The Abused Heroine Stops Pretending [Quick Transmigration] - Chapter 23

Initially, viewers tuned into Diverse Lives to find a bit of leisurely, healing respite from their fast-paced, stressful routines.

Now, not only had they found that solace, but they were also being force-fed dog food (couple content) every day.

They kept telling themselves that the interactions between Tang Jing and Meng Xue were just friendly banter.

But what kind of friends interacted like this? Even the most ambiguous romantic tension between young couples paled in comparison to theirs.

Resisting the urge to ship them was impossible.

The solo fans of both stars, after witnessing their idols’ shameless antics on the show, had already fallen deep into the shipping pit with no hope of climbing out.

All because handfuls of dog food kept raining down into the pit, burying them alive.

Some of these solo fans even resorted to self-comfort:

[It’s fine. As long as Tang Tang’s love interest isn’t Sun Sijia, it’s all good.]

[Big Sis Tang is so cool and gorgeous, she’s a perfect match for our little Xue.]

The way both fanbases engaged in self-PUA had the shippers and casual fans laughing their heads off.

Unaware of the lively discussions in the livestream, Tang Jing and Meng Xue were currently solving a puzzle.

The handkerchief they had picked up earlier was embroidered with mandarin ducks. The lockbox required two letters, the initials of “mandarin ducks” so they quickly cracked the code and opened it to reveal the contents inside.

Tian Qi’s voice came through the wall, shouting, “Teacher Tang, did you find anything over there?”

On their side, they had found six lanterns, each bearing a unique pattern. Their task was to blow out the candles inside them.

But when they tried earlier, perhaps due to the wrong sequence, the candles relit after being extinguished.

Now, to blow them all out for good, they needed to decipher the patterns on the lanterns. After searching fruitlessly, they concluded the answer must lie with Tang Jing and Meng Xue next door.

Inside the locked box was a piece of paper with two patterns.

Meng Xue held it up and called back, “We found a piece of paper with some patterns here.”

Tian Qi perked up. “What kind of patterns?”

After Meng Xue listed them, Tian Qi immediately responded, “Teacher Meng, those are exactly the ones we need!”

Meng Xue and Tang Jing exchanged a glance.

Tang Jing said, “Tell them I’ll keep looking.”

“Okay.”

On the other side, Tian Qi and the other three followed the sequence Meng Xue provided, blowing out the lanterns one by one. As soon as they finished, a click echoed through the room like a cabinet unlocking.

Luo Dong rushed over and found a locked drawer. Inside was a key.

“A key?” Jian Anping crouched beside him, frowning. “Where does this go?”

Tian Qi, standing behind them, shook her head. “I just checked, there’s nothing in this room that needs a key.”

Sun Sijia suggested, “Could it be for my senior and the others?”

The group agreed. Since the other team had helped them solve the lantern puzzle, it made sense that they’d have something the other side needed in return.

Meanwhile, Tang Jing was crouched in front of a red wooden chest adorned with a double happiness symbol. Below it hung a lock, one that required a key.

“Teacher Meng, we found a key over here, but there’s no lock. Do you have one on your side?” Tian Qi’s voice came through the wall again.

After calling out “Teacher Tang” twice and getting responses from Teacher Meng both times, Tian Qi simply stopped addressing her as Teacher Tang and switched to Teacher Meng directly.

“We do,” Meng Xue walked over. “Pass us the key.”

“How?” Tian Qi was baffled.

There was a solid wall between them, with no opening to pass anything through.

Meng Xue was equally confused.

Tang Jing interjected, “Take a step forward with your right foot. There’s a mouse hole.”

Meng Xue: “……?”

A mouse hole?

“Are… are there mice?” Meng Xue’s voice trembled, on the verge of tears, as if she might burst into sobs any second.

Tang Jing, who had been holding the lock, paused and stood up to walk over. “There are no mice,” she said, hesitating slightly before adding softly, “Don’t be afraid.”

Meng Xue nodded with a quiet “Mm.”

Aside from being afraid of the dark and ghosts, she was also terrified of bugs and mice. This brought back memories of a nightmare from her childhood.

Just as Tang Jing retrieved the key from the mouse hole, she felt someone tugging at the corner of her shirt. She turned around, but it was too dark to see Meng Xue’s expression. Still, she could sense the other’s fear.

Tang Jing reached out and grasped her wrist. “Let’s go. We’ll open the lock now.”

The corner of the room was dim, but the center was slightly brighter thanks to the candlelight.

Tang Jing had intended to let Meng Xue wait there while she handled the lock, but Meng Xue insisted on following her. In the end, Tang Jing had no choice but to offer the corner of her shirt again, leading her to the other side of the room to unlock the wooden chest.

[So sweet, it’s like an older sister looking after her younger sister.]

[It feels oddly doting for some reason.]

[Sniffles… another day of crying over love.]

[Wait, isn’t this just a senior looking out for a junior?] a new viewer asked in confusion.

[You don’t get it. Just keep watching and you’ll understand,] a dedicated fan explained with mixed feelings.

Not long ago, they had shared the same perspective as this newcomer.

The wooden chest opened smoothly, revealing a hidden passage. Tang Jing was taken aback, while Meng Xue peeked inside and exclaimed, “There’s actually a secret tunnel in this chest?”

This passage was likely their way out. Tang Jing went first, with Meng Xue following closely behind. Before leaving, Meng Xue informed Tian Qi and the others on the other side that they would be exiting through the secret passage.

The group on Tian Qi’s side was stunned.

“The production team went all out with the budget, huh?”

Luo Dong sighed regretfully, “I wish I could experience a secret passage too.”

“How are we supposed to get out?” Sun Sijia asked urgently.

The mere thought of her senior being with Tang Jing filled her with complicated emotions. If this had been a few days ago, she would have been annoyed at Tang Jing for always sticking close to her senior.

But after everything that had happened over the past two days, annoyance was the last thing she felt, only panic. Panic that Tang Jing might disregard past favors and strip her of all her resources.

Yet, a part of her clung to hope. Tang Jing had always been principled and loyal. Over the years, no matter how much she had acted out in front of Tang Jing, the other had tolerated it. Why would she stop now?

Perhaps this was Tang Jing’s way of pushing her to compromise, or maybe it was a message, that even someone as steadfast as Tang Jing had pride, and after being rejected, needed time to heal.

However, no matter which scenario it was, Sun Sijia hoped it was all true. If these were the reasons the other person was ignoring her, then there was still room for reconciliation.

What she feared most was the possibility that the other person had genuinely decided to cut ties with her.

If that were the case, then she wouldn’t hesitate to stir up drama on Weibo when the time came.

At the thought of this, a trace of ruthlessness flashed in Sun Sijia’s eyes.

Meanwhile.

Tang Jing and Meng Xue emerged from the secret passage and found the exit inside a warehouse, with sacks of grain piled nearby.

Holding Meng Xue’s hand, Tang Jing led her out of the passage and first inspected the warehouse. Finding no useful clues, they soon stepped outside.

“Where’s Tian Qi’s room?” Meng Xue was disoriented after leaving the warehouse, with corridors stretching in both directions.

Tang Jing thought for a moment before heading left. “This way.”

Though the secret passage had been winding, as long as they remembered the location of their original room, it wasn’t hard to deduce where Tian Qi’s room should be.

In truth, there had been two paths in the passage, the other seemed to lead to a different space. But since they had an important task at hand, the other path would have to wait until later for further exploration.

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