The Fake Daughter is a Max-Level Green Tea [Transmigrated into a Book] - Chapter 4

Chapter 4: Setting Up for a Fall

Lu Chaoqing: “…”

She hadn’t expected Lin Chumu to ask so bluntly.

However, sweet-talking was a piece of cake for Lu Chaoqing. After successfully “playing cute to get through,” she finally managed to close her eyes and rest for a bit.

She hadn’t slept well all night, and in the morning, she received the main quest issued by the APP, which required her to pass this interview at all costs. Lu Chaoqing had a certain foundation in dance but was unsure of MT’s rules and specific standards, so she felt naturally anxious. Lin Chumu was driving with an impassive face, completely unaware that the girl beside her was occasionally opening her eyes and secretly scrutinizing her.

After resting her eyes for a while, Lu Chaoqing felt her phone vibrate in her pocket. She quickly opened the APP and saw the automatically updated data transmitted by the system.

Character Data (1.0 Basic Version)

Name: Lin Chumu

Gender: Female

Height: 171cm

Weight: 53kg

Age: 20

School: Central Academy of Arts, Performing Arts Student (Graduated)

Identity: The Real Daughter’s Counterattack Female Protagonist, Lu Family’s Real Daughter, Top-ranked Entrant at CAA (Others Awaiting Unlock)

The preceding information was not the main focus. Lu Chaoqing quickly skimmed it and focused on the last part, “Others Awaiting Unlock.”

As someone who had played countless RPGs, Lu Chaoqing knew that the most frightening thing was a character having hidden identities, but the APP explicitly told her they existed yet refused to reveal what they were, requiring her to unlock them herself.

However, since Lin Chumu was the same age as her, Lu Chaoqing had temporarily deferred her studies for a year to participate in girl group training, but she was surprised that Lin Chumu had already graduated normally.

Logically, after graduation, she should be looking for a job. Since Lin Chumu graduated from the CAA, her career path would definitely lean towards the entertainment industry. But Lu Chaoqing racked her brains searching her memory and couldn’t recall any works by Lin Chumu in the industry.

The woman who was mere inches away from her was similar in age yet so unfathomable.

Main Quest (2): “Pass this MT Company Trainee Interview (Important! Important! Failure to pass will result in a rollback. Three rollbacks will be considered a mission failure, resulting in the Host’s erasure.)”

As Lu Chaoqing opened the car door, the phone APP sent another notification emphasizing the task.

“Rollback” is also known as “Load Save”, a common mechanism in many games. For example, the current progress is saved at a critical plot point, and if the subsequent progress fails, you can return to that point and start over.

Lu Chaoqing hadn’t expected the system to have this function and immediately felt she had more leeway.

“What are you smiling foolishly about?”

Lin Chumu’s voice drifted in from the side, instantly yanking the smug Lu Chaoqing’s thoughts back from her imagination. The girl quickly shrank her shoulders apologetically: “I’m sorry, Sister, I can’t help making strange movements to relieve my tension when I’m nervous.”

Her demeanor was very sincere, and after speaking, she immediately looked at Lin Chumu and smiled foolishly.

Having been pampered in a wealthy family for so long, Lin Chumu initially thought Lu Chaoqing would be a spoiled, ill-tempered, or arrogant young lady. Instead, she was surprisingly approachable and somewhat clumsy, leading to a mix of astonishment and suspicion in her heart.

Lu Chaoqing was like a nimble little bird, flapping her wings and grabbing Lin Chumu’s arm. Lin Chumu hesitated but didn’t push her away, ultimately allowing her to affectionately loop her arm through hers. They walked into the main entrance like a pair of sisters with an excellent relationship.

The “MT” sign shimmered with a golden glow in the sunlight.

“MT” is one of the few domestic entertainment companies currently collaborating with overseas partners. The boy and girl groups they launch generally follow an international model, with their own stage performances and shows, each generating significant traffic.

However, this place is not like some countries with extremely strict seniority systems, and their main focus is domestic activities, making it the top choice for many aspiring trainees who want to enter the industry.

Lu Chaoqing separated from Lin Chumu at the registration desk. Seeing her leave with another woman, she didn’t ask if Lin Chumu was a staff member here and immediately devoted all her attention to the assessment.

