The moment Dr. Wen stepped closer with that disturbingly calm smile, my instincts screamed at me.
Danger.
Everything about her. her too-perfect expression, her crisp white coat, her smooth tone, it all screamed controlled. Like a snake pretending to be a songbird.
"Shall we begin?" she asked, setting down her bag and pulling out a sleek digital tablet.
"I don't need a doctor," I replied, backing toward the bookshelf-lined wall of the office. "I'm just… adjusting. That's all."
Mr. Xiao didn't even look at me. He was pouring another drink.
"You've had episodes before, Xinya," Dr. Wen said. "Don't you remember?"
"No. I don't." I narrowed my eyes. "Funny how you seem to know exactly what I'm supposed to forget."
Her fingers paused on the tablet. The smile thinned just for a second and then reappeared. "Let's talk privately."
"I'm fine talking here."
"I insist," Mr. Xiao interjected, not even turning around. "Go with Dr. Wen."
So this was how it would be.
I gave Dr. Wen a tight smile and followed her out of the study. We walked through the hallway in silence, her heels clicking sharply while I replayed every moment since I woke up in this world.
The dream.
The unfamiliar reflection.
The name Li Suna causing a reaction in Mr. Xiao.
The way everyone acted like they were expecting something like this.
We reached a smaller room — a sitting area that looked like it hadn't been used in a while. Dr. Wen gestured for me to sit. I didn't.
"Let's just get to the point," I said, arms crossed. "Who exactly are you, and what are you trying to diagnose me with?"
She blinked slowly. "You're exhibiting symptoms of dissociation. Memory gaps. Identity confusion."
"Or maybe," I said quietly, stepping closer, "I'm not the one who's confused."
There was a long pause. And then Dr. Wen put her tablet away.
"I see," she said softly, stepping back. "Then I suggest you rest, Miss Xiao. We'll schedule further evaluations tomorrow."
She left just like that. No protest. No questions. No pushing.
Too easy.
That confirmed it. She wasn't trying to help. She was trying to observe.
Once I was alone, I wandered the hallways of the mansion. The Xiao estate was massive, too massive for one girl to live in. Servants bustled quietly, avoiding eye contact. A few nodded politely, but no one asked where I was going.
Good.
I turned down a narrower corridor and spotted something strange: a door tucked away behind a tall plant. Almost like someone didn't want it noticed.
I glanced around. No one was watching.
The doorknob was cool to the touch and unlocked. I stepped in.
Inside was dim, lit only by a small window near the ceiling. Dust covered everything shelves, boxes, and trunks. It looked like a storage room… until I noticed a single item hanging on the wall.
A framed photo.
I approached it slowly, wiping off the dust.
My breath caught in my throat.
It was me.
Standing in the garden behind the estate. Same long black hair. Same crystal-blue eyes. Wearing a pale lilac dress.
But the problem was… I had never been in that garden. I had never worn that dress.
The photo was dated in the corner... two weeks ago.
"What…?" My voice cracked in the silence.
Then something else caught my eye a stack of journals half-hidden under a cloth. I opened the top one.
"Diary of Li Suna."
My fingers trembled.
I opened the first page. The handwriting was elegant, flowing, full of emotion.
March 3rdI keep dreaming of another life. One where I am not Xiao Xinya. One where I live in a small apartment, love novels, and never have to fake a smile.Sometimes, I wonder which life is real.
I stumbled back.
Li Suna. Me. Xiao Xinya.
This body's original soul had started dreaming of my life before I came here.
It wasn't random. It was a swap.
And that meant somewhere out there… in my world…
She was living in my body.
Just then, a floorboard creaked behind me.
I turned.
It was Butler Bu. Eyes wide. Breath shallow.
"You weren't supposed to find that," he said.