Transmigrated into the Villainous Scummy Alpha in a Talent Show Novel - Chapter 2

The training then proceeded by class. Lin Qi watched the dispersing crowd and instinctively searched for Jiang Ming’s figure, only to have her arm suddenly linked by a trainee, one of the girls who’d chatted with her earlier, presumably the closest to the original host.

Pretending to tie her shoelaces, she found an excuse to free her arm while sneaking a glance at the name tag on the girl’s waist: Wei Xuanyue, Class A.

The novel hadn’t described this character much, only mentioning her as the ninth-place debut member. She had taken a liking to the original host’s outstanding singing and dancing skills during the initial performance and befriended her, unaware of the host’s misdeeds.

“Xiao Qi, do you think this theme song is difficult?”

Pausing briefly to adjust to the nickname “Xiao Qi,” Lin Qi answered honestly, “I think it’s pretty easy.”

“As expected of Xiao Qi!”

Was she already getting starry-eyed fangirl treatment??

Forcing an awkward laugh, Lin Qi raised a hand to tuck her hair behind her ear, deftly evading Wei Xuanyue’s attempt to link arms again. But the motion revealed her sharp jawline, slender fingers threading through ink-black hair that made her already fair skin appear even paler. The perfect contours of her profile aligned flawlessly with the golden ratio, her high nose bridge exuding a sharp, striking aura. The sight left Wei Xuanyue momentarily dazed.

Having not yet looked in a mirror since arriving, Lin Qi didn’t know if her appearance had changed. But she could tell her tall stature matched her past life standing up, she towered over the hundred or so trainees.

Still, the original host had debuted as the center in a beauty-packed survival show, she couldn’t have been unattractive, right?

Remembering that practice rooms surely had mirrors, Lin Qi quickened her pace. Her long legs covered twice the distance of Wei Xuanyue’s steps, and when she glanced back, the silly girl was still standing there, stunned.

“Wei Xuanyue, time for class.”

“Oh! Right!”

This time, Wei Xuanyue succeeded. The sweet, bubbly girl skipped over cheerfully, seemingly oblivious to Lin Qi’s earlier avoidance, and clung to her arm again.

In her past life’s survival show, Lin Qi had befriended a similar girl sweet, adoring, always cheering her on. But that girl had been eliminated due to low votes, while Lin Qi rose to stardom. The gap in status eventually severed their connection.

Feeling a twinge of warmth toward Wei Xuanyue, Lin Qi didn’t pull away this time, letting her cling all the way to the practice room.

Class A had only nine trainees, but the room was spacious. While waiting for the instructor, Lin Qi finally got a clear look at her reflection identical to her past self. The face staring back had delicately arched brows, eyes brimming with effortless charm that softened the sharpness of her nose. Her lips, naturally rosy and slightly thin, fit the saying that thin lips meant a fickle heart something the original host had certainly lived up to.

There was one difference, though. Despite identical features, the original host, raised with a silver spoon, carried an air of aristocratic arrogance, while Lin Qi’s own demeanor had always been straightforward and unpretentious.

“Xiao Qi, no need to check, you’re gorgeous no matter what!”

Hearing this, Lin Qi didn’t know whether to laugh or cry. If they weren’t all trainees, she would have suspected Wei Xuanyue was a fan who had sneaked in.

However, she wasn’t the type of idol plagued by insecurity. With her naturally steady mindset, Lin Qi remained unfazed even in the face of millions of hate comments. Her thoughts inexplicably drifted to Jiang Ming. She wondered, if Jiang Ming became friends with Wei Xuanyue, a professional hype machine, would it help ease some of Jiang Ming’s self-doubt?

After all, the book had described: “Jiang Ming hardly dared to meet Song En’s gaze. She feared seeing the disdain in those eyes, disdain for her impurity, her incompleteness. How could an Omega without even a scent gland beg for an Alpha’s love?”

This was Jiang Ming’s inner monologue after the original host had already been imprisoned. Reading it late at night, Lin Qi’s heart ached so much that tears streamed down the face of the “fierce beast” in her fans’ eyes.

There was no time to dwell on Jiang Ming any longer. The dance instructor walked in and began teaching them the theme song.

The moves were actually quite simple Lin Qi had already memorized most of them while watching the video earlier. As she followed the instructor through the routine repeatedly, unlike other Class A trainees who blindly tried to memorize the steps, she had the spare mental capacity to consider how to make her movements more visually appealing and how to execute them more fluidly.

By noon, the Class A trainees, all quite skilled could already perform the entire dance from start to finish. Surprisingly, Wei Xuanyue, whom Lin Qi had assumed was just a sweet, soft-spoken hype machine, turned out to be an outstanding dancer.

And she was serious about it. After the instructor dismissed the class, the trainees swarmed out of the room, eager to rush to the cafeteria. But Lin Qi, lingering by the door, noticed Wei Xuanyue had stayed behind. Being someone who valued skill above all else, Lin Qi felt her admiration grow. She didn’t leave either and instead asked, “Xuanyue, aren’t you going to eat?”

The girl in the mirror flushed, casually lifting the hem of her T-shirt to wipe the sweat from her forehead, revealing perfectly defined abs. Wei Xuanyue paused her repeated refinements of the dance moves and smiled. “I wanted to practice a bit more. But Xiao Qi, are you heading out? Let’s go together then.”

