After Being Bound to the Scummy Alpha System, I Became Famous Thanks to My Face Blindness - Chapter 66

Under the warm lights, Tan Shiyi’s cheeks glowed with a soft, rosy hue — delicate as plum blossoms, radiant yet faintly flushed.

She asked softly, “Have you really thought this through?”

Tang Ling ruffled her hair in frustration. “Of course I have. I know I probably look reckless and impulsive, and I know my past behavior hasn’t exactly given you much of a sense of security. But, Shiyi, I’m serious about you. I really like you. I want to be with you, always. Please, give me a chance, okay?”

She finished her rambling confession and, almost childishly, tugged at the corner of Tan Shiyi’s sleeve.

Tan Shiyi stayed quiet for a long time — so long that Tang Ling’s burning heart began to cool with anxiety — before finally lowering her gaze and nodding lightly.

Tang Ling’s eyes lit up at once. She grasped Tan Shiyi’s hands in delight. “You agreed? Does that mean, I have a girlfriend now?”

Tan Shiyi couldn’t help laughing at her silly joy. She deliberately pulled her hands back. “Don’t get too handsy. You’re still in your probation period. If you don’t perform well, I might just return you.”

“Okay, okay,” Tang Ling said obediently, straightening up and keeping her hands to herself. But the more she looked at Tan Shiyi, the more beautiful she seemed — irresistible, magnetic. “Shiyi, can I kiss you? Just one kiss. I promise I won’t touch you anywhere else.”

“No.”

Tan Shiyi looked at Tang Ling’s eager, puppy-like eyes and felt her resolve soften just a little.

“You can’t touch me,” she said slowly, “but I can touch you.”

Before Tang Ling could process that, Tan Shiyi had already looped her arms around her neck and kissed her — fierce, almost domineering.

Tang Ling’s eyes widened. Her body went rigid; she didn’t dare move, didn’t even breathe, as Tan Shiyi deepened the kiss and drew her in. Only after a long moment did Tang Ling realize she should respond, hesitantly returning the kiss.

They kissed until they were both breathless, faces flushed, hearts pounding. Only then did Tan Shiyi pull away, gently pushing Tang Ling’s chest to create some space between them.

Tang Ling blinked in a daze — and then tasted something faintly metallic. She licked her lips and realized Tan Shiyi had bitten them hard enough to draw blood.

Tan Shiyi looked slightly embarrassed. “Did that hurt?”

Tang Ling shook her head quickly. “No. It’s sweet — like candy.”

“Don’t talk nonsense.” Tan Shiyi’s face flushed crimson. “I’m going back to my room.”

Their rooms had been arranged by Tang Ling’s mother, who of course had no idea that the CP she’d been shipping had actually become real. She’d given each of them a separate suite.

“So soon? Can’t you stay a little longer?” Tang Ling said with obvious regret. She had just managed to win over her girlfriend, and now she was already leaving.

Tan Shiyi knew perfectly well that if they stayed together any longer in this mood, things would probably escalate — from kissing to much more. And now was not the time for that.

“Absolutely not,” she said firmly.

Tang Ling sighed, but obediently opened the door for her and followed a few steps behind. Their rooms were only a short distance apart, and she trailed after Tan Shiyi like a big, well-behaved puppy.

Tan Shiyi couldn’t help but laugh. She reached out and pushed her lightly. “Why are you following me?”

Tang Ling put on a shameless grin. “Can’t I follow my girlfriend?”

Tan Shiyi flicked her on the forehead. “Be good. Go rest. We’re heading back to the training camp early tomorrow — it’s almost time for the final performance. You can’t afford to slack off now.”

“Then, can I kiss you once more?”

“No.” Tan Shiyi lowered her head, swiped her room card, and pushed the door open halfway. Then, just before stepping inside, she turned back, stood on tiptoe, and pressed a quick kiss to Tang Ling’s left cheek. “Good night,” she murmured — and disappeared behind the door.

It took Tang Ling several seconds to recover. When she did, she immediately knocked. “Shiyi? Shiyi?”

Inside, Tan Shiyi was still flushed with embarrassment. She leaned weakly against the door, her voice muffled. “What is it?”

Tang Ling leaned close to the door, her tone soft and sincere. “Good night, Shiyi. I’m really lucky to have met you.”

Tan Shiyi smiled quietly and whispered to herself, So am I. Then she said aloud, “Good night. Get some rest.”

The next morning.

Ah Tong arrived early at the hotel to pick the two of them up for their return to the training camp.

She hadn’t slept all night, having run back and forth at the hospital because of Pu Xiaoyu, and the dark circles under her eyes were impossible to miss.

Tang Ling couldn’t help asking, “How’s Pu Xiaoyu? What exactly happened?”

Ah Tong sighed. “It’s complicated. She calmed down a lot after the sedatives, so she’s easier to talk to now. But get this — she said the whole ‘switched at birth’ thing came to her in a dream! Can you believe that? It’s insane!”

Tang Ling kept her expression neutral, though her mind was racing. If only you knew how much crazier the truth really is.

