Failed to Transmigrate, I’m Back Again - Chapter 5

The variety show hadn’t started filming yet. With so many guests, they were currently just gathering at a minshuku that the production team had booked out. Tang Wuyun hurried toward the entrance.

Before all the guests arrived, Tang Wuyun greeted the cameraman and fled to the restroom, her mind in chaos.

Having been abruptly pulled back to film the show, she needed to sort out her thoughts.

Seeing her enter the restroom, Shi Shuwu considered following her. The private space would be perfect for a quick chat. But just as she hesitated, Lu Ya caught up from behind and blocked her path.

“Hey! Wait up!”

Shi Shuwu stopped and looked at Lu Ya, puzzled.

“She’s not herself. Let her have some quiet time,” Lu Ya said awkwardly, withdrawing her hand that had been half-heartedly blocking Shi Shuwu’s way. She glanced up, discreetly studying Shi Shuwu’s expression.

It was natural for Tang Wuyun to feel guilty, but her face also showed a complex mix of emotions that were difficult to decipher.

Having known Tang Wuyun for nearly a decade, Lu Ya and Pei Yinxi were well-acquainted with her habits. This sudden dash to the restroom was nothing new to them.

It meant she was either nervous or mentally overwhelmed—in short, “triggered” and in need of quiet time.

At such moments, they instinctively knew to leave her alone.

Shi Shuwu withdrew her gaze from the bathroom door, met Lu Ya’s eyes, and softly replied, “Alright.”

She had indeed noticed Tang Wuyun’s unusual behavior. Tang Wuyun’s body was unnaturally tense, and the fear and repulsion in her eyes when she saw Shi Shuwu were unmistakable.

Every movement Tang Wuyun made sent a clear signal: she desperately didn’t want Shi Shuwu to approach.

Shi Shuwu lowered her lashes slightly, having clearly seen Tang Wuyun’s undisguised rejection and resistance.

I seem to be disliked.

A dull ache settled in Shi Shuwu’s heart. She nodded politely to Pei Yinxi, who had slowly caught up, and said, “I’ll wait in the reception area then.”

Pei Yinxi glanced at the bathroom door, nodded, and offered a warm, approachable smile. “Let’s go together,” she said gently, pulling Lu Ya along. “You too.”

If they blocked the door, Tang Wuyun might not even dare to come out.

Lu Ya blinked, withdrawing her surreptitious glances at Shi Shuwu. She saw no hint of anger or intent to confront Tang Wuyun on the other woman’s face, and secretly breathed a sigh of relief for the damned Tang Wuyun.

The girl Tang Wuyun had once liked seemed remarkably composed. Despite being unfairly thrust into the spotlight by Tang Wuyun’s unethical actions, she remained calm and collected when facing her.

Lu Ya had always held a soft spot for Shi Shuwu, partly because Tang Wuyun had often praised her.

The moment Tang Wuyun went berserk on social media, they knew it wasn’t a hack. Tang Wuyun’s infatuation with Shi Shuwu was no secret within their group.

Lu Ya couldn’t help but steal several glances at Shi Shuwu.

Over the past few days, not only had they been trying to contact Tang Wuyun, but Shi Shuwu had also repeatedly asked them if they’d heard from her.

It was clear that Shi Shuwu’s appearance on the variety show was entirely for Tang Wuyun’s sake.

Yet her demeanor didn’t suggest she was here for revenge.

The situation was intriguing.

Shi Shuwu desperately wanted to pretend she didn’t notice the burning curiosity in Lu Ya’s eyes, which felt like it was about to pierce right through her.

“You want to ask about the Weibo post, don’t you?” Shi Shuwu blurted out before the staff could attach their microphones.

Lu Ya blinked, nodding and shaking her head simultaneously.

Pei Yinxi turned to them, considering the matter. “She wants to know why Wuyun went crazy. Did you say something to her?”

Even they couldn’t help but wonder if Tang Wuyun had truly suffered a heartbreak.

But Shi Shuwu’s bewildered expression made that seem unlikely.

Shi Shuwu took a deep breath, stopped walking, and stared directly at the two curious faces. “Do you really believe what she wrote on Weibo?”

Lu Ya instinctively retorted, “Why wouldn’t we believe it? It’s true!”

Lu Ya’s tone was utterly certain. Who could know better than them whether Tang Wuyun liked Shi Shuwu?

This unwavering conviction almost made Shi Shuwu doubt her own memories.

