After a Contractual Romance with the Scumbag Movie Queen - Chapter 5

Today was the final round of auditions for the talent show Stellar Path, where 160 contestants would be narrowed down to 99.

On the 10th floor of Puxing Entertainment, Jiang Tian signed in using facial recognition at the self-service kiosk, collected her number, and then walked toward the waiting area.

The seats were filled with young women around twenty years old, the youngest probably only sixteen or seventeen. Their faces betrayed barely concealed nervousness, and the atmosphere was palpably tense.

Jiang Tian found a seat and sat down.

Her tall stature, long legs, and striking beauty drew many glances, but they were quickly averted.

At this moment, no one had the energy to focus on others. They could only anxiously rehearse lyrics and dance moves in their heads while waiting for the auditions to begin.

After contestant number one was called in, the tension in the waiting area instantly heightened.

Ten minutes later, contestant number one emerged, looking utterly drained, as if she hadn’t performed well, yet her eyes inexplicably shone with excitement.

All eyes immediately turned toward her, filled with curiosity, making her visibly uncomfortable.

“Teacher… Teacher Qi is in there,” she whispered, revealing a small piece of information before hurriedly leaving under the staff’s urging.

But that tidbit sent shockwaves through the waiting area, eliciting gasps from many.

In the entertainment industry, within Puxing Entertainment, who else could be referred to as “Teacher Qi”?

“Ahhh, I love Qi Puzhi so much!” one fan couldn’t contain her excitement and let out a hushed squeal, sparking murmurs of agreement.

“Worth it,” another girl said. “Even if I don’t pass the audition, just getting to see Teacher Qi makes it worth it.”

With this unexpected development, the oppressive atmosphere in the waiting area lightened somewhat.

“Number five.”

Jiang Tian stood up and walked through the door under everyone’s gaze.

The audition room was a spacious dance studio with all the curtains drawn, brightly lit by overhead lights.

But even brighter than the lights was the woman seated at the center of the judges’ table.

She wore the latest autumn collection from a luxury brand she endorsed, dressed in soft lavender tones, a cropped jacket and a short skirt that accentuated her fair skin and breathtaking beauty.

When Jiang Tian’s eyes met Qi Puzhi’s, the woman curled her lips into a meaningful smile.

“Jiang Tian,” she said, feigning formality as she read the name from the list, as if the two had never met before. “Introduce yourself.”

The other judges froze, swallowing back whatever they had been about to say.

Qi Puzhi was usually so busy she barely had time to breathe, making it impossible for her to attend preliminary auditions. Thus, her presence hadn’t been part of the original plan.

But after a Stellar Path planning meeting, she had suddenly expressed interest in assessing the contestants’ potential.

“Stellar Path’s success is crucial for Puxing,” she had said with utmost seriousness from her high seat. “I need to oversee it personally, so I’ll drop by for a few auditions in the final round.”

She had insisted that a simple chair in the corner would suffice, but the production team would never dare arrange it so casually. They immediately placed her at the center of the judges’ panel.

For the first few auditions, she had remained completely silent, leading the judges to assume she was merely observing or perhaps unimpressed.

But now, she had taken the initiative to speak, as if she intended to personally conduct the audition.

The lead judge couldn’t help but grow curious. He straightened in his seat, studying contestant number five intently.

At first glance, the young woman had ethereal features, an upright posture, a calm expression, and an exceptional aura.

She truly had the makings of a star.

Jiang Tian’s gaze swept politely and confidently over each judge before finally settling on the woman at the center.

“Good afternoon, esteemed judges. My name is Jiang Tian.”

She completed her self-introduction unhurriedly, finishing just seconds before the timer ran out.

The chief interviewer nodded inwardly, a graduate from the composition department of a world-renowned music conservatory, years of dance training, and numerous prestigious awards under her belt.

Judging by her resume alone, her participation in this talent show seemed almost wasteful.

