Shen Wenyi tossed Jiang Shiyang into the trash can and went to the bathroom. Not long after, she got into bed and fell asleep.
Jiang Shiyang lay askew in the trash can, propped against a black plastic bag. The bag reeked with that pungent, “all-natural” plastic smell. Obviously, a trash bag wouldn’t use food-grade plastic.
Her soul was forced to breathe in the cheap plastic stench. Any drowsiness she’d felt vanished instantly upon being thrown away.
What now?
This was no longer a problem she could leave for the next day. Her water cup body had been thrown out. By the time they finished filming tomorrow and came back, it would very likely already be at the dump!
As a water cup, how was she supposed to stage a daring escape from the dump? Even if she could run back, or use a Coordinate Exchange Talisman to return, how unrefined would Shen Wenyi have to be to use a water cup that had just come back from the garbage dump, potentially covered in vegetable leaves and apple peels?
God, forget Shen Wenyi. Just imagining herself lying in a pile of trash made her skin crawl.
No, she absolutely couldn’t let Shen Wenyi throw her away like this. Although she still had her last resort item—the Random Item Dice.
But the Random Item Dice was far too unpredictable. She had no more Human Form Duration left to handle the consequences. It was her final trump card. She would only go all-in as a last resort. Even if the mission failed, if she happened to roll something expendable like a paper cup, at least she’d suffer less.
If she rolled something still durable, well, that would be fate. It couldn’t get any worse than right now.
There were still over six days left. It wasn’t time to use the Random Dice for a desperate gamble.
But she couldn’t just wait for death.
Let her think. There are no dead ends in life. She refused to believe she couldn’t figure out a way!
As Jiang Shiyang pondered, she dozed off at some point. When she woke again, Shen Wenyi was already up. She checked the System time. It was nearly when Little Xie would be dragging her out of bed.
Shen Wenyi was washing up in the bathroom. Jiang Shiyang yawned spiritually. Nestled in the trash, her earlier anxiety was gone. Her freshly-woken mind hovered between groggy and clear, and suddenly, a spark of inspiration hit!
Let’s try it. It’s not like she had any other options right now!
No time to lose. Shen Wenyi would be leaving soon!
She rapidly exchanged for the remaining duration. Without a Duration Separation Talisman, she couldn’t split it. Gritting her teeth at the cost, she decisively clicked ‘Use’.
The next second, she was back in her own body. She paused for two or three seconds to adjust, then quickly got up, washed up haphazardly, and without even changing out of her pajamas, dashed out the door and headed straight for Shen Wenyi’s guest room.
Luckily, they were on the same floor, a short straight-line distance, and she didn’t bump into any acquaintances.
Knock, knock, knock. She rapped on the door. Shen Wenyi probably thought it was Little He, opening the door without even asking. Her awareness was way too lax.
Seeing it was her, Shen Wenyi clearly froze. She instinctively glanced behind Jiang Shiyang, saw no one else, then frowned. “What is it?”
This was why she found Shen Wenyi so annoying. She clearly despised her to death, but only ever showed it in private when no one was around. In front of others, she always put on a mask of serene harmony. Hypocrite!
She pretended not to see Shen Wenyi’s frown and smiled. “Nothing. I tried adding you last night, but you didn’t accept. I figured you were drunk and didn’t see it. Let’s add each other now?”
Shen Wenyi looked at her incredulously. Her freshly washed face, not yet made up, held a faint mist of moisture. Her lips were a natural vermilion, not as vivid as when wearing lipstick, but like tender, moist flower buds just starting to bloom, so delicate it seemed a few casual kisses would break the skin.
When she’d been a ring or a water cup, she never thought Shen Wenyi looked so… tender. How… how come seeing her in human form made her look so succulent, like she’d drip water?
A memory of Shen Wenyi kissing her when she was a ring surfaced unbidden. She cleared her throat unnaturally.
Shen Wenyi said, “Don’t want to.”
Shen Wenyi added, “I said, I saw it. Don’t want to add you. Are you deaf?”
She wasn’t deaf. She heard you. Could you not string two sentences together like that? Am I a smart robot? Who reacts that fast?!
Smile.
She was a public figure. No cursing.
Her smile didn’t reach her eyes as she raised a hand and placed it on the doorframe, blocking Shen Wenyi from suddenly slamming the door in her face. She had a socially brazen personality anyway. Before, she just hadn’t wanted to engage with Shen Wenyi. The moment she decided to, Shen Wenyi couldn’t escape.
“Where’s your phone? Let me add you. You wouldn’t want others to see me blocking your door, would you?”
Shen Wenyi was angered to the point of laughter by her shamelessness.
“What are you doing? If I don’t want to add you, you’re going to force it?”
“I just don’t understand why you won’t add me. It’s more convenient for trading insults, isn’t it?”
She’d said it herself. Her own awkwardness made her fingers dig into the doorframe. No matter, at least on the surface she wasn’t blushing or gasping, and she was even showing eight teeth in a smile.
Shen Wenyi looked at her like she was a freak, her frown deepening.
“Did you take the wrong medicine?”
“You’re the one who’s scared, aren’t you? Afraid that after adding me, I’ll expose all your flaws right in front of you? You won’t be able to avoid looking, and you’re afraid of feeling inferior?”
