From Trashy A to the Heiress’s Little Son-in-Law After the Idol Competition (GL, ABO) - Chapter 31

He Rou was taken aback at first, then burst into bright laughter. “Ah Jin is really fun! We always have so much to talk about here. That girl is such a chatterbox even I can’t keep up with her!”

Ji Yunuo blinked in confusion and mumbled, “Oh… I’m going to train now. Bye.”

As He Rou walked over, she saw Xiao Yanjin sitting there, looking utterly dejected just like how Ji Yunuo had left moments ago. Puzzled, He Rou asked, “Is she in a bad mood?”

Xiao Yanjin replied flatly, “I don’t know.”

“Honestly, I really don’t get what’s going on between you and Miss Ji. Before, you were always clinging to her, calling her ‘sister’ this and ‘sister’ that, and she never seemed to dislike you. But now, every time you two talk, it’s like there’s gunpowder in the air.”

“Is that so?”

“Of course! I’ve never seen her get close to any other alpha, she barely even speaks to them. And you? You don’t interact with any other omegas either. Chi Nai even secretly badmouths you, saying you have no sense of chivalry and that your temper is too harsh toward omegas.”

Xiao Yanjin just let out an indifferent “Oh.”

Seeing her remain silent, He Rou grew even more confused and waved a hand in front of her face. “Hey, hey, are you even listening to me?”

“Are you and Shi Zhengyi getting along well now?” Xiao Yanjin quickly changed the subject, not wanting to sink back into her gloomy mood.

At the mention of Shi Zhengyi, He Rou’s face turned a mix of green and red. “Why are you bringing her up again?”

Xiao Yanjin shrugged. “Just curious.”

He Rou huffed. “She’s just a stinky alpha! The moment I think of her, that greasy expression of hers pops into my head along with her rough voice, her slurred speech, and her so-called ‘rap’, more like ‘crap’!”

Xiao Yanjin’s lips twitched. These two really were evenly matched when it came to trash-talking each other.

……

In the cafeteria, Ji Yunuo picked at her bland plate of greens when it suddenly struck her no one had reminded her to eat more today.

Lan Yuanning and Cheng Ling sat across from her, not eating, just staring blankly at Ji Yunuo.

But Ji Yunuo didn’t notice their gazes. Her attention was fixed on the table where Xiao Yanjin, He Rou, Shi Zhengyi, and Jiang Nan sat.

Three alphas and one beta chatted and laughed together, the scene harmonious. He Rou even playfully smacked Xiao Yanjin’s arm.

“Yunuo, what are you looking at?” Cheng Ling asked, noticing the distracted look in Ji Yunuo’s eyes for the first time.

“I was just…” Ji Yunuo snapped out of it and shook her head. “Never mind.”

Lan Yuanning glanced at Ji Yunuo’s barely touched plate and fell into deep thought.

“Let’s go,” Cheng Ling said, picking up her tray. “We still have training in the afternoon.”

Ji Yunuo gave a quiet “Mm” and followed them to dispose of their leftovers.

At the same time, Xiao Yanjin’s table also began clearing up.

Outside, rain had left the ground damp. Suddenly, someone let out a sharp cry.

Ji Yunuo froze, then looked down to find her clothes splattered with soup, the foul stench making her wrinkle her nose in irritation.

“Are you okay?”

Xiao Yanjin’s concerned voice reached her ears. Ji Yunuo’s heart leapt as she looked up, only to see Xiao Yanjin helping He Rou to her feet, steadying her tray while wiping the spilled water off her clothes.

Her brows were furrowed, clearly deeply worried about the beta in front of her.

Ji Yunuo stood just five steps away. In those five steps, Xiao Yanjin should have been able to see her the innocent bystander caught in the crossfire.

But she didn’t turn around to look. She just held He Rou’s coat and handed her tissues to wipe herself.

Ji Yunuo pursed her lips.

