There's Something Wrong With My Little White Flower - Chapter 61

Chapter 61: Obscure Idol X Top Girl Group Member

After finishing the conversation with Jiang Peifeng, it was very late. Jiang Peifeng urged Ruan Jiyun to go back and rest, saying in a coaxing tone, “You have dark circles now. Be careful, or you won’t be pretty tomorrow.”

Ruan Jiyun blushed slightly and asked softly, “Sister, are you staying here tonight?”

She had been secretly following Jiang Peifeng’s schedule. As a popular girl group member, Jiang Peifeng’s schedule was packed. Several times late at night, she had seen the minivan parked downstairs, waiting to take Jiang Peifeng to the airport, or bringing her back from another recording location in the early morning.

Yet, Jiang Peifeng always looked vibrant and never showed a hint of fatigue in front of the camera. The program had been filming for a while, and Ruan Jiyun had heard several trainees complain about the difficult training. However, when she thought of Jiang Peifeng, she secretly felt her own hardship was nothing.

In this industry, there are always people who are more hardworking and demand more of themselves.

Sure enough, she heard Jiang Peifeng smile and say, “That’s a shame. I can’t stay with you tonight. I have to go to Haisi for something. I’ll be back on Wednesday to watch your performance.”

As she spoke, she reached out, seemingly unintentionally smoothing Ruan Jiyun’s loose wisps of hair, and softly added, “I’m looking forward to how you will make the audience fall in love with you.”

When she said this, the words suddenly carried an indescribable hint of ambiguity. Her fingertips were slightly warm. As they brushed past her cheek, Ruan Jiyun felt her heart beating suddenly very loudly. She had to desperately suppress her breathing, afraid that the sound would leap out of her chest and clearly echo in the excessively quiet room.

Fortunately, Jiang Peifeng quickly withdrew her hand and gently wished her “Good night.”

Ruan Jiyun didn’t know how she walked out of the building. Only scattered lights dotted the resort late at night. The night breeze blew on her hot cheeks, slowly dissipating the suddenly raised temperature. She took several slow, deep breaths, her gaze settling on the railing outside the garden.

Since the official broadcast of Road to Stardom, a large number of fans gathered there daily, holding various light-up signs, cameras, or phones, eagerly hoping to catch a glimpse of their idols.

Today was no different; fans who were reluctant to leave still lingered at the resort’s entrance near midnight.

Every time Ruan Jiyun passed this small path, she would quietly glance at the light-up signs in their hands. The signs were beautiful, sparkling with different fan colors, looking like a brilliant, flowing river of stars from afar.

The most numerous and conspicuous among them was the dazzling electric fog blue, Jiang Peifeng’s exclusive fan color. Ruan Jiyun’s favorite activity was to count these signs, harboring a kind of secret joy as she walked briskly along the path, letting her eyes casually drift over the signs…

Suddenly, something in front of her made her slow down in disbelief.

In the familiar sea of light-up signs, something extra seemed to have been added tonight.

Ruan Jiyun widened her moist, dark eyes. She saw a light blue light-up sign. The color, amidst the many brilliant colors, was like a gentle yet bright star. At first, she wasn’t sure, but when she clearly saw the cloud-shaped pattern outlined on the sign and the large characters “阮霁雲” (Ruan Jiyun), her eyes suddenly welled up with warmth.

In the dazzling sea of lights, there was actually a small star dedicated to her.

She couldn’t believe her eyes and instinctively walked a few steps closer, afraid she was hallucinating or mistaken. This time, she saw the girl holding the sign abruptly stand up and desperately wave her arms at her.

“Xiao Yun! You are the best! Keep going!”

Making a light-up sign was a first for Xiao Tao. Since the program had just started, Ruan Jiyun’s fan community wasn’t very large yet. Xiao Tao was the only fan who had stumbled onto the island, so several netizens had privately messaged her, asking her to cheer for Ruan Jiyun.

With their help, Xiao Tao, a first-time formal fan, completed the sign design. She then joined other fan site managers on the island, found a supplier, and had it made. As soon as she received the sign today, she couldn’t wait to stake out the area for her “daughter” to get off work.

Ruan Jiyun was one of the most diligent trainees, so she returned to the dorm the latest. By the time Xiao Tao arrived at the resort, there were already fewer fans waiting. She decided to try her luck and turned on the light-up sign.

The sign’s design was collaboratively decided by the fan group: cloud-patterned borders, with tiny stars scattered across the background color, representing the fan club gathering around the idol to collectively illuminate this small corner of the sky.

Seeing Ruan Jiyun look at her, Xiao Tao’s mind initially went blank. She only remembered to raise the sign high so Ruan Jiyun could see it. A few seconds later, she realized what was happening, fumbling to grab her camera.

During this process, Ruan Jiyun patiently lingered in place. Once Xiao Tao had brought out and adjusted her camera, Ruan Jiyun smiled for the lens, a little shy, yet clearly happy.

The camera captured the moment. Under the dim light, the girl’s eyes sparkled, her smile clear and beautiful.

