The Cold Sister Is Too Flirtatious - Chapter 23

Su Zhizi stretched lazily, settling in front of her computer to edit the day’s footage. “Lychee TV is a real pain,” she grumbled. “I’m just a newbie intern, and they’re already making me work overtime.”

 

“Wait a minute!” Su Zhizi’s cursing abruptly stopped. She dragged the progress bar back, leaning closer to the screen. “Isn’t that Junior Sister and Lin Tingxue? They’re participating in Starry Sea Journey too? I’m getting paid to ship this CP!”

 

Her attitude instantly flipped 180 degrees. She kissed her employee badge hanging around her neck. “Thank you, fate, for making me a Lychee TV employee!”

 

She slowed the playback speed from 2x to 1x, screenshotting her favorite moments and saving them to her phone as personal material.

 

“It’s too beautiful to cut! What should I do?” Su Zhizi agonized.

 

The next clip, however, had her grinning uncontrollably. Despite her amusement, she knew this part had to be cut.

 

The camera, positioned behind Lin Tingxue, captured her leaning in to Leng Yao, using the excuse of tasting candy to kiss her. Su Zhizi could even glimpse a hint of pink tongue.

 

So, my OTP is real!

 

But this time, the production team had crossed a line, filming this scene without the contestants’ knowledge. If this footage of Junior Sister and Lin Tingxue were broadcast, it would undoubtedly spark public outrage and force them to withdraw from the show.

 

My OTP is mine to protect, Su Zhizi thought, tears welling up as she cut the clip and saved it to her personal video collection.

 

“Xiao Su, how’s the editing coming along?”

 

Su Zhizi nearly jumped out of her chair in fright. “T-Team Leader Lu! I’m almost done.”

 

Team Leader Lu, with his receding hairline and three strands of hair awkwardly combed over to hide it, walked in. “Let me take a look.”

 

Damn it! The original version hadn’t been deleted yet. If Team Leader Lu saw it… Given Lychee TV’s track record, they’d definitely exploit the situation for publicity.

 

Thinking on her feet, Su Zhizi yanked out the power cord, plunging the computer screen into darkness. “Oh, I’m so sorry! I was worried the air conditioning was too cold and might damage your hair, so I tried to unplug it. I pulled the wrong cord. I’ll restart it right away.”

 

Restarting would take a while, and Team Leader Lu wasn’t about to waste time babysitting an intern. He dangled a carrot: “No worries. It’s normal to be confused when you’re new. Work hard, and I’ll recommend you for a full-time position in a month. I’m heading out now.”

 

“Thank you, Team Leader Lu.”

 

Su Zhizi clutched her chest, letting out a long sigh of relief. Close call.

 

The training days flew by, and all the contestants were finally sent to Starry Sea Journey. To generate maximum buzz, the first season would be broadcast live in its entirety.

 

Leng Yao rode alone in a nanny van, with a female director sitting in the front seat conducting an interview.

“Leng Yao, who are you most looking forward to collaborating with in the future?”

 

“Of course, it’s my older sister, Lin Tingxue!”

 

The female director nodded inwardly. Meanwhile, the male director in the control room had already informed her through the earpiece that Lin Tingxue’s answer was Leng Yao. These two girls were quite clever, starting off with a “bestie” strategy. One gaining popularity would inevitably boost the other.

 

“Do you know your current popularity ranking online?”

 

“Everyone has their own unique strengths. Everyone’s so talented, so I can’t guess.” Leng Yao kept bringing up Lin Tingxue. “Director, what’s Sister Tingxue’s ranking?”

 

“Lin Tingxue is second, and you’re third, Leng Yao. Congratulations to both of you.”

 

Sister isn’t first? That’s okay. As long as she’s first in my heart, that’s all that matters.

 

“Director, can I see Sister Tingxue’s interview video?”

 

“Are you sure you want to watch Lin Tingxue’s?”

 

The female director had never seen a contestant willingly give up their screen time to another. After all, each interview segment was only a minute or two long. Leng Yao’s request would undoubtedly cut into her own airtime.

 

Leng Yao nodded firmly. Even though she could watch it after the show ended, she wanted to see it now.

