The Stand-in is Exceptionally Clingy [Quick Transmigration] - Chapter 29

Chapter 29: The CEO and Her Canary

◎”Returning to Zero”◎

One in the morning.

Jian Ke lay in bed, tossing and turning, like a salted fish being fried repeatedly in a hot pan. She kept moving restlessly.

Then she suddenly opened her eyes and sat up in bed.

Jian Ke called out to 520 in a puzzled tone, “You said Lou Bianxia was living perfectly fine at Jingxiu Garden, so why did she suddenly move next door?”

520 was also completely at a loss.

Jian Ke: “The mission progress is stuck at 55%. Ever since that sudden increase, there’s been no movement. What do you think is going on with them now?”

520 pondered for a moment and said, “Could it be… they had a fight? The female lead went as far as to leave home, so the conflict they had must be pretty big.”

Jian Ke thought seriously, threw off the covers, and got out of bed. She walked to the refrigerator in the kitchen and grabbed a can of ice-cold Coke.

She pulled the tab open, the bubbles gurgling, and took a sip with her head tilted back. She suddenly thought of something. “Could it be that Lou Bianxia made an impulsive confession and got rejected?!”

520’s voice was uncertain. “No way… Shu Yu is a straight woman. A sudden confession from someone of the same sex? Any fool would know she absolutely wouldn’t accept it. The female lead shouldn’t be that impulsive, right?”

Unaware that she had guessed half-right but with the wrong person, Jian Ke slapped the Coke can on the table in frustration.

“If I had known Lou Bianxia was so bad at pursuing people, I shouldn’t have moved out. Being a third wheel is one thing, but at least I could have helped them along when necessary.”

“Instead of being completely in the dark like I am now.” She had no direction to even apply her efforts.

520 sighed. “Anyway, Lou Bianxia definitely can’t stay here anymore. Shu Yu isn’t here, so their mission intimacy level will never increase.”

Jian Ke nodded and narrowed her eyes. She suddenly said, “We don’t know the real situation with them, but we can go and find out.”

520: “Find out? Are you going to ask Lou Bianxia next door?”

Jian Ke pursed her lips. “Do you think Lou Bianxia would tell anyone about her embarrassing failure to pursue someone? If I went to ask, she’d probably hold a grudge against me.”

She curled her lips slightly, her tone intriguing. “She’s not the only person involved.”

520 was confused. “So you want to find Shu Yu? Is that… reliable? You’re not close. She might not tell you anything.”

Jian Ke curled her lips into a confident smile. “My persona with her is a poor college student, which makes her feel sympathetic. And of course, I won’t ask directly.”

520 was half-believing and half-doubting, but it remembered that Jian Ke had over-fulfilled the previous two missions.

So for this mission… there’s definitely no mistake in listening to her!

Shu Yu’s performance was at the National Theatre at 7:30 in the evening.

Jian Ke sat in the audience, watching the graceful Shu Yu. She was like a soft feather spinning in the center of the stage. A beam of white light followed her closely, and her ballet costume blossomed like a brilliant white flower.

Her arms rose and fell, her posture elegant and gentle. After her final bow, the blue curtain closed, preserving her beautiful figure.

The packed theater erupted in thunderous, long-lasting applause.

There were many fans backstage sending flowers. Jian Ke also sent a flower basket and thoughtfully included a celebratory card.

Shu Yu, who had already changed out of her ballet costume, sat in front of the vanity mirror, removing her makeup.

Jian Ke smiled as she walked closer. “Sister Shu Yu, I just saw your performance. It was so beautiful and wonderful.”

Shu Yu, sitting on the chair, simply looked up at her. In fact, she had already noticed Jian Ke when she came backstage but deliberately ignored her.

Seeing Shu Yu carefully taking off the feather hair accessory on her head, Jian Ke quickly put down the flower basket and went over to help her.

She smiled politely, pondering how to subtly ask about her and Lou Bianxia, when she heard Shu Yu speak.

“Why are you here alone? Didn’t your senior come with you? Or… is she not even seeing me now?”

The resentful tone made it clear that they had really had a fight.

Jian Ke thought to herself and said, “Ms. Lou and I didn’t come together. I came alone. I’ve always heard that Sister Shu Yu’s ballet is a unique masterpiece, and I finally got to see it today.”

