Moonlit Reunion

Mei Zhuyu contemplated the current situation with an impassive expression—somehow, he had ended up in his wife's body. By reverse reasoning, it was highly likely that his wife was now in his body. Earlier, he had simply been working as usual without doing anything out of the ordinary, so the sudden body swap was probably due to something his wife had done.

He looked down once more at the two wooden figurines he was holding. Upon closer inspection, he noticed they were crudely carved by a novice, rough yet distinguishable as a man and a woman by their hairstyles and clothing outlines.

There was something peculiar about these figurines, but he couldn’t immediately discern their secret. Convinced of this, Mei Zhuyu tucked them away and turned to leave.

After taking a single step, his foot caught on something, and he stumbled, falling with a thud. His chest hit a wooden box, sending a sharp pain radiating outward. Instinctively, he reached up to rub the sore spot, only to feel something soft beneath his fingers. He silently withdrew his hand, ignoring the discomfort, and stood up.

Several boxes lay scattered on the floor, evidence of Wu Zhen’s earlier rummaging. Mei Zhuyu gathered them and placed them neatly on a nearby table before stepping forward cautiously.

This wasn’t his body. The height, weight, and even the flow of energy within were entirely different. He struggled to adjust—the world seemed lower than usual, and then there was the weight on his chest, uncomfortably heavy. Had it always felt like this?

Step by step, he reached the door and leaned against it as he stepped outside. Trapped in Wu Zhen’s body, he felt an inexplicable restraint. This wasn’t his own body, and any harm done to it would be suffered by his wife. The mere thought made him feel as though he were cradling a fragile treasure while walking through a field of thorns—one misstep, and the consequences would be irreversible.

Wu Zhen was usually like a gust of wind, coming and going with unrestrained energy. But Mei Zhuyu was different—steady and composed by nature. Now, with this unfamiliar body, he moved even more carefully, his steps slow and deliberate. From Wu Zhen’s room to the exit of Duke Yu’s estate, the servants who saw him couldn’t help but stare at his dignified posture and solemn expression.

The uninformed servants wondered: What had come over the Second Lady? Why did she seem so reserved?

Those who knew of Pei Ji Ya’s disappearance sighed inwardly. It seemed the Sixth Young Master’s fate was indeed grim—otherwise, why would the usually carefree Second Lady wear such a grave expression and walk with such heavy steps? The sight alone filled them with unease.

Yet no one dared to speak up. With mixed curiosity and concern, they watched as the Second Lady left Duke Yu’s estate and rode off into the distance.

In contrast to Mei Zhuyu’s cautiousness, Wu Zhen was far more carefree. She stood up, clasped her hands behind her back, and boldly strolled around the room. Her husband was tall, and though the room looked the same as before, the altered perspective made it feel strangely unfamiliar.

After circling the room, she didn’t stop there—she abandoned his work and dashed outside. There was no way she’d sit still and handle official documents for him. Even if she could, such a mundane task paled in comparison to the excitement of this bizarre situation.Walking through the Ministry of Justice offices, Wu Zhen realized just how poor her husband's reputation was among his colleagues. Not a single person dared to greet him voluntarily. The officials who had been chatting and laughing together immediately fell silent when they saw him, only resuming their conversations after he had passed by.

Wu Zhen walked past the group, then quickly hid around a corner to eavesdrop.

She didn't know what they had been discussing originally, but after seeing her pass by, they immediately started talking about her—no, about her husband.

"That Plum Vice Director is quite something. Vice Minister Xu has been at odds with him, but he solved every cold case assigned to him. Tsk tsk, for a mere Vice Director to make Vice Minister Xu powerless against him..."

Someone scoffed, "What do you mean 'mere Vice Director'? The man has a formidable wife. Surely you've heard about that incident."

"You mean the one with Vice Director Cui?"

"Exactly. I know about that too. Vice Director Cui once drunkenly insulted Plum Vice Director in private and nearly got drowned by Wu Er Niang. They say the scene was terrifying. Now that he's offended Wu Er Niang and her gang of troublemakers, Vice Director Cui has divorced his noble wife and lost his position. With such a cautionary tale, who would dare provoke Plum Vice Director now?"

While mocking Vice Director Cui, the group spoke of her husband in complex tones—some disdainful, some awed, and others with envious bitterness.

So her husband's "pariah" status at the Ministry of Justice was partly her doing. Though Wu Zhen doubted her husband cared, she still felt guilty. He really suffered here—bad food and few pleasant faces to look at.

But since these people already scorned her husband, she might as well beat up a few of those who spoke ill of him. Their relationship couldn't get worse anyway. And that Vice Minister Xu... Wu Zhen vaguely recalled he'd caused trouble for her husband before their marriage too.

Well, she couldn't leave empty-handed. Might as well vent some anger on her husband's behalf.

Thus, on that day, Vice Minister Xu was brutally assaulted by an unknown assailant. A sack over his head, each punch heavier than the last, he wailed like a pig. When finally discovered, miraculously, he had no serious injuries—just a face swollen beyond recognition, resembling a cured pig's head.

