The Abused Heroine Stops Pretending [Quick Transmigration] - Chapter 34

After everyone had their fill of laughter and fun, the second match began: Team Tang Jing versus Team Tian Qi.

Even before the game started, Tian Qi and Qiao Meng were already feeling intimidated. Though they didn’t know the exact skill levels of Teacher Tang and Teacher Meng, the sheer presence of the two made them feel like they were destined to lose.

Tian Qi shouted, “Teacher Tang, Teacher Meng, go easy on us!”

Qiao Meng chimed in beside her, “Yeah, yeah!”

Neither Tang Jing nor Meng Xue cared much about winning or losing, it was all just for fun. Seeing how excited the younger girls were, they didn’t want to spoil the mood and replied, “Fine, we’ll let you have one round.”

Since there were only three rounds in total, giving them one meant Tian Qi’s team would already have a point.

They had just been joking around, never expecting Teacher Tang and Teacher Meng to actually agree.

Tian Qi and Qiao Meng exchanged glances and grinned only fools would pass up an advantage.

But, could someone please explain why Teacher Tang was so ridiculously good?!

Though it was Meng Xue’s first time playing volleyball, she was agile and quick to learn. With a few pointers from Tang Jing, she picked it up in no time.

The two of them had an inexplicable synergy, forming a stark contrast to Luo Dong’s team.

“Ugh…” Tian Qi and Qiao Meng collapsed onto the sand, utterly exhausted and thoroughly convinced of their defeat.

Tang Jing grabbed two bottles of water from a nearby chair and handed one to Meng Xue, who took it naturally. Without any deliberate coordination, they unscrewed the caps at the same time and tilted their heads back to drink.

[AHHHHH their chemistry is off the charts!!]

[I refuse to believe they’re not dating.]

[Another day, another dose of sugar overload.]

Unbeknownst to Tang Jing and Meng Xue, their unconscious actions had sparked a frenzy among shippers online.

After beach volleyball came surfing.

A large yoga mat floated on the water, and the challenge was to lie on it and withstand three waves without being knocked off.

“This seems easy enough!” Tian Qi boasted confidently.

Tang Jing and Meng Xue chose the far edge, Tian Qi and Qiao Meng took the center, while Luo Dong’s group settled on the other side.

The first step just lying flat on the yoga mat proved difficult. They kept climbing on only to be flipped off almost immediately.

“I take it back! This is NOT easy!” Tian Qi wailed.

By now, everyone was drenched and disheveled, not a single dry spot left on them.

Thankfully, it was summer, and the seawater wasn’t too cold. The sun still hung high in the sky.

After some playful splashing, they returned to the task at hand.

Tang Jing turned to Meng Xue. “Let me help you.”

Meng Xue initially wanted to refuse, but a part of her longed to be closer to Teacher Tang. Pressing her lips together, she nodded, though her burning ears betrayed her true feelings.

Tang Jing noticed, of course, but she maintained her composed facade, revealing nothing.

“How do we do this?” Meng Xue inched closer.

“I’ll lift you onto it.”

Meng Xue’s face flushed instantly, her voice trembling slightly. “I-Is that okay?” It wasn’t fear but sheer embarrassment that made her stutter.

“Let’s try,” Tang Jing said, feigning uncertainty.

There was another way, of course but Tang Jing had her own selfish reasons for choosing this one.

The cameraman didn’t miss a single moment of their interaction, and the live-stream audience was already so excited they could barely breathe.

Tang Jing was actually quite nervous too. She licked her lips and bent slightly to pick Meng Xue up.

Suddenly lifted into the air, Meng Xue instinctively wrapped her arms around Tang Jing’s neck. When she turned her head, their eyes met briefly before quickly darting away, an awkward yet ambiguous atmosphere spreading between them.

Tang Jing’s throat bobbed as her heart raced. With her senior so close, she wondered if the other woman could hear her pounding heartbeat, part of her hoped she could, while another part hoped she couldn’t.