“You don’t need to come here specifically to mock me. I was already prepared for this.”

Jian Ke was completely confused. “Sister Shu Yu… I was genuinely complimenting you.”

Shu Yu took off her false eyelashes and turned to Jian Ke, her tone flat. “Let me tell you another piece of good news. I’m leaving in three days. I won’t be in your way anymore.”

She’s leaving in three days?

Then how long will I have to wait to complete my mission?!

Jian Ke was anxious. “When will you be coming back, Sister Shu Yu?”

“Coming back?” Shu Yu sneered. Her cold expression was completely different from the gentle and pleasant one her fans saw. “I was mercilessly rejected. Why would I come back?”

She had returned to the country because of Lou Bianxia. Now that her confession was rejected, there was no longer any meaning in her staying.

She had been rebellious for once, trying to break away from her pre-determined life path. Now, it seemed she had been too naive.

No one would wait forever for another person.

Love is both a luxury and a consumable. If you keep giving without getting the response you deserve, you will eventually get tired.

Perhaps Lou Bianxia’s change started when she stopped flying overseas to see her performances…

Shu Yu took a wet wipe and wiped away her beautifully painted red lipstick, as if she were wiping away the beautiful and enchanting memories of the past.

“Rejected?” Jian Ke was completely dumbfounded. This situation was completely outside her scope of understanding. Her voice was shaky. “Sister Shu Yu… was rejected by Ms. Lou?”

Jian Ke felt a mystical sensation of her soul leaving her body. Her mind was a mess, and she thought she was hearing things.

Huh? Who rejected whom?!

Isn’t the white moonlight a straight woman? Isn’t Lou Bianxia supposed to be madly in love with Shu Yu?

So why was Shu Yu the one who confessed, and Lou Bianxia the one who rejected her??

Throwing the wet wipe into the trash can, Shu Yu crossed her arms. “Why are you pretending not to know? Lou Bianxia must have told you everything.”

“Uh, I really don’t know anything. In fact, ever since I moved out, I haven’t seen Ms. Lou more than three times.” Jian Ke held up three trembling fingers.

Looking at the genuine confusion on Jian Ke’s face, Shu Yu was the one who was stunned.

“You don’t know? How could you not know? Lou Bianxia clearly said that night…” that she had fallen in love with you.

Jian Ke suppressed the unease in her heart. “Maybe there’s some misunderstanding between you and Ms. Lou. Since you’re both in love, you should naturally be together.”

Shu Yu was shocked. She pointed at Jian Ke, then at herself. “You—you want me and Lou Bianxia to be together?”

Jian Ke: “True lovers should be together. Since you have feelings for each other, of course you should be together.”

Shu Yu recalled Jian Ke’s previous actions and immediately understood what was going on. She fell silent.

So it turned out Lou Bianxia was the one who was head-over-heels, with unrequited love.

—A secret love, at that.

“The day you moved out, Ms. Lou went out to look for you. Did you not see her?”

Jian Ke blinked. “I saw her.” She had also shut the door in her face. But what does that have to do with anything?

Shu Yu’s gaze was deep as she asked directly, “…You don’t like Lou Bianxia at all?”

Why is the conversation turning back to this? Is the reason for Shu Yu and Lou Bianxia’s fight me?

She quickly clarified. “Absolutely not. I don’t like Ms. Lou, and Ms. Lou doesn’t like me. At most, we’re friends. She sponsored me, and I’m grateful to her, but as for feelings… there are none.”

“Sister Shu Yu, please don’t misunderstand.”

Shu Yu suddenly felt that the resentment she felt from being rejected by Lou Bianxia wasn’t so strong anymore.

Pain, after all, needs to be compared.

“Okay, okay, I won’t misunderstand. But I hope you don’t misunderstand either. Lou Bianxia doesn’t like me anymore. I confessed to her that day, and she clearly rejected me.”

The expression on Jian Ke’s face instantly… froze.

“Ding—Detected that mission progress is beginning to decrease. 40%… 35%…”

What?! It can decrease?!

Jian Ke’s heart was bleeding. She asked with a trembling voice, “W-Why? Ms. Lou really waited for you for seven years. She really loved you.”

Shu Yu shook her head. “When she was with you, did she mention me frequently?”

