The Abused Heroine Stops Pretending [Quick Transmigration] - Chapter 12

On the way back, Tang Jing briefly summarized what had happened. Meng Xue’s expression shifted from nervousness to surprise, then to admiration as she listened. When she heard that the production team had changed the rules after Tang challenged the obstacle course a second time, she burst into laughter.

“Teacher Tang, if the production team hadn’t changed the rules, how many more times could you have gone?” Meng Xue was practically the voice of the internet, the live audience was also curious about this question.

“Probably two more times,” Tang Jing estimated conservatively.

Meng Xue was amazed. “Teacher Tang, your stamina is seriously impressive.” Then she suddenly remembered the three-legged race from the morning, when she had accidentally brushed against Tang’s abs. For some reason, her cheeks flushed slightly.

“Let’s stop by the supermarket.” Spotting a small store up ahead, Tang Jing changed course and headed straight for it.

Meng Xue hurried after her, puzzled. “Teacher Tang, did we forget to buy something?”

Once inside, Tang Jing made a beeline for the durian section and said to Meng Xue, “Let’s get a durian.”

A durian cost 200 points. If it were just her, Meng Xue would never have splurged, but since it was Teacher Tang, she didn’t hesitate to pay. “Let’s get it.”

Tang Jing looked at her. “You pick.”

Since the points were already spent, Meng Xue eagerly stepped forward. Drawing from past experience, she selected one with plenty of flesh. “Let’s go with this one.”

Without hesitation, Tang Jing picked up the durian.

[This scene feels familiar Meng Xue had been lingering around the durian section all afternoon.]

[So Movie Queen Tang bought this because she noticed Meng Xue wanted to eat it?]

[Wait, was the obstacle course challenge just to earn points to buy Meng Xue a durian?]

[Don’t forget, Sun Sijia was there during the challenge, and Movie Queen Tang was upset because Sun ignored her.]

[Your idol ruined the mood, and now you fans are doing the same.]

[Some people really don’t know their place. If your idol isn’t good enough for Movie Queen Tang, stop trying to leech off her fame.]

[Exactly. Five years of riding on her coattails, enough is enough.]

The audience erupted into arguments.

Meanwhile, Tang Jing and Meng Xue carried the durian back to their cottage. From a distance, they spotted someone standing in the vegetable patch behind their house.

[Damn, it’s Sun Sijia again!]

[Didn’t she say her leg was injured and she was going back to rest?]

[So she was just faking it?]

Sun Sijia only had 40 points. When she asked Tian Qi to partner with her to rent the plot, the other woman refused, so she stomped over in frustration.

Originally, she had wanted the director to sell her the plot for 40 points, offering the vegetables as collateral at 10 points each, but the director turned her down.

And then Tang Jing and Meng Xue returned.

“Senior!” Sun Sijia’s eyes landed on Meng Xue first before noticing Tang Jing beside her, holding the durian. She forced a smile. “Sister Tang.”

Meng Xue stepped forward. “Did you already buy this plot?”

“Not yet. The director won’t sell it to me,” Sun Sijia said pitifully.

The production team: “…” The audacity to twist the truth.

Meng Xue was surprised. “Why wouldn’t they sell it to you? Didn’t they say it was available until 6 p.m.?”

Sun Sijia pouted angrily, “I originally planned to buy this plot for 40 points and mortgage the vegetables to the production team for 10 points.”

Meng Xue looked at her, “If you sell all the vegetables to the production team, then why are you buying this land?”

“To plant more,” Sun Sijia replied matter-of-factly.

“But…” Meng Xue glanced at the vegetables in the field, “It’ll take many days for the next batch to grow. Won’t you be at a loss in the early stages?”

Sun Sijia hadn’t considered this issue her sole focus had been securing the land.

Instinctively, she turned her gaze toward Tang Jing, expecting the other woman to offer her some points.

She hadn’t lent any in the afternoon, but now that evening had come and they’d earned plenty of points, surely she would help out this time.

[Damn, this little green tea.]

[She really is, whatever she wants, she automatically looks to Tang Jing.]

[As expected, Tang Jing’s past behavior has made this woman feel entitled.]

Tang Jing’s eyes rested on Meng Xue. “Lend her 10 points.”

A smile spread across Sun Sijia’s face, her eyes gleaming with triumph. She thought to herself that Tang Jing was finally playing along though it was just a loan, not a gift.

Meng Xue, however, was reluctant. Those points in the card had been hard-earned by Tang Jing.

When Sun Sijia noticed the hesitation on her senior’s face, it finally dawned on her.

Those points weren’t just Tang Jing’s, Meng Xue had a share too. She might take advantage of Tang Jing, but she didn’t want to do the same to her senior.

She glanced at the plot and said firmly, “Senior, consider those 10 points as payment for the vegetables in my field. For the next two months, you can pick whatever you want from here.”

10 points would barely cover a few harvests, but she had bought this plot precisely to find an excuse to get closer to her senior. Now that the opportunity had presented itself, she wasn’t about to let it slip away.

Picking vegetables a few times was one thing, but two months’ worth felt exploitative.

