The Abused Heroine Stops Pretending [Quick Transmigration] - Chapter 9

After earning ten points, the two of them noticed a small convenience store nearby, set up by the production team.

Without needing to say anything, both Meng Xue and Tang Jing walked inside. They still had no idea about the prices, so they decided to take a look and get a better sense of how things worked.

“One egg costs one point.”

“A single steak costs ten points.”

After browsing for a while, they realized that some items were reasonably priced, while others were ridiculously expensive.

Holding a durian in her arms, Meng Xue said, “There must be higher-point tasks available somewhere in the village.”

Tang Jing had been standing in front of a bulletin board, reading the posted activity rules. When she noticed Meng Xue lingering near the durians, she understood right away that she wanted to eat one. She walked over and checked the price. The durian cost two hundred points.

If they relied only on the chicken-feeding task, it would take twenty days to save up enough.

Tang Jing said, “Let’s go see if there are other tasks available nearby.”

Just as they left the store, they ran into Luo Dong and Jian Anping. The two guys were wearing straw hats and holding farming tools.

Looking at their outfits, Meng Xue guessed, “Are you about to start farming?”

“Yes,” Luo Dong replied. “There’s a task field not far from our courtyard. We just have to tend it daily, and we’ll earn points.”

As soon as they heard “task field,” both Tang Jing and Meng Xue had the same thought. They exchanged a look and, without saying another word, quickly made their way back to their own courtyard.

“Are they just now realizing there’s a vegetable patch behind their house?”

“You’re late. I just came from the other livestream. Sun Sijia and her partner have already taken over that patch.”

“What? Weren’t they just at the chicken coop a moment ago?”

The viewers watching Sun Sijia’s livestream had seen the whole thing happen in real time.

After Tang Jing and Meng Xue left the coop, Sun Sijia and Tian Qi also moved on.

Since the chicks had already been fed, feeding them again wouldn’t earn points. They had to go look elsewhere.

While wandering around, they bumped into Luo Dong and Jian Anping, who were working in the field. After learning that tending a task field could earn points, Sun Sijia immediately thought of the garden behind Tang Jing and Meng Xue’s house.

Tian Qi hesitated, knowing that the vegetable patch was directly behind Tang Jing’s house. She felt it would be inappropriate to go and take it over, so she suggested they look somewhere else.

But Sun Sijia was determined to go there.

She had been trying to think of a way to visit her senior without it seeming suspicious. Now that the perfect opportunity had appeared, she wasn’t going to let it go.

This disagreement caused the two of them to split up, even though they were living in the same house. Some tasks could be done separately, so Tian Qi chose to go her own way.

This was a live broadcast. If she had followed Sun Sijia, she would definitely have been criticized by viewers.

As it turned out, the audience reacted exactly as Tian Qi had expected. Instead of blaming her, they praised her for being considerate.

Meanwhile, Sun Sijia was being called out again. Viewers said her manipulative behavior was showing once more, although it wasn’t entirely clear who she was trying to manipulate this time.

It had only been a day, but everyone had already noticed how Sun Sijia seemed to be trying to win over both Tang Jing and Meng Xue. Her actions looked two-faced, and people were beginning to feel uncomfortable watching her.

While Tang Jing and Meng Xue were still at the convenience store checking prices, Sun Sijia had already arrived at the back garden of their house. The vegetable patch was actually quite large, with several rows of crops. Many of the fruits and vegetables had already ripened.

At first, Sun Sijia looked pleased, but her expression quickly changed when she saw the sign indicating that claiming the field would cost fifty points.

She had not earned a single point yet. She blinked in confusion and asked the camera, “Can I buy it on credit?”

The director immediately rejected her request. If he allowed that, the other groups would want the same, and it would ruin the challenge. The whole point of the show was to create tension and obstacles. That was what made it entertaining and worth watching.

When Tang Jing and Meng Xue returned to their house, they saw someone in the garden from a distance. The two of them looked at each other and quickly walked over.

“Junior?” Meng Xue was a little surprised. She began to wonder if Sun Sijia had really gotten there first and claimed the field. But when she walked closer and saw the sign in the garden, her eyes lit up. Then she hesitated and looked at Sun Sijia.

“Are you planning to claim this garden?”

Facing Meng Xue, Sun Sijia suddenly turned shy. After all, this was someone she had secretly admired for five years. She could tell that her senior also really wanted the garden. She almost gave up on the idea.

