Transmigrated Into the Stand-In of the Tragic Novel’s Heroine - Chapter 36

He Yanjin was furious. She cursed Zhou Yunmeng in her heart with the most malicious words, cursing the person she thought was gentle and similar to Chang Yishao, the one who could replace Chang Yishao and give her a shoulder to lean on. This was, after all, the Zhou residence, and after Zhou Yunmeng gave her the eviction notice, she had no choice but to turn and leave.

The plagiarism scandal had not yet died down. She was afraid that there would be news like “He Yanjin Kicked Out of Zhou Residence, Allegedly Abandoned by Yunmeng Entertainment” appearing in the headlines.

Zhou Yunmeng sat alone in the living room, letting out a slight scoff, her face full of ridicule. She absent-mindedly fiddled with her phone, but her breath caught sharply when she finally saw the message from Qi Yu.

Her fingertip brushed against the screen, as if she could touch the line of text. The news had ultimately reached Qi Yu’s ears, and she didn’t know how to reply. After a long while, she only responded with the two words, “I’m sorry.”

Upon seeing this reply, Qi Yu concluded that Zhou Yunmeng and He Yanjin were in this together. Naturally, since He Yanjin was Zhou Yunmeng’s girlfriend, they were a unit. These matters were not for her to worry about. However, He Yanjin… had she truly given up on Chang Yishao? Unable to bear seeing Zhou Yunmeng hurt, she added, “He Yanjin… take good care of her.”

Zhou Yunmeng was nearly moved to tears by Qi Yu’s words. She replied, “I know, thank you.” She stared intently at the phone screen, not knowing exactly what she was longing for. There were no new replies from the other side; this was all they could ever be. He Yanjin was absolutely right; she was a coward. She was afraid of rejection, so she could only live in the dream she constructed, tormenting and moving herself in a self-abusive manner.

With the release of He Yanjin’s apology letter, the “plagiarism” matter had been settled, with only the lingering aftershocks remaining.

Aside from receiving insults from some indiscriminate netizens, Xie Qingtang also received olive branches from various parties during this incident. This was clearly because of the song Tianmu (Heaven’s Eye). They had noticed the songs she sang in her live stream, and many management companies wanted to sign a contract with her, even having a route mapped out.

However, since her ambition lay elsewhere, Xie Qingtang could only be the unappreciative one and politely refuse them one by one.

“It’s too troublesome, with messages being sent over constantly,” Xie Qingtang couldn’t help but complain a little to Chang Yishao at the dinner table.

Chang Yishao was silent for a moment, then asked, “Do you need me to find a manager for you?” Seeing Xie Qingtang raise an eyebrow and look surprised, she added, “Not that kind. More like an assistant, to handle these annoying chores for you.”

Xie Qingtang: “…No need.” Wouldn’t it be much better if the money used to hire an assistant was directly transferred to her account? Speaking of which, thanks to her own efforts, she could now be considered a small-time rich lady. She could probably find a city and start her retirement life. But the contract with Chang Yishao had not yet expired. How should she handle that?

This matter didn’t stay bottled up in Xie Qingtang’s mind for too long. When she was lying in bed, ready to sleep, she suddenly sat up with a start.

Chang Yishao’s movement to turn off the light was paused by her reaction. She blinked, her face full of confusion. “What’s wrong?”

Xie Qingtang frowned, sighed, and propped her chin up. “If a signed contract has a time limit, but you later regret it, can you resign early?”

Chang Yishao glanced at her. She didn’t recall the Maya platform having that kind of contract. A moment later, a thought flashed like lightning, and she instantly realized. Was Xie Qingtang referring to the contract signed with her? She didn’t want to continue? Chang Yishao frowned, pursed her lips, and said, “You can, but you have to submit a notice one month in advance.”

“I see.” Xie Qingtang’s tone stretched slightly. She was like a flexible fish, slipping back into the covers. A muffled voice came from under the blanket, “Time to sleep.”

Chang Yishao softly acknowledged it. After pressing the switch, the ensuing darkness concealed her face and hid her emotions. For a moment, she couldn’t distinguish her state of mind. She had almost forgotten that there was a contract between her and Xie Qingtang; their relationship was fake, a moon in the water, a flower in the mirror, which would vanish in an instant.

This period had been relaxed and pleasant; she could even feel a long-lost vitality. However, the thick clouds and haze had only been scattered briefly by the sunlight. Before long, they gathered again, reforming a desolate world filled with boredom.

She didn’t dislike being with Xie Qingtang; she even quite liked it.

The night was long, and the turbulent thoughts led to fatigue the next day.

When Xie Qingtang woke up, she found that Chang Yishao had not yet gone out. She was sitting upright on the sofa, with baozi (steamed buns) and soy milk placed on the small table—she had uncharacteristically not made breakfast herself.

“What’s wrong?” Xie Qingtang could sense Chang Yishao’s slightly low mood. She hadn’t realized that her own words had caused the effect. But seeing the tired look on Chang Yishao, she felt that, logically and emotionally, she should show some care for her “girlfriend.”

