The Abused Heroine Stops Pretending [Quick Transmigration] - Chapter 89

Chi Yu shook her head and smiled, indicating that nothing had happened.

She scooped the stir-fried vegetables from the pan onto a plate and pushed it toward Tang Jing, signaling her to take the dish to the main room first.

Tang Jing couldn’t help but laugh, though she also felt a bit helpless. The fact that Xiao Yu wouldn’t tell her meant she still didn’t fully trust her. She would take it slow, she was determined to make the girl feel comfortable sharing everything with her.

“I’ll let you off for now, but if I find out you’re keeping things from me, I’ll…” At this point, Tang Jing paused. If she made the threat too severe, Xiao Yu would probably get even more scared. So, she settled on a much lighter punishment. “I’ll tattle to Grandma.”

Chi Yu had braced herself for a harsh penalty, but she never expected it to be something as simple as telling on her. Still, if Grandma found out about this, it would undoubtedly cause her trouble.

She was already imposing enough by living at Sister Nan’s place she couldn’t let something like this add to their burdens.

So, to prevent that from happening, her only option was to avoid being alone as much as possible.

“Mm.” Chi Yu nodded with a smile.

Tang Jing tapped her lightly on the forehead, still feigning intimidation. “Grandma’s punishments are way worse than mine. Telling me is much more cost-effective than telling her.”

Chi Yu covered her mouth, laughing. Who even described things like that?

Not wanting to worry Grandma, the two of them put on relaxed expressions as soon as they left the kitchen, acting as though nothing had happened.

Grandma Qin looked at them curiously when they finally arrived. “What were you two talking about in the kitchen for so long?”

Chi Yu’s heart skipped a beat.

Tang Jing, however, sat down casually. “Just chatting about what I did in town today.”

Grandma Qin’s eyes darted between them before settling on Chi Yu. “Really?”

Chi Yu nodded hastily, not daring to meet her gaze.

Grandma Qin still felt there was something odd between them, but she didn’t press further. Young people’s matters were best left to them to resolve.

“Let’s eat.”

Over the next few days, Tang Jing took Mei Mei and Ling Ling to restock inventory, introducing them to the suppliers as well. This was to make future sourcing easier.

Tang Jing wasn’t the least bit worried that the sisters might strike out on their own after learning about the suppliers. She believed in trusting those she employed, if they ever betrayed that trust, the loss would be minimal.

After all, her keen eye for selecting goods and her foresight into future trends were things no one could take from her.

Once the business expanded, she planned to categorize the brand, one line continuing the affordable route, the other venturing into high-end fashion. Designing clothes wouldn’t be a problem either.

But for now, she lacked the necessary resources. If she wanted to produce in bulk, she’d need her own garment factory.

All these plans were already part of her long-term strategy.

Once the restocking was complete, the store officially reopened on the scheduled date. Meanwhile, the Nan Yu Clothing branch was under urgent construction. Mei Mei and Ling Ling had also formally terminated their contracts with the company to focus entirely on managing the new store.

Tang Jing had been so busy lately that she hadn’t returned home in days. Worried that something might have happened, she asked Mei Mei and Ling Ling to handle a trial run for the day. Once the branch opened, they’d be able to take over smoothly.

Riding her bicycle back to the village, she spotted Xiaoyu before even reaching the entrance. A smile tugged at her lips, and she was about to call out when she noticed a man following behind Xiaoyu. Upon closer look, it was none other than Gu Sihuan’s boyfriend.

Tang Jing tightened the brakes, bringing the bike to a halt. Watching the two head one after another toward the grove behind the village, she pushed her bike forward, intent on finding out what Zhao Wenhao was up to.

Though she couldn’t be certain, she had already guessed what Xiaoyu had refused to tell her that day.

Lately, she’d been preoccupied with her clothing store and had nearly forgotten about Zhao Wenhao, that scumbag who specialized in deceiving young girls. She didn’t care that he was entangled with Gu Sihuan after all, Gu Sihuan was no saint either. But if that bastard dared lay a finger on Xiaoyu, she’d be ready to chop his hands off with a knife.

Spring had arrived, and the weather had warmed. The bare branches that had shed their leaves in winter now sprouted tender buds, swaying in the breeze as if waving to the season.