After a wave passed and the yoga mat stabilized, Tang Jing set Meng Xue down. Worried the sea might flip her over again, she waited until Meng Xue was fully lying down before withdrawing her hands.

On the other side, Luo Dong and the others were climbing onto the mat one by one.

Tian Qi finally made it up too. Though the process had been quite messy, she cheered happily once she was lying on the mat: “I made it!”

Qiao Meng stood nearby and said, “Qiqi, give me a hand.”

“Got it.”

“Teacher Tang,” Meng Xue scooted over, making space beside her and patting the spot lightly. “Come up quickly.”

Tang Jing propped her upper body onto the yoga mat and slowly inched her way up.

Meng Xue held her hand tightly, then even lifted herself slightly to grab Tang Jing’s ankle, helping her up.

At first, she hadn’t thought much about holding Teacher Tang’s ankle, but once Tang Jing was fully on the mat, realization hit her. Her hand trembled, and she quickly pulled it back, her gaze flitting around in embarrassment she didn’t dare look in Tang Jing’s direction.

Tang Jing also noticed that her senior had just grabbed her ankle. In a spot the cameras couldn’t see, she squeezed her eyes shut hard, this was truly unbearable.

She glanced at the world progress bar still stuck at 48%. This checkpoint was torturous.

The six of them lay on the yoga mat successfully. When the first big wave came, it lifted the mat violently, nearly flipping them all off. They scrambled to hold on.

A splash of water drenched them from head to toe.

Tian Qi laughed. “This is kinda fun!”

Qiao Meng looked a little pale. “I feel a bit dizzy.”

“What’s wrong?” Tian Qi asked immediately.

Meng Xue, recalling that Qiao Meng got seasick, explained it to Tian Qi.

“Huh?” Tian Qi was incredulous. “But that’s seasickness we’re not even on a boat right now!”

[LMAO yoga mat sickness.]

Qiao Meng realized it too and couldn’t help laughing. “This part has to be cut, what kind of nonsense is yoga mat sickness?!”

Tian Qi cackled. “Too late, the livestream audience has already seen it all. No cutting now.”

Qiao Meng wailed, “My flawless reputation!”

Everyone burst into laughter.

“Second wave coming, hold on tight!” Luo Dong warned urgently.

Meng Xue fumbled to grip the mat but ended up grabbing Tang Jing’s hand instead. Just as she flustered and tried to pull away, Tang Jing clasped her hand in return.

With the wave crashing over them, neither had the mind to dwell on their intertwined hands but as the surge grew fiercer, their grip only tightened.

[OMG TANGTANG AND XIAOXUE ARE HOLDING HANDS~]

[Burp, this wave of dog food.]

[JingShangNongXue!!!]

[MengLiHuiTang!!!]

The CP fans were back in full force, flooding the comments with their excitement. Even casual viewers couldn’t help but start shipping them.

The second wave ended, and Luo Dong, who was at the far edge, was swept off. Everyone lying on the yoga mat had also shifted positions.

Jian Anping stretched out his hand. “Brother Luo, come back up quickly.”

Luo Dong grabbed his hand and climbed back up.

By the time the second wave subsided, Meng Xue was still shaken. When she realized she was holding Teacher Tang’s hand, her thoughts snapped back, and she moved her fingers slightly.

Tang Jing tightened her grip. Meeting Meng Xue’s gaze, she explained, “The third wave is coming.”

Hearing this, Meng Xue no longer cared about whether they were holding hands or not. Terrified, she quickly turned to look behind her. “This wave is pretty big!”

The others noticed it too, and their hearts immediately leaped into their throats.

When the wave hit, Meng Xue shut her eyes in fear. The group, along with the yoga mat, was lifted by the surge.

Without hesitation, Tang Jing lunged forward, pinning Meng Xue firmly onto the yoga mat.

Everything happened too suddenly.

