After Being Bound to the Scummy Alpha System, I Became Famous Thanks to My Face Blindness - Chapter 5

The air was thick with tension, the faint scent of gunpowder hanging between them.

Seeing the two in front of her about to explode, Tang Ling hurried to smooth things over.

“Alright, alright, everyone’s tired today. Let’s all head back to the dorm and rest early, okay?”

“Fine.” Xia Yutong decided to back off while she could. “A’ling, see you tomorrow.”

She slung her bag over her shoulder and walked away with effortless flair.

Tang Ling was left standing there, awkward and alone.

Tan Shiyi gave her a look. “Aren’t you leaving?”

“Leaving, right now.” It was the first time Tang Ling had been alone with Tan Shiyi since that day. She subconsciously licked her lips. “So, uh, how have you been lately?”

Tan Shiyi’s almond-shaped eyes flicked toward her, cool and unreadable.

“Just gave Xia Yutong a gift, and now you’re checking in on me? Miss Tang, you’re quite the multitasker.”

Tang Ling: “?”

“It’s not what you think. We’re not even close—I just gave her something small.”

“No need to explain.” Tan Shiyi cut her off. “I chose you purely out of fairness and professionalism. There’s no personal emotion involved. The past is the past. Now, we’re simply colleagues. I hope we can respect each other and bring out the best in one another.”

That sounded way too official. Colleagues. Mutual respect. Mutual success.

“Was that clear enough?”

“Crystal.” Tang Ling straightened up. “What happened before was my fault. Whether or not you forgive me, I owe you a sincere apology. I respect your decision, and I’m grateful that you still trust me. I’ll do my best to cooperate and not cause you any trouble.”

“Good.” Tan Shiyi gave her a long, searching look. “I hope you mean that.”

The next day.

“‘Do my best to cooperate,’ huh.” Tang Ling wanted to cry. “That’s easier said than done.”

She really did want to work well with Tan Shiyi. Unfortunately, wanting to and being able to were two very different things.

Action scenes were hard.

The production had even hired a professional martial arts coach to guide the two of them.

But the moment Tang Ling was strapped into the wire harness, she realized.

She might actually be afraid of heights.

She was barely a meter off the ground when her legs started trembling.

The harness was so tight it dug into her ribs, waist, and hips. It hurt to even stretch, let alone pull off those graceful, swan-like movements the scene demanded. Just keeping her sword from falling to the floor was already a miracle.

From below, the instructor tried to encourage her.

“Tang Ling, be bold, be confident. Open up your body slowly—yes, that’s it. Everyone feels awkward at first. Take your time, good, good.”

Everyone feels awkward at first?

She wasn’t so sure.

Because right across from her, Tan Shiyi was perfect. Every movement precise, fluid, and elegant. She looked like a painting come to life.

Tang Ling consoled herself—Well, that’s the protagonist’s aura. The heroine is supposed to look like that.

Still, she was supposed to be the villainess. Shouldn’t she have some dignity left? Why was she acting like such a coward?

Break time.

Tan Shiyi sat cross-legged on a beanbag in the corner, taking out a slice of purple sweet potato bread from her backpack.

Tang Ling limped over and collapsed into the beanbag beside her.

Tan Shiyi gave her a cool glance. “You’re already worn out?”

Tang Ling groaned miserably. “You have no idea. Everything hurts. My legs don’t even feel like mine anymore. Don’t you feel sore at all?”

Tan Shiyi lowered her gaze. “Maybe I’m just used to hardship.”

Tang Ling froze. She suddenly remembered Tan Shiyi’s backstory from the original novel.

An orphan. The orphanage supported her until she was fourteen, and after that, she had to fend for herself. Most places didn’t hire minors, so she could only take volunteer-type work—cleaning stairwells, bussing tables—earning barely enough to survive.

A pang of sadness pricked Tang Ling’s chest. She almost wanted to reach out and pat Tan Shiyi’s head.

But her rational mind screamed: Don’t you dare. One touch, and your Scummy-A points will plummet again!

Just then, the training room doors swung open. Several girls entered in a lively group, looking around wide-eyed at the high-end equipment.

“A’ling!” someone called out, waving enthusiastically.

Tang Ling’s eyes immediately caught the gleam of a Hermès watch.

Xia Yutong.

And the others must be her teammates.

Today, Xia Yutong had traded her twin ponytails for two sleek boxer braids, giving her an even more playful vibe. She flung herself dramatically at Tang Ling.

“A’ling! Long time no see! I missed you so much!”

Tang Ling nearly choked under the impact. Long time? It’s been what, half a day?

“A’ling, how’s your rehearsal going? Do you have a recording? Can I watch?”

“We just started, so nothing to show yet.” Tang Ling subtly pushed her away. “What brings you here?”

“Our group’s pretty much done rehearsing already, so we came to learn some martial arts moves from the coach.”

Even though Tang Ling and Tan Shiyi were the centerpieces of the fight scene, the other trainees still had their own parts—just without the flying and harnesses.

Tan Shiyi swallowed the last bite of her bread and stood up.

“Since you’re here, let’s start rehearsal. We’ll run through the positions first.”

Xia Yutong blinked. “Shouldn’t the martial arts instructor be the one arranging that?”

Tan Shiyi glanced toward the coach, who was taking a break nearby.

“I already memorized what the instructor explained. We’ll start with the simpler moves on our own. If anything feels off, we can ask for corrections later.”