Shen Wenyi rolled her eyes. The ice queen goddess rolled her eyes! Tsk, tsk. Too bad she didn’t have a phone, or she’d snap a picture that would definitely make the Trending Search list.
“Go to a hospital if you’re sick. Don’t block my door.”
As she spoke, Shen Wenyi’s eyes darted to both sides. Such a hypocrite. So afraid of breaking character?
Good that she’s afraid. Fear is exactly what you need.
She placed her other arm on the doorframe too, her body now fully blocking the entrance. She looked like an old scoundrel used to teasing young girls, her smile growing increasingly lecherous.
“I get it. Did you try it last night? You found out your leg really is messed up, and you’re too self-conscious to add me?”
A sharp inhale came from Shen Wenyi. She seemed genuinely angry now. Her frown smoothed out, and she tilted her chin up slightly, looking at her with a faint smile. “Since you want to add me so badly, I’ll grant your wish. Wait here.”
Shen Wenyi gestured for her to move so she could go inside and get her phone.
This Shen Wenyi, did she take her for a fool? If that door closed, how would she have any control left?
Not only did she refuse to move, but she also followed Shen Wenyi inside.
Shen Wenyi probably never expected her to become this insufferably persistent overnight. Totally off guard, she was barged past.
“You!”
Shen Wenyi’s expression shifted slightly. She quickly glanced out the door, confirmed no one was there, then hurriedly rushed back inside. She must be afraid I’ll see the trash can, Jiang Shiyang thought. Every step seems steady, but her fingertips are practically clawing holes into her own palms, aren’t they?
She glanced at Shen Wenyi’s tightly clenched hand. Shen Wenyi had already stepped over to block her line of sight, almost instantly grabbing her phone from the table. She quickly approved the friend request right in front of her, then held the phone up and waved it, her tone steady but her breathing clearly disordered.
“Done. Now leave.”
She was a few centimeters taller than Shen Wenyi. Exactly how many, she didn’t know; the official profiles were always fudged, after all.
But now, both in slippers, it was obvious Shen Wenyi was shorter. Not by much, but the feeling of looking down on her nemesis like this was immensely satisfying.
She suddenly remembered being looked down upon by Shen Wenyi when she was an object. She remembered the misery of being manipulated and positioned every which way, completely defenseless.
A strange excitement surged—the feeling that Shen Wenyi had finally fallen into her hands. Especially with Shen Wenyi trying so hard to block the trash can, it was practically an invitation to bully her.
She swore, she never had such a nasty hobby of bullying people before. Shen Wenyi had driven her to this!
No, wasn’t there a saying? Retaliation isn’t bullying. Retaliation is retribution. That’s different.
She took a step closer to Shen Wenyi. They were already close. This step almost brought their noses touching. Shen Wenyi, who’d been looking up, quickly dipped her head and retreated a step, her long lashes fluttering in panic like butterfly wings.
“Leave now. You saw, I really added you.”
“But…”
She deliberately drew out her words, leaning in close to Shen Wenyi’s ear. Her breath was like orchids. “But what if you block me the moment I leave?”
Shen Wenyi immediately replied, “I won’t block you.”
She was noncommittal. Only someone who’d had their head squeezed by a door would believe a mortal enemy’s promise.
Truthfully, she didn’t care if Shen Wenyi blocked her. Adding her as a friend was just an excuse. She only wanted to save her water cup!
She had been mentally prepared for eighty-eight rounds of verbal sparring. Past experience gave her a new understanding of Shen Wenyi. She thought she wouldn’t add her so easily, nor let her steer the conversation to the water cup so smoothly.
But now…
Shen Wenyi, why are you blocking the trash can? Wouldn’t it be more humiliating if I saw you threw away my cup? You’re being very strange.
Blocking the trash can was clearly a subconscious move by Shen Wenyi. She just didn’t know why.
She took another step forward. “Then why did you block me so many times before?”
Shen Wenyi retreated another two steps, her emotions clearly back under control. She looked up. “Because you have a foul mouth.”
She kept advancing, this time taking two steps, smiling. “Oh, so if I have a foul mouth again this time, won’t you just block me again?”
Shen Wenyi turned, trying to sidestep her, but seemed to remember the trash can behind her. She restrained herself and stepped back again. “I already said I won’t.”
Jiang Shiyang shrugged, her smile making her look anything but decent. If she met someone like herself, she’d immediately kick them flying.
Shen Wenyi seemed to have an urge to kick her too, but ultimately didn’t.
Jiang Shiyang said, “But I don’t believe you. What should we do?”
Shen Wenyi backed up further. Clang. She bumped into the trash can.
Instinctively, Shen Wenyi turned to block it completely, shielding it from view. But she dared not retreat any further. There was no path back anyway, unless she went around the bin.
Shen Wenyi’s expression was very composed. “Then what do you propose?”
No retort, no sarcasm, just going along with her words. Shen Wenyi, you’ve already exposed yourself. What are you panicking over? It’s just a water cup.
She closed the distance in one final move, directly cornering Shen Wenyi in front of the trash can. The wall was right behind the bin.
She leaned down, once again bringing her mouth close to Shen Wenyi’s ear. Lowering her voice, she said, “Unless you… send me a little selfie video.”
