The Abused Heroine Stops Pretending [Quick Transmigration] - Chapter 12

On the way back, Tang Jing briefly explained what had happened. As she spoke, Meng Xue’s expression shifted from tense to surprised, then to admiration. When she heard that the director had changed the rules on the spot after Tang Jing’s second attempt, she couldn’t help but laugh.

“Teacher Tang, if the production team hadn’t changed the rules, how many more times could you have completed the challenge?” Meng Xue asked. She was clearly saying what everyone else in the livestream had been wondering.

“I probably could have done it two more times,” Tang Jing replied, giving a conservative estimate.

Meng Xue looked amazed. “Teacher Tang, your stamina is incredible.” She then suddenly recalled the three-legged race from that morning. At the time, she had accidentally touched Tang Jing’s abs. Something about the memory made her cheeks turn slightly red.

“Let’s stop by the supermarket,” Tang Jing said as she spotted the small market nearby and changed direction.

Meng Xue followed her, puzzled. “Is there something we forgot to buy?”

Inside the supermarket, Tang Jing walked straight to the durian section. She turned to Meng Xue and said, “Let’s buy a durian.”

One durian cost 200 points. If it were up to Meng Xue, she would have thought twice. But since it was for Teacher Tang, she didn’t hesitate at all. “Let’s get it.”

Tang Jing looked at her and said, “You pick one.”

Since the points were already spent, Meng Xue stepped forward enthusiastically. Based on her past experience, she chose one that looked ripe and full. “Let’s take this one.”

Tang Jing immediately picked it up without a second thought.

“This feels familiar. Meng Xue was hovering around the durian section earlier today.”

“So did Movie Queen Tang buy this because Meng Xue wanted it?”

“Wait, was that challenge just now all about earning points to buy her a durian?”

“Don’t forget, during the obstacle challenge, Sun Sijia was still around. Tang Jing seemed upset because Sun Sijia ignored her.”

“Your idol was disappointing, and now you’re trying to drag others down too?”

“Some people really need to know their place. Your idol does not deserve Tang Jing’s attention, so stop trying to force it.”

“Exactly. Five years of riding on Tang Jing’s name, and still nothing to show for it. Time to stop.”

The viewers in the livestream started arguing.

Meanwhile, Tang Jing and Meng Xue were walking back to their cottage, both carrying the durian. From a distance, they spotted someone standing in the garden behind their cottage.

“Is that Sun Sijia again?”

“Didn’t she say her leg was hurt and she was going to rest?”

“So she was pretending the whole time?”

Sun Sijia only had 40 points left. When she asked Tian Qi to go in with her on buying the garden plot, Tian Qi refused. Frustrated, she came by herself.

She tried convincing the director to sell her the land for 40 points and to let her use the vegetables in the garden as a 10-point deposit, but the director rejected her proposal.

That was when Tang Jing and Meng Xue returned.

“Senior Meng!” Sun Sijia called out the moment she saw her. Only after that did she notice Tang Jing holding the durian. She gave a stiff smile and added, “Hello, Tang Jie.”

Meng Xue stepped forward and asked, “Did you already buy this plot?”

“Not yet. The director won’t sell it to me,” Sun Sijia replied with a pitiful tone.

The production team remained silent. They were not sure how to respond to this half-truth.

Meng Xue looked surprised. “Why not? I thought we could buy the land at any time before six in the evening?”

Sun Sijia puffed her cheeks in frustration. “I wanted to use my 40 points to buy the plot and give the vegetables to the production team as a 10-point deposit.”

Meng Xue looked at her and asked, “If you give all the vegetables to the production team, then what are you going to do with the land?”

“Grow new vegetables, of course,” Sun Sijia answered confidently.

“But…” Meng Xue looked at the garden carefully. “The next batch of vegetables won’t be ready for quite a few days. You’d be at a loss during that time.”

Sun Sijia had not thought that far ahead. She just wanted to secure the land for herself.

She instinctively looked at Tang Jing, hoping she would offer to lend her some points.

This afternoon, Tang Jing hadn’t offered. But now it was evening, and she had earned a lot more. Maybe she would be willing this time.

“This schemer is at it again.”

“She really does expect Tang Jing to give her whatever she wants.”

“All those times Tang Jing helped her just made her feel entitled.”

Tang Jing looked at Meng Xue and said, “Let’s lend her 10 points.”

Sun Sijia smiled with satisfaction. Her eyes lit up as if she had finally won. She thought to herself, “She’s finally giving in.” Even if it was just a loan and not a gift, it was still progress.

Meng Xue, however, hesitated. Those points had been hard-earned by Tang Jing, and she did not want to spend them so casually.

When Sun Sijia saw the uncertainty on Meng Xue’s face, she suddenly understood.

Those points did not belong to Tang Jing alone. They also belonged to Meng Xue. She had no issue taking advantage of Tang Jing, but she did not want to take advantage of Meng Xue.

She looked at the garden and made up her mind. “Senior Meng, how about this? That 10 points can be payment for the vegetables in this garden. For the next two months, you can pick anything you want from it.”

Normally, 10 points would only buy a few vegetables. But Sun Sijia had purchased the garden mainly as an excuse to get closer to Meng Xue. Now that she had a chance to interact with her again, she would not miss it.

Picking vegetables a few times would have been reasonable. Having free access for two months felt excessive.

