I Became the Top Competitor in a Talent Show Novel - Chapter 44.1

Receiving Chi Meng’s invitation, Song Jiaqi coldly picked up a fry. The fries, having been kept in the bag for a long time during delivery, were soft and mushy. Song Jiaqi took a bite, placed it on a napkin, and looked like she wasn’t going to eat any more. She said unhurriedly, “Forget it, I’m afraid you’ll crush me.”

Chi Meng looked at Song Jiaqi sadly and said with a melancholy air, “Since you have that thought, I’m not entirely against fulfilling it.”

“Hmph.” Song Jiaqi let out a cold snort and raised her cola. Melted ice cubes had gathered into a sheet of water droplets on the outside of the paper cup, dampening her fingertips. Chi Meng wiped her own fingers, picked up the other cup of cola, and clinked it against Song Jiaqi’s.

On account of the boss feeding me and offering a place to sleep, I wish you sweet dreams tonight.

Cheers.

Behind the two contented people, Yuan Sike was engrossed in a mobile game. Her voice chat was on speaker, and the people she was playing with were all Starfire trainees. Xue Weiran’s lazy voice asked, “What are you guys talking about in your dorm, what about sleeping?”

Yuan Sike lowered her head, her eyes focused only on the blue buff across the map. She casually replied, “Oh, Sister Meng wants to sleep with Jiaqi, and they’re discussing who will be on top.”

“Pffft, cough!”

Song Jiaqi was more flustered than ever, spitting a mouthful of cola onto Chi Meng’s pajamas.

Chi Meng: ?

Xue Weiran and the others: ???

The entire dorm went silent. On Yuan Sike’s phone, the two support characters who had come to assist the lower lane stood frozen in shock. Yuan Sike watched helplessly as the blue buff they’d been attacking for ages was taken away by the enemy jungler with a single skill, who then flashed a taunting emote before charging over aggressively with the enemy support.

Yuan Sike ran for her life, roaring, “What are you doing! Is Chi Meng and Song Jiaqi sleeping together that surprising to you?!”

Yuan Sike’s incredibly loud voice echoed throughout the second floor. Everyone inside and outside the room fell silent, with only the faint BGM of a movie or TV show lingering.

“Wow~” In the silence, someone quietly hugged themselves and mumbled, “Sister Meng really knows how to have fun.”

The very fun Sister Chi Meng calmly pulled out a tissue and handed it to Song Jiaqi, who was bent over in a furious fit of coughing. The girl who usually wouldn’t even crack a smile was coughing until her whole face was flushed red, including her neck and ears, like snow steeped in flower juice.

“You cough cough… did that on purpose?” Song Jiaqi glared fiercely at Yuan Sike. Looking at the large word ‘DEFEAT’ on her gray screen, Yuan Sike gave a look of serene resignation.

“What are you talking about? Why frame me with unwarranted charges!” Yuan Sike resolutely refused to admit it.

“Cough!” Song Jiaqi clenched her fists and rested her head on the desk for a while to calm her body, and her mood.

When she felt better, she realized Chi Meng had been patting her back the whole time. Song Jiaqi sat up, glanced at Chi Meng’s cola-dampened clothes, and offered a dry apology.

“It’s nothing,” Chi Meng said with a smile. “We’ll just put this one on Keke’s tab.”

Yuan Sike, affectionately called, shivered. Her fingers instantly locked onto a certain support character, resulting in a scolding from her teammates.

Seeing that Song Jiaqi was fine, Chi Meng opened her cabinet and took out a clean, freshly-washed t-shirt. She stood in front of the cabinet and took off her top. Song Jiaqi, who was directly facing Chi Meng, her pupils constricted. She instinctively turned around to face forward, the redness in her ears not yet receding.

She had seen Chi Meng’s physique many times before—the loose t-shirts, soaked with sweat, clinging tightly to her skin, her youthful body seeming to possess inexhaustible strength as she exerted herself in the practice room and on stage.

But she had never seen the landscape hidden beneath the clothes with her own eyes, which made Song Jiaqi feel a little embarrassed. Chi Meng was wearing a sports bra underneath; the wide expanse of stimulating white fabric resembled the most delicate inner petals of a flower. Her flat abdomen was clearly defined, a result of her recent training, and a patch of skin still held the wet mark of the cola.

Chi Meng tugged the hem of the t-shirt inward and up, turning it into a crop top, then picked up a towel and headed to wipe herself off. Before leaving, she looked at the rigidly seated Song Jiaqi, a small curve appearing at the corner of her mouth, then turned and entered the bathroom.

Song Jiaqi let out a breath of relief, then belatedly felt a little strange. She pretended to naturally touch her hair and looked around Chi Meng’s dorm. The identical layout to her own dorm suddenly became fascinating to look at.

The camera hanging in the center had long gone dark, probably because the director didn’t want to watch these trainees’ “debauched” scenes. Song Jiaqi’s expression returned to normal. She got up and walked to the outside of the bathroom.

