Transmigrated into the Villainous Scummy Alpha in a Talent Show Novel - Chapter 11

Finally finished translating, Lin Qi glanced at the clock and said, “Class is about to start. We should go.”

“But there’s still fifty minutes left. What’s the rush?”

Hiss, she was right. It was only 1:10 PM, still early before the 2:00 PM vocal class.

Lin Qi should have been happy about how well they were getting along, but she couldn’t help feeling a bit of negativity creeping in. She didn’t understand why but tried hard to suppress this inexplicable gloom. After all, befriending Wei Xuanyue would only bring benefits to the female lead, with no downsides.

Jiang Ming wasn’t her pet, she shouldn’t try to confine her. Otherwise, how would Lin Qi be any different from the villain in the novel?

Nodding, Lin Qi forced a smile and said, “You’re right. Let’s chat a bit longer. Once I teach Jiang Ming a little more Chinese, you two can communicate on your own.”

As the two chatted away, Jiang Ming seemed to have met someone so lively for the first time and genuinely took a liking to Wei Xuanyue, who was like a little sun. A rare smile appeared on her face, her picturesque eyes curving with bright amusement though it only showed when Lin Qi lowered her gaze to translate.

In the end, it was Lin Qi who had introduced her to Wei Xuanyue.

It seemed this person really had changed, becoming someone she was willing to get close to.

When the clock struck 1:50, Jiang Ming smiled and ended the conversation, looking at Lin Qi. “Class is about to start. See you tonight.”

That soft, sweet, and smiling remark left Lin Qi frozen in place. It wasn’t until the girl in the blue training uniform had walked far away and Wei Xuanyue asked in confusion, “What did Jiang Ming say?” that she snapped out of it.

Pausing, Lin Qi replied, “She said, ‘Go to class.'”

“Was that really all? I heard her say two sentences.”

“That’s it! Let’s go!”

Forcibly changing the subject, she dragged Wei Xuanyue to the Class A classroom, but Lin Qi’s mind kept replaying that one phrase: “See you tonight.”

It had been said to her alone.

That realization smoothed away all the discomfort she’d felt over the past hour. Even during vocal class, she wore a bright smile, and when the teacher called on her to demonstrate, she was specifically praised for her expression full of energy, perfectly matching the theme song’s vibe.

When class ended at 6:00 PM, Wei Xuanyue took a sip of water and slung an arm around Lin Qi, her round, rabbit-like eyes sparkling. “Xiao Qi, let’s go find Jiang Ming for dinner, okay?”

Glancing at Wei Xuanyue’s expectant gaze and thinking about Jiang Ming, who had no friends, Lin Qi lowered her head. “Okay, let’s go find Jiang Ming.”

From now on, Jiang Ming would have more and more friends, she might not even need Lin Qi anymore.

Why did she feel this sense of loss, like her prized cabbage had grown legs and run away?

Maybe it was because Jiang Ming was the first person she’d met in this world.

Not finding Jiang Ming in the Class C classroom, the two headed to the cafeteria. Even the loneliest corners were packed with trainees, they must have come too late. But Jiang Ming wasn’t in the cafeteria either?

Feeling puzzled, Lin Qi clutched her stomach and put on a pained expression. “I think I need to use the bathroom. I’ll head back to the dorm first. Can you ask for leave for me for tonight’s dance class?”

“Sure, Xiao Qi. Are you okay? Do you want me to go back with you?”

Lin Qi quickly refused Wei Xuanyue’s offer. The moment she turned away, the “pain mask” dropped, and she simply hunched over slightly as she ran toward the dormitory building.

Opening the dorm room door, as expected, the person sitting with her back turned had a straight posture, her long hair tied into a ponytail cascading down her back, revealing a slender and graceful swan-like neck. Even from behind, the female lead looked as if she had a special filter applied to her, stunningly beautiful.

“Why are you back?”

Hearing this, the girl turned around. Her cool and composed face showed a hint of exhaustion, then those fox-like eyes gave Lin Qi a deep look before she sighed and said, “I failed my vocal assessment. The teacher scolded me and told me to come back to the dorm to work on it. I don’t have to go to dance class tonight.”

Unaware that the female lead had already begun to trust her, Lin Qi frowned with a serious expression. “Sing it once for me. I’ll help you figure out where the problem is, and then we can fix it together, okay?”

“But you have dance class.”

Shifting her gaze away unnaturally, her ears even turning slightly red, Lin Qi sat down at the desk beside Jiang Ming and said, “I lied to Wei Xuanyue and told her I had a stomachache, so she helped me get the night off.”

At this, Jiang Ming also frowned. Though the sight of a beauty frowning was lovely, it made Lin Qi’s heart race, afraid the female lead would ask why she had lied.

Honestly, Lin Qi herself didn’t know the reason.

When she hadn’t seen Jiang Ming in the cafeteria, she had considered three possibilities, the restroom in the teaching building, the cafeteria restroom, or the dorm. Instinct told her Jiang Ming was definitely in the dorm.

And something might have gone wrong.

So without hesitation, she lied to her closest friend in the talent show.

Fortunately, Jiang Ming didn’t press further. Instead, she looked at Lin Qi with concern and asked, “So… are you really okay?”

“I’m fine, I’m fine!”

“Then why did you ” lie to Wei Xuanyue?

Before she could finish, Lin Qi quickly interrupted, “Just sing first. Tomorrow’s the theme song evaluation, and tonight’s the last chance. I think your dance is already solid, now we just need to maximize your strengths. I really want to see you in Class A.”

It was true. Glancing at the clock, it was already 6:20 PM. The theme song evaluation would start at 8 AM tomorrow. Based on the teacher’s feedback, even an all-night practice session might not be enough to fix the issues.