If it were before, if she were in this state, Xiao Yanjin wouldn’t have cared about anyone else she would have rushed to hand her tissues to wipe her clothes, followed by a flood of comforting words afterward.

But now, she no longer had the privilege to enjoy that.

Ji Yunuo’s face gradually paled, her heart heavy. She looked again at the stained clothes, the oil marks still there, but suddenly, her usual fastidiousness didn’t seem to matter anymore.

“Yunuo,” Lan Yuanning looked over worriedly, taking her arm, “Let’s go back to the dorm and change.”

“Okay,” came a hoarse, somewhat despondent reply.

Cheng Leng made a sound of surprise and called out, “Yunuo, how did your clothes get dirty?”

“Did I accidentally spill something on you?” He Rou apologized.

At that moment, Xiao Yanjin also turned to look.

Ji Yunuo averted her gaze, feigning composure, and said lightly, “I’m fine.”

“Then let’s go practice the dance,” Xiao Yanjin said to He Rou.

Ji Yunuo’s heart skipped a beat as she watched Xiao Yanjin and He Rou walk away with the others, their backs receding.

Lan Yuanning waited in the dorm for Ji Yunuo to change, but after a long while, she still hadn’t come out. Concerned, she asked, “Yunuo, are you done?”

“Almost,” came an extremely hoarse voice from the bathroom after a long pause, as if she had a cold or as if she were holding back tears.

When Lan Yuanning saw her emerge, her eyes were slightly bloodshot.

It really looked like she had been crying.

“What’s wrong?”

Ji Yunuo sighed. “I’m fine. Let’s go practice.”

By the second performance, Xiao Yanjin and the others were dressed in their costumes.

Xiao Yanjin sat blankly on a stool, staring at the crowd ahead until she finally spotted a sign with her name in a corner. A sudden warmth blossomed in her chest.

Chu Luo’s group had already finished performing and were walking down one by one.

Shi Zhengyi, who was in the same group as Chu Luo, saw her and asked with concern, “Yanjin, what’s wrong?”

Chu Luo scoffed, “What else could it be? She’s worried she won’t advance. The first round was based on popularity, but the second won’t be so easy. With her skills, she’d just embarrass herself if she stayed.”

Shi Zhengyi frowned. “Hey, watch your mouth!”

Xiao Yanjin stood up. “Zhengyi-jie, it’s fine.” For the first time, she met Chu Luo’s gaze. Though they were nearly the same height, their presence couldn’t have been more different.

One exuded an overwhelming aura, as if an entire army stood behind her.

The other was just… plain. Utterly plain.

Someone nearby muttered, “Why is it Xiao Yanjin again? How dare she confront Chu Luo? Even the young miss Ji doesn’t bother with her anymore.”

“Tsk, she’s really overestimating herself, aiming high but lacking the skill!”

Xiao Yanjin didn’t feel the urge to flee in shame or sadness because of Chu Luo’s mockery or the others’ disdain.

Because the person they saw and heard was no longer the Xiao Yanjin of the past.

Xiao Yanjin smiled faintly. “Your performance was great. I hope mine won’t disappoint either.”

Chu Luo sneered, “With your talent, no matter how hard you try, you’ll never be good enough!”

Xiao Yanjin only smiled. Arguing with a fool was pointless. “Chu Luo, we’ll see.”

Chu Luo glared at her, her voice laced with malice. “You can’t beat me!”

Xiao Yanjin clicked her tongue. “I wonder who gave you such confidence.”

Zeng Heshi muttered quietly beside her, “Is that Liang Jingru?”

Chu Luo sneered, “Back then, you clung desperately to Yun Nuo, and now, Yun Nuo won’t even acknowledge you. Someone like you, Yun Nuo liking you is nothing short of a fantasy.”

At the mention of Ji Yun Nuo, Xiao Yanjin suddenly paused.

Zeng Heshi asked in surprise, “Yanjin, what’s wrong?”