Chi Meng was standing in front of the sink, leaning down to wipe her stomach with a towel. Her black hair was tucked behind her ear, revealing an exquisitely contoured profile, with her lowered eyelashes casting a small shadow.

Song Jiaqi only looked for a moment before raising her hand and knocking on the door.

“I’ll come find you tomorrow. Have a shu—a good rest tonight.” Song Jiaqi quickly changed her wording, her face dark. “See you tomorrow.”

Her back was hastily retreating. Chi Meng poked her head out and sweetly called, “Bye-bye!”

The next morning, the trainees, who had been excited all night, woke up earlier than Chi Meng. The reason? No internet in the dorms! Desperate to return to the embrace of modern life, and also wanting to go to the company to ask their managers about the current situation outside and discuss their plans, everyone got up early.

Chi Meng, however, lay around a bit longer out of boredom. She only got up to wash and get ready after the other trainees had left the dorm, closed the window, and gathered up the dorm’s trash to take with her.

When she locked the door, she found Song Jiaqi already waiting outside, leaning against the wall and playing on her phone. Song Jiaqi was wearing a black baseball cap, a mask covering most of her face, leaving only a pair of dark eyes exposed. She raised an eyebrow at Chi Meng, as if saying, Good morning.

“Let’s go!” Chi Meng said excitedly. “Hurry and take me home!”

Song Jiaqi chuckled softly.

The two walked towards the school gate along the quiet road. Chi Meng looked up, squinting at the brilliant sunshine through the lush branches, and murmured with emotion, “It’s been a long time since I’ve seen the sun at nine in the morning…”

Song Jiaqi: …

Demon, shut up!

Meng Limin personally drove to pick up Song Jiaqi. The other Rensing trainees had to go to the company first and had left in another van. Last night, Song Jiaqi had told Meng Limin about bringing Chi Meng home to stay. After Chi Meng got in the car, Meng Limin greeted her with a smile and brought breakfast.

“Thank you,” Chi Meng quickly said.

“Don’t be so polite. I should be thanking you,” Meng Limin looked at Chi Meng as if she were a precious treasure, growing more fond of her the more she looked. Yesterday’s performance, Chi Meng’s guaranteed spot, and her stage presence had left a deep impression on Meng Limin. Not to mention Shen Zhu said Chi Meng had been giving Song Jiaqi airtime, which made Meng Limin very grateful to Chi Meng.

Song Jiaqi watched their back-and-forth, warm exchange, gave a cold “Hmph,” and asked Meng Limin, “Did you promote me?”

Meng Limin turned to start the car, saying casually, “What do you mean, I promoted you? The company promoted all five of you together. I just sent a few of your photos to the publicity department colleagues, that’s all I did.”

Song Jiaqi looked unconvinced. Meng Limin chuckled coldly and told her to check Weibo. Song Jiaqi fell silent. After her rebirth, she had uninstalled all apps that could track the outside world, and Meng Limin managed her Weibo.

Though there wasn’t much to manage right now.

Chi Meng smiled as she ate a bun and drank soy milk. The filling in the buns bought by Sister Meng was even lighter than the cafeteria’s, and each bun was about an index finger’s width wide. Song Jiaqi ate half a bun and took two sips of soy milk before tightly closing her mouth. This was her non-training meal portion, which made Chi Meng frown.

In the time it took Song Jiaqi to eat those few bites, Chi Meng finished two buns and a cup of soy milk and was still a little hungry. Meng Limin in the front seat glanced in the rearview mirror, surprised that this girl who looked so delicate ate as if she were in a battle.

“Sister, take us to the Dongjiang Satellite TV station first,” Song Jiaqi said. “Chi Meng’s bicycle is still locked up in the TV station’s bike shed.”

Meng Limin recalled the first episode’s content and agreed with a smile.

Chi Meng immediately made a heart gesture to Meng Limin, a skill she had learned in the training camp and was now using proficiently. Meng Limin smiled and, after a moment’s thought, asked, “Xiao Meng, since you came to participate in the survival show, you plan to make a living in this industry, right? Are you considering signing with a company in the future?”

The nine trainees who ultimately debut from Star’s Journey would sign a three-year idol contract with Dongjiang Satellite TV. Dongjiang Satellite TV would then sign another agreement with the trainees and their respective companies. However, Chi Meng was an individual trainee and wouldn’t need the subsequent contract, so Meng Limin was extending an offer to her.

Chi Meng looked flattered and said, “I haven’t thought about that question.”

Song Jiaqi turned her head to look at Chi Meng but said nothing. Although Rensing had a connection to her, this was Chi Meng’s decision, and she couldn’t interfere. Besides, Chi Meng… was still so young.

Meng Limin thought about Chi Meng’s assured admission to J University, knowing that even if Chi Meng didn’t pursue an entertainment career, she could go back to her studies, which made her future bright and dependable. Success in the entertainment industry was dependent on luck and capital. She couldn’t give Chi Meng any guarantees right now, so she said with a smile, “If you consider signing with a company later, you can come find me. Sister Meng definitely won’t take advantage of you.”

“Okay, thank you, Sister Meng!” Chi Meng said sweetly.

