The Abused Heroine Stops Pretending [Quick Transmigration] - Chapter 5

Meng Xue didn’t bring much luggage, so she finished unpacking in just a few minutes. As she stepped out of her room, she heard the sound of a television coming from the living room downstairs. She looked down and saw Tang Jing sitting on the sofa, watching TV.

From the lively background noise and the familiar voice of Sun Sijia, she immediately realized that Tang Jing was watching Diverse Living.

“Miss Tang,” Meng Xue called softly as she came down the stairs.

Tang Jing glanced at her.

“I’m planning to go to the supermarket to get a few things. Do you need anything?” Meng Xue asked carefully.

When Sister Ying had been around, things didn’t feel awkward. But now that it was just the two of them, the silence felt a bit heavy.

Although Meng Xue had always admired Tang Jing, her personality was more introverted and reserved. Being alone with someone she had looked up to for so long made her feel shy.

“I’ll come with you,” Tang Jing said, standing up from the sofa. She took two steps and then turned back. “Wait a moment. I need to change.”

“Alright,” Meng Xue replied with a nod.

She suspected that Tang Jing had only just realized she was still in her pajamas. That thought made Meng Xue want to laugh, but she quickly covered her mouth so the person upstairs wouldn’t hear her.

Even after just a few brief interactions, Meng Xue had already noticed many surprisingly cute sides to Tang Jing.

She might seem cold, but she was soft-hearted. And sometimes, a little absentminded too.

Tang Jing, unaware that her actions had been misunderstood as adorable, had honestly just wanted to go out with Meng Xue. She forgot she was still in loungewear.

Afraid of making her wait too long, she quickly changed, grabbed a face mask from her drawer, and picked out a cap from the closet.

When Meng Xue heard movement upstairs, she looked up and saw Tang Jing walking down, fully dressed. She wore a mask and a cap, with only her eyes showing.

Even so, her presence was striking. She stood out no matter where she went.

Just as they were about to step outside, Tang Jing stopped her.

Meng Xue turned around in confusion. A white baseball cap was placed gently on her head. It matched Tang Jing’s, except hers was white and Tang Jing’s was black.

They looked like matching couple caps.

Meng Xue’s heart began to race. Afraid that her feelings would show, she lowered her head and adjusted the cap, hiding her expression. When she looked up again, she smiled with quiet gratitude.

“Thank you, Miss Tang.”

“I just grabbed one,” Tang Jing said casually as she stepped out the door.

Meng Xue followed closely behind. Even if it was just a random choice for Tang Jing, to her, it felt special. Even if she was imagining it, it still made her happy.

Up ahead, Tang Jing quietly sighed. She hadn’t grabbed the cap at random. She had carefully gone through several options before picking the black-and-white pair that looked like they belonged together.

It was a shame no one noticed her effort.

The 66 system watched her walk the line between careful planning and plausible deniability. It couldn’t find a valid reason to flag her behavior. All it could do was pull up a popular internet phrase from its database.

“Six six six six six.”

The 66 system repeating that number only made the moment feel funnier.

Tang Jing smiled a little to herself.

The first time she completed a mission, she had made the mistake of sticking too closely to the original plot. She had suffered constantly at the hands of the male lead and ended up frustrated and helpless.

Now that she had a second chance, she had found another strategy. Her favorite mentor had also appeared in this world. There was no way she would go through the same miserable path again.

More importantly, she had to stay in good shape. Otherwise, how could she ever hope to pursue her mentor?

When they entered the supermarket, both of them wore hats and masks. Their faces were mostly covered, but their tall figures and graceful movements made them stand out. It was clear they were not ordinary people.

Meng Xue was not too worried about being recognized herself. What concerned her more was someone noticing Tang Jing.

But Tang Jing was calm and relaxed, moving through the aisles with ease. From the way she chose items, it was obvious she had done this plenty of times before.

Once the crowd thinned, Meng Xue stepped closer and asked in a low voice, “Miss Tang, do you often shop for groceries like this?”

“Sometimes, when I need to buy ingredients.”

“You cook?” Meng Xue asked, genuinely surprised.

Tang Jing looked at her. “Is that hard to believe?”

Because of the mask and hat, only her eyes were visible. Her deep gaze looked even more captivating, and Meng Xue found herself staring. Her ears turned red. She quickly looked away, her eyelashes fluttering.

“I just didn’t expect it,” she said softly.

Her shy reaction made Tang Jing’s heart stir. She wanted to reach out and brush those long lashes or press her finger gently to that warm, blushing ear.

Tang Jing swallowed and looked away. She pushed the shopping cart forward.

“I’ll cook lunch for you. Let’s get some meat.”

“Alright,” Meng Xue replied quickly, jogging to catch up.

That was when she noticed how tall Tang Jing really was. Her long wavy hair swayed slightly as she walked, and Meng Xue had the sudden urge to wrap it around her fingers, to mess it up, to get it wet.

At lunch, Tang Jing cooked. That was when Meng Xue realized she hadn’t been exaggerating. Not only could she cook, but the food tasted amazing.

Later that afternoon, the two of them sat in the living room, watching Diverse Living together and preparing mentally for the two months ahead.

While they watched, they often discussed scenes in detail. It felt more like they were analyzing a study video than enjoying a variety show.

