Transmigrated into the Villainous Scummy Alpha in a Talent Show Novel - Chapter 10

After leaving the cafeteria, it was already half past eleven. With the vocal class scheduled for two in the afternoon still a while away, Lin Qi suggested, “I’m going to find Wei Xuanyue now, the contestant who’s doing the duet dance with me. Once we’ve memorized the routine, we’ll come find you to record it, okay?”

Jiang Ming nodded and headed toward the Class C classroom.

When Lin Qi arrived at the Class A classroom, most of the contestants had already gone for lunch, leaving only three still practicing their dance: one unfamiliar face, Wei Xuanyue, and Song Jin.

“Xiao Qi, you’re finally here.”

Seeming a little aggrieved, Wei Xuanyue immediately walked over and wrapped her arm around Lin Qi’s as soon as she saw her.

Glancing at Song Jin’s furrowed brows, Lin Qi deliberately placed her hand over Wei Xuanyue’s, which was still holding her arm, and smiled. “Have you eaten yet? If not, go grab lunch first, and then we can practice the dance.”

“I’m not hungry. Just looking at certain people is enough to make me lose my appetite.”

Lin Qi couldn’t help but chuckle. The sweet-faced girl’s sarcastic remark somehow made her seem even more adorable.

They made their way to a classroom specially reserved for contestants with unique recording tasks like theirs. Recalling the dance routine she had already mapped out in her mind the day before, Lin Qi began singing and demonstrating the moves to Wei Xuanyue.

The song was about graduation, and the dance she had designed followed the same theme, two people gradually drifting apart after walking together for a time. However, considering the potential for buzz, Lin Qi had altered the originally melancholic tone into something more ambiguous and sweet, hinting at mutual secret crushes.

Come to think of it, would there be fans in this world who were really into shipping couples?

In her past life, she had unintentionally reaped many benefits from fan-shipped pairings. During talent shows, it was natural to form close friendships, and the intimacy between female contestants provided ample fodder for shipping discussions. Almost effortlessly, the appeal of these pairings had overshadowed even her actual skills.

Back then, because she got along well with everyone, she had been paired with nearly every contestant in some popular ship. Even among her biggest fans, there were plenty who supported multiple pairings. While she never deliberately played into the shipping culture, Lin Qi understood that she wouldn’t go out of her way to dismantle it either.

After all, the essence of being an idol was selling dreams. Some of her fans enjoyed shipping her with others, perhaps to compensate for their own romantic disappointments in life, or maybe simply out of personal preference. She didn’t feel the need to pander to them, but she also wouldn’t go as far as to ruin their fun.

Her thoughts snapped back to the present as she watched Wei Xuanyue practicing the dance, her expression earnest and focused, seemingly oblivious to the fact that this routine would inevitably spark shipping discussions between them.

Would this girl even be okay with it?

“Xuanyue, I just realized something. This dance might come off as a little too ambiguous. If we release it, we might end up being shipped as a couple. Would you mind that?”

Finally understanding why Lin Qi had been frowning, Wei Xuanyue’s face lit up with realization. She patted the taller girl on the shoulder and said, “I don’t care at all. Xiao Qi, is this what’s been bothering you?”

She seemed almost amused. “Even if we do get shipped, you have way more fans than I do. If anything, I’d be the one benefiting. Why would I mind?”

Lin Qi shook her head, realizing she had overthought things again. She was always so concerned about others’ feelings that she forgot Wei Xuanyue was naturally carefree and unbothered by such things.

“I just didn’t want you to feel uncomfortable, especially since you have Song Jin pursuing you and all.”

“Hey! Xiao Qi! Are you trying to get yourself killed?”

The deliberately teasing words aimed at Wei Xuanyue earned her a “violent beating.” The two chased and roughhoused each other in the small classroom, momentarily feeling as if they had returned to their school days. Lin Qi used to provoke her friends in the same way back then, like the saying goes, “I’m so bored, might as well tease my friend so they can scold me.”

However, after becoming a top star, Lin Qi hadn’t relaxed like this in a long time. Her nerves had been constantly on edge, even while sleeping, afraid that some production crew might barge into her home with cameras rolling.

Finally calming down, the two remembered they still had to practice dancing.

Wei Xuanyue was a contestant who combined talent with hard work. In just an hour, she had completely mastered the dance. When they performed together, she effortlessly added many shy, lovestruck expressions and gestures.

It had to be said giving Wei Xuanyue ninth place in the original story was far too low.

When the clock struck 12:40, Lin Qi told Wei Xuanyue she was going to fetch Jiang Ming to sing.

The moment the words left her mouth, the person who had been lying on the floor resting suddenly sprang up, eyes sparkling. “Jiang Ming is coming?”

Wait, does Wei Xuanyue like me or Jiang Ming?

Genuinely happy for Jiang Ming, Lin Qi nodded. “Yeah, I’ll go get her. But she’s pretty introverted, so don’t scare her.”

“Of course not, of course not!”

Arriving at the Class C classroom, Lin Qi once again didn’t see Jiang Ming. Instinctively, she headed to the restroom, unsurprisingly, it was practically the female lead’s secret hideout. While others were in the cafeteria, she would slip in here to practice dancing alone.

Not wanting to startle the timid kitten again, Lin Qi gently knocked on the wooden restroom door, drawing Jiang Ming’s sidelong glance.

“Let’s go, time to sing.”

