Transmigrated into the Villainous Scummy Alpha in a Talent Show Novel - Chapter 15

The next morning, Lin Qi woke up feeling none of the discomfort from the night before. Her body and the blankets were filled with the refreshing fragrance of shower gel, soothing her senses. For the first time, she didn’t wake up screaming, “Help me!” Instead, she washed up with a smile on her face.

However, Jiang Ming was still up earlier than her. After washing her face, Lin Qi turned around and saw the girl sitting at the desk, posture straight and proper, very much like the diligent and meticulous class monitor from her high school days.

“You’re studying Chinese this early in the morning? Want to grab breakfast together?”

Her tone was much more casual now. After last night, they should have completely broken the ice and become friends, right?

“Good morning.”

It had been a while since Lin Qi heard Chinese from Jiang Ming. Though not entirely accurate and carrying a slightly odd accent, it was at least understandable.

Lin Qi couldn’t figure it out, why did someone who sounded so cool and distant in Japanese suddenly switch to a completely different tone when speaking Chinese? A simple greeting came out unusually soft and sweet, like a freshly steamed custard bun in the morning, warm and fragrant.

“G-good morning.”

The sudden switch in language between them left Lin Qi a little unaccustomed. Why did Jiang Ming’s Chinese naturally carry a hint of a Taiwanese accent?

So soft and cute, even more so than all the “sakura girls” she’d met in college.

The two changed into casual clothes and headed out for breakfast. Today was the day for selecting songs for the first performance, and the show’s host had cheerfully announced over the broadcast that everyone could wear whatever they wanted.

Lin Qi felt that the only similarity between her original self and the current one might just be their fashion sense. From the barely touched wardrobe, she pulled out an ivory-white hoodie and paired it with loose black sweatpants a simple, youthful outfit.

She had changed in the bathroom first, but when Jiang Ming emerged afterward, an inexplicable joy made the smile on Lin Qi’s face grow even wider.

She was used to seeing Jiang Ming in bright yellow training clothes or pastel pink uniform skirts, the contrast of someone so cool and aloof wearing such vibrant colors was undeniably charming.

But today, perhaps influenced by Lin Qi’s own outfit, the girl before her wore a white long-sleeved shirt, her long hair left loose over her shoulders. The top two buttons were undone, revealing perfect collarbones in an inverted “V” shape.

If it were just the matching tops, it wouldn’t have made Lin Qi this happy. But the tall female lead had also opted for black sweatpants, and the mirror by the door perfectly reflected the two of them standing side by side.

They actually looked pretty good together?

“Is something wrong?”

How strange, why had the female lead been speaking Chinese nonstop since waking up?

“I think you look really nice in this.”

Lin Qi delivered the compliment without hesitation. She had wanted to praise Jiang Ming like this for a while now. Who knew why the novel’s female lead remained so insecure even after ending up with Song En? She was such a perfect girl.

Unexpectedly, despite dressing in a way that matched her usual cool demeanor, Jiang Ming seemed to be in an exceptionally good mood today. She didn’t hold back her stunning smile, her lips slightly reddened, as if she’d applied a touch of makeup. “Thank you.”

The two headed to the cafeteria together, their first truly harmonious interaction. While eating wontons, Lin Qi bit down on her straw and asked in Japanese, “Why have you been speaking Chinese all day? Practicing? Should I speak Chinese with you too?”

“Hmm, I want to practice Chinese in daily life.”

This sentence was also spoken in Chinese. Jiang Ming took small bites of her sandwich, paused for a moment, and then added in a low voice, “I think, you said more than just that sentence yesterday.”

For a moment, Lin Qi wasn’t quite sure what Jiang Ming meant. Then she suddenly remembered the near slip-up last night. Her throat tightened, and the cool mung bean soup in her mouth suddenly lost its flavor. She forced an awkward laugh and slowly replied in Chinese, “I do have a secret. I’ll tell you after the first performance, okay?”

“Don’t lie to me.”

After saying this, it suddenly occurred to Lin Qi, was Jiang Ming so determined to master Chinese because of the language barrier that caused the misunderstanding between them last night?

She glanced up at Jiang Ming, who was chewing slowly like a little hamster, her cheeks puffed up adorably. It felt as if even her heart was pounding. The female lead in the story had fallen for Song En because she saw him as her salvation and light. But what about herself?

Could she be considered a small ray of sunshine too?

Shaking her head to dismiss this sudden delusion, Lin Qi found the thought absurd. How could the official pairing ever be broken up? In most novels, the two main characters were destined to be together.

Just then, breakfast ended. Lin Qi had initially wanted to hold Jiang Ming’s hand as they walked to the open area, but remembering her earlier thoughts, she ultimately let her restless hand drop.

“Jiang Ming, what kind of song do you want to pick?”

“Tree fun song?”

Huh?

After a moment of contemplation, Lin Qi realized Jiang Ming meant “ballad.” She couldn’t help but laugh, and the disappointment of not being able to hold hands earlier faded away. It was only natural to want to be good to such a cute and hardworking girl, why crave anything in return?

After all, she had already died once. Getting a second chance at life was lucky enough. She shouldn’t indulge in these greedy thoughts.

“What about you?”