To get ready for the next day’s filming, they went to bed early.

The next morning, sunlight streamed through the windows and the breeze felt fresh and cool.

Workers headed to the office and students rushed to class.

That day also marked the premiere of Diverse Living Season Three.

Because of the success of the first two seasons, the director changed the format for the third. This time, it combined livestreaming with edited highlights to give viewers a new experience.

As soon as the broadcast began, the livestream room filled with eager fans.

“I’m here for Tang Tang!”

“This is the first time seeing Best Actress Tang on a variety show. I’m so excited!”

“I want drama. I want to see the chaos between Tang Jing, Sun Sijia, and the senior.”

“Xiaoxue is back. Welcome home!”

While Meng Xue had been working overseas, she already had many fans back home. They were used to seeing her appear in variety shows filmed abroad, so this was her first time participating in one filmed in China.

What made it even more exciting was that she wasn’t planning to leave again. This time, she had returned for good to develop her career domestically.

For her fans, this was incredibly thrilling.

As soon as the show started airing, the live broadcast shot to the top of the platform’s homepage. More and more viewers were pouring into the livestream room.

At the moment, the production crew was visiting the home of Luo Dong, a regular guest on the show. Viewers affectionately called him “Big Brother” on-screen.

Although Luo Dong was only thirty-five, he carried the calm and reliable charm of a mature man. He was steady, composed, and unfazed no matter what happened, which was how he earned that nickname.

He started his career as a singer and had released several albums. Some of his songs had even been voted the best of the year.

When the production team knocked on his door, Luo Dong was already up and invited them inside.

His fans watched with interest as he packed his suitcase in an organized and efficient way, looking every bit like the ideal man for home life.

Soon, the camera crew moved on to visit the other cast members at their homes.

“When will we see Tang Jing?” someone asked in the chat.

“I really want to know if she’s just as serious in private.”

In the public eye, Tang Jing had always been known as a strict and focused actress. At events, she rarely smiled and kept a cool, distant expression, which made her seem hard to approach.

The only topic the internet ever buzzed about regarding her personal life was her rumored relationship with Sun Sijia.

“I’m nervous that Sun Sijia might be at Tang Jing’s house.”

“Same here. The rumors have been going around for five years now.”

“I don’t think she will be.”

“Update! I just came from another livestream. The crew went to Sun Sijia’s place. She’s living alone, not at Tang Jing’s.”

Soon after, a new scene appeared on screen.

By now, all the other guests had been introduced. Only Tang Jing and Meng Xue remained.

Everyone was curious. Whose house would the camera cut to next?

The crew knocked on the door. Two minutes later, the door opened, and Meng Xue greeted them with a smile.

“Hello, teachers. Please come in.”

The cameraman’s hands trembled slightly. He was confused. Wasn’t this supposed to be Tang Jing’s house? Why was Meng Xue the one answering the door?

Still, he was a professional. No matter how surprised he was, he kept the camera steady and focused.

The viewers, unaware of the confusion, immediately reacted.

“It’s Meng Xue!”

“Her villa is huge!”

“Is she making breakfast?”

Meng Xue was wearing an apron and holding a spatula. After opening the door, she smiled and said, “Feel free to look around. I just need to check on the eggs.”

“Alright, Miss Meng,” the assistant cameraman replied with a smile.

As the team entered the home, the camera slowly panned across the interior.

“Wait a second, isn’t that a painting of Tang Jing on the wall?”

“It really is.”

“So Meng Xue has a portrait of Tang Jing hanging in her house?”

Suddenly, there was a soft click from upstairs. A door opened.

The cameraman had been planning to follow Meng Xue into the kitchen to film her cooking, but the noise made him pause. He looked up toward the second floor.

The moment he saw who was there, he turned the camera immediately.

Viewers had been expecting a shot of the kitchen. Instead, the camera suddenly showed a stunning face, fresh from sleep and without makeup.

Screams filled the chat.

“Oh my god!”

“Someone help me, this is unreal!”

“She’s not even wearing makeup, and she’s that pretty?”

“Say what you want, but Tang Jing is unbelievably beautiful.”

Still a little groggy from sleep, Tang Jing stood at the end of the hallway for a few seconds before walking toward the stairs. As she looked down, she accidentally made eye contact with the entire production team.

Time seemed to stop.

Viewers watched as the recently drowsy Tang Jing suddenly straightened her back, turned around, walked upstairs again, and shut her door with a loud thud.

The comment section exploded.

“This is too funny!”

“Did she just realize she was on camera and flee the scene?”

“Someone please screenshot that moment when she looked into the camera. Why is it kind of cute?”

“Does Tang Jing really act this differently in private?”

Just then, Meng Xue came out of the kitchen carrying breakfast. She met the amused stares of the crew and asked curiously, “What happened?”

The staff struggled to hold back their laughter, especially the poor cameraman, who had to fight hard not to shake the lens.

Meng Xue looked puzzled and furrowed her brows slightly. At that moment, the door upstairs opened again.

“Miss Tang, breakfast is ready,” she called up.

Tang Jing, now dressed in fresh clothes, nodded and gave a calm “Alright.”

But the viewers in the livestream were laughing even harder now.