Transmigrated Into the Stand-In of the Tragic Novel’s Heroine - Chapter 45

Once Chang Yishao made up her mind, she wouldn’t drag her feet.

She sat in the principal’s office, a cup of steaming tea on the coffee table in front of her, which she hadn’t touched. This matter shouldn’t have required the principal’s personal attention, but he was getting visibly nervous about it.

The Chang family’s contributions to Gantan High School in various aspects were not insignificant.

“Teacher Chang, look…”

Chang Yishao looked at the principal’s tight, smiling, and constrained face, feeling even more disappointed. She knew what the principal was worried about. “It’s just for my personal reasons, nothing else is involved.” Chang Yishao interjected, meeting the principal’s gaze, her eyes becoming sharp. She added, “The Chang family’s funding is for the benefit of the students.” The funding would not stop whether she was at the school or not.

Upon hearing this, the principal let out a sigh of relief, reaching up to wipe the sweat from his forehead. However, he suddenly realized that such a visible sign of relief in front of Chang Yishao was inappropriate. His expression immediately became serious again, and he looked at Chang Yishao, promising, “The school will handle it; we won’t put any roadblocks in your way.”

Chang Yishao said, “Mm,” stood up, and bowed to the principal, saying, “Thank you, Principal.”

Given Gantan High School’s reputation in Yu City, hiring a replacement teacher wouldn’t be difficult. She might not even have to wait a full month.

The news of Chang Yishao’s resignation quickly spread everywhere. She herself did not try to hide it, as it was nothing shameful. Suddenly, teachers who seldom interacted with her came over to express concern and sigh with regret.

The students in the two classes she taught were even more reluctant.

“Teacher Chang, are you really leaving?”

“Teacher Chang, don’t you miss us at all?”

“What is Teacher Chang planning to do?”

Amidst asking questions about the lesson during breaks, some irrelevant topics also popped up. During these last days of teaching, Chang Yishao was even more amiable in the face of the students’ genuine concern.

“I’m going to pursue a dream,” she said with a gentle, enchanting smile.

She wasn’t just humoring Xie Qingtang; she genuinely had an interest in ancient artifacts. But because of Xie Qingtang’s presence, those cherished “old loves” gained new color, radiating an unparalleled brilliance once more.

Since Chang Yishao had promised Xie Qingtang to do this, she naturally wouldn’t be perfunctory.

The time between her submitting her resignation and her formal departure was perfect for making arrangements. To edit for the best effect, good equipment was crucial. The Chang family had an entertainment division, so she decided to consult with Chang Qing.

“You want to do documentary editing? In Shen City? Okay, I’ll send a professional team over…”

Chang Yishao had only spoken one sentence, and Chang Qing launched into a barrage of words. She rubbed her forehead, slightly exasperated. Her family members were all overly enthusiastic, making it a bit difficult to manage.

“You want to do it yourself… alright, fine. Do you need help with promotion and distribution?”

Chang Yishao sensed a long sigh of regret in Chang Qing’s words. She pretended not to notice, pondered for a moment, and replied, “I should upload it to the Moya platform then.” Xie Qingtang was currently an anchor on Moya, and most of her fans were gathered there.

“That’s easy to handle,” Chang Qing readily agreed. After a moment, he eagerly asked, “Is there anything else you need help with?”

Chang Yishao couldn’t help but laugh softly: “…Not for the moment.”

As soon as Chang Qing hung up, he immediately turned to brag to other family members.

Liu Wuxian was with him and immediately connected the news to Xie Qingtang. She propped her chin on her hand, gazing at Chang Qing, and asked, “Yishao has a girlfriend, do you know?”

Chang Qing: “…”

Liu Wuxian twisted the knife in his heart: “She looks a bit like He Yanjin. In terms of looks, that is.” As for personality, they were worlds apart. There weren’t many people like He Yanjin in the world. Speaking of which, it was strange that Zhou Yunmeng still treated her like a precious treasure.

“He Yanjin?” Chang Qing frowned, his thoughts dwelling on the three words. He said, “Isn’t she with that good-for-nothing, Zhang Yi?”

Liu Wuxian was momentarily stunned, her expression turning peculiar. She knew Zhang Yi and Yunmeng Entertainment had both invested in a novel-adapted web series. The person in charge had contacted her initially, but she rejected it because she didn’t think it was promising, so the resources fell to He Yanjin. Money certainly made the world go round, and coupled with enough audacity, He Yanjin was still able to maintain her footing in the industry.

“What do you think of Zhang Yi’s judgment?” Liu Wuxian asked again.

Chang Qing looked at his girlfriend in surprise. He didn’t associate with people like Zhang Yi, so the question sounded a bit inexplicable. With a slight twitch of his lips, he still offered an assessment: “Short-sighted.” Someone who could greenlight a project after being fooled for a while—as for Yunmeng Entertainment, they must be very calculating; any trouble would likely fall on Zhang Yi.