Meng Xue hesitated, then turned to Tang Jing. “Teacher Tang, what if we spend 100 points to buy two months’ worth of vegetables from her field?”

After all, they needed vegetables daily. Paying upfront would allow them to simply come and pick whenever they wanted.

[???]

[What kind of deal is this? The land itself only costs 50 points, and they’re spending 100 on vegetables?]

[But if you think about it, Tang Jing and Meng Xue are actually getting the better end of the deal.]

[? How?]

[Because if they take over the land, they’ll have to maintain it, watering, tilling the soil. That’s not something the production team handles.]

[Doing the math, Tang Jing and Meng Xue really are coming out ahead. The supermarket sells vegetables too, and from what I’ve calculated, they’re all pretty expensive.]

Sun Sijia, who had initially only stood to gain 10 points for two months of vegetables, was now getting 100 points. The unexpected windfall delighted her.

“Thank you, Senior.”

Tang Jing glanced at Sun Sijia, gave a slight nod, then carried the durian back toward the front courtyard. The camera crew captured her somewhat dejected retreat.

Meng Xue watched her leave, a faint frown creasing her brow before she turned away. She took out the points card from her bag and transferred 100 points to Sun Sijia at the director’s station.

The production team handed them two freshly printed contracts, one for the land lease and another for the long-term vegetable supply. Both were formal agreements.

Sun Sijia looked at the 90 points left in her card after her recent purchase and was overjoyed. She immediately picked up a pen and signed the contract, then handed it to Meng Xue. “Senior, your turn to sign.”

“Okay.”

The contract was made in duplicate. After both copies were signed, each kept their own, and that was that.

Meng Xue, preoccupied with thoughts of Teacher Tang, didn’t linger to chat with Sun Sijia and instead headed to the front courtyard.

Though Sun Sijia felt a little down about not being able to talk more with her senior, her spirits lifted again when she saw the vegetable plot that now belonged to her.

With this piece of land, she wouldn’t have to worry about not running into her senior again.

“Teacher Tang?” Meng Xue entered the house but didn’t see anyone. She checked the other rooms and finally found the person she was looking for in the kitchen, packing durian into a lunchbox.

“There’s a lot of durian flesh.” Tang Jing placed the rest of the durian on a plate, while some went into the lunchbox and then the fridge, to be taken up the mountain later that night for their picnic the next day, enjoying the scenery while eating.

Meng Xue studied her carefully. Though Tang Jing’s face showed no particular expression, Meng Xue had clearly sensed her low spirits earlier when she left.

Afraid of bringing up something that might upset her, Meng Xue decided not to dwell on it and instead steered the conversation back to the durian.

“I love durian so much, I’ve even developed a knack for picking the best ones,” Meng Xue said with a smile.

Tang Jing carried the plate and said, “Let’s eat in the living room. I’ll cook a few dishes later.”

“Great, I’ll help you then.”

Since they’d be setting off that night and spending the next day on the mountain, Tang Jing didn’t take the preparations lightly. She treated it with a sense of formality, just as she’d said earlier treating the hike like a proper trip.

Normally, for filming, she’d spend months on set, acting and studying scripts day in and day out. Sometimes, shooting overnight scenes meant working nonstop for over ten hours, leaving little room for rest.

Now that she was finally on a leisurely lifestyle variety show, she was determined to fulfill all the travel wishes she’d been putting off.

The crew would handle transporting the tents, but when it came to food, she wasn’t about to settle for something quick. After dinner, she prepared some pastries and a fruit salad, separating the yogurt and fruit before storing them in the fridge.

The live-stream audience was now fully convinced that Tang Jing could cook and even bake.

[Wow, what kind of goddess is this? She can cook, act, and that obstacle course today was next-level cool. If someone like her were my girlfriend, I’d cry from happiness.]

[Once again, thank goodness Sun Sijia is blind.]

By now, “Sun Sijia is blind” had become a running joke among viewers. Anyone watching the stream would instantly get the reference.

And why not? Tang Jing’s charisma on the show was simply undeniable.

Beyond her stunning looks, which naturally drew attention, her multitude of talents made her impossible to ignore. With both beauty and skill, how could she not stand out?

Most importantly, Tang Jing had that unexpected charm, adorable in contrast to her usual poise and that alone had won over countless casual fans.

Meng Xue, assisting her on the side, couldn’t stop praising her.

“Teacher Tang, you’re amazing!”

“Teacher Tang, I had no idea you could bake too!”

“Teacher Tang, this fruit salad looks absolutely delicious!”

[“Hahahaha, Meng Xue’s praise mode is online.”]

[“Meng Xue, if you keep complimenting like this, Teacher Tang might lose herself.”]

[“I’ve seen it several times, Actress Tang’s lips curling up slightly because of Meng Xue’s praise.”]

[“No way, seriously? I was so focused on listening to Meng Xue’s compliments that I missed that detail.”]

[“Hahahaha, I saw it too! Actress Tang secretly smiled several times. It wasn’t obvious, but if you look closely, you can spot it.”]

The internet detectives went to work, and screenshots of Tang Jing smiling involuntarily because of Meng Xue’s compliments were quickly uploaded online.

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