Transmigrated into the Villainous Scummy Alpha in a Talent Show Novel - Chapter 23.3

“‘Brand new’ means a person has become a completely different version of themselves.”

“‘Transformation’ means someone has changed for the better, from bad to good.”

“‘Forgiveness’ means someone did wrong, but then they might have improved and earned another’s pardon.”

After teaching a few more words laced with personal intent, Jiang Ming finally seemed to regain her rationality. She grabbed Lin Qi’s wrist, her eyes probing. “Are you saying… you’ve become a brand-new version of yourself?”

Truthfully, she had sensed something was off long ago. Four years in a psychiatric hospital had honed Jiang Ming’s keen observational skills, and her sensitivity only amplified it. The sudden kindness she received that day had felt strange could someone truly so cruel change overnight?

This person had transformed into someone entirely different warm and kind, the kind of person she couldn’t help but adore and willingly draw closer to.

“Why did you change?”

Mustering her courage, Jiang Ming finally asked the question, desperate for an answer.

Great, another life-or-death question. Why had he gone and taught her those words?

Deep down, he really wanted her to know, that he wasn’t the original person who had tormented her, but Lin Qi, a devoted fan of her story from another world who adored her deeply.

But would Jiang Ming believe him?

Would she think this was just an excuse to escape accountability for past wrongs?

And then, would she come to despise him all over again for his lack of responsibility?

After a brief silence, Lin Qi forced a smile he hoped wouldn’t betray his unease. “It’s just, seeing you cry made my heart ache. I didn’t want to see you sad anymore. I want you to be happy, always.”

“You’re lying.”

Her conclusion was calm, but Jiang Ming grew even more determined to uncover what had truly happened to Lin Qi to make him into the version she loved so dearly now.

Like a gift suddenly bestowed upon her by the heavens.

Precious, yet fearful that this treasure might be taken away.

“Didn’t I tell you before? After the first performance, I’ll tell you all my secrets, okay?”

That’s still so far away.

Jiang Ming pouted, originally intending to whine and act spoiled, but when she saw Lin Qi’s somewhat serious, even uneasy expression, she could only sigh. “Really? You’re not lying to me?”

“Really, I’m not lying to you.”

After washing up, Lin Qi looked at Jiang Ming, who was still hugging the blanket and staring at her with bright, fox-like eyes, and felt puzzled. “Go to sleep. Why are you looking at me?”

“I can’t sleep.”

Her soft voice, almost like a coquettish plea, melted Lin Qi’s heart. She could understand why Jiang Ming felt this way, after all the turmoil earlier, the girl had cried so pitifully, her nose red, looking utterly lost and helpless.

“I’ll make you some brown sugar water. Something sweet might help you sleep.”

Why couldn’t she grasp the underlying meaning of her words?

Jiang Ming frowned in frustration, her delicate fingers nervously clutching the innocent blanket, her voice trembling slightly at the end. “I want you to sleep with me.”

Hiss

To say she didn’t want to would be a lie. The thought of holding Jiang Ming while she slept was undeniably tempting.

Lin Qi could easily imagine the girl nestled in her arms, her hair tousled over her face as she slept, glimpses of her fair skin peeking through. Her soft cheeks pressed against Lin Qi’s shoulder, perhaps dreaming of something sweet, nuzzling gently against her neck,

Like her favorite ragdoll cat.

But Lin Qi knew one thing, if the distance between them shrank so drastically, she would never want to pull away again.

Firmly shaking her head, she said, “Women shouldn’t be too intimate. Even though we haven’t presented yet, what if one of us becomes an alpha and the other an omega later? This wouldn’t be appropriate.”

“But we haven’t presented yet, right?”

The quiet muttering didn’t sway Lin Qi. She knew all too well that she was just a supporting character, a villainous one at that and shouldn’t get too entangled with the heroine.

Silently, she went to prepare a cup of brown sugar water, carefully blowing on it until it cooled enough before handing it to Jiang Ming. “Be good. Drink this and go to sleep.”

The heroine obediently took small sips, then proudly showed off the empty cup as if seeking praise.

The earlier disappointment was chased away by her smile. Lin Qi rewarded her by gently stroking her well-behaved head. “Good girl. Sleep now. Goodnight.”

The next morning, the two woke up in high spirits, shared a pleasant breakfast, and headed to the training room.

Truthfully, Jiang Ming was a little hesitant the doubtful looks from her teammates yesterday still stung.

Smiling, Lin Qi took the uncertain girl’s hand and pushed open the training room door. The other six members stood in perfect formation, and as soon as they saw Jiang Ming, they all bowed deeply. “Jiang Ming, we’re sorry.”

The unexpected gesture startled Jiang Ming, who hadn’t anticipated this at all. She glanced around at the earnest faces of her teammates and smiled shyly. “It’s okay.”

With an expression that seemed to say, “This child is teachable,” Lin Qi glanced at the somewhat embarrassed group, genuinely happy for Jiang Ming. Didn’t this situation prove that she had indeed won her teammates’ affection through her own efforts?

As the clock struck nine, before everyone could chat further, there was a knock at the door.

A woman walked in, her gaze icy and sharp. Dressed in an off-white shirt paired with gray sweatpants, her tall stature nearly matched Lin Qi’s. To be honest, her aloof aura bore some resemblance to Jiang Ming’s.

