The Ex-Wife of the Scumbag A Who Abandoned the Female Lead - Chapter 23

After chatting a bit more with the other person, Shi Nuocen grew increasingly amazed. She thought to herself: This little master is way too intelligent!

Around 9:30 p.m., the company indeed sent a message saying that tonight’s acting class was canceled. Everyone in Shi Nuocen’s dorm had already mentally prepared for it, so they weren’t too disappointed.

What none of the newcomers expected, however, was the incredible news that spread the next day! The newcomers were so excited they jumped up and down on the spot, screaming loudly!

“Oh my god! Am I seeing this right? The most popular girl group survival show in the country actually gave our company five slots! Even though whether we can debut in the final group depends on our own efforts, this is still an amazing opportunity! The company has decided to choose from among the newcomers!”

The rules of the girl group survival show were roughly as follows: initially, 100 contestants would be selected. After five rounds of performances over three months, the seven most popular contestants would form the final group. During the show, aside from mentor-led classes and group practice sessions, participants were free to manage their own time and weren’t required to live together throughout the entire period. So, all things considered, only about half of the three months would require communal living.

“Hey, have you all heard? Out of the five people the company is going to pick this time, they plan to allocate two spots to Alphas, two to Betas, and only one to Omegas.”

Hearing this, Shi Nuocen found it rather strange and asked, “How can that be? The number of Omegas in our company is almost several times that of Alphas and Betas combined.”

Someone explained it to her: “You must not have seen the rumors online. Go take a look, and you’ll understand!”

Shi Nuocen went online and checked. There were two widely circulated rumors about the hottest girl group survival show. The first was that top actress Ru Xi Cheng would be a mentor in the new season.

The second was that since Omegas had made up the majority of the final groups in previous seasons, this year’s initial selection of 100 contestants would lean more toward Alphas and Betas.

No wonder the female Alpha and Beta newcomers were acting like they’d taken stimulants!

Just as everyone was eagerly awaiting the company to announce the selection date, several days passed with no news. Then, when they finally got an update, it turned out the list had already been finalized!

How was that possible?!

Most of the newcomers were stunned. Once they recovered, they all rushed to the managers’ offices in unison, angrily demanding an explanation!

Shi Nuocen was dragged along by her dormmates. The crowd was furious, but the managers handled them with little care. One of them, probably annoyed by the pestering, snapped impatiently, “There’s no use coming to us! Director Hu was the one who finalized the list. If you’re upset, blame yourselves for not having the same connections as those five!”

Was that an outright admission of behind-the-scenes manipulation?! The newcomers grew even angrier but were powerless to do anything. After all, the company still held their contracts.

Fortunately, the next day, the situation took a sudden turn. It was only then that Shi Nuocen learned the company’s upper management had always been subtly divided into several factions. Director Hu had finalized the list, selecting newcomers with strong connections. But when Director Xu saw their profiles, he flew into a rage, exclaiming, “Average looks, average talent; if we choose them, aren’t we just asking to embarrass the company in front of the entire nation?!”

President Xu was determined to secure a debut spot in the new season’s girl group variety show and decisively approved an “open audition”!

Shi Nuocen, with her exceptional looks, perfect figure, impressive sword dance performance, and melodious guitar playing, successfully advanced to the final round of the public selection. However, her only flaw was her inability to sing in tune! During the vocal assessment, she couldn’t manage to stay on pitch while performing the company-assigned pop songs.

Still, she believed that if she put her mind to it and practiced a song repeatedly; hundreds of times she could probably stabilize her pitch. Previously, she hadn’t had the opportunity, but now the chance had arrived. It wasn’t that she didn’t understand pitch; since she could read sheet music and play instruments without issue, the problem likely lay with her vocal cords.

Behind the scenes, the company’s judges were sharply divided over her!

“In the female category A, Shi Nuocen’s total score is the same as the second-place contestant both at 85 points. But her singing is a major weakness; she scored zero in that category. How can a girl group member sing off-key? Personally, I think she should be eliminated!”

“I disagree! Singing is indeed a significant shortcoming for her, but we must also recognize her strengths. Setting aside everything else, just her appearance alone will likely attract popularity once the show airs. Even if she doesn’t make the final group, her looks and other talents are enough to bring pride to the company!”

As the two argued, President Xu intervened: “Enough! I choose her! I think this girl has drive, and her voice has a nice, ethereal quality. She shouldn’t have gotten a zero in vocals!”

He then instructed his secretary to submit the list immediately.

When Gong Ruiyu’s assistant learned the result, he was secretly furious. The judge who gave Shi Nuocen a zero in vocals had been bribed by him privately. But who would have expected President Xu to step in like a sudden obstacle? His original plan was to keep Shi Nuocen as a permanent stand-in or extra.

After the final list was announced, since the selection had been conducted openly under public scrutiny, the female contestants had no objections. However, the male contestants began sneering and making sarcastic remarks.

Shi Nuocen paid no attention at first, but within just a few days, both male and female contestants began keeping their distance from her in public, avoiding any interaction. A close friend from her dorm secretly texted her, explaining that word had spread about her offending “Brother Yu.”

The female contestants privately expressed sympathy, explaining that their public aloofness was a necessary precaution and hoping for her understanding.

The male contestants, however, grew increasingly hostile toward Shi Nuocen, now openly making disrespectful comments in her presence.

“I really don’t get what President Xu was thinking. How could someone who sings off-key get chosen? Could it be some kind of shady deal?”

“Tch, what good is a pretty face? She’s still just Brother Yu’s stand-in. I heard Brother Yu just landed a major production. After that, he might directly break into the second tier. Given his connections and rising status, unless Shi gets some huge break, she’ll probably be suppressed forever. Unless she quits the entertainment industry!”

