Chapter 57.2

After working for five consecutive hours, Jiang Cha was exhausted and lay flat. Fortunately, the production crew was very thoughtful and prepared meals and fruit. The four mentors chatted while eating. Since there were no cameras, their conversation was more casual.

The mentors took turns teaching in the classrooms, so they rarely had time to interact. They gathered to discuss which trainees would stand out in this show.

Wu Gang: “I actually have high hopes for Yin Xue. She’s skillful, and she looks so much like our Heavenly Queen. Honestly, she has the potential to be a successor.”

Wu Gang didn’t follow the trending topics much and didn’t know the inside stories or the “substitute” rumors. As soon as he finished, the other mentors immediately changed the subject. “This spicy crawfish is pretty good, quite flavorful.”

Receiving no response, Wu Gang turned to Jiang Cha, who was wearing gloves and holding a crawfish. “Teacher Jiang, what do you think?”

Jiang Cha’s expression was cold. She snapped the crawfish in half with a sharp crack. She put down the head, peeled the shell from the back, picked out the meat, and nonchalantly put it in her mouth. After chewing twice, she looked up at him. “What?”

Wu Ling saw the scene and felt Jiang Cha wasn’t eating a crawfish, but rather dissecting a corpse, venting her internal frustration on the shellfish. She winked at Wu Gang, who turned to her and asked, “Teacher Wu, what’s wrong with your eye?” Wu Ling coughed.

Wu Gang turned back. “Teacher Jiang must also think Yin Xue is your successor, right?”

The word “successor” was used very subtly. Jiang Cha’s hand paused. She took off her gloves and wiped the grease from her hands with a napkin, her movements resembling a serial killer cleaning up blood after a hit.

Successor? Successor of what? Dance? Or Xiao Yun?

She chuckled. “I don’t know what kind of path an artist will develop. Besides professional skill, fans are more loyal to character. If someone has poor character and constantly stirs up trouble, they lose the audience’s favor. One moment you’re being praised by everyone, the next you’re despised by ten thousand. Passersby would want to spit on you and drown you.”

She had once lived through that.

“Skill, character, and endurance—actually, luck is also very important. Heaven doesn’t favor everyone. To reach where I am today, I also needed luck.”

Just like when she first married Xiao Yun and was vilified, then her reputation rebounded after the variety show. In this show, if the public opinion wasn’t handled well, it would cause another marital crisis. She was tired and didn’t want to be an artist at the front lines anymore. This time, she had to win, protect the reputation of her marriage, and ascend to the level of capital. Everything else could be put aside.

Wu Gang nodded. “Teacher Jiang is more thoughtful than we are.”

Jiang Cha: “Not at all, I was just lucky.”

Wu Ling and the other mentor looked at each other. This Wu Gang was truly bold, constantly stepping on Jiang Cha’s sensitive spots. Because of yesterday’s events, Jiang Cha had been exuding a thick scent of jealousy while teaching in the fourth classroom today.

Wu Ling smiled to smooth things over. “Actually, I don’t think Yin Xue and Jiangjiang look alike at all, and there’s no such thing as a successor. They have different styles. It’s like flowers: a rose has the beauty of a rose, and a monthly rose has its own characteristics. Though they belong to the same plant family, they are vastly different.”

Although these words weren’t directed at Jiang Cha, Jiang Cha knew Wu Ling was comforting her, and she felt much better. After finishing the crawfish, she leaned back and took out her phone. No one spoke during the post-meal digestion phase.

After a brief silence, Wu Gang broke the peace. “Is Yin Xue on the trending topics again?”

At the word “again,” Jiang Cha’s heart tightened. She felt it had something to do with Xiao Yun. Her hands trembled, and she was even reluctant to click on the hashtag #LoveLetter#.

There were two photos. One was of a pink box filled with envelopes. The other was an open love letter with crooked handwriting:

Dear Student Yin, Hello:

*I am your senior; my name is Yun. Every day I see you walking back and forth in the corridor, passing by me with a scent like monthly roses. You have deeply captured my heart.

Your snowy arms, firm thighs, slender waist, and those hips—you are unforgettable when you walk. Ahem, praising you this much is just to tell you: You have successfully caught my attention!

I’ll be direct: I like you.

Ahem, if you’re willing, let’s meet tonight at 6:00 under the crooked tree behind the main teaching building.

*Love, Yun. Be there or be square!

The date and signature were blurred, but the character “Yun” was left visible. Yin Xue’s “tea-art” was high-level; she didn’t explicitly say Xiao Yun’s name, yet everyone understood. As soon as it trended, the comments were full of implications.

【Oho, you two are a regular drama series.】

【We all know who it is. This is too much of a provocation.】

【Wow, this is so “Green Tea.” It’s ambiguous, yet clearly pointing to someone.】

Jiang Cha saw the trending topic and quickly returned to her villa. Xiao Ke ran up in a panic.

“Sister Jiang, did you see the trending topic?”

“I did.”

Jiang Cha opened her phone and swiped through her photo gallery, looking for a photo of her and Xiao Yun.

“Sister Jiang, that Yin Xue is too much of a ‘tea.’ She’s clearly talking about her past with your wife, but she won’t be explicit. How are you supposed to respond? Now people are calling you out on Weibo, asking if your wife is still entangled with her.”

Jiang Cha selected a photo and looked at her. “I don’t care about any entanglement. Right now, I just need to prove that Xiao Yun and I are in love.”

She calmly drafted a caption: “Day three since leaving my baby. Miss you so much. Mua.”

Then she posted a photo from that day by the river. Their heads were together. Xiao Yun wasn’t looking at the camera; her gaze [stolen content]was slightly lowered, looking at Jiang Cha. The angle was perfect, showcasing Xiao Yun’s deep affection for her. In short, she couldn’t lose.

After posting, she held the phone up to Xiao Ke. “Arrange for some marketing accounts. See if we can push this into the top three.”

Xiao Ke saw the content and gasped. “Sister Jiang is amazing! This public display of affection is perfect!”

Finally, it was the weekend. Xiao Yun had planned to be a “couch potato” at home, but soon she got a call from Xiao Jiang. Ever since she entered the hospital, she hadn’t bothered with her best friend. Xiao Yun stammered for a while before being dragged out for afternoon tea. The location was a garden tea house in a villa.

The first floor was surrounded by lush greenery, the indoor lighting was dim and elegant, and the environment was quiet. The waiter brought the menu unhurriedly and stood respectfully to wait.

Tea leaves at 200,000 yuan per jin, foreign liquor at 400,000 yuan per bottle, and cakes the size of a fist costing over a thousand yuan—Xiao Yun frowned and fell into thought. The original host was truly a profligate spender.

Because she wanted to thank Xiao Jiang, Xiao Yun didn’t hesitate and randomly ordered a pot of black tea, along with a dessert and fruit set. The waiter held the menu in both hands, repeated her order, and left with a smile. Everything was so slow; the usual tension vanished instantly. Xiao Yun sat firmly on the sofa, her body half-hidden in the shadows away from the window light.

Xiao Jiang chattered incessantly, complaining that Xiao Yun hadn’t reached out since getting married and had become a busybody since becoming a senior doctor at the hospital. “I don’t care about this afternoon tea; you need to spend more time with me to relieve my boredom. I don’t know what you were thinking, giving up the life of a pampered miss to work so hard at the hospital. But honestly, your surgery was beautiful. I’ve gained a whole new level of respect for you.”

Xiao Yun half-closed her eyes. The sunlight filtered through the ginkgo trees and the glass, falling gently on her eyelids like a warm touch. Everything was so comfortable. Relaxing once in a while was pure heaven.

After a silence, Xiao Yun spoke: “Well, didn’t I come out now?” She was even treating her to high-end afternoon tea.

The lazy response clearly didn’t satisfy Xiao Jiang. She crossed her legs. “Just for today? Your wife is in the variety show, and when you’re off work, you’ve got nowhere [unauthorized copy]to let loose. You might as well find me; I’m bored to death. You have to accompany me.”