But who could possibly know better than her whether Tang Wuyun had ever confessed?

Shi Shuwu pressed her lips together, paused for two seconds, and then declared, “It’s a lie.”

Pei Yinxi, listening thoughtfully, ventured, “Did she never confess at all?”

Shi Shuwu nodded vigorously, a rare hint of grievance creeping into her voice. Her tone was deeply resentful as she accused, “No, she didn’t. I had no idea she liked me, let alone when I supposedly rejected her. I don’t even understand why she misunderstood me so badly, thinking I’d find her disgusting and demanding I never show my face to her again.”

After holding back these words for so long, finally venting them to Tang Wuyun’s teammates felt like finally getting to tattle to the parents of a misbehaving child. The tightness in Shi Shuwu’s chest eased considerably.

Lu Ya opened her mouth, exchanging a glance with Pei Yinxi.

So all their recent speculations had been wrong.

Shi Shuwu seemed even more resentful than they were.

What on earth had gotten into Tang Wuyun?

The two asked Shi Shuwu in unison, “You didn’t even yell at her?”

Shi Shuwu’s slightly improved mood began to sour again.

“No,” she replied.

Lu Ya looked at the pathetic Shi Shuwu, her expression complicated. “With your gentle temperament, you didn’t even yell at her?”

Pei Yinxi remained silent but nodded in agreement. She deserved to be yelled at.

As the team leader, Pei Yinxi understood each member’s personality and temperament perfectly.

Tang Wuyun, once she had made up her mind about something, refused to listen to any explanations and would stubbornly insist on her point, even when she knew she was wrong. She would sulk and make you angry for a while before finally admitting her mistake.

But that was years ago, when Tang Wuyun was still immature. Back then, she was even more troublesome and infuriating than Lu Ya, the youngest member of the team.

And now…

Pei Yinxi pondered for a moment, then gave up. She couldn’t think of any flattering adjectives to describe Tang Wuyun’s current behavior. She was still infuriating, prone to sudden outbursts of madness over trivial disagreements.

Shi Shuwu wanted to say she wasn’t angry, just hurt by Tang Wuyun’s misunderstanding. There was no reason to yell. But under the scornful gazes of the two women, she pressed her lips together and muttered, “…I didn’t get a chance to yell. She blocked me.”

“Damn it!” Lu Ya clenched her fists in righteous anger, reminded of her own missed opportunity. “I almost forgot! I didn’t get to yell at her either!”

Pei Yinxi’s usually gentle and kind face darkened.

After confirming that Shi Shuwu wasn’t actually causing trouble for Tang Wuyun, they had almost forgotten that they were the ones who had come to confront her.

Tang Wuyun deserves to die!

Unaware of the trio’s discussion, Tang Wuyun hid in the bathroom, staring at her reflection in the mirror for an eternity. Only when her legs grew numb did she finally accept that this wasn’t a hallucination.

She lifted her hand to brush her long hair, which draped over her shoulder, and thought, Thank goodness they didn’t touch my hair before leaving. Her hair was her greatest weakness; she cherished it dearly, and even losing a single strand would pain her for days.

A light blue sun-protective shirt layered over a white tank top, paired with denim shorts, created her usual energetic and vibrant look, the lively ensemble dispelling the deathly aura that clung to Tang Wuyun.

Once she confirmed she had indeed returned, Tang Wuyun began to assess her current situation.

They just come and go as they please—how utterly rude!

They probably fled after being spooked by her reckless actions, unwilling to take the blame and abandoning her to clean up the mess.

Tang Wuyun struggled to describe her complex emotions.

On the drive back, she had repeatedly checked the time on her phone.

Today was September 17th.

An ordinary day, yet for her, it felt like an extraordinary moment.

Her time had finally begun to move forward.

So time does move forward after all.

Tang Wuyun emerged from the restroom, having composed herself. She cooperated with the staff waiting at the door, putting on her microphone, and steeled her heart to join the other guests.

In a group variety show like this, Tang Wuyun had no intention of acting alone. Being antisocial on such shows was awkward, and she still didn’t know the rules or what they were supposed to do.

She planned to find Sister Pei first and apologize. After all these years, Sister Pei had always been the most tolerant of her. Tang Wuyun figured she could always resort to acting cute and charming.

Lu Ya would be even easier to win over. Despite her fierce demeanor, Tang Wuyun knew she just needed to play the victim.