In the closed-off training camp, time had become indistinct. Lin Qi wasn’t sure how long they had been training, only that the sunlight outside the window had grown brighter probably around two or three in the afternoon. They had been in the classroom for nearly six hours.

Having experienced survival shows in her past life, Lin Qi knew just how grueling the training intensity could be. During preparations for performances, she had often survived on just two or three hours of sleep a night, sometimes pulling all-nighters, habits that had left her with lasting health issues.

This time,  did she really need to push herself that hard again?

No answer came to mind. Shaking her head, Lin Qi followed Wei Xuanyue toward the cafeteria.

By now, most of the classrooms were empty, with only a handful of trainees scattered here and there, still practicing. Their faces were unfamiliar to Lin Qi, but she respected their dedication.

Then, one person made her pause.

In the Class C classroom, someone was clumsily trying to memorize the dance moves, drenched in sweat, her breathtakingly beautiful face flushed. The warm sunlight caught in her clear, transparent eyes, which flickered with confusion and frustration.

It was Jiang Ming.

The book had mentioned that while Jiang Ming was a singing prodigy, she was utterly hopeless at dancing.

The uncoordinated movements in the classroom were almost comical yet Jiang Ming’s expression remained cold and unreadable.

Unable to suppress a laugh, I didn’t draw attention from others in the classroom. It was clear Jiang Ming was dancing with utmost seriousness, though her meager efforts paled in comparison to the accumulated practice of other contestants.

Wei Xuanyue heard the laughter and followed Lin Qi’s gaze. “Xiao Qi, isn’t that Jiang Ming?”

“You know her?”

This came as a surprise. In the novel, despite possessing an ethereal beauty like an unattainable flower and exceptional singing skills that earned her praise as having a “voice of angels,” Jiang Ming remained virtually invisible among the hundred-plus contestants, unable to communicate with others. After being eliminated in the first round, she completely faded from view.

Nodding, Wei Xuanyue looked utterly matter-of-fact. “How could I not know Jiang Ming? Her debut stage was stunning. I’d have talked to her sooner if I spoke Japanese.”

Then, as if remembering something, she added, “Hey, Xiao Qi, isn’t Jiang Ming your roommate?”

“Yeah, she is.”

“What’s she like?”

Having never actually interacted with Jiang Ming and relying only on the novel’s description, Lin Qi pondered before answering: “She seems highly skilled yet humble, though a bit sensitive and insecure. Doesn’t talk much.”

“That doesn’t sound bad. Another contestant told me some things about Jiang Ming that had me a little scared.”

“What things?”

Weren’t we still at the theme song stage? Lin Qi remembered the original host spreading rumors about Jiang Ming during the first performance round. Were there other incidents she didn’t know about?

Wei Xuanyue hesitated before leaning in to whisper: “Song Xiaoyuan told me Jiang Ming’s father killed someone in Japan, which is why she was deported back to China.”

Who was Song Xiaoyuan?

A background character not even mentioned in 80% of the novel.

Glancing back at Jiang Ming’s earnest, clumsy attempts to follow the choreography in the classroom, Lin Qi was about to defend her when Wei Xuanyue continued: “But I doubt it’s true. Jiang Ming looks like the kind, beautiful type. Even if it were true, it’s not her fault anyway.”

Her urgent tone suggested Wei Xuanyue didn’t want her impression of Jiang Ming tarnished.

“You really like Jiang Ming?”

“Mmm, I do. But not as much as I like you, Xiao Qi!”

“Then I’ll try teaching Jiang Ming Chinese so you two can meet properly.”

“Wow! Really? Xiao Qi, I love you!”

“From how you’re acting, seems you like her more than me?”

“No way! You’re my favorite!”

Their laughter and banter continued as they headed to the cafeteria. Lin Qi didn’t notice the complex gaze watching her from the C-class classroom, a look filled with hatred above all else.

Perhaps it’s some unspoken rule, but reality show cafeterias always seem to serve amazing food. Picking and choosing, Lin Qi assembled a generous bowl with meat, vegetables, and fruit to cut the grease. She could only hope this body shared her previous life’s metabolism that never gained weight.

Chatting with Wei Xuanyue about the hundred-plus trainees’ gossip through the meal, Lin Qi never did spot Jiang Ming.

Was she trying to become an immortal by skipping meals?

After letting Wei Xuanyue return to the dorm for a nap or continue training in the classroom, Lin Qi stayed behind in the cafeteria. She racked her brain trying to recall the book’s descriptions of Jiang Ming’s preferences, prepared lunch, and while berating herself for being such a simp, headed toward Classroom C.

Sure enough, Jiang Ming was still there.

She was the only one in the classroom. Summoning her courage, Lin Qi approached, still feeling a bit awkward. Fortunately, when a second figure appeared in the mirror, Jiang Ming stopped her movements and frowned at her.

“Uh, you’ve been practicing for so long, how about taking a break to eat?”

Lin Qi felt like she was there for Japanese speech therapy. Seeing Jiang Ming’s puzzled expression, she thought she hadn’t made herself clear and was about to speak again when she caught the disdainful look on the ice queen’s face.

“Did you poison it?”