Although it wasn’t yet nine o’clock, the company was greeted by a huge wave of applicants as soon as the doors opened. Lu Chaoqing stood on her tiptoes in the crowded room, trying to see the front, estimating that it would take at least two hours to reach her turn.

She felt a little bored, being unfamiliar with the place, but most people waiting to register viewed each other as competitors. While not overtly hostile, there was little interaction or casual conversation.

At this point, Lu Chaoqing even missed Lin Chumu. Although the woman always gave people an unpredictable feeling, at least having a familiar person around would allow for some conversation to pass the time.

Lu Chaoqing’s boredom lasted until a man in a business suit walked directly towards her and bowed. Only when all eyes in the room focused on her did she belatedly realize the man was coming for her.

She was then led away by the man, who was clearly dressed as an assistant. The crowd behind her began to whisper.

The moment she pushed open the door to the audition room, Lu Chaoqing still felt a sense of unreality.

She didn’t recognize anyone here, but she knew that she must have been pre-selected for an early audition.

Sitting behind a nanmu table were examiners with varying expressions. She found one figure somewhat familiar but couldn’t recall who it was. Under everyone’s gaze, Lu Chaoqing cleared her throat, trying to dispel any stage fright. A sweet smile filled her cheeks, and she bowed politely first.

After receiving the examiner’s permission and completing her self-introduction, when asked to sing a song with an accompaniment, Lu Chaoqing sifted through the countless pop songs in the music library and pulled out an old, well-known song, “Faith”.

The song choice immediately caused the examiners to exchange glances.

When they usually asked interviewees to choose a song, most would pick popular songs like “Confession Balloon”. Those who were unconventional or wanted to show off their skills might choose a relatively difficult song like “Left Finger Moon” to attract the examiners’ attention. “Faith” was an old song that had been popular years ago. While equally beautiful and difficult to sing, this choice of style was…

Truly unique.

After the girl finished singing “Faith” with the accompaniment, she immediately followed up with a rock and roll dance.

Lu Chaoqing’s height was average to above average for a girl, but her small frame and ninety-pound weight made her look delicate and fragile, like a weak vine flower that couldn’t lift a hand or carry a shoulder load.

But the moment the music accompaniment started, the motor skills within her slender body seemed to be fully activated. A high side-kick was as swift as the wind, instantly pushing the atmosphere in the room to a climax.

Every movement she made was full of effort yet controlled, carrying a strong sense of power while not lacking the unique softness of a woman. Several examiners who had been somewhat inattentive were now staring intently at the girl standing in the center. The large audition room was her stage, and even without the focus of the spotlights, the central dancing girl still commanded all the passion in the room.

After the dance was finished, Lu Chaoqing’s forehead was beaded with sweat, and she stood still, breathing softly, and bowed again.

A few examiners quietly exchanged remarks. The somewhat familiar woman turned her head and said something to the assistant beside her. The male assistant nodded, then respectfully walked out through a small door.

Lu Chaoqing only waited a moment in place. When the assistant returned with a form, the woman beckoned to her, signaling her to follow her to another room.

To get from this audition room to the other required passing through the corridor where the trainees were queuing. When they saw the two people come out, the whispering quieted slightly, but the glances directed at Lu Chaoqing were clearly filled with undisguised disdain. Most of the interviewees were young, teenagers and young adults, and seeing someone receive preferential treatment naturally made them indignant.

Lu Chaoqing felt a little uneasy. After briefly meeting the gaze of a few people nearby, she quickly avoided their spiteful looks. Fortunately, the distance to the other room wasn’t long, and she soon reached the room, closing the door and shutting out the critical stares that felt like daggers in her back.

“Are you Chumu’s sister?”

The woman asked directly. After receiving Lu Chaoqing’s affirmative reply, she extended her hand: “My name is Du Yaqing. You can call me Sister Yaqing. I will be your manager and sub-instructor from now on. If you are willing, you can become our public trainee at MT right now. You will train with me until your debut. How does that sound? If there are no issues, we can sign the contract directly.”

“T-That fast?”

Lu Chaoqing had never participated in this kind of trainee application, but she had followed idols in her previous world and had a general understanding of the process. Usually, companies would notify applicants after the audition, and the spots for public trainees were few and extremely precious, practically guaranteeing a debut.

