Chapter 1 The Heir Arrives In Lexcrity
Today, Lexcrity was buzzing with excitement. This small, struggling district had set up a ton of cameras. Andrew Leach, the leader here, was sending his granddaughter, Jessica, to the big city to film a show. To celebrate, they even organized a fireworks display.
Cameras caught the car pulling away, and it was time to relax. But as the director turned, he found a cameraman was still working.
“What are you filming now?” the director asked.
The cameraman suggested, “Let’s get that kid. She’s pretty cute. Why isn’t she the one filming?”
“Oh, you mean Yasmine? She is definitely cute… but the locals say she’s not the brightest and has a knack for stealing. Plus, she always lies and swears. No manners whatsoever,” the director replied, shaking his head.
The cameraman stared at the girl in the frame, mumbling to himself. ‘Not bright and steals? That doesn’t sound right.’
In the small viewfinder, Yasmine Leach was jostled by the crowd. She clutched her large basket tightly, her fingers going white from the effort. If anyone got closer, they’d see the many scars on her hands, left over from blisters that had burst repeatedly.
Eventually, the crowd began to disperse, and Yasmine trudged off in another direction, her large basket balanced on her back.
The cameraman couldn’t help but wonder where Jessica was headed and where her parents were, leaving her alone like this.
*****
Yasmine was off to forage for mushrooms, which could sell for three dollars per pound. Autumn had arrived early in Lexcrity, and after days of rain, mushrooms were popping up all over the place.
Even the rotten ones could be saved for soup later. As she walked along the muddy path, her mouth watered at the thought of her finds.
Meanwhile, the director spoke into the camera, “Hey everyone, in about ten minutes, our other main character, Xavier Sanchez, will be arriving in Lexcrity.”
This new reality show, called “Life Swap,” was live-streamed, letting fans comment in real-time. Right now, viewers were already buzzing with excitement.
[Wow, no wonder they say tough places produce tough people! That girl is adorable, but what a troublemaker.]
[Forget about her. Xavier’s on his way!]
Xavier was the heir to the wealthy Sanchez family and was quite handsome. But his personality? Not so great. So his mom signed him up for this show—to teach him a lesson about the harsh realities of life and hopefully set him straight.
At that moment, Xavier was sitting in a blue Bugatti worth ten million dollars. The crew member driving was nervously watching for any signs of his mood from the corner of his eyes.
Xavier had a scowl on his face and said nothing. There was a bone piercing in his brow, decorated with a single white diamond. It sparkled like his personality—sharp and dazzling.
The driver felt that looking at Xavier for too long would invite the sting of his sharp glare. So, he quickly looked away, momentarily distracted.
“Watch out. There’s someone up ahead,” Xavier warned.
The driver yanked the steering wheel, narrowly avoiding a pedestrian. Unfortunately, the person tumbled into the ditch beside the road.
“Are you blind?” Xavier snapped, flinging the car door open and stepping out.
The driver broke into a cold sweat as he sighed in relief that there were no cameras around. If this made it online, he’d be totally roasted by the viewers.
At just seventeen, Xavier stood a towering six feet tall. He took long strides and reached the edge of the ditch in just a couple of steps, muttering without looking back, “Are you all idiots? Someone help her.”
Only after venting his frustration did he squat down to check on the person in the ditch, and he froze—it was a little kid.
The kid lay on her back in the ditch, a basket awkwardly positioned beneath her, making her resemble a turtle flipped over, struggling helplessly. Her little arms and legs flailed aimlessly, and Xavier couldn’t help but chuckle.
The crew members heard his laughter and grew tense. ‘No wonder they call Xavier a troublemaker. Even after an accident, he still found it funny, completely unfazed.’
“Hey, you look like the turtle my mom has,” Xavier joked, and to everyone’s surprise, he planted a foot on the edge of the ditch and reached out, pulling the kid out.
With all the recent rain, the ditch was filled with water. The kid, Yasmine, soaked through and shivering, stood in front of Xavier, clutching her basket tightly.
“Mushrooms, my mushrooms…” Yasmine murmured, her expression heartbroken. Those were the mushrooms she had just picked, now ruined—three bucks down the drain, and no soup for dinner.
“What mushrooms?” Xavier asked, stunned.
The crew finally approached, surrounding them. Seeing such a tiny kid, they got even more anxious and bombarded her with questions.
“How old are you?”
“Where’s your family?”
“What’s your name? Do you know your parent’s phone number?”
“Are you hurt?”
Yasmine didn’t answer. Instead, she leaned over the edge of the ditch, trying to reach for the mushrooms floating in the water.
Xavier looked down, only to see that she was dressed lightly, even though autumn had arrived. Her sandals had broken straps, looking like something scavenged from the street. Her pants were rolled up, revealing pale legs dotted with bug bites.
The scene hit Xavier hard—a wave of pity washed over him. He turned back to the crew, who were still bumbling around with questions, and frowned. “What are you all doing? Help the kid. She needs to gather her mushrooms.”
The crew shot up awkwardly and mimicked Yasmine’s stance, leaning over to pick up mushrooms from the ditch.
But Xavier wasn’t satisfied. He gave the driver a quick kick in the backside, sending him into the ditch. “You drive a nice car, so get down here and help.”
The driver turned beet red but didn’t dare argue. He bent down to assist, mumbling under his breath.
After the mushrooms were collected, Yasmine seemed to snap out of her daze. She looked up at Xavier and said softly, “Thank you, sir.”
Instantly, Xavier felt a jolt wash through him, like an electric shock. He grinned, “I’ve done a lot of bad things, and this is the first time someone’s thanked me.”
Yasmine lowered her head, thinking for a moment. Then she looked back up, her expression serious. “What’s a bad thing?”
“You’re too young to know.” Xavier chuckled, and after a pause, he asked, “What’s your name?”
“Yasmine Leach.”
As they started chatting, the production team couldn’t hold back any longer. “Mr. Sanchez, we’re already half an hour late. They’re waiting for you over there.”
Xavier, ever the rebel, smiled. “Oh, let them wait another half hour.”
The team was in a frenzy. “But… even if you don’t care about the show, what about this kid? She’s soaking wet. If we don’t send her home, she’s going to catch a cold.”
Xavier shrugged off his jacket and wrapped it around Yasmine. “Are you still cold?”
Yasmine shook her head, confused.
The crew could hardly believe their eyes. That jacket was a custom piece, and now, wrapped around that kid, it was covered in dirt. Would it even be salvageable?
“Let’s get you home,” Xavier said to Yasmine, his voice cold yet somehow reassuring.
*****
In the city of Jinxeria, Jessica stepped off the plane and walked toward the camera, looking perfectly at ease. The distant, dazzling lights seemed to welcome her new beginning.
Nobody knew she was a reincarnated soul. In her past life, Yasmine had participated in Life Swap, where she was adopted by a wealthy family, which catapulted her to success.
Jessica looked into the distance, her eyes sparkling with ambition. ‘Yasmine, from now on, I will take over your life.’
