Transmigrating Into A Sadistic Novel And Becoming A Master Of Painting Rosy Pictures - Chapter 22

Bian Yingning stood up, looking down at Shang Qinghui’s delicate face, her voice hoarse: “If you can’t give up on first place, then fight for it with all your might.”

Shang Qinghui looked up, her eyes obscure: “Why say such things?”

Bian Yingning looked at her silently for a moment, then turned to leave, but Shang Qinghui stopped her.

She turned back; Shang Qinghui gestured towards the milk tea Bian Yingning had brought, next to her open makeup: “Take your trash with you.”

“You’re so ungrateful,” Bian Yingning muttered, grabbing the milk tea.

Fine, she didn’t want it; she didn’t want to give it to her anyway.

She didn’t know how to approach this task; she could only do her best.

“Do you think I can complete the task?” Bian Yingning asked the system.

“If you don’t fail, you certainly can,” the system replied emotionlessly.

“…Thank you for your insightful words…”

After closing the door for Shang Qinghui, Bian Yingning almost bumped into someone.

“Sorry,” the other person said softly, sounding familiar. Bian Yingning looked closely and saw it was Ji Xiaoxue.

After using the “painting a rosy picture” skill on her at noon, expressing sympathy and loyalty, meeting her again so soon made Bian Yingning feel slightly awkward.

Ji Xiaoxue was also surprised to see her, then looked at the pink paper on the door behind her.

The words “Shang Qinghui” were striking.

“Xiaoxue, you look beautiful today,” Bian Yingning quickly recovered and complimented her.

As in the original story, Ji Xiaoxue was performing a rearranged sad song. Perhaps to highlight the difference, or because she didn’t have a suitable outfit, she wore a simple white dress.

However, she had small braids in her hair, and her makeup included some smoky eye makeup; it wasn’t simple.

The light purple eyeshadow at the corners of her eyes created an upward curve; it wasn’t her own work; she likely had a makeup artist.

Ji Xiaoxue had only entered after the semi-finals, so she didn’t have a separate makeup room and had to share one with other contestants.

Her makeup room was noisy, so she went to the restroom to escape, unexpectedly bumping into Bian Yingning leaving Shang Qinghui’s makeup room.

Bian Yingning was holding milk tea.

She complimented me.

Ji Xiaoxue remained silent, walking towards the restroom.

Bian Yingning quickly grabbed her arm: “Um… here’s some milk tea. Good luck with the competition!”

Ji Xiaoxue looked at the milk tea but didn’t take it.

Bian Yingning was flustered.

“It’s unopened,” Bian Yingning explained awkwardly, trying to retract her hand, but Ji Xiaoxue took it.

She wasn’t concerned about whether it was opened; she wondered if this was the only cup Bian Yingning had or if others also had one.

But she couldn’t ask.

“I’m just a trash can for you to dispose of things,” Ji Xiaoxue said as she left.

Bian Yingning was startled.

It seemed…

She gave it to Shang Qinghui, who refused, so she gave it to Ji Xiaoxue.

Ji Xiaoxue said she was a trash can, and she couldn’t refute it.

But she wasn’t a waste recycling station.

Bian Yingning sighed: “Why did I mess everything up?”

Ji Xiaoxue’s thin back showed resilience.

She seemed increasingly unable to understand the female lead. Did her family problems change her temperament?

Returning to Hua Cancan’s makeup room, Bian Yingning opened the door to find two women, one standing and one sitting.

The standing woman wore a gray-gold fishtail gown with a crisscross neckline; her long, curly hair was styled up, revealing a graceful swan neck.

The sitting woman wore a creamy white cheongsam embroidered with green patterns; her usual alluring aura was tempered by the cheongsam’s elegance, giving her a gentle, demure air.

Not to mention the high slit revealing her long legs, her curvaceous figure was alluring enough.

Hua Jiangrong held an eyebrow pencil, leaning over to shape Hua Cancan’s eyebrows. Both aunt and niece were stunning individually, let alone together.

Bian Yingning touched her lips, checking for any suspicious residue.

“Aunt, you’re here.”

Bian Yingning said sweetly.

Hua Jiangrong froze, holding the eyebrow pencil.

She didn’t know how to correct Bian Yingning’s address.

Hua Cancan, however, asked pointedly, “Where have you been?”

“I went to check out your opponents,” Bian Yingning said, sitting down beside them to watch them apply makeup.