However, this woman was clearly more aggressive. Her striking features made her already small face appear even more delicate. Unlike Jiang Ming’s fragile, self-protective coldness, this woman was more like an untouchable flower atop an icy mountain, exuding a chilling air that kept others at bay.

Who was this?

While Lin Qi was still puzzled, the woman spoke, her tone as cool as her appearance. “Hello everyone, I’m your newly assigned mentor, An Zizi.”

Lin Qi instinctively frowned. The novel had mentioned this person, summarized as someone who appeared cold and aloof but couldn’t let go of the original host, her ex-girlfriend. However, she was too proud to cling once she learned of Lin Qi’s interest in Jiang Ming.

But seriously, someone save her.

An Zizi raised an eyebrow and approached, her voice as icy as during her introduction. Yet, anyone could see the reluctance in her eyes. “Lin Qi, long time no see.”

All seven people in the room turned their gazes toward Lin Qi, especially Jiang Ming’s, so intense it felt tangible, both hot and cold.

The heat came from the concern in Jiang Ming’s eyes, while the cold stemmed from her displeasure upon realizing Lin Qi’s connection with An Zizi.

Who could tell Lin Qi, a lifelong single, what expression to wear when encountering an ex-girlfriend who had ghosted her after a breakup?

Why did the original host always leave such messes for her to clean up?

Her head was starting to ache. Lin Qi forced a smile. “Long time no see.”

“Do you know why I’m here as the new mentor?”

Isn’t it because of the original host?

Lin Qi sighed but stayed silent. Then she heard An Zizi’s voice, straining to maintain its chill. “It’s because of you, you heartless woman. Tell me, why did you”

Before she could say “break up,” Lin Qi, her face flushed red, covered An Zizi’s lips. An Zizi’s eyes reddened as she glared at the woman who stood at her height.

“Can we talk after class?”

Lin Qi kept her hand in place until An Zizi nodded in agreement before releasing her. Guiltily, Lin Qi glanced at Jiang Ming, meeting the female lead’s suddenly frostier gaze. For some reason, she felt like she was trapped in a battlefield.

It wasn’t even her ex-girlfriend, and Jiang Ming belonged to the other female lead, Song En. So why was she the one suffering?

Lin Qi shook her head, avoiding Jiang Ming’s gaze as she lowered her head to strategize. Don’t be delusional, An Zizi liked the original host, and Jiang Ming liked Song En. Why was she even involved?

Finally calming down, An Zizi regained her composure. Her cold eyes swept over the oddly tense Lin Qi and Jiang Ming. “One of your teammates withdrew from the competition yesterday?”

As the team leader, Lin Qi had no choice but to face An Zizi head-on. “Yes.”

“Does that mean the choreography needs to be rearranged?”

“Correct.”

“Is it done yet?”

“N-not yet. The teammate only withdrew last night, so we haven’t had time.”

“Then what were you doing last night?”

How could she admit she was gushing over how adorable Jiang Ming was? Lin Qi lowered her head, her chest rising slightly as she realized An Zizi was deliberately picking a fight. She had no choice but to admit fault. “I’m sorry, teacher. I was slacking off.”

The moment these words left her mouth, An Zizi’s gaze turned even colder. The words “You call me ‘teacher’?” nearly slipped out, but she held them back. Instead, she glanced again at the girl standing beside her scummy ex. The girl wasn’t tall, and her aloof demeanor bore a faint resemblance to her own, about thirty percent, perhaps. But beneath that cold exterior, while she herself was unyielding as a boulder, this girl seemed more like a sweet, refreshing popsicle on a summer day.

Had Lin Qi found a replacement that resembled her in the camp?

Unexpectedly, she locked eyes with the girl she had assumed was timid and fragile. Curiosity piqued, An Zizi met her gaze. In that brief exchange, she detected a hint of thinly veiled hostility and fear. Someone who couldn’t even openly express their likes or fears, Lin Qi wouldn’t possibly be interested in her, right?

After all, Lin Qi had always said she loved her confident, sharp, and assertive demeanor the most.

Had she really turned around and fallen for this delicate, waifish type instead?

While An Zizi was lost in these thoughts, Jiang Ming wasn’t faring much better. She had seen people close to Lin Qi before, Wei Xuanyue was one, and their interactions had nearly sparked her jealousy. But the way those two looked at each other had been clear and uncomplicated, nothing like the tension with this woman now.

Lin Qi couldn’t bring herself to meet An Zizi’s eyes.

This was the conclusion Jiang Ming silently reached after observing for a while. Strangely, An Zizi’s icy gaze held a trace of tenderness something those cold eyes shouldn’t naturally possess. Jiang Ming noticed, however, that this softness only emerged when Lin Qi avoided her gaze, as if revealing a hidden sentiment the other woman couldn’t suppress.

Had Lin Qi faced An Zizi openly, it might have been easier to bear. But this timid, evasive version of Lin Qi terrified Jiang Ming.

If these two really were,

Then what did that make her?

A third wheel?

Overwhelmed by panic, Jiang Ming instinctively wanted to reach for Lin Qi’s hand, hanging limply at her side. Even the slightest touch would have offered some comfort, some reassurance.

But the moment she thought about the possible relationship between Lin Qi and An Zizi, she hesitated. The tall, striking woman across from her radiated such confidence, just standing there, she outshone Jiang Ming’s own shