Chapter 118: Death Trap
This translation was originally posted on https://love4baihe.blogspot.com please read it there. and check out other stories too.
Ruan Yesheng felt dizzy, sinking into a daze.
The discomfort hit so suddenly, and worsened so fast. In just a short while, she was already struggling to breathe. She couldn't even get out a few broken words—only gasped for air and trembled in Xi Mo’s arms.
Xi Mo held her tight, completely panicked. But even in a panic, Xi Mo’s ability to analyze the situation stayed steady. Seeing Ruan Yesheng's series of reactions, she quickly realized something, then hurriedly pulled open Ruan Yesheng's collar a bit—her neck was already flushed red.
Xi Mo’s heart dropped.
This symptom was all too familiar.
Ruan Yesheng was having an allergic reaction.
No—more precisely, it was Xi Mo’s body having the reaction.
She used to be extremely sensitive to seafood—couldn’t even come into contact with it—so she’d always been especially careful with what she ate. Her allergic reactions came on fast. If she really did eat something, it could flare up in twenty to thirty minutes. Judging by the time she and Ruan Yesheng had spent walking in the garden, the only possible time she could've been exposed to the allergen was during the wrap party meal.
But there wasn’t a single seafood item on their table. Ruan Yesheng knew about her allergy and would never let her eat something by mistake.
Xi Mo held Ruan Yesheng with one arm and fished her phone out with the other to make a call. There was no time to think about what went wrong—the most important thing now was treatment.
She called Gu Qisong first. Though her voice was trembling, she still gave clear instructions: “Gu Qisong, Xi Mo's having an allergic reaction. Drive the car to the back of the hotel—behind the garden’s private rooms, there’s a wall with an iron gate. Go there now, I’ll be waiting by the exit!”
Gu Qisong wasn’t someone who wasted time. His background as a special forces soldier had trained him to act on orders instinctively. He understood the situation, said “understood,” hung up, and immediately ran toward the parking lot.
Xi Mo’s second call was to Lu Qingming. She got straight to the point: “Lu Qingming, Xi Mo's having an allergic reaction. Bring the allergy medicine in your bag and get over here now. I’m taking her to the hospital. Gu Qisong is already on the way!”
Then she repeated the meeting location and asked, “Did you get all that?”
As soon as Lu Qingming heard that Xi Mo was having an allergic reaction, his expression instantly turned serious. While waving for the assistant beside him to hand over his bag, he frowned and walked quickly. “I’m coming right away.”
But something felt off. The way this “Ruan Yesheng” spoke over the phone sounded a bit strange.
In the past, Ruan Yesheng had always spoken to him politely and respectfully, always calling him “Mr. Lu.” But just now, not only had she directly called him by name—Lu Qingming—but her tone had that unmistakable sense of pride and authority, like someone giving orders from above. It sounded both unfamiliar and oddly familiar.
Because that was exactly how Xi Mo spoke to him.
Since Xi Mo had a seafood allergy, Lu Qingming always kept allergy medicine in his bag. Every morning before work, he made it a point to check his bag and ensure the medicine was there. Even on days when he wasn’t planning to see Xi Mo, the medicine stayed with him—just in case. For all these years, not once had he forgotten it.
Xi Mo was picky and cautious with food. Her allergic reactions were rare. Most of the time, the medicine just sat quietly in the bag, never used.
But very few people knew about this. Aside from Xi Mo, only a few trusted people around Lu Qingming were aware.
Lu Qingming assumed that Ruan Yesheng only knew about the allergy medicine because Xi Mo had told her. He hung up and immediately broke into a run toward the garden.
His assistant, who’d been working with him for years, looked shocked. Mr. Lu was always polished and composed in his suit, calm and measured—seeing him rush like this was incredibly rare.
What on earth had happened?
After making the calls, Xi Mo looked down at Ruan Yesheng and saw her eyes were closed, her breathing growing heavier.
“Don’t worry. It’s just an allergic reaction. Lu Qingming’s bringing the medicine. I’m taking you to the hospital now—Gu Qisong is waiting at the back gate,” Xi Mo said, trying to sound calm even though her chest felt like it was being stabbed.
She didn’t want Ruan Yesheng to be scared.
But honestly, she was scared too. She’d had allergic reactions before and knew the treatment process, but she had never felt this anxious.
She hated the thought of Ruan Yesheng suffering—she knew how awful an allergy attack felt.
In her daze, Ruan Yesheng could vaguely hear Xi Mo’s voice, but when she tried to move her lips, she couldn’t say a word. Her head was burning up.