Meng Xue looked at Teacher Tang and hesitated before asking, “How about we just buy the vegetables from her for 100 points? That would give us unlimited access for two months.”

After all, they would need vegetables every day. Paying a flat rate upfront would make it easier, and they could come pick fresh produce whenever they wanted.

“What kind of logic is this? The whole plot costs only 50 points, and you’re spending 100 just on the vegetables?”

“But if you think about it carefully, Tang Jing and Meng Xue actually got the better deal.”

“Why is that?”

“Because once you take over a garden plot, you have to maintain it. That means watering it every day, loosening the soil, and caring for the vegetables. There’s no one assigned to do that for you.”

“When you put it that way, it’s true. They really did get the advantage. Plus, vegetables at the supermarket are expensive. I checked earlier.”

Sun Sijia was originally going to receive only 10 points in exchange for providing vegetables for two months. Now, she had received 100 points instead. Of course she was thrilled.

“Thank you, Senior Meng.”

Tang Jing gave her a brief glance and nodded slightly. Then she carried the durian back to the front courtyard. Her quiet figure was caught on camera as she walked away.

Meng Xue watched her go. Her eyebrows furrowed slightly before she looked away. She took out the points card from her bag and walked over to the director to transfer 100 points to Sun Sijia.

The production team handed over two freshly printed contracts. One was for renting the garden plot and the other was for the long-term vegetable supply agreement. Both looked formal and official.

Sun Sijia looked at her card and saw she still had 90 points left. She was overjoyed. She quickly picked up the pen and signed her name on the contract, then handed it to Meng Xue.

“Senior Meng, you need to sign too.”

“Alright.”

The contract had two copies. Once they both signed, each person kept one. With that settled, there was nothing more to do.

Meng Xue was still thinking about Teacher Tang, so she did not stay to chat. She turned and left for the front yard.

Sun Sijia was disappointed that she didn’t get a chance to talk more with her, but when she looked at the garden that now belonged to her, her mood quickly lifted.

With this garden, she would have plenty of chances to see her senior again.

“Teacher Tang?” Meng Xue called out as she entered the house. When she didn’t see her in the living room, she checked the other rooms. Finally, she found her in the kitchen. Tang Jing was packing durian into a food container.

“This one has a lot of flesh,” Tang Jing said. She placed the rest of the durian on a plate and packed some into a container to store in the fridge. She planned to bring it with them when they climbed the mountain later that night. The idea was to enjoy it the next day during their outdoor meal while taking in the scenery.

Meng Xue observed her closely. Tang Jing’s face showed no expression, but earlier, when she had walked away, it was clear that her mood had dropped.

Meng Xue did not want to bring up the incident and make her feel worse, so she changed the subject to something lighter.

“I love durian. I’ve bought it so many times that I’ve gotten really good at picking the best ones,” she said with a smile.

Tang Jing picked up the plate and said, “Let’s eat it in the living room. I’ll stir-fry a few dishes afterward.”

“Okay. I’ll help you when the time comes.”

Since they were heading up the mountain later that night and would spend the entire next day there, Tang Jing did not treat it casually. She approached it seriously and with care.

Just like she had said earlier, climbing the mountain would be treated as a vacation.

Usually, when she was filming, she would spend months on set without a break. Every day was filled with work. Sometimes, she had to shoot overnight for more than ten hours straight. Getting any rest was incredibly difficult.

Now that she finally had the chance to be on a relaxed lifestyle program, she intended to enjoy it fully and do all the things she never had time for before.

The production team would carry their tent up the mountain. As for meals, she would not settle for something quick or simple. After dinner, she even made some pastries and prepared a fruit mix. She separated the yogurt and the fruit and stored everything neatly in the fridge.

Viewers watching the livestream now truly believed it. Not only could Movie Queen Tang cook, she could also bake.

“This is unreal. She can cook, she can act, and she completely crushed that obstacle challenge earlier today. If I had a girlfriend like her, I think I’d cry from happiness.”

“Once again, thank goodness Sun Sijia was too blind to appreciate her.”

By now, the phrase “Sun Sijia is blind” had become a popular inside joke among the viewers. Anyone watching the livestream would instantly recognize the reference.

And it was no surprise why. On the show, Movie Queen Tang had such a strong personal charm that it was impossible to ignore.

Her beauty alone was enough to capture attention, but she also had incredible talent. Someone who looked that good and was also highly skilled naturally stood out.

Most importantly, she had an unexpectedly cute side that completely contrasted with her usual cool and professional image. That contrast won over many casual viewers, turning them into devoted fans almost immediately.

Meanwhile, Meng Xue sat beside her, gently tapping her hand while offering nonstop praise.

“Teacher Tang, you’re amazing.”

“I didn’t expect you to be able to make pastries too.”

“This fruit mix looks absolutely delicious.”

The livestream chat filled up with reactions.

“Meng Xue has entered full compliment mode.”

“Meng Xue, if you keep praising her like this, she’s going to start floating.”

“I’ve noticed several times that Tang Jing’s lips curl into a smile whenever Meng Xue praises her.”

“Wait, really? I was so busy listening to the compliments that I didn’t even notice.”

“I saw it too. Tang Jing smiled more than once. It wasn’t obvious, but if you looked closely, it was definitely there.”

Viewers became like detectives, zooming in on every detail. Multiple screenshots of Tang Jing smiling shyly because of Meng Xue’s compliments were quickly captured and shared online.