Failed to Transmigrate, I’m Back Again - Chapter 45

“So, you mean you’ve dated before?”

In the quiet living room, Pei Yinxi’s clear voice carried through the phone, her tone mirroring the astonishment on Tang Wuyun’s face.

Tang Wuyun narrowed her eyes at Lu Ya, correcting her. “We can’t say ‘before.’ Maybe you’re still dating now.”

“Right, Lu Ya?”

Lu Ya’s heart tightened at their seriousness. She shook her head and waved her hands frantically, blurting out, “We’re not dating anymore!”

Tang Wuyun’s voice drifted out softly. “Oh, so you have dated.”

Her calm tone stood in stark contrast to the reproach in her eyes as she looked at Lu Ya, clearly displeased that Lu Ya had kept her secret relationship hidden from them.

Pei Yinxi chimed in, “Lu Yaya, you didn’t even tell us you were dating?”

Tang Wuyun shook her head and sighed deeply. “I understand. Our bond has faded.”

Lu Ya: “……”

Lu Ya tried to explain, “It was an online relationship. I never even met her in person! How could I tell you? Besides, she dumped me after less than two months.”

Tang Wuyun was shocked again. “How did you get dumped?”

Pei Yinxi coughed lightly, interrupting. “Wait, was it a guy or a girl?”

Apart from Tang Wuyun, none of the others had ever explicitly revealed their sexual orientation, nor had anyone ever asked directly. When Tang Wuyun had come out in the group chat, the others had celebrated with virtual confetti, subconsciously assuming everyone else was the same.

Hearing the question, Tang Wuyun immediately realized her mistake. Her expression turned serious.

I subconsciously assumed it was a girl. How careless of me.

Tang Wuyun stared intently at Lu Ya, her tone stern and earnest. “Lu Yaya, you shouldn’t chat with strangers online! What if they’re not good people? Aren’t you afraid of getting scammed?”

Lu Ya took a deep breath and lowered her head. “That’s exactly why I was too scared to tell you guys—because I got scammed.”

She didn’t forget to answer Pei Yinxi’s question: “It was a girl.”

Tang Wuyun first let out a sigh of relief, then frowned. “How did you get scammed?”

Pei Yinxi completely set aside her work and turned to Lu Ya. “Tell us everything in detail.”

Tang Wuyun’s gaze sharpened as she scrutinized Lu Ya from head to toe. “Are they after your money or your body?” she demanded. “You didn’t send any inappropriate photos, did you?”

She genuinely feared Lu Ya had lost her mind.

Lu Ya retaliated by throwing a pillow at Tang Wuyun. “Do you think I’m stupid?” she snapped, glaring. “Or did you send some when you were chatting with Shi Shuwu…?”

“Shut up!” Tang Wuyun hurled the pillow back, cutting her off mid-sentence. “I don’t do online dating.”

She’d seen too many cases of people getting scammed online.

Lu Ya huffed indignantly.

“Oh, right, right, right! If Shi Shuwu wanted to see you, you wouldn’t need to take photos. You’d just run straight to her room and strip… Mmmph!”

Tang Wuyun clamped her hand over Lu Ya’s shockingly blunt mouth, glaring fiercely. “Say another word like that!”

Lu Ya stomped her foot in frustration, glaring up at Tang Wuyun and slapping her arm repeatedly.

“Ah…” Shi Shuwu’s teasing voice drifted down from above, laced with amusement. “Is this getting a little too much?”

The two women looked up simultaneously, their gazes meeting Shi Shuwu’s, who was leaning against the glass railing, looking down at them.

Having just showered, Shi Shuwu had changed into a silver-gray silk nightgown and was lazily leaning against the railing, looking down at them from her elevated position.

Tang Wuyun stared, momentarily stunned.

Lu Ya shook her head in protest, her muffled voice sounding like, “Mmmph…!”

She glared at Shi Shuwu with accusing eyes, trying to get her to intervene with Tang Wuyun. Her mouth was still covered!

The commotion snapped Tang Wuyun back to reality.

She released Lu Ya’s mouth and wiped her palm disdainfully against Lu Ya’s arm.

Lu Ya: “……”

Ignoring Lu Ya’s simmering resentment, Tang Wuyun looked up at Shi Shuwu. “Aren’t you resting?”

Shi Shuwu nodded wearily. “Yes, I just wanted to remind you not to bother making dinner. I won’t be eating.”

She added, “Don’t bother with Luo Zhuo’s either. She’s already eaten. Let her sleep.”

Hearing that Shi Shuwu wouldn’t be joining them for dinner, Tang Wuyun’s expression fell.