Jian Ke was stunned. She tried to remember. She recalled that when they first signed the contract, Lou Bianxia seemed to have mentioned Shu Yu quite a bit, talking about all her likes and little habits.

Jian Ke had also tried to learn them, but as time went on, she seemed to have let herself go and became quite perfunctory.

But Lou Bianxia never seemed to have complained. After that, she really did stop mentioning Shu Yu.

Including the news of Shu Yu’s return to the country. Lou Bianxia had never mentioned it to her. She only found out the night Shu Yu arrived at the airport.

“But she does love you… not everyone can spend seven years waiting,” Jian Ke said. She had seen the sadness and conflict in Lou Bianxia’s eyes when she mentioned Shu Yu.

To be so deeply in love, she shouldn’t be misunderstood by the one person who shouldn’t misunderstand her.

Shu Yu came to a sudden realization. A sour feeling welled up in her chest, and her voice was hoarse and weak. “So… being rejected was actually what I deserved.”

She had lost him when she was young because of her timidity. When she grew up and finally found the courage and ability to try and pick it up again, it was already too late.

“She has already fallen in love with someone else and is no longer waiting for me.”

These words dealt Jian Ke another heavy blow.

“Ding—Mission progress is decreasing again. 30%… 25%…”

She called out to 520 with a trembling heart. “…What on earth is going on? The female lead doesn’t love the white moonlight anymore? Did you get the plot wrong?”

520’s voice also sounded quite panicked. It was stuttering and overloading to perform a self-diagnosis and search. “That’s impossible… impossible… The female lead, Lou Bianxia, has always been deeply… in love with her white moonlight, Shu Yu.”

“After Shu Yu… divorced and returned to the country, she began a fierce pursuit… Although there were many hardships… the two of them… eventually saw the light and… got together.”

“What’s wrong, what’s… wrong.”

Look at how you’ve driven the kid mad!

Jian Ke shed a tear of sorrow and asked Shu Yu, “How do you know Ms. Lou fell for someone else? Did she tell you herself?”

Shu Yu pursed her lips. “You really don’t know anything?”

Jian Ke: No, I don’t. It’s not like I’m a roundworm in her stomach. What could I possibly know?

“Then do you know who it is?”

Just who is this vixen that managed to steal the female lead right under my nose?

Shu Yu: “If I told you, Ms. Lou probably wouldn’t be happy.”

So there really is someone?!

Jian Ke went through everyone around Lou Bianxia in her mind.

Since this person was able to hide it from her, they must be someone close to Lou Bianxia, someone who wouldn’t arouse suspicion.

Could it be an assistant?

Lou Bianxia had more than a dozen assistants. Excluding age and gender, that still left five people.

No, six!

The most suspicious one was Cen Ming!

Seeing that Jian Ke was still guessing wildly, Shu Yu actually felt a genuine sense of sympathy for Lou Bianxia.

“Although my senior seems cold and hard to approach, when she truly takes someone to heart, she shows her gentle and patient side.”

“But sometimes, because of that special feeling, she overthinks things and hesitates after realizing her feelings.”

For example, during the two years she spent by Shu Yu’s side, she never said a single word to reveal her affection. She was always silent and restrained.

But beneath that restrained exterior, a tumultuous storm may have been brewing.

The night Jian Ke moved out of Jingxiu Garden, Shu Yu saw a side of Lou Bianxia she had never seen before—obsessive, out of control, and anxious.

It was as if the towering building she had carefully constructed had collapsed overnight.

She could be honest about her feelings with Shu Yu, but with Jian Ke…

Thinking of how Jian Ke had just said she didn’t like Lou Bianxia at all, Shu Yu wisely remained silent.

…

Jian Ke didn’t expect that her visit to Shu Yu would leave her feeling so heavyhearted.

In the end, with only 20% of her mission progress left, she returned home with a shaky gait and a heavy heart.

520 kept repeating “What went wrong?”, “That’s impossible.”, and “This isn’t right, this isn’t right at all…” like a virus.

Jian Ke said helplessly, “But the fact is, Lou Bianxia really did fall for someone else. You can’t refuse to accept it.”

520 system: “Even so, please don’t lose heart, Host! There’s still 20% left. Maybe one day Lou Bianxia will realize that she actually still loves Shu Yu.”