Tang Jing, however, was in no mood to admire the scenery. She leaned her bike against a tree and tiptoed after the two, torn between seething at Zhao Wenhao’s character and wondering where Xiaoyu was leading him.

After all, this place was remote. If anything happened, no one would be around to help her.

After a few steps, Tang Jing suddenly jolted, letting out a soft laugh before quickly covering her mouth. She glanced ahead, the distance was far enough that her laughter likely hadn’t been heard.

She had almost forgotten, the person inside Xiaoyu’s body was none other than Senior Shi! As a top-tier fast-transmigration agent, how could someone from a minor world possibly bully her?

The only reason Xiaoyu had lured Zhao Wenhao here was to give him a thorough beating.

With no outsiders around to witness it, no matter how much Zhao Wenhao tried to frame her later, the villagers wouldn’t believe him.

After all, Chi Yu was known as someone who wouldn’t even dare kill a chicken.

Realizing this, Tang Jing relaxed. Hands in her pockets, she strolled leisurely through the woods, tilting her head to bask in the warm sunlight and listen to the birdsong, all while following the pair with the detached amusement of a spectator.

Zhao Wenhao, growing impatient, hadn’t expected the girl to lead him to such a secluded spot. He wondered if she might have feelings for him. The thought spurred him to quicken his pace. “Little Chi Yu, do you, Ah!”

A sharp cry echoed through the woods, but the village was too far away for anyone to hear just how agonized it sounded.

The only one who could hear it leaned against a tree trunk, casually picking at her ear as she admired Senior Shi’s heroic display.

“You!” Zhao Wenhao thought he was hallucinating, staring in disbelief at the girl before him.

She looked exactly the same as before, but the sharpness in her eyes sent an inexplicable chill down his spine. Propping himself up on his elbows, he scrambled backward, desperate for a chance to escape.

“Ah!”

Tang Jing pulled a face, her gleeful expression just shy of clapping in approval.

Soon, silence fell over the scene. Worried she might be discovered, Tang Jing hurriedly retraced her steps.

As she walked away, she chuckled to herself. “Just as expected from the Senior Shi I admire so cool!”

Tang Jing rode her bike back home to find Grandma Qin sitting in the yard, soaking up the sun. The chickens had been let out of their coop and were now pecking around the courtyard.

“Grandma.” Tang Jing parked her bicycle against the wall.

Granny Qin shielded her brow with her hand and, upon seeing her, asked in surprise, “Why are you back today?”

Tang Jing replied sweetly, “I missed you, so of course I came back.”

Granny Qin remained utterly unimpressed. “Oh.”

Tang Jing’s expression froze, and she sighed helplessly, “Grandma, your granddaughter really came back because she missed you.”

Granny Qin cracked open an eye to glance at her. “Didn’t miss Xiaoyu?”

“Well, of course I missed her too.” Tang Jing walked over and began massaging her grandmother’s shoulders, casually glancing around. “Where is Xiaoyu? I don’t see her.”

“She went out. Said she’d be back soon.”

“Oh.” Tang Jing naturally knew what Chi Yu was up to, she was just putting on an act.

Sure enough, no sooner had she arrived home than Chi Yu returned. Seeing Tang Jing, she paused briefly before breaking into a smile, running over to tug at the hem of her clothes. She looked up with sparkling eyes.

If Tang Jing hadn’t just witnessed her kick Zhao Wenhao two meters away, she might have forgotten just how formidable her martial arts senior really was.

She hugged Chi Yu with delight, utterly smitten. “Xiaoyu, did you miss your Nan-jie?”

Chi Yu gave a soft “Mhm,” nodding emphatically.

Tang Jing said, “I took the day off today. I left the shop to Meimei and Lingling to manage. I’ll be spending the day at home with both of you.”

Granny Qin huffed, “Who needs your company? I have my old sisters to keep me entertained.”

“But you need your little sister too,” Tang Jing teased.

Though Tang Jing appeared cold and aloof outside, at home she was completely relaxed, especially when it came to bickering with Granny Qin she never held back.

During these moments, Chi Yu would always stand by, quietly laughing.

Lunch was prepared by Tang Jing and Chi Yu together, though Tang Jing mostly played assistant while Chi Yu took charge of the cooking.

