The Abused Heroine Stops Pretending [Quick Transmigration] - Chapter 8

The other two teams were already prepared.

Tian Qi and Sun Sijia were both smiling, but if one looked closely, it was easy to see that their smiles were stiff and forced.

Luo Dong and Jian Anping, the two male participants, were getting along quite well.

When the camera moved to Tang Jing and Meng Xue’s side, the viewers in the livestream became visibly excited and began to scream in the comments.

“I want to be that close to a beautiful woman too.”

“I want to be close to both of them.”

One was a striking beauty with sharp, well-defined features. The other had the soft elegance of a traditional Jiangnan woman. When the two stood side by side, everyone watching felt like they had discovered a new favorite duo.

Just then, the camera angle widened to include Sun Sijia as well. The screen now showed all three women together.

Viewers immediately understood what the cameraman was trying to do, and the comments filled with laughter.

“Sun Sijia next to her senior is like a low-resolution version. The difference is brutal.”

On her own, Sun Sijia was certainly pretty and could be called a beauty. But when placed next to Tang Jing and Meng Xue, the contrast became obvious. She could only be considered a minor beauty.

Tang Jing and Meng Xue possessed a more refined, elegant beauty. No matter the setting or what they wore, they always stood out in a way that drew the eye.

By comparison, Sun Sijia had a more delicate, girl-next-door look.

“This shot might be one of the most iconic moments of the season.”

With all three in the frame, the question on everyone’s mind was: who was the extra?

“I can’t believe Sun Sijia actually turned down Tang Jing. She’s not even in the same league.”

“Tang Jing, please stop liking her. Just look at Meng Xue next to you.”

Right on cue, Tang Jing turned to Meng Xue and said something.

Viewers jokingly commented that it felt like she had heard their thoughts.

Every time the camera focused on Tang Jing and Meng Xue, the comment section exploded. The director, already planning to give Tang Jing more screen time because of her status, became even more certain after seeing the audience reaction.

Tang Jing had her arm around Meng Xue’s shoulders, while Meng Xue had hers around Tang Jing’s waist.

Meng Xue had only one thought: how slim. Her fingers, as they rested naturally, even seemed to graze the faint outline of abdominal muscles. Her ears turned bright red.

Once everyone was in position, the whistle blew and the three teams set off.

Sun Sijia and Tian Qi kept making mistakes. At one point, Sun Sijia even tripped Tian Qi, who fell to the ground.

On the other side, Luo Dong and Jian Anping chanted “one, two” in sync as they charged toward the finish line.

When the camera returned to Tang Jing and Meng Xue, the two of them walked forward smoothly without needing to say a word. They moved in perfect sync.

With each step, their bodies gently rubbed against each other. By the time they reached the finish line, Meng Xue was lightly sweating.

The director announced, “The race is over. First place goes to Group A, second to Group B, and third to Group C.”

Group A was Luo Dong and Jian Anping. As expected, the two men had speed on their side.

Group B was Tang Jing and Meng Xue. They were only half a meter behind.

As for Group C, it was clearly Sun Sijia and Tian Qi. Their performance had been poor from the start, and after all the stumbling and falling, they only just reached the finish line after the results were announced.

By then, the smiles on their faces were no longer natural. It was clear they were forcing themselves to keep up appearances.

“This is so awkward but also hilarious.”

“I don’t like Sun Sijia, but watching those two mess up did make things funnier.”

“Tang Jing and Meng Xue worked together so well. It looked like they were walking a fashion runway, totally in sync.”

The game ended quickly, but it provided plenty of memorable moments for the audience.

With the competition over, the results were clear and the room assignments were finalized.

Tang Jing and Meng Xue were given the second house, the one with the courtyard.

Sun Sijia’s face changed the moment she heard that. Not because of the winners, but because she realized she would be staying in the third house, the one with the worst conditions. Her eyes instinctively turned toward Tang Jing, using the same pitiful expression she always had when she wanted sympathy.

The camera caught her at that exact moment.

“What is this manipulative girl trying to do now?”

“Isn’t this the same trick she used to string Tang Jing along before?”

“This kind of sneaky behavior is disgusting to watch.”

Tang Jing saw her out of the corner of her eye but pretended not to notice.

To the viewers, this cold reaction meant something deeper.

“That’s right. Tang Jing has dignity. She was just rejected a moment ago. If she turned around and went back to her, it would make her look desperate.”

“If Tang Jing had gone over just now, I would have stopped being a fan. I don’t support a goddess without self-respect.”

“Tang Jing, if you can, please focus more on Meng Xue. Honestly, she’s so much more pleasant to look at than Sun Sijia.”

“This is too funny. Sun Sijia always looks like she’s about to speak but never does. What, you want to keep Tang Jing dangling and make her chase after you?”

“I seriously want to know what spell Sun Sijia put on Tang Jing back then.”

After the house assignments were completed, the director was not about to let them off that easily.

“Now that your living arrangements are taken care of, it is time to deal with food and basic living supplies,” the director said with a mischievous tone.

As regulars on the show, Luo Dong and a few others were already very familiar with how the director liked to stir things up.

Luo Dong asked, “Director, what are you making us do this time?”

In the previous two seasons, they had to earn points by working in the fields and selling vegetables in town. It had worn them out completely.

