The Heroine Pays Me to Fall in Love (Quick Transmigration) - Chapter 52

The day of the competition arrived quickly.

Early in the morning, Jiang Zhinan rode in Chen Bin’s car to go see Su Jin, her heart brimming with excitement and anticipation. She was eager to watch her girlfriend shine on stage.

Su Jin had previously given her a spare key. Jiang Zhinan took it out, quietly unlocked the door, and tiptoed into Su Jin’s bedroom carrying breakfast and soy milk, curious to see what she was up to.

What she found surprised her—Su Jin had just gotten out of bed and was slowly getting dressed.

“You’re just getting up?” Jiang Zhinan paused, a little shocked as she looked at her. “Isn’t the competition today?”

“Mm,” Su Jin replied, nodding, her eyes still foggy with sleep. “It doesn’t start until the evening, so no rush.”

“You should still get up earlier to practice a bit,” Jiang Zhinan said, placing the breakfast on the table outside before returning to the bedroom. She sat on the bed, watching Su Jin dress at her unhurried pace.

Su Jin noticed her gaze and curved her lips into a faint smile, meeting Jiang Zhinan’s eyes.

Today, the girl wasn’t in her usual serious work attire but wore a beautiful knitted dress, with a small pale-yellow shawl draped over her shoulders. She looked both adorable and gentle.

Her makeup was more refined than usual, and her earrings and necklace had been carefully chosen—a clear sign that she took this matter seriously.

She really cared about her.

Su Jin’s smile deepened, and after a moment, she couldn’t help but chuckle softly.

Jiang Zhinan reached out and gently pinched her cheek, the warmth of her fingers tinged with a slight chill yet carrying a subtle, comforting heat. “Sleeping in, huh?”

“Mm,” Su Jin replied, nodding, and hugged her, rubbing her cheek against Jiang Zhinan’s before getting up and heading to the bathroom.

“Hurry up, okay?” Jiang Zhinan whispered behind her, then quickly went to the kitchen to get bowls and chopsticks, preparing to eat breakfast together.

She had finished most of her work yesterday to free up time for today.

Her girlfriend came first; everything else could wait.

While Jiang Zhinan was preparing breakfast, Su Jin finished washing up and came out, her long hair casually tied back, water droplets clinging to the strands around her face.

The collar of her dress wasn’t fastened tightly, and the floral pattern on her chest peeked out, blooming vividly—stunningly beautiful.

Jiang Zhinan stared at her for a moment, then stepped forward to fasten her buttons.

“What’s wrong?” Su Jin asked.

“Just fastening them a bit—I’m afraid you’ll forget later,” Jiang Zhinan said softly, a little secretively. “Don’t let anyone else see.”

“My girlfriend’s tattoo is only for me to see,” Jiang Zhinan added.

“Mm,” Su Jin nodded seriously, thinking Jiang Zhinan was just too, too cute. “Okay, I’ll listen to you.”

Satisfied, Jiang Zhinan finally smiled and gestured for her to sit at the table.

After breakfast, Su Jin helped Jiang Zhinan clear the table, then went back to her room to get her guitar, saying she wanted to practice a bit more.

Su Jin lived in an old residential area where soundproofing wasn’t great. Playing inside would disturb others, so she always practiced outside.

“Where are we going?” Jiang Zhinan asked.

“To my secret spot,” Su Jin said, a faint smile tugging at her lips. “Want to come?”

“Of course,” Jiang Zhinan nodded, then added, “Will I bother you?”

“No, not at all,” Su Jin shook her head and kissed her gently on the cheek. “I’m already happy just being with my girlfriend.”

“All right then,” Jiang Zhinan replied, her cheeks slightly flushed.

Since they had decided to go, they didn’t delay further. After quickly gathering their things, they locked the door and left.

Su Jin hailed a car, told the driver the location, and she and Jiang Zhinan sat together in the back.

After two years apart, Su Jin had indeed changed somewhat.

It wasn’t just her body, skin, or hairstyle—it was her entire aura.

Though aura was hard to define precisely, Jiang Zhinan could sense that Su Jin was very different from before.

But what exactly had changed, she couldn’t pinpoint. She sighed, realizing maybe she hadn’t been paying enough attention to notice the details.

Noticing the shift in her thoughts, Su Jin turned and gently pulled Jiang Zhinan into her arms.

The car sped through the streets and eventually stopped in front of a shop marked XX Music Training.

“You signed up here?” Jiang Zhinan asked.

“Nope,” Su Jin smiled. “Does my talented girlfriend need lessons?”

“That’s true,” Jiang Zhinan agreed. “So, this is your friend’s place?”