Tian Qi and the others were swept off the yoga mat by the wave, leaving only Tang Jing and Meng Xue still on it.

As the wave calmed, those who had been thrown into the water resurfaced. Just as they were about to speak, they saw the two on the yoga mat locked in an embrace. Everyone stared in shock.

Tang Jing and Meng Xue also locked eyes, snapping back to reality. Tang Jing sat up and returned to her original spot, while Meng Xue widened her eyes, her mind still in a daze.

The director announced over the mic, “The ocean surfing challenge is complete. First place goes to Tang Jing and Meng Xue, earning 300 points. Second place is Tian Qi and Qiao Meng, with 200 points. Last place is Luo Dong and Jian Anping, with 100 points.”

Tang Jing and Meng Xue climbed off the yoga mat.

Tang Jing’s expression remained unchanged, as if nothing had just happened.

But Meng Xue seemed somewhat distracted. Once they reached the shore, she subtly pressed a hand to her chest and realized her heart was racing.

Everything that had just happened felt like a dream.

She stole a glance at Teacher Tang, who pressed her lips together, seemingly unaffected. For some reason, Meng Xue felt a pang of disappointment. Just as she was about to look away, she noticed Teacher Tang’s steps were slightly unsteady.

Thinking she might have imagined it, she glanced again and confirmed it was real. The corners of her lips lifted uncontrollably.

So, Teacher Tang was just as unsettled by what had happened as she was.

That was good at least she wasn’t the only one whose heart was in turmoil.

The sun had begun to set, and the temperature by the sea started to drop. Drenched in water, everyone felt a slight chill as the breeze swept past.

The production team had prepared bathrobes, and everyone quickly wrapped themselves up.

On the way back, Tian Qi and Qiao Meng, buzzing with gossip, squeezed up next to Meng Xue.

Teacher Tang was usually too stern, so they didn’t dare get too close to her. But Meng Xue was approachable, so they weren’t afraid.

“Sis Meng, how did it feel?” Qiao Meng waggled her eyebrows.

“Yeah, yeah, was it amazing?” Tian Qi giggled.

Unbeknownst to them, their antics were all captured by the cameraman and broadcast live to the audience.

Fans of Tian Qi and Qiao Meng watched with a mix of amusement and exasperation, flooding the comments: “Qiqi (Xiao Meng), get a grip!”

Meng Xue hadn’t expected them to ask such a question. Her first instinct was to glance at Teacher Tang just as the other woman happened to look over. Flustered, Meng Xue quickly averted her gaze.

“Don’t talk nonsense,” she muttered under her breath before speeding ahead, almost like she was fleeing the scene.

Tian Qi and Qiao Meng exchanged glances, covering their mouths as they stifled giggles before turning their attention to Tang Jing, who remained perfectly composed much to their disappointment.

“Teacher Tang is way too calm,” Tian Qi whispered.

“Meanwhile, our Sister Meng! Oh dear, if these two end up together, she’s definitely the one who’ll get the short end of the stick,” Qiao Meng fretted, playing the role of the overprotective friend.

They thought they were speaking softly, but Tang Jing heard every word, especially their indignant defense of Meng Xue. She couldn’t help but feel a mix of exasperation and amusement.

Though Luo Dong and Jian Anping stayed silent, their expressions were unmistakably gossipy.

Soon, everyone dispersed to change clothes.

Tang Jing returned to the courtyard, which was quiet and empty, with no sign of Meng Xue. She walked toward the bathroom and noticed the door was locked, the sound of running water inside suggesting Meng Xue was showering. Not wanting to disturb her, Tang Jing headed back to her own room.

What she didn’t know was that inside the bathroom, Meng Xue no, at this moment, she was Shi Wanqing wore an intrigued expression, free from the need to maintain her usual demeanor. Standing under the shower, rinsing her hair, she recalled what had happened by the shore. A faint smile curled her lips, and an inexplicable sense of anticipation stirred within her.

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