The Abused Heroine Stops Pretending [Quick Transmigration] - Chapter 18

Aunt Liu called out to them from ahead, shattering the ambiguous atmosphere that had just formed between the two. Both snapped back to reality Meng Xue averted her gaze, while Tang Jing acted as if nothing had happened, though the tips of her reddened ears betrayed her shyness.

[Ahhhh, that scene just now made my face burn!]

[I’ve been grinning this whole time, my cheeks are sore from smiling!]

[I just love seeing these two in the same frame. The chemistry is unreal.]

After noticing the blisters on Teacher Tang’s hands, Meng Xue kept a close eye on her, refusing to let her do any more work. When Tang Jing reached to pick a mushroom, Meng Xue glared at her.

Tang Jing guiltily withdrew her hand and weakly defended herself, “I wasn’t using much force.”

[Ahhhh, Tang the Movie Queen must be a henpecked husband!]

[Ahhh, can anyone relate? How are these two so sweet together?!]

[Hahaha, this is the first time I’ve seen someone have Tang the Movie Queen completely wrapped around their finger.]

[One look from Meng Xue, and Tang the Movie Queen backs down, hahaha, this is too funny!]

After gathering the mushrooms, Meng Xue and Tang Jing went straight to Aunt Liu’s house to borrow a needle, disinfectant, and some gauze from Rope.

Tang Jing was firmly seated on a stool and obediently held out her hand.

Meng Xue carefully tended to her blisters, disinfecting and bandaging them.

When the blisters were squeezed, it stung a little, and Tang Jing instinctively flinched. Meng Xue immediately looked up and asked softly, “Does it hurt?”

Tang Jing hesitated for only a second before nodding.

“I’ll be gentler.” Meng Xue leaned in and blew lightly on her hand.

The warm breath against her palm felt like a feather’s touch, sending a flutter through Tang Jing’s heart. Her throat bobbed slightly, her entire focus fixed on the person before her.

“Sister Tang.”

The mood was abruptly ruined by an unwelcome voice, and Tang Jing couldn’t even bother to fake a pleasant expression.

[Ugh, why is the little green tea back again?]

[Hahaha, I was annoyed at first when the little green tea showed up, but now that I see Tang the Movie Queen’s sour face, I’m kind of looking forward to it.]

[Same! At this point, I hope the little green tea stirs up more drama, let Tang the Movie Queen realize who’s truly the best for her.]

[You guys are using the little green tea as a wingman, how devious. I love it.]

Unaware of the live chat’s reactions, Sun Sijia froze in the doorway when she saw her senior there, her expression stiffening. “Senior.”

“Junior.” Meng Xue greeted her with a smile. “What brings you here?”

Sun Sijia stammered, her gaze unconsciously flickering toward Tang Jing.

“Do you need to talk to Teacher Tang?” Meng Xue blinked, glancing at Tang Jing. The wound had already been bandaged, and she knew she should leave to give them space but something inside her resisted.

She didn’t want her junior getting any closer to Teacher Tang. If Sun Sijia genuinely cared for Tang Jing, Meng Xue wouldn’t interfere. But if her intentions were harmful, she couldn’t bring herself to step aside.

Pretending to inspect Tang Jing’s bandaged hand, she lingered, unmoving.

With Meng Xue refusing to leave, Sun Sijia couldn’t speak to Tang Jing, leaving her frustrated.

Tang Jing, who had been in a bad mood because of Sun Sijia’s appearance, couldn’t help but smirk when she noticed Meng Xue’s little act of possessiveness.

Sun Sijia had been closely watching her expression and naturally didn’t miss that faint smile except it wasn’t directed at her, but at the senior student.

Her first thought was that Tang Jing was smiling at the senior to create a sense of crisis for her.

If it were anyone else sitting across from Tang Jing right now, she would have suspected them, not Tang Jing.

But the person sitting there was the senior, a woman known as the “unattainable flower on the high peak,” someone no one could ever pluck. How could she possibly have any ulterior motives toward Tang Jing? If anyone did, it would only be Tang Jing.

Yet, after knowing Tang Jing for so many years, she had never seen her show such an expression to anyone outside her close circle.

Could it be that the senior was already someone she was familiar with?

Sun Sijia frowned slightly, a hint of doubt settling in her heart.

“You two chat, I’ll step out first,” Meng Xue said after sitting for a while, ultimately unable to overcome her own sense of propriety. Even her earlier little scheme had left her cheeks flushed with embarrassment as she stood up and hurried out, her steps quick.

Too flustered to notice, she didn’t realize that when she withdrew her hand, Teacher Tang had gently brushed her fingertips.

But the eagle-eyed viewers in the livestream caught it immediately.

[Wuwuwu, is Tang Jing trying to keep Meng Xue from leaving?]

[Tang Jing definitely doesn’t want to be alone with Sun Sijia either.]

[Didn’t Sun Sijia just get tricked by Tang Jing earlier? How is she back already?]

[Some people just have thick skin.]

[Meng Xue should learn from her junior, develop a thicker skin and tell Sun Sijia to get lost.]

[Guys, did you notice? Meng Xue just played a little trick, and Tang Jing noticed but didn’t dislike it, she even smiled!]

[Ahhhh I saw it too! That smile looked so indulgent!]

[Too bad Meng Xue’s still too shy, she only lasted a minute before giving up.]

[Tang Jing will have to take the initiative.]

“Tang-jie,” Sun Sijia stepped forward, looking at her with a pitiful expression.

The cameraman had already left, leaving just the two of them in the courtyard.

