After Being Bound to the Scummy Alpha System, I Became Famous Thanks to My Face Blindness - Chapter 44

After much discussion, the initial positioning for Heart of the Sea Breeze was finally decided: Tang Ling and Tan Shiyi would take the double-center spots.

Since this was an original song, there were no existing videos to reference, and all the choreography had to be created from scratch.

Fortunately, except for Fu Xin, everyone else had a solid foundation in dance, so choreographing the moves wasn’t too difficult.

The next day happened to be Tan Shiyi’s commercial shoot, so she wouldn’t be in the practice room. He Junnian took charge of leading the others in rehearsing the choreography.

When the girls heard that Tan Shiyi was off filming an endorsement, they were genuinely happy for her.

Everyone except Tang Ling.

For some reason, her heart felt strangely hollow and restless.

She’d never felt this way before. It wasn’t as if she and Tan Shiyi had never been apart—during the fourth performance, they were placed in different groups and only met at night—but back then, she had never felt this uneasy simply because Tan Shiyi wasn’t around.

Yet now, she couldn’t shake off a sense of impending loss, a fear that Tan Shiyi might drift farther and farther away from her.

And it wasn’t as if she could blame anyone—after all, she had brought all this upon herself. She was the one who had pushed Tan Shiyi away with her own hands.

Tang Ling couldn’t help retracing where it all went wrong.

It had started with her wanting to raise her “Scummy Alpha” value, to heal her arm faster.

But even if her arm hadn’t recovered—so what?

Even if she couldn’t go on stage, even if her popularity declined, even if she couldn’t debut—was all this truly worth it?

Then, when her Scummy Alpha value plummeted and she faced the risk of devolving into an N-class Omega, she shamelessly laid hands on Tan Shiyi.

Served her right—she truly deserved every bit of this.

No sane, decent person would have done something so selfish.

And yet, she couldn’t stop thinking: that night, had she really only been using Tan Shiyi?

When Tan Shiyi bared her heart with such sincerity, had she truly felt nothing?

If that was the case, why was she now in such torment, trapped in this gnawing confusion?

Worse still, Tan Shiyi was now working with Pu Xiaoyu—the same Pu Xiaoyu who, in the book, was originally Tan Shiyi’s destined partner.

Maybe Tan Shiyi’s feelings for her had only been a passing mistake. In the end, she’d probably go back to Pu Xiaoyu.

After all, Pu Xiaoyu was a respected industry veteran, a skilled actress, and the real daughter of the Tang family. Compared to her, Pu Xiaoyu was gentler, more attentive, more considerate.

No matter how she looked at it, the two of them simply fit better together.

The thought made Tang Ling’s chest tighten with irritation.

Her movement faltered, and her arm slammed into the barre.

“Ah!” She winced and clutched her arm in pain.

The girls rushed over in alarm.

“Tang Ling, are you okay? Did you hit your injury?”

“Should we take off the bandage and check if it’s torn?”

“Does it hurt a lot? Should we go to the hospital?”

“It’s fine, it doesn’t hurt that much,” Tang Ling said quickly. “Let’s keep practicing.”

Fu Xin looked worried. “Are you sure you don’t need a break? You look really pale.”

Tang Ling forced a faint smile. “I’m fine, really. Don’t worry about me.”

The girls exchanged glances. They could all sense that something subtle had changed between Tang Ling and Tan Shiyi these past two days, but since Tang Ling insisted she was fine, they had no right to press further.

Meanwhile, Tan Shiyi arrived at the set.

The studio was bustling, crew members hurrying about as they prepared the backdrop. Not far away, Pu Xiaoyu was having her makeup done. Spotting Tan Shiyi’s reflection in the mirror, she turned and waved with a warm smile.

Tan Shiyi walked over. “Miss Pu, you’re here so early?”

Pu Xiaoyu let the makeup artist continue working as she replied casually, “Not too early—you’re early too.”

She studied Tan Shiyi’s face for a moment, then smiled. “You look much better today. Your energy seems back.”

Tan Shiyi froze briefly before lowering her gaze. “Thank you for your concern, Miss Pu.”

“There’s no need to be shy,” Pu Xiaoyu said kindly. “It’s normal to have off days. But if you ever need to talk about something, you can tell me.”

Tan Shiyi didn’t respond, quietly taking her seat at a nearby vanity as the staff guided her to the makeup station.

The swimwear brand they were endorsing had two major lines: “Clouds Above” and “Moonlight Beneath.”

The Clouds Above series focused on elegant maturity, while Moonlight Beneath embodied pure seduction.

Naturally, Pu Xiaoyu represented the former, while Tan Shiyi embodied the latter.

Their makeup styles reflected that contrast perfectly.

The makeup artist styled Tan Shiyi with soft French bangs and a light, dewy look. Pale chestnut brows, warm pink-brown lenses, a touch of lavender blush and highlight that made her cheeks glow—and a few delicate beauty marks added for charm.

With her golden hair framing her face, she looked every bit the picture of “pure and tempting.”

Pu Xiaoyu, on the other hand, exuded confident allure. Her sleek black short hair, bold dark brows, and sharp eyeliner framed her refined features, while her crimson lips lent her an air of commanding elegance.

After their makeup was done, the two headed to the changing room to put on their swimsuits.