“Lunatic,” Liu Wuxian scoffed.

He Yanjin’s desire for fame and fortune was more urgent than anyone else’s; her sacrifice had to be valuable.

Zhou Yunmeng didn’t mind connecting He Yanjin with powerful figures in the industry, but whether she could succeed and how she would succeed was entirely up to He Yanjin. She didn’t care about external rumors; she knew exactly what their relationship was like. He Yanjin hated Zhou Yunmeng deeply, yet, for now, and perhaps for a long time in the future, she needed to rely on Yunmeng Entertainment, that big tree.

“Do you think ‘achieving success and fame’ will give you a chance to return to Chang Yishao? Don’t dream about it; you are a complete scoundrel.” Facing He Yanjin, Zhou Yunmeng’s mockery was merciless.

“You are truly sick. If you know everything, why are you still… Pfft.” He Yanjin understood Zhou Yunmeng, knowing she wanted to torture her and wouldn’t easily let go at this moment. So, she became completely reckless, even more vicious than usual.

Yuan-ou (bitter lovers), yuan-ou… there was only bitterness between them; they were never a true “couple.”

“Do you know that Chang Yishao is preparing to leave Yu City? Do you know who she is going to pursue?” Zhou Yunmeng stimulated He Yanjin, her face pale.

Predictably, upon hearing the news of “Chang Yishao,” He Yanjin became even more hysterical.

Xie Qingtang, far away in Shen City, had no idea that she was being coveted by a thief.

After the wax removal process, the blue and white phoenix pattern was essentially complete. She even thought about embroidering the eight characters, “The music of Xiao and Shao plays nine times, and the Phoenix comes as a good omen,” onto this piece, but no corner seemed appropriate, so she finally dismissed the idea.

Xie Qingtang’s live stream continued as usual.

The top recommendation slot on the Moya platform always rotated, but one day, “Folk Handcrafts Album” was added. Xie Qingtang’s live stream was prominently featured. The traffic brought by the top recommendation slot far exceeded other areas, and quite a few people poured into the live stream. Some were fans of other anchors, and an atmosphere of comparison inevitably arose during their viewing.

—What’s so great about this piece of cloth to show off? Why is the recommendation slot for Tangxi? My favorite anchor has been doing this for a long time.

The person who posted this comment had clicked in casually. Since the camera was focused on the Phoenix Pattern in Xie Qingtang’s hands, those who weren’t regular viewers had no idea what Xie Qingtang had put into it, thinking it could be done easily. They couldn’t help but make sarcastic remarks.

With this person leading the way, those who were originally lurking naturally started defending their favorite anchors. The Moya platform was all-encompassing, where various types of talented individuals could occupy a spot. Different anchors had different fans, and an oversight could easily turn into a chaotic fight.

—For a beginner, Tangxi has done very well. But shouldn’t this top recommendation spot be shown to someone with better skills? There are so many craft masters, why her?

—Brothers and sisters, please stop spamming, okay?

—If you don’t want to watch, turn off the comments.

“Little Xie has dyed this very nicely. The blue is evenly distributed, and the phoenix pattern is clear. It should be properly kept as a souvenir.”

Xie Qingtang heard this and smiled, nodding, “Yes.” After a pause, she added, “It’s best to make a carved lacquer box.” Even the bamboo silk fan that Chang Yishao gave her had a brocade box. If she didn’t decorate this piece, she would truly be letting herself and Chang Yishao down.

Although she started in the dyeing and printing area, Xie Qingtang did not plan to stay there forever. Since she planned to make a documentary, she wouldn’t skip any area. Grandpa Jiang let her choose whatever she liked, only offering a few suggestions: dyeing and printing are essentially integrated with weaving and embroidery, so it’s best not to separate them. However, after weighing the pros and cons, Xie Qingtang still chose the lacquerware area.

She wanted to give Chang Yishao a gift.

The noise in the comments had already spread to Weibo. A few anchors complained about the Moya platform’s unfairness, and the fans, like sharks smelling blood, formed a group without independent thought, focused only on attacking after their emotions were incited.

Those who claimed Xie Qingtang had a backer spoke confidently and articulately, as if they had personally witnessed it.

They advanced one after another, attempting to find clues from Xie Qingtang’s past experiences to nail her to the pillar of shame.

It is much easier to destroy a person than to uplift one.

Xie Qingtang browsed these Weibo posts in her spare time and let out a silent scoff. If she had to say it, she indeed had a backer—Chang Yishao was her “strong support,” and the Moya platform was under the Chang family. However, she did not feel undeserving of this top recommendation spot.

Her own work was certainly only worthy of a laugh and insignificant. But what she wanted to show in her live stream was not herself, but the inheritors of traditional craftsmanship in the Museum of Handcrafts, who carried historical memory and a spirit of craftsmanship.

“I don’t want cheap laughter, entertainment without a bottom line, or garbage without integrity to flood our lives. [1] I may not be worthy, but those inheritors are worthy of being remembered.”

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