But if she gave up now, she would lose her only excuse to come visit Meng Xue in the future.

“I want to claim it,” Sun Sijia said.

Meng Xue replied, “But I don’t have enough points yet. I plan to earn the points first and then claim it.”

The director stepped in at the perfect moment.

“Anyone who wants to claim the field must do so by six o’clock this evening. Whoever earns enough points first gets to claim it.”

Sun Sijia glanced at her senior, then shifted her gaze to Tang Jing. Once again, she put on that familiar pitiful expression.

Tang Jing was still looking down at the vegetables growing in the garden.

The livestream audience couldn’t help but laugh.

“Tang Jing isn’t even looking at you. Drop the act, you little green tea.”

“Her fake pitiful look is hilarious.”

“Tang Jing: these vegetables look pretty good.”

When Sun Sijia noticed that Tang Jing was ignoring her, she secretly clenched her teeth and silently called her petty. In her mind, she thought, “It was just a rejection. Is she really going to ignore me over that? Clearly, she never truly liked me.”

If Tang Jing really liked her, she should keep chasing her even after being rejected. That was what sincerity meant, wasn’t it?

Unfortunately, Tang Jing had a higher status in the industry. Sun Sijia had no choice but to swallow her pride and step forward.

“Jing… Sister Tang.”

Only then did Tang Jing lift her gaze from the vegetables and look at her. Her expression was cold, with none of the warmth she used to show. This made Sun Sijia even more convinced that her affection had never been real. Otherwise, how could she face her now with such indifference?

But she had something important to ask and could only push through the discomfort. She bit her lip and hesitated, but finally asked, “Sister Tang, do you have any extra points? I was wondering if I could borrow some.”

Her voice grew quieter near the end.

In the past, she had gotten used to Tang Jing offering her good resources, expensive jewelry, and even loaning her designer gowns for events. Tang Jing had always taken the initiative.

This was the first time she had ever asked Tang Jing for something. And she wasn’t asking to be given points, only to borrow them. Even so, it made her feel humiliated and uncomfortable.

Tang Jing looked at her and said calmly, “I only have ten points.”

She gave no room to ease the moment. She didn’t say, “I’ll lend them to you,” or, “Take them all.” She simply stated the number.

The system, which was monitoring her for out-of-character behavior, couldn’t find anything to flag. According to the original personality, saying she had ten points was completely normal. Whether she offered them or not was outside the system’s rules.

Sun Sijia felt stuck. She immediately began blaming Tang Jing again, wondering why she couldn’t offer those ten points herself. Then she even scoffed internally at how little Tang Jing had.

She completely forgot that Meng Xue, her own senior, was also included in that number.

“So…” Sun Sijia tried to hint at her intentions, but before she could say more, Meng Xue turned to the director and asked, “Can we use points to buy vegetables directly? We don’t need to claim the field yet, just buy the produce.”

Her question broke the mood and cut off Sun Sijia’s vague request.

Sun Sijia looked at Tang Jing, clearly feeling disappointed and a little wronged. In just two short minutes, she had gone through a wave of emotional turmoil.

“This is amazing. Absolutely amazing.”

“Her face changed so fast, I couldn’t help but clap.”

“Judging from her reaction, has Tang Jing really been the one handing her things for the past few years?”

“Look at the way she asked to borrow points. It was clear she was used to Tang Jing offering first.”

“She even acted like it was humiliating to ask. Did you see the look she gave Tang Jing? Unbelievable.”

“Does she really think she’s some kind of princess? Expecting Tang Jing to just hand everything over?”

“Seriously, what makes her think she deserves that?”

After Meng Xue finished talking with the director, she turned and noticed that Sun Sijia looked a little off. She asked with concern, “Are you feeling alright? You don’t look well.”

Sun Sijia forced a smile. “I’m fine, Senior. It’s just a little hot.”

“Oh, then try to find some shade and rest.”

“Meng Xue is too cute.”

“She’s not hot. She’s just mad that she didn’t get what she wanted from Tang Jing.”

“Meng Xue is kind of adorably clueless.”

“But that timing was perfect.”

Tang Jing quietly glanced at Meng Xue, a hint of amusement in her eyes. If she hadn’t already known who this person was, she might have thought it was just a coincidence.

But now that she knew Meng Xue was actually her master in disguise, she was sure that timing had been completely intentional. And right after speaking, Meng Xue had turned to comfort Sun Sijia, which must have felt like another jab to her pride.