 

Leng Yao’s reasonable request was naturally granted by the female director, who handed her a tablet to watch Lin Tingxue’s interview video.

 

The director was somewhat concerned Leng Yao might be disappointed. The reason was simple: Lin Tingxue’s interview clip was incredibly short. Her second-place ranking was entirely due to the intense curiosity sparked by her unconventional approach.

 

I’ve never seen a contestant so brazen yet so justified, the director thought.

 

On the screen, a cool beauty in black nodded slightly, and the screen went dark.

 

The clip ended in a single second.

 

Leng Yao’s eyes lit up with hearts. “That’s my Older Sister! So cool!”

 

The female director facepalmed. She had initially assumed Leng Yao was deliberately trying to associate herself with the popular contestant. But today’s behavior proved it was all genuine admiration, without a trace of pretense.

 

Meanwhile, in Lin Tingxue’s car, the male director tightened his coat. Ever since getting in, he’d felt the temperature drop noticeably.

 

“Why couldn’t Leng Yao and I ride in the same car?”

 

Though Lin Tingxue looked younger than him, her powerful aura compelled the male director to address her respectfully. “Sister Tingxue, we need you to cooperate separately for the interviews.”

 

The male director asked cautiously, “So… should I continue with the questions?”

 

Lin Tingxue nodded. “Go ahead.”

 

“According to the current online rankings, you’re in second place. Do you have anything to say to your fans?”

 

The director had thrown Lin Tingxue a softball—a good answer could win her a huge wave of public support.

 

“Thank you. Please stop voting for me. Don’t waste your spirit stones.”

 

The Starry Sea Journey live chat exploded:

 

[Hahaha, Xuexue’s such a chuunibyou! Calling money ‘spirit stones’—the contrast is so cute!]

 

[Xuexue’s so sweet~ She’s worried about us spending money on her. Vote! Keep voting! If Xuexue doesn’t want us to spend money, we’ll just share the links and get free votes! We’ll definitely get her into the debut group!]

 

The director wiped a bead of cold sweat from his forehead. He couldn’t see the live chat and worried the audience wouldn’t buy her act. He quickly changed the subject. “Sister Tingxue, which class do you hope to join for the upcoming stage performance? Class A is the strongest, while Class F is the weakest.”

 

Lin Tingxue frowned slightly, using a new word Little Rabbit had taught her. “Quitting time.”

 

How am I supposed to respond to that?! The male director felt like he’d hit a professional wall. He forced a smile at the camera. “As you may not know, Sister Tingxue was originally Leng Yao’s manager. But when one of our contestants withdrew, the production team persuaded her to step in. It’s her first time on the show, so let’s all give her some encouragement!”

 

LOL, she was really dragged in last minute. Answering even one extra word would be disrespectful to her paycheck.

 

Hahaha, she just wants to go home! Xuexue is the epitome of a working stiff.

 

Unbeknownst to Lin Tingxue, this interview caused her online votes to surge rapidly, even showing signs of surpassing the first-place contender.

 

She chased after her dream of leaving work, but it seemed her wish was about to backfire.

 

The group disembarked from the van and arrived on stage, where tiered seating formed a pyramid shape.

 

The higher the tier, the fewer the seats and the higher the ranking.

 

A dozen girls were already seated in clusters, some in Class C, others in Class B. Those aiming for an underdog narrative or lacking confidence had taken seats in Class F.

 

Lin Tingxue ascended the steps one by one, passing Class F, Class D, Class C, and Class B, and naturally settled at the pyramid’s apex.

 

The trainees began to murmur among themselves. “Who does this trainee think she is, having the nerve to sit at the top?”

 

“Her looks, figure, and aura are undeniably striking, but I’ve never seen her before. She must have some hidden talent.”

 

“Hmph, she’s just a country bumpkin who’s never seen the world,” Bai Chacha sneered. “Trying to stir up drama for attention!”

 

How could there be such a clueless rookie trainee? The trainees, who had been chatting animatedly, quietly distanced themselves from Bai Chacha after her remark. They stopped talking, fearing they might get caught in the crossfire.

 

Even if they secretly scorned her, they couldn’t voice their contempt openly. Besides, this aloof trainee might possess genuine talent, deserving of the top spot.

