Transmigrated Into the Stand-In of the Tragic Novel’s Heroine - Chapter 37

This rose, tucked into the pocket, was actually out of place, but since Xie Qingtang said so, Chang Yishao didn’t take it off, truly believing it to be most appropriate. Passersby glanced at them for a moment, then looked away, with occasional snippets of conversation carried to their ears by the wind.

The private restaurant Chang Yishao chose was lively; waiters hurried back and forth, busy greeting and seating guests. Chang Yishao had booked a private room in advance, otherwise, they might have had to wait for a table in the bustling main hall. Xie Qingtang followed closely behind Chang Yishao. The lights in the corridor were dim, a hazy yellow tinged with dark red, not very bright. If it were Xie Qingtang choosing, she probably wouldn’t have come to a place like this.

As fate would have it, they encountered two familiar faces while passing a private room.

Xie Qingtang let out a soft “Eh,” her gaze sweeping over the pale face of He Yanjin before she raised an eyebrow and let out a chuckle of derision. Compared to when they were filming the show in Pingyao, He Yanjin looked much more haggard. It seemed she had been tormented by rumors these past few days—oh, no, most likely not the rumors themselves, but the danger brought about by the rumors.

Ms. He didn’t look like someone with a conscience.

As for Zhou Yunmeng, who was by her side, Xie Qingtang’s look was cold, glancing down at He Yanjin’s tightly gripped wrist, her eyes revealing a hint of deep significance. She withdrew her gaze and then looked at Chang Yishao.

Evidently, Chang Yishao’s gaze did not linger on He Yanjin, her “old flame,” at all. She was simply looking at Zhou Yunmeng. Not until Zhou Yunmeng pulled He Yanjin’s hand and hurried to the other side, her stumbling figure looking like she was fleeing in panic.

This world was a little abnormal; everyone seemed to be going crazy. Chang Yishao hadn’t followed the typical melodramatic plot either, but perhaps because of that, she could tentatively be categorized as “normal.”

Xie Qingtang pondered, stroking her chin.

“Let’s go,” Chang Yishao’s voice rang out, not just referring to Zhou Yunmeng and He Yanjin, but to themselves as well.

Xie Qingtang smiled, her lowered eyelashes concealing the churning emotions in her eyes. She followed behind Chang Yishao. Once they entered the private room and the bright lights dispelled the dimness and gloom, she finally breathed a sigh of relief. She watched Chang Yishao, who had already begun ordering, rolled up her sleeve to reveal a pale arm, and placed her hands on the table.

“You were looking at Zhou Yunmeng just now? Is something wrong with her?” Xie Qingtang asked casually. Her tone carried a sense of certainty, as she had already decided in her heart that something was off with Zhou Yunmeng.

“Nothing much, I just found it a little strange,” Chang Yishao replied.

Xie Qingtang nodded. She said, “The serene temperament looks like a preten—is you.” Swallowing the word “pretense,” Xie Qingtang’s expression didn’t change. She hadn’t met Zhou Yunmeng many times, yet she still sensed a resemblance to Chang Yishao in her. Perhaps this was why He Yanjin chose Zhou Yunmeng, this “big mountain”? Who was whose stand-in? Their circle was terribly messy, utterly confusing.

“Does she look like me?” Chang Yishao looked up after hearing Xie Qingtang’s assessment. She gazed at the person across from her, her deep-set eyes hiding an inexplicable emotion. Without waiting for Xie Qingtang’s answer, she added, “She and I are not the same, not at all.” Chang Yishao emphasized the words, and Xie Qingtang could easily detect the intent behind her statement.

“Mhm, not alike,” Xie Qingtang’s response was somewhat perfunctory. She didn’t have a deep connection with Zhou Yunmeng, and if anything, she had an enmity with her. For Zhou Yunmeng to still be accompanying He Yanjin after such an incident, her moral standards, in Xie Qingtang’s opinion, were low and she was not a person to associate with.

“Miss Zhou has been quiet since she was little,” Chang Yishao stared at Xie Qingtang for a moment, then abruptly brought up Zhou Yunmeng’s past. In fact, she didn’t know much about Zhou Yunmeng; the few things she did know were mostly related to Qi Yu. Zhou Yunmeng’s feelings were probably obvious to everyone except Qi Yu, that oblivious fool. However, her friends, whether it was Lu Li or Tang Rong, would reach out for what they wanted themselves, unlike Zhou Yunmeng, who was so timid.

“I don’t know what her intentions are, but there will be no future for her and Qi Yu,” Chang Yishao concluded.

Xie Qingtang was actually a bit confused by all this. The romantic entanglements of the wealthy elite were too complicated, but she agreed with Chang Yishao’s final statement. Qi Yu’s eyes were only for her “muse”; she might love the drifting clouds or the lightning that tears through the night sky, but she would never notice that firefly.

Furthermore, Zhou Yunmeng had feelings for Qi Yu but chose to be with He Yanjin—how should one put it, there was something wrong with that behavior. It was even more absurd than her signing a contract with Chang Yishao, as they were both fully aware of their arrangement. But what if He Yanjin and Zhou Yunmeng also had a similar arrangement? Who could say?

“She was the only one who passed by that day, and the sheet music might have been sent out from her hand,” Chang Yishao added.

Xie Qingtang shrugged. Since the truth was now out, she didn’t want to bother with what those two were thinking. As for Zhou Yunmeng and Qi Yu—Qi Yu herself wasn’t worried, so why should they be?