In the half year since Chi Yu had moved in with the Qin family, she had learned many signature dishes from Granny Qin. Now, she was the main chef at home.

Tang Jing had initially wanted to spare her the effort, but seeing how happy it made her, she had no choice but to relent.

Just as the three of them were eating, a voice rang out from outside: “Little mute, come out here!”

Chi Yu’s hand, holding her chopsticks, trembled slightly clearly startled.

Granny Qin frowned. “Isn’t that the Gu family’s girl? What does she want with Xiaoyu?”

Tang Jing set down her bowl and chopsticks. “I’ll go see.”

Gu Sihuan was furious. Seeing her boyfriend beaten up like that had broken her heart, and when she heard it was the little mute who had done it, she was even more incensed. She hadn’t even finished her meal before rushing over.

She had expected Chi Yu to come out, but instead, it was Qin Nanshu, whom she hadn’t seen in days. Stunned, she blurted out, “Nanshu, why are you home?”

Tang Jing laughed. “What, do I need to report to you whether I’m home or not?”

This version of Qin Nanshu was hard for Gu Sihuan to accept. Usually, the other woman would greet her with a smile, her eyes full of warmth and patience.

But now, those same eyes held nothing but distance.

“I’m here for Chi Yu,” Gu Sihuan stammered, though she couldn’t back down now. She had come for answers.

“What do you want with her?” Tang Jing frowned.

“She beat up my boyfriend,” Gu Sihuan said.

“Xiaoyu beat your boyfriend?” Tang Jing couldn’t help but laugh. “Just how weak is your boyfriend to get beaten up by Xiaoyu?”

The damage was minimal, but the insult was extreme.

Tang Jing added fuel to the fire, “Besides, our Xiaoyu wouldn’t even dare to kill a chicken, how could she possibly beat up your boyfriend?”

In the main room, Chi Yu and Grandma Qin stared silently at the bowl of chicken soup on the table.

Gu Sihuan insisted stubbornly, “I don’t care! She’s the one who hit my boyfriend. Make her come out!”

Tang Jing replied unhurriedly, “Hold on. Have you even asked your boyfriend why he got beaten up? As an outsider coming to our village, did he do something shady? Maybe he couldn’t bully anyone else, so he picked on our Xiaoyu because he thought no one would stand up for her!”

Grandma Qin patted Chi Yu’s back and chuckled, “Xiao Nan and her sharp tongue.”

Chi Yu, feeling protected like this, was deeply moved. Her eyes reddened, and she sniffled.

Grandma Qin comforted her, “Xiaoyu, now that you’re part of our family, no outsider can bully you without going through me and Xiao Nan first.”

Chi Yu let out a soft “Mm,” tears rolling down her cheeks.

“Don’t cry. Let’s hear how your Nan sister chased them off,” Grandma Qin said, clearly amused.

Chi Yu laughed too, wiping her tears with the back of her hand.

“My boyfriend would never do anything shady! It’s clearly you people!” Gu Sihuan’s eyes burned with anger.

Tang Jing raised an eyebrow. “Do you really know him?”

Her words were meant to sow discord between the couple, but Gu Sihuan misinterpreted them as jealousy and gradually calmed down.

With a complicated look, she said, “Nanshu, I just hope whatever’s between us stays between us. Don’t drag my boyfriend into it.”

Tang Jing was stunned by her logic. She had intended not only to drive a wedge between them but also, out of female solidarity, to make Gu Sihuan take a hard look at the man she’d chosen.

But now it seemed trash deserved trash. She shouldn’t have wasted even a shred of goodwill not only was it unappreciated, but it had backfired disgustingly.

Done with the conversation, Tang Jing cut straight to the point. “Go ask your boyfriend what he really did before coming at me again. And remember Xiaoyu’s under my protection. Try messing with her, and you’ll regret it.” With that, she turned and went inside.

Grandma Qin clapped her hands. “Xiao Nan, well done!”

Chi Yu gazed at her with admiration, joining Grandma Qin in applause.

Tang Jing was instantly embarrassed. The fiery confidence she’d had in the yard vanished, and she wished she could disappear into the ground. “Grandma, Xiaoyu,” she groaned.

Grandma Qin teased her, mimicking her earlier words, “Our Xiaoyu wouldn’t even dare to kill a chicken.”

