Failed to Transmigrate, I’m Back Again - Chapter 8

Tang Wuyun’s eyes widened in shock. How dare Shi Shuwu grab her hand?!

Doesn’t she have any sense of boundaries?!

Completely oblivious to Tang Wuyun’s stunned gaze, Shi Shuwu dug her nails into Tang Wuyun’s palm, prying the small blue ball from her grasp. She released Tang Wuyun, turned her back, and began examining the object intently.

Don’t think I didn’t see through your little scheme to trick me, Tang Wuyun.

Tang Wuyun: “……”

Fine, maybe I was overthinking things.

Tang Wuyun tugged at Shi Shuwu’s arm. “It’s for me! Why are you snatching it? If you really want to, we can look at it together.”

Rarely hearing Tang Wuyun speak to her in a normal tone, Shi Shuwu held the ball up between them, her voice relaxed. “Alright, let’s look at it together.”

Before Shi Shuwu could lean closer, Tang Wuyun quickly leaned back, creating distance. “You go first. Give it to me when you’re done.”

Shi Shuwu’s brow furrowed imperceptibly. Tang Wuyun’s desperate avoidance felt irrational; they had once been close friends who shared everything.

Her behavior now makes it seem like I’ve done something terrible to her.

Ji Mingyin showed little excitement at seeing them holding hands, nor was she particularly flattered by their eagerness to help her solve the mystery. At that moment, all she felt was regret.

The once-naive college student immediately saw through their act. The light vanished from her clear eyes in an instant.

They’re not trying to help at all!

She had been foolish. Being in the same group didn’t automatically make them allies. If they were, they wouldn’t need to guess each other’s identities.

How could people who were just arguing so fiercely suddenly be calmly discussing watching her little ball together?!

“I’ll politely decline!” Ji Mingyin said, darting to her feet and snatching back her identity information with lightning speed.

The two who hadn’t had a chance to read it were left speechless.

Ji Mingyin let out a sigh of relief, then grumbled, “Good thing! You two are so mean, trying to trick people the moment we step outside.”

Tang Wuyun snorted, completely unrepentant, and even smiled as she warned Ji Mingyin, “You need to be more careful.”

After a moment’s thought, she added, “Especially since you’re in my group.”

Ji Mingyin nodded, clearly having heard rumors before coming here. Now that Tang Wuyun herself had confirmed it, Ji Mingyin felt even more on guard, yet also faintly excited—it was all so thrilling.

The two chatted for a few more minutes, with Shi Shuwu sitting between them, lost in her own thoughts. Shi Shuwu didn’t join their conversation, too preoccupied with Tang Wuyun’s obvious avoidance of her.

After the two finished chatting, Shi Shuwu silently glared at Tang Wuyun before impulsively kicking her.

Tang Wuyun: “???”

Having been kicked and subjected to Shi Shuwu’s accusatory gaze, Tang Wuyun felt inexplicably guilty.

But I haven’t gone crazy today, she thought. What does Shi Shuwu want?

She was fine just now. Has she split personalities too?

Shi Shuwu was simply annoyed by Tang Wuyun’s refusal to explain things clearly.

What exactly did I do? Just tell me! Why are you suddenly hating me for no reason?

The more Shi Shuwu thought about it, the harder it became to control her emotions. Her eyes burned with heat, and she quickly closed them, crossed her arms, leaned back, and fell silent.

Tang Wuyun was utterly confused, but she could tell Shi Shuwu was upset.

What can I do about it?

Tang Wuyun decided to let it be. She wasn’t happy either. Let’s see who apologizes first.

Shi Shuwu, simmering with suppressed anger, secretly vowed to herself: I’ll never play games with Tang Wuyun again!

Sitting beside her, Tang Wuyun felt a sudden chill, vaguely sensing the resentment radiating from Shi Shuwu.

Her thoughts drifted, and she automatically began to reflect: Did I dodge her too obviously earlier? Does Shi Shuwu think I’m rejecting her?

Lost in thought, Tang Wuyun shivered. She felt another corner of her world collapsing. Why do I keep thinking about this?

Before long, Tang Wuyun closed her eyes, simmering with frustration.

Ji Mingyin, oblivious to the tension, assumed they were simply tired and crossed her arms, dozing off herself.

The car’s atmosphere suddenly grew heavy and silent, chilling the live stream. Viewers, confused, couldn’t decipher the unspoken exchange between the two women.

