Transmigrated Into the Stand-In of the Tragic Novel’s Heroine - Chapter 8

The author, Chang Yishao, didn’t know how to respond to Xie Qingtang’s words.

Another person obsessed with singing held that profession in contempt; she was only engrossed in the lights and the clamor, wanting only to be embraced and sought after by thousands of people.

“Someone wanted to buy my songs,” Xie Qingtang suddenly brought up this long-past event. She blinked and then smiled, “They were only buying my reputation, wasn’t that realistic?”

Chang Yishao gazed at her and said gently, “Do you want to release an album?”

Xie Qingtang crossed her arms and leaned slightly forward. Her eyes were like stars, holding a hint of a smile. “What? You’re going to help me?” She didn’t take Chang Yishao’s question seriously, so her tone was teasing.

Chang Yishao responded straightforwardly, “Yes.”

It was Xie Qingtang’s turn to fall silent.

Is this what it means to be rich? Is this the treatment of a stand-in? First, they spare no effort to promote someone, and then they cruelly and mercilessly ‘blacklist’ them?

The sound of the doorbell rang timely, reawakening Xie Qingtang’s hunger. She abruptly stood up and walked out quickly, while Chang Yishao watched her retreating figure, her eyes flickering, lost in thought.

Chang Yishao maintained her elegant composure, even when the spiciness caused the corners of her eyes to turn red.

Xie Qingtang usually didn’t like the greasy, strongly flavored outside food, but looking at Chang Yishao somehow sharpened her appetite.

“Do you want to enter the entertainment industry?” Chang Yishao asked again.

Xie Qingtang frowned and glared at Chang Yishao. A faint blush dusted her eye corners and nose, her eyes were shimmering, and her lips were a vibrant red. Xie Qingtang’s fingers felt a little restless, she rubbed her palm with her thumb before suppressing the urge. Chang Yishao had said a lot today, and they were all strange topics. Did she perhaps recall her ‘moonlight’ (the person she truly loved)? Thinking this, a knowing smile curled up on Xie Qingtang’s lips.

Chang Yishao indeed recalled He Yanjin; they had known each other for ten years. Chang Yishao was like a small boat on the tide, constantly pushed forward. Their acquaintance was like this, their love was like this, and even the final breakup followed He Yanjin’s words—a nod settled the matter. It was impossible for the long years to leave no trace. Was her heart empty afterward? Not necessarily.

After the memories were stirred up, even her dreams were filled with fragmented moments of the past; they densely intertwined—there was He Yanjin’s smile, and also hysterical curses, but all of it was like a reflection in a ripple, distorting little by little. Finally, it transformed into a different scene.

Xie Qingtang usually slept well, rarely waking up in the middle of the night. But this time, in her sleep, she felt a massive stone pressing on her, terribly heavy. She gasped a few times and opened her blurry eyes. After adjusting to the darkness, she could make out the outlines of objects with the help of the moonlight. She looked down at Chang Yishao, who had half her body pressing on her, and blinked. Chang Yishao was not sleeping soundly. Xie Qingtang reached out and pinched her face—such smooth, jade-like skin, she almost couldn’t bear to touch it.

Chang Yishao was dreaming of He Yanjin.

She was kneeling on the sofa with tears streaming down her face, slapping herself and apologizing. He Yanjin had always been overbearing, not allowing her to get close to anyone else, but what about herself? She had slept with a strange woman. She said she was only drunk and mistook the person for her. Chang Yishao slowly walked toward He Yanjin. He Yanjin looked up at her, and for some reason, she raised her hand, and that slap suddenly landed on Chang Yishao’s face—

Chang Yishao woke up.

She rubbed her sleepy eyes, and her muddled thoughts slowly cleared. She looked at Xie Qingtang, who was right beside her, and reached out to turn on the bedside lamp. Even a soft light, when suddenly turned on, was still irritating to the eyes. She covered her eyes, and after a while, she took her hands down, meeting Xie Qingtang’s gaze. She asked, “Did you hit me?”

Can this count as “hitting”? Xie Qingtang blinked and said, “You were having a nightmare.” She was just a kind person who pulled Chang Yishao out of a nightmare.

Chang Yishao nodded slowly, her gaze drifting downward, catching sight of Xie Qingtang’s delicate skin—a few buttons of her pajamas had come undone, and they were wrinkled and folded up. She was too close to Xie Qingtang, which breached her usual defenses. Chang Yishao was like a puppet being controlled; from the moment the thought arose to turning her body to move away from Xie Qingtang, she was half a beat too slow. “Yes, it was a nightmare,” Chang Yishao lay flat, she blinked, and He Yanjin’s face faded from the memory, transforming instead into Xie Qingtang’s appearance.

“Need any help?” Xie Qingtang stretched her hair—the moment she realized it was Chang Yishao’s, she immediately let go. Even though it was the middle of the night, she was still very service-minded.

Chang Yishao’s body stiffened, and even her breathing suddenly became rapid. After a long pause, she turned her face toward Xie Qingtang and asked, “How do you plan to help?” Her voice was slightly strained. Xie Qingtang simply assumed she hadn’t recovered from the nightmare. Xie Qingtang sat up, reached for a bolster, and propped it behind her back. She unhurriedly straightened her loosened pajamas, her gaze fixed on Chang Yishao’s face.

