After Transmigrating Back, I Became My Own Stand-in - Chapter 12

Shi Xu had not expected Shen Tianqing to actually say something like that.

She felt a profound sense of despair being toyed with like this. Initially, when she learned her benefactor was the type who didn’t care for physical intimacy, she had been quite happy; after all, she had long since lost all “worldly” desires. She wasn’t particularly interested in establishing a physical relationship with anyone, even if one could separate sex from love.

But evidently, Shen Tianqing loved to cause trouble.

A complete drama queen. To act so “in love” with her in this setting—if it weren’t for that beautiful face of hers, Shi Xu would have cursed her for being pretentious.

Who do you think you are!

Darn it, why is she my current benefactor.

Having been a System for so many years, she had experienced too much “lack of agency” alongside her hosts; she truly didn’t want to be under someone else’s thumb again.

The hot breath from the other woman’s speech brushed against Shi Xu’s ear, far exceeding a safe distance. Beneath the table, Shi Xu pinched the hem of her clothes, forcing a “bashful” expression under Tan Tan’s gaze.

Then, she firmly pressed her lips against Shen Tianqing’s cheek.

Shen Tianqing, naturally, looked disgusted inwardly, but her face remained one of pure delight. She didn’t look at all like a person who was actually a “master of her own hands.” She even tapped Shi Xu’s nose with a look of feigned helplessness.

Shi Xu: I have enough goosebumps to sell by the pound.

Opposite them, Tan Tan looked away. Nearby, Shen Tianqing’s middle-school-aged nephew let out a whistle, only to be kicked in the rear by his father, sending him face-first into the sofa.

For some reason, Chen Geni felt the scene lacked even a shred of genuine tenderness, yet Shen Tianqing’s cooperation was unexpectedly thorough. As a mother who had been “madly in love” and “obsessed” in her own youth, she still possessed a sentimental streak. At this moment, her eyes actually welled with tears, and she clapped her hands. Her husband handed her a tissue; she took it, wiping her eyes while looking at Shen Tianqing. “Tian-nan, Mama is so happy you’re willing to move on.”

Shi Xu felt Shen Tianqing’s hand tighten significantly on her shoulder. Luckily, her sweater was thick today, otherwise, those “Nine Yin White Bone Claws” would have definitely left a mark.

However, the sight of Shen Tianqing’s mother was quite outside Shi Xu’s expectations. She was supposed to be a glamorous gallery owner—and in reports, she had a very high-class aura—but today she seemed stuck in “loving mother” mode.

It was… a bit chilling.

Yet everyone at the table seemed used to it, though some were clearly stifling laughter. Shi Xu also found it quite funny; perhaps it was a mother-daughter pair of drama queens out-acting each other. It seemed Shen Tianqing’s talent might be hereditary.

Shen Tianqing said through gritted teeth, “Mom, act normal.”

Chen Geni gave a perfunctory “Oh.” Her pearl necklace shimmered on her neck as she took a sip of red wine, before turning her concern toward her other daughter’s love life.

“Tan Tan, since you’ve divorced Marco and returned home, you can’t be so hasty when picking your next partner.”

Tan Tan had two daughters. The eldest, Alina, was already in middle school—a beautiful biracial girl with blonde hair and dark eyes.

Released from Shen Tianqing’s grip, Shi Xu let out a near-inaudible sigh. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Shen Tianqing pick up a wine glass filled with milk, her face practically screaming that she was bored to death.

Shi Xu figured her guess was right: clearly, even lesbians couldn’t escape blind dates. Pitiful, yet hilarious.

But on the other hand, she realized that Shen Tianqing’s “feelings” for her seemed to be a matter of public record within the family—to the point where Shi Xu stole a glance at Tan Tan across from her.

Tan Tan’s hair was pinned back with a floral hairpin that cast a faint shimmer. She looked fuller than she did in her early twenties, but not unattractive; it was just that her brows lacked their former liveliness, as if she were pinned down by something so heavy she could barely turn over.

Shaking her head at Chen Geni’s words, Tan Tan said, “We’ll talk about it later.”

She looked like someone who had had all her sharp edges worn away by life, becoming a flat paper circle—maintaining a balance that was purely for show.

The table was massive and uniquely designed, with water encircling a central landscape; plates of food drifted along with the current. It was quite a refined “winding stream party” style that matched the Chinese decor of the suite.

Shi Xu found it a lot of effort for a winter night. Lacking interest, she observed the family. Generally harmonious—already much better than average families. She only looked at Tan Tan a few times when Chen Geni mentioned her, failing to notice that Shen Tianqing beside her had been watching her the whole time.

When it was time to leave, Shi Xu received a “red envelope” from Shen Tianqing’s father. The man’s hair was white at the temples, giving him a wealthy, kindly look. The envelope was custom-made, with “A Century of Harmony” embossed in gold; its thickness suggested it was worth a small fortune.

