Transmigrated Into the Stand-In of the Tragic Novel’s Heroine - Chapter 25.2

Seeing this, Xie Qingtang silently gave a like to the person who spoke the truth, even though they were later attacked by He Yanjin’s fans until they doubted their own words and changed their statement.

He Yanjin didn’t pay much attention to the Maya Platform. This link was sent to her by her assistant, Xiao Yi. The assistant hadn’t followed the filming the whole time and hadn’t paid much attention. After hearing the fans mention it, she forwarded it to He Yanjin. When He Yanjin saw it, her heart was filled with jealousy and hatred, as if a thousand ants were gnawing at her.

“Can’t you tell that’s not me? How are you even an assistant?” He Yanjin’s voice was sharp and shrill, like a dagger piercing the eardrum. She had completely dropped her usual gentle demeanor in public. Her entire face was flushed with anger, her eyebrows tightly furrowed, making her look hideous and frightening. “Do you not want this job anymore?”

Xiao Yi mumbled a response, not daring to argue.

Shattered glass on the floor reflected a chilling light. The carpet was a mess. He Yanjin sat on the sofa, clutching her clothes tightly, her eyes filled with venom, as if she were about to swallow the cowering Xiao Yi whole. After a moment, she was probably tired and put away her terrifying expression, but the words she spoke were cold, as if laced with poison. “Clean up the floor immediately.”

Xiao Yi bowed and scraped, quickly agreeing. She was more familiar with this cold home than He Yanjin, found a broom, and began to clean up the shards. But just as she was about to finish, a sharp scream suddenly rang out ahead, followed immediately by another glass cup flying toward her face. Xiao Yi subconsciously raised her hand to block it. A dull thud followed, and the glass cup fell to the floor, shattering into pieces.

Xiao Yi’s face was pale. She looked up at He Yanjin and found that He Yanjin looked more like a female ghost than she did. “W-what’s wrong, Sis?” she asked, trembling.

He Yanjin instinctively wanted to smash her phone, but as she raised her hand, she abruptly lowered it. “Did you tell someone to buy a trending topic for this video?” He Yanjin asked coldly.

“No, I didn’t,” Xiao Yi said with an innocent look.

He Yanjin sneered and said, “Was it one of the other guests who went with us?” It was impossible for those people not to know her performance during the reality show filming. That person wasn’t her, but a trending topic was bought, misleading countless people into thinking it was her, He Yanjin! Which low-life was trying to harm her? “Go and find out who bought it! Suppress it! Suppress it!” He Yanjin shrieked.

#PingyaoSuccessorHeYanjin#

If this topic were true, she would be overjoyed. If the truth were never revealed, she wouldn’t care. But now—someone was clearly trying to sabotage her, to ruin her reputation!

Xiao Yi couldn’t get any useful information from the hysterical He Yanjin. She asked He Yanjin’s manager about the situation and finally came to an awkward conclusion—the trending topic was bought by their own company. The shrewd manager obviously didn’t want to get involved in this mess and simply deferred, citing another artist had an issue, and asked Xiao Yi to relay the message. Xiao Yi stared at her phone for a long time. Finally, she looked up at He Yanjin with a smile that was worse than crying.

“Sis…”

“Who was it?” He Yanjin didn’t notice Xiao Yi’s expression, raising her voice in a hysterical demand.

Xiao Yi was frightened by her demeanor. She glanced at the coffee table, afraid He Yanjin would pick up something else to smash her with. She backed away, holding her phone, unsure how to lie. Various excuses spun in her mind, but they finally emerged as a timid response.

“I-it was Miss Zhou who bought it…”

He Yanjin froze for a moment, then grimaced, “That’s impossible!” Zhou Yunmeng never bought trending topics to build her momentum; those were all arranged by the company itself. She would buy a trending topic for her? He Yanjin took a deep breath, went through her call log, and called Zhou Yunmeng.

“What’s wrong?” Zhou Yunmeng spoke softly. She was sitting cross-legged on the bed in pink silk pajamas, a painting in front of her, her expression focused and happy.

“Did you tell someone to buy a trending topic?” He Yanjin spoke without any politeness.

Zhou Yunmeng smiled gently, “Are you talking about the Pingyao one? Yes, I did. Ancient craftsmanship like that needs to be promoted.”

The other side of the phone was silent.

It felt like a long time, or maybe just a moment. He Yanjin controlled her collapsing expression. She ground her back teeth and said hatefully, “That person isn’t me!”

Zhou Yunmeng was surprised. After a moment, she blinked and said, “Your fans all say it is. I’m sorry, I’ll take care of it.”

He Yanjin angrily hung up on Zhou Yunmeng. She weakly slid onto the sofa, and after a while, she glared at Xiao Yi and shouted angrily, “What are you still doing here? Watching me make a fool of myself?! Get out!”