The chief interviewer pondered, glancing subtly at a certain influential figure beside him, hesitating whether to proceed with the routine questions.

Then Qi Puzhi spoke again, addressing the young woman: “What have you prepared to showcase?”

“I have both dance and vocal performances,” Jiang Tian replied.

After a moment’s thought, Qi Puzhi made her choice: “Let’s see the dance first.”

The performance track had been uploaded in advance. A staff member operated the computer, and soon the music began.

Qi Puzhi knew Jiang Tian practiced classical dance.

Unfamiliar with dance genres herself, she had been privately speculating about the “street dance” listed on the resume, perhaps there was a softer subgenre that shared similarities with classical dance?

But when the powerful drumbeats and adrenaline-pumping music erupted, she froze momentarily.

And from that moment on, she never looked away.

At the final drumbeat of the intro, Jiang Tian pulled up her hood, then launched into sharp, precise movements that perfectly matched the rapid-fire rhythm.

Her core stability was impeccable, every muscle and joint in her body seemed to move at her command as she danced to the music.

After a series of dazzling floor moves, she sprang back up without using her hands for support, executing high-difficulty maneuvers with effortless grace that flowed like a spring breeze.

During a crisp spin, the hem of her sweatshirt lifted slightly, revealing beautifully defined abs.

Youthful, bold, vibrant, and utterly captivating.

There was something feral in her movements dangerous yet mesmerizing.

Qi Puzhi’s lips pressed together slightly.

Whenever Jiang Tian faced the judges’ table, her gaze remained locked onto Qi Puzhi. With each sharp, stylish move, her eyes shifted, sometimes watchful, sometimes predatory.

Qi Puzhi’s heart clenched as fragments of that night’s memories surfaced, Jiang Tian had looked at her exactly like this before, though she’d dismissed it as part of her dream.

The music ended.

Jiang Tian held her final challenging pose for a beat before pushing up smoothly to stand perfectly balanced.

Pulling down her hood, her long curls remained surprisingly neat, only a few strands clung damply to her skin, creating an aura of steamy sensuality.

After such an intense performance, she was barely winded, her breathing steadying quickly.

Perhaps stunned by the display, the judges remained silent for a long moment.

Finally collecting himself, the chief interviewer cleared his throat. “That was extremely professional. Your final move resembled Bruce’s latest original style.”

Bruce was a legend in street dance, having created many iconic moves. While fine for private auditions, using such material on broadcast would require copyright clearance.

He meant to offer friendly advice, but Jiang Tian nodded calmly and replied, “I studied under Bruce.”

The chief interviewer’s words died in his throat.

What kind of heavyweight was this? Had she come to humble the competition?

“Any other questions from the judges?” he asked procedurally.

Silence.

The chief interviewer glanced at the other heavyweight beside him, the one who hadn’t spoken since the dance ended.

Then the figure stirred slightly and said softly, “Let’s hear your vocal performance now.”

“Of course,” Jiang Tian responded, her eyes fixed on Qi Puzhi as the corners of her lips curved slightly.

She walked into the interview room with an expressionless, cool, and aloof demeanor, perhaps conserving her energy for the dance performance.

But now, as she relaxed, a hint of a smile flickered in her eyes, causing the lead interviewer to pause mid-thought:

Contestant No. 5 would actually be great for shipping, just one casual smile and it already looks like there’s boundless affection.

As a member of the Starlight Journey production team, he immediately noted this down, deciding to discuss it with the director later.

Qi Puzhi, however, felt a bit like she’d been tricked. She didn’t respond to Jiang Tian’s gaze, instead crossing her arms and waiting to hear her sing.

When Jiang Tian crouched down to pull a guitar from her black backpack, Qi Puzhi couldn’t help but wonder Is this kid about to go wild again, headbanging through a rock song?

Fortunately, Jiang Tian didn’t do that.

Holding the guitar, she adjusted the microphone height, and as she plucked the strings to tune it, her demeanor settled back into that familiar, well-behaved gentleness.