Although they hadn’t spent much time together, Tang Jing had seen the master’s previous mission videos. From those, she had learned that her master could be playful and mischievous at times.

After comforting Sun Sijia, Meng Xue returned to Tang Jing’s side.

“It’s already noon. Let’s buy some vegetables and make lunch first. We can look for more tasks afterward.”

Tang Jing agreed. “Let’s check the kitchen first to see what we have.”

The kitchen had all the basic seasonings, but the production team had labeled everything. Every time they used seasonings, it would cost one point.

Meng Xue was stunned by how stingy that rule was. “Wait, is it one point per seasoning? That’s so expensive.”

The director explained, “No, all seasonings together cost just one point. But that’s only for today.”

Since it was the first day and everyone had few points, if the cost were too high, no one would be able to afford food. They didn’t want the guests to go hungry just yet.

As much as the production team liked to make things difficult, they would not go that far.

Meng Xue breathed a sigh of relief. “Alright, that’s manageable.”

The vegetables in the field were one point per type, which was very fair.

“Ms. Tang, is there anything you’d like to eat?” Meng Xue asked as she looked at the vegetables in the garden.

By now, Sun Sijia had already left. It was lunchtime, and they had to return to their own house to cook. No matter how shameless she could be, she was not going to stay here and try to mooch off their meal.

“Something light is fine,” Tang Jing said. She crouched down and pointed at a small buttercup squash. “This one. We can use it as our main dish.”

“Sounds good.”

As public figures, they had to watch their weight. They could not eat too much or anything too greasy.

Tang Jing and Meng Xue did not pretend to be the kind of people who could eat anything and never gain weight. They ate whatever they wanted, just like they normally would. So, they picked out several buttercup squashes.

Although the two of them could only finish one squash between them, the director had said that on the first day, each type of vegetable only cost one point. With prices that low, it would be a waste not to take advantage of it.

As for the vegetable plot, they were prepared for the possibility that Sun Sijia’s group might claim it first. They did not rush or fight over it. Instead, they followed their own pace and rhythm.

They also bought a few other fruits and vegetables. By the end, they only had three points left, and those were kept with Meng Xue.

“You hold onto them,” Tang Jing said. “I’ll handle the tasks.”

Meng Xue smiled and replied, “Let’s do the tasks together.”

“Oh no, why does this feel so sweet?”

“She gave all the money to her wife and said she would go earn it. Tang Jing really knows how to play this game.”

“Excuse me, but Tang Jing’s real partner is Sun Sijia.”

“Do you even believe what you just said?”

“Let’s not jump to conclusions. It was just a normal sentence.”

“We’re just talking in the comment section. It’s not like we said this to them directly. Why are you being so uptight?”

Just because of that one line from Tang Jing, the livestream comment section broke into a heated argument. The director never expected that a simple moment would spark such a reaction.

With Tang Jing, no matter where she went, she always became the center of conversation.

For lunch, they steamed the buttercup squash, stir-fried green beans, and made a bowl of winter melon soup.

The winter melon was large, so they only used a small piece of it.

While eating, Meng Xue said, “Ms. Tang, the winter melon is too big. Let’s share some with the others later.”

Tang Jing nodded. “Sure.”

The weather was hot, and if they left it out too long, it would spoil.

After eating, the two of them didn’t rush into doing more tasks. Instead, they went to their rooms to rest for half an hour.

“This is so real. I’m going to nap too.”

“I just had the same lunch as them. Now I’m going to rest and try to stay in shape like the stars.”

“I did the same thing. If I keep it up for three months, maybe I’ll lose some weight. I don’t even need to be as slim as they are.”

“I’m heading to the other livestream. See you in thirty minutes.”

There were cameras in the bedrooms, but both Tang Jing and Meng Xue covered them with cloth before resting. The livestream screen went dark, and the production team posted a message on screen.

Currently resting…

Half an hour later, the livestream came back to life. Tang Jing and Meng Xue removed the covers from the cameras, and the scene brightened.

“I missed them so much in just thirty minutes.”

“Tang Jing doesn’t talk much, but I love watching the way she interacts with Meng Xue. Every little movement feels beautiful.”

“So adorable.”

The comments kept flooding in. Viewers were clearly excited to have them back on screen.

Tang Jing poured herself a glass of cool boiled water and sat under the large banyan tree to clear her mind after drinking it.

Meng Xue carried a small bag, which held a thermos filled with cool boiled water.