She said calmly, “It’s possible, I guess. Since we were born on the same day and both local, maybe after she learned about it, it just lingered in her mind — daydreaming, and then she dreamed it again at night.”

“Yes, I think so too. But because that incident happened by pure coincidence, she stubbornly believes that everything she dreamed of was real. She even insists that she and Shiyi are a couple, which only makes her resent you even more.

The doctor initially suspected she might have taken hallucinogens, but after running all the necessary tests, everything came back normal. In the end, they prescribed her some sedatives and sleep aids to reduce the frequency of her dreams, along with psychological counseling and hypnotherapy—to see if it helps. When I asked her this morning before we left, she said she hadn’t had any more strange dreams.”

Tang Ling let out a breath of relief. If it was just a dream, that was still manageable—it meant her perception could be gradually corrected. Much better than dealing with something like time travel or reincarnation.

Tan Shiyi nodded in agreement. “It’s probably due to work stress. I just hope she can recover soon.”

Ah Tong said, “You two don’t have to worry about what’s being said online right now. Take a break from streaming for the time being and focus on preparing for the final performance. Once this period passes, we can talk about what’s next. Good luck with the show, and I wish Shiyi a great result!”

After saying goodbye to Ah Tong, they returned to the training camp—where a flock of gossip-hungry girls were already waiting to feed on the latest drama. Class hadn’t even started yet, but they had all gathered in the practice room early, huddled together like a bunch of chattering little quails.

When Tang Ling and Tan Shiyi walked in, the room immediately fell silent. After all their whispering, now that the main characters had arrived, none of them dared to ask directly. Instead, they could only watch Tang Ling and Tan Shiyi with eager, curious eyes.

Tang Ling pretended not to notice. “We’re short on time. Let’s get started with practice.”

The girls responded obediently, but their movements were sluggish.

Only three days remained before the final performance.

This last stage wouldn’t be pre-recorded—it would be broadcast live, with real-time audience voting. The six contestants with the highest popularity during the live broadcast would form a seven-member girl group, Starlight Girls,

alongside Tang Ling.

This time, the audience would be larger than ever, with live comments and posts displayed on rolling screens throughout the venue. Expectations were higher, and the pressure even greater.

But at this point, most of the girls were already showing signs of fatigue. Even though the production team had switched to 24-hour livestreaming for the final days, there hadn’t been any breakout dark horses. The online votes had more or less stabilized, with only Lin Ruoxin in sixth place and Lu Yao in seventh locked in a tight race. Below them was a steep drop-off.

Everyone already had a rough idea of whether they’d debut or not, so the frantic, round-the-clock energy from before had faded. Some had even started booking flights, planning group trips for after their elimination.

“Up, up! Everyone get up and start training!” Tang Ling herded the girls like a determined shepherd. “Hold on until the very end—don’t give up now!”

Tan Shiyi also encouraged them. “It’s just three more days. Give it your all. Don’t leave any regrets.”

Finally, the night before the competition arrived.

During the day, the girls had gone to the venue for rehearsals and to get familiar with the stage, leaving them utterly exhausted.

That night, even though there were no more classes and the coaches had told them to rest early, nearly everyone ended up in the practice room anyway.

After living together for over three months, it was hard not to feel sentimental knowing that everything would end tomorrow—that they’d be leaving the place where they’d shed sweat and tears together.

When they arrived, they found the practice room brightly lit and decorated. Without anyone noticing, Tang Ling had arranged everything—string lights, tables, chairs, snacks, and drinks—turning the space into something that looked like a cheerful school festival.

Jiang Manli had snuck in too, standing by the door to greet everyone warmly. “Come on, everyone! Eat, drink, don’t be shy! Relax a little. On stage, we’re rivals—but offstage, we’re friends!”

Just as she was speaking, Lu Yao walked in. Jiang Manli immediately bounced over to her, grinning. “Yao Yao! I’ve been voting for you every single day! I even rallied my whole household to vote. If Beidou Star’s voting system wasn’t so strict, I’d have singlehandedly voted you into debut!”

Lu Yao gave her a cold look. “Don’t boost my votes. I don’t care about debuting—I just want to compete fair and square.”

Jiang Manli froze awkwardly, mumbling under her breath, “I wasn’t cheating, I just got my aunties to buy memberships so they could each vote five times a day. It’s not that many, still pretty fair if you ask me.”

Cheng Qingyan happened to walk by and gave her a knowing glance.

Jiang Manli glared back. “What are you looking at?”

Tang Ling, unable to watch her make more of a fool of herself, quickly pulled her aside. “Alright, everyone—tonight’s our last night here at the training camp. I won’t get all sentimental, but I hope you all have fun. When you look back on this later, I want you to remember it as a happy time. Now, let’s toast—with milk tea instead of wine!”

The girls laughed and lifted their cups of milk tea. “Cheers!”

Across the crowd, Tan Shiyi smiled and lifted her cup toward Tang Ling.

Their eyes met—just for a moment—and they tucked that small, secret sweetness quietly into their hearts.