Then she lifted her gaze, looking straight at Qi Puzhi, and softly sang.

“I don’t know you, but I want you.”

Falling Slowly was a tender song, one Qi Puzhi had loved when she first watched the movie.

Jiang Tian’s voice carried a quiet coolness laced with warmth, her American pronunciation smooth and lingering. The way she looked at Qi Puzhi was so focused and tender it didn’t feel like an audition, but more like a love confession through song.

From the sharp, powerful dance to this soft, lyrical performance, two entirely different personas and styles, yet both seemed to come so naturally to Jiang Tian.

When Jiang Tian finished and left the interview room, the others outside cast glances her way before quickly looking away again.

Qi Puzhi didn’t leave immediately, staying to observe two more contestants, though she didn’t speak again.

Her eyes may have been on the stage, but her thoughts had drifted far away.

Perhaps it was the stark contrast to Jiang Tian’s usual obedient, easy-to-handle demeanor, but the intensity of her dance and the look in her eyes lingered vividly in Qi Puzhi’s mind.

Which one is the real Jiang Tian?

As she pondered this, another thought inexplicably surfaced If I hadn’t impulsively decided to join the judging panel, would Jiang Tian have sung that song with the same tenderness while gazing at whoever was sitting in the center seat?

A strange feeling rose in her chest, but she quickly suppressed it.

Before Contestant No. 8 entered, Qi Puzhi excused herself, citing urgent work matters.

When she pushed open the interview room door, a crowd of young girls turned to look then erupted into excited screams.

Qi Puzhi greeted them warmly, offering a few words of encouragement before her gaze briefly flickered toward a certain someone.

Still here even after the audition?

She gave a subtle hint with her eyes, then gracefully extricated herself from the enthusiastic crowd.

Moments later, Jiang Tian appeared at the private elevator on the other side of the tenth floor, where Qi Puzhi’s new assistant was already waiting.

After being escorted to the 22nd floor, Qi Puzhi emerged from the CEO’s office, carrying a handbag as if she had work to rush off to.

Seeing Jiang Tian approach, she paused and instructed her new assistant to wait by the elevator.

“You stayed after the audition did you have something to say?”

Watching Jiang Tian slip back into that docile, devoted girlfriend act, Qi Puzhi felt a complicated mix of emotions.

“Mm.” Jiang Tian stared at her unblinkingly. “Sister, that song just now… wasn’t actually part of my prepared audition material.”

Qi Puzhi quickly realized: “You mean you changed it on the spot after seeing me?”

Before the interview, applicants had to declare the music tracks they needed the staff to play. However, since the guitar was self-accompanied, Jiang Tian only needed to declare “guitar performance with singing.”

“Yes.”

Qi Puzhi looked up at her and remained silent for a while before saying, “You waited for me to come out just to tell me this?”

“Mhm.” Jiang Tian’s gaze was earnest. “I kind of wanted you to know.”

The slight entanglement in Qi Puzhi’s heart dissipated after hearing Jiang Tian’s words.

Pursing her lips, Qi Puzhi studied her, feeling a faint flicker of pleasure stirring within though of course, she refused to admit she cared about such a trivial matter.

So she nodded casually and said, “Got it. Anything else you need to tell me?”

She was hinting at Jiang Tian’s drastic change in style, but the other girl looked utterly innocent. “Tell you what?”

Qi Puzhi’s eyelashes fluttered slightly.

Indeed, Jiang Tian had only showcased street dance, and even an amateur could tell she was exceptionally good at it.

It wasn’t like she could say, Your eyes just now looked the same as that night like you wanted to devour me, right?

In the end, Qi Puzhi could only ask vaguely, “Did you learn both classical dance and street dance at the same time?”

But Jiang Tian paused, looking puzzled. “What classical dance?”

The moment she finished speaking, she seemed to realize something and chuckled. “Sister, did you hear that from my dad when he was drunk?”

“Not a single word of that is believable.”