Xiao Yun felt helpless with such a clingy friend. This Xiao Jiang was a friend of the original host. In fact, the original host didn’t really treat her as a friend, but rather as an errand-girl because she was younger and from a “nouveau riche” family. Xiao Jiang’s family started with a hotpot restaurant; the family was wealthy, but she had a bit of a “simple-minded child of a landlord” vibe—clumsy, but not bad at heart.

When she followed the original host, she was used and bullied, and they did many bad things together; she eventually ended up in jail. Now that Xiao Yun was here, it wasn’t out of the goodness of her heart, but she felt such a friend was rare; she’d help where she could. At least she wouldn’t have to go to jail later.

“By the way, you haven’t been in touch with Xia Yang, have you?”

Xiao Jiang shook her head. “Why would I contact her? She actually dared to covet Sister-in-law.”

Xiao Yun thought to herself: It wasn’t that she was being dishonorable, but the original host and Xia Yang used to swap Omegas—it was disgusting. They just looked down on this “nouveau riche” and didn’t include her. Now, she had given her a way out.

“Good. No need to associate with people like that anymore.”

Xiao Jiang nodded, her brows furrowed. “But… she did look for me once.”

Xiao Yun uncrossed her legs and leaned forward. A tea master walked over and performed a tea ceremony, interrupting the conversation. The master held the cup in the left hand and the pot in the right, washing the cups, the tea, and steeping the pot with graceful movements set to soothing music. The amber tea was placed before them, and the master left with a smile.

Xiao Yun picked up the teacup. “What did she want?”

Xiao Jiang: “Sigh, she asked me a very strange question. She asked, ‘Do you think Xiao Yun read the original at bailiantales.com has changed a lot?’”

Xiao Yun picked up the cup but quickly put it down, holding her breath. She rubbed her fingers. “What did you say?”

“Not really. It’s normal to settle down after marriage. She didn’t say anything after that and just left.”

Xiao Yun sipped the tea slowly. Since arriving in this world, everyone thought she had changed, but no one suspected her identity. Xia Yang, who was closest to her, was the one who knew her best. Was Xia Yang starting to doubt her identity? She thought for a while; it didn’t seem to have much impact.

Xiao Jiang speared a piece of dessert and said while eating, “You’re truly blessed. Even in the production camp, Sister-in-law didn’t forget to show off her love for you. What’s up with that Yin Xue? She’s looking for trouble every other day.”

Xiao Yun didn’t pay much attention; the world changed too fast with a new trending topic every hour. She grew tense. “What happened now?”

Xiao Jiang scrolled through her phone and said with a giggle, “Hahaha, Xiao Yun, were you always this poetic? ‘Snowy arms, firm thighs, captured your heart.’ You really went all out to chase Yin Xue back then.”

Xiao Yun’s face went numb, and the tea she had just sipped sprayed out. She coughed. “Give me the phone.”

OMG. Her pupils dilated. Those love letters were written by the original host to Yin Xue. Although the signature was blurred, everyone in the comments knew it was her. This wouldn’t do; it would affect Jiang Cha’s career. Who knew what Jiang Cha was thinking!

Exiting that trending topic, she found that Jiang Cha’s Weibo was also trending.

Hashtag: #JiangChaPDALove#

Comments: 【Ahhh, the photo of Jiangjiang and Xiao Yun is too sweet!】

【Lol, the people next door are reminiscing about the past while these two are in love. Does certain “Snow” have any shame? One moment it’s “substitute,” the next it’s “reminiscing.” She says she’s back—so what? Did the second miss even acknowledge her? Ridiculous.】

【Don’t get mad. Some people are just full of themselves, bringing up things from so long ago. Plus, who knows if that letter is even real. Look at our Yun-Jiang CP, posting a photo directly to debunk rumors.】

There were a few other comments below.

Snowflake: “Aiyoyo, she’s clearly a substitute and getting addicted to it. Our Yin Xue doesn’t care at all, okay?”

Ginger Silk: “Doesn’t care? If she doesn’t care, why are you barking here? Are you a stray dog with no home? Showing off a love letter—who even knows if it’s real. Ptooey!”