If they wanted to drink bottled water, they would have to spend points. It was more practical to boil water and let it cool.

“This feels so genuine.”

“I love this kind of down-to-earth lifestyle. I can’t stand those who act all picky and say they can only drink bottled water.”

“Ms. Tang, do you have a thermos? I can fill one for you too,” Meng Xue offered.

The sun was intense, and they didn’t know what kind of task they might encounter that afternoon. If they got thirsty later, they would either have to walk back or use points to buy bottled water. Neither option was ideal.

“It’s on the desk in my room,” Tang Jing replied without looking up.

“Alright,” Meng Xue said and headed straight to get it.

The audience had mixed reactions.

Some people thought Tang Jing was acting too entitled. She had hands and feet, so why was she asking someone else to help?

Others disagreed and thought the complaints were unnecessary. Meng Xue clearly didn’t mind, so there was no reason for anyone else to complain.

After putting both thermoses in the bag, Meng Xue came back outside and said, “Ms. Tang, let’s go.”

“Alright.” Tang Jing got up from the rocking chair and walked over.

Just as Meng Xue was about to leave, Tang Jing reached for the small bag in her hand.

“I’ll carry it,” she said.

Meng Xue tried to take it back, but Tang Jing had already walked ahead with long strides. Smiling helplessly, Meng Xue followed her.

“If your arm gets tired, you can give it back to me.”

“What about those people saying Tang Jing was ordering her around? Feeling awkward now?”

“See? There’s nothing wrong between them. It’s just you making a big deal out of nothing.”

“I don’t care what anyone says. I’m just here for the sweetness. This is too cute.”

Tang Jing was tall, about half a head taller than Meng Xue. Dressed in a casual outfit and wearing a baseball cap, she looked like she had stepped out of a fashion magazine. Anyone who didn’t know better would think they were filming a photo shoot.

Walking behind her, Meng Xue wore a white dress and a white cap. A gentle breeze lifted her hair and the hem of her skirt as she followed.

Together, they added a touch of elegance to the quiet countryside path.

“Ms. Tang, there’s a task sign over there,” Meng Xue said, pointing to a spot at the base of a hill. She caught up with Tang Jing, excitedly guessing, “If the sign is down there, the task must be up the hill.”

“Let’s go check,” Tang Jing said as she walked. She kept her eyes on the path, since it was a bit uneven.

Even though Meng Xue slowed her pace, she still stumbled slightly after stepping on a small rock.

“Careful.” Tang Jing turned quickly and grabbed her arm. Once Meng Xue stood steadily again, she let go.

“That was such a quick response.”

“I bet she was watching her the whole time.”

“The more you think about it, the sweeter it gets. On the outside, she looks cold, but she’s always watching her closely. Some of us know exactly what that means.”

“Thank you, Ms. Tang.” Meng Xue’s cheeks turned pink. She didn’t expect to trip like that while walking.

“The path is rough here.” After speaking, Tang Jing looked at her and held out her hand. “Let me hold your hand.”

Her fingers were long and elegant. Anyone who had a thing for hands would instantly fall for hers.

Even though Meng Xue didn’t usually notice things like that, she couldn’t help but glance at them twice. Finally, she reached out and held her hand, lowering her head shyly.

“Thank you, Ms. Tang,” she said softly.

“Keep shipping. I want to see you all go all in.”

“If you are not shipping this, you have no heart.”

“Meng Xue is blushing. She was definitely flustered by Tang Jing.”

“Tang Jing is so beautiful, and her eyes are so full of emotion. Who wouldn’t fall for her?”

“Sun Sijia didn’t.”

“That’s because she’s blind.”

Tang Jing’s palm was warm as she held Meng Xue’s hand tightly. Meng Xue kept glancing down at their hands, her heart beating wildly in her chest.

“We’re here.”

That deep voice pulled Meng Xue back from her thoughts. She looked up and realized they had already reached the base of the hill. They were now standing in front of the task board.

Thinking about how she had walked the whole way in a daze, Meng Xue felt a little embarrassed. She avoided looking at Tang Jing and instead turned her focus to the task board as a way to hide her flustered state.

There were three tasks listed on the board. In fact, all three could be completed together. Each task had a generous point reward, and together, they totaled two hundred points.

Meng Xue’s eyes lit up. When she turned to Tang Jing, she suddenly remembered they were still holding hands. She moved her fingers slightly, and Tang Jing seemed to notice too, letting go of her hand.