“This time, it is a self-sufficiency model,” the director explained with a smile that clearly meant trouble. “The more you earn, the better food and supplies you get. If you earn less, then you go hungry.”

Tang Jing spoke up. “I remember there was a small vegetable garden behind our house.”

The director quickly shut down that idea and cleared his throat. “That garden belongs to the villagers. If you want the vegetables, you need to exchange points for them.”

Meng Xue asked, “Where do we go to earn points?”

The director replied, “There are different locations around the village where you can find tasks. You have to search for them yourselves. Each task you complete will earn you a certain number of points.”

Luo Dong asked, “So can we head out now?”

Without further instructions, the director gave them permission to start moving.

What made Diverse Living different from other lifestyle shows was that it had no script. The guests were free to explore and handle everything on their own.

“Ms. Tang, should we take our luggage inside first?” Meng Xue asked.

“Yes,” Tang Jing replied.

They had already walked through the area earlier during the house tour, so they were now familiar with the path. Rolling their suitcases along the way felt easy.

When they opened the courtyard gate, they both agreed that the house they had received was quite good.

Earlier, they had only taken a quick look at the courtyard. They had not gone inside. Now that they entered, they saw that there were two rooms, perfect for each of them to have one.

They pushed their suitcases into the rooms and sat in the courtyard for a short while before heading out again.

“Let’s go see where we can find a task,” Tang Jing said. She was wearing a black baseball cap.

Coincidentally, Meng Xue was wearing a white baseball cap. It was the same one she had worn that day they went shopping together.

“I just have to say, these matching caps look adorable.”

“Tang Jing and Meng Xue are such a perfect match.”

“Two beautiful women walking together is always a pleasure to see.”

Since they were now working in groups, the cameraman following them was assigned to just the two of them.

“When we came over earlier, I think I saw a sign down that path,” Meng Xue said as they reached a fork in the road, pointing toward a different direction.

Tang Jing glanced in that direction and noticed a sign with the show’s logo printed on it.

“Let’s go take a look.”

By now, the sun was high and it was getting hot. As they reached the sign, they read the instructions for a task.

“Feeding baby chicks?” Meng Xue blinked, clearly confused.

Tang Jing had already noticed a small chicken coop not far ahead. It was not very big, and inside were five or six fluffy yellow chicks, chirping as they pecked at their food.

“Ms. Tang, do you know how to feed chickens?” Meng Xue asked. She had never done anything like this before and looked uncertain.

“Yes,” Tang Jing answered as she walked toward the coop. Meng Xue quickly followed her.

“It is really simple,” Tang Jing explained. “You just put food and water into the trays.”

Meng Xue’s eyes lit up. She gathered her skirt and squatted down, gently reaching out to touch one of the chicks on the head. Looking up with a bright expression, she said, “Let’s take this task. I saw the board just now. This one gives ten points and can be done once per day.”

A soft breeze lifted her hair as she looked up. Her bright eyes sparkled with joy. When Tang Jing looked down and met her gaze, she could not help but smile too. Her good mood was contagious.

“Alright,” Tang Jing replied with a slight smile.

The camera captured the beautiful moment, and the livestream audience went wild.

“Senior!”

The peaceful scene was suddenly interrupted by a familiar voice in the distance. It was Sun Sijia.

“Why is she always around?”

“Ms. Tang,” Sun Sijia said as she approached, finally greeting Tang Jing. Then she looked at the chicken coop in front of them, squatted down, and smiled brightly. “These chicks are so cute.”

Tian Qi arrived a moment later and greeted them politely. “Ms. Tang, Ms. Meng.”

Meng Xue asked, “Did you two find a task yet?”

“Not yet,” Tian Qi replied. She glanced at Sun Sijia and already knew why they had not made any progress.

At that moment, all of Sun Sijia’s attention was focused on the baby chicks. She was holding one gently in her hands and looked back with a smile. “Senior, why don’t we take one of the chicks home and raise it?”

Meng Xue shook her head and explained, “These chicks are being raised collectively. Feeding them earns points.”

The sign next to the chicken coop was large and easy to read. Even if they did not explain it, the others would eventually notice it on their own.

Sun Sijia puffed out her cheeks slightly. She looked down and gently patted the chick in her hands. “They just look so adorable.”

“Sun Sijia looks so fake. Did you guys see that? I think she was trying to flirt with Meng Xue.”

“No way. Are you saying the person she likes is actually her senior?”

Tang Jing looked down and glanced at Sun Sijia, who was crouching in front of the coop. It was unclear what she was thinking in that moment.

The audience could already guess what was going on in her heart.

After all, the person she liked was right there in front of her. Even though her confession had been rejected just a few days ago, it was only natural that she would still glance over from time to time.

“Tang Jing is really pitiful. She actually fell for someone like Sun Sijia.”

The comment section was filled with sympathy for Tang Jing, but no one noticed the brief flash of frustration in her eyes as she looked away.

If it were not for the show’s rules, she would have already snapped back when Sun Sijia threw that flirty look at Meng Xue.

She could already feel that the longer they stayed here, the more trouble Sun Sijia would cause. Without saying anything more, Tang Jing turned around and walked off.

“Let’s go earn some points.”

From an outsider’s point of view, it looked like Sun Sijia had only called out to Tang Jing once. Her sudden silence and Tang Jing’s cold reaction made it seem like she was quietly feeling hurt.