After Being Bound to the Scummy Alpha System, I Became Famous Thanks to My Face Blindness - Chapter 43

When Pu Xiaoyu spotted Tang Ling, she cast a meaningful look at Tan Shiyi.

“Waiting for you?” she asked.

Tan Shiyi shifted her gaze aside and crossed her arms. “I don’t know.”

It was a classic defensive gesture—proof that something delicate and uncertain had formed between them. Pu Xiaoyu noted it with quiet amusement, then smiled as she greeted Tang Ling.

“Long time no see, Tang Ling.”

Tang Ling quickened her pace to meet her. “Miss Pu, what brings you here?”

“I’m here for work,” Pu Xiaoyu replied casually. “This time, Shiyi and I both landed the same endorsement deal. I asked her to show me around your training center while I’m here. It’s quite big—nice place.”

Tang Ling’s heart tensed. She kept her expression politely curious. “The same endorsement? What’s it for?”

“A swimwear brand,” Pu Xiaoyu said, lips curving faintly. “The company noticed us through Summer Equation and wants to shoot a commercial. Honestly, if you hadn’t hurt your arm, the gig might’ve been yours. How’s your recovery, by the way?”

“It’s almost healed,” Tang Ling replied, a strange irritation creeping into her chest. She didn’t want to imagine Tan Shiyi and Pu Xiaoyu filming a swimsuit commercial together. “When’s the shoot? How long will it take?”

Pu Xiaoyu had just opened her mouth to answer when Tan Shiyi cut in coolly, “What does that have to do with you?”

Tang Ling immediately deflated. “I—I was just worried it might affect our training schedule.”

“I can manage my own time,” Tan Shiyi said coldly. “You don’t have to concern yourself.”

Tang Ling hurried to appease her. “Alright, as long as you have it handled. I trust you.”

Pu Xiaoyu looked between them with clear amusement. “If I didn’t have such a tight schedule today, I’d really love to sit down and catch up with you both.”

Tang Ling resisted the urge to roll her eyes. Catch up? It had barely been twenty days since they last saw each other—what “catching up” could there possibly be?

Tan Shiyi clearly wasn’t in the mood either. “You should get going, Miss Pu. We’ll talk another time.”

After watching Pu Xiaoyu walk off, Tan Shiyi turned and headed straight toward the dorms, completely ignoring Tang Ling beside her.

Tang Ling refused to be treated like air. She hurried after her. “Shiyi! Wait, please don’t go. I’ve finished the song—can you take a look?”

Tan Shiyi stopped and glanced back at her, then wordlessly took the stack of papers Tang Ling held out.

Tang Ling wet her lips, visibly nervous. “I wrote several versions and brought them all. My favorite one’s marked with green highlighter. I tried composing a bit in the dorm earlier, but some transitions felt awkward, so I made small revisions. Could you check it?”

Tan Shiyi flipped through the pages briefly. “Got it. I’ll review it later.”

She turned to leave again.

Tang Ling grabbed her wrist. “Shiyi!”

Tan Shiyi looked back, irritation flickering in her eyes. “What else do you want?”

Tang Ling froze, words catching in her throat. How could she possibly explain? Even if she confessed that she was a transmigrator bound to a ridiculous system forcing her to increase her “Scummy Alpha Value,” Tan Shiyi would never believe her—she’d probably think Tang Ling had lost her mind.

“I don’t know how to make up for what I’ve done to hurt you,” Tang Ling said softly, “but what I said this morning truly wasn’t from my heart. I have reasons I can’t explain. But I swear, I never meant you harm. I never wanted to toy with your feelings.”

Tan Shiyi listened quietly, not interrupting. When Tang Ling finished, she asked in a calm voice, “Are you done explaining?”

Tang Ling’s eyes brightened with hope. “Everything I said is true. Please, just give me one more chance to earn your trust.”

Tan Shiyi’s next words hit like a blade. “Then answer me this” she said. “I like you. Do you like me?”

“I.” Tang Ling faltered.

To her, Tan Shiyi was undeniably special—the person she had spent the most time with in this world, the one she was closest to. But after learning of Tan Shiyi’s feelings just last night, and after everything that had happened that morning, she hadn’t even had time to process her own emotions.

She couldn’t bring herself to utter an empty promise just to comfort her. That would only deceive Tan Shiyi and hurt her even more deeply.

