On a winter morning, though it was still early, Feng Li had already woken out of habit.
The room was unlit, dim and shadowed, with only the faintest hint of dawn light seeping in.
She drowsily pushed herself up from the bed, her mind still foggy with sleep.
Sitting on the edge of the bed, she lowered her head and rubbed her bleary eyes.
Usually, the quarters for low-ranking palace maids were bitterly cold, and every morning she would shiver for ages before mustering the will to rise. But today, there was an unusual warmth in the air…
Her gaze drifted downward, landing hazily on a pair of men’s boots.
Instantly, her drowsiness vanished.
Her body froze, and despite the warmth of the room, a shudder ran through her. She nearly let out a startled yelp.
Whose shoes were these?!
She forgot to breathe.
Her lips trembled, losing all color.
She had definitely fallen asleep in the Laundry Bureau last night!
How could there possibly be men’s belongings in the quarters of low-ranking maids?!
Had she… been sent to someone’s bed last night?
A flurry of panicked thoughts raced through her mind.
She instinctively turned to look at the bed, only to find it empty—no one else had slept there besides herself.
At least she was alone.
She exhaled slightly in relief.
But then… what were these boots doing here?
Feng Li’s mind was still a whirl of confusion, unable to fully relax.
Yet her fingers couldn’t help but knead the quilt beneath her.
So soft…
She had never slept under such luxurious bedding in her life.
The mattress beneath her was thickly padded—clearly the kind reserved for those of some status.
No wonder she hadn’t woken up aching all over from the usual hard wooden planks.
She sat there in a daze, absently squeezing the fabric, unable to make sense of the situation but reluctant to leave.
Outside, someone had been waiting.
Xiao Liangzi, hearing movement inside, softly called out, "Eunuch Chen, shall we assist you in dressing?"
"……"
Feng Li’s head snapped up.
What?
Did he just say… Eunuch Chen?!
Her sluggish mind barely had time to process before it exploded in realization.
A deafening buzz filled her head, and her fingers, which had been idly clutching the quilt, slowly loosened their grip.
Stiffly, she withdrew her hand and placed it properly on her knees.
That title could only refer to one person—the head of the Punishment Bureau, a man whose very name made every servant in the palace tremble in fear.
His reputation was legendary. A single word from him could alter the fates of lowly palace maids like her.
She had once witnessed Eunuch Chen staring coldly at a maid who had made a mistake, watching as she was beaten until her flesh was torn and bloody. The memory had seared itself into her mind, leaving her with an instinctive dread—anything involving Eunuch Chen was bound to bring misfortune.
Right now, Feng Li still couldn’t grasp what had happened. Her thoughts were a tangled mess.
But one thing was clear—this was not a good situation.
Trembling, she climbed out of bed, her eyes scanning the unfamiliar furnishings.
When she reached a polished bronze mirror—
"Ah!"
A high-pitched, delicate shriek escaped her.
Even though she had braced herself, the sight of that perpetually gloomy face in the mirror startled her into screaming.
The delicate yet handsome features, twisted in shock, looked almost comical.
Outside, Xiao Liangzi visibly stiffened at the sound.
Having served by Chen Huan’s side for years, he had never heard the eunuch let out such an undignified cry.
But surprise aside, he wasted no time. Pushing the door open, he hurried inside.
"Eunuch Chen! Do you require anything?"
Fortunately, Feng Li had spent six years in the palace and had heard her fair share of strange tales.
She pinched her thigh hard—wincing at the sharp pain—confirming this wasn’t a dream.
This…
This was just…
Too bizarre.
Her heart pounded violently, the sound throbbing in her ears.
Still reeling from the shock, her mouth hung slightly open, and Eunuch Chen’s naturally narrow phoenix eyes were now wide and round in her panic.
Xiao Liangzi, seeing his master in such a state, immediately lowered his gaze.
Since Eunuch Chen hadn’t spoken, he remained silent as well, standing respectfully to the side.
To Xiao Liangzi, this was an unprecedented display of discomposure from his master.
But to Feng Li, the fact that she hadn’t fainted outright in front of the mirror was a testament to her growing composure.
She took several deep breaths, trying to steady her racing heart.
Only after forcing herself to accept this absurd reality did she finally exhale slowly.
Originally, she had been a low-ranking maid in the remote Laundry Bureau.
She had rarely even glimpsed the imperial concubines, let alone powerful eunuchs like Eunuch Chen.
As for how Eunuch Chen usually spoke to his subordinates…
Racking her brain, she dredged up a vague memory of his tone.
Mimicking it, she spoke, "It’s nothing. Have someone… assist me in dressing and washing up."
Her voice still carried a slight tremble if one listened closely.
Eunuch Chen, favored by the emperor, was accustomed to being attended to—this much Feng Li had heard.
Since Xiao Liangzi had already asked if she needed help dressing, she took a gamble and replied accordingly.
Luckily, her guess seemed correct.
Xiao Liangzi merely acknowledged her with a quiet "Yes," then called out to the others outside. Soon, two young eunuchs entered, carrying steaming basins of water.
Seeing that none of them acted suspiciously—all keeping their eyes downcast as they went about their tasks—Feng Li relaxed slightly.
She might not be worldly, but she wasn’t stupid.
Right now, the most important thing was to ensure no one realized that Eunuch Chen’s body now housed someone else.
Her fingers, hidden in her sleeves, clenched and unclenched nervously.
Only when someone approached to help her dress did she force herself to appear composed.
Feng Li had grown up poor, always fending for herself. Now, with eunuchs deferentially attending to her, she felt utterly out of place.
And to make matters worse, the attendants were all men—
To her, eunuchs were men.
But then again, this wasn’t even her body.
The thought made the whole situation even stranger.
At least it wasn’t her being handled by others. Uncomfortable, yes, but not mortifying.
She pressed her lips together, her expression troubled, her brows knitted tightly.
Wouldn’t it have been better to turn into a real man instead of a eunuch? And of all people, why Eunuch Chen?
As she was being dressed, her mind raced.
She had heard of souls leaving their bodies before. During idle moments, she and her friends in the Laundry Bureau would swap strange tales to pass the time.
But she never imagined it would happen to her.
Still… if her own body was fine, why had her soul wandered off?
Wait—
A sudden realization struck her, sending another jolt of panic through her.
If she was in Eunuch Chen’s body… then who was in hers?
Could it be… Eunuch Chen himself?
The thought made her shudder.
In just this short morning, she had been frightened out of her wits twice.
Her heart hammered wildly again.
Her vision darkened momentarily, her head spinning, and even her stomach twisted unpleasantly.
Xiao Liangzi had always been sharp at reading expressions.
He thought to himself, "This is bad," and quickly helped their Eunuch Chen to lean against the couch.
He called out to the people outside, "Hurry and arrange breakfast, and prepare the medicine as well."
Feng Li, in her dazed state, heard his words and found it strange.
Does Eunuch Chen have some hidden illness?
She was merely frightened, yet she felt this unwell.
"Eunuch, you haven’t eaten all day yesterday and worked late into the night—how can your body endure this?" Xiao Liangzi supported Feng Li’s arm and whispered pleadingly, "At least have some food this morning."
As he spoke, his hands began gently massaging Feng Li’s temples.
An entire day without eating, and staying up so late?
This is downright abuse of one’s own body!
Feng Li was secretly shocked—no wonder she felt both dizzy and stomach pains.
She had only ever known Punishment Bureau’s Eunuch Chen Huan as cold and ruthless, never imagining he would neglect himself like this in private.
This stomachache…
It was almost as bad as the pain she endured during her monthly cycles.
She leaned against the couch, unmoving for a long while, unconsciously recalling scenes of herself washing clothes in cold water during winter while suppressing cramps. For a moment, she couldn’t decide which pain was worse—this current stomachache or the monthly agony she had suffered.
Once the discomfort passed, Feng Li grew even more restless in the room.
If Eunuch Chen woke up to find himself transformed into a lowly maid from the Laundry Bureau, only to be mocked and belittled…
Her life in the Laundry Bureau hadn’t been easy.
She steadied herself with Xiao Liangzi’s arm and stood, unable to suppress a slight tremble.
Her expression betrayed a hint of poorly concealed panic.
"Take me to the Laundry Bureau."
Xiao Liangzi froze, deeply puzzled.
The Laundry Bureau was in a remote part of the palace—why would the Eunuch want to go there?
Before he could respond, Feng Li had already stepped outside.
Xiao Liangzi hurried after her, quickening his steps to keep pace.
He cautiously asked, "Eunuch, what about breakfast…?"
His master had always neglected meals when busy, but given how unwell he was this morning, skipping food again was unthinkable!
Feng Li frowned and turned to Xiao Liangzi. "Just lead the way."
Her mind was racing—faced with such a bizarre situation, aside from going to the Laundry Bureau to retrieve Eunuch Chen…
She couldn’t think of any other solution.
Her hands clenched and unclenched in her sleeves, damp with sweat despite the winter chill.
Xiao Liangzi knew better than to question his master’s orders and fell silent.
Assuming some disobedient servant in the Laundry Bureau had caused trouble, he respectfully guided Feng Li there.
—
Along the way, Feng Li experienced the world from Chen Huan’s perspective.
Every palace servant they encountered paled at the sight of her, their expressions a mix of obedience and fear.
Honestly, this sensation left Feng Li feeling strangely ambivalent. Once a lowly maid trampled upon by others, she had now become the dreaded Punishment Bureau Eunuch, inspiring fear in everyone. It gave her an odd sense of… pride.
But she didn’t dare relax, holding her breath the entire way, terrified of encountering a situation she couldn’t handle.
Other powerful eunuchs or maids, the palace’s noble residents…
If she ran into any of them, she wouldn’t be able to bluff her way through.
Fortunately, it was still early, and no unexpected encounters occurred.
Only lower-ranking servants bowed to her—she didn’t need to acknowledge or respond to anyone.
Otherwise, she wouldn’t have known how to mimic Eunuch Chen’s manner of speaking to the nobility.
When they reached the remote Laundry Bureau, the maids inside tensed at the sight of the Punishment Bureau Eunuch.
Given its isolation, the Laundry Bureau was often overlooked, and a feared figure like Chen Huan had never visited before.
The sudden arrival of such a "looming presence" didn’t bode well—someone was bound to suffer.
The supervising matron, upon hearing of Eunuch Chen’s arrival, felt a flicker of fear but immediately rushed forward with flattery, inviting Feng Li inside. "Eunuch Chen, what brings you here so unexpectedly?"
This woman had often mistreated the Laundry Bureau maids, never sparing Feng Li a kind look.
Feng Li ignored her and strode confidently toward the area she usually worked in.
Having spent six years in the Laundry Bureau, she knew it like the back of her hand—every face here was familiar, people she had seen day in and day out.
For a brief moment, her anxiety eased, the tension in her chest finally loosening.
But the relief was short-lived.
The moment she stepped into the courtyard…
She saw herself—being held by two matrons.