“Ms. Tang, let’s take on this task,” Meng Xue said, regaining her composure and focusing on the board.

The three tasks were: reach the mountain peak, watch the sunrise, and stay at the top for one full day.

Meng Xue suspected the production team was being unusually generous.

Tang Jing, however, saw it differently. “If we stay up there for a whole day, we might miss out on other task boards. There could be ones that give even more points.”

Meng Xue started to hesitate. Her brows furrowed slightly as she found herself struggling to make a decision.

Tang Jing had said that on purpose just to tease her, and now that she saw Meng Xue looking conflicted, she curled her fingers into a fist and covered her mouth with it as if to cough.

Meng Xue looked over and caught the faint smile on her face. She was stunned, then let out a helpless laugh. “Ms. Tang.”

Her voice carried a soft, unintentional tone of affection, which she didn’t even notice herself.

“Tang Jing smiled. Was she teasing Meng Xue on purpose just now?”

“Meng Xue sounds so sweet when she says ‘Ms. Tang.'”

“I didn’t expect Tang Jing to have a playful side. It’s kind of cute.”

Tang Jing stopped teasing and turned back to the board. “If we plan to stay up there for a whole day, we’ll need food and water. Right now, we only have three points, which might not be enough.”

“Let’s go find another task,” Meng Xue said, turning quickly to leave.

On the way back, they ran into Tian Qi.

“Ms. Tang, Ms. Meng,” Tian Qi greeted them politely.

Meng Xue glanced around and asked, “Where’s Sun Sijia?”

Tian Qi smiled slightly. “We decided to split up.” She honestly didn’t want to team up with Sun Sijia anymore.

She had earned the ingredients for lunch by completing a task herself. She had also cooked the meal. Sun Sijia had done absolutely nothing and even complained about the food. After eating, she didn’t even help clean up.

Even though Sun Sijia had been on the show for a long time, she acted like everything should be done for her. But on this show, the guests had to do things for themselves. Her attitude made Tian Qi lose patience.

So, she decided from then on, she would prepare her own meals and not rely on anyone else.

Sun Sijia had given her attitude in response, but Tian Qi ignored it. Arguing with someone like her was exhausting and not worth the effort.

Viewers in Tian Qi’s livestream felt bad for her and started criticizing Sun Sijia’s behavior.

After seeing Tang Jing again, many began saying how impressive her patience must be. They couldn’t believe she had put up with Sun Sijia for five years and had even wanted to be with her.

What they didn’t know was that Tang Jing had spent most of her time filming on location. In an entire year, she had only seen Sun Sijia once or twice, and even then, just for a meal. Their phone calls were rare and usually only about work and resources.

So saying that she was patient with Sun Sijia wasn’t really accurate. In truth, she hardly knew her at all.

“There’s a task I found that requires three people,” Tian Qi said. “Would you two like to join me?”

“We’re in,” Meng Xue replied before even asking what the task was.

Tang Jing gave a small nod, agreeing as well.

On the way there, Tian Qi explained, “It’s a jump rope game. Two people hold the rope, one person jumps. Each person has to jump once. Everyone who completes it gets twenty points.”

“That much?” Meng Xue was surprised. They had earned fewer points for cleaning the chicken coop.

Tian Qi glanced at Tang Jing, clearly wanting to say something but holding back.

Meng Xue noticed and finally caught on. She pressed her lips together and tried to hide her smile, but it was too obvious. Her amusement was written all over her face, making it impossible not to notice.

When she laughed, Tian Qi couldn’t help but laugh along. The two exchanged a glance and ended up laughing out loud together.

“I didn’t understand what they were laughing at at first, but after seeing the way Tian Qi looked at Tang Jing, I got it instantly.”

“Wait, does this mean Tang Jing is going to jump rope?”

“I can’t even imagine that scene.”

Tang Jing always gave off a serious and composed vibe. It was hard to picture her playing jump rope, especially with that calm and collected expression. Just the thought of it was enough to make people laugh. She hadn’t even started, and the livestream chat was already full of laughter.

When they arrived at the jump rope area, the show’s staff had already prepared everything. Tian Qi asked, “Who wants to go first?” She didn’t dare look directly at Tang Jing, worried she might laugh and get called out.

Meng Xue quickly said, “Tian Qi, why don’t you go first? It’s been a long time since I last played. I’ve forgotten how, so we’ll learn from you.”

“Sure,” Tian Qi agreed cheerfully.