lecheng patted her back anxiously, her face etched with concern. “You used to take selfies in elevators! How can you be so scared now?”

Chu Yue couldn’t speak, her throat feeling as if something was lodged in it. She could only stare fixedly at the rapidly changing floor numbers until the elevator chimed to a halt, the doors sliding open automatically. Only then did she exhale in relief.

“We’re on the 17th floor. Let’s go.” Zhou Lecheng helped her out of the elevator and led her to a dark brown door. She pulled out a set of keys from her bag, adorned with cute little charms.

After unlocking the door, Zhou Lecheng pressed a spot on the wall, and the entire room suddenly flooded with daylight-bright illumination.

Chu Yue gasped, stumbling back two steps as the sudden, intense light seared her eyes. In this world, there were no candles or oil lamps; light emanated from lotus-shaped fixtures on the ceiling. Over the past few days, she had learned these were electric lights.

“What’s wrong?” Zhou Lecheng, noticing Chu Yue’s deathly pale face and panicked expression, quickly guided her to a soft, low chair. Her voice was filled with concern. “Are you dizzy? Do you need some water?”

Chu Yue nodded numbly, her eyes still haunted by fear. She watched Zhou Lecheng approach a large, shimmering silver cabinet, retrieve a transparent glass, and press a silver tube. Clear water flowed out automatically, a miraculous sight that left her speechless.

“Here,” Zhou Lecheng said, handing her the water with a gentle smile. “Do you want to take a bath first? You’ve been unconscious for three days, you must be feeling a bit stale.”

A bath? In this place filled with strange devices? Chu Yue gripped the water cup tightly, warm droplets condensing on its surface as her hand trembled slightly. The cup was completely transparent, even purer than the finest crystalware in her palace, as if it contained not a single impurity.

“I… I’d like to sit for a while first,” she murmured, her voice barely audible, yet her gaze couldn’t help but dart around the room, her eyes filled with curiosity and wariness.

This so-called “home” was much smaller than her palace chambers, yet it exuded an unsettling strangeness. On the opposite wall hung a massive black panel, beneath which stood a row of peculiar devices. These devices varied in shape, their surfaces flashing with indicator lights. In the corner stood a waist-high white cabinet emitting a faint hum, as if whispering some secret. By the window, a long table held several glowing flat panels displaying bizarre patterns and symbols.

“How about watching some TV?” Zhou Lecheng picked up a small black box, pointed it at the large black panel, and pressed a button.

With a bang, the blackboard suddenly lit up! A human figure appeared inside, and voices began to emanate from it. Chu Yue screamed, dropping her cup, which shattered on the floor, spilling water everywhere. Her body trembled violently, as if she had seen some terrifying monster.

“Tiantian!” Zhou Lecheng quickly turned off the television and rushed over to check if she had been burned, her face etched with worry. “What’s wrong with you? You’re even afraid of the TV?”

Chu Yue shook uncontrollably, her trembling finger pointing at the still-dripping floor. Her voice, on the verge of tears, whispered, “There… there’s someone inside…”

Zhou Lecheng’s expression shifted from concern to shock, her mouth slightly agape, her eyes wide with disbelief. “You don’t even remember the TV? It’s for watching shows!” She scratched her head, a helpless look on her face. “The doctor said you had amnesia, but I didn’t realize it was this severe…”

Realizing she had overreacted, Chu Yue took a deep breath and forced herself to calm down. “I’m sorry… my head hurts terribly.”

“Never mind, just rest for now,” Zhou Lecheng sighed, gently helping her stand up. “I’ll take you to your room.”