Hua Cancan’s friend had already finished her makeup, but Hua Jiangrong felt it wasn’t perfect and redid it, changing Hua Cancan’s angular eyebrows into delicate willow-leaf brows.

“Why is Aunt here?” Bian Yingning asked.

Since seeing Hua Jiangrong in Teacher Jiang’s office, her gossip instincts were ignited.

Although she thought it unlikely, she knew her teacher was single and hadn’t married at his age, yet he had dressed up for Hua Jiangrong, making her suspicious.

“My niece is competing; I should be here,” Hua Jiangrong replied, meticulously shaping Hua Cancan’s eyebrows.

Hua Cancan probably wouldn’t tell her family about the competition, so her aunt was responsible for her.

She cared about Hua Cancan.

It was a pity she didn’t have the original owner’s memories; she could have known more.

“Okay,” Hua Jiangrong examined Hua Cancan’s makeup and put down the pencil.

Hua Cancan, feeling breathless, breathed deeply and took a large gulp of the milk tea Bian Yingning had bought her.

Bian Yingning felt tempted and drank her own milk tea.

Both of them were drinking milk tea, but Hua Jiangrong wasn’t, which seemed awkward.

Bian Yingning wiped her straw and, with unusual confidence, offered her milk tea.

“Aunt, are you thirsty? Want a sip? It’s delicious. I didn’t know you were coming, so I didn’t buy more…”

“Cough…” Hua Cancan almost choked on her milk tea, covering her mouth to stop coughing and swallowing the milk tea. She was still holding her half-drunk cup.

Hua Jiangrong handed her a tissue.

As Hua Cancan wiped her hands and mouth, Hua Jiangrong leaned over and gently took a sip from the straw Hua Cancan had just released.

Hua Cancan was stunned.

Bian Yingning, sipping her milk tea, was oblivious.

She thought it was better for Hua Jiangrong to drink Hua Cancan’s milk tea.

They were related, after all.

Hua Jiangrong only took a sip, savoring the taste: “Grape flavor.”

Bian Yingning nodded in surprise: “Aunt, you’re amazing! You’re a milk tea professional too.”

Hua Cancan: “…”

Hua Jiangrong glanced at Bian Yingning, then said to Hua Cancan, “I’ll go now. Prepare well.”

She shouldn’t stay too long; she only came to see Hua Cancan’s outfit.

Hua Cancan nodded stiffly; the milk tea suddenly felt heavy.

The door closed gently; Bian Yingning tapped her finger on the table, seeing Hua Cancan’s absentmindedness: “What’s wrong? Nervous?”

Hua Cancan seemed to snap out of it, putting down the milk tea: “Of course, I’m nervous. I’m performing for you.”

Bian Yingning chuckled softly: “Don’t put too much pressure on yourself. If you don’t win first place, I’ll kill you.”

“…”

Thanks; now she’s even more nervous.

“But why do you want me to win first place?” Hua Cancan felt something was wrong.

“Only if you win first place can Shang Qinghui be dealt with.”

Hua Cancan pondered Bian Yingning’s words.

“You mean you’re afraid your toy junior will be resented by Shang Qinghui if she wins? You had me participate to protect her? This is what you call playing around?”

A series of pointed questions.

Meeting Hua Cancan’s gaze, Bian Yingning’s heart skipped a beat; Hua Cancan was incredibly perceptive, and Bian Yingning couldn’t hide anything from her.

As Bian Yingning tried to think of an excuse, the door was suddenly kicked open.

A loud bang startled Bian Yingning and Hua Cancan.

Hua Jiangrong had left, and they forgot to lock the door. Fortunately, they weren’t changing clothes.

Before they could see who it was, a wet dress with a strong smell of milk tea fell on Bian Yingning’s face. As Bian Yingning removed the dress, a slap landed on her face.

A loud slap; Bian Yingning’s face turned to the side, her hair fluttering.

“Bian Yingning, you’re disgusting,” a gritted voice said.

The commotion had attracted a crowd; Hua Cancan pushed Shang Qinghui away, standing in front of Bian Yingning: “Are you crazy?”

Hua Cancan didn’t react immediately; she watched Bian Yingning get slapped.

Bian Yingning touched her numb cheek, turning to meet Shang Qinghui’s reddened eyes, filled with tears that seemed about to fall.

