After Being Bound to the Scummy Alpha System, I Became Famous Thanks to My Face Blindness - Chapter 20

The days of training passed quickly, and before anyone realized it, there were only three days left until the live performance.

Although things between Tang Ling and Tan Shiyi had grown awkward and confusing again, fans online were in absolute chaos—because Acorn Entertainment’s new digital magazine, Fire, had just been released.

The e-magazine was priced affordably—only ten yuan—well within reach even for students. Many enthusiastic fans even bought multiple copies to boost sales. On the very first day of release, sales exceeded a hundred thousand.

The internet was flooded with glowing reviews:

“I refuse to believe there’s a single Tang Shi fan who hasn’t read Fire yet! Go order it. Right now. Immediately!”

“Tang Ling’s new hairstyle! SO BEAUTIFUL! Absolutely stunning! Deserves the title of the most A Alpha in the entire Beidou Star! ❤️🔥”

“Aaaaahhh Tang Shi killed me, I’m deceased 😭😭😭”

“No but seriously, those photos are way too suggestive! Wet white shirts? I can’t breathe, Acorn Entertainment really knows what they’re doing 😭😭😭”

“The interview section is the real gem! So, what exactly happened on May 2nd? Were they really just playing Gomoku?! I don’t believe it!”

“How could Boss Tang forget Shishi’s birthday! Unacceptable behavior! Severe criticism!”

At the Tang Residence.

Even Father Tang and Mother Tang had bought the digital magazine. After scrolling through the comments, their reactions couldn’t have been more different.

Mother Tang kept swiping through the photos, smiling in satisfaction. “So, this is the little girlfriend you mentioned before? She looks adorable! Such a good match for our Lingling, and they seem so close too. You said you were looking into her family background, right? What did you find?”

Father Tang hesitated before replying, “The girl’s background is rather pitiful—she lost her parents and grew up in an orphanage. Her character seems fine, and she’s quite motivated. But, Tingting,” He paused, frowning. “They’re not even officially together yet, and they’re already taking those kinds of photos. Isn’t that a bit inappropriate?”

Mother Tang waved him off. “Oh, what’s the harm? I think they look great! You’re just old-fashioned. Kids these days all go for this kind of pure-yet-sensual aesthetic. Have you seen how many people online are calling them a perfect match?”

Father Tang still found the photos indecent—scandalous, even—but since his wife liked them, he decided to keep quiet. To spare his eyes, he simply skipped ahead to the interview portion.

Mother Tang read along and chuckled. “So that’s why our Lingling didn’t come home over the May Day holiday—she was too busy dating! But really, how could she forget Shishi’s birthday? She deserves a good scolding!”

Father Tang agreed that Tang Ling’s attitude was disappointing. Forgetting the girl’s birthday was one thing, but trying to cover it up with a clumsy excuse? That didn’t sound like the daughter he knew.

Mother Tang then opened the Beidou Star voting page. “Lingling’s ranking in the public vote has already climbed to seventh place. I remember the show only debuts nine contestants, right? Does that mean she actually has a chance to debut?”

Father Tang was stunned. “She’s ranked that high already?”

Originally, they had only sent Tang Ling to the Beidou Star training camp to build some discipline—she had been lazing around at home with nothing to do. Neither parent ever imagined she’d come this far.

Now that she was on the verge of debuting, they had to seriously consider her future.

Personally, Father Tang wasn’t thrilled about the idea of his daughter entering showbiz. To him, the entertainment industry was a chaotic world full of vanity and temptation. His daughter, already not the strongest in moral judgment, could easily be led astray.

Still, he knew it was ultimately her choice to make.

Mother Tang smiled and suggested, “Old Tang, why don’t we invite Lingling and Shishi over for dinner? We can have a nice chat and see what she plans to do next. It’s been almost two months since she left for training. I really miss that girl.”

Father Tang found the idea reasonable. The training camp didn’t seem overly strict; taking a short leave should be fine.

“I’ll have Xiao Xu make the arrangements,” he said. “Tell the kitchen to prepare all of Lingling’s favorite dishes.”

Mother Tang laughed. “Do you even need to say that?”

That afternoon, Tang Ling received a call from Ah Tong.

Ah Tong was baffled. Ever since Tang Ling entered the training camp, they’d barely been in touch—but every time they did talk, it somehow involved Tan Shiyi.

And the way things escalated each time was wild: one day she was drugging the girl, the next she was helping her solve a case, and now—what, inviting her home for dinner?