With her strategy in mind, Tang Wuyun timidly followed the staff to the camera. There were so many celebrities present that she kept her eyes lowered, afraid to look up. But the moment she appeared, all eyes converged on her.

“Tang Wuyun!”

“Sister Wuyun.”

“Wuyun~”

“Oh, you’re here.”

“Hmph…”

Forcing a smile, Tang Wuyun waved at everyone. She could practically see the question written on their faces: How dare you show your face here?

So terrifying.

Tang Wuyun: “Ha, ha, ha…”

After her dry laughter, she couldn’t help but swallow nervously, so embarrassed she wanted to bury herself. Her darting gaze landed on Shi Shuwu standing beside Pei Yinxi and Lu Ya, making her feel even more helpless.

Heavens, how did they all end up together?!

And they were even chatting and laughing!

Tang Wuyun’s petty schemes had completely lost their purpose.

With heavy steps and the resolve of someone facing certain death, she walked over to Bai Jin, who was staring at her with a half-mocking smile.

Among the five members, only Tang Wuyun had transitioned into acting. Pei Yinxi continued singing, Lu Ya thrived in various variety shows, Bai Jin made a name for herself in the rap scene, and the last member retired to inherit the family business.

Bai Jin had just arrived and hadn’t had time to join Pei Yinxi and the others when Tang Wuyun approached her after getting mic’d up.

Tang Wuyun stood stiffly beside Bai Jin, afraid to speak. Bai Jin was the absolute hardest to appease!

When Tang Wuyun remained silent, Bai Jin didn’t say a word either, letting her stew in her anxiety.

Under the weight of countless subtle glances, Tang Wuyun felt like she had thorns in her back. She cautiously shifted closer to Bai Jin, seeking a sense of security.

Bai Jin glanced at her sideways.

Tang Wuyun lowered her head, pretending to be dead.

Her friends were here, but so were artists she had feuded with. She could act silly in front of her friends, but playing dumb with her enemies would be genuine foolishness.

Fortunately, the production team showed mercy and didn’t leave Tang Wuyun helpless in this awkward atmosphere for long.

At that moment, the director’s sudden appearance and voice sounded like heavenly music.

“Hello everyone, I’m Director Shi Xian. Welcome to the outdoor live variety show, The Last 24 Hours. We have sixteen guests this season, with three more on their way. Please take this time to get acquainted. The live broadcast will begin in three minutes.”

“Inside the blind boxes in the center of the hall are colored balls. Once the broadcast starts, each of you will draw one. Those with matching colors will form four groups, and each group will board a bus to our filming location.”

Tang Wuyun’s head buzzed as soon as she heard the word “live broadcast.”

Live? This show was supposed to be pre-recorded, wasn’t it?

She steadied herself and stole glances at the others’ expressions, noticing everyone seemed remarkably calm.

Fine, so I’m the only one who didn’t know.

Her peripheral vision caught a piercing gaze fixed on her. Tang Wuyun turned her head and met Shi Shuwu’s eyes head-on.

Tang Wuyun instinctively frowned, a mortifying scene flashing through her mind. She pressed her lips together and sidled closer to Bai Jin, seeking refuge behind her.

Bai Jin couldn’t hold back any longer. “Why are you always hiding?”

With so many people glaring at Tang Wuyun, she still had the nerve to cling to Bai Jin. Had Tang Wuyun forgotten that Bai Jin could be just as fierce?

The surrounding chatter was subdued, each group absorbed in their own conversations. Though no one explicitly discussed Tang Wuyun, their attention was almost entirely focused on her. When they saw Bai Jin’s stern expression as she spoke to Tang Wuyun, curious glances turned their way.

Tang Wuyun brazenly edged even closer to Bai Jin, whispering, “Jinjin, we’re live.”

So don’t scold me in front of the cameras.

Bai Jin was about to retort that the broadcast hadn’t started yet when the director’s voice announced the live stream’s commencement.

Bai Jin: “……”

Tang Wuyun sighed inwardly. This is so hard.

The sudden live stream may have suppressed Bai Jin’s impending scolding, but it conveniently paved the way for Shi Shuwu and her companions to approach Tang Wuyun.

Shi Shuwu walked straight to Tang Wuyun’s side.

Tang Wuyun: “……”

To her left stood Bai Jin, behind her loomed Pei Yinxi, and to her right stood Shi Shuwu and Lu Ya.

Tang Wuyun’s eyes glazed over. I just want to escape.