On the m of the sed day of their journey down the Jin Long River, Jin Shu stood at the bow of the ship, gazing out over the crystal-clear water. Yin’er perched on his shoulder, her tiny face sched into a pout. Every so often, a fsh of silver scales would catch her eye, aail would twitch eagerly. Yet, each time she leaned forward to leap after a fish, Jin Shu's firm ha her in pce.

  “No leaving the ship,” he reminded her for what felt like the huh time.

  Yin’er huffed but settled back, albeit relutly.

  “Husband~ What has caught your attention so early in the m?” came a teasing voice from behind him.

  Jin Shu turo find Biyu standing closer than expected. Her eyes, bright with mischief, peeked out from above her veil. He couldn’t see her expression, but he could easily imagihe cheeky smirk hiddeh the fabric.

  “Ahem. I told you—it’s just to help hide your identity.” He cleared his throat and turned back toward the river, pretending to focus on the sery.

  “Hmm? What is my husband saying? Why don’t I uand?” she asked, her tone as pyful as ever.

  Jin Shu sighed and muttered, “I swear, between you, Yin’er, and my mother…” His voice trailed off as an inexplicable shiver ran down his spine.

  “Oh? Why don’t you finish that thought?” Biyu asked, her sweet voice carrying an edge that made him pause. Her gaze sparkled, but the tone didn’t quite match her expression.

  “Ah, no. Never mind. It’s nothing.” Jin Shu waved off the versation with a quick shake of his head. He had no iion of digging himself into a deeper hole.

  Biyu tilted her head, the teasing lilt in her voice returning. “I saw Sun Li leaving your room st night. How are things with him? He didn’t use his Blessed powers on you again, did he?”

  “She,” Jin Shu corrected automatically. “And no, we talked it over. I’ve decided to try to look past my younger self’s trauma and accept her beliefs—as long as she doesn’t use her powers on me again.”

  “So... she’s a girl now?”

  “That’s how she wants to be seen,” Jin Shu said with a shrug.

  “Hmm, I see,” Biyu murmured, her tohoughtful. Then, out of nowhere, she added, “So that means you did touch a girl’s butt.”

  Jin Shu froze, his mind grinding to a halt. He opened his mouth to retort, but no words came out. The logic of her stateme him floundering.

  “Well?” she pressed, amusement dang in her eyes.

  “I didn’t—” he began, only to falter. Teically, he hadn’t. But... theoretically? No matter how he tried to frame it, he couldn’t e up with a valid response.

  Biyu burst into ughter, her giggles spilling out in waves as she watched his expression shift through fusion, panid resignation.

  “I was just joking,” she said between fits of ughter, her voice warm with mirth.

  Jin Shu sighed, leaning against the railing as the ship glided smoothly along the Jin Long River. Yin’er, ever persistent, lunged after an especially fat fish dartih the surface. With a quick motion, Jin Shu grabbed her by the tail and hauled her bato his shoulder. She protested, but he paid her no mind.

  Beside him, Biyu leaned against the railing, her veil flutterily in the breeze. The movement briefly lifted the fabric, revealing her soft smile. Her hair flowed behind her like evergreen streamers, catg the sunlight in a way that made Jin Shu pause. For a fleeting moment, he wished he had a way to capture the sight forever. Then it hit him—he did.

  With a swift motion, he summoned his phos smooth surface appearing in his hand. He quickly a toward her and snapped a picture.

  Biyu tilted her head, curiosity sparkling in her eyes as her veil settled bato pce. “What’s that?”

  “Um, it’s called a cellphone,” he expiurning the s to show her the photo. “I used it to take a picture of you. See?”

  “Oh, it’s like a memory orb, except... regur?”

  He shrugged. “Yeah, I guess so.”

  Her eyes kled with amusement. “So, you must have thought I was very beautiful?” she teased.

  “I did, and you are,” he replied without hesitation.