Nodding silently, Jiang Ming followed Lin Qi to the designated classroom. There, Wei Xuanyue, that traitor who abandoned friends for beauty was standing energetically, despite having been sprawled on the floor earlier. Spotting them, she immediately beamed and reached out to Jiang Ming.

“Konnichiwa!”

The loud greeting left Lin Qi speechless. So much for liking her, was Wei Xuanyue actually just fond of Jiang Ming’s roommate?

“Hello.”

To Lin Qi’s shock, Jiang Ming shook Wei Xuanyue’s hand with a completely straight face?!

A surge of irrational jealousy flared in Lin Qi’s heart. After all her efforts, the best she could manage with the female lead was calm conversation physical contact was still off-limits, and even that much was only achieved through relentless persistence.

Was the gap between people really this vast?

Driven by emotions she couldn’t quite understand, Lin Qi pulled Jiang Ming to sit beside her, then dragged Wei Xuanyue over to her other side. After scrutinizing the distance between the two, she nodded in satisfaction. “Okay, I’ll turn on the camera now. Jiang Ming, you can start singing oh, right, it’s a cappella.”

But Jiang Ming, observing Lin Qi’s oddly possessive behavior, glanced at Wei Xuanyue with concern in her eyes. Had Lin Qi stopped bullying her recently because she’d found someone new to “take interest in”?

Resting a hand over her chest, Jiang Ming frowned slightly. Why did this feeling… hurt?

Turning on the camera, Lin Qi was unaware of the thoughts swirling beneath Jiang Ming’s calm exterior. Standing between the two, she gave a brief introduction, “Hello everyone, I’m Lin Qi. Thank you to my fans for giving me this opportunity for a solo showcase. This is my roommate, Jiang Ming, and this is my best friend, Wei Xuanyue. We’ll be performing a short piece for you.”

Nodding at Jiang Ming, Lin Qi and Wei Xuanyue stepped in front of the camera, their expressions solemn.

A pure, ethereal voice slowly filled the air. Without any accompaniment, the unadorned singing of the girl seemed to possess a power that cleansed the soul, gentle yet resolute. A natural melancholy blended into the melody, like cherry blossoms gradually falling, drifting in the wind, occasionally landing upon the hearts of those who listened.

Lin Qi was stunned. She had never heard the female lead sing before, only glimpsed it through the flowery descriptions in the novel. She had assumed Jiang Ming was like those powerhouse vocalists from talent shows, but now she realized there was no comparison.

In the talent shows of her past life, among over a hundred contestants, some had raw, untrained voices that relied solely on emotion, while others were top graduates from prestigious music schools abroad, their runs as smooth as roller coasters, effortlessly hitting high notes yet lacking personal depth and empathy.

But the clear, bright voice in her ears now was so rich with emotion that it made her want to dance and cry at the same time. Was this the protagonist’s halo at work?

No wonder Wei Xuanyue couldn’t forget it after hearing it just once.

With the song as their guide, the two moved in perfect sync. Their eyes met one pair like a rabbit’s, the other like peach blossoms.the emotions in their gazes perfectly mirroring the reluctance in the lyrics.

It felt so genuine that Jiang Ming almost believed the two were truly in love.

Unconsciously, Jiang Ming frowned. She didn’t understand the sudden ache in her chest or the unease creeping in. Confused, she lowered her head just as the song reached its end. It was as if she had personally experienced the sorrow of graduation and parting. She could only console herself perhaps it was just the song.

What else could it be?

After the dance ended, Lin Qi silently turned off the camera. Why did she feel a pang of loss? Was it because Jiang Ming’s singing had stopped?

She glanced at Jiang Ming, only to find the other girl already looking back at her. The moment their eyes met, the emotions in those fox-like eyes were too complex for Lin Qi to decipher. Using the excuse of checking the recording, she hid her own gaze behind the camera.

Wei Xuanyue, however, was oblivious. She bounded over to Jiang Ming, a bright smile on her face. “Jiang Ming! You sang so well!”

Seeing Jiang Ming’s puzzled look, the carefree girl suddenly remembered she didn’t speak Japanese. She grabbed Lin Qi’s arm, pulling the reluctant girl over. “Xiao Qi, translate for me, will you?”

Lin Qi awkwardly pulled her arm free, stealing another glance at Jiang Ming before quickly looking away. “Fine. Go ahead, I’ll translate.”

“Hello, my name is Wei Xuanyue. I’ve liked you since your first performance. Can we be friends?”

Translating line by line, Lin Qi listened to Jiang Ming’s reply and saw her smile.

“Of course. You’re very cute.”

After a pause, the competitive girl lowered her head. “Sure. You’re a great dancer.”

“Wait, ‘kawaii’ means cute, right?”

It slipped my mind that this phrase was something you could basically learn from watching Japanese anime. Lin Qi’s ears turned red as she inwardly screamed at how childish she was being, yet her expression remained as steady as an old dog’s. “Oh, I must have remembered the meaning wrong. Jiang Ming probably meant to say you’re really cute, and that she likes you too.”

Damn it! Why did I add that last part? Jiang Ming definitely didn’t say that!

From then on, she didn’t twist any more meanings. Watching the two of them actually hit it off, Lin Qi felt a deep, bitter sense of abandonment. Wei Xuanyue was supposed to be her closest friend from the talent show, and Jiang Ming, she was the one Lin Qi had swallowed her pride and worked hard to win over. How could these two hit it off so effortlessly?

She shouldn’t be in the car she should be under it.