After Transmigrating Back, I Became My Own Stand-in - Chapter 3

The woman’s voice was somewhat low, and when it pierced Shi Xu’s ears, it felt a bit blurred. It took her several seconds to register the meaning.

What’s going on? Did the original Meng Heng seek death on purpose?

It didn’t look like it.

The intense physical pain was a drain on her willpower. As the pain flared, she felt her left hand being picked up and repeatedly caressed. Since she couldn’t see anything even with her eyes open, she simply kept them closed.

Shen Tianqing sat by the hospital bed, watching the doctors bustle about. She kept her head lowered. The attending nurse, seeing her in person for the first time, couldn’t help but steal a few glances. When she saw Shen Tianqing lean down to whisper in Shi Xu’s ear, the nurse’s eyes widened slightly.

In the entertainment industry, fame and fortune can flip overnight. Meng Heng’s rise wasn’t exactly an “overnight” explosion; she had participated in a talent show at sixteen but never came close to being popular. After it ended, she was just an average worker in the industry.

However, last year she starred in a “sweet pet” web drama. The chemistry was explosive, and her popularity soared. But she couldn’t maintain that momentum; her subsequent works didn’t keep up, so she transitioned from acting to variety shows, becoming a “Variety Star.”

Unfortunately, she was the unpopular type in variety shows—not nearly as sweet as she was in her dramas. Many people figured out the truth: the script for that drama was simply good, and the character setting suited her.

It was hard for people not to suspect foul play when someone with no talent remained so active. Nowadays, “rich second-generation” kids are common in the industry, and there are plenty of “resource-backed” stars whose families pay for their spotlight.

Meng Heng wasn’t one of them. Her family background had been thoroughly dug up: she was penniless, and her parents’ relationship was a mess. Her mother had been in a vegetative state for years following an accident. Her dropping out of school to chase dreams in the entertainment circle was mostly to support her family.

Logically, this should have made her an inspirational figure. But her skills were so poor that every time she released a song, the comments were filled with people telling her to go find a job in a factory.

The more the audience disliked her, the better her resources became. Her endorsements were almost all A-level, and variety show invitations were endless. This only confirmed the rumors that someone was backing her. But as to who that person was—despite much digging—no one ever appeared. A rare anonymous discussion thread listing suspects wouldn’t even last an hour before being deleted.

Shen Tianqing’s time in the limelight had been brief. Her pure, youthful face could only be caught in glimpses in “beauty compilation” videos, and she looked vastly different now. While others blossomed as they matured, she seemed to have undergone a “genetic mutation.” She had skipped the blooming stage and now looked like a flower on the verge of withering.

Perhaps this kind of beauty had a unique flavor, as many people still hoped she would return to the screen. But Shen Tianqing never entertained the idea; she had always done exactly as she pleased.

The ward was busy. Her whispering, combined with her gaze, was so affectionate that even the young nurse thought this was “True Love” level devotion.

Assistant Tao Yi watched as Shen Tianqing held Meng Heng’s hand, lacing their fingers together. Shen Tianqing’s pinky ring—black onyx against snow-white skin—shimmered under the lights, a perfect contrast.

But Tao Yi knew her boss was likely just putting on an act. In previous years, Tao Yi had tried to figure out Shen Tianqing’s motives, only to realize this person acted purely on whims. There was no logic to speak of. For others, it was “I do it because I’m happy”; for Shen Tianqing, it was “I do it because chaos makes me feel better.” It was a childish desire for the world to be in disorder.

Shi Xu originally intended to rest, as her memory package was still loading.

The doctor’s examination didn’t bother her, but having her left hand held—fingers laced then pulled out repeatedly like a toy—was annoying. The woman’s hand was soft, but her ring kept poking her, making it extremely uncomfortable.

Lacking the strength to pull away, Shi Xu could only frown.

Shen Tianqing let out a soft laugh. Although Meng Heng hadn’t been disfigured by the fall, her face was covered in abrasions. The red, swollen patches looked startling.

Shen Tianqing had chosen Meng Heng at first sight because the way she looked with her eyes closed was somewhat similar to her late beloved.