Many small companies sign contracts with a large number of trainees, but the final debut spots are limited. Simply being accepted as a trainee doesn’t guarantee a debut. Public trainees, however, are different. The company directly makes their information public afterward, making a debut a sure thing.

Lu Chaoqing felt something was amiss when Du Yaqing mentioned Lin Chumu’s name.

Although Lu Chaoqing hadn’t been fully immersed in society, she wasn’t so naive as to miss something like this. It was obvious to anyone that Lin Chumu and Du Yaqing had a good relationship, but her relationship with Lin Chumu was clearly not that good. So why did it feel like “my sister wants to set me up as royalty”?

Debuting with capital backing is common in the industry, but it also means having to endure the dislike and exclusion of other, more diligent trainees. After all, no one wants someone with no talent to be elevated above them just because of connections.

Recalling the looks those people gave her just now, Lu Chaoqing felt even more uncomfortable.

Being “praised to death” with heavy investment was indeed something the decisive female protagonist would do.

If she were the kind of person who lacked skill and was easily excitable, she would probably walk all over people because of this connection and wouldn’t bother to train diligently. But this identity would mostly lead to her being excluded and disliked by her teammates, placing her in a very awkward position from the start.

Lu Chaoqing didn’t think she had provoked Lin Chumu, nor did she have any intention of competing for the family inheritance. She had even tried to show goodwill and seek peace from the beginning, but she didn’t expect to be met with the other party’s relentless pressure.

Beneath the seemingly honey-coated surface was a deadly poison, which made Lu Chaoqing, who originally wanted to get along with the female protagonist, feel a chill.

However, she didn’t have any other company she wanted to join besides MT, and joining MT was a mandatory main quest. Turning back now was certainly impossible.

Her moment of silent contemplation ended. Lu Chaoqing quickly looked up and gave Du Yaqing a sweet smile. The corners of her forehead, damp with sweat, glistened slightly under the light. Her bright eyes and white teeth made her look very cute: “Then bring the contract. Thank you, Sister.”

Du Yaqing nodded without changing her expression, handed the form to Lu Chaoqing, and then closed the door and left.

It wasn’t until she walked around a corridor and entered another room, seeing Lin Chumu staring intently at the surveillance video, that the usually composed woman burst into a giggle.

“So worried about your little sister, hmm?”

“Get lost.”

Pushing away the woman’s hand on her shoulder, Lin Chumu adjusted the glasses on her nose and looked leisurely at Lu Chaoqing, who was chewing on the pen in the surveillance video.

One moment she was leaning on the table scribbling something, and the next she was gently tapping the table with the pen tip, looking completely like a naive, sweet young girl, vastly different from Lin Chumu’s description.

Du Yaqing felt that the girl was guileless during their short interaction. Seeing Lin Chumu’s serious expression, she couldn’t help but say: “Are you sure you’re not mistaken? Could such a young girl with real motives wait until you came back to start competing?”

Lin Chumu knitted her delicate brows: “You don’t understand. This girl might be very cunning.” Lu Chaoqing’s every move made her feel completely different from the average wealthy socialite. Given her past experiences, Lin Chumu preferred to guard against people in her heart first rather than trusting their seemingly peaceful exterior.

Furthermore, the significant overlap between Lu Chaoqing’s and her place of work couldn’t simply be a coincidence. She absolutely did not believe it.

Facing someone like this, Lin Chumu had a unique solution. She just needed to elevate her to a high position, and the hidden truth would automatically reveal itself over time, saving her the trouble.

“Keep a close eye on her for me.”

Seeing that the person in the surveillance video had almost finished filling out the form, Lin Chumu tapped the table. Du Yaqing understood, immediately dropped her playful expression, and walked back.

Lu Chaoqing sat alone in the room, playing idly with the pen.

The main quest progress had just sent a “Mission Successful” notification, but she didn’t feel particularly happy. Although her performance just now seemed quite good to her, she had a lingering feeling that she was accepted mostly because of her connection to Lin Chumu.

As the girl sat alone, head down in thought, her phone suddenly vibrated. The APP sent a new message.

Main Quest (3): “Have lunch with Lin Chumu and express your gratitude.”

Express gratitude?

Grateful for what, exactly?!