Xi Mo didn’t waste another second. She bent down and carried Ruan Yesheng on her back, heading straight for the iron gate at the back of the garden.
This was actually her first time carrying someone on her back—and it just so happened to be her own body. Ruan Yesheng had trained in dance for years, and this body was flexible and well-maintained. Surprisingly, it had decent strength too. Carrying someone wasn’t too hard.
Still, Xi Mo had been taller in her original body, with longer legs, so the proportions now weren’t ideal.
After walking a while, she started to breathe a little heavier, but still carried Ruan Yesheng steadily. As she walked, she kept talking to her.
“When we switch back, you’re going to have to work out, okay?”
She was panicking now, not even sure what to say, but she had to say something—she couldn’t let Ruan Yesheng fall asleep.
No one spoke. The only sound was the cold wind howling past. But the body on her back burned like fire.
Xi Mo’s eyes stung a little. She muttered under her breath, “Why isn’t this damn gate here yet?”
Everything felt too slow. The gate was too far. Lu Qingming still hadn’t shown up. Had Gu Qisong brought the car yet?
But really, in terms of distance and safety, this was the fastest route. Xi Mo had already calculated that in a split second.
No matter what, they couldn’t go out the hotel’s front entrance. With the wrap party happening, tons of entertainment reporters were swarming the lobby and the front gate. It wasn’t that she was afraid of being photographed—paparazzi were everywhere, it was impossible to completely avoid them—but she knew what would happen if they took that way. Crowds of reporters with no ethics would shove their cameras in their faces, not caring whether the patient was dying, just to get a breaking story.
In that kind of chaos, getting Ruan Yesheng to the hospital would be a nightmare and waste precious time.
The back garden’s iron gate, though? Fewer people, almost no paparazzi, and a much shorter route. It was the best option.
Xi Mo kept walking, Ruan Yesheng still on her back. But Lu Qingming came running from the other direction. Before she even reached the gate, he was already there.
He took one look at Ruan Yesheng on her back, face turning grim.
“Give her the medicine first,” he said in a low voice.
Xi Mo gently set Ruan Yesheng down. Lu Qingming pulled out the allergy medicine. Xi Mo took them, supporting Ruan Yesheng’s back with one hand and helping her lean against her, then slipped a pill into her mouth, whispering, “It’s allergy medicine. You’ll feel a lot better after this.”
Ruan Yesheng forced her eyes open, barely managing a glance at Xi Mo. The pill was bitter and felt like it was stuck in her throat.
Lu Qingming quickly handed over a bottle of water with the cap already off. Xi Mo helped her drink a few sips, and finally, Ruan Yesheng managed to swallow the pill.
Then Xi Mo lifted her back up again and said to Lu Qingming, “I’ll carry her. Go wait at the iron gate and meet up with Gu Qisong. If he’s not there yet, push him to hurry.”
Lu Qingming hesitated for a moment, then nodded and walked off quickly.
Gu Qisong had run fast and was a skilled driver—he actually got there first. He was already waiting not far from the gate when he saw Lu Qingming, followed closely by Xi Mo. He rushed over right away.
Suddenly, the Ruan Yesheng on Xi Mo’s back gripped her arm tightly. The strength in that hand was shocking, squeezing so hard that it made Xi Mo wince. Her heart dropped—something was wrong. She quickly put Ruan Yesheng down again and let her lean on her.
Just from that grip, it was clear how much pain Ruan Yesheng was in.
Her eyes were now fully shut. Her chest rose and fell rapidly. The redness that had started on her neck was spreading down her arms, and her whole body was trembling like she’d been thrown into an ice bath.
“Didn’t she take the allergy medicine?” Xi Mo turned to Lu Qingming, panicked. “Why does it look like she’s getting worse?”
Lu Qingming was alarmed too. “This is the same stuff Xi Mo always took—it’s always worked best.”
Allergic reactions hit fast and hard. But the medicine usually kicked in quickly too. Now that Ruan Yesheng has taken it, even if it had only been ten or fifteen minutes, they should’ve started to ease the symptoms by now.
At this point, Ruan Yesheng was trembling even more violently, her breathing weak and irregular. Xi Mo’s hands started shaking along with her. She reached out to check her breath, and her face instantly turned pale. While unfastening the buttons at Ruan Yesheng’s collar, she said, “She’s having trouble breathing. She needs… a ventilator.”
“Ventilators are only in ambulances and hospitals,” Lu Qingming said anxiously. “If we call 120*, it'll take time for them to get here.”
*120 is China's hotline for ambulance and medical emergencies.