Calling her a “beloved” felt a bit mushy, perhaps even excessive. Shi Xu was her older sister’s ex-girlfriend—a debt of love owed by her sister, Tan Tan, but a karmic calamity for Shen Tianqing herself.

Tan Tan’s “love debt” had been aggressive. She had extracted herself from the relationship, leaving Shi Xu with a world-shaking green hat and several years that destroyed all of Shi Xu’s pride. It had left Shi Xu in such a pathetic state that even Shen Tianqing couldn’t bear to watch.

However, Shen Tianqing had been too young then. She didn’t understand her feelings for Shi Xu; she only felt that this person was miserable and her sister was terrible.

“She’s quite good to me, so I’ll help her,” she had thought.

But Shi Xu hadn’t been particularly grateful, nor did she like her. The kindness Shi Xu showed this “younger sister” during her passionate relationship with Tan Tan was clearly just a case of “loving the house and its crows.”

Now, the “house” had long since collapsed, and the “crow”—Shen Tianqing—had become someone to be loathed.

Young girls are prone to rebellion. At first, it was because of that bit of unrequited esteem; later, it was because of the scraps of affection she received. Finally, she discovered that the fire had spread to her own head, burning into a love that could never be.

That fire had been lit using Shi Xu’s life.

How could it be like this? Only after she died did I realize I liked her so much.

The world is vast, but the person had been burned to ash. Shen Tianqing had stolen a handful of those ashes to keep on her person. Even when Shi Xu’s friend, Xin Xiaoxuan, pointed at her nose and cursed her for being shameless, she remained calm and indifferent.

Life is long. She had found countless “Shi Xu” substitutes, but they were all just insignificant fragments of the real thing. Like Meng Heng—when she closed her eyes, she looked so much like her.

She looked exactly like Shi Xu in the funeral parlor—leaving heartlessly, never even knowing that Shen Tianqing loved her.

The doctor performed another check-up. Shi Xu couldn’t sleep, but since she was blind, she could only turn her head toward the sound.

This kind of blindness would be torture for an ordinary person, but to Tao Yi, this Meng Heng felt a bit different. In her impression, Meng Heng was a disobedient artist; though Shen Tianqing let her do as she pleased, she loved causing trouble and was always involved in messy scandals with male actors.

“It might last for a while. There aren’t many other major issues; it’s much better than expected. However…” The lead doctor, a middle-aged woman, looked at Shen Tianqing, who was still holding Shi Xu’s hand.

Shen Tianqing nodded. “Leave it to fate then. We’ll just nurse her back to health. As long as nothing happens to her face.”

These words sounded like something a “scumbag” would say. The doctor adjusted her glasses and looked at the patient. Meng Heng had a very clean face. Current female artists favored the “sweet” style, and she followed suit, but her features didn’t naturally lean toward “cute.” Her features were actually quite elegant and grand; it was just that her temperament couldn’t keep up, making her seem timid.

Now, Shi Xu reached her limit. She pulled her hand back and said, “Thank you.”

Shen Tianqing, having lost her toy, paused for a second before laughing out loud.

After the doctors left, Tao Yi stood to the side. She heard Shen Tianqing ask: “Your head cracked open; do you still remember me?”

The memory package was loading slowly, starting from childhood. It hadn’t jumped to the current year yet, but that didn’t stop Shi Xu from hearing how others addressed her.

She kept her eyes open, seeing nothing, and looked toward the voice. “I remember, Director Shen.”

A young sugar mommy… she definitely has some quirks and a bad personality, Shi Xu thought.

Shi Xu was quite calm. Blindness was nothing to get worked up about; she had been through “mountains of knives and seas of fire” before. But her blinking eyes looked abnormal to others.

Tao Yi thought: How fresh. She didn’t scream or shout.

Her impression of Meng Heng was mediocre. In Shen Tianqing’s “three-minute passion” career of raising starlets, Meng Heng wasn’t the first to receive special treatment. Shen Tianqing’s heartlessness was very obvious in this regard: she hated it most when the starlets she kept actually fell in love with her.