 

Lin Tingxue, seated at the summit, remained unfazed. It wasn’t arrogance; in the Cultivation World, as the Sect Leader of the First Great Sect, others would automatically yield the highest seat to her, showering her with praise.

 

Later, to save time on polite formalities and focus on her cultivation, Lin Tingxue always went straight to the main seat. But as she stared at the conspicuously more elaborate seat at the very bottom, she wondered if that was actually the main seat, and if she’d been sitting in the wrong place all along.

 

Lin Tingxue stood up, intending to move, when she saw Leng Yao enter the room. The younger girl waved excitedly, calling out, “Older Sister, I’m here!”

 

A smile bloomed on Lin Tingxue’s face as she quickened her pace, hurrying down to greet the Little Rabbit.

 

Taking Leng Yao’s hand, she led her straight to the seat.

 

Then, Leng Yao found herself sitting in the Mentor’s Seat, her face a picture of bewilderment.

 

The Mentor’s Seat! Leng Yao thought in exasperation. I can’t take my eyes off Older Sister for a single second, or she’ll get into some new kind of trouble!

 

She quickly pulled Lin Tingxue to her feet. “Older Sister, you can’t sit here.”

 

“If chairs aren’t for sitting, what’s the point of them?” Lin Tingxue countered.

 

How am I ever going to get through to her? Leng Yao wondered. She’s as stubborn as a mule!

 

“Look, Older Sister,” Leng Yao explained, “these seats are so far apart. If we sit up there, we can sit right next to each other.”

 

The Little Rabbit’s logic made sense. Lin Tingxue nodded, but the top seat was out of the question—there was only one spot there.

 

Remembering Little Rabbit’s preference for corners, Lin Tingxue led her to the very last rank in Class F. The trainees were utterly shocked. Just as Mencius’s mother moved three times to find the right environment for her son, Sister Lin had now switched ranks three times.

 

[Hahaha, I’m dying of laughter! How could someone jump from first place to last? And she even tried to steal the mentor’s job! Hahaha!]

 

[Truly the most unique trainee in history! This debut is absolutely extraordinary.]

 

[I declare my support for Xuexue!]

 

[+1008]

 

Backstage, the director watched the real-time data on the screen, stunned. Every trending topic on the live comments revolved around a new trainee with no background or fans.

 

“Cameraman, give Lin Tingxue more screen time.”

 

The trainees filed in one by one, until only one remained. When Zeng Zhile entered, she was greeted with thunderous applause.

 

Some trainees worried, “It’s Yue! How are we supposed to compete now? She debuted overseas and is a globally renowned all-rounder—a singing, dancing, and performance powerhouse. She’s even ranked first in the online votes.”

 

Some trainees were thrilled. “We actually get to see our idols! I’m so glad I joined this show!”

 

With only the first-place seat remaining, Zeng Zhile didn’t immediately sit down under everyone’s watchful gaze. Instead, she walked over to Leng Yao and Lin Tingxue. “Xiao Yao, Xue, let’s all do our best!”

 

Leng Yao clenched her fist in encouragement. “Yue, enjoy the stage!”

 

Lin Tingxue gave a slight nod, offering her silent support.

 

“Hmph!” Bai Chacha scoffed coldly. “These country bumpkins sure know how to latch onto a big shot. They’ve already gotten close to Yue.”

 

The trainees on either side of her shrank into themselves, hoping the cameras wouldn’t capture them. No wonder no one wanted to sit there. God, please take this brainless attention-seeker away!

Once all the trainees had gathered, the mentors began their performances one by one.

 

Duan Shize opened the show. Instead of his usual high-energy dance number, he chose a tender love song. White mist swirled across the stage, transforming him into a prince of romance.

 

As he sang the first line, the mist completely dissipated, revealing Lin Tingxue radiating an icy aura. He nearly lost his composure and stopped singing.

 

“Sister, what are you doing here again?!”

 

Lin Tingxue was seated off to the side, almost outside the stage area. Combined with Duan Shize’s preconceived notions, he assumed she was a staff member here to evaluate his performance on the variety show.

 

So, for the second time, the photographer remarked, “Why is Duan Shize looking so awkwardly toward the side of the stage today? He keeps glancing at the very edge.”