“When will that be?” Jian Ke said with a bitter smile, tearing open a packet of instant noodles. “And Shu Yu is leaving the country. According to the original plot, the next time she returns will be after she gets engaged, married, and divorced, which will probably be five or six years from now.”

Tears streamed down her face. Female lead, why did you do this?

Just then, the doorbell rang in the apartment.

Jian Ke put down the instant noodles, slowly walked to the door, and looked through the peephole.

As if she had heard Jian Ke’s thoughts, Lou Bianxia was at the door.

She was wearing a light purple loungewear set and holding a large, multi-layered food container, and was ringing the doorbell repeatedly.

Jian Ke saw Lou Bianxia and was reminded of her plummeting mission progress. She really didn’t want to open the door.

But then she reconsidered. Shu Yu’s claim that Lou Bianxia had fallen for someone else was one-sided.

It would be better to ask her directly. Besides, she could also use this opportunity to find out who this “new lover” was.

So, Jian Ke opened the door and stuck her head out to greet Lou Bianxia. “Ms. Lou, it’s so late. Do you need something?”

Lou Bianxia shook the food container in her hand. “I was worried you’d be eating takeout or instant noodles at home again. I just made a lot of dishes. Let’s eat together?”

Jian Ke felt like she had been hit in the knees. She suddenly had a strong urge to throw away the packet of instant noodles on the kitchen table.

“That’s so kind of you, Ms. Lou.” Jian Ke stepped aside, gesturing for Lou Bianxia to come in.

Lou Bianxia held the food container and narrowed her eyes. Hmm? She’s letting me in so easily? Didn’t she say she was hiding things and wanted me to wait for the housewarming party?

Jian Ke smiled. “What is it, Ms. Lou? Aren’t you coming in?”

Lou Bianxia: “I am.”

Of course I’m coming in. I’d go in even if it were a tiger’s den.

The apartment was a simple one-bedroom, two-living-room unit. The layout was the same as the 2301 unit that Lou Bianxia had bought next door, and the decor was also a simple and monotonous gray and white.

Perhaps because she had just moved in, there wasn’t much furniture, but the place was clean and tidy. A pile of familiar plush toy beds were in the corner of the living room, and a fluffy white rug was laid underneath, making Lou Bianxia feel as though she was back at Jingxiu Garden.

Jian Ke took the food container from Lou Bianxia and placed it on the dining table. She went to the kitchen to get two pairs of chopsticks and saw Lou Bianxia with her arms crossed, looking around her apartment with great interest.

Lou Bianxia: “You never let me in, so I thought you were hiding something in your apartment.”

Jian Ke laughed. “You’re right. It’s trendy now to hide a ‘beauty’ in a golden house. I’ve got a person hiding in my bedroom. Do you want to go take a look, Ms. Lou?”

She was just making a joke to test the waters, but Lou Bianxia’s expression suddenly darkened. She lifted her foot and started walking toward the bedroom.

Jian Ke felt awkward. “Ms. Lou, I was just kidding. Was it… not funny?”

Lou Bianxia finally stopped in her tracks and answered coldly. “…Not funny.”

Lou Bianxia had made a lot of dishes. Jian Ke sighed as she ate. “After this meal, I’ll have to take several more physical training classes.”

Lou Bianxia paused, her gaze thoughtful. She asked tentatively, “Is Li Zhi’s physical training class… very effective?”

Jian Ke nodded. “Yeah, you saw it tonight. Her professional knowledge is extensive, and she customizes the workout plans for each student.”

“Most importantly,” Jian Ke said, raising an eyebrow playfully. “Don’t you think Li Zhi has a perfect figure? She’s an instructor, so she must train a lot.”

Lou Bianxia: “…I didn’t notice.”

“But what made you suddenly decide to sign up for a class?” Jian Ke asked.

Lou Bianxia said nonchalantly, “Suimu also invested in similar yoga studios, but the profits have been low. I need to do some market research lately.”

Jian Ke didn’t know if she believed her or not, but she nodded and casually said, “Market research after work. Ms. Lou must be a very busy person.”

“They say you need to balance work and rest. I can understand you being busy with work, Ms. Lou, but you can’t neglect your love life.”

Jian Ke carefully watched Lou Bianxia’s expression, not wanting to miss a single detail.

“Shu Yu is going back abroad soon.” As if she had anticipated what Jian Ke was about to say, Lou Bianxia frowned and stated directly, “So don’t ever mention trying to set her and me up again.”

