Transmigrated Into the Stand-In of the Tragic Novel’s Heroine - Chapter 51

The midsummer night wasn’t much cooler than the day, adding to a sense of dry heat. The flow of traffic was endless, and the incessant blare of car horns filled the air.

Chang Yishao’s studio wasn’t too far from the museum. Xie Qingtang, leaning against the flowerbed with her arms crossed, was bored. From time to time, she saw a few groups of tired-looking people walking out of the office building.

Given Chang Yishao’s background, why had she ended up like this?

Xie Qingtang’s thoughts drifted until Chang Yishao came out. Her gaze immediately fell on her face. Her hands hanging by her sides, she quickly walked toward Chang Yishao, smiling, “Let’s go, let’s go back.”

Chang Yishao lightly acknowledged with a “Mm,” and then looked at Xie Qingtang and asked, “Have you had dinner?” If she hadn’t, they could go to the supermarket first.

“Yes, I have.” Xie Qingtang nodded. She keenly sensed that Chang Yishao was a little down, looked at her, and asked, “Are you hungry?”

“No,” Chang Yishao shook her head.

Xie Qingtang realized from these two words that Chang Yishao hadn’t eaten at all. She looked at Chang Yishao suspiciously and then changed her tune, saying, “I’m a little hungry. Let’s not walk that far; let’s go to the restaurant nearby for dinner first.”

“Mm,” Chang Yishao was still glum.

Xie Qingtang looked down at Chang Yishao, feeling a subtle dissatisfaction. It was rare for Chang Yishao to show such a weak, low-spirited state, but it was clear that she was stuck in that state, for reasons unknown. Xie Qingtang furrowed her brow and pondered for a while, but when they sat down at the table, she still asked, “What’s wrong?”

Chang Yishao was startled. She looked up to meet Xie Qingtang’s sharp gaze, realizing that the person opposite her was also slightly unhappy. She blinked, pursed her lips, and said, “I didn’t keep track of time; it’s too late.”

Xie Qingtang: “…” This reason struck Xie Qingtang as baffling. Her bewildered gaze swept over Chang Yishao’s face. Could her obsessive-compulsive disorder be this severe? Her time with Chang Yishao seemed mostly routine, with almost no late returns. But to be in a low state just because of this was still hard to imagine.

She scrutinized Chang Yishao and suddenly had a flash of insight. Was her late return, and her fetching her, causing her a burden? Or was it because of… dinner? Xie Qingtang suppressed her random thoughts and, after a long while, stated frankly, “Do you feel like you’re troubling me?”

“No,” Chang Yishao said, looking down.

Xie Qingtang became even more convinced of this thought. She said, “I came because I wanted to. You don’t have to feel indebted to me for anything. Besides, couldn’t it be considered another kind of ‘paid service’?” After saying this, Xie Qingtang felt something was off. Previously, when Chang Yishao was drunk and ordered her to pick her up, she didn’t seem to feel any guilt. She blinked, just about to say something to cover up her momentary confused emotions. The waiter happened to serve the dishes at this moment, completely disrupting the two women’s thoughts.

Xie Qingtang was full, and although she had claimed to be hungry, she hadn’t touched her chopsticks. She rested her chin on one hand, occasionally using her chopsticks to fiddle with the rice in her bowl, in a lazy posture. Chang Yishao, in contrast, showcased her excellent upbringing with every move, refined and polite. Only when Chang Yishao put down her chopsticks did Xie Qingtang get up to pay the bill.

Stepping out of the restaurant, the stifling heat and dry air instantly hit them, catching them off guard.

Xie Qingtang stopped in her tracks and sighed, “This scorching weather is deadly.”

“Should we take a taxi back?” Chang Yishao heard her murmur.

“No,” Xie Qingtang shook her head and added, “A walk to aid digestion.”

Chang Yishao gently hummed in response and followed Xie Qingtang’s pace. The street was wide, and occasionally, a group of people exercising ran past. Chang Yishao walked side-by-side with Xie Qingtang, but a turn only allowed her to see her profile. After a few repetitions, she had the chance to meet her bright gaze. “I’m sorry,” Chang Yishao’s voice was very faint, and the wind carried it away.

Xie Qingtang suddenly stopped upon hearing this. She looked at Chang Yishao and asked seriously, “Why are you apologizing to me?” Confusion appeared on her face. For her, Chang Yishao hadn’t done anything to offend her. On the contrary, Chang Yishao was too good—

“I—” Chang Yishao subconsciously frowned and avoided Xie Qingtang’s gaze. Her heart rate suddenly quickened, and her nonsensical emotions became even more chaotic at this moment. After a long while, she said, “I didn’t get home in time to make you dinner.” After saying this, she pursed her lips and held her breath, waiting for Xie Qingtang’s final answer.

Xie Qingtang was stunned, and a mix of absurdity and amusement surfaced in her heart. She glanced at Chang Yishao and asked, “Chang Yishao, what role are you putting yourself in?” Being able to eat Chang Yishao’s elaborate meals was already a blessing, so why would she demand anything? She found Chang Yishao’s strange thought process hard to understand. Was someone misleading her?

Chang Yishao’s anger was primarily directed at herself. She said softly, “I want to take care of you.” Seeing Xie Qingtang’s expression change subtly, she added, “To thank you for taking me in.”

All words caught in Xie Qingtang’s throat, and her mind went blank. After a long pause, she recovered and said earnestly, “I can take good care of myself.” After a slight pause, she continued, “I don’t need you to do anything for me. I just want you to be yourself.”