  Biyu froze, her teasing demeanor vanishing as her cheeks flushed a soft crimson. She turned her head away, her embarrassment clear in the way the tips of her ears burned red. For a moment, she seemed lost in thought, but theurned back to face him.

  “Jin Shu?” she called softly.

  He had turned his gaze back to the river, watg the ripples dance across the surface. When he looked over at her, he was caught pletely off guard. Biyu leaned in, and before he could react, her lips brushed against his.

  Jin Shu’s eyes widened in shock, his mind bnk. Her soft, rosy lips lingered for just a moment before she pulled back, her eyes meeting his. He stared into the limpid jade pools of her gaze, too stuo move or speak.

  Without a word, Biyu adjusted her veil bato pd turned, hurrying toward the with hurried, almost nervous steps.

  Jin Shu remained rooted to the spot, watg her retreating figure. When his brain finally caught up, he whispered under his breath, “Damn it!”

  Thousands of thoughts raced through his mind, memories and insecurities flooding him at owo rejes from his previous life surfaced, sharp and stinging. “You’re too overbearing.” “You’re sm me!”

  In the depths of his soul, his younger psyche—Kid Jin Shu—turo gre at his older self. “So that’s what it was. You hide that well.”

  Adult Jin Shu whipped around, his expression dark. “What are you talking about?”

  Kid Jin Shu raised his hands in mock surrender. “Rex, I didn’t mean anything bad. It’s just… now I get what’s been holding you back all this time.”

  “You don’t know shit, kid!” Adult Jin Shu shough the frustration in his tone sounded hollow.

  “Hey, calm down. I help.”

  Adult Jin Shu said nothing but didn’t deny the offer.

  Kid Jin Shu’s expression softened. “You’re afraid of reje,” he began, only to stop as the older psyche shot him a deadly gre. He held his hands up again. “Just hear me out. I don’t have that same trauma. Like you helped me with mine, I help you with yours.”

  Adult Jin Shu hesitated, his guarded expression crag. “How?”

  “Acceptance,” Kid Jin Shu said firmly. “Accept all of their love. Well, maybe not Sun Li’s—not just because she’s biologically male, but also because I might actually die if I had to be arouoo long. Let’s start with Biyu and Xue, yeah?”

  “But—”

  “Nope,” Kid Jin Shu cut him off. “e on, man, it’s my life too. Just let go.”

  Adult Jin Shu’s brow twitched in annoya being interrupted, but after a moment, he sighed. “You’re right. It is your life as well. Fine. However—” his voice hardened slightly,“—don’t go overboard. You ’t go chasing after every pretty girl you see.”

  Kid Jin Shu blinked. “Really? You agree?”

  The older psyodded, his expression softening.

  Ba reality, Yiilted her head, her bright eyes fixed on Jin Shu. “Yin’er wants a kiss.”

  Jin Shu ughed aly lifted her off his shoulder, pressing a kiss to her fluffy head. “There. Happy?”

  “Yay! Yin’er loves Daddy!” she chirped, giggling with delight.

  Jin Shu chuckled, his tone softening. “Daddy loves you too.”

  Turning away from the railing, he headed toward the s, carrying Yin’er inside. As they ehe hallway, he set her down. “Go find Sun Li and ask her to get the chef to prepare a fish for you.”

  “Fish?!” Yin’er excimed, her tail waggiedly.

  “Yeah, yeah. Go on.” He waved her off.

  With a burst of energy, Yin’er flew down the corridor at lightning speed, disappearing around a er. Jin Shu ti a more leisurely pace, his demeanor subtly shifting. His stride gained a cocky rhythm, his posture more rexed, and his expression carried a smug smirk. If anyone were watg closely, they might have noticed a distinct difference.

  “Ah, it feels good to finally have my body back… well, I guess I never really lost it, but it still feels different,” he muttered, his voice carrying an unmistakable cheekiness.

  He stopped in front of Biyu’s door. Knock, knock!