Tang Jing: “…”

Grandma Qin tapped the bowl of chicken soup with her chopsticks, giving her a pointed look.

Tang Jing fell even more silent.

Chi Yu burst into laughter, her eyes crinkling into slits.

If she couldn’t outwit Grandma, she could at least tease the younger girl. Tang Jing shot Chi Yu a mock glare. “This is all your fault. I told you to let me handle the chicken. Now Grandma’s got ammunition against me.”

“Bull! You’re the one who bragged outside!”

“Grandma, you cursed!” Tang Jing covered Chi Yu’s ears playfully. “La-la-la, we won’t listen. We can’t learn bad habits from Grandma.”

Chi Yu giggled, looking between her and Grandma Qin.

Gu Sihuan’s visit didn’t dampen their mealtime mood. After dinner, Tang Jing went to wash the dishes.

In the afternoon, Tang Jing sat in the yard, holding a sketchbook and making repeated adjustments to her drawings.

Chi Yu sat beside her, also holding a notebook, practicing writing by copying from a book.

The peaceful scene was shattered by the sound of shouting and cursing in the distance coming from the direction of the Gu family.

Both Tang Jing and Chi Yu turned to look.

Mr. and Mrs. Gu were brandishing knives, threatening to attack Zhao Wenhao, while Gu Sihuan stood between them, trying to intervene. Neighbors who lived nearby rushed over to mediate.

“Get out! You bastard! If you don’t leave right now, I’ll chop you to death!”

“Dad, Dad, don’t hit him! It’s not what you think!” Gu Sihuan shielded Zhao Wenhao while trying to stop her father.

Mrs. Gu’s eyes were filled with disappointment. “Sisi, your father and I have never let you go hungry or without clothes. How could you throw yourself away like this? This scumbag is clearly stringing you along, how can you be so blind?”

Gu Sihuan regretted it. She shouldn’t have listened to Qin Nanshu’s words and come back to confront Zhao Wenhao.

If she had waited until they went to the city to ask him, things wouldn’t have escalated like this.

The chaos at home exhausted her. Her gaze inadvertently swept across the river to the Qin household. In front of the door, Qin Nanshu and Chi Yu were reading together, a harmonious scene that felt so familiar. That spot beside Qin Nanshu used to be hers.

[System: The scumbag’s regret value has reached 50%. Keep it up, Host.]

Tang Jing hadn’t expected to receive Gu Sihuan’s regret value at this moment. It was quite a surprise.

Watching the disheveled Gu Sihuan, Tang Jing asked, “Xiao Yu, tell me, if someone is really terrible, plays with your feelings, and you hate them but can’t do anything about it but then one day, an even worse person comes along, toys with that scumbag, gets her pregnant, and drives her to jump into a river in desperation. As someone who’s been hurt by love before, do you think you should warn her to stay away from that scumbag?”

Tang Jing’s words were about herself. In truth, what she had said to Gu Sihuan in the yard at noon, if she had said more, it would’ve seemed like meddling; if she had said less, Gu Sihuan’s fate would’ve been just as tragic.

Setting aside the Qin family, whom Gu Sihuan had ruined, she had been trapped in a miserable family from the moment she was born.

Chi Yu looked at the slightly lost Tang Jing, then lowered her head and wrote in her notebook: “Everyone has their own destiny. The seeds one sows will determine the fruit they reap.”

No matter how tragic Gu Sihuan’s life was, she shouldn’t have dragged down the person who treated her best when she died.

She framed an innocent person by committing suicide such a cause inevitably led to the effect of no one telling her the truth now.

Realizing this, Tang Jing smiled. “You’re right. If she hadn’t carried malice, malice wouldn’t have come for her. I’ve already done my part as a decent person.”

Though she knew Gu Sihuan’s fate, she wasn’t obligated to help her change it because the seeds of destiny had already been planted.

Even if she helped Gu Sihuan avoid Zhao Wenhao this time, she couldn’t prevent the next Li Wenhao or Chen Wenhao. After all, some people’s tendency to attract scumbags often stems from their own flaws.

Poor judgment, being love-struck, overly dependent on their partner, the reasons were endless.

Gu Sihuan’s problem was her inability to see people for who they truly were.

