Transmigrated Into the Stand-In of the Tragic Novel’s Heroine - Chapter 26

Chang Yishao: “…”

Her initially somewhat low mood seemed to dissipate like light smoke because of Xie Qingtang’s single sentence.

Xie Qingtang probably worried that she didn’t understand, so she even handed the broken strands of hair she was holding right in front of her.

“Get a hair transplant,” Chang Yishao curved her lips.

Hearing this, Xie Qingtang nodded with a slightly heavy expression and replied, “I hope Teacher Chang’s hair can last for a year.” She was quite committed to her contract. Although a bald head might highlight a true beauty, Xie Qingtang felt she was probably not fortunate enough to appreciate such peerless beauty.

“Teacher Chang, what do you think?” Putting the hairdryer aside, Xie Qingtang ran her ten fingers through Chang Yishao’s black hair, gently fluffing it. She was quite satisfied with her handiwork, as it was her first time, after all. As for those strands of hair, they were going to fall out anyway, so what did they have to do with her, Miss Xie?

Chang Yishao smiled faintly and echoed, “Very skilled. You can go professional.”

Xie Qingtang withdrew her hand from the cloud-like inky hair and placed it on Chang Yishao’s slender shoulder. Her eyes curved as she smiled brightly, “There won’t be a next time, Teacher Chang. Your compliments won’t work on me.”

Chang Yishao: “…”

The dreamlike and hazy interplay of light, bright mirror, and a beautiful woman placed a filter over Xie Qingtang’s eyes.

As she looked at Chang Yishao, the occasional dissatisfaction caused by her “strangeness” was completely eliminated.

If she were asked to name the person she disliked the most in this world, only the name “He Yanjin” would pop into Xie Qingtang’s mind. Initially, she wanted to treat this world fairly and place He Yanjin in the position of “female lead,” but He Yanjin’s targeted actions toward her were real, and the methods were despicable. Although she wanted to live a peaceful life, it didn’t mean she had to let herself suffer a loss.

The role of the ‘tool’ character, propelled by the “Plot God,” became increasingly evident.

Seeing He Yanjin fail in her attempts and suffer losses instead naturally cheered up Xie Qingtang.

Before going to sleep.

Chang Yishao was still reading in bed, while Xie Qingtang had lost interest in games and gossip. She propped a bolster on her knees, rested her chin on her hands, and tilted her head slightly to gaze at Chang Yishao. She asked, “Teacher Chang has many hobbies?”

Qi Yu mentioned it, and He Yanjin mentioned it too, but in her interactions with Chang Yishao, she rarely saw any “earthly quality” in her. She was like a person without any perception of the outside world, her emotions were flat about everything; she neither loved with fervor nor hated with vehemence.

Chang Yishao turned her head. She saw Xie Qingtang’s drooping small curls and felt an urge to tuck them behind Xie Qingtang’s ear, but she ultimately resisted. Her fingertip rubbed the book page. Meeting Xie Qingtang’s gaze, her smile was gentle and bright. “I once did.”

Xie Qingtang let out an “Oh,” and then asked, “What about now?” People who are passionate about something for only three minutes move on to pursue new things. What about Chang Yishao?

“If I push the blame onto He Yanjin, would you think I’m shameless?” Chang Yishao’s eyes slightly darkened, and her smile faded a little.

“Probably,” Xie Qingtang replied candidly. She had witnessed many couples heading toward ruin; they ended up insulting each other, exposing private matters, and losing all decorum.

“Those hobbies were too dangerous,” Chang Yishao blinked.

Xie Qingtang nodded, not pursuing what constituted “dangerous.” She leaned back with the bolster in her arms and said, “Teacher Chang, aren’t you planning to develop new hobbies?”

“Isn’t this what I’m doing now?” Chang Yishao counter-asked.

Alright then—

Finding a substitute could also count as a hobby. Rich people certainly know how to have fun.

This pre-sleep conversation led Xie Qingtang to have a dream.

She dreamt that Chang Yishao was chasing her, asking her to play a role-playing game together, and she gradually immersed herself in it, eventually turning into He Yanjin! Xie Qingtang was completely jolted awake by the scare! Why did she have to turn into He Yanjin of all people?

A single day seemed long, but in reality, the students merely completed clay selection and throwing the pot. After this, they still needed to refine the shape, apply the glaze, and fire the kiln. Only a safe exit from the kiln would count as success. The subject of this practical activity was the mukiba-ten (tea bowl with leaf motif), so naturally, the “leaf” was the spiritual core.

During the subsequent activities, Xie Qingtang was not needed much, and she was happy to take a break.

In the pavilion, the tea bowl held a clear brew. Xie Qingtang gazed into the distance. A wooden leaf, blown by the wind, slowly spiraled down to the ground. A thought struck Xie Qingtang. She had come here originally looking for inspiration, so she naturally took out paper and pen to jot it down.

Tenmoku (Heaven’s Eye).

This long-delayed piece finally had a name.

Just as Xie Qingtang finished her last stroke, Qi Yu’s voice arrived. She pressed the tea cup on the paper, stretched, and got up.

The great painter was setting up her easel, hiding a corner of the scenery in her brushstrokes.

“What is it?” Xie Qingtang looked at the silent Qi Yu, feeling somewhat puzzled. Did she want her to be a model?

Qi Yu hesitated for a moment, then tore away the topmost sheet, revealing another, unfamiliar sketch. “Look,” her voice was slightly deep.