Caught off guard by the question, Lin Qi didn’t hesitate. “What a coincidence, I also want to pick a ballad.”

“Why? You’re clearly more suited for dance tracks.”

“Too tired from dancing. I want to slack off.”

At this, Jiang Ming’s delicate brows furrowed, and her soft voice grew serious. “No, you have to debut as the center.”

Was this a common trait among Japanese girls? Unlike Lin Qi, who was committed to slacking off, the Japanese girls she’d met in college were full of energy when having fun but became meticulous and rigorous when serious, pushing her to work harder too.

And judging by Jiang Ming’s words, it seemed she had high expectations for Lin Qi?

Smiling, Lin Qi took the female lead’s soft, delicate hand and playfully swung it. “Being the center isn’t important. I just want you to debut with me.”

As soon as she said this, the girl beside her blushed and lowered her head like an ostrich, as if even holding hands was crossing a boundary. Lin Qi tactfully changed the subject. “By the way, you actually know what ‘slacking off’ means? Is that in the dictionary?”

“I watched last season’s girl group survival show. They explained it there.”

Lin Qi hadn’t been particularly curious, she just wanted to ease Jiang Ming’s shyness. Seeing her return to her usual soft, bunny-like demeanor, Lin Qi grinned and gently squeezed the girl’s plump hand. “If you hear a song, you like later, let me know.”

At this moment, they happened to arrive at the open area. Lin Qi ignored Jiang Ming’s obvious reluctance and let go of her, quickly walking over to Wei Xuanyue’s side. The contestants from Class A each had their own distinct style, even in casual wear.

How could she pull Jiang Ming up?

What a headache.

With her here, Lin Qi couldn’t possibly let Jiang Ming repeat the experience of being eliminated in the first round. A protagonist as outstanding and diligent as Jiang Ming shouldn’t be buried in the dirt.

Soon, all one hundred-plus contestants had gathered, and the program’s host walked in with the script in hand. Dressed in a sharp suit, he looked every bit the center of a boy group.

“Congratulations to everyone for passing the theme song evaluation. Next, we’ll play a VCR showcasing the nine songs for our first performance. Each song will be led by one of the nine trainees from Class A, and the selection of songs and team members will proceed in order from one to nine. Now, please watch the VCR.”

Lin Qi hadn’t heard any of the nine songs before after all, this was another world, but she could instantly grasp the standout elements of each. The distribution was quite balanced: three high-energy dance tracks, three gentle and alluring ballads, two cool and stylish rap songs, and one cute, upbeat pop song. However, the last one was too similar to the theme song and could be ruled out immediately.

Personally, Lin Qi favored the second song, a dance track from the host’s boy group. The choreography, full of technical flourishes, was right in her comfort zone. If she performed it, she could definitely attract a massive wave of adoring fans.

Unfortunately, it wasn’t suitable for Jiang Ming.

How could she leave the tragic heroine to fend for herself? Lin Qi sighed. As the first to make a choice, she surprised everyone by selecting the gentle yet resolute ballad The Listener.

No one would have associated such a slow, melancholic song with the cheerful, energetic Lin Qi.

“Lin Qi, are you sure you want this song?”

Even the host was taken aback. He had assumed Lin Qi would pick his group’s song.

“I’m sure.”

“Then please stand behind the song card.”

After she did so, the host shook his head regretfully. He had really wanted to see how Lin Qi would interpret his group’s song, but things hadn’t gone as he’d hoped.

“Next, Wei Xuanyue, what’s your choice?”

Without hesitation, Wei Xuanyue chose the dance track Lin Qi had liked most. Despite her sweet, youthful appearance, she was someone who thrived on powerful, intense choreography and didn’t want to confine herself to cute, effortless pop songs.

Xiao Qi must be thinking the same way, she mused.

That’s why she chose The Listener, a song that didn’t suit her at all.

Little did she know, if Lin Qi had heard her thoughts, she would have vehemently denied it: No, no, no! I just wanted to find the right song for the female lead!

After what felt like forever, all nine centers had made their selections. Lin Qi was the first to pick her team members, and she didn’t bother hiding her bias. Smiling, she glanced at the calm faces in Class B and announced brightly, “I choose Jiang Ming.”

After casually selecting a few others who caught her eye, Lin Qi’s team was formed. She made sure to include Tan Yi, the contestant who had risen from Class C to Class B alongside Jiang Ming.

After interacting with her twice, Lin Qi felt she was a good fit to be Jiang Ming’s friend.

The entire process took up the whole morning. During that time, Lin Qi had wanted countless times to strike up a conversation with Jiang Ming, but the girl didn’t seem to be in a good mood her pretty little face was darker than the storm clouds overhead.

It wasn’t until they had left the crowd and were walking toward the cafeteria that Lin Qi finally asked, “Jiang Ming, are you angry?”

Another stretch of silence followed. Even her deliberately widened steps came to a halt. Jiang Ming lowered her head, her eyelashes trembling slightly, hiding the restless flicker of her pupils. The little kitten even clenched her fists around the fabric of her pants by her thighs. “You… why did you pick this song?”

Without waiting for Lin Qi to answer, Jiang Ming lifted her head, her eyes red. “Was it because of me?”

“I don’t want don’t want to be a burden to you.”

Her last words were already tinged with tears.