  The door swung open after the sed knock, revealing Biyu standing oher side. She blinked up at him, her expression curious.

  “Hello, little beauty,” Jin Shu said with a cheeky grin.

  Bang! The door smmed shut in his face.

  “Ah!” Jin Shu winced, clutg his nose. “Ow! What the hell?”

  The door cracked open slightly, and Biyu peeked out with an apologetic look. “Sorry,” she said, though her eyes quickly narrowed. “Wait a sed... who are you?”

  “What do you mean? It’s me!” he replied, his voice muffled as he pinched his nose.

  “You’re weird,” she said suspiciously, her eyes scrutinizing him.

  “What’s that supposed to mean? How am I weird?” Jin Shu pulled his hand away, iing it for blood. Breathing a sigh of relief when he saw none, he gnced back at her.

  Biyu crossed her arms, tilting her head as she gave him a once-over. “Your stance, your attitude... even your voice. It’s like you’re younger or something.”

  Jin Shu froze, his eyes widening. Even his mother hadn’t noticed when his psyche switched, or if she had, she never mentio. But Biyu? Somehow, she caught on instantly. He shook his head to clear the swirling thoughts and decided to py it cool.

  “I’ll admit, I’ve been a little cold to you before,” he began, leaning against the doorframe. “I was afraid of reje. But after you kissed me, I decided to let you into my heart.”

  Biyu blinked, her expression turning bnk. “What are you saying? What kiss?”

  Jin Shu groaned, knog his head lightly against the doorframe. “Ah, not this again! You and Li Xue pulled the same thing st time!”

  “I really don’t know what you’re talking about,” Biyu said, her tone deadpan.

  “Fine,” he grumbled. “Let me jog your memory.” He leaned forward to push the door open, only to bounce back as the door refused to budge. He’d uimated her strength—again.

  Biyu ughed, watg as Jin Shu stumbled backward and on his rear. Her ughter was light and melodic, but it only served to bruise his ego further.

  Even within his soul, both his psyches were r with ughter, as though they were watg the climax of a romantiedy. Jin Shu scowled internally. “I swear, you two are the worst.”

  Jin Shu sat on the floor rubbing his sore nose, he couldn’t help but grin. “You know, I might be weird, but you’re ly normal either.”

  Biyu leaned against the doorframe, a smirk evident even under her veil. “ing from you, I’ll take that as a pliment.”

  Jin Shu climbed to his feet, dusting himself off. “You should. It means you’re perfee.”

  Biyu blinked, her teasing demeanor faltering for a moment. “Perfect, huh?” she murmured, almost to herself.

  Jin Shu took a step closer, his fidenwaverie his earlier tumble. “Yeah. You’re strong, clever, and sharp enough to keep me on my toes. What more could I want?”

  Biyu quickly turned her head, the tips of her ears reddenih her veil. “Idiot,” she muttered, though her voice cked its earlier bite.

  Jin Shu’s grin widened, and for the first time, his internal psyches were silent, as if watg and waiting. The quiet moment stretched between them, and Jin Shu took a deep breath.

  “Well, if you’ll excuse me,” he said, his tone suddenly lighter. “I have a fish-hungry furball to chase after.”

  He turned and walked away, his smirk still in pce, leaving Biyu standing in her doorway, a faint smile tugging at her lips.

  Inside his soul, Kid Jin Shu crossed his arms with a smug expression. “See? Not bad for my first time, huh?”

  The older psyche sighed but nodded. “Alright, kid. I’ll admit, you’re onto something.”

  “Damn right, I am.” Kid Jin Shu grinned. “Now let me hahe ooo. This is fun.”

  “Don’t push your luck,” the older psyche muttered, though there was a hint of amusement in his tone.

  Jin Shu chuckled aloud, ign the odd look from a passing crew member. For the first time in a long while, he felt lighter, like he’d taken a step closer to finding ba just with himself, but with the people around him.