Transmigrated as the CEO's Top-Tier Stand-in - Chapter 38

Chapter 38

When Ji Yu returned to the scenic hotel, the effects of the alcohol had mostly worn off. Kong Rufan couldn’t follow her into the filming area, so she instructed her to rest well, take care of herself, and promised to visit again for her second public performance.

Ji Yu nodded obediently. After getting out of the car and checking in at the hotel, she headed straight for the elevator lobby.

She pressed the elevator button but bumped right into someone:

Chu Nanxing.

Ji Yu, still slightly tipsy, sobered up completely upon seeing this person. She stepped aside, assuming Chu Nanxing had come down to the ground floor for some business. But then she saw the person standing inside the elevator at ease, even raising an eyebrow at her:

“Aren’t you going up?”

Ji Yu: “…”

She couldn’t help but narrow her eyes, studying Chu Nanxing.

It was as if this person already knew she would return to the hotel at this hour and had deliberately entered the elevator to wait for her… This thought sent a shiver down Ji Yu’s spine, and she instantly thought of many horror stories involving elevators. She was unsure whether she should step in.

Chu Nanxing saw her hesitate. The elevator door, not detecting anyone entering, was about to close. She took a step forward and stopped the door, then curved her lips into a smile and asked Ji Yu:

“What, are you afraid of me?”

Ji Yu considered the timing and actually nodded, saying to her: “Indeed. After all, I don’t know whether I’ll encounter a human or a ghost when opening an elevator door at this hour. I’m timid. Please go ahead. I’ll take the next one.”

With that, she took a step back, ready to wait for the elevator to close before pressing the “Up” button again.

Chu Nanxing, who had come specifically for her: “…”

She was amused and annoyed by Ji Yu. She actually stepped right out of the elevator to stand next to Ji Yu, the smile still on her lips. Just as she was about to speak, Ji Yu swiftly darted forward, entering the empty elevator she had just vacated. At that moment, the elevator door was slowly closing.

Chu Nanxing: “…”

She reacted too late. It was inappropriate to pry the elevator door open now, and there wasn’t enough time to press the button on the side panel. She could only watch Ji Yu leave.

Inside the opulent elevator, Ji Yu fanned herself and found time to ask: “System, don’t you think she’s very strange?”

Does Chu Nanxing, as the female lead, have the legendary protagonist’s aura?

Otherwise, how to explain her uncanny foresight?

The system remained silent for two seconds, then agreed with Ji Yu: “Ever since she failed to secure the female lead position over these past few years, I’ve suspected that the world’s bug lies with her, but I haven’t found any evidence…”

“However, tonight, I detected an unusual energy fluctuation around her. In any case, Yuyu, you must be careful of her until the truth emerges.”

Ji Yu nodded. Perhaps because of the system’s presence, she wasn’t overly concerned about Chu Nanxing’s strange abilities. In fact, she didn’t focus her attention on her but asked about something else:

“Speaking of bugs—”

“It suddenly occurred to me, what identity would Si Tian have after coming into this world?”

The system instantly adopted a triumphant tone, claiming credit to Ji Yu: “Because you and Si Tian are both people from another world, your life trajectories will automatically merge with this world upon arrival…”

“You can search now! Si Tian was a formidable girl group member in her original world. Here, because she is not a critical character, she cannot leave a profound impression on everyone simultaneously, but there will be some similarity to her original trajectory. You can use your phone… oh wait! You can’t use your phone! Hold on! I’ll search for you right now!”

At this point, the system’s voice carried a hint of belated annoyance. Perhaps Si Tian, after entering this world, was also someone who had left a mark in the entertainment industry. If so, there must be a faster way to contact Si Tian than searching for a needle in a haystack!

The more the system thought about it, the more frustrated it became. Ji Yu, on the other hand, felt relieved and comforted it: “This is already great. It was a luxury just to hope to see her again. Now, she is in the same world as me. Meeting is just a matter of time.”

Although she said this, the system had witnessed her tears of distress when she previously missed Si Tian. It immediately began searching very actively.

The search, however, was not easy.

As soon as the system entered the name “Si Tian” on the search website, countless links with similar names immediately popped up, along with stories and photos of various people named “Si Tian,” instantly submerging it in a sea of data.