Her eyes were bright like stars, a brilliance Chang Yishao never saw in He Yanjin. Chang Yishao met her gaze for a moment, then shifted her sight, letting it fall on those slender, tender white fingers—agile fingers, capable of holding bamboo strips in a flurry; was there a thin callus on her fingertips? The hazy night and the intertwined light allowed Chang Yishao’s thoughts a degree of abandon, until Xie Qingtang’s light voice reached her ears.

“Tell me, what do you want to talk about?”

Chang Yishao remained silent for a moment. She looked at the picturesque Xie Qingtang, then suddenly offered a smile. “Why did you become a streamer?”

Xie Qingtang: “…” She really didn’t know; she should ask the author that. After a bout of internal grumbling, she smiled and said, “Because I don’t want to go out.” This was the truth; if she could earn money while staying at home, why bother running around?

“The Maya platform is very free, but—” Chang Yishao pondered for a moment. She said, “But it’s not a long-term solution.” Maya Entertainment merely provided a platform and split the revenue with the streamer; there was no stable employment relationship between them. Xie Qingtang’s income came from her fans. Just tens of thousands—it was difficult to sustain her life.

“Then what good advice do you have?” Xie Qingtang brushed her bangs aside. She changed to a more comfortable position, resting her chin on her hand as she gazed at Chang Yishao.

Chang Yishao was succinct: “Change companies.” She looked at Xie Qingtang and curved her lips, “I can help you contact a record company.”

Xie Qingtang: “…” Why is she so kind? She raised an eyebrow and asked, “Teacher Chang, are you this enthusiastic toward everyone?” Seeing Chang Yishao purse her lips, she added, “What if I wanted to find a factory to stitch shoe soles?”

This time, Chang Yishao had no reply, but Xie Qingtang laughed happily. No matter how things changed, her role in this world wouldn’t. She was the stand-in for the ‘moonlight.’ If she followed Chang Yishao’s arrangements now, what would happen when the ‘moonlight’ returned? Wait for them to conspire and blacklist her? Ruin her reputation?

Chang Yishao didn’t take the bait. She couldn’t figure out what Xie Qingtang wanted. She had investigated Xie Qingtang’s background and knew she was extremely short on money. A certain statement by Lu Li wasn’t wrong: if she wasn’t after something, why would she sign her name on that ridiculous contract? But what exactly was she after? Could she merely be after the “benefits” of food and accommodation? Greed knows no bounds. Doesn’t she want more? Chang Yishao lowered her eyelids, feeling something heavy in her heart. She sighed deeply, still with much lingering inside. “Sleep now, good night,” she whispered.

Xie Qingtang “Oh”-ed. She could have slept soundly, but after being woken up by Chang Yishao, her mind was exceptionally clear. The light was slowly eroded by the tide-like darkness, leaving only a gray outline in her eyes. Xie Qingtang sighed heavily. High benefits came with heavy responsibilities, but it was still much better than being on call 24 hours a day.

The next morning.

Chang Yishao felt refreshed. After her conversation with Xie Qingtang, her dreams were no longer haunted by specters.

After getting dressed, she stood by the bed, silently watching Xie Qingtang. Her fingers curled, slowly reaching toward Xie Qingtang’s face, but as they were about to touch her cheek, they abruptly retreated. She frowned, sighed softly, and turned to leave the room.

Today was the weekend, and she didn’t need to go to school. But she had an appointment with Lu Li, so she left early.

Lu Li sat with her legs crossed, pushing her unruly hair behind her ear. Her body was leaning forward, as if she was about to flop onto the table.

Chang Yishao paid no mind to her posture; she just lowered her gaze to the tea in the porcelain bowl, her expression calm.

“You and that little sister—” Lu Li held back for a while before continuing, “How are things?” She had inquired about it with Chang Yishao over the phone, but got no answer.

“Didn’t you already ask?” Chang Yishao raised her eyes slightly, not answering directly.

Lu Li ‘oh’-ed, picked up her teacup, and took a small sip. She couldn’t hold her tongue. Seeing Chang Yishao maintaining that serene, ‘enlightened’ expression, she finally couldn’t help but say, “Do you know He Yanjin is back?” After they broke up, that fellow He Yanjin went abroad. She heard she’s back now and brought her current partner. “She hooked up with Zhou Yunmeng.” Lu Li was always blunt when talking about people she didn’t like.

“Zhou Yunmeng?” A peculiar look crossed Chang Yishao’s face. She knew this person; she was the eldest daughter of Yunmeng Entertainment, and the Zhou family had some dealings with the Chang family. They had met a few times. In Lu Li’s words, she was a bit dull.

Lu Li nodded and said lazily, “Only soft targets are easy to exploit.”

Chang Yishao was quite in agreement with this statement. After a moment, she added, “She has some similarities to He Yanjin, even in terms of singing talent. I offered to help her find a record company, but she refused.”

Lu Li was startled, furrowed her brow, and said solemnly, “She’s playing the long game to catch the big fish.”

“A shark, then?” Chang Yishao said lightly.

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