The most absurd part was that the invitation didn’t even come from Tang Ling herself—it came from Father Tang.

Ah Tong cautiously asked, “A’ling, what’s going on between you and Tan Shiyi lately?”

Tang Ling sounded confused. “We’re fine, I guess? Why?”

Ah Tong replied, “I just got a call from Assistant Xu. Apparently, Chairman Tang and Madam Tang want you to bring Tan Shiyi home for dinner.”

Tang Ling: “?”

Tang Ling: “Are you sure thet want me to bring Tan Shiyi along?”

Ah Tong replied, “Exactly! That’s what I’m wondering about. Did something happen between the two of you recently?”

It felt like a lot had happened—and yet nothing at all. Tang Ling couldn’t quite figure it out. Even if her parents had asked her to invite Pu Xiaoyu over for dinner, she probably wouldn’t be half as confused.

“I’ll ask Shiyi,” she said, “but she might not agree.”

“Then go ask her opinion,” Ah Tong said. “Once she agrees, I’ll help you apply for leave. Just take half a day off—it won’t affect your training.”

After hanging up, Tang Ling sat there, dazed.

Never mind that she had no idea why her parents suddenly wanted to invite Tan Shiyi to their house—the real problem was, from what position was she supposed to invite her?

As a teammate? Hey teammate, my parents want you to come over for dinner? That sounded way too weird.

As a friend? She wasn’t even sure if they counted as friends.

After all, what kind of friend randomly helps increase your “Scummy Alpha” points?

Tang Ling felt like her hairline was in danger. She grabbed her jacket, threw it on, ran a hand through her messy hair, and knocked on Tan Shiyi’s door.

The door opened quickly.

Tan Shiyi blinked in surprise when she saw Tang Ling standing there, then lowered her gaze. “It’s you.”

Tang Ling scratched her head. “Uh, can I come in for a moment?”

Tan Shiyi stepped aside to let her in. “What’s the matter?”

The more Tang Ling thought about it, the stranger it seemed, and the harder it was to bring up. After hesitating for a moment, she asked vaguely, “Shiyi, would you say we’re friends now?”

Tan Shiyi hadn’t expected that question. It sounded exactly like one of those setups before someone tried to borrow money or scam you. If she hadn’t seen Tang Ling standing right there, she might’ve asked if this was really her.

“I guess so, why?”

Tang Ling tried to act calm but couldn’t quite meet her eyes. “Well, it’s like this—I’m not really sure what’s going on either. My parents want to bring me home today, and, uh, they also want to invite you over for dinner.”

“Invite me?” Tan Shiyi widened her eyes.

“Yeah, but don’t overthink it! My parents are decent people—they won’t make you do anything weird. I think they must’ve seen our performance and the photoshoot and assumed we were close friends, so they want to meet you. Um, if you don’t want to go, you can totally say no. Haha, no pressure.”

Tan Shiyi listened quietly, watching Tang Ling fumble through her explanation. “Do you want me to go?” she asked softly.

Tang Ling hadn’t actually thought about that. After all, since she’d transmigrated into this world, she hadn’t even met her new “parents” yet—she had no idea what to expect.

But maybe with Tan Shiyi there, she’d feel a little more at ease?

Tang Ling nodded earnestly. “Of course I want you to come. I’ll feel much calmer with you there.”

Tan Shiyi had heard rumors that Tang Ling didn’t get along with her father—that they’d even quarreled publicly more than once. But after getting to know Tang Ling herself, she found the girl nothing like the stubborn, reckless image painted by gossip. If anything, that said more about her father than her.

She wasn’t entirely comfortable letting Tang Ling go home alone. If things turned ugly and word got out, it could hurt not only the upcoming performance but also the public image Tang Ling had worked so hard to rebuild.

Lowering her gaze, Tan Shiyi said, “I’ll go with you. But, I don’t have any gifts prepared for your parents. Is that okay?”

Tang Ling waved it off immediately. “That’s fine! They’ll be happy just to see you. I rarely bring anyone home.”

And the last time she did, it had been someone like Jiang Manli—enough to give her father a headache for days.

Tan Shiyi looked away. “Then I’ll pack a few things. How are we getting there? Are you arranging the leave?”

Tang Ling nodded. “Yeah, Ah Tong will take care of it. Someone will pick us up later. Don’t be nervous—just think of it as a short break. Come hang out with me at home.”

Tan Shiyi nodded softly. “Alright.”