Shi Xu felt it was too hot to handle. With her “canary” persona firmly in mind, she didn’t feel she was qualified to accept this. But Shen Tianqing, the “supervisor,” stood to the side and stuffed the envelope directly into Shi Xu’s arms.

“Stop being so wishy-washy, it’s unbecoming.”

Shen Tianqing herself looked very trendy, yet for some reason, her speech had a feudal, old-fashioned air to it. Shi Xu twitched her lips, feeling the “brat” was acting like a high-and-mighty elder.

The problem is, you’re not even that old. You’re not even as old as the year I died, she grumbled inwardly. She didn’t speak to Shen Tianqing much on the way back.

A World from a New Line was set to air on the fifth day of the Lunar New Year. Basically, she had to be at the scene on the first day to familiarize herself with the process and prepare for recording. Shi Xu didn’t have much rest time.

Shen Tianqing, as a special guest, had to attend the first episode regardless of how much she “put on airs.”

Shi Xu’s attitude toward Shen Tianqing was subtle. On one hand, she was currently Meng Heng—the starlet kept by Shen Tianqing—and had to show proper respect to her benefactor. But on the other hand, she was the Shi Xu who had been dead for twelve years, the ex-girlfriend of Shen Tianqing’s sister, and…

Ugh, how annoying. Why do I have to be loved by my ex-girlfriend’s younger sister?

Shi Xu stared out the window at the quiet A-City. There was no traffic during the Spring Festival, and the drive was smooth. Shen Tianqing was scrolling through Weibo. She saw the hotpot photo Shi Xu had posted; she didn’t “like” it, but instead scrolled down to read the comments. Truly, few artists had a comment section where five out of ten posts were people cursing them. She had even managed to “hate-cultivate” die-hard fans.

The official Weibo for A World from a New Line had just announced the cast and the rules. This version was slightly different from the one leaked online; specifically, a few people had changed. Because of the cryptic hints from marketing accounts, Meng Heng’s infamy had reached a new peak. On this bustling New Year’s Eve, thanks to the momentum of the Spring Festival Gala, she didn’t even have to pay to stay on the hot searches.

Shen Tianqing clicked into a random profile; the level of vitriol was enough to raise the dead. She didn’t know what kind of deep-seated grudge these people had. A decade ago, the entertainment industry didn’t seem to be like this. Back then, Shi Xu was an uncrowned queen of acting who could walk the streets to buy groceries openly. Now, acting wasn’t the definition of success—traffic was.

Meng Heng’s “traffic” was created under Shen Tianqing’s orders. She gave the framework, and those below her filled it in. She hadn’t expected them to create a “pretentious, resource-backed hack.” A real “prodigy.”

Currently, the “prodigy” was staring out the window. The fleeting streetlights cast a glow on her face, making even the dust seem warm. The loneliness of the empty streets seemed to shroud her. The flightiness of Meng Heng had faded, making her look a bit like the person Shen Tianqing thought of day and night…

That person.

She thought of Tan Tan’s gaze at the dinner table, the way she looked up occasionally while picking up food. Fifteen years had passed since that relationship ended; she thought it was a handful of yellow earth, yet she had seen a spark of nostalgia in Tan Tan’s eyes. It was the kind of look that suggested Tan Tan also thought they looked alike.

“What do you think of my sister?” Shen Tianqing asked suddenly.

The car was moving smoothly, making Shi Xu drowsy. The question caught her off guard. “Huh? What?”

“My third sister. What do you think of her?”

Shi Xu: “She’s just… like that.”

Shen Tianqing looked at her—at her closed eyes and the fleeting shadow of her eyelashes swept by the passing lights. Like a butterfly that had just flown away.

“What do you mean by ‘like that’?” Shen Tianqing pressed.

Shi Xu thought she was being very wordy, lacking even half the perceptiveness she had as a child. “Not much of anything.”

Her impatience rose to her brow as she frowned. Half her face was hidden in shadow, causing the Shen Tianqing in the other shadow to reach out and touch her as if possessed.

Shi Xu was startled and sat up with a jolt, grabbing Shen Tianqing’s hand. “What are you doing?”

If she had just let Shen Tianqing touch her, she might have let it go. But now that her hand was caught, Shi Xu’s expression of resistance made Shen Tianqing extremely displeased. It made her think that if it were the real Shi Xu, she would likely reject her the same way.

The tragedy was that even if Shi Xu were still alive, Shen Tianqing’s overflowing emotions would likely still have nowhere to go; they would be sternly rejected. Shi Xu was that kind of person—she was always decisive regarding impossible feelings.

“I allowed you to speak to me with that attitude?”

With her index finger held, Shen Tianqing simply leaned toward her. In the rearview mirror, it looked as if she were leaning against Shi Xu. Like a pair of lovers.

