With My Ability To Swap, I Will Never End Up In A Love Triangle Mess - Chapter 51

“So… this is the ‘ice cream’ you promised to treat me to?”

Lin Xuenning pointed at the “Bunny’s Playful Ice Cream” stall not far ahead, her lips twitching slightly.

She remembered this kind of ice cream vendor—the type who would toy with customers using a ridiculously long spoon, just for their own amusement.

Bringing her here, Xia Xi was clearly setting her up to be the butt of a joke.

“Relax, I’ll go buy it. It’s just ice cream—why are you so scared?”

Xia Xi curled his index finger and lightly flicked Lin Xuenning’s forehead, as if scolding a petulant child.

“Mom, look at that big brother getting bullied by his big sister~”

A little boy who had just gotten his ice cream pointed at Lin Xuenning, who was now clutching her head with a pitiful expression, his tone dripping with childish innocence.

“Don’t grow up to be like him, son. Making that kind of face in front of your girlfriend—zero masculinity.”

The boy’s father hoisted him onto his shoulders and shot Lin Xuenning a mocking glance.

Well, there was no helping it. Right now, she and Xia Xi had swapped bodies. To everyone else, she was Xia Xi.

And at this moment, she was pulling off the perfect impression of a sulky little girl—or rather, a doting wife waiting for her husband to return with snacks.

Seeing a man act this cutesy and delicate? Yeah, no wonder people were judging.

Lin Xuenning, however, couldn’t care less. Sure, being mocked was annoying, but since everyone thought she was Xia Xi right now… well, it wasn’t her reputation taking the hit.

Once they swapped back, Xia Xi would be the one left looking like a wimp.

Xia Xi being a softie? What did that have to do with Lin Xuenning?

She was a girl—what was wrong with being a little delicate? Got a problem? ＜(｀^´)＞

As the saying went, “Life doesn’t have that many spectators.” Lin Xuenning wholeheartedly agreed.

Random strangers’ taunts? Best to just ignore them.

Meanwhile, Xia Xi had already reached the front of the line.

“Hello, two ice creams, please.”

“You got it!”

The vendor deftly grabbed a cone, scooped a generous serving of ice cream, and then—predictably—dangled it in front of Xia Xi’s face with that absurdly long spoon.

Clearly, the next step was the usual customer-teasing routine.

But Xia Xi had come prepared.

In one swift motion, his hand shot out—snatching the empty cone right out of the vendor’s grasp. The ice cream scoop was still on the spoon, but Xia Xi didn’t hesitate. He shoved the bare cone into his mouth with zero shame.

“Uh…”

The vendor stared, baffled. The ice cream hadn’t even made it onto the cone yet, and this customer was already eating it?

With no other choice, he grabbed another cone, loaded it up, and prepared to repeat the routine.

But the result was the same. Xia Xi snatched the cone, devoured it, and grinned at the vendor like a smug little gremlin.

From an outsider’s perspective, this looked like an adorable girl happily munching on empty cones, flashing her little fangs and batting her big, grateful eyes at the vendor.

“This is a disaster…”

Lin Xuenning felt the sky collapsing above her.

No matter how much she’d braced herself, she never expected Xia Xi to pull this kind of stunt with her identity.

At first, she’d felt a twinge of guilt—after all, she was the one making his body look like a wimp in public.

But now? Ha. Turnabout was fair play.

Her own identity was being used to do something this embarrassing, with a crowd of onlookers treating her like a circus act.

“Stop messing around!”

Fuming, she marched over, snatched the ice cream from the vendor’s spoon, slapped the payment on the counter, and dragged Xia Xi away by the arm.

“What’s the rush? I wasn’t done getting free cones~”

Xia Xi snickered at Lin Xuenning’s flushed face.

He knew exactly why she was in such a hurry to leave—she was mortified.

Honestly, he felt pretty embarrassed too. But since it wasn’t his face being humiliated, who cared?

He’d always wanted to try scamming free cones like this—he’d just never had the guts. Now that he had the perfect opportunity? Of course he’d take advantage of it~

“Ugh, you’re the worst! Here, eat your stupid ice cream!”

Seeing him laugh at her, Lin Xuenning stomped her foot and shoved the entire ice cream into his mouth, leaving him sputtering and whimpering from the brain freeze.

After their little scuffle, they wandered into a boutique.

This shopping plaza had tons of cute little stores—honestly, it was packed with all kinds of shops, bustling with life.

The boutique they entered had no pushy salespeople, no overly friendly staff trying to upsell them—just a peaceful browsing experience.

Lin Xuenning loved places like this. They were full of adorable little trinkets, and what girl didn’t love tiny, pretty things?

With practiced ease, she picked up a pair of cat-ear headbands and slipped them on. Voilà—instant catgirl Lin Xuenning.

“Well? Cute, right?”

She leaned in slightly, pouting at Xia Xi with big, expectant eyes.

“I mean, yeah, it’s cute…”

But could you please think about my reputation for once?! Do you see the looks everyone in this store is giving you?!

Wahhh, my dignity! How am I supposed to flirt with girls on the street after this?!

“Pfft. So unenthusiastic.”

Lin Xuenning rolled her eyes, put the headband back, and flitted over to the sunglasses display.

With a graceful flick of her wrist, she slid a pair of shades into her palm and perched them on her nose.

“How’s this? Cool, right?”

Striking what she thought was a suave pose, she grabbed another pair and handed it to Xia Xi.

“You try them on too.”

“Why me?”

Grumbling, Xia Xi put on the sunglasses and joined her in front of the mirror.

At some point, Lin Xuenning had already whipped out her phone—click—snapping a photo of their matching shades in the mirror.

“Don’t we look like Rikka and Yuta?”

She shoved the photo in Xia Xi’s face, proudly showing off her handiwork.

Admittedly, being good-looking did give the picture a certain anime-esque charm.

But Xia Xi’s focus wasn’t on that.

“Ohhh? Are you saying you wanna be my girlfriend?”

“Wh-what?! No way!”

“No use hiding it. Did you really think Xia Xi-sama wouldn’t notice your Rikka-and-Yuta hint? I see right through you!”

“Ugh, shut up, you narcissist!”

Face burning, Lin Xuenning shoved him away and turned her back, head bowed as if deep in thought.

Xia Xi smirked and returned the sunglasses to the shelf.

He’d never actually thought she meant it that way—he was just teasing her. A little payback for all the times she’d messed with him.