I Became the Top Competitor in a Talent Show Novel - Chapter 6

Chi Meng set the beer down on the ground and let out a long breath. A slender hand, hooked around a takeout bag, stretched down right in front of her eyes.

“Together?” Song Jiaqi invited.

Chi Meng didn’t refuse and sat down beside her.

The two of them sat on the steps behind the bushes. The surroundings were quiet and hidden; on the road right across, cars passed by now and then, their headlights flashing briefly over the bushes.

Chi Meng crossed her legs.

Next to her, Song Jiaqi tied up her hair, took off her jacket, folded it, and sat on it. Underneath she wore a sports bra, showing her flat waist. The contrast between black fabric and fair skin was striking. When she bent forward, pale skin stretched into a graceful curve, her shoulder blades rising like butterfly wings about to take flight.

So skinny it was almost frightening.

Chi Meng looked away, pulled out a handful of skewers from her pocket, and placed them into the barbecue box that Song Jiaqi had ordered. As Song Jiaqi was peeling the plastic seal off a bottle of beer with her fingers, she noticed the movement, turned her head, and looked at her with deep, quiet eyes. The corners of her lips curled as she placed the opened beer beside Chi Meng.

“Sorry,” Chi Meng said, “I drove here.”

Beside the bushes, her electric scooter sat quietly, wheels spattered with mud. The two headlights stared back at Song Jiaqi like a pair of innocent eyes.

Her fingers tightened around the beer. Song Jiaqi suddenly lowered her head and chuckled.

“All right, safe driving.”

Chi Meng picked up the unopened bottle beside her, tapped it against Song Jiaqi’s. She couldn’t help but think—the pretty girl’s smile looked even better up close.

The pretty girl raised her beer, opened her mouth, and with a sharp “clack,” bit off the cap.

Foam rushed up with a “glug-glug” sound, spilling all over her hand.

Chi Meng froze—good lord, the girl had strong teeth.

She winced on her behalf and silently gnawed on her skewer.

She had to admit, the skewers were really delicious. No wonder a future superstar would be ordering them in the middle of the night.

“Last time…”

Chi Meng, who had been eating in silence, heard the girl speak and looked sideways at her, quietly setting her skewer down.

Song Jiaqi propped her chin on her hand and said softly, “Thank you.”

Thinking of the thick wad of tip money, Chi Meng replied modestly, “You’re too polite.”

Something about that tickled Song Jiaqi’s funny bone, and her shoulders began to shake.

Chi Meng’s eyes curved with a smile too. It seemed that, sober, the girl actually had a very nice temperament. Maybe she’d just had a rough patch recently and drank to drown her sorrows?

But she was destined to be a big star. These small setbacks wouldn’t hold her down for long.

Both girls lowered their heads and laughed at their own thoughts.

Though they had only met once before, sitting here side by side now felt inexplicably harmonious.

Song Jiaqi, feeling a rare moment of ease, glanced sideways at Chi Meng.

That unforgettable face from the very first meeting was even more beautiful up close.

Whether at work or while eating, she always seemed unhurried, as if whatever she did, she had it under control.

Song Jiaqi swirled her beer, watching the foam, and asked in a low voice, “The show… did you sign up?”

Chi Meng nodded. “Mm.”

Good.

For some reason, Song Jiaqi suddenly felt that joining Star Voyage wasn’t so meaningless after all. Then she thought—best wishes for this little friend’s glittering future. As for her, she’d probably get cut in the first round.

She raised her beer.

The two of them didn’t have much to talk about. Chi Meng focused on her food; after staring at her for a while, Song Jiaqi couldn’t help but set her beer aside and grab a skewer too.

The night breeze carried the fragrance of cumin.

Like the taste of summer itself.

…

After they finally ate and drank their fill, the two parted ways. As Song Jiaqi climbed the stairs step by step, she suddenly stopped and thought regretfully—she’d forgotten to ask the girl’s name.

Just then, her phone rang in the stairwell. She glanced at the caller ID.

The call connected. Meng Limin’s lion’s roar burst through.

“Song Jiaqi! Tell me you weren’t out drinking behind my back!”

Song Jiaqi calmly replied, “I wasn’t.”

Her voice was crisp and steady, as if she had done absolutely nothing wrong.

Yeah, right.

Standing at the landing, one hand in her pocket, Song Jiaqi arched a brow.

“Hmph, I knew you wouldn’t dare. Xiaoxiang told me you went to the cafeteria because you were hungry. At this hour? You still have the mind to eat? You should be practicing overtime, working with the others!” Meng Limin scolded, then suddenly laughed.

Song Jiaqi made a knowing sound. “I passed?”

Pleased with herself, Meng Limin said, “Of course you did! Just got the email from the production team one minute ago. First recording is in five days.”

“Got it.”

This kid was really holding her composure now? Meng Limin was slightly annoyed by her lukewarm tone, but before she could complain, Song Jiaqi asked about the list of trainees who passed.

“I only have Renxing’s list. Counting you, that makes five of ours. About what we expected. The real competition this time will be Xinghuo Entertainment’s trainees…”

Since Song Jiaqi had passed the preliminaries, Meng Limin couldn’t help but brief her on which companies to watch out for.

Song Jiaqi listened, her thoughts drifting far away before snapping back.

Forget it. Hopefully they’d meet again on the show.

They probably would.

The next morning, Chi Meng received a call from the production team. She was crouched on a stool, threading marinated meat onto skewers.

“Four days from now?” Chi Meng’s eyes widened slightly.

“Yes. Please submit your performance setlist by tomorrow noon. Since you don’t have an agency handling it, just add me on WeChat and send it directly,” the staffer said.

