Transmigrated Into the Stand-In of the Tragic Novel’s Heroine - Chapter 31

Zhou Residence.

The night was very deep, and the light in Zhou Yunmeng’s room was still on. She leaned against the headboard, her soft hair cascading down like a waterfall, covering half of her face, which held a deep, melancholic mood. The light shone diagonally, casting a shadow on her snow-white neck, adding a touch of gloom.

She blinked, her bent fingers moving, dismissing He Yanjin’s chat box, and finally settling on a person she had pinned to the top, but with whom she had no conversation.

She recalled some past events.

There was Qi Yu’s pure and innocent smile after breaking her bone, and the long, lonely night at the coffee shop with the seemingly endless, torrential rain.

The person she waited for never arrived. Was it disdain for a reply, or did they not receive any message? Zhou Yunmeng’s brow furrowed, old matters clamoring in her mind like a flock of cold crows gathering on a winter night. She tried to force a light-hearted smile, but what the mirror reflected was uglier than a “cry.”

A message notification sounded like a dull thud of a stone dropping into water.

Zhou Yunmeng casually lowered her gaze, assuming it was another message from an impatient He Yanjin—but when she saw where it came from, her heart suddenly constricted, as if tightly clutched by a hand, and her breathing slowed.

—Then I’ll ask myself.

Qi Yu didn’t know what reserve was; she was always direct. After Chang Yishao’s phrase, “It’s nothing,” she resolutely sent a message, then exited the chaotic chat group named “Tai Chi.” She found Zhou Yunmeng among the jumbled contacts and directly threw out a question: “Did you ever send me anything before?”

Zhou Yunmeng’s confusion was now answered by Qi Yu.

She had never received it… but so what? Zhou Yunmeng wanted to cry and laugh at the same time. She obsessively reread the few lines Qi Yu had sent, and after a long time, she replied expressionlessly: “No.”

Qi Yu: “Oh.”

On this night, this was their only dialogue.

Zhou Yunmeng’s gaze lingered on the chat box. Over these years, nightmares descended countless times, but in the end, there was always a clean, pure hand pulling her out of the dream, a brilliant smile breaking through the heavy gloom like sunshine. She hadn’t met Qi Yu many times; she gazed intently countless times but rarely received a glance back or a smile.

She could no longer distinguish between the person in her dream and the person in reality. The seed had broken through the soil, growing into black vines that bound her heart, leaving her alone to go mad in the dead silence.

She was a coward; her only burst of courage had died on that stormy night.

A sudden ringtone shattered the silence in the room.

Zhou Yunmeng looked at the familiar number, a flash of emotion quickly crossing her eyes, followed by a gentle smile blossoming on her face.

“Hello, Yanjin, is something the matter?” Her tone was intimate and soft, carrying a hint of sweetness, yet the face reflected in the mirror was utterly devoid of expression. Her pretense and disguise were completely torn apart at this moment.

“Is there a way to deal with Liu Wuxian?” He Yanjin’s tone was somewhat aggressive, her demand very clear.

“What did she do to you?” Zhou Yunmeng’s voice was still light and gentle, laced with sweetness, as if coated in honey.

“I just don’t like the sight of her.” He Yanjin scoffed coldly, followed by malicious curses and insults. “How did someone so unknown suddenly become popular? She must have a backer, right? Look at her seductive appearance, she’s definitely not a—”

“Don’t you know? She is Chang Qing’s fiancée.” Zhou Yunmeng gently cut off He Yanjin’s words. Of course, she knew Liu Wuxian’s background; she had known the moment He Yanjin first confronted Liu Wuxian. This piece of news, which she had suppressed, was now spoken by her. Sure enough, He Yanjin’s words stopped abruptly.

“I apologize, I shouldn’t put you in a difficult position.” He Yanjin’s apology was extremely strained. After hearing the words “Chang family,” she seemed to change into a different person. Her face was still darkly sullen, but the curses were all retracted. Jealousy was like a dense collection of thorns, and she forcibly pulled that emotion back at this moment.