It only managed to hurriedly throw a “Hold on” at Ji Yu, and then fell silent.

But Ji Yu’s heart tightened.

She heard the movement of the little deer that had sprung back to life in her chest, nudging her heart with its horns, intermittently. She could even vaguely hear the little deer timidly spitting out two words: “Nervous…”

Will I be able to contact Si Tian right away?

How should I begin the conversation?

The last time she was about to reunite, it was due to the system’s abrupt notification, so she didn’t dare to prepare anything, afraid of missing her. But this time, she had some time to fully think about what to say once the system found Si Tian’s contact information.

After years of separation, how should they meet?

If they met on a random road, Ji Yu might express herself with tears, with silence, with repentance. But this was not a formal meeting; it was only through the internet or phone, expressing herself through text or voice.

Ji Yu couldn’t help but start wondering again. Would Si Tian want to see her? Would Si Tian forgive her?

Would Si Tian be happy to have a new life in this unfamiliar world? Or, would she still be willing to associate with the people and messy affairs of the past?

Ji Yu grew more and more nervous. She didn’t even realize the elevator had reached the dormitory floor. It was only when the door started to close again that she hurriedly pressed the button to open the door and stepped out into the corridor.

Ji Yu took a shower, changed back into her trainee clothes, and headed straight to the dance studio.

During this time, the system remained unresponsive. She didn’t know if it couldn’t find Si Tian’s contact information at all, or if it wanted to wait until it was absolutely sure before telling her.

When Ji Yu entered the classroom, Chu Nanxing had already returned and was sitting on the floor chatting with the girls from Xi Entertainment. Rong Bai saw her, smiled at her proactively, and then waved:

“You were out all day; you definitely didn’t practice much, did you?”

“Teacher Zhi Tao came over this afternoon and corrected a few moves for us. Come, let me practice with you once.”

Ji Yu looked over at her. The other girls in the team were absent, leaving only Rong Bai. Given Rong Bai’s demeanor, it seemed like she had specifically waited for her in the classroom.

But Rong Bai showed no sign of waiting. Her expression was even spirited. Today, she had changed her earrings to an unusual pink color, which, paired with her neat and cool short hair, made her look like a cool kid—both cute and aloof.

Ji Yu’s expression immediately softened. Instead of expressing her gratitude in words, she focused on diligently practicing the theme song dance with Rong Bai one time.

After making slight adjustments to the details of her final set of movements, Rong Bai let out a big sigh of relief. She crossed her arms and smiled at her: “Your dance portion is always reassuring—”

“What about singing? How is your part coming along?”

Ji Yu opened her mouth and sang her part to Rong Bai in a well-controlled manner, still using perfect technique. Rong Bai clapped her hands upon hearing it:

“Very good. We’ll practice the group singing and dancing when everyone is back tomorrow. Your part has two high notes. Teacher An Ran happens to be coming tomorrow to coach us. If you want to handle those two sections better, you can ask her tomorrow.”

Ji Yu sighed in relief. After thanking her sincerely for the reminder, she glanced at the clock hanging in the classroom and asked:

“Want some late-night snack?”

Rong Bai raised an eyebrow. The girls from the other group who had been with Chu Nanxing had also left, leaving only her there. Hearing Ji Yu ask about a “late-night snack,” she chimed in with a smile:

“I’ve heard you’re a great cook. Is the late-night snack for everyone who sees it?”

There were cameras in the classroom, and Ji Yu didn’t want to give anyone anything to criticize, so she nodded at Chu Nanxing as well. Rong Bai reached up and touched the abs on her stomach. She initially wanted to refuse, but her curiosity about Ji Yu’s cooking eventually won out. She joked:

“Will all the muscle on my body turn into fat once I leave this show?”

Ji Yu extended a finger and winked, assuring her: “Don’t worry! I’ll only poison you this one time!”

Looking at her, Rong Bai somehow thought of her friend abroad. Her heart softened, and she adopted the attitude of someone willing to sacrifice their figure, following Ji Yu to the small kitchen the hotel frequently provided.

Ji Yu didn’t dare to ask the system about its progress.