“Hah, of all people to offend, she had to pick Brother Yu. I’d say she’s finished. I heard there’s a mentor on the girl group show who’s close with Brother Yu.”

Hearing their blunt remarks, Shi Nuocen was naturally not one to take it lying down.

She let out a cold laugh, picked up a brick from the corner of the wall, and walked straight over to a group of boys. Without a word, she snapped it in half with her bare hands!

The broken half of the brick fell to the ground with a heavy thud!

The boys stared at the scene, their pupils trembling in shock as they instinctively shrank back.

“Hey, you lot! Instead of wasting your time being jealous of me, why don’t you come and test your skills?” Shi Nuocen watched their cowering demeanor, tossed the remaining half of the brick in her hand, and smiled with unrestrained confidence.

“W-what are you so arrogant about?” one of them tried to muster some courage, stiffening his neck and straining to widen his eyes, but his words came out stammering. “Y-you just got lucky, that’s all! You managed to snag a preliminary spot in a girl group audition, and now you’re acting all high and mighty. I bet this is the peak of your career. We’ll be waiting for the day you cry!”

Shi Nuocen couldn’t help but laugh, thinking sarcastically: Why is everyone so eager to see me fail?

She tossed the half-brick aside, her pretty face stern as she said, “Whether I’ll cry in the future, I really don’t know. But I can make you cry right now, believe it or not?”

The boys glanced at the shattered brick on the ground, swallowed hard, and fearing she might actually make good on her threat, hurriedly replied, “W-we believe you, alright? We believe you!”

Shi Nuocen simply fixed them with a sharp glare, her meaning clear: Get lost, now!

Seeing this, the boys scrambled away in a hurry. Once they reached a secluded spot, they vented their frustration by punching and kicking a tree trunk, shouting impotently, “Think you’re so tough? We’ll beat you down one day!”

They were convinced Shi Nuocen’s luck wouldn’t last long and that they’d find a chance to teach her a lesson. But just a few days later, they were stunned when another piece of good news arrived also about Shi Nuocen!

“Great news! One of our company’s newcomers has been chosen by the ‘Heartbeat’ program team!” Manager Yun walked in holding an exquisitely designed envelope. At that moment, all the company’s trainees were gathered in the lecture hall for a theory class, and it happened to be break time. She scanned the room and called out, “Who is Shi Nuocen? This invitation is for you. Come get it quickly.”

“Nuocen went to the restroom,” a girl from her dorm answered on her behalf.

“Manager Yun, is it really the famous dating show ‘Heartbeat’? It’s not a fake, is it?” a boy craned his neck to get a better look.

“It’s absolutely genuine. Look, the envelope has the logo and contact information. It’s the real deal.”

“But Shi Nuocen is already confirmed for the girl group variety show. Won’t the schedules clash? She’s only one person. She can’t be in two places at once. In my opinion, the dating show spot should be given to someone else.”

Hearing this, Manager Yun quickly checked her phone and, after a moment, smiled. “No, there’s no conflict. Although the two shows air around the same time, the dating show only lasts two weeks in total, so it works out perfectly.”

“She really is lucky,” many of the boys grumbled, green with envy. “I’m really curious how she got selected. She hasn’t even been going out much lately.”

The girl from the same dorm couldn’t stand these seemingly plausible yet malicious remarks and spoke up loudly, “It’s probably because of that game that went viral on social media. The one with the million-yuan prize for clearing it. We only found out later that Nuocen was the only player who managed to beat it.”

Upon hearing this, Sister Yun’s eyes immediately lit up. That game had been incredibly popular, and it was also connected to Ru Xi Cheng, something she’d heard about. “That’s a built-in talking point,” she remarked. “After all, whether it’s the girl group or the dating show, I’ve heard top-tier actresses are involved.”

The boys, seeing this, grew even more sour, their inner jealousy screaming: Shi Nuocen, how is she so lucky? She somehow got tangled up with Ru Xi Cheng so early on! Once she’s on the show, she’s bound to get tons of attention!

No way! We can’t let her have it so easy!

They then quietly sent messages to Yu Ge’s assistant. The assistant, upon hearing the news, thought: This is outrageous! A spot on such a hot dating show must not fall into the hands of some unknown stand-in. It’d be better for Yu Ge to take it! If our artist joins the show and showcases his charm and thoughtfulness, he’ll definitely captivate fans and boost his career!

Unaware of these behind-the-scenes maneuvers, Shi Nuocen stepped out of the restroom and headed toward the company entrance for some fresh air. From a distance, she spotted a black SUV parked nearby. Though it didn’t look familiar, her intuition told her it was probably someone.

It hadn’t even been a week yet. If her ex-wife was seeking her out now, aside from that one thing, she couldn’t think of any other reason. With that thought, those steamy memories naturally surfaced, swirling in her mind.

Shi Nuocen walked over and tapped on the car window. Moments later, the window rolled down, revealing an enchanting yet delicate face; undoubtedly Ru Xi Cheng. Whether it was the lighting or not, her ex-wife’s cheeks were flushed a deep pink, and her slightly parted lips added a seductive allure.

Glancing sideways, Shi Nuocen noticed the dress Ru Xi Cheng was wearing and was surprised to see how much bolder her ex-wife’s style had become. The light-colored, sheer dress clung to her body, faintly revealing the pattern of her lingerie beneath. And that strawberry pattern looked oddly familiar. After a moment’s thought, Shi Nuocen recalled. Wasn’t that one of the innocent, sweet styles she had picked out?

The intention was clear. Leaning against the car door, Shi Nuocen bent down and asked, “So, you’re here for another bite?”

Ru Xi Cheng’s breathing grew slightly hurried. She lifted her slender neck and slowly leaned closer.

Her voice was husky and suggestive: “It’s more than that. ”