In another private room, He Yanjin glared venomously at Zhou Yunmeng, who had dragged her away, wanting nothing more than to tear a piece of flesh from her body. They still looked like a couple in public, but once they were alone, their expressions suddenly changed, like enemies of many years.

In truth, they were not far from it.

“I saw her! Why did you pull me away?!” He Yanjin opened her mouth, full of resentment.

Zhou Yunmeng sneered, darting a look at He Yanjin. Her words were like a poisoned knife, “Chang Yishao looked at you? Look at yourself. You’re a rat from the gutter. Do you deserve the brilliant and upright Miss Chang? Stop dreaming here.” Zhou Yunmeng didn’t hold back her “malicious words,” determined to stab He Yanjin in the heart.

“What do you know? She’s deeply in love with me! She—”

He Yanjin’s words were interrupted by Zhou Yunmeng’s mocking laughter. She slowly poured herself a glass of water, squinting her eyes with a sneer, “You want to say that the person next to Chang Yishao looks like you, that Chang Yishao still misses you, so she found someone to be your stand-in? How do you know you’re not someone else’s stand-in?!” Zhou Yunmeng was focused on Qi Yu, and naturally, she paid attention to the people around her. She knew Chang Yishao couldn’t have known Xie Qingtang in the past, yet she still used these words to provoke the frenzied He Yanjin.

“Nonsense!” He Yanjin roared.

Zhou Yunmeng pressed a finger to her lips, making a “hush” sound. She straightened her clothes and said faintly, “Someone is about to arrive.” As her words fell, He Yanjin seemed to be under a spell, immediately quieting down, her body only trembling from rage.

She had followed Zhou Yunmeng because Zhou Yunmeng told her there was an opportunity; she was going to meet an investor. Because of the “plagiarism” incident, all her previous contracts were ruined. She knew Zhou Yunmeng had ill intentions, but she still wanted to grasp the chance to climb up. Let those people curse her! Once she became famous, there would be plenty of people to defend her!

Zhou Yunmeng scoffed. He Yanjin’s reaction was within her expectations. After dropping all pretense with He Yanjin, all her former timidity transformed into hatred, turning into a sharp knife pointed at He Yanjin.

She was probably sick to the core.

After the investor appeared, Zhou Yunmeng’s assistant also arrived. Zhou Yunmeng herself had no intention of dealing with the investor, handing everything over to her assistant. She walked out of the room to the corridor to get some air.

This corridor was clearly dimmer than the room, but it made her feel more relaxed. The wind blowing in her face carried a certain refreshing coolness. Zhou Yunmeng narrowed her eyes, but her pupils suddenly contracted when she saw Chang Yishao.

She looked as though she had stepped on a nail.

She was afraid to see Qi Yu, and she was also afraid to see her friends.

“Miss Zhou,” Chang Yishao’s tone was cool and polite.

Zhou Yunmeng nodded, averted her gaze, and deliberately avoided Chang Yishao’s line of sight, only hoping she would quickly walk past. But Chang Yishao stopped right in front of her. She shrank her neck, always feeling shorter than Chang Yishao.

“Miss Zhou, your reach is too long,” Chang Yishao chuckled lightly. She crossed her arms and scrutinized Zhou Yunmeng. “I don’t know what you’re thinking, but whether it’s giving support or excessive praise to lead to downfall, that’s your own business. Affecting other innocent people is not good, is it?”

Zhou Yunmeng felt a sudden surge of anger after hearing Chang Yishao’s words. She raised her head, staring intently at Chang Yishao, and slightly raised her voice, “How am I different from you? Didn’t you also help He Yanjin back then? Everything she has is stolen.” After a pause, Zhou Yunmeng’s eyes seemed to suddenly brighten. She said, “Didn’t you cultivate her habit of stealing? Was that game stimulating?”

Chang Yishao’s expression instantly turned cold, her gaze like a knife.

Zhou Yunmeng licked her dry lips and looked at Chang Yishao, smiling, “Chang Yishao, how upright are you? You’re looking for a stand-in. How noble is your behavior? You’re seeking revenge, and I am too, aren’t I? Only darkness and dead silence yearn for light and vitality.”

“We are the same,” Zhou Yunmeng’s eyes shone terrifyingly. She looked at Chang Yishao as if she had found a soulmate.

But Chang Yishao was destined not to be her confidante.

“We are not the same,” Chang Yishao’s voice rang out. She probably understood Zhou Yunmeng’s goal. “My relationship with He Yanjin is an affair between the two of us, but between you and He Yanjin, Qi Yu stands in the way. You want to use this to gain Qi Yu’s…” Chang Yishao pondered for a moment, finding an appropriate word, “…pity.” Like waiting for a god to bestow love.

“You—”

“You two are different.” A lazy voice cut through, interrupting Zhou Yunmeng’s words. Xie Qingtang didn’t know how long she had been standing there. Her gaze went past Zhou Yunmeng and landed on Chang Yishao. She complained, “You took so long; the food is going to get cold.”

“Didn’t you promise to peel shrimp for me? Don’t tell me you’ve backed out?”

Zhou Yunmeng watched the figures of Xie Qingtang and Chang Yishao leaving side-by-side, and her heart suddenly felt hollowed out.

The Chang Yishao of the past had flowers, strong liquor, a band, and a life of debauchery, seeking thrills in constant flux. But now, she had found a true tranquility that belonged to her.

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