Other benefactors wanted a mix of physical and career involvement. She alone didn’t want a physical relationship and actually loathed intimacy. The last girl apparently liked Shen Tianqing too much, caused a scene, and was completely cut off.

Shen Tianqing reached out again, this time covering the back of Shi Xu’s hand. Shi Xu felt that this person’s hand was very cold—a sign of poor health.

“You really remember? You didn’t used to call me that.”

Shen Tianqing’s fingers were restless. This kind of stroking was a test of a relationship; it was incredibly itchy. Shi Xu’s sightless eyes lacked spirit. Shen Tianqing felt that there was no difference between this girl being blind or not—neither version had any “soul.”

“Director Shen, stop teasing me. I still remember this much,” Shi Xu laughed.

The memories in the package were refreshing bit by bit. Meng Heng’s attitude toward Shen Tianqing was one of awe and fear, comparable to seeing a strict teacher. She would apologetically say, “I’m sorry, it’s all my fault.” Then Shen Tianqing would stare at her for a long time and eventually leave in a huff. After that, Meng Heng could slack off.

This is interesting, Shi Xu thought. This benefactor is truly unpredictable.

“Seems like you’re not completely broken. I was going to say that if you turned stupid or got disfigured, I’d transfer you to the logistics department to be a janitor.” Shen Tianqing spoke flippantly, showing no sympathy for the girl who had just survived a disaster.

Shi Xu just hummed, not taking it to heart. She was exhausted. If Shen Tianqing didn’t talk, she didn’t have to either. She lay on the bed and closed her eyes again. Her face was bloodless, and one arm was broken—she would need surgery tomorrow. She looked the definition of “weak.”

Shen Tianqing stared at her, searching the girl’s face for her own memories—this was her habit. It’s hard to resist the passage of time. Shi Xu had been gone for twelve years. No matter how much she missed her, she couldn’t stop her memories from being gradually overwritten, so she looked at photos over and over, hoping she wouldn’t forget.

“What’s her next schedule?” Shen Tianqing looked at Tao Yi. Her hair was as black as ink, making her cold eyes stand out even more. Her round eyes didn’t look cute at all; they looked like the eyes of someone who was already half-dead.

Tao Yi checked her phone. “There’s an endorsement shoot next week. The week after, she enters the set for the idol drama Love You for a Lifetime as the second female lead…”

Shen Tianqing flicked the cup beside her. “Her head is cracked and her arm is broken; can she still film? Replace her.” Her gaze fell back on Shi Xu’s face. She felt something was strange. “Do you think she seems different?”

Tao Yi paused. “She seems okay. Meng Heng was never very smart to begin with; it’s normal for her to be like this after such an injury.”

Shen Tianqing was getting sleepy. As she was about to leave, her phone rang. The room was so quiet that the voice on the other end could be heard.

Shi Xu kept her eyes closed, listening to Shen Tianqing’s careless replies. The woman on the phone said:

“Sweet Baby, your sister is back. You must come home.”

“I know,” Shen Tianqing nodded. “Don’t think too much. No matter what, Tan Tan is still my sister.”

“What reason do I have to hate her?” She gave a low, mocking laugh. “The people I hate are all dead.”

Shi Xu’s eyelids jumped. The Mainframe’s loading package finished at exactly that moment, accompanied by a system chime:

[Meng Heng memory package overlay complete… Bug detected… Partial memory blur… Waiting for auto-repair.]

[Initiating embedding of pre-employment stored memories for 6900.]

[Progress: 60%… 80%… 100%.]

Tan Tan… That name sounded so familiar.

Shen Tianqing… Also a very familiar name.

Her breath hitched. Tao Yi had her back turned, and Shen Tianqing was already walking out, neither noticing the change in the heart rate monitor.

Tan Tan was Shen Tianqing’s older sister.

Tan Tan was Shi Xu’s ex-girlfriend.

Shen Tianqing was her current benefactor.

…

Are you kidding me? I’m being kept by my ex-girlfriend’s younger sister?!!!