When Xu's servants came to collect him, Ministry officials gathered to watch, Wu Zhen among them. Rubbing her knuckles, she felt immensely satisfied, her earlier frustration at being tricked by her cousin mostly dissipated. Also, her husband's strength was remarkable—she'd only lightly pummeled the man, yet look at the result!

With Vice Minister Xu leaving early due to injuries, Wu Zhen found the Ministry dull and departed too. At least she remembered to request leave properly, maintaining her husband's identity.

Approaching noon as she exited the palace gates, Wu Zhen spotted a figure holding a horse beneath a distant tree—her own body. When that person turned to look, Wu Zhen immediately recognized her husband's presence within.

She ran over and, in one motion, lifted him into her arms, laughing heartily.The movement was effortless. Wu Zhen felt her body as light as a cloud, easily lifted with a single motion, which amused her so much that she even twirled around twice.

Censor Liu happened to be exiting through a palace gate when he spotted the two embracing so openly in public. Recognizing the one doing the holding as Mei Zhuyu, whom he had always held in high regard, his eye twitched. He flicked his sleeve and turned away to take a detour, his heart filled with profound disappointment. Such a promising young man! Ruined by that scoundrel Wu Zhen! Look at him now, all sense of propriety gone!

Mei Zhuyu watched expressionlessly as his wife gleefully manipulated his body, swinging him around twice before he grabbed her arm and said, "Put me down."

Wu Zhen grinned and set him down, bending slightly to meet his eyes. "Angry?"

Mei Zhuyu shook his head. "No. I’m just worried you might lose control of my body and drop yours."

Wu Zhen laughed at his expression. "My body isn’t made of porcelain or glass—it won’t break so easily. Why are you so tense? Look how carefree I am."

Indeed, she was utterly carefree, even squatting down to eye level with him before teasing, "Husband, you’re really short now."

Mei Zhuyu: "..." Do you realize who you’re talking about?

He sighed helplessly and pulled out the two wooden figurines from his sleeve, steering the conversation to the matter at hand. "Is our current situation because of these?"

Wu Zhen: "Probably. My cousin gave them to me. He’s no good—his wedding gift was likely meant for me to open on our wedding night, and then..."

She shrugged. "Too bad I forgot about it until today."

She then briefly mentioned Pei Ji Ya’s disappearance. Mei Zhuyu wasn’t familiar with Pei Ji Ya, having only met him twice in passing. Unconcerned about Pei Ji Ya’s fate, he simply asked, "Do you know how to undo this?"

Wu Zhen answered shamelessly, "Nope. Do you have any ideas, husband?"

Mei Zhuyu: "It takes the one who tied the bell to untie it. We’ll probably have to find him first."

After a moment of silent exchange, Wu Zhen was the first to throw up her hands. "Fine, then we’ll look for him on the way to Kunzhou. But the round trip will take at least a month. We’ll need to arrange things here in Chang’an—shouldn’t be a problem."

Wu Zhen spoke with confidence, but that very afternoon, trouble arose. The Empress summoned her to the palace.

Wu Zhen happened to be at the Demon Market discussing matters with her two deputies, so Mei Zhuyu had no choice but to grit his teeth and enter the imperial palace in Wu Zhen’s body.

The Empress hadn’t summoned her sister for anything urgent—she simply hadn’t seen her in a while and wanted to check on her. Before marriage, Wu Zhen had visited the palace frequently, especially during summer. Her prolonged absence now struck the Empress as odd. Consort Mei, noticing her concern, suggested summoning Wu Zhen for a visit.

The Empress received her sister at the lakeside pavilion, but this meeting was unusually awkward. At the sight of "Wu Zhen," the Empress was taken aback. Her sister was always quick to laugh—bright and unrestrained. Every previous visit had begun with a smile before even a word was spoken. But this time, her sister’s expression was calm, devoid of any trace of a smile, so composed it hardly seemed like her at all."What's the matter? Did you run into some trouble?" Empress Wu frowned, wondering if someone had upset her sister recently. Her sister wasn't even smiling—what kind of distress could have caused this?

As she pondered, Empress Wu's expression grew stern. "If there's something, just say it. Though I reside in the palace, I won't stand by and let you be bullied." Her demeanor made it clear she was ready to stand up for her sister immediately.

Mei Zhuyu could only reply, "It's nothing. I've just been feeling a bit unwell lately."

Hearing this, the empress grew even more concerned. Feeling so unwell that it changed one's temperament? How could that be a minor issue? Without needing her orders, Consort Mei had already instructed the palace servants to summon Imperial Physician Liu from the Imperial Pharmacy.

The Imperial Pharmacy was responsible for the medical needs of the emperor, empress, and favored consorts, with Imperial Physician Liu being the most skilled among them. Hearing the empress's summons, he hurried over immediately. Seeing that it was for Wu Zhen's examination, he said nothing more and respectfully took her pulse.

After checking carefully, Imperial Physician Liu finally smiled and said to Mei Zhuyu, "Congratulations, you're pregnant."

Mei Daozhang, who had remained unflappable since the body swap, finally lost his composure, his eyes widening in shock.