Each had several sets to model.

Tan Shiyi’s first outfit was a white cross-laced bikini with a sheer bow at the chest, paired with a cropped cover-up. It looked angelic—innocent yet subtly alluring—but wearing it made her cheeks burn.

At heart, she was still a little conservative, uneasy about showing so much skin in front of a full crew.

She checked herself in the mirror several times before finally stepping out.

Pu Xiaoyu was already waiting outside.

She was wearing a black, European-style one-piece swimsuit—sophisticated, striking, and a perfect foil to Tan Shiyi’s soft white ensemble.

Pu Xiaoyu’s eyes lit up. “That looks great on you. Really beautiful.”

Tan Shiyi replied softly, “Thank you, Miss Pu.”

Then came the photoshoot.

The photographer began directing their poses, guiding the two women to strike different stances—one exuding elegance and composure, the other, a fragile kind of charm.

Since this was a swimsuit photoshoot, the overall tone had to lean toward sensuality. The photographer’s directions were equally suggestive, which made Tan Shiyi a little self-conscious. She tried to avoid making eye contact with Pu Xiaoyu.

Unbidden, she remembered the last time she’d done a shoot like this — a digital magazine feature for Acorn Entertainment, which she had shot together with Tang Ling.

That photoshoot had been even more suggestive than this one, yet she hadn’t felt uncomfortable at all back then — just a little shy.

Maybe she had already fallen for Tang Ling at that time.

Pu Xiaoyu lifted her chin with a fingertip. “What are you thinking about?”

Instinctively, Tan Shiyi tried to pull away, but then she heard the photographer calling from a distance, “Perfect—hold that pose! Xiao Tan, interact with her naturally. Pretend the camera isn’t even there.”

Tan Shiyi had no choice but to meet Pu Xiaoyu’s gaze. “It’s nothing.”

Pu Xiaoyu smiled. “Why do you look so reluctant? You make it seem like I’m forcing you.”

Tan Shiyi couldn’t possibly admit that she really was uncomfortable. “Not at all, you’re overthinking.”

Pu Xiaoyu chuckled. “Maybe drop the formalities? I don’t want to sound like a stranger to you.”

“But you’re my senior,” Tan Shiyi replied.

Pu Xiaoyu sighed softly, feigning regret. “So just because I’m your senior, that means I can’t have the upper hand?”

Tan Shiyi blinked. “I don’t really understand what you mean.”

From across the set, the photographer called out again, “Okay, next pose! Xiao Pu, put an arm around Xiao Tan from behind—like you’re whispering something in her ear.”

Pu Xiaoyu naturally wrapped an arm around Tan Shiyi’s shoulder, leaning close to her ear. “I’ll tell you later,” she murmured.

The shoot went on until late afternoon. The commercial was being filmed inside a nearby aquarium, and during the session, they even got to interact with dolphins and seals, which helped Tan Shiyi relax a little.

She had never visited an aquarium before, so everything here felt novel and fascinating.

After wrapping up, she changed back into her own clothes, but her gaze kept wandering around the place, reluctant to leave.

Seeing this, Pu Xiaoyu took the initiative to tell Tan Shiyi’s assistant, “You all head back first. It’s a rare chance to have the place all to ourselves. I’ll show Shiyi around a bit, then take her to dinner before sending her back.”

Tan Shiyi immediately refused. “That’s all right, I still have practice tonight. The others are waiting for me.”

“Come on,” Pu Xiaoyu said with a smile. “The whole aquarium is booked out. You really want to waste such a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity?”

Tan Shiyi hesitated. The dim, tranquil environment did help her unwind—something she hadn’t managed to do in days.

Although she didn’t particularly want to spend time alone with Pu Xiaoyu, the thought of going back and facing Tang Ling was even less appealing.

She glanced uncertainly at her assistant.

The assistant, understanding the situation, said, “We’ll be fine knowing Miss Pu is with you. Go ahead and have a look around, just don’t stay too late. Give us a call when you’re heading back.”

Pu Xiaoyu winked at her. “Shall we? Which section do you want to visit first?”

“I’m not sure what are the sections?” Tan Shiyi asked.

“How about we grab a visitor’s guide and see?” Pu Xiaoyu suggested.

They went to get a map and browsed through the aquarium layout together.

The first place Tan Shiyi wanted to see was the penguin exhibit.

There was a penguin feeding experience available — usually with a long line — but since the aquarium was closed to the public that day, she could go straight in after putting on a protective suit.

Following the staff’s instructions, Tan Shiyi carried a small bucket of fish into the feeding room. Four little penguins waddled toward her at once, flapping their wings eagerly for food.

Her heart melted instantly. For the first time in days, a genuine smile spread across her face. She was about to call Pu Xiaoyu over to join her when she noticed that Pu Xiaoyu was busy taking photos of her instead.

Tan Shiyi felt a twinge of discomfort. “What are you taking pictures of?”

“Of you feeding the penguins,” Pu Xiaoyu said easily, without trying to hide it.

“There’s nothing worth photographing,” Tan Shiyi murmured, lowering her gaze. “Please delete them.”

Pu Xiaoyu pocketed her phone and said bluntly, “If I’m not mistaken, you and Tang Ling broke up, didn’t you? In that case, I’ll just be direct—would you give me a chance?”