She was afraid of being disappointed again, but also afraid that the system would suddenly announce success, and she wouldn’t know how to initiate contact.

So, in this state of anxiety, she constantly tried to distract herself. First, she fully devoted herself to practicing the dance with Rong Bai, and then she made a late-night snack for Rong Bai as repayment, though she included Chu Nanxing as well.

Because Rong Bai was very conscious of her figure and exercised in her spare time, Ji Yu didn’t want to make anything too greasy to increase her burden. She chose the leanest meat possible—

Chicken breast.

The kind of meat that is particularly dry when boiled, not tender enough when poached, and too tough when braised.

Especially the kind of flavor that makes people on a diet instantly lose their appetite.

But…

After boiling the evenly-textured meat, she shredded it finely and mixed it with shredded carrots, cucumbers, and bean sprouts to make cold chicken noodles (Jisi Liangmian). Adding a spoon of crushed peanuts, it was refreshing for summer and not too greasy.

Ji Yu used the healthiest olive oil and chose thin Longxu noodles, which were easy to digest for a late-night meal. Although the noodles weren’t as springy as authentic cold noodles, they had a unique flavor.

Perhaps Ji Yu’s seasoning skills were too good. When Rong Bai saw the finished dish and smelled the aroma, she had the illusion that “this plate is too small; I don’t think I have enough.”

At this point, Ji Yu looked out: “I didn’t see Ling Lan in the room when I got back. Is her group also practicing late? There’s extra, so I’ll go call her.”

Rong Bai, seeing Ji Yu still blanching the bean sprouts, proactively offered: “I’ll go.”

Once she left, Ji Yu continued blanching the bean sprouts, seemingly unconcerned about Chu Nanxing’s purpose in crashing the late-night snack.

Ji Yu was patient, but Chu Nanxing couldn’t wait any longer.

Ever since the script she had meticulously prepared for Ji Yu was embedded in the world line only to gradually change beyond recognition, Chu Nanxing realized that Ji Yu, this supporting character, seemed to be more formidable than she had thought.

How did she do it?

Chu Jianyu and Meng Rendong were the female protagonists and possessed strong resistance, which she could still understand. But Ji Yu, just a supporting character… a supporting character whose mind wasn’t even on Meng Rendong—what gave her the right?

Because there were fewer cameramen working late at night, and the kitchen was considered the hotel’s back area, the location where the two were standing had neither cameras nor recording equipment. Chu Nanxing couldn’t help but look at Ji Yu with a probing gaze, and then asked:

“I’ve always been curious—”

“What exactly does Meng Rendong like about you?”

What right did this person have to repeatedly win Meng Rendong’s affection?

Chu Nanxing clearly saw in the story that Ji Yu treated Meng Rendong as a substitute, and even told Meng Rendong this fact. Why was Meng Rendong still so devoted to her?

She even forgot that the person she once loved was Chu Jianyu.

Does Ji Yu possess some kind of ability…?

Probably because Chu Nanxing herself had a cheat ability, she couldn’t help but suspect Ji Yu had one too when she encountered someone she couldn’t control. She even started brainstorming what Ji Yu’s ability could be.

Ji Yu lazily blanched the bean sprouts, drained the water with a strainer, gently shook her wrist, spread the bean sprouts into the plates already containing the noodles, and then started seasoning the remaining two plates. After finishing all this, she stepped back slightly before slowly replying:

“Who knows.”

“Maybe she likes that I’m young, or maybe she likes my skill.”

Having finished the late-night snack, she couldn’t help but start worrying about the system and Si Tian’s situation again. She let her guard down for a moment and actually spoke the teasing thought in her heart.

The atmosphere in the kitchen suddenly fell silent.

Chu Nanxing’s eyes widened. She was either shocked by the abundance of information implied in Ji Yu’s words or by her courage to state the truth.

Ji Yu gently bit her tongue.

She inwardly cursed herself for not being careful enough. Even if there were no cameras or recordings now, what if?

In the midst of this complete silence.

The system’s alerting voice in her mind was exceptionally clear:

“Yuyu!”

“Found it!”

“I found Si Tian’s contact information!”

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