“A dangerous car,” Xie Qingtang replied. Qi Yu’s painting had a lot of tension; from this thin sheet of paper, one could almost feel extreme speed and powerful strength.

“A person,” Qi Yu said.

Xie Qingtang paused, and after a moment, asked, “Chang… Yishao?”

“Yes,” Qi Yu nodded, her answer still brief.

Xie Qingtang slowly recalled He Yanjin’s words. She looked at Qi Yu, finding it somewhat amusing. She said, “Why are you telling me this?”

Qi Yu unhurriedly put away the painting. She gazed intently at Xie Qingtang and replied, “This was one of Chang Yishao’s past hobbies. She seems to have a special passion for extreme sports. Of course, she gave it up later because of a certain person.”

“He Yanjin?” Xie Qingtang was surprised, finding the matter quite plausible. She looked at the tight-lipped Qi Yu and continued, “Student Qi Yu, what exactly are you trying to tell me?”

Qi Yu looked troubled by Xie Qingtang’s question. She scratched her head and, after a long pause, finally said, “I feel her heart is empty.”

This “her” naturally referred to Chang Yishao.

Xie Qingtang showed an understanding expression. She said, “I understand, Chang Yishao has no heart.” She mimicked He Yanjin’s tone, which made her laugh first. However, Qi Yu, who had shifted the topic, still looked serious, so Xie Qingtang slowly restrained her smile. She said, “Are you saying that Chang Yishao doesn’t care about anything, and there’s nothing that can hold her back, is that right?”

Qi Yu nodded.

Initially, she thought He Yanjin could.

He Yanjin’s family background wasn’t very good. She vaguely remembered that He Yanjin had an abusive father and a mother prone to neurosis—her life was something they couldn’t imagine. Originally, they would have had no connection, until He Yanjin became Chang Yishao’s deskmate.

He Yanjin had good looks. Compared to the hard-to-approach Chang Yishao, she was the “goddess” in the hearts of many boys. She also knew how to use this advantage, but unfortunately, they were all too naive back then.

People seeking favor from Chang Yishao were numerous.

How did she end up with Chang Yishao? Despite being so terrified of the extreme speed that her face turned pale and her legs trembled, she still stubbornly insisted on getting into Chang Yishao’s car; despite just being beaten by her father at home and bearing multiple injuries, she still ran out to find Chang Yishao, just to make her stay away from danger… He Yanjin must have had some sincerity back then, but it was later ruthlessly trampled upon by herself.

Qi Yu became lost in her own thoughts until Xie Qingtang waved her hand in front of her eyes.

She snapped back to reality, looked earnestly at Xie Qingtang, and said, “You are very good.” But after saying this, her brow furrowed again. She was good now, but what about the future?

Xie Qingtang was unexpectedly given a “good person card” by Qi Yu, and she was somewhat perplexed. She tried to say a few words but couldn’t find the opening. When she saw Qi Yu’s hand picking up the paintbrush, she knew she should leave.

Mountains and rivers, the sun, moon, and stars were all in Qi Yu’s painting.

Once she fell into the state of painting, Qi Yu wouldn’t pay attention to anyone.

Understanding this, Xie Qingtang turned and left. However, as she passed through the circular archway, she saw a somewhat familiar figure… someone she felt she had seen before.

“Hello.”

Only when the woman spoke did Xie Qingtang realize who she was. The Yunmengze Art Studio—that was when the woman mistook her for He Yanjin. “Can I help you?” Xie Qingtang’s tone was somewhat cold; she needed to temporarily keep her distance from people connected to He Yanjin.

“Is Qi Yu painting?” The woman’s voice was very gentle.

She knows Qi Yu? Is she in the same circle as Chang Yishao and the others? Xie Qingtang’s guard lowered slightly. She nodded and said, “Yes.”

The woman said nothing more.

Xie Qingtang felt somewhat inexplicable. The feeling she had outside the Yunmengze Art Studio resurfaced. Could this person be Qi Yu’s admirer? That would likely be very difficult, unless she could transform herself into the scenery in Qi Yu’s painting. Since the woman didn’t speak, Xie Qingtang certainly didn’t plan to just stand there. She took a step, intending to leave, when she suddenly heard a familiar voice.

—It was Chang Yishao.

She was still wearing the “uniform” issued by the school, but her face would stand out in any crowd, no matter what she wore.

“Miss Zhou.” Chang Yishao nodded towards Zhou Yunmeng, then walked past her and approached Xie Qingtang, saying warmly, “Why are you over here?”

Xie Qingtang: “…” Why couldn’t she be here? She pursed her lips and didn’t answer.

Meanwhile, Zhou Yunmeng looked at them with a surprised expression, her gaze constantly scrutinizing and examining them.

“Let’s go,” Chang Yishao said softly.

Xie Qingtang said “Oh,” and followed Chang Yishao’s pace. It wasn’t until they had walked far away that she looked back and saw that “Miss Zhou” was still standing there. “You know her? Why let her just stand there?” She raised an eyebrow at Chang Yishao, her words hiding curiosity.

“She is looking for Qi Yu,” Chang Yishao replied.

Xie Qingtang understood her meaning. Yes, this lady was looking for Qi Yu, so what did it have to do with them?

Just as Xie Qingtang figured it out, Chang Yishao added, “She is He Yanjin’s girlfriend.”

“Pfft—” Xie Qingtang couldn’t hold back a chuckle. She gave Chang Yishao a thumbs-up, and as Chang Yishao looked at her in surprise and confusion, she continued, “Your circle is truly messy.”

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