In the unnaturally quiet compartment, Tang Wuyun accidentally fell asleep.

The staff stared in disbelief.

It’s only a half-hour drive, and we’re already halfway there! We’re live-streaming! Why are you sleeping?!

Shi Shuwu took a few minutes to calm down. Slowly opening her eyes, she turned to observe Tang Wuyun, who had retracted her prickly defenses in sleep.

For as long as Shi Shuwu gazed at Tang Wuyun, Ji Mingyin and the staff stared at them both.

Ji Mingyin’s heart raced with excitement, her eyes shining brightly.

But the perfect moment was shattered when Shi Shuwu rolled up her sleeves and began making threatening gestures with her fist near Tang Wuyun’s face.

Ji Mingyin: “……”

So, my manager was right. Everyone really does want to stuff Tang Wuyun in a sack and beat her up. Shi Shuwu’s no exception.

Pfft…

I’m dying of laughter! Where are all those CP stans who were going wild just now? Did their ship sink?

Hehe, this just makes the ship even more delicious!

Help! What exactly did Tang Wuyun do to make everyone want to mess with her?

The Red Team’s card belonged to Bai Jin, and Pei Yinxi was right there encouraging her to use it. The Blue Team’s card belonged to Lu Ya. You have to admit, these girls really are from the same group—they even screw people over together! If only Shi Zhimiao hadn’t retired, we might have seen the five of them reunite.

Hahaha, I’m even more curious about who the other teammate on the Blue Team is.

To the person saying they want a reunion: don’t even dream about it. If they ever reunite, I’ll eat my keyboard. She’s already gone home to manage the family company—she doesn’t have time to entertain us anymore.

Well, you can’t say that exactly. This variety show was actually funded by Shi Zhimiao’s company, so it’s kind of a reunion in its own way.

Their destination was a renowned summer resort, which was actually owned by Shi Zhimiao. She provided the recording venue free of charge, while the production team handled the promotion, a mutually beneficial arrangement.

Tang Wuyun knew perfectly well that the only reason she was able to participate in the show despite having offended so many people was because Shi Zhimiao was backing her.

Her teammates were all exceptionally talented, with bright futures ahead of them. Only she was a mess, unable to see any future for herself.

After waking up, Tang Wuyun remained in a gloomy mood, drifting in a daze for a long time before finally snapping back to reality after getting out of the car.

“Are you okay?” Shi Shuwu asked, looking at Tang Wuyun with concern as she finally came to her senses.

When Tang Wuyun had woken up, Shi Shuwu hadn’t missed the brief moment of confusion and fear in her eyes. The helplessness in her gaze was truly pitiful.

Tang Wuyun shook her head, turning away to avoid Shi Shuwu’s gaze.

She had been somewhat disoriented upon waking, terrified that she might have been sent back to that fateful day again.

Tang Wuyun lowered her eyes, deep in thought. She couldn’t be sure if time would continue moving forward for her, and she was even more afraid that her tormentor might return after she had finally cleaned up the mess.

The other guests gradually disembarked and joined them, their chatter pulling Tang Wuyun back to reality. She glanced around, noticing that all the teams had four members except theirs.

The other two guests had already reunited with their teammates, leaving only their group incomplete.

Ji Mingyin noticed the discrepancy as well. “Ah, our teammate hasn’t arrived yet?”

Shi Shuwu replied, “Let’s wait a bit longer. The director hasn’t spoken yet either.”

Tang Wuyun’s gaze swept through the crowd again, her expression darkening. He wasn’t here—the singer she was supposed to “conquer” wasn’t among them.

She remembered seeing his name on the list of variety show guests. Before her account was hacked, she had even sent him a private message filled with angry insults. If he wasn’t here now, it meant he was the missing teammate in her group.

Tang Wuyun frowned, a wave of nausea rising within her.

How disgusting.

Did they have to make this so repulsive? Did they have to force us together?

“Lost in thought?” Lu Ya suddenly slapped Tang Wuyun’s shoulder and leaned in from behind.

Tang Wuyun flinched violently, instinctively glaring back.

Her glare provoked Lu Ya into an exaggerated outburst: “You’re glaring at me! How dare you glare at me!”

“How strange,” Tang Wuyun muttered to herself. “She’s been so timid all day.”

“We’re live,” she whispered, “what’s with all the shouting?”