Bian Yingning looked away, at the dress in her hand.

She recognized the dress; earlier, in Shang Qinghui’s makeup room, the elegant dance dress had hung neatly on the rack.

Now, the pure white dress was stained with milk tea, wet and disgusting.

In just ten to twenty minutes, the beautiful dress had become a rag.

“This is what you meant when you said I shouldn’t worry so much about first place?”

“First place is so important to you? The competition hasn’t even started; you don’t know if I’ll win, yet you want to ruin me?”

Shang Qinghui’s eyes and nose were red; tears welled up, but she stubbornly held them back.

Hua Cancan didn’t expect Shang Qinghui to say this. They didn’t get along; they argued and fought, but they never resorted to such destructive tactics.

In all their years of conflict, neither had ever cried in front of the other.

Especially now, with everyone’s makeup done and about to compete.

Hua Cancan looked at Bian Yingning, who was frowning, her fair cheek slightly red. She whispered, “It wasn’t me.”

“Heh,” Shang Qinghui laughed angrily, tears in her eyes, “If not you, then who? You came with milk tea, telling me to relax, wasn’t that your intention?”

Indeed.

Given Bian Yingning’s earlier words and the milk tea, and her being told to leave after refusing the milk tea, she was angry and ruined her dress.

Anyone would think that.

“I only saw you with milk tea here,” Shang Qinghui said coldly.

After chasing Bian Yingning away, she felt increasingly upset and went to the restroom. When she returned, everything was ruined.

The dance dress was custom-made by three tailors, taking over a week to design and produce.

She couldn’t find a replacement; she was performing a solo water sleeve dance, and the sleeves were custom-made to a length of 1.88 meters based on her height and abilities.

Bian Yingning appeared calm but was panicking inside.

She didn’t dare look into Shang Qinghui’s eyes; she feared the tears would hurt her.

“Check the security cameras; it wasn’t me.”

“Cameras?” Shang Qinghui smiled brightly, “You planned this, right? You knew the cameras in this corridor were broken; no one could see who did it!

You planned everything, but you didn’t know that your plan was so clumsy? You thought no one would suspect you?

Or even if they did, they couldn’t do anything without evidence? And I, because you ruined my dress, have to give up the competition.”

After the initial anger subsided, Shang Qinghui felt immense sadness.

Others might think she didn’t need this competition; it was just icing on the cake, optional. She shouldn’t be so angry or sad.

But even if she didn’t need it, she had prepared seriously. Even if she gave up, it should be her choice, not someone ruining it for her.

Bian Yingning couldn’t explain; she knew she didn’t do it, but only she knew.

Wait, after she left, she met the female lead, talked to her, then returned to Hua Cancan’s makeup room; she gave her milk tea to Ji Xiaoxue…

Bian Yingning looked at the dress again; milk tea had been poured on it, likely a whole cup, to get this effect.

She looked towards the makeup room entrance; Ji Xiaoxue stood in the crowd, her eyes cold, meeting Bian Yingning’s gaze.

The eyeshadow made her look less innocent than before.

There was a hint of killing intent.

Bian Yingning opened her mouth.

If it wasn’t her, then it was…

Seeing Bian Yingning’s silence, Shang Qinghui’s anger flared again: “What? You’re not going to explain? Not going to deny it?”

She would rather she deny it than remain silent.

Ironically, she thought things were different; their relationship had improved; they were bound by a near-death experience… she…

“You’re a precious little princess; I won’t allow a single hair on your head to be harmed.”

Those words were still ringing in her ears.

At the time, she thought it was nonsense, but she had to admit, the words were etched in her heart; she couldn’t forget them.

“What’s wrong? What happened?”

“Bian Yingning poured milk tea on Shang Qinghui’s dance dress; Shang Qinghui has no dress to perform in.”

“What! No way? Bian Yingning is so cruel.”

“It’s just like in dramas; it’s terrifying.”

“Bian Yingning isn’t a good person; look at them fighting…”

“Shh, keep your voice down.”

Ji Xiaoxue listened to the onlookers’ gossip, her hands clenched.

She was indeed a trash can.

She only got what Shang Qinghui didn’t want.

From Bian Yingning’s gaze, she seemed to guess what she was thinking.

What would she do next to save her friendship with Shang Qinghui?

Ji Xiaoxue couldn’t help but smile expectantly, though the smile didn’t reach her eyes.