Xiao Yi felt chills run down the back of her neck, seeing He Yanjin’s contorted face, full of panic. She had seen He Yanjin angry before, but rarely like this, so terrifying. She looked at He Yanjin timidly, as if seeing this person for the first time.

He Yanjin didn’t notice Xiao Yi’s expression. She clenched her phone with such force that it seemed like she was about to crush it. A moment later, she stared at Xiao Yi, who hadn’t walked out the door yet, and forced a hideous smile. “Wait.” Xiao Yi turned back in alarm.

“Lend me your phone,” He Yanjin said in a matter-of-fact tone.

Xiao Yi: “…”

After scrolling through the video on the Maya Platform, Xie Qingtang quickly scanned the comments, then went to Weibo to check the trending topics—from “Pingyao Craftsperson He Yanjin,” to “Pingyao” plus the show name, it was hard not to draw conclusions. He Yanjin’s side probably realized something and asked people to take down the trending topic, but how could online traces be erased so easily? In the new topic, there were still related posts hidden.

—Is this He Yanjin? Doesn’t look like her?

—If it’s not my Jie Jie, then is it you? People who say this, some haters really have no heart.

—According to internal sources, this never happened at all.

—Chahua (gossipers), hurry up and leave, there’s hard evidence, it’s really not He Yanjin. Aren’t they shameless for stealing someone else’s work to buy a trending topic?

Xie Qingtang was curious. She followed the link in the comments and her fingertip suddenly stopped. It was a photography blogger. The latest photos posted were the moment she walked out of the door and headed towards Chang Yishao—the last few photos were of her back, clearly the person had chosen to continue taking pictures after being caught off guard, instead of leaving with the camera.

—Isn’t this Tang Xi? She looks a bit like He Yanjin.

—No matter how similar, they can’t be mistaken, right? It must be your problem, you don’t recognize her just because she changed clothes? [Dog head]

If this matter were unrelated, she might have liked the post with a feeling of enjoying the spectacle, but at this moment—Xie Qingtang lowered her eyes, a hint of laziness flashing across her face. She chuckled and put her phone away. The power of the plot deity was too strong. She, the tool, was not only an active skill but also a passive effect. As long as she had this face, nothing would probably ever be quiet, right?

These days were actually a bit boring.

Xie Qingtang let her mind wander. Past fragments intertwined with current real experiences. He Yanjin’s coldness and Chang Yishao’s gentleness intersected. This current “wife-abusing” plot was not as heartbreaking as she had imagined. The person involved, Chang Yishao, was calm, completely detached. If things developed this way, was there a possibility for them to reconcile and follow the plot? Would this retirement world collapse if it didn’t follow the world’s warped logic? Xie Qingtang was startled by her own thought, but upon deeper reflection, she felt she was overthinking. This was her retirement world, not under the “program” definition of the Time and Space Bureau. Anything could happen. As for reloading, that was simply a pipe dream.

She should discard the influence of the plot and regard Chang Yishao from a completely new perspective.

If not for He Yanjin, why did she find a substitute? As a game?

Xie Qingtang was so engrossed in her thoughts that she didn’t hear Chang Yishao’s footsteps. It wasn’t until her eyes caught Chang Yishao’s phone, screen lit up, placed on the coffee table.

“Help me answer it.” Chang Yishao smoothed her wet long hair with one hand, her voice soft. Her figure seemed veiled in a misty haze, looking like a beauty draped in sheer silk under the moonlight. Her skin under the lamplight was as moist as jade, and her eyes sparkled with moisture, appearing more gentle and approachable than usual.

A beauty fresh from the bath was just a filter.

A moment later, Xie Qingtang looked away. She reached for the phone on the coffee table, glanced at it, and saw it was an unknown number. Seeing no objection from Chang Yishao, she directly answered the call.

“Chang Yishao, you are truly heartless. Are you going to forget our ten years just like that?” The voice that came through was choked with tears and so familiar that Xie Qingtang felt like she should just throw the phone away. She blinked and handed the phone to Chang Yishao, but Chang Yishao didn’t reach for it.

Chang Yishao’s expression remained as gentle as a spring wave.

Xie Qingtang couldn’t figure out what was going on and had to understand it herself. After a while, she looked at Chang Yishao with sudden realization. The boss wanted her to activate her “active skill.” She cleared her throat and interrupted He Yanjin’s tearful lament. She softened her voice, replying with an almost saccharine tone, “Xiao Shao’er is taking a shower. May I ask who you are?”

Upon hearing Xie Qingtang’s tone, He Yanjin naturally flew into a rage, wishing she could cross the line and tear Xie Qingtang apart.

“You bitch! Where is Chang Yishao? Where is she? She will definitely answer my call! Are you doing this on purpose?”