That’s exactly why Xi Mo had planned to rush her to the hospital first. At the start, she thought it was just like her usual allergic reactions—take the medicine to ease the symptoms, then go to the hospital, and everything would be fine. But now she realized things were spiraling out of control. The symptoms were clearly allergy-related, but she was wrong about one thing—this wasn’t an ordinary reaction.
This was a severe allergic reaction.
And allergies were all about exposure. Before, she hadn’t known how much was ingested. Now she had a gut feeling—the exposure this time was way beyond what she could’ve imagined.
Once it gets that serious, it becomes life-threatening.
Trouble breathing could lead to anaphylactic shock.
And even… death.
What exactly did Ruan Yesheng eat?
Images flashed through Xi Mo’s mind like a reel—actors' expressions at the table, the wine glasses during toasts, the food they’d eaten, the moments chopsticks touched the plates, the waiters’ smiles while serving dishes, even the soup they drank—all flashing before her eyes.
There hadn’t been any obvious seafood on the table. If there had, Ruan Yesheng wouldn’t have touched it.
So it had to be hidden in something—like ground seafood powder in the seasoning, or maybe a broth made from seafood stock.
…The soup.
‘I tried it earlier. It’s really tasty. I don’t know what they put in it, but it’s really good.’
Ruan Yesheng’s words echoed in Xi Mo’s ears.
That soup was indeed thick and rich in flavor. Ruan Yesheng really liked it and drank two full bowls. If there really were a high concentration of seafood ingredients in it, that amount could absolutely… take her life.
But this was all too strange.
Whenever there was a public banquet, Lu Qingming would always strictly check everything. He would instruct the kitchen and tell the chefs not to use any seafood at all—otherwise, they would have to bear legal consequences.
Those chefs understood how serious allergies could be and wouldn’t dare make trouble. Once Lu Qingming gave instructions, they definitely wouldn’t let the food come into contact with seafood.
So how could seafood have been used in the soup base?
The more Xi Mo thought about it, the colder she felt all over. But she didn’t dare delay. Now that Ruan Yesheng was struggling to breathe, she didn’t dare carry her on her back for fear of compressing her chest. But there was no stretcher either, so she gritted her teeth, one arm supporting Ruan Yesheng’s back, the other holding her legs, and quickly walked toward the car.
They had to get to the hospital… fast!
This translation was originally posted on https://love4baihe.blogspot.com please read it there. and check out other stories too.
Just as they were getting close to the car, the usually stone-faced Gu Qisong actually showed rare excitement and shouted loudly, “There’s an ambulance! And a doctor!”
As he shouted, Gu Qisong had already started running forward, and Lu Qingming quickly followed.
The words “ambulance” and “doctor” instantly jolted Xi Mo’s nerves.
She turned her head and saw, a short distance ahead, an ambulance parked with its back doors open. Inside, all the emergency equipment could be seen, and a long-haired female doctor in a white coat was standing outside the vehicle, talking to two nurses seated inside.
It felt like a dream.
A dream where hope appears at the edge of despair—so lucky, almost unreal.
Xi Mo looked down at Ruan Yesheng in her arms. Her eyes stung with the threat of tears, and her heart was a mess of emotions. Holding someone like that was tiring, but she’d been so anxious that she’d completely forgotten the pain in her arms, clinging on with sheer willpower.
Now, seeing the ambulance, she quickly laid Ruan Yesheng down, making sure her breathing was as smooth as possible.
Very soon, Gu Qisong and Lu Qingming pushed over a stretcher cart, a nurse jogging beside them. They hurried to Xi Mo.
The group carefully lifted Ruan Yesheng onto the stretcher and rushed her toward the ambulance.
Hearing Lu Qingming’s explanation, the female doctor and the nurses got ready. The moment Ruan Yesheng was placed inside the ambulance, they began emergency treatment.
The doctor placed an oxygen mask over Ruan Yesheng’s face and instructed the nurse beside her, “Take her blood pressure.”
The nurse checked—her blood pressure was terrifyingly low.
“The patient is in shock. Start infusion. Build two IV lines. If her blood pressure stays low, give her a vasopressor.”
As she spoke, the female doctor had no time to bother with Xi Mo and the others. She and the nurses were fully occupied.
Xi Mo stood outside the ambulance door. She wanted to go in but was afraid she might interfere with the rescue inside, so she could only stand there, anxiously watching. She glanced at the ambulance plate, then at the logo on the side—it was an ambulance from a proper hospital. Usually when people nearby called 120, this was the hospital that responded.
Looking again at the complete medical equipment inside and the skilled movements of the doctor and nurses, it was clearly professional. Xi Mo finally felt a bit more at ease.