“Nothing,” Xiao Yanjin smiled.

Xiao Yanjin walked out with her teammates, Chu Luo’s words still vivid in her mind. Closing her eyes, she could hear the audience chanting her name.

She could do this.

Ji Yun Nuo arrived backstage and suddenly overheard a group discussing something, with Chu Luo wearing a slightly jealous expression.

“Oh my god, how did Xiao Yanjin’s skills suddenly improve so much?”

“Could the company have given her a ‘wolf in sheep’s clothing’ persona?”

“I have to say, her singing is so captivating!!”

“Wow, I almost fell for her!”

“If I were an audience member, I’d definitely vote for her.”

Ji Yun Nuo peeked over and saw Xiao Yanjin, dressed in a black suit, singing passionately her voice pure and flawless. She… really was singing well, her skill even comparable to the mentors.

Ji Yun Nuo tilted her head in thought. Xiao Yanjin in that black suit, her long curls swaying with her movements, exuded an icy beauty’s aura, despite her usual soft, youthful appearance.

Every gesture, every movement seemed to radiate a bewitching charm, as if the song was made for her.

The longer Ji Yun Nuo watched, the hotter her face grew.

She gently touched her cheeks, they were burning.

When Xiao Yanjin stepped offstage, a figure in red rushed over and hugged her tightly. He Rou laughed, “I knew you had it in you! You sang so well!”

Seeing them embrace, Ji Yun Nuo’s heart clenched violently, nearly making her stumble.

She remembered He Rou saying she liked Xiao Yanjin because they had endless topics to talk about, whereas Ji Yun Nuo herself rarely spoke much with Xiao Yanjin, most of the time, it was Xiao Yanjin talking to herself.

Maybe the two of them were truly meant for each other.

Chu Luo cried out in disbelief, “How could she sing so well? It’s impossible! She was completely average in the first performance!”

Shi Zhengyi scoffed, “With cases like this, it’s either hard work or raw talent. In terms of vocal skill, none of you can match Xiao Yanjin’s gift.”

Xiao Yanjin’s high note instantly electrified the stage, clearly earning her another wave of fans.

–

In the second ranking announcement, first place went to Ji Yun Nuo, second to Chu Luo, third to Lan Yuanning, fourth to Shi Zhengyi, fifth to He Rou, and sixth, Xiao Yanjin.

Hearing her rank, Xiao Yanjin’s heart raced, tears welling up as she hugged those around her.

Xiao Yanjin gave her speech: “Thank you, TV, thank you, MTV, thank you to the production team, and thank you to all the fans for your support. I, Xiao Yanjin, hereby declare, I’ll never slack off again!!”

“You sound like you just won an Oscar,” He Rou shouted.

Everyone burst into laughter.

It almost seemed like Xiao Yanjin was confessing to He Rou, with the others cheering them on.

Ji Yun Nuo grew increasingly confused.

“Yun Nuo, what’s wrong?” Chu Luo asked, noticing her pale face.

“I’m fine.”

“You look so pale, maybe you should go to the infirmary,” Chu Luo asked with concern.

“I said I’m fine!”

Seeing Ji Yunuo’s rare display of anger for the first time, Chu Luo thought she must be mistaken.

Then glancing towards Xiao Yanjin’s direction, she sneered coldly: “Yunuo, you must be disappointed that Xiao Yanjin got the debut spot, right? I feel the same way. How does someone like her deserve to debut?”

“Shut up.”

The sharp rebuke finally silenced Chu Luo.

Ji Yunuo clenched her fists silently, the pent-up emotions in her heart suddenly overwhelmed by fury.

Ji Yunuo had always gotten whatever she wanted since childhood. No matter how strict Ji Zhiye and Wei Qin were with her, they would still give her what she desired. So what she learned was never to yield willingly, but to obtain whatever she set her mind on.

Lowering her eyes, she clenched her fists tightly. Xiao Yanjin, why do you look so happy being with someone else?

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