Those words made Xie Qingtang laugh. She blinked, flashed a mischievous smile at Chang Yishao, mouthed something, and then turned back to He Yanjin, her tone suddenly becoming sarcastic: “Oh, so you’re Xiao Shao’er’s ex-girlfriend? If you hadn’t stepped aside, I wouldn’t have been able to be with Xiao Shao’er. I should treat you to a meal. Hmm, Xiao Shao’er can cook then, she’d probably be willing. If not, I’ll persuade her. After all, she listens to everything I say.”

After speaking, Xie Qingtang felt a shiver of disgust. She felt like she was the cannon fodder female supporting character in a vicious female supporting character novel, deliberately hindering others’ paths to a happy ending. Her tone—was probably very irritating, she had a profound understanding of herself.

He Yanjin’s scream seemed to pierce the eardrum. Concerned about disturbing the neighbors, Xie Qingtang turned the phone face down on the sofa, then picked it up again a moment later. He Yanjin’s psychological endurance was not very good; she had been so furious that she had already hung up. Xie Qingtang chuckled. She turned to Chang Yishao, who had been standing on the side with her arms crossed the whole time, and raised an eyebrow, “Do you need a block service?”

“Do I have to pay?” Chang Yishao looked deeply at Xie Qingtang, her voice mixed with a clear hint of laughter.

“Complimentary service,” Xie Qingtang looked at Chang Yishao lazily. After thinking for a moment, she added, “Teacher Chang, what’s your level of nearsightedness? Sometimes I see you wearing glasses, and sometimes you don’t.”

The name “Xiao Shao’er” was spoken smoothly earlier, but now it had changed back to “Teacher Chang.” Chang Yishao thought to herself. She subtly examined Xie Qingtang and replied, “A little over a hundred degrees.”

Xie Qingtang gave an “Oh,” but her meaningful look made one feel that her question was not entirely innocent.

Stretching her arms out to the sides, Xie Qingtang didn’t speak again. She stood up, flexing her wrist joints, and suddenly spun around to stand in front of Chang Yishao. She blinked, and her finger gently dropped, but just as it was about to touch the moisture-soaked collar, it suddenly retracted. “Teacher Chang, why don’t you go blow-dry your hair?” Her eyes were filled with amusement.

“Autumn waves cut into beautiful twin pupils. A slight frown and a gentle smile hold endless meaning.”$^{text{①}}$ Chang Yishao met her gaze, and two lines of poetry suddenly came to mind.

Seeing Chang Yishao distracted, Xie Qingtang’s bent finger finally fell, lightly, slowly, like a butterfly landing among flowers, yet instantly flying away as the branches swayed. “Teacher Chang? If you catch a cold, the extra care will cost money.”

“Okay.” Chang Yishao smiled lightly. Her gaze lingered on Xie Qingtang’s face for a moment before she withdrew it.

Xie Qingtang: “?” Okay for what? Okay for catching a cold or okay for blowing hair?

Compared to “serving” Chang Yishao right now, Xie Qingtang was even more unwilling to take care of a sick person. Seeing Chang Yishao standing still like a wooden dummy, she reached out and pulled Chang Yishao, leading her toward the room. Compared to serving others, Xie Qingtang was clearly more used to being served.

Weaving her fingers through Chang Yishao’s smooth long hair, blowing it dry was acceptable, but as for styling it—that was up to fate.

Chang Yishao, sitting quietly and obediently in front of the mirror, made Xie Qingtang look down and see the two intimate figures in the mirror. Her hand was unsteady for a moment. “Sorry,” she apologized quickly. Somehow, she recalled the time Chang Yishao, her “girlfriend,” had served her—did this count as revenge for the hair she had pulled out?

“What’s wrong?” Chang Yishao didn’t turn around. She couldn’t clearly see Xie Qingtang’s expression in the mirror, making it difficult to judge her mood. Her eyelashes fluttered, and the smile on her face lessened slightly. He Yanjin had blown her hair only once in ten years. She was enthusiastic about “showing courtesy,” but in reality, who knew how many things were not done by her own hands, but borrowed from others’ “kindness.”

Blindly focusing on one thing.

Whether it was out of a good impression of He Yanjin, or due to others’ encouragement, or maybe out of boredom, out of sympathy for her life… various reasons intertwined, and her fate became entangled with He Yanjin’s. She believed she had done nothing to wrong He Yanjin, even accepting her “bossiness.”

But what she received in return was betrayal. A betrayal she had intentionally tolerated.

In this old affair, she had also made a grave mistake. She deliberately prolonged that torturous period for nearly two years until she was completely tired of it. She cast aside that past, just as she had abandoned her beloved childhood games.

The corners of the person’s mouth in the mirror drooped slightly, with no trace of a smile left on her face.

Chang Yishao’s thoughts were like boiling water, while Xie Qingtang felt as if she had fallen into an ice cellar. She quickly recovered her senses, lowered her head, frowned at the broken hair in her hand, and said with a troubled face, “Teacher Chang, what would happen if I accidentally bald you?”

Support