Seeing Chang Yishao purse her lips and remain silent, Xie Qingtang gently sighed. She leaned closer to Chang Yishao, extended a hand, and brushed away a fallen leaf on her shoulder. She added, “I’ve heard Qi Yu and even He Yanjin talk about how you used to be, and it’s not quite like you are now. People change, but some things deep down are probably hard to change. Otherwise, why would they say it’s easy to change the river but hard to change one’s nature?”

Chang Yishao didn’t say much. She met Xie Qingtang’s eyes and simply nodded, “Okay.” A part of the heavy emotions weighing on her heart dispersed. Tang Rong was right; I don’t have much experience in this regard and don’t know if what I’m doing is right or wrong. She… although she really didn’t want to mention that name, she had unconsciously taken He Yanjin as a point of reference. If Xie Qingtang hadn’t pointed it out, she might have gone down a completely different path, pulling the distance between them further and further apart.

Lost in thought, her steps involuntarily slowed, while Xie Qingtang walked quickly, like riding the wind, and soon got ahead. There was a corner ahead; once turned, the figure in sight would instantly disappear. Chang Yishao breathed a sigh of relief and quickly caught up with Xie Qingtang. Just as Xie Qingtang was about to turn the corner, she turned back. She gazed at Chang Yishao walking quickly towards her, her smile bright and radiant.

“Teacher Chang.”

“Hmm?” Chang Yishao raised an eyebrow.

Xie Qingtang quickly swallowed the thought, “A turtle walks faster than you.” If she said that while she was ahead of Chang Yishao, wouldn’t she be calling herself a turtle?

Chang Yishao gazed at Xie Qingtang, her eyes overflowing with a shallow light, as if waiting for Xie Qingtang’s reply. Xie Qingtang also felt that she should say something. Her gaze passed over the treetops and lingered on the somewhat hazy moon. She said, “The moonlight is beautiful.”

Chang Yishao looked up. Besides the hazy moon, the vast, deep blue night sky was stacked with cloud mountains. The floating cloud mountains slowly swept past the hazy moon, gradually hiding its light. She withdrew her gaze, looking only at Xie Qingtang, and replied, “Yes, the moonlight is truly beautiful.”

Xie Qingtang’s words opened up the blocked path in Chang Yishao’s heart.

Editing a film is not a simple task, especially since most of the content was handled by herself alone.

“I’m telling you, your family has so many people you can use, why are you specifically exploiting me!” Tang Rong popped up in the small group chat, either complaining about the client or protesting against Chang Yishao, this “unscrupulous friend.”

“Didn’t you say so yourself?” Chang Yishao replied.

Tang Rong: “…” She just wanted to be polite; she didn’t have to take it seriously. But since her friend took it seriously, she had to go through fire and water to finish it. Besides discussing work matters, Tang Rong and Lu Li couldn’t help but care about Chang Yishao’s major life event. After all, suddenly quitting her job and running from Chongqing to Shencheng to do something that might not have much commercial value easily made people wonder.

“How is it going?” Lu Li asked.

“Took the wrong road,” Chang Yishao said concisely. As for how she ended up on a side road, she was unwilling to mention it.

“She mistakenly used He Yanjin as a reference,” the usually quiet Qi Yu suddenly chimed in.

Chang Yishao’s brows furrowed. Ignoring Tang Rong and Lu Li’s expressions of surprise, she specifically @-mentioned Qi Yu and asked, “Did she tell you?” She pursed her lips, and her heart couldn’t help but clench. If Xie Qingtang had indeed told Qi Yu, did that mean she had long guessed her feelings? What were her thoughts? How would she view her?

Chang Yishao’s overthinking didn’t last long.

Qi Yu: “No.”

Chang Yishao suddenly relaxed, her heavy heart suddenly freed, but along with it came a sense of melancholy and emptiness.

Before Chang Yishao could ask, Qi Yu added, “Jiang Zhen said you were too submissive. I guessed based on her words.”

Chang Yishao: “…” How did Qi Yu know Jiang Zhen?

Tang Rong was the most excited person at the moment. She immediately grabbed the active Qi Yu and sent a long string of exclamation points.

“Jiang Zhen? That hateful and fastidious client? How do you know her? By the way, she’s your little fan; she talks non-stop about your works, Great Painter Qi. Why don’t you paint the museum walls for her?”

Qi Yu: “…An old man introduced us.” It was indeed an old man who introduced them, but a long time ago, Jiang Zhen had helped her out once, solving her dilemma of lacking a life model.

Tang Rong & Lu Li: “Introduce one to me too.”

After getting the answer, Chang Yishao pursed her lips and fell into thought, no longer paying attention to the other commotion in the group chat.

The feeling of melancholy hadn’t completely dissipated. Even after learning that it was impossible, she still entertained a slight delusion. Did Xie Qingtang guess? What choice would she make? This unease turned into a hand tightly gripping her heart, and she could only adjust her state through slow breathing.

This wasn’t like her. Chang Yishao thought to herself.

She lowered her eyelashes, her eyes hiding a glint of shrewdness.

Reaching out and stroking the phone screen, she tapped open a picture of a clay figurine that Xie Qingtang had sent her.

As a “staff member,” she could see Xie Qingtang’s day in the clay sculpting area through the lens.

But Xie Qingtang still shared the photo with her immediately.

How could she not want to grasp the hand she personally extended?

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