“Nothing,” Chang Yishao said softly, hanging her head. She didn’t turn to look at Xie Qingtang, but just pushed the baozi to the side and slightly raised her voice, “If you’re up, eat breakfast first.” After a pause, she added, “We’ll eat dinner outside today too.”

Xie Qingtang surveyed her, raised an eyebrow, and only nodded after a long while. “Alright.” She was probably in a bad mood, and “going on strike” was understandable. She did want to take over Chang Yishao’s job, but having been spoiled by her cooking, she figured that if she took over the kitchen, it would lead to continuous suffering for both of them.

Compared to Chang Yishao, Xie Qingtang, who did everything like a “side hustle,” was obviously more leisurely.

Estimating Chang Yishao’s finishing time, she changed her clothes and went out. The entrance and exit of Ganyang High School required registration and were very strict. Xie Qingtang leaned against the wall of the guardhouse and waited. Chang Yishao’s face did not appear. Instead, a familiar student quickly ran out, stopped upon seeing Xie Qingtang, and curiously asked, “Huh? Teacher Xie? Are you here to wait for Teacher Chang to fly a kite?”

Xie Qingtang: “…” The wind blowing towards her was not gentle, and the clouds were like lead weights; it was hardly good weather. Flying a kite at this time would probably be the opposite—being flown by the kite. “No.” She shook her head, feeling a little helpless.

“Oh.” The student winked, “I just went to the head teacher’s office to sign a leave slip and saw Teacher Chang tidying up her things. I’m going now, bye Teacher Xie.” The pace and tone were equally cheerful, and the student, full of youthful spirit, disappeared in a blink. Xie Qingtang let out a soft laugh. Suddenly, a premonition arose in her heart. She abruptly turned to look towards the tree-lined path and indeed saw Chang Yishao’s figure. She was standing with her arms crossed, smiling faintly, not sure how long she had been standing there.

She probably heard the “kite-flying” comment.

Xie Qingtang blinked. She straightened up, brushed the white dust off her sleeves, and said, “Let’s go, why are you standing there stunned?”

Chang Yishao reached up to adjust her fringe. She looked at Xie Qingtang with a gentle smile. Her steps were light, and in a few strides, she was by Xie Qingtang’s side. “Why did you come here?”

Xie Qingtang turned her head to look at her and smiled, “To pick you up.”

Her eyes sparkled, and she was smiling brightly, making it hard to discern her true emotions. But at least at this moment, what she said was true.

Chang Yishao sighed softly as she watched Xie Qingtang turn and walk forward.

“Wait—” She reached out and grasped Xie Qingtang’s hand, frowning as she gently brushed the dust from her clothes.

Chang Yishao added, “That’s all wall dust. The wall was painted not long ago.”

Xie Qingtang honestly stood still. She blinked and said, “I should come a few more times. Otherwise, how would I know which wall to lean on?”

Chang Yishao was silent for a moment, then whispered, “You can lean on me.”

“Hmm?” Xie Qingtang didn’t hear clearly and slightly turned to face Chang Yishao. Their distance closed. As the wind blew, soft strands of hair brushed against her cheek.

“Let’s go,” Chang Yishao said.

Chang Yishao had booked a private kitchen that was about a fifteen-minute walk from Ganyang High School.

Thinking of a walk after dinner to aid digestion, the two unanimously decided to walk.

“I’ve been there a few times, and the food is decent,” Chang Yishao said, worried that Xie Qingtang wouldn’t be used to it, as Xie Qingtang had almost exclusively eaten her home-cooked meals during their time together.

“Compared to yours?” Xie Qingtang asked excitedly. With a great culinary master at home, she couldn’t resist bringing it up for comparison.

Chang Yishao was silent for a moment, then replied, “You’ll know once you’ve tasted it.”

Xie Qingtang let out a slight scoff, hearing Chang Yishao’s confidence in her tone. Perhaps the head chef wasn’t much worse than Chang Yishao, but it didn’t seem like they’d be significantly better either.

It was almost summer, and the night was coming later.

The evening breeze blew, scattering locust flowers on the ground. When they passed a park, someone was carrying a basket, giving out rose flowers to passersby. Xie Qingtang walked closer to that side and also received a single stem.

The branches and leaves were luxuriant, and the wind brought a light fragrance.

Xie Qingtang spun the rose stem in her hand and turned towards the composed Chang Yishao.

She was like a plum blossom reflecting in the water, its dark fragrance hidden as it slanted across the snow.

But if you peeled back the exterior, would Chang Yishao still be the same? Xie Qingtang looked at Chang Yishao and smiled. Her movement was light as she tucked the rose into Chang Yishao’s bag.

Chang Yishao blinked at Xie Qingtang, seemingly puzzled.

Xie Qingtang gave a sweet smile and slowly said, “Dǒubiān lànmàn chā, wúchù bù xiāngyí ma.” (A riot of flowers tucked at the edge of the pocket, looks suitable everywhere.)[1]

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