The person on the other end hung up the phone.

The corners of Zhou Yunmeng’s mouth curved slightly upwards.

Her hatred truly lacked any reason.

“Don’t those people have any sense of reason!”

After ending her live stream, Xie Qingtang was only briefly dazzled by the money in her account before expressing her exasperation at the “anti-fan” group. The moment the person suspected to be Chang Yishao threw gifts marked a turning point—the subsequent live stream was extremely harmonious. Even so, she cut the stream right on time, ignoring her potential “pigeon king” status and promising—to deliver a complete performance of Tian Mu next time.

Xie Qingtang returned to her room after taking a shower.

Chang Yishao’s eyes seemed glued to her book; she would bet that even if a thief came in, this person probably wouldn’t notice.

As she sized up Chang Yishao, her steps unknowingly paused, the only thing still running was the storm-filled brain. Was that fan who splurged a lot of money Chang Yishao? She didn’t look like someone who would throw gifts, but that was just how she looked.

“Why are you standing still?” Chang Yishao had noticed Xie Qingtang’s presence the moment she entered the room. She was waiting for Xie Qingtang to approach, but she didn’t expect her to suddenly stop. Her gaze was on the book, but uncharacteristically, she couldn’t read a single word. After a moment of silence, she couldn’t help but be the first to speak.

There seemed to be a silent battlefield between them, and in this battle, whoever spoke first was the loser.

Xie Qingtang slowly let out an “Oh.” She pulled back the covers with too much force, the ruffled bedding lifting a small corner of her skirt, revealing a segment of snow-white leg, like fine mutton-fat jade. Her heart seemed to skip a beat, and Xie Qingtang quickly glanced away, said “Sorry,” and then sat down on the empty half of the bed, tucking the covers around her, completely hiding any potential allure.

Chang Yishao lightly hummed in acknowledgment, seemingly unconcerned about the small incident.

“Are you going to sleep?” For the “health-conscious” Xie Qingtang, half-past ten was not early.

Another “Hmm,” but Chang Yishao was clearly still sitting up with no sign of closing her book. Xie Qingtang glared at her for a long time, then finally reached out and turned off the room light. Even so, a small, warm light still illuminated the bedside. After the room suddenly darkened, Chang Yishao slowly closed her book and placed it aside. The switch for the bedside lamp was within arm’s reach, but she deliberately brushed past it, not letting the room fall into complete darkness.

She was doing it on purpose.

Xie Qingtang made her judgment. She narrowed her eyes, studying Chang Yishao’s face, which lacked robust emotion, and considered a possibility. The contract between her and Chang Yishao was only valid during holidays and evening rest hours. Could she be planning to—no! But a mere prelude might be acceptable. Various options surfaced in Xie Qingtang’s mind. Before Chang Yishao spoke, she didn’t know what Chang Yishao’s plan was.

“Are you going to sleep?” Xie Qingtang asked again, her brow slightly furrowed. If it weren’t for the generous compensation, she really wouldn’t be willing to repeat pointless questions.

Still an “Hmm.” Couldn’t this person say anything else besides this word? Xie Qingtang’s brow furrowed even tighter. Chang Yishao stood between her and the lamp switch. Should she get out of bed and walk around, or climb over? Xie Qingtang chose the latter without hesitation. The night was deep and sticky; Xie Qingtang heard Chang Yishao’s light and even breathing, a familiar light fragrance wrapping around her nose, unsettling her heart. She hovered above Chang Yishao, just a fraction away from reaching the lamp switch.

Their skin touched beneath the blanket, the sensation palpable even through the sleepwear. Time and senses were continuously stretched; Xie Qingtang’s eyes only saw that damned bedside lamp.

However, at that moment, her wrist was suddenly seized by Chang Yishao. Her momentum instantly dropped, and the distance between her and the switch grew again.

Chang Yishao’s hand was steady, strong, and subtly hot.

