Transmigrated as the CEO's Top-Tier Stand-in - Chapter 13
Chapter 13
The audition base for Chasing Dreams 100 was near an old commercial street. The high-rise building looked somewhat dilapidated from the outside, and even the elevator buttons were blurred and dirty. She went inside and ascended to the designated floor.
The moment the elevator doors opened, a seemingly contained clamor suddenly rushed out. Ji Yu looked up and saw the crowd packed outside.
Pretty girls, dressed in various styles, were either walking in twos and threes or looking down at their phones with headphones on. They filled the wide corridor completely. The mix of perfumes instantly pulled Ji Yu’s memory back to when she was eighteen.
At that time, she was full of anticipation, wanting the dream in her heart to blossom, just like all the girls here. Beside her, a slow, encouraging voice whispered:
“Don’t be nervous. Don’t let this big scene fool you. Actually, everyone here auditioning has pretty mediocre skills. Trainees from big companies just send video tapes. From what I see, you can easily crush everyone here.”
“Speak softly. Don’t let them hear you.”
“Oh, but I’m telling the truth—”
Ji Yu reached out and covered the person’s mouth. Facing those confident, crescent-shaped smiling eyes, she turned her head and whispered, “I’m not amazing. You’re the best.”
The person narrowed her eyes, moved Ji Yu’s palm away, and held her wrist with warm fingertips, lingering before letting go. A slightly wicked arc curved her lips. Ji Yu saw her raise her chin:
“What did you say? I didn’t hear you clearly.”
Ji Yu: “…”
She turned to look at the bustling audition area behind her, glancing left and right: “Hey? Shouldn’t we go get a registration form first? Come on, if we’re late, we might not get a spot today, and that would be a waste.”
“Ji Xiaoyu—”
Her chin was hooked back, forcing her to face the beautiful face again. The person who was usually cold to everyone else often beamed at her. “I registered online yesterday, including yours. Our interview time is 10:30 AM. It’s still early, so don’t change the subject.”
To tease her, the person moved her face very close, her breath nearly falling on Ji Yu’s cheek. Many people around them looked over. Feeling her face about to flush, Ji Yu hurriedly blurted out:
“You’re the best!”
“Si Tian is the best!”
“Let go quickly! They’re all watching us…”
The person let go as she wished. Seeing the slight redness of her earlobes, she smiled, casually glanced around, and answered dismissively:
“Let them watch. We were born with looks that the heavens blessed. We deserve to be envied.”
Ji Yu was utterly exasperated. She had to pull her sleeve and quickly drag her towards an empty corner: “My little ancestor, please shut up.”
“What little ancestor? Call me Sweetie.”
“Si Tian!”
Seeing Ji Yu about to get angry, the person immediately put up her hands in surrender, her expression instantly changing to a serious one: “Alright, let’s review the song we’re going to sing later—”
A smile emerged in Ji Yu’s eyes.
She stepped out of the elevator and glanced to her side. The next second, the smile in her eyes froze.
The space beside her was empty.
The unfamiliar air and venue reminded her that those unreachable scenes belonged to yesterday. Ji Yu raised her hand and pressed down on her bucket hat, shading most of her face, and then went to the person in charge to get a form and register.
When she saw the fields for Special Skills and Personality Type, Ji Yu’s fingertips curled around the registration form.
She suddenly wondered how Si Tian had filled out the form for her back then.
What did Si Tian think her personality was like?
Ji Yu stared at the form for a long time without moving a word. The person collecting the forms looked at her. She intended to hurry her, but was momentarily struck by Ji Yu’s appearance, and her voice softened unconsciously:
“Aren’t you done yet?”
Ji Yu came back to her senses, realizing her distraction rate had increased recently.
She was thinking of Si Tian again.
She wondered if it was because she was close to leaving.
Ji Yu casually picked up the pen, uncapped it, and quickly filled in the form, murmuring inwardly to herself:
Don’t rush.
You’ll be able to go back soon. Once you’re back there, you’ll have a long life to remember her.
“Number 1344.”
Ji Yu, who had been sitting in the corner, stood up. She had listened to the songs and witnessed the dance skills of the people outside, roughly understanding the judges’ criteria. Now feeling confident, her steps were quite steady as she walked in.
Until her gaze met the judging panel.
She saw Wang Luoshui sitting in the middle.
Wang Luoshui smiled faintly at her, picked up her registration form, looked over her information, and then settled her gaze. She noticed a long string of entries under the Special Skills column. Just the string instruments included guitar, violin, ukulele, and even the erhu, not to mention piano. The dance styles also surprised her, including jazz and poppin’.
Wang Luoshui’s eyebrows twitched. She suddenly wondered if Meng Rendong knew that Ji Yu was so talented.
She had only intended to go through the motions to save face for Meng Rendong, but now, she felt genuinely curious about Ji Yu and asked: “It says you are skilled in many things. Why don’t you show us one randomly?”