Tan Shiyi smiled faintly, a touch of self-mockery in her expression. “I understand.”

Tang Ling’s heart clenched. “Please, just give me a little time. Let me give you a real answer.”

Tan Shiyi laughed bitterly. “Tang Ling, I might be easy to fool, but I’m not a fool. What makes you think I’ll keep letting you push and pull me around? Do you really see me as someone you can summon or dismiss at will?”

“I’ve never thought that,” Tang Ling said anxiously. “You’ve always been pure, untouchable to me. Please don’t talk about yourself like that.”

“Enough,” Tan Shiyi interrupted quietly. She shook her head. “Tang Ling, let me go. I’m tired.”

Taking a long breath to steady herself, she turned and walked away.

Tang Ling stood frozen. Watching Tan Shiyi’s slender, solitary figure disappear down the corridor, a fierce impulse surged through her—to run after her, to hold her tight, to keep her from leaving.

But given who she was now, she no longer had the right.

All she could do was stand there like a statue, watching until Tan Shiyi vanished from sight.

Work on the group’s project continued. Tan Shiyi selected the most polished of Tang Ling’s compositions and brought in He Junnian and Fu Xin to work on the arrangement, spending long nights fine-tuning every detail.

He Junnian, puzzled, asked, “Why me? Wouldn’t it make more sense to have Tang Ling help? She’s way better at music theory than I am.”

“She’s still injured,” Tan Shiyi replied evenly. “No need to overwork her.”

He Junnian thought about it, then nodded. Sounded reasonable enough.

Tang Ling’s arm, of course, had already healed. She didn’t even bother wrapping it anymore. Even though Tan Shiyi excluded her from the arrangement sessions, she couldn’t help worrying about their progress—and secretly gathered updates through Fu Xin.

Fu Xin, a bit baffled, asked, “Why are you asking me instead of Shiyi directly?”

Tang Ling gave the same excuse. “She doesn’t want me straining my arm, but I’m fine now. Could you maybe pass along some of my suggestions? You don’t have to mention they’re from me.”

Fu Xin nodded, happy to play messenger.

But her cover didn’t last long. Normally known for her sugary pop style, Fu Xin suddenly began suggesting all sorts of rock-inspired techniques—the exact style Tang Ling excelled at.

Tan Shiyi saw right through it but said nothing. She simply reviewed every suggestion objectively, keeping what worked and discarding the rest.

After two exhausting days and nights, the arrangement was finally complete.

That evening, Su Mengzhi was discharged from the hospital and returned from S City.

The girls gathered together in the dorm, eager to hear the finished instrumental of “Heart of the Sea Breeze.”

The track overflowed with oceanic sounds—crashing waves, whistling wind, distant seabirds, footsteps in the sand, and even the soft drizzle from that night at the shore—perfectly capturing their shared memories.

They hummed along as it played, and when it ended, they all jumped up in excitement.

“Oh my god, it’s so good! I can’t believe we wrote this!”

“I’m going to cry. I never thought I’d actually compose music someday!”

“Not to brag, but I seriously think we can win first place this time! Our names are going to be listed as the song’s composers, right?”

Tan Shiyi smiled slightly. “Do you think anything still needs fixing? If not, we’ll start choreographing to this version.”

Everyone agreed it was already perfect.

Fu Xin asked, “So how are we dividing stage positions? Is Tang Ling okay to perform yet?”

Tang Ling quickly said, “My arm’s fine now—it won’t affect training. Just give me a spot off to the side.”

Tan Shiyi nodded absentmindedly. “Alright, you can stand at the edge. Let’s plan the rest of the formation.”

When she looked up again, she realized everyone was staring at her.

“What?” she asked. “Why are you all looking at me like that?”

Xiao Rong scratched her head awkwardly. “Shiyi, I think you and Tang Ling should take the double center again. I know it feels a bit awkward to keep selling that CP image, but you two are the most popular—it’d boost our group’s visibility.”

Fu Xin nodded in agreement. “Yeah, without you two, we wouldn’t get nearly as much attention. And poor Tang Ling’s been working so hard even while injured.”

Tan Shiyi, of course, knew that pairing them as dual centers was the most practical choice—but still.

She sighed softly and looked over at Tang Ling. “What do you think?”

Tang Ling met her gaze head-on. “Give me a chance,” she said quietly. “I’ll give it everything I have.”