Bian Yingning touched her face, saying self-deprecatingly, “I’ve already been slapped; what’s the point of explaining?”

Hua Cancan’s gaze was complex: “I believe you didn’t do it, but who did you give that cup of milk tea to? Tell me.”

Shang Qinghui also stared at Bian Yingning.

The makeup room fell silent; only the performance outside continued, the music playing on.

Hua Cancan believed Bian Yingning wasn’t that kind of person. They might have had some petty conflicts, but she was never malicious.

She had an answer in her heart, but she wanted to hear it from Bian Yingning.

In the silence, a voice rang out.

“No one. Why would I keep something I didn’t want? I threw it away,” Bian Yingning said calmly, as if it were nothing.

She acted as if she didn’t care that if she couldn’t prove her innocence, the blame would fall on her.

“Good. Bian Yingning, you’re good.”

Tears, held back for so long, flowed down her meticulously made-up face.

Two lines of tears appeared, like a chasm between them, staring at each other, unable to bridge the gap.

Bian Yingning clutched the stained dress, taking a deep breath.

But her heart felt heavy, her breathing labored.

Shang Qinghui turned to leave; the people blocking the door quickly made way for her.

Ji Xiaoxue was also pushed by the crowd, but she seemed soulless.

She suspected it was me, didn’t she? Why didn’t she say it?

Her gaze earlier was suspicious, yet she didn’t say anything!

Why!

What was she doing, protecting me? Funny.

Wasn’t she and Shang Qinghui on the same side?

Hua Cancan slammed the door shut, turning to Bian Yingning: “Tell me, did you give that milk tea to Ji Xiaoxue?”

“…”

“What kind of spell did she cast on you?”

“Don’t you know she’s not from our world? Look at what she did; it’s so… disgusting.”

Bian Yingning said weakly, “Don’t say that about her.”

In the original story, the female lead suffered far more from Shang Qinghui than Bian Yingning had done to Shang Qinghui now.

“You’re still protecting her?” Hua Cancan was puzzled, her alluring eyes full of surprise.

Bian Yingning closed her eyes, remaining silent.

The female lead’s remaining blackening value was 9%; it wasn’t surprising she did this.

But… wasn’t she afraid of being discovered? Or did she know there were no cameras here?

“Now, let’s welcome contestant number nine…”

The host’s voice rang out; staff called, “Number nine, please. Contestants ten to twelve, please come to the waiting area.”

Bian Yingning stood up abruptly; she remembered Hua Cancan saying Shang Qinghui was number twelve.

But her dress…

System, is there anything that can clean the stains? She asked the silent system, grasping at straws.

“Yes, but everyone knows the dress is dirty; if it suddenly becomes clean, the system’s existence might be revealed. You can’t reveal the system’s existence.”The system said emotionlessly.

Is there no other way? Bian Yingning despaired.

She didn’t want Shang Qinghui to miss the competition, but she didn’t intend to make her withdraw this way.

What’s the female lead’s blackening value?

“Currently, it’s 5%.”

Five percent? Why did it decrease?

“Based on the host’s needs, the system detects that the ‘Rainbow Feather Dress’ is available for exchange.”

[“Rainbow Feather Dress,” can transform into any shape of exquisite and unique dress.]

Exchange.

[Host, please note. “Rainbow Feather Dress” effective time: permanent, exchange points: 600]

Bian Yingning didn’t hesitate: Exchange.

[“Rainbow Feather Dress” exchange successful. Host total points: -50, unsettled points: 50]

“What are you spacing out about?” Hua Cancan was still scolding Bian Yingning when she saw her stand up, her eyes vacant, seemingly not listening.

“I don’t even have the face to help you get revenge for that slap.” Hua Cancan almost had a heart attack; she was the only one angry about this.

A willing participant and a willing recipient; a perfect match.

“Prepare well; I’ll go out for a bit,” Bian Yingning said, quickly leaving.

Hua Cancan wanted to stop her but only watched the door open and close.

What a change.

There were few people in the corridor; everyone was either in the makeup room or watching the competition. Bian Yingning went to Shang Qinghui’s makeup room and knocked.

No answer.

She tried to open the door but found it locked.

Is she inside? Unnoticed, a simple blue velvet box appeared in Bian Yingning’s hand.

“Yes.” The system was more useful after locating her.

“Shang Qinghui, open the door!” Bian Yingning shouted.

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