Tang Jing studied her, somewhat amazed by the little green tea’s resilience. Someone as sharp as her would have easily seen through the afternoon’s scheme, yet here she was, not a trace of resentment on her face just that delicate, wounded look.

Anyone who didn’t know better might feel guilty for how they’d treated her earlier, regretting how they could bully such an adorable girl.

But Tang Jing, who knew exactly what kind of person Sun Sijia was, felt no guilt at all, just irritation.

“What is it?” Her voice was cold, none of her usual patience remaining.

This was the first time Sun Sijia had faced such indifference from her, and for a moment, she couldn’t take it. The hurt was real her eyes reddened, tears welling up.

This wasn’t an act. Biting her lower lip, she whispered, “Tang-jie… are you mad at me?”

“Yes.” Tang Jing answered without hesitation. Aside from that initial glance, she kept her eyes fixed on her bandaged hand, her irritation oddly subsiding. After all, just thinking about who had wrapped it for her brought a faint sweetness to her heart.

Sun Sijia naturally had no idea what was going through her mind, only feeling that she was being cold and unfeeling at the moment. This made her even more aggrieved, and the tears welling up in her eyes finally spilled over, falling to the ground one by one.

Tang Jing remained unmoved.

Sun Sijia said plaintively, “Sister Tang, feelings can’t be forced. Auntie once told me that if we could be together in the future, then we should be together. If not, we could always remain the closest of sisters.”

Tang Jing’s eyelashes trembled slightly.

Just as Sun Sijia felt a flicker of hope, thinking she might have a chance, the latter lifted her gaze and looked at her coldly. “And then?”

The smile that had just begun to form on Sun Sijia’s lips froze. She hadn’t expected such a reaction.

“What I mean is, even if we can’t be together, we can still be sisters. There’s no need to make things so tense between us,” Sun Sijia quickly adjusted her emotions and spoke in a gentle tone.

Tang Jing almost laughed. Over the past five years, the original host had been the one giving endlessly, while Sun Sijia, who claimed to be her “closest sister,” had never reciprocated, taking everything for granted. Now that she sensed Tang Jing’s growing indifference, she was suddenly feeling the pressure first invoking her deceased mother, and now trying to play the emotional card.

“Not interested in sisters,” Tang Jing said bluntly, then stood up and walked out of the courtyard without another word.

Sun Sijia hurried after her, wanting to say more, but when she saw the senior waiting outside, she immediately stopped in her tracks. The hand she had reached out to grab Tang Jing’s arm with was quickly withdrawn as she forced a smile. “Senior.”

“Finished talking?” Meng Xue felt a twinge of jealousy, though she kept her expression neutral. As she spoke, her gaze lingered on Tang Jing.

“Yeah,” Tang Jing replied. “Let’s go collect our points.”

They had completed their afternoon tasks and were eligible for 400 points.

“Alright.” Meng Xue couldn’t help but let her lips curl upward, but with her junior still present and cameras around, she had to suppress it, politely nodding instead. “Junior, we’ll be going ahead then.”

Sun Sijia’s smile stiffened as her eyes darted toward Tang Jing, but the latter never once glanced her way. It left her both frustrated and hurt.

The cameraman captured all three of them in the frame.

[Even though nothing was said, the tension between them is palpable.]

[This is straight-up legendary.]

[As much as I love seeing Tang-jie and Xiao Xue together, this love triangle is just too juicy!]

[Ahhh, same! Every time this high-stakes scene plays out, I hold my breath.]

[Thanks to the little green tea’s meddling, Tang-jie and Xiao Xue have grown even closer.]

[LMAO, shoutout to the little green tea for playing matchmaker.]

[I heard from a friend that the only reason Xiao Xue got on this show was because the little green tea introduced her to Tang-jie. That’s how she got signed by Ying’s agency, and then they both ended up here together.]

[No way, so the little green tea really was the matchmaker?]

For a moment, the audience actually felt grateful to the little green tea. Without her, Tang-jie might never have met Xiao Xue, and they wouldn’t have given us so many iconic CP moments.

Every time the two appeared together, it felt like a celebration for the shippers.

No matter what they did, there was an undeniable sense of destiny between them, a chemistry so intense it brought some fans to tears.

On the way to the points hut, Meng Xue asked curiously, “Teacher Tang, did that junior say anything to you just now?”

Meng Xue had never been one for gossip. In fact, whenever she heard others gossiping, she would stay far away.

But now, ever since meeting Teacher Tang, she kept breaking her own boundaries.

For instance, she had resorted to a little trick to prevent Teacher Tang from being alone with that junior, though she ended up running away in embarrassment. Still, the mere fact that she had such thoughts meant she had already crossed her own line.

And now, driven by unease, she was breaking her rule again by prying into gossip.

“No,” Tang Jing replied reflexively.

Noticing Meng Xue’s slightly downcast expression, she pursed her lips and, as if compelled by some unseen force, added, “Actually, it wasn’t anything important. I just didn’t like what she said, and I was afraid mentioning it might spoil the mood.”

Meng Xue’s heart skipped a beat at Teacher Tang’s words, then began to race.

So gentle!

Back when she watched the behind-the-scenes clips, she had been moved by Teacher Tang’s kindness, and later, she grew envious and jealous of the junior who received that gentleness.

Now, she was the one being treated with such warmth so comforting it nearly brought her to tears, so sweet it made her heart ache.

If all of this was just her illusion, her one-sided affection, then she wished this tender delusion could last just a little longer.

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