Xie Qingtang’s eyebrow arched, displaying extreme impatience. She looked directly into Chang Yishao’s deep eyes and spoke very unhappily: “Teacher Chang, what is this madness?” She pulled her wrist from Chang Yishao’s grasp, rubbed the slightly reddened skin, and frowned again, “Are you going to sleep or not?!” No wonder people said the most difficult type of person to serve shared a common name—boss. If it weren’t for the rule of law, she would have punched her already.

Chang Yishao let out a soft laugh and said, “A lullaby.”

Xie Qingtang gasped, glaring at Chang Yishao and asking, “Aren’t you boring?” A lullaby, she might as well ask for a cradle song!

Chang Yishao nodded at the comment and slowly said, “Didn’t you say I was a boring person?”

Xie Qingtang’s temper was stoked by Chang Yishao. She looked at Chang Yishao with an ill-tempered gaze. She could start trouble, but no one was going to have an easy time. She could now be sure of the identity of “Xiao Jiucheng” in the live stream—it was definitely Chang Yishao herself—this was a pre-payment for the trouble she was causing tonight.

She didn’t know what had provoked her.

“What is the origin of your name?” Xie Qingtang’s topic jumped. She stared at Chang Yishao, observing the change in her expression. In the stalemate, time seemed extraordinarily long, as long as eternity. Finally, Xie Qingtang scoffed and said, “The Xiao Shao melody plays nine times, and the Phoenix arrives with grace (Feng Huang Lai Yi), is that it?”

Chang Yishao raised an eyebrow, shedding her gentle demeanor, as if she had merged with the dark night. She said, “Yes.” Her rising tone sounded like a challenge. Following up, she pursued the question, “Does this have anything to do with a lullaby?”

She wasn’t pretending to be mute now. Xie Qingtang sneered. She restrained the coldness in her eyes, tilted her head, blinked, and deliberately said, “Did your ex-girlfriend cultivate the habit of listening to lullabies for you? Do you miss her? Do you want to call her?”

Chang Yishao’s nerves were not affected by the name “He Yanjin.” She looked at Xie Qingtang, smiled charmingly, and said, “Don’t I have a girlfriend right now?”

Contract girlfriend, fake, even faker than goods delivered by some e-commerce platform.

Xie Qingtang mumbled to herself. She didn’t know what play Chang Yishao was putting on. She took a deep breath, her smile as sweet as honey. She leaned closer to Chang Yishao, seemingly about to kiss her earlobe—only to stop abruptly an inch away. She said, “Teacher Chang, your current girlfriend is angry and unwilling to be like your ex-girlfriend. What should you do? ‘Following the previous rules’ probably doesn’t apply to romance, does it?”

Chang Yishao tilted her head, her cheek brushing against Xie Qingtang’s red lips. She ignored it, reaching up to tuck a strand of hair behind her ear. She softly said, “I’m not being like anyone; my ex-girlfriend never sang lullabies.” She even gradually stopped saying “goodnight.”

Xie Qingtang’s smile slowly disappeared. Chang Yishao just wanted to trick her into singing.

She lowered her gaze. After a moment, her fingertip landed on Chang Yishao’s hand, which was resting on top of the blanket.

Xie Qingtang’s fingertip lightly and heavily tapped on her wrist and palm, setting a beat.

“If there is a person in the mountain’s bend, draped in ivy and girded with climbing vine…” [1]

Xie Qingtang’s voice was very clear, like the gentle flowing of a clear spring. It was more direct and authentic than what was heard in the live stream. Chang Yishao endured the ticklish sensation on her arm, gazing at Xie Qingtang until the singing suddenly stopped.

“Can we sleep now, Teacher Chang?” Xie Qingtang asked with a smile.

Chang Yishao was silent for a moment, then calmly said, “Does this count as the ‘allure’ you mentioned?”

Xie Qingtang: “…” Was Chang Yishao the number one most vengeful person?

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