Shi Xu let go of her hand. “Sorry. I’m dazed from being sleepy. You can scold me.” She yawned, her eyes brimming with tears forced out by exhaustion—they looked like frozen beads of ice from the side.

Shen Tianqing reached out again. This time, Shi Xu didn’t resist, though her whole body felt uncomfortable; if she had fur, it would likely be standing on end. Shen Tianqing, however, got more excited and leaned her entire weight against Shi Xu. In such a spacious back seat, she insisted on squeezing into one person’s space.

Shi Xu: “Director Shen, please conduct yourself with dignity.”

Shen Tianqing: “You are the person I’m keeping. What ‘dignity’ is there?”

Shi Xu: “…” Didn’t you hate physical contact most of all?

She looked at Shen Tianqing, her eyes overflowing with impatience. Shen Tianqing felt that after hitting her head, Meng Heng had become much bolder. But this made her an even better substitute.

That’s right… scolding me, rejecting me. That is the real Shi Xu.

“Then, suit yourself.”

Shi Xu gave up. She felt that when she mentioned “dignity,” Shen Tianqing’s eyes actually lit up. What is wrong with this person?

Shen Tianqing grabbed her hand to play with it. Shi Xu asked, “Don’t you hate touching people? You weren’t like this before.”

Shen Tianqing: “I’ll do as I please. What’s it to you?”

Shi Xu: “I wouldn’t dare.”

Shen Tianqing: “Are you going back to that same place?”

Shi Xu: Heh, we’ve been driving for so long and you only now ask where I’m going? You’re something else.

She scoffed inwardly but remained polite on the surface: “Back to the apartment. Everyone at the studio is resting.”

Shen Tianqing: “Then I’m going to your place.”

Shi Xu: “Huh?”

Shen Tianqing: “You dare refuse me?”

Shi Xu: “There’s only one bed at my place.”

Shen Tianqing didn’t have a special fetish for squeezing people’s hands; she was now playing with her own ring. “I know. That’s my house.”

Shi Xu felt a stab to her pride, her status becoming clearer than ever: A “canary” with no money, pretending to be made of gold but actually made of copper.

Shi Xu gritted her teeth: “Fine, Director Shen.”

Shen Tianqing hummed. “Don’t sleep as soon as we get back. I’m going to check your homework. Your opera theory teacher said your lyrics are better than before. Sing a scene from Leifeng Pagoda for me.”

Shi Xu: “How about I sing a bit for you in the car and then you go home? It’s New Year’s Eve; it’s not good for you to stay with me.”

She spoke earnestly, but the subject of her concern seemed even happier: “It’s indeed ‘not good’ to stay with you—I am demeaning myself by doing so. You should show me a bit more respect.”

Shi Xu: This person is crazy. It’s like she’s drunk on coconut milk.

She felt like a eunuch next to the emperor, with no choice but to say “Yes, Master.”

Shen Tianqing followed Shi Xu back to the apartment. This place was a property she had bought many years ago, and it was now one of the top-tier luxury complexes in S-City. She remembered she had only visited once when the keys were handed over and never returned.

In the elevator, Shi Xu spent the entire ride listening to the notification pings from Shen Tianqing’s phone. She couldn’t wait to get inside and lock the woman out. But logic told her she couldn’t. With a face full of “respect,” she welcomed the guest inside.

Shen Tianqing hadn’t slept well in years. She slept at most five hours a day, usually four; a day felt very long to her. When working, her energy levels terrified her team. Chen Geni had tried to find doctors to treat her, but it was no use. The old saying that “heart sickness requires heart medicine” was perfectly embodied in her. She simply couldn’t move on; since she couldn’t dream of Shi Xu, she felt she didn’t need to sleep much, as it would be a waste of time spent wakingly thinking of her.

Inside the room, she showed no interest in the decor. She sat on the sofa. After Shi Xu poured her a glass of hot water, she began her “inspection.”

“Begin.”

Shi Xu was dying of sleepiness. She felt she needed to prop her eyes open. The gramophone was a gift from Shen Tianqing, and it was playing Leifeng Pagoda: Broken Bridge. Shi Xu had coincidentally just reviewed it.

Meng Heng’s voice hadn’t been trained from childhood, so there were flaws. The scene was a bit stiff at first, but once she entered the state, it became exceptionally fluid. Shen Tianqing leaned against the sofa, listening intently at first, but by the end, she had actually fallen asleep.

Shi Xu looked wordlessly at the “dominant, idiot, psycho benefactor brat” slumped on the sofa. After thinking about it for a long time, she eventually dragged the woman onto the bed.

Shen Tianqing was half-awake. While her makeup was being removed, she was still murmuring “Shi Xu.” She intermittently babbled, “Just hit me then.”

Shi Xu indignantly tossed the makeup cotton aside and muttered, “When did I ever hit you? What are you thinking?”