“Smart,” Su Jin said, giving her a thumbs-up. After paying the fare, she held Jiang Zhinan’s hand as they got out.

“I told you before,” Su Jin began, “I used to be in a band, but it broke up after everyone went different ways.”

“This is one of their shops,” she continued. “He does it part-time—works during the day, then comes here at night to teach members.”

“That’s impressive,” Jiang Zhinan said with admiration.

“All for a living,” Su Jin said, pulling out the keys to unlock the shop. “During the day, no one comes here, so it just sits empty. She gave me the keys and said I could come practice whenever I want.”

“Mm.” Jiang Zhinan nodded, taking Su Jin’s hand as they stepped inside together.

The shop wasn’t very large—just thirty or forty square meters—but it was packed with instruments of all kinds.

A little further in was a small room. Pushing open the door, they saw a few stools and mirrors covering every wall.

“Sit anywhere,” Su Jin said. “I’m going to start practicing.”

“I might get too absorbed to notice anything else, so if you need me for anything, just call me.”

“Okay.” Jiang Zhinan nodded obediently and sat on one of the stools.

She watched as Su Jin picked up a guitar, tuned it with a tuner, plucked the strings experimentally, and then started to play gently.

It was a melody Jiang Zhinan had never heard before.

It wasn’t like the popular songs on the street, and it didn’t resemble any of Su Jin’s previous compositions. It had a freshness all its own.

Yet it was beautiful—extraordinarily beautiful.

This must be the result of her advanced studies.

Jiang Zhinan held her breath, completely absorbed in listening. She lost track of time. She wasn’t even hungry—the sight of Su Jin playing so earnestly and gracefully was enough to fill her up.

“What’s this song called?” Jiang Zhinan asked as soon as the practice ended.

“‘Drowning,’” Su Jin replied. “The ‘drown’ as in drowning in water.”

“The general meaning is being immersed in your ocean, my heart and eyes filled with nothing but you.”

That evening, the competition followed a “two-in, one-out” format—two performers with comparable styles or skills would go on stage together, and only one would advance.

Su Jin had given Jiang Zhinan excellent seats—front row, clutching a glow stick tightly, nerves buzzing.

The audience was trickling in, mostly young people, chattering excitedly as they found their seats and discussed the contestants’ names.

Some even mentioned Su Jin.

Most impressions of Su Jin were positive—people thought she was beautiful, humble, polite, and talented.

But there were dissenting voices. Some said she’d been a social media influencer for two years with no notable works and speculated she only maintained an “overseas study” image to keep her popularity from fading.

Jiang Zhinan listened from the front row. She felt a flicker of irritation but didn’t respond.

No worries—her girlfriend would prove them wrong soon enough.

Though Jiang Zhinan had never been a fan-chaser, she knew about the dangers of “invite hate” or “overpraise turning sour” in fandom culture. She didn’t want Su Jin affected by any negativity.

Moments ticked by, the stage lights brightened, staff checked the setup, and finally the judges took their places—the competition began.

Jiang Zhinan straightened, her heart pounding, both nervous and excited, waiting for Su Jin to appear.

Su Jin’s turn came a little later. Watching the other young contestants go up and down, some eliminated mid-performance and even breaking down in tears, Jiang Zhinan felt a pang of sympathy and the harsh reality of the contest.

Finally, Su Jin appeared.

Her opponent was another small influencer, apparently quite popular on a certain app, with several fans cheering as she entered.

Jiang Zhinan tensed for Su Jin—but as soon as Su Jin started singing, she relaxed. The other girl’s singing skills were mediocre, mostly tilting her head and acting cute. True talent was lacking.

Before the song even ended, the judges already looked impatient and disappointed.

“Influencers just don’t cut it,” one judge murmured nearby. Jiang Zhinan, sitting close, heard it clearly.

Her heart sank.

Minutes later, the other contestant left, and it was Su Jin’s turn.

“Su Jin!” some voices shouted from the crowd. Jiang Zhinan turned to see that her girlfriend had quite a few fans.

There were all kinds of cheers—some calling her “mommy loves you,” others shouting “Go, girl!”

Jiang Zhinan: “….”

“Start your performance,” the judge said curtly, clearly biased from the previous act, giving only a few words of instruction.

Su Jin bowed and sat down with her guitar, poised and graceful, ready to begin.

The stage fell silent instantly. Spotlights framed Su Jin, casting dancing light over her, making her seem like a spirit misplaced in the mortal world.

A goddess about to sing.

Jiang Zhinan gripped her glow stick and waved it with all her might.

Everyone—get ready to listen!