Her attitude was particularly cold and rigid, as if there was no room for negotiation.

Jian Ke opened her mouth. “I… I just thought it was a good opportunity. You two seem very compatible. Why did you suddenly…”

Lou Bianxia’s gaze was heavy, and the emotions in her eyes flickered. “I won’t let her stay at Jingxiu Garden, and I won’t pursue her.”

“Because I don’t love her.”

“Ding—Detected that mission progress is decreasing. 20%… 10%…”

Although she had already expected it, Jian Ke’s mouth still twitched.

Her hand holding the chopsticks trembled uncontrollably. She tried her best to control her twisted expression. “You don’t love Shu Yu anymore? When exactly did you… suddenly stop loving her?”

Did she really fall for someone else?

Lou Bianxia silently watched Jian Ke’s reaction, feeling both confused and chilled.

There was no joy on Jian Ke’s face. On the contrary, she seemed to be quite angry?

Cen Ming was right after all—

Jian Ke really didn’t have any feelings for her.

Lou Bianxia’s eyes darkened. She remembered the night she couldn’t help but run out to find Jian Ke, and it was Cen Ming who poured cold water on her madness just in time.

Perhaps it was the light in Jian Ke’s eyes when she acted coyly and called her “sister,” the sly and clingy smile when she played the aggrieved party, and the countless nights of skin-on-skin intimacy with ambiguous words that gave Lou Bianxia the illusion that they had feelings for each other.

Jian Ke’s decisive move was like a blow to Lou Bianxia’s head, making her self-assured assumptions seem incredibly laughable.

After all, when they signed the contract, they were each getting what they wanted.

So, the person who was confused now was Lou Bianxia.

Lou Bianxia sat in the passenger seat, an aura of ruthlessness and coldness radiating from her. Her cold, arrogant eyes stared forward without any focus.

Cen Ming felt a prickling sensation on her back. In the oppressive atmosphere of the car, she subconsciously held her breath, not daring to say another word.

It seems like every time I start a new relationship, it’s just as difficult.

Shu Yu was the lesson she learned before.

Lou Bianxia knew that if she “acted rashly,” she might scare Jian Ke away again this time.

Cen Ming slowly drove the car to the entrance of the apartment complex. The taxi in front stopped, and a figure got out and walked away.

Cen Ming turned her head to look at the passenger seat. Lou Bianxia’s profile was calm and restrained. Cen Ming finally let out a sigh of relief.

The rational and normal Ms. Lou was finally back.

“Matters of the heart need to be taken slowly. Until we know what Miss Jian is thinking, Ms. Lou should proceed with caution,” Cen Ming said, carefully choosing her words.

“I know,” Lou Bianxia said, closing her eyes and taking a deep breath. She opened the car door and got out.

Then she was shut out of the door, without even having the chance to say goodnight.

—Haha, she didn’t even get a chance to act in the first place.

Now, facing Jian Ke’s questions, Lou Bianxia pursed her lips, feeling like she still had to try.

The light from the ceiling fixture fell on Lou Bianxia’s smooth hair. Her voice was deliberately drawn out, slow and low. “It’s been a while, I just hadn’t realized it.”

“For all these years, I’ve never met anyone I truly loved, which is why I stubbornly continued to hold on to her as my obsession.”

Lou Bianxia lowered her gaze, her long lashes casting a dark shadow. The feeling of loneliness and loss softened the sharpness and brilliance of her eyes, adding a touch of tenderness.

“But when I first found out Shu Yu was coming back, there was no ripple in my heart. I was confused, and I gradually started to doubt my own feelings.”

Lou Bianxia looked at Jian Ke intently, as if with a certain hint.

Jian Ke understood immediately: It must have been when she met the “new lover.”

Lou Bianxia: “It wasn’t until you mov… ahem, until later, that I finally realized that I no longer loved her.”

Jian Ke, once again, had a corporate-level misunderstanding: Oh, so it was then that she realized she had fallen for someone.

“So,” Lou Bianxia glanced at Jian Ke, trying to coax her. “I think it’s time to start a new chapter in my life.”

“Ding—Mission progress has dropped to 0%. Host, please do not slack off.”

Jian Ke finally understood what it meant to go back to square one.