Failed to Transmigrate, I’m Back Again - Chapter 21

The fact that they were specifically ordered to livestream made it clear what was going on.

Tang Wuyun mentally scoffed. Now that things are blowing up, they come crawling to me to put out the fire. And they’re even putting both Shi Shuwu and me on camera? Aren’t they afraid we’ll just pour gasoline on the flames?

As if reading her thoughts, Shi Zhimiao warned, “Just behave yourself and don’t go crazy.”

Tang Wuyun’s lips twitched. No need to be so wary of me. I won’t lose it until I figure out what’s really going on.

“Instead of worrying about me, you should be worried about Shi Shuwu,” Tang Wuyun retorted, skillfully shifting the blame.

“What about me?” Shi Shuwu asked, bewildered. Why am I being dragged into this? Isn’t Tang Wuyun the one who’s been acting crazy all along?

Tang Wuyun deliberately scanned Shi Shuwu with a scrutinizing gaze for two seconds before declaring, “There’s no way you can keep your mouth shut…”

Shi Shuwu opened her mouth to protest, then paused, considering. She didn’t refute the claim.

Maybe she’s right, she thought. Otherwise, Tan Qingyu wouldn’t keep reminding me.

Pei Yinxi stared at the two “problematic artists” who were surprisingly self-aware, momentarily speechless.

Tang Wuyun forced an awkward smile at Pei Yinxi’s exasperated expression.

Pei Yinxi ignored her smile, pushed open the door to the residential area’s lobby, and delivered a cold reminder: “We need to talk before the livestream starts.”

The moment they met, they started filming the variety show, leaving no time for a proper conversation with Tang Wuyun. Now that they had a mid-session break, they finally had the chance.

The others nodded in agreement, clearly having been waiting for this opportunity as well.

The group waiting in the residential area reacted similarly. When Tang Wuyun arrived, nearly all eyes turned to her.

It was then that Tang Wuyun truly felt the real pressure begin to mount.

The “friendly” facade they had maintained during the day was merely for the cameras. To be honest, even then, things hadn’t been particularly harmonious.

Now that everyone had removed their microphones, it was the perfect moment to avoid being recorded.

Under the intense scrutiny of so many eyes, Tang Wuyun broke into a cold sweat, her hand moving sluggishly to remove her microphone.

In stark contrast to Tang Wuyun’s nervous unease, Lu Ya and the others who had already returned were completely relaxed, face masks applied and comfortable pajamas on.

The sisters were truly here for a vacation.

Lu Ya waved at them through her face mask, her voice muffled as she reminded them, “What took you so long? We’ve already picked our rooms. There are only two left on the third floor—one for three people and one for two. You’ll have to decide who stays where.”

Bai Jin glanced left at Pei Yinxi and Shi Zhimiao, then right at Tang Wuyun and Shi Shuwu.

Ah, so that’s why I’ve felt something was off this whole time.

Without hesitation, Bai Jin quickly made her choice. “I’ll stay with Sister Pei and Miaomiao.”

Tang Wuyun immediately protested, “No way!”

You want me to sleep with Shi Shuwu? Are you crazy?!

“I’ll switch with Jin Jin!”

Bai Jin couldn’t understand what Tang Wuyun was fussing about. How could she not seize this perfect opportunity for alone time?

Shi Shuwu shrugged, her tone indifferent. “Whatever works for you guys. I don’t mind.”

Lu Ya looked at Bai Jin and suddenly interjected, “Hey Jin Jin, why don’t you come to my room? There’s an extra bed in the room I’m sharing with Sister Qiao Mian.”

Bai Jin agreed instantly, “Okay!”

Even a second’s hesitation would have been disrespectful to Tang Wuyun and Shi Zhimiao. She was truly going to great lengths for their happiness.

Tang Wuyun’s eyes lit up. “Then that means Sister Pei and Miaomiao will have an extra…”

Under Shi Zhimiao’s intense gaze, Tang Wuyun’s voice dwindled to a whisper before being forcibly silenced.

“Right, what I said just now was so tactless.”

Shi Shuwu, unaware of any hidden secrets between them, readily agreed to Tang Wuyun’s suggestion. “That’s fine. I’m perfectly happy on my own.”

Her tone sounded nonchalant, but the underlying meaning felt off. Tang Wuyun suddenly felt like she was isolating Shi Shuwu, leaving her in a dilemma.

Pei Yinxi, who had remained silent until now, finally spoke, overriding their proposed room arrangements. “Wuyun and I have matters to discuss. We’ll take one room.”

Her tone left no room for argument.

The others immediately fell silent.

Tang Wuyun, however, felt immense pressure.