Lu Qingming paced back and forth. Gu Qisong also stood there watching.
After a while, the female doctor, wearing a white mask, bent down and held the back door. Her tone was gentle and kind. “We will take the patient to the hospital first.”
As soon as Xi Mo heard that, she immediately said, “Doctor, please let me ride along.”
One of the nurses inside said, “Sorry, that is not usually allowed. Family members can drive behind us, but inside the ambulance, it is not suitable for anyone except medical staff. If the family becomes emotional, it can affect the patient’s treatment. We hope you understand.”
“I will not get emotional. If you do not let me speak, I will not speak.” Xi Mo’s voice held rare pleading and softness. In her life, she had never begged anyone before. She lowered her voice and said, “Please let me go with her. She is alone—I am not at ease. I will stay in a tiny corner. I promise I will not interfere.”
The nurse frowned and was about to speak again, but the female doctor raised her hand to interrupt.
The doctor’s exposed eyes were clear and bright. She said, “Alright, get in. If she regains consciousness later, you can talk to her and encourage her.”
“Thank you. Thank you, doctor.” Xi Mo kept thanking her, her lips trembling.
She climbed into the back of the ambulance and turned to Lu Qingming and Gu Qisong. “Drive behind us. Stay close.”
Lu Qingming nodded and walked back with Gu Qisong.
The ambulance door was shut, and the vehicle started moving. Xi Mo sat carefully in a corner, her body slightly leaning toward where Ruan Yesheng was lying, wanting to check on her condition.
At first, the inside of the ambulance was completely silent. After a while, a nurse glanced at Xi Mo—she looked like she wanted to speak but was afraid of disturbing others, wanting to look but afraid she wouldn’t be allowed. The nurse softened and said, “She’s receiving an IV. Don’t worry.”
“…Thank you.” Xi Mo’s voice was very soft, afraid she might disturb Ruan Yesheng.
The nurse said, “You’re lucky. Right before lunch, our hospital got an emergency call saying there was a patient who needed urgent care in a residential building behind the hotel. They told us to get there fast. We hadn’t eaten yet, but we rushed over. When we got to the location, there was no patient at all.”
She seemed upset and couldn’t hold back: “We tried to call the contact number from the hospital side, but the call wouldn’t go through. When we get back, we’re going to report this. The person who made the false emergency call will be held responsible. It’s too much—don’t they know it’s illegal to make false reports to 120? It wastes medical resources.”
“But thankfully, we were just about to head back when we ran into you needing help. I guess it worked out.” The nurse let out a sigh of relief. “Otherwise, given her current condition, it could’ve been very dangerous.”
“Is she out of danger now?” Xi Mo’s heart was full of worry for Ruan Yesheng. She didn’t have room in her mind for anything else.
“We don’t know yet. We’re still observing,” the nurse said.
Then she went back to her work.
Xi Mo could only sit there, trying her best to hold back her anxiety, waiting for what would come next.
Time ticked by. The ride was steady, with barely any bumps.
After a while, Xi Mo noticed the two nurses leaning against the wall of the ambulance, heads down, seemingly asleep.
She couldn’t hold back anymore and softly said to the female doctor, “Doctor, they…”
The female doctor was wearing a mask, so her face couldn’t be seen clearly, but her eyes were very beautiful. She replied gently, “They’re just too tired. They’ve been part of several rescue operations and haven’t had lunch. They’re just resting a bit while leaning there. Don’t worry, I’m here—it won’t affect anything.”
Even though the doctor said that, Xi Mo still felt uneasy.
Thud.
Thud, thud.
Suddenly, Xi Mo heard a strange sound. It was like something lightly hitting against a box. She looked around, and then saw that under the bench where one of the nurses was sitting, there was a silver-colored case. Its size was somewhat like a cello case.
Was the sound coming from that box?
The female doctor noticed Xi Mo staring at the case and said, “It holds some medical equipment the hospital provided.”
Xi Mo nodded and didn’t say anything more.
But in her heart, she knew—something inside that box seemed to be moving.
Still, she was cautious. In a situation like this, she wouldn’t bring it up in front of the doctor.
The doctor looked at her for a moment, her eyes seeming to carry a smile. “Come over and take a look at the patient. Talk to her a bit.”
Xi Mo’s full attention was immediately pulled back to Ruan Yesheng. She quickly moved closer, kneeling beside the stretcher, watching Ruan Yesheng.
Ruan Yesheng’s face was pale, and the clear liquid slowly flowed through the IV tube into her veins.