Her eyes swept quickly over the group.

“Ying Keren, you stand here. Yes. Gu Ruxuan, over there. He Junnian, enter from this direction.”

Everyone followed her instructions and took their places.

Then Tan Shiyi began explaining each set of movements.

Because everyone’s moves differed, she had to demonstrate one by one—leaving Xia Yutong for last.

Clearly dissatisfied, Xia Yutong frowned.

“Shiyi, why’d you put me all the way at the back? Will the audience even see me from here?”

Tan Shiyi answered evenly, “Every position has a camera angle assigned. The shots are balanced—no one’s being sidelined. The audience will be watching the big screen, not you directly.”

But Xia Yutong still pouted.

“My vocal parts are already tiny, and now I’m shoved into a corner? Tan Shiyi, do you have something against me or what?”

He Junnian had long since lost her patience. Unable to hold back, she said, “Can you calm down for a minute? You’ve been nitpicking since morning. Shiyi’s the team leader—just listen to her arrangements.”

Xia Yutong shot back, “Of course you don’t have any complaints. You have a solo, your fight scene’s center stage. What about me? Am I just here to be eliminated?”

Tan Shiyi frowned slightly. “If you’re truly talented, you’ll shine no matter where you stand. As long as you perform your part well, the audience will notice you.”

Xia Yutong pressed on, “I still think it’s unfair. A’ling, don’t you think so too?”

Tan Shiyi’s eyes also turned toward Tang Ling.

Tang Ling knew there were cameras filming nearby. Xia Yutong’s boldness in voicing her dissatisfaction was most likely calculated—either hoping to get a few seconds of screentime in the final cut or trying to stir up sympathy for her lack of resources.

But when asked directly, Tang Ling naturally had to side with the female lead.

“I believe Shiyi has her reasons for arranging things this way,” Tang Ling said calmly. “Don’t overthink it. Just focus on your performance.”

Xia Yutong pouted in discontent, but since she couldn’t argue further without making herself look bad, she backed down.

Tan Shiyi lowered her gaze. In Tang Ling’s mind, the familiar mechanical voice chimed:

“Detected: Host’s Scummy Alpha Value has decreased by 4 points. Current value: 87. Please keep up the good work, Host!”

To be fair, Tan Shiyi was truly gifted in dance. Within a short time, she had memorized all eight members’ choreography and quickly led the group to form a cohesive routine that earned unanimous praise from both the dance and action coaches.

With the instructors present, Xia Yutong had no choice but to behave herself, staying quiet for once.

In the days that followed, the girls threw themselves completely into rehearsals—so focused it could only be described as eating and sleeping at the practice room.

Tang Ling, too, refined her movements through repeated takes, her fight choreography becoming more and more polished with each run.

Soon enough, it was time for the dress rehearsal before the first public performance.

That first performance coincided with the broadcast of the third episode. Though it was pre-recorded and had no eliminations, once it aired, the audience voting channels would officially open—making it the most crucial showcase yet.

Every trainee was taking it very seriously.

The Peach Blossom Crease team members all wore matching red-and-white stage outfits with playful twin buns. Each costume had subtle differences in design, but together they looked elegant and spirited—graceful yet full of youthful energy.

After rehearsal, the trainees were granted two hours to use their phones—just enough time to post on Weibo and interact with fans.

It was Tang Ling’s first time seeing her own Weibo page. She had just over 70,000 followers, most of whom were clearly inactive—or worse, hostile. The few active fans in her comments were scolding her.

“Look who’s back—Tang Ling chasing dreams in the entertainment industry again?”

“I hate people like this—playing around and wasting resources. So gross.”

“Why can’t you just enjoy your rich socialite life? Stop hurting our eyes and ears!”

“Anyone else think Tan Shiyi is totally Tang Ling’s type? I’m scared Tang Ling will try to hit on our sweet angel Shiyi. Protect Shiyi at all costs!”

As a reader of the original novel, Tang Ling wanted to say, You’re all absolutely right.

But as Tang Ling herself, she couldn’t help feeling frustrated. After all, no one likes being cursed at.

Just then, a notification popped up—she’d been tagged in a post.

It was from Xia Yutong. The post showed a photo of the Hermès watch Tang Ling had given her:

“@BeidouStar_TangLing Hehe. Thank you for the lovely watch ❤️ Tomorrow’s our first stage performance—let’s do our best!”

Xia Yutong, as a debuted idol under a small agency, already had her own fanbase. Tea-flavored as she was, many still saw her as “honest and genuine.”

Soon, her fans flocked to Tang Ling’s comments section:

“Here to thank the pretty sister for taking care of our Yutong!”

“You’re so cool! You and Yutong look great together—I’m a fan now!”

Tang Ling’s eyes twitched. Clearly, Xia Yutong hadn’t learned her lesson—still trying to stir up CP rumors.

Out of politeness, Tang Ling followed her back.

Then, curious, she searched for “BeidouStar_TanShiyi.” Sure enough, she found the account. Tan Shiyi, who’d gained popularity from a campus performance before joining the show, had a sizable fanbase.

Her Weibo, however, was nearly empty—just a few official photos promoting Beidou Star Training Program.

Tang Ling wanted to scroll a bit further, maybe catch a glimpse of her daily life, but her finger slipped—accidentally hitting the “Follow” button.

Just as she was about to unfollow, she felt someone’s gaze land directly on her.