With Pei Yinxi’s direct intervention, Lu Ya’s excitement for gossip instantly waned.

She muttered to Bai Jin, “Tsk, how boring.”

Bai Jin glanced at her. “What’s wrong?”

Lu Ya’s eyes darted around. She peeled off her face mask and beckoned Bai Jin closer.

Bai Jin leaned in obligingly.

Lu Ya whispered conspiratorially in her ear, “Don’t you think Sister Yinxi and Miaomiao make a great couple?”

Bai Jin straightened up abruptly, narrowing her eyes. “Are you really just shipping them?”

Lu Ya’s eyes darted nervously around the room, accidentally meeting Tang Wuyun’s gaze and shooting her a glare.

Bai Jin: “……”

Tang Wuyun: “……”

Bai Jin glanced worriedly at Shi Zhimiao, her mind racing.

Seriously, if we can all see Shi Zhimiao’s feelings, how could Pei Yinxi possibly be oblivious?

Everyone was preoccupied with their own thoughts, but Tang Wuyun, clearly burdened by her own worries, was “escorted” by Pei Yinxi’s intensely scrutinizing gaze to a room on the third floor.

To Pei Yinxi’s dismay, the room was equipped with cameras, including the balcony outside. Even if they removed their microphones, audio could still be recorded.

Tang Wuyun, however, remained unconcerned. With Shi Zhimiao present, their conversation wouldn’t be leaked anyway.

Pei Yinxi led Tang Wuyun straight to the bathroom, her lips pressed into a thin line, her expression serious. Without preamble, she asked, “Did you post all those Weibo updates?”

Tang Wuyun swallowed nervously. “Which ones are you talking about?”

Pei Yinxi paused, realizing that Tang Wuyun’s response implied there were indeed posts not made by her.

Seeing Tang Wuyun’s reluctance to discuss the topic and her frequent glances toward the door, Pei Yinxi abruptly changed her line of questioning. “Were you the one who sent us the messages?”

Tang Wuyun took a step back and leaned against the door, lowering her head. After a long internal struggle, she finally relented, giving a small nod.

Pei Yinxi was momentarily speechless, her emotions a tangled mess. All the questions she wanted to ask seemed to choke in her throat. If Tang Wuyun had shaken her head and denied it, Pei Yinxi would have believed her. But she hadn’t denied it.

When Pei Yinxi remained silent for too long, Tang Wuyun looked up at her, feeling lost.

“Sister Pei, I… I…”

Tang Wuyun stammered, unable to find the words. Saying more would sound like making excuses, but the messages had indeed been sent by her, one by one.

“…I’m sorry, Sister Pei.”

Tang Wuyun couldn’t help but tilt her head back, wiping the corner of her eye with her hand. Pei Yinxi must be deeply disappointed in her now.

Pei Yinxi closed her eyes briefly. When she opened them again, the complexity in her gaze had deepened. She looked at Tang Wuyun with a hint of heartache. “So, what exactly happened to you?”

Her tone lacked the anger Tang Wuyun had expected, replaced instead by a concern she hadn’t anticipated.

Tang Wuyun froze, stunned.

Pei Yinxi continued, “What could be so dire that you bypassed seeking our help directly? What made you think we couldn’t assist you?”

“To the point where you pushed us all away?”

“How does that benefit you?”

Pei Yinxi didn’t take Tang Wuyun’s hurtful words to heart. She knew Tang Wuyun would never act this way without a reason.

What truly concerned her was what had happened to Tang Wuyun—why she had changed so drastically.

Seeing the shock on Tang Wuyun’s face, Pei Yinxi didn’t hesitate to voice her suspicion:

“Or is it that if you didn’t do this, whatever’s happening would affect us too? So you’re cutting ties with all of us to protect us?”

She desperately wished Tang Wuyun would shake her head and say it was just a prank someone played using her phone, rather than confirming that she was genuinely facing some insurmountable problem.

Pei Yinxi couldn’t even imagine what Tang Wuyun had endured to drive her to such drastic measures.

Tang Wuyun’s long-suppressed anguish surged to the surface at Pei Yinxi’s words of concern. Her nose stung with a sudden ache, and tears welled up in her eyes again.

“Sister Pei…” Tang Wuyun’s voice choked with emotion.

Pei Yinxi responded with mixed feelings.

Knock, knock, knock!

The sudden knocking interrupted Tang Wuyun’s crumbling composure.

Pei Yinxi frowned, handed Tang Wuyun a tissue, and softened her voice to reassure her: “Alright, let’s talk about this after the show. As long as I know you didn’t mean it, that’s enough for now.”

Tang Wuyun didn’t take the tissue. Instead, she threw her arms around Pei Yinxi and began to sob loudly.

Pei Yinxi, whose shoulder was now covered in tears and snot, was speechless.

Why do I suddenly feel so disgusted?

But as she listened to Tang Wuyun crying and calling out “Sister Pei,” Pei Yinxi couldn’t bring herself to push her away. That is, until she heard a muffled complaint: “Waaah, Sister Pei, Shi Shuwu is bullying me…”

Pei Yinxi fell into an even deeper silence. This is something even I can’t handle.

“Stop crying for now. I’ll go open the door,” Pei Yinxi said, patting Tang Wuyun reassuringly. Seeing Tang Wuyun so distraught only confirmed her suspicion that something serious had happened. Her tone softened considerably.

Tang Wuyun was left in the bathroom to compose herself while Pei Yinxi went to answer the door. Shi Zhimiao stood there, with Shi Shuwu passing by beside her.

Shi Shuwu was peering into the room, trying to spot Tang Wuyun.

Pei Yinxi visibly stiffened when she saw her, Tang Wuyun’s accusatory words flashing through her mind.

“Ahem, are you looking for Wuyun?”

Shi Shuwu clearly hadn’t expected Pei Yinxi to speak to her first. She nodded. “Yes, I have something I want to ask her.”

Pei Yinxi turned and called into the room, “Wuyun, come out when you’re ready. Shuwu is looking for you.”

Only after relaying the message did she ask Shi Zhimiao, who had been knocking, “A’Miao, what’s up?”

Shi Zhimiao secretly rolled her eyes at being asked so belatedly. She lazily reminded them, “The livestream’s on. Just letting you know.”

Noticing Pei Yinxi’s completely soaked shoulder, she asked curiously, “What happened to you?”

“What do you want?” Tang Wuyun asked, stepping out at that moment.

Emboldened by Pei Yinxi’s presence, she even dared to nudge Shi Zhimiao, who had always given her the cold shoulder.

She turned to Shi Shuwu. “Let’s go somewhere else to talk.”

Shi Zhimiao: “……”

Shi Shuwu left with Tang Wuyun, enduring Shi Zhimiao’s speechless stare.

Tang Wuyun found a corner near the stairwell, out of camera range.

“What do you want to ask?” she demanded, crossing her arms and deliberately adopting a stern expression, as if she were in no mood for conversation.

If one ignored her slightly reddened eyes, the act might have been convincing.

Shi Shuwu asked curiously, “Were you crying?”

Tang Wuyun’s eyes widened. “I wasn’t!” she insisted stubbornly.

“If you don’t have any questions, don’t waste my time here.”

There were still people waiting in line behind her, eager to confront her. She had to pacify them one by one—she was busy.

Enraged by Tang Wuyun’s attitude, Shi Shuwu took a deep breath. “Weibo…”

Tang Wuyun cut her off. “I’ve already said it’s all true. I admit my actions were wrong, and I apologize. I’m sorry.”

Now that she couldn’t avoid the inevitable questions any longer, Tang Wuyun steeled her resolve and decided to lay everything bare.

“Look, when I said I… you know… did that to you, I deserved to die for it. I disgusted you, and I’m truly sorry. But I swear, I absolutely don’t like you anymore. Really.”

Shi Shuwu froze, her heart seeming to skip a beat. She opened her mouth, speechless, never expecting Tang Wuyun to be so direct. A heavy weight settled in her chest.

She whispered Tang Wuyun’s name, “Tang Wuyun…”

Sensing the other woman’s confusion, Tang Wuyun’s expression stiffened for a moment. She turned away and murmured in response, “…Hmm.”

Tang Wuyun’s demeanor softened visibly.

Shi Shuwu suddenly felt utterly drained, both physically and mentally.

She patiently repeated her explanation, “Why won’t you believe me? I genuinely don’t find it disgusting. Besides, I’m like this myself, so how could I find it disgusting?”

Tang Wuyun, understanding Shi Shuwu’s meaning, froze in stunned silence, momentarily shocked.

Then, she found the situation utterly absurd and burst into laughter.

She suddenly stepped closer to Shi Shuwu, leaning in until their faces were mere inches apart. Ignoring Shi Shuwu’s startled expression, she continued to close the distance until their breaths mingled and their lips were about to touch. Only then did she stop, barely.

This was her final test. How could someone suddenly change so completely?

“Don’t you understand? This is how I feel about you,” Tang Wuyun said, her voice dripping with mischievous teasing that perfectly masked the panic rising within her.

Shocked by her own impulsive, daring move, her panic was no less than Shi Shuwu’s.

Meanwhile, unnoticed on the ground, the live stream camera perfectly captured their intertwined shadows.

Under the lens, the entwined figures appeared intensely intimate.