“Can you hear me?” Xi Mo’s voice was extremely soft, with a clear tremble, as she asked Ruan Yesheng.
Right now, she really wanted to call Ruan Yesheng’s name. Ruan Yesheng’s consciousness was fading, and she probably couldn’t remember she was pretending to be her. Maybe calling her real name would stir something deep inside her and bring her back.
But she didn’t dare. If she called her that, the female doctor might find it strange.
Even though it wasn’t obvious whether the doctor recognized her face or not, she couldn’t be sure the woman didn’t know. There were many celebrities at the hotel today—maybe this doctor knew something. She couldn’t take that risk.
The female doctor smiled and asked, “Who is she to you? Why aren’t you calling her name?”
Xi Mo just looked at the female doctor.
The doctor said, “Usually when family members come along, they try to wake the patient by calling their name.”
Xi Mo didn’t respond.
That silver-colored case suddenly moved again.
Sweat started forming on Xi Mo’s neck. She turned to look at the case, then looked at the doctor.
The doctor’s eyes curved in a smile as she looked at the unconscious Ruan Yesheng on the stretcher and said, “We’ve already done our best, but her blood pressure is still dangerously low. It won’t go up, even after giving her medicine to raise it.”
“What… does that mean?” Xi Mo felt the air inside the ambulance turn cold in an instant.
There also seemed to be a faint, strange smell.
“It means…” The female doctor was very calm, her tone gentle as she spoke to Xi Mo, “She’s probably going to die.”
Every pore on Xi Mo’s body felt like it exploded in that moment. The chill rushed into her skin, tormenting every vein inside her.
Thud.
Thud!
The noise from the box was getting louder.
But Xi Mo couldn’t care about that silver box anymore—she noticed Ruan Yesheng’s whole body had started convulsing. Her mind went blank as she grabbed Ruan Yesheng’s hand—her hand was already icy cold.
Just like the doctor said.
She was about to die.
That strange smell was growing stronger. Xi Mo stared at Ruan Yesheng, trembling all over.
The female doctor wasn’t lying.
Ruan Yesheng’s pulse was so faint it was nearly gone.
Xi Mo’s eyes were burning, her rims red like she was about to burst into tears.
It wasn’t because her own body was about to stop beating, that she could never again appear as Xi Mo, and would have to spend the rest of her life trapped in Ruan Yesheng’s body.
It was because—Ruan Yesheng, as a person, was about to disappear.
If this heart stopped beating, then the existence of “Ruan Yesheng” would vanish completely.
Since ancient times, some people have asked: what makes a person exist in this world? Is it the body? The mind? Or the soul—that gives someone their entire meaning?
After swapping with Ruan Yesheng, Xi Mo had also thought about this question.
The more time she spent with her, the clearer it became to Xi Mo: it’s the mind, the soul, that matters most.
The body is just an empty shell.
Xi Mo had never felt so helpless. Not even the scary things from her childhood could compare to the pain she felt now. It was like falling into an abyss, terrified that Ruan Yesheng would disappear forever.
She was scared that she’d never see Ruan Yesheng again.
Never hear her voice, never see her smile.
For the first time in her life, she had such a powerful wish—to switch back with Ruan Yesheng. If her own body was truly failing, then let it be her who faces death instead.
She didn’t even realize—
The one thing she wanted most right now was to trade her own life to save Ruan Yesheng’s.
She just wanted her to live.
Even if… even if it meant giving up her own life.
Xi Mo’s head started to spin. She could smell that strange scent—it was familiar, but so familiar it terrified her.
Everything about this moment felt like déjà vu.
“What’s wrong with you?” the female doctor asked.
The box was still moving.
Xi Mo didn’t answer. Her thoughts began to scatter, and her vision blurred, as if something had twisted the world around her. Everything turned upside down, kaleidoscopic, so dazzling she couldn’t keep her eyes open.
She felt like her soul had been thrown out of her body and into scorching magma.
The lava burned her, and every wave of pain was like being torn apart. The flames seemed to scorch her very soul. It was too much—she could only hope this torment would end soon.
The doctor said something beside her—just a few words—but she could no longer hear them.
The world spun violently.
Then the roar in her ears faded into silence.
Xi Mo collapsed onto Ruan Yesheng, completely unconscious.
Author's Note:
This chapter was so hard to write, there was so much content, it took me so long _(:з」∠)_
Don’t doubt it—they’ve switched back. From this moment on, the real story begins~
We’ve reached a major turning point, so let’s celebrate with ratings, comments, fireworks, and firecrackers~ After such a long wait, the day’s finally here!