Ji Yu nodded and answered calmly, “Then I’ll sing a song for everyone.”
Wang Luoshui: “…?” Does she also specialize in vocals?
She settled back in her chair and motioned for Ji Yu to begin. Ji Yu thought for a moment and randomly chose an English song she had heard on the way. The vocal range was quite wide, suitable for showcasing technique.
When she hit the high notes, the judges around her eyes lit up, and they all looked at Wang Luoshui.
This has clearly had professional training. Although the emotional expression is lacking, the technique is perfect.
Most importantly, this Ji Yu was very good-looking and perfect for the camera.
Wang Luoshui stared at Ji Yu with a searching gaze. Somehow, she felt an indescribable sense of dissonance about the person in front of her. If she were to say Ji Yu was bad, her demeanor suggested an effortlessness, and her displayed ability easily crushed the amateurs. But to say she was outstanding felt like an overstatement.
She couldn’t quite figure out the source of this discomfort, so she added, “How about you perform a guitar piece for me? Do you write your own music?” After all, if her unlisted vocal skills were this impressive, the skills listed under her specialties must be even more amazing.
Ji Yu lowered her eyes, thought for a moment, and nodded.
She accepted the guitar, sat on the high stool, and plucked the strings slightly with a pick, listening to the tone and pitch. After confirming it was fine, she launched into an impromptu piece. It had no lyrics, only a melody—gentle, carrying a deep… melancholy.
Wang Luoshui frowned. She suddenly called a halt and asked, “What is the name of this piece?”
Ji Yu stopped and replied softly, “It’s called Yesterday.”
Wang Luoshui watched her closely and asked again, “Why are you participating in this program?”
Ji Yu looked up at her, her eyes filled with calmness. In those eyes, Wang Luoshui saw no longing, no hope she couldn’t find a single trace of any positive emotion, not even the expected nervousness or anticipation.
In that silent stare, she heard Ji Yu’s answer: “For an agreement.”
An agreement with the system.
Wang Luoshui misunderstood the meaning. She immediately relaxed and smiled at Ji Yu: “Okay, the staff will notify you later regarding whether you’ve advanced. Thank you for coming to our audition.”
She thought the agreement must be very important to Ji Yu. As long as she came with a purpose, she would be interested in the final debut position.
She was a little excited about Ji Yu’s performance. She would save those unknown surprises to experience with the audience during the future filming.
Ji Yu left as planned. As she passed the corner fire door, a hand suddenly reached out from inside. A beautiful Van Cleef & Arpels diamond watch was on the wrist.
Her evasive movement was a beat slow, allowing the person to pull her in.
The door creaked shut. In the dim corridor with little light, she used the emergency light to see the person in front of her clearly.
Meng Rendong.
Ji Yu lowered her eyes and asked politely, “Does CEO Meng need something from me?”
Meng Rendong snorted through her nose. She pressed one hand against the wall beside Ji Yu’s neck, engulfing the person in her presence, and asked with a smile in her voice:
“I heard you want to participate in Luoshui’s show?”
“What, you want to debut?”
Ji Yu disliked her restrictive posture. She nimbly ducked down, slipped past her arm, and made to walk towards the nearby stairs when she stood up again. If Meng Rendong hadn’t quickly grabbed her, Ji Yu might have silently walked away.
“Ji Yu!”
Her voice echoed in the stairwell.
The grip on Ji Yu’s arm was a little painful, but she only turned back calmly and said, “CEO Meng, thank you for your concern about my affairs, but we have already broken up. I believe that whatever I do should have nothing to do with you.”
Meng Rendong’s breath hitched. For a moment, her mind went blank, and only instinct made her speak:
“Nothing to do with me?”
Staring into Ji Yu’s eyes, Meng Rendong tried to find a flicker of regret or her usual infatuation, but there was none. Perhaps the dim light masked the shine in Ji Yu’s eyes, but she only indulged in her own emotional outburst:
“If it weren’t for me, do you think you would have passed the audition today?”
Ji Yu’s eyebrows twitched.
Meng Rendong felt a little better inside and continued, “If you want to debut, I am your most convenient shortcut. Why go the hard way when it’s right here?”
“Ji Yu, I can overlook your attitude these past few days, and I can forget about that incident. As long as we go back to how we were, the resources you want, I—”
“CEO Meng,” Ji Yu interrupted her.
She met Meng Rendong’s gaze, smiled very flatly, and spoke with an unfamiliar distance in her tone: “Perhaps something led to a misunderstanding while we were together. I apologize first. If there’s anything you’re unclear about, I can explain it to you…”
“However.”
“Please stop presumptuously interfering in my affairs, okay?”
“You’re genuinely causing me a lot of trouble.”
Support Transmigrated as the CEO’s Top-Tier Stand-in
YOU MAY ALSO LIKE