Her act of kindness at noon was already going above and beyond. Helping her this time had indirectly altered Qin Nanshu’s fate. From now on, she truly had no connection with Gu Sihuan left.

After mulling over these thoughts, Tang Jing no longer paid attention to the situation over there and continued sketching clothing designs, while Chi Yu buried herself in writing.

Both Gu Sihuan and Zhao Wenhao had been driven away, especially Zhao Wenhao, who fled in a flustered mess with his luggage, not even waiting for Gu Sihuan.

As he passed by the Qin family’s doorstep, he gritted his teeth in resentment. However, when Tang Jing came out and met his gaze, he could only slink away in the end.

Gu Sihuan soon arrived at the Qin family’s doorstep as well, hesitating outside.

Chi Yu spotted her shadow through the window and poked the desk in front of Nan Jiejie (Sister Nan).

Tang Jing naturally saw her too and said with a smile, “Ignore her.”

Unable to wait for Qin Nanshu, Gu Sihuan eventually left for the city in disappointment.

As for what happened to those two afterward, Tang Jing didn’t care in the slightest.

The only thing on her mind was the opening of her branch store. On this day, everyone she knew came to show their support.

The crackling of firecrackers mingled with laughter and cheerful voices.

“Congratulations, Boss Qin!”

Tang Jing smiled in response, “Same to you, same to you!”

With the branch store now open, the courtyard house Tang Jing had bought in the city was also settled, a two-story building with a spacious yard. The yard had a well, space near the wall for growing vegetables, and a large central area for drying clothes.

The more Qin Grandma saw of the courtyard’s layout, the more she liked it. At first, she had been reluctant to leave the old house she had lived in for decades, but now she couldn’t care less about it. Wasn’t this little courtyard much better?

Coincidentally, the elderly sisters she had met while grocery shopping also lived nearby, so they could walk together every morning to buy food.

The square dancing event at New City Plaza officially began half a month after Qin Grandma moved into the courtyard.

Every evening after dinner, the old lady would head out. With other elderly women accompanying her, Chi Yu now had time to help Nan Jiejie sell clothes at the store.

Life was thriving, and soon summer arrived.

Long sleeves were swapped for short-sleeved shirts.

“Xiao Yu, come down for dinner!” Tang Jing called up to the second floor.

Chi Yu ran out of her room, waved at her from upstairs, and hurried down the steps.

“Slow down, don’t trip,” Tang Jing reminded her with a laugh.

Chi Yu had now grown into a young woman, her height having increased so that she was only half a head shorter than Tang Jing. She wore her hair in a high ponytail and sported a sleeveless dress, one of Tang Jing’s designs.

Since climbing stairs was inconvenient for Qin Grandma, Tang Jing had arranged for her to stay in a sunny room on the first floor, complete with a new floral-patterned door curtain.

Perhaps it was the daily square dancing or simply the leisurely life she now led, but Qin Grandma’s health had become even more robust, and her voice carried more vigor.

“Xiao Nan, Xiao Yu, Auntie Dong next door sent over some grapes. Try them and see how they taste.”

“I already saw them,” Tang Jing said, pointing to the glistening grapes on the small dining table. “I tasted one earlier, they’re really sweet.”

Qin Grandma mused, “I was thinking, should we also set up a grape trellis in our yard?”

Tang Jing and Chi Yu exchanged glances and nodded. “Sure! In summer, we could relax under the grapevine, enjoying the shade while eating grapes.”

Qin Grandma laughed heartily. “We haven’t even started, and you’re already dreaming big.”

“The more beautiful the dream, the more motivation we’ll have,” Tang Jing said. “I’ll check the market these days to see where we can buy grapevines.”

Granny Qin said, “That’s still a long way off. I reckon my teeth will have all fallen out by the time that happens.”

“Alright, don’t you all worry about it. I’ll have Aunt Dong ask her in-laws if they can transplant a couple of plants over later,” Granny Qin continued.

“Okay,” Tang Jing nodded.

Granny now had better connections with people in this area than she did. Sometimes Tang Jing couldn’t even recognize who was who.

The summer morning was pleasantly cool. The three of them grandmother and grandchildren sat around the small table in the courtyard, enjoying breakfast while chatting about everyday matters. Such a life was both delightful and heartwarming.

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