Xiao Tao was overwhelmed with happiness, but she knew that they were still in a closed recording environment, and Ruan Jiyun couldn’t stay for long. She vigorously waved her hand: “Hurry back to rest! Sweetie! Good luck with your next performance!”

Ruan Jiyun also waved back, then turned and quickly ran down the path, disappearing from view.

This was her star, and she had to work incredibly hard to gather a little light to illuminate a bigger sky.

Perhaps it was Jiang Peifeng’s words, or perhaps the light-up sign that shone for her late that night, but the answers to some questions about Ruan Jiyun’s somewhat naive path as an artist finally seemed to click. Her journey visibly became more exciting.

She became much more confident.

Her dancing skills were already in the upper-middle range among the trainees. Since shedding that “who am I” low-key demeanor, a unique tenacity slowly emerged. Many girls followed the sweet route, and many wanted the queen persona, but Ruan Jiyun was the most persistent among them.

With a sweet, “milky” face, she instantly transformed when dancing. Most importantly, she was so different from those soft and docile girls! She practiced until her knees were bruised without a word of complaint. She quietly helped injured teammates carry their bags. She repeated a single move in the practice room until the early hours…

“The second public performance stage! I declare it the ceiling of internal entertainment selection shows! The battle was amazing, frame by frame!”

“This young lady named Ruan Jiyun is too gorgeous! She has the softest, cutest face but performs the most dominant stage!”

In the second public performance, Ruan Jiyun’s Dance Group A took first place in the live voting. Unlike the elegant simplicity shown in the first performance, this time she returned to the dance field, which she was more proficient in.

The dance track was an infectious dark rock style. The girls’ styling also leaned towards punk: black and white intertwined, seductive and sexy. Ruan Jiyun wore a pure white, fitted tutu skirt, but with a Gothic black veil on her head. Her makeup was clean like a porcelain doll, with only a dark red eyeliner tracing the corner of her eye, revealing a surging undercurrent beneath her angelic exterior.

She danced with extreme brilliance. Accompanied by the roaring music, the angel strolled gracefully across the thorn-covered wasteland, her gaze captivating. She seemed intrigued by danger, her every move full of seduction, yet secretly harboring murderous intent.

The electric guitar let out a chilling buzz, the resonance lingering. The girl on stage struck a pose, turned, and revealed a flawless smile.

Amidst the applause, she panted, her beautiful curves rising and falling with her breath. Her exposed neck, cheeks, and waist were covered in sweat. The beads of sweat, illuminated by the lights, reflected a glittering sexiness.

The audience below the stage screamed almost hysterically. Xiao Tao screamed the loudest, her cheeks flushed with excitement as she vigorously waved the light-up sign high.

They saw her. They fell in love with her.

A girl who looked crystal clear and as if she needed constant protection possessed an indomitable strength and showcased surprising contrast in skill. Why did they endure the hardships of a selection show? Wasn’t it to ensure that such effort could be seen by the world?

At the end of the recording, Ruan Jiyun followed the other trainees to the designated filming area outside to line up. Many fan site managers and fans were already waiting there. They would take “off-work check-in” photos immediately for promotion and traffic.

Ruan Jiyun bowed deeply toward the light-up signs.

After the fan engagement ended, she was still preoccupied with something else, her eyes scanning the busy staff, searching for Jiang Peifeng.

During the recording, she had noticed that Jiang Peifeng was a little strange tonight.

Jiang Peifeng, who was usually very energetic, seemed a bit subdued today. She drank water from her thermos much more often than usual. Halfway through the recording, Ruan Jiyun saw Jiang Peifeng’s manager communicate with the director several times, seemingly agonizing over an issue.

However, she was quickly called away by Jiang Peifeng. The manager clearly looked somewhat disapproving, but eventually sighed in concession, unable to resist her artist.

Ruan Jiyun, confused and worried, had no excuse based on her status to approach the mentor privately. She reluctantly walked back, intending to practice a few more times before bed.

Try a little harder, advance a little further.

She left the main group and turned into the corridor leading back to the practice room. The long hallway was empty, and the air conditioning on her skin sent a slight chill through her.

Rounding the corner, Ruan Jiyun suddenly noticed someone on the sofa ahead. Her heart sank inexplicably, and she walked over.

The person was leaning back, resting their head on the sofa cushion. Perhaps finding the light from the crystal lamps too harsh, they had raised the back of their hand to cover their eyes, revealing only the lower half of a beautiful jawline.

Who else could it be but Jiang Peifeng?

“Sister, are you alright?” Ruan Jiyun lightly patted her shoulder. The touch revealed that her palm felt quite hot.

She was startled and immediately helped Jiang Peifeng: “You’re burning up! Isn’t your manager sister here?”

Jiang Peifeng turned her face faintly in a daze: “I’m sleeping here tonight, so I told her to leave first.”

Ruan Jiyun carefully supported her fragile shoulder. Her burning face was flushed crimson, like a fiery flower. Remembering her unusual behavior today, Ruan Jiyun couldn’t help but blame herself for being careless: “You have a fever.”

“Could you please…” Jiang Peifeng struggled to stand up but found she couldn’t muster any strength. She had to lean against Ruan Jiyun, gasping slightly, and said, “Take me back to my room…”

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