This topic was temporarily dropped. After driving for a while, the car arrived at the Dongjiang Satellite TV station. The trainees who had been sent off by the production team had all left, with only the occasional van for programs entering the parking lot.

In the open space outside the TV station, many people holding cameras—whether reporters or fans—were standing around. Meng Limin parked the car on the side of the road. Before she could speak, Song Jiaqi leaned forward and took a white baseball cap from the pocket behind the passenger seat, handing it to Chi Meng. She rummaged around and found a new disposable mask, also white.

“Put it on,” she said concisely.

Understood.

Meng Limin watched the two of them open the car doors and get out, a little surprised. She thought, Jiaqi has this kind of awareness already?

“And she said she didn’t want to be famous, haha.”

Song Jiaqi didn’t know what Meng Limin was thinking. She and Chi Meng walked one after the other towards the bike shed. Song Jiaqi was wearing her own casual clothes, custom-made by a specialized brand. Her shirt was loose, her long pants encased her slender legs, her cap brim was pulled low, and her hands were in her pockets, giving off the impression of a leisurely stroll in the park on the way to work at the TV station. The girl in front, however, was tall and straight, in a simple grey tracksuit, with a vigorous aura, like she was heading to a stadium.

The fans, who were restricted from entering, curiously watched the two heavily concealed girls, wondering in their hearts which celebrity it could be. Their backs and demeanor made it impossible to guess.

There were still Star’s Journey staff members in the parking lot. Chi Meng successfully entered, and when she got to the bike shed, she was surprised to find her entire possessions covered in many sticky notes. Two fresh bouquets of flowers were placed in the bike basket, one resting on top of the other.

“Huh?” Chi Meng peeled off one sticky note. The note was clean, apparently having been recently attached, and read, “Chi Meng, I really like you! Good luck in the survival show! We’ll handle the votes!”

“Fans?” Song Jiaqi leaned in for a look.

“It looks like it… How did they get in?” A warm current surged through Chi Meng’s heart. She carefully gathered all the notes together, picking up the ones that had fallen to the ground, and even searched nearby in case she missed any.

Song Jiaqi said, “The TV station records programs every day. They probably bought audience tickets to get in.”

“Is that so!” Chi Meng said softly, standing next to her bicycle, carefully looking through the sticky notes in her hand, her eyes curved with happiness. “They like me.”

Song Jiaqi reached out, lifted Chi Meng’s cap brim, looked into her bright eyes, and smiled back. “Yes.”

“You can read them slowly when we get back.”

Chi Meng: “Okay.”

She put the sticky notes into her pocket. After checking the surroundings one last time to be sure, she unlocked the bicycle. The bouquets in the basket were swaying, and the large bunch of sunflowers underneath looked a little crushed. Chi Meng picked up both bouquets. One was pink roses and the other sunflowers. She placed the sunflowers in Song Jiaqi’s arms for her to hold, put the pink roses in the basket, and smiled, patting the back seat.

“Come on, big sister will give you a ride.”

Song Jiaqi, holding the flowers, looked at Chi Meng skeptically.

“Don’t worry, I’ve got great skills!” Chi Meng promised, even taking out a tissue to wipe the back seat clean.

Song Jiaqi had a deadpan expression. Cautiously holding the sunflowers, she sat sideways on the back seat of the light-yellow bicycle. As soon as her right hand wrapped around Chi Meng’s waist, the bike swayed, then smoothly set off.

The people waiting outside saw the bicycle approaching from a distance. The faces of the two girls wearing masks couldn’t be seen clearly, but the sunflowers in the arms of the girl on the back seat bloomed brightly.

“That bicycle… it looks like one of the trainees from the Star’s Journey variety show,” a woman who followed the show said.

The person next to her took a picture with a camera and asked, “Star’s Journey?”

“It’s a new survival show on Dongjiang TV. The director is Cen Hongjie.”

“Oh!”

The fans who got their answer looked curiously into the distance. The two girls rode the bike out of the Dongjiang TV station gate, stopped, put the bicycle into the waiting car’s trunk, and drove away. She looked down at the photo on her camera: the sun, the roadside trees, the hot summer, the sunflowers, and the gentle pink roses in the basket. If the two girls hadn’t been covered so thoroughly, this picture could have been used directly as a poster for a youth romance drama.

“Forget it, I’ll keep it,” the girl said, moving her finger away from the delete button.

Song Jiaqi had a flat-level villa in the city center. It was, as she said, very spacious; the living room sofa alone was big enough for both of them to lie down and sleep.

019, following Chi Meng as she looked at the large house, said languidly, “Is this the Host’s dream?”

Chi Meng sighed softly.

I want this so badly!

Right now, she could only dream about it, especially the money she earned in her previous life to pay the down payment for a big house.

“I had the housekeeper come over to clean this morning. The bedding and duvets in the master and guest bedrooms have all been changed to new ones,” Meng Limin explained. After taking a few more calls, she said she had to go to the company. Before leaving, she told them to rest well, not to run around, and strictly prohibited smoking and drinking.

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