The two fanbases were in a heated battle. Xiao Yun’s heart was in her throat. What was she to do? Jiang Cha’s photo made the whole country think she was dying of jealousy. In reality, she knew Jiang Cha was just trying to save her career. And she had been tagged in the post. Two hours had passed, and she hadn’t seen it. The public opinion was shifting toward Yin Xue’s side. The second miss of the Xiao family hadn’t interacted with Jiang Cha—wasn’t it obvious?

Xiao Yun broke into a cold sweat. The internet was truly too fast; a lot can change in an hour. She immediately clicked on Jiang Cha’s comments, intending to reply quickly.

Xiao Jiang said, “Hurry up and act, or Sister-in-law’s jealousy will fly overseas.”

Xiao Yun blinked. “Is there a fountain pen and paper?”

Being a high-end tea house, a pen and white paper were provided within two minutes. Xiao Yun wrote seriously on the paper:

“Dear wife, I’m sorry. I just saw the news and I’m a bit late in replying. I miss you very much too. In the spring sunlight, under the ginkgo trees, or on the empty seats, I am thinking of you every moment. If I could, I would want to go see you right now. Love, your Yun.”

After writing, Xiao Yun felt her fingers trembling. How did she weave together such a pile of nonsense so fluently?

Xiao Jiang picked up her masterpiece, her eyes shining. “Wow, Second Miss.” She slapped a palm on her shoulder. “Your handwriting is too beautiful! It’s magnificent and powerful—nothing like your writing style back then!”

“That’s not called a ‘writing style,’ it’s called Regular Script.”

“The prose too! Back then you only knew how to write about hips, thighs, and cleavage. Now you’ve started writing about imagery—sunlight, ginkgo trees, seats. Heaven! Second Miss, you truly are different from before!”

Xiao Yun grabbed the paper. “Let me take a photo first.”

Caption: “Baby, I miss you too.”

Within half an hour of posting, it shot to the top of the trending topics.

【！！！Look! The actual person came out to personally debunk the rumors. Look at this handwriting—does it look like the same handwriting that wrote about hips? They are written by two completely different people. Honestly, based on the handwriting and style, you wouldn’t think certain people’s love letters were written by the second miss at all, okay? Is a certain newcomer directing and acting in her own play?】

【Exactly. And Miss Xiao is a doctor; doctors are busy and in the hospital all day. She has no time to watch trending topics. Just because she replied a bit late, people say there’s a marital crisis. Hilarious.】

【Ahhh, my Yun-Jiang pair has always been so sweet.】

Sixty kilometers away, Jiang Cha saw the trending topic and felt a wave of relief. After waiting for two hours, she finally got a response. She sat in the corner and opened her phone. She typed a few words and then deleted them, not knowing what to ask.

As she stared at the phone in a daze, several large characters appeared: “The other party is typing…”

She sat up straight, focusing all her energy on waiting for a response.

Xiao Yun: “I’m sorry, Jiangjiang. Sorry for the late reply.”

Jiang Cha was silent for a moment: “It’s okay. You must have been busy.” She didn’t know what Xiao Yun was doing while she was away.

A moment later, Xiao Yun sent a photo: “Having tea with Xiao Jiang.”

Xiao Yun reporting her whereabouts made her feel an inexplicable sense of security.

She smiled softly: “Did you write that yourself just now?”

Xiao Yun: “I did.”

“Why is it so different from before?” Jiang Cha wanted to know if those love letters were written by her.

“I didn’t write those,” Xiao Yun replied. “I guarantee it with my head. If I wrote them, you can do whatever you want with me.”

Jiang Cha’s lips curled up, her heart fluttering as if a persimmon had dropped into a deep pool, sending ripples across the water.

“Why ‘do whatever I want with you’ only above the neck?” Jiang Cha added two smiley faces.

This sentence was very ambiguous. There were many ways to “do whatever one wanted.” Across the screen, Jiang Cha felt a mysterious sense of intimacy in their chat.

Whatever I want? Anything? She began to fantasize.

Xiao Yun replied: “If you want, anything below the neck is fine too.”