Glancing sideways, she noticed Pei Yinxi and Bai Jin approaching. Her eye twitched as she realized everyone’s attention had shifted to her.

Tang Wuyun felt a surge of nervousness, but having mentally prepared herself, she found herself strangely enjoying the sensation. Not the attention itself, but the feeling of being around living people, of being noticed.

In her ten previous lives, she had always been alone at home. Trapped indoors by typhoons, with intermittent internet access, she had endured the torment of isolation again and again.

As Pei Yinxi and Bai Jin drew closer, they noticed Tang Wuyun’s pallor. The intimidating aura they had deliberately projected to scare her unconsciously softened.

Remembering Tang Wuyun’s self-destructive online outbursts, Pei Yinxi studied her with concern, inwardly reflecting on whether she had neglected her teammates’ mental well-being for too long. How did Tang Wuyun let herself fall into such disarray?

Shi Shuwu and Ji Mingyin, sensing the situation, tactfully stepped aside as the pair approached Tang Wuyun.

Tang Wuyun lowered her head and called out softly to the person approaching her, “Sister Pei.”

Even with her head bowed and looking so pitiful, Pei Yinxi couldn’t bring herself to scold her. She sighed softly. “Have you been under a lot of stress lately?”

Tang Wuyun paused, knowing Pei Yinxi was asking about her recent erratic behavior. After a few seconds of silence, she nodded and then shook her head. “I don’t know how to explain it.”

Bai Jin snorted coldly. “You still need to explain.”

Lu Ya nodded vigorously. “Exactly! If Sister Pei hadn’t defended you, I would have punched you already!”

The harsh words had truly hurt Lu Ya at the time. Tang Wuyun had said the team had already disbanded, that she had never really liked Lu Ya, and that they shouldn’t contact each other again. Then she actually blocked and deleted Lu Ya’s contacts.

If the others hadn’t shared similar experiences and pointed out that something was wrong, Lu Ya might have cried to Pei Yinxi about it.

Tang Wuyun awkwardly tapped her toe against the floor tiles, clumsily changing the subject. “Do you know who else hasn’t arrived yet? Do you recognize them?”

Bai Jin shot her a subtle glare, clearly displeased with the topic change, but still answered, “Lu Lin. He should be here soon.”

Tang Wuyun’s brow furrowed. So it was him after all.

A thought struck her, and she turned to glance at Shi Shuwu.

Shi Shuwu, who was studying her new Mission Card, noticed Tang Wuyun’s movement and looked up, blinking at her blankly.

Tang Wuyun’s chest instantly felt lighter.

As expected, she thought, if I had to choose someone from the people I dislike, girls are still the easiest to tolerate, even after they’ve hurt me so many times.

Shi Shuwu, puzzled by Tang Wuyun’s sudden gaze, tilted her head, her face full of confusion.

“What’s wrong?”

Tang Wuyun replied casually, “Just wanted to remind you guys to go in first. I’ll wait here for ten minutes. Don’t worry about me.”

Feeling better after her friend’s concern, Tang Wuyun couldn’t help adding, “I wonder which genius wasted a Pause Card here. What a waste!”

Of the three buffs she had, this one seemed the most useless. But Tang Wuyun believed it was the most valuable—a guaranteed hard CC. Imagine freezing someone at a crucial moment during a mission—how satisfying would that be?

“And that reduction…”

“Ahem!” Shi Shuwu suddenly coughed loudly, cutting off Tang Wuyun’s words.

Tang Wuyun was about to ask what was wrong when Lu Ya’s icy voice cut through the air: “What’s wrong with using it here? Got a problem with that?”

Bai Jin’s dangerous gaze settled on Tang Wuyun’s frozen smile. “Reduce what? A time reduction card? What’s the issue?”

Pei Yinxi nodded in agreement. “Tell us.”

Tang Wuyun fell silent for a few seconds. Great, she thought. Turns out my own teammates are the ones targeting me.

She immediately changed her tune. “No, I meant the acceleration card my late teammate gave me. That card was absolutely disgusting.”

“Really?” The masked and hooded cameraman suddenly spoke up.

Tang Wuyun choked. That familiar voice… could it be who she thought it was?

Shi Zhimiao removed her mask, her expression a mix of amusement and mockery as she stared at Tang Wuyun.

“If it disgusted you, then that’s perfect.”

Tang Wuyun: “!!!”

How could it be Shi Zhimiao?!