But now, with Lin Qi here… Jiang Ming looked up at the person watching her intently. Under the warm glow of the desk lamp, Lin Qi’s sharp, striking features were softened, her jawline haloed in light, and those charming peach-blossom eyes were bright and warm.

For the first time, Jiang Ming realized that this person she used to dislike actually had an alluring appearance.

It made her heartbeat quicken, yet at the same time, she felt inexplicably at ease as if with this person by her side, she was bound to succeed.

Her throat bobbed slightly before Jiang Ming lowered her head as if startled, her lips trembling briefly. Ultimately, the pressure of the theme song evaluation outweighed her shyness, and she began to sing.

Meanwhile, Lin Qi watched Jiang Ming intently, her ears fully focused. Soon, she noticed a major problem why is this girl singing with her head down?

Instinctively, Lin Qi pinched Jiang Ming’s chin and slowly lifted her head. But the moment their eyes met, Lin Qi found herself lost in the other girl’s mesmerizing beauty. Jiang Ming’s usually cool and ethereal face now had a faint mistiness in her eyes, like a highland flower plucked from its stem. The gaze looking up at her from below carried an unexpected vulnerability.

For a moment, the dorm room fell into complete silence.

Lin Qi was the first to snap out of it. She withdrew her hand and subtly moved away from Jiang Ming, averting her eyes as she explained, “You were singing with your head down your voice sounded too muffled. This song is supposed to be lively and energetic. You should… sing with your head held high.”

After a pause, she bit her lip and added, “Touching you just now was an instinctive reaction. I’m sorry.”

“I-It’s fine.”

“You… keep singing.”

Jiang Ming obediently raised her head, her eyes occasionally glancing at Lin Qi, her lashes fluttering like butterfly wings.

Her singing voice was completely different from the recording session earlier that afternoon. The gentle, firm tone had softened into something bold and lively, yet tinged with a hint of shyness, like a young girl singing to her crush. Just the line “May you fulfill my dream” was enough to make Lin Qi’s heart sway.

Though beautiful, Lin Qi noticed a major problem.

Jiang Ming kept rushing the beat or completely losing rhythm, singing purely from memory and even slurring some words.

“Wait a second.”

“Go ahead.”

The girl before her looked up with complete trust in her eyes, like an obedient student awaiting her teacher’s guidance.

Unconsciously, Lin Qi softened her already gentle tone. “Your rhythm is all over the place, and your enunciation isn’t clear. Let’s sing together now. If our voices don’t sync, we’ll stop, and you can try to feel the rhythm on your own, okay?”

Seeing Jiang Ming nod, Lin Qi counted down with her fingers three, two, one, expecting them to start together. But only her own voice filled the room. She turned to Jiang Ming. “What’s wrong?”

At this, the girl visibly trembled, her fair cheeks flushing pink. “It’s nothing,” she said.

Lin Qi didn’t press further, assuming Jiang Ming was just tired. “Do you need a break? We can try again later.”

“No, no, I just ”

“Just what?”

“Got distracted.”

Heaven knew what had come over Jiang Ming. She had been staring at Lin Qi’s well-defined fingers, lost in thought about what secondary gender this striking, sharp-featured person would develop into. Someone this commanding would probably become an Alpha, right?

Rumors said that after presenting as an Alpha, a small fissure would appear on the index finger, from which a soft, spiny protrusion could extend during… certain intimate acts.

Jiang Ming quickly shook her head. What was she thinking? It didn’t matter what Lin Qi presented as it had nothing to do with her.

“Let’s sing together.”

Cutting short the awkward moment, Jiang Ming counted down three, two, one and the two began a flawless duet.

The deep, warm timbre intertwined perfectly with the bright, energetic voice, high and low notes blending in harmony.

But soon, the two gradually fell out of sync. By the time the song reached the one-quarter mark, they were already a full half-line behind. Lin Qi stopped and asked, “Do you know when we started going off track?”

“From the line ‘I want to be your glory.'”

“Yong-yao?”

Unable to decide whether to laugh or cry, Lin Qi corrected her: “It’s ‘róng yào.’ Róng.”

“Yong?”

“Róng!”

“Lóng?”

Since Japanese doesn’t have the “r” sound, it was understandable that she couldn’t pronounce “róng.” Lin Qi sighed helplessly, rubbing her forehead, and decided to let it go, focusing instead on helping Jiang Ming get back on rhythm.

And so, the two of them kept singing late into the night, repeating the song who knows how many times until their harmonies finally stayed in sync from start to finish.

By then, it was already 2 a.m. Lin Qi forced her drooping eyelids open to brush her teeth and wash her face, but in the end, she couldn’t hold on any longer. Her knees buckled, and she collapsed onto the bed.

“Jiang Ming, I can’t do it anymore. I’m too tired. Goodnight.”

Truth be told, Jiang Ming wasn’t all that sleepy. Someone who had come here with no intention of resting much could be quite ruthless with herself. But she wouldn’t compare Lin Qi to herself this girl was more like a sleepyhead, already yawning by 11 p.m. yet stubbornly refusing to sleep.

Silently, Jiang Ming walked over, took off Lin Qi’s shoes and socks, and tucked her in properly. Then she returned to the desk, intending to study a bit more Chinese. But unexpectedly, the person she thought had already fallen fast asleep propped herself up on the pillow, eyes still closed, and murmured wearily, “Jiang Ming, if you don’t sleep, I won’t sleep either.”

How could she not understand that this was Lin Qi worrying about her sleep habits? Jiang Ming closed her book, turned off the desk lamp, and quietly washed up. With a voice laced with amusement, she soothed the utterly exhausted girl, “I’ll sleep. You should hurry up and sleep too.”

That night, in Jiang Ming’s usually barren nightmares, a vivid red rose bloomed.