“Okay.”

She memorized the number and happily borrowed the barbecue stall owner’s computer to log in and add the staffer.

Then she got stuck—what would she perform?

019 came online, speaking gloomily: “Do you know how to sing?”

Chi Meng echoed faintly: “I can learn.”

“Do you know how to dance?”

“I’ll learn.”

“But you only have four days. You could at least ask Auntie Wang to teach you a square dance.” 019 snickered, voice dripping with sarcasm. “Good luck, study queen.”

“Heh.”

Chi Meng, oddly excited, got up and spun in two circles. She started packing up—she needed to learn about music in this world. She planned to go straight to a school and ask a music teacher for help.

Auntie Wang saw her hopping around and couldn’t help saying, “It’s so hot out, where are you going? Eat first before you run off!”

Carrying all her worldly possessions on her back, Chi Meng raised her right hand to her left shoulder, expression solemn.

“I’m setting sail!” she declared, pressing two fingers to her forehead in salute.

Everyone in the yard: “…”

019 couldn’t hold back, its mechanical voice oddly shaky: “Eighteen years old, huh?”

Chi Meng kicked into the air, laughter ringing out around her.

“Ah, youth, it’s beautiful~”

Four days later.

A pale yellow bicycle wove between rows of luxury vans, parking quietly in a corner of the vast lot.

“Wish me luck, my worldly possessions,” Chi Meng patted the little bike, then slung her heavy bag over her shoulder, following the Star Voyage signs to the gleaming television tower. She signed in at the entrance, and a staffer led her to the lounge.

“Thanks,” Chi Meng said politely.

The staffer smiled. “Of course. The official recording starts in two hours. I’ll call you when it’s time. Until then, please stay in this room and keep quiet. The restroom’s down the hall. Unless necessary, don’t wander around. Before going on stage, leave your bag, phone, watch, or any electronic devices here. They absolutely cannot go into the studio.

Also, recording will take a long time. There will be meal breaks, food is provided.”

Free meals? Nice.

Chi Meng nodded obediently.

After the staffer closed the door, she heard a lot of footsteps outside—probably a group of trainees from some agency. She didn’t think much of it, tossed her backpack onto the couch as a pillow, and lay down against the wall.

“Xiao Jiu, I’ll nap a bit. If I don’t wake up in an hour, can you call me?” she asked in her mind.

“Roadside Character System 019 at your service, of course. Hurry and sleep, you’ve barely rested these past two days…”

“Zzz~”

“….”

On hidden cameras, the girl lay with her hands over her stomach, her long legs draped off the armrest, toes touching the floor. She slept peacefully, until she reached up, eyes still closed, grabbed a program brochure from the table, and laid it over her face to block the light.

Directors monitoring the feeds: “…”

“Keep this part,” the chief director said. “Show it against the other trainees’ rooms.”

Chi Meng slept soundly. In her dream, she bought a villa inside the second ring road. She was just about to build a tropical garden on the rooftop when a deafening gong and firecrackers exploded in her head.

“Host! Time to get up and prepare!” 019 banged away cheerfully.

Her brain woke up before her eyes did. Sitting up in an instant, the colorful brochure slid off her face and onto her lap.

“I’m awake,” she muttered.

“Don’t rub your eyes,” 019 reminded. “You’ve got makeup on.”

“Mm.” She put the brochure back on the table, drank some water, then pulled out a printed songbook from her bag and flipped through it. Her long fingers turned pages quickly.

In her past life, she had little time for fun—apart from exercising, she barely listened to music or watched shows. So everything here felt unfamiliar. She’d downloaded a collection of songs by famous singers, printed the lyrics, and bound them into booklets to memorize in her spare time. If only electronics were allowed, she could’ve saved a fortune on printing.

Another director, watching the feed: “…”

Under the bright light, her delicate side profile leaned over the book. She looked like she was in a library, not a lounge before a show.

“Mark this down for the interview segment,” a deputy director noted.

Ten minutes before recording, nervous voices echoed through the hallway.

“I’m so scared.”

“Don’t be nervous!”

Chi Meng took a small breath.

“Xiao Jiu, I’m kind of nervous.”

019 went silent for a moment, then said, “You? Nervous?”

“…Thanks. I feel much better now.”

Feeling a bit guilty, 019 added, “Don’t worry. We’re just side characters. Even if you get eliminated in the first round, we can still go to J University, join a top company, become executives, buy a mansion in Huadu!”

Chi Meng’s eyes firmed. Looking at the lyrics in her hand, she said seriously, “I’ll work hard to go further.”

It seemed she really didn’t want to repeat her last life. 019 fell quiet, waving a little flag for her in support.

Time passed quickly. A knock came at the door: “Get ready, trainee 2108, you’re up!”

Chi Meng stood.

The hallway was lined with lounges, each a sealed box, every closed door hiding a vivid dream. Suddenly she remembered those lonely eyes in the dark, shrouded in smoke, filled with quiet loss.

Was she here too? Behind one of these doors?

The thought lingered as she followed the staffer to the waiting area just outside the studio.

Backstage buzzed with activity. A worker rushed over to help her with a mic, said a few quick instructions, then led her to a passageway.

“Ready—three, two, one, go!”

The curtain lifted. A gentle push sent her forward.

Blinding light poured through the gap, spilling onto her feet.

Thump.

Thump, thump.

Her heart pounded louder than when she’d entered a national competition, louder than her first job interview. She drew a deep breath.

“Charge!”

In her mind, 019 waved its flag frantically: “For the mansion!”

Chi Meng stepped into the light.

—Welcome to Star Voyage.

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