“Alright, then. Go get some rest.”

Shi Shuwu smiled.

She had wanted to ask what they were talking about, but she was too tired. She nodded in greeting, then turned and went back to her room.

Tang Wuyun’s mood was about to plummet when Lu Ya shoved her hard, sending her sprawling sideways onto the sofa.

Tang Wuyun glared, her face twisted with annoyance. “What was that for?”

Lu Ya clicked her tongue and shook her head. “You’re hopeless.”

Pei Yinxi, who had been watching the whole scene like a farce, took a deep breath and pressed her hand to her forehead. “Enough, you two. Let’s get back to the point.”

She turned to Lu Ya again. “So, what exactly did she trick you into?”

Every time they tried to discuss something, it always devolved into an argument.

They really know how to drag things out.

Lu Ya’s voice trembled with hurt. “She didn’t steal my money or my body. She stole my heart.”

Tang Wuyun: “?”

Pei Yinxi: “?”

Before they could ask, Lu Ya hugged her knees, wisely offering an explanation. “We met in a game.”

Tang Wuyun nodded slowly, her expression thoughtful.

They had become close through the game, but Luo Zhuo had been pulling the strings behind the scenes, connecting them not just in the virtual world but also through work.

Tang Wuyun wasn’t as naive as Lu Ya, who had blindly trusted someone she barely knew.

Lu Ya glanced sideways, secretly comparing them in her mind, then turned away, refusing to acknowledge Tang Wuyun. Clutching her phone, she vented to Pei Yinxi, “The worst part is, she knew who I was, but I had no idea who she was.”

“When I asked how she knew it was me, she said she used to have my contact information, but I deleted it.”

Tang Wuyun kicked her in exasperation. “She had your contact info, and you didn’t even ask who she was?”

Lu Ya kicked back, snapping, “I did ask! She said she was Ke Huashuang, the famous cellist.”

She pointed to her face. “Do you think I’m stupid enough to believe that?”

Tang Wuyun sneered, “If you didn’t believe her, why were you dating her?”

“You just don’t understand that kind of infatuation,” Lu Ya said, giving Tang Wuyun a “you wouldn’t get it” look. “I just couldn’t resist wanting to talk to her.”

“Who wouldn’t fall for an older woman like her? Her voice was so soothing, she was so gentle, even more emotionally stable than Sister Pei. And she knew exactly how to make me feel better…”

Tang Wuyun stared blankly at Lu Ya, who was gushing on and on, completely oblivious to her and Pei Yinxi’s silence, still lost in sweet memories.

Lu Ya sighed wistfully, “Anyway, she was amazing.”

Tang Wuyun: “……”

She asked casually, “Oh, if she was so amazing, why did you break up with her?”

She couldn’t see how the other woman had been deceiving Lu Ya.

Lu Ya’s expression darkened. “I told you, she lied to me! I just wanted to know who she really was, but she kept lying until the end.”

Tang Wuyun was speechless. “You two were dating for almost two months. You never video-called each other?”

Lu Ya paused for two seconds before turning to look at her. “When you were flirting with Shi Shuwu, would you have felt comfortable video-calling?”

Tang Wuyun: “……”

Truth be told, she never had.

Staring at each other on video would have felt awkward, even embarrassing. Texting felt much more uninhibited.

Lu Ya sighed again. “Mostly, I was too shy. I figured we’d get to know each other better first, then video-call later.”

Who knew there would be no “afterward”?

Pei Yinxi, who hadn’t spoken up until now, cleared her throat. “Don’t jump to conclusions so rashly. What if it really was her?”

“I know Ke Huashuang,” Tang Wuyun offered. “We’re not close, but I have her contact information. Should I ask her if it was really her?”

Lu Ya waved her hand dismissively, her tone firm. “No need to ask. I guarantee it wasn’t her.”

Pei Yinxi and Tang Wuyun exchanged puzzled glances.

Lu Ya scoffed coldly. “She thinks I’m an idiot.”

Tang Wuyun frowned. “Can you explain more clearly?”

Lu Ya glared at Tang Wuyun, her expression darkening further. “It’s all because of you! For the past two days, she’s been prying about you, asking about what’s really going on between you and Shi Shuwu.”

“She kept beating around the bush, but I’m not stupid. I could tell she was trying to get the inside scoop, so I just asked her straight up: ‘Are you a fan of Tang Wuyun or Shi Shuwu? Or are you just here for the gossip?'”

Tang Wuyun’s face flushed with embarrassment. She forced a dry laugh. “You dumped someone over this?”

Isn’t that a bit extreme? What’s wrong with someone being a fan?

“And wasn’t Lu Ya just praising her to the skies?”

Lu Ya took a deep breath. “Do you know what she said when I asked her?”

Pei Yinxi played along. “What?”

Lu Ya sneered. “She claimed to be Shi Shuwu’s sister, just wanting to check on her. No other reason.”

She slammed her hand on the coffee table. “Seriously?! Does she think I’m an idiot?”

“One minute she’s a cellist, the next she’s Shi Shuwu’s sister. All she does is lie! And she can’t even come up with a believable identity!”

Tang Wuyun blinked. “Huh?”

Pei Yinxi was equally stunned.

Anyone who met someone like that in a game and heard either of those claims would probably dismiss them as nonsense.

And there were still two more absurd identities to uncover, the last one sounding almost too convenient.

Pei Yinxi turned to Tang Wuyun. “Does Shi Shuwu have a sister?”

Tang Wuyun shook her head. “No, she’s never mentioned one.”

Pei Yinxi pursed her lips. “Just because she hasn’t mentioned it doesn’t mean she doesn’t exist. What if it’s really the same person?”

Lu Ya’s face hardened. “Impossible!”

Tang Wuyun shook her head firmly, her voice brimming with confidence. “Absolutely not. If Shi Shuwu had a sister, she would have mentioned it by now.”

Lu Ya pouted, wiping away her tears with a sniffle. “I was going to tell you guys after I met her and confirmed everything,” she said, her face full of sorrow. “But she wouldn’t tell me the truth…”

Tang Wuyun patted her shoulder reassuringly.

Wen Yu asked, “So you just deleted her?”

Lu Ya sniffled again. “I made up some excuse, told her Tang Wuyun wouldn’t let me play with Shi Shuwu’s sister. Blamed it all on her being Shi Shuwu’s sister, then blocked her.”

Tang Wuyun’s face darkened, her friendly expression vanishing instantly. She grabbed Lu Ya by the back of her collar and demanded, “Who said you couldn’t play with Shi Shuwu’s sister?”

Lu Ya stretched her neck defiantly. “You did! She kept asking about you two and insisted she was Shi Shuwu’s sister!”

Tang Wuyun tightened her grip on Lu Ya’s collar, her voice sharp. “You should be glad this isn’t true,” she snapped. “Otherwise, I’d strangle you!”

Pei Yinxi looked troubled, hesitating before speaking. “Don’t be so quick to dismiss it. What if she was telling the truth?”

Tang Wuyun waved her hand dismissively, even more confident than Lu Ya. “Impossible. What are the odds of something like that happening?”

Lu Ya sniffled again and resumed wiping away tears.

Pei Yinxi stared at them, speechless. These two were becoming increasingly unreliable.

To be honest, Pei Yinxi had a very bad feeling about this.

She asked Lu Ya, “When did you block him?”

Lu Ya choked back a sob. “…The night before last.”

Actually, she had unblocked him yesterday to secretly check his WeChat Moments. Finding nothing new, she re-blocked him.

She had even been planning to unblock him again tonight to take another peek.

Tang Wuyun was stunned. “Just the night before last?”

I never would have guessed! This girl lost her love and didn’t make a peep.

She couldn’t resist asking, “Did you really like him?”

Lu Ya flew into a rage, slapping away Tang Wuyun’s hand that had grabbed her collar. “What else?!”

You can doubt anything, but never my feelings!

She glared defiantly at Tang Wuyun. “Do you think everyone’s like you, too afraid to admit their feelings?”

Tang Wuyun choked with anger. “You—!”

Lu Ya straightened her collar, huffed, and shot Tang Wuyun a contemptuous look.

Her voice dripped with disdain. “Coward.”

Tang Wuyun gritted her teeth.

This is never going to end.

She felt that if she didn’t win Shi Shuwu over quickly, Lu Ya would relentlessly mock her cowardice every single day.

Seeing them about to quarrel again, Pei Yinxi quickly intervened.

“Alright, enough arguing.”

“Wuyun, you should still ask Shi Shuwu if she has a sister.”

Her suggestion was perfectly reasonable—just a simple confirmation.

But Tang Wuyun, who believed she knew Shi Shuwu inside and out, shook her head with unwavering confidence. “Oh, Sister Pei, you’re overthinking it! There’s no need to ask. She definitely doesn’t have one.”

Lu Ya surprisingly sided with her. “Even if she did, it wouldn’t be her.”

Pei Yinxi: “……”

These two are such a headache.

Their flippant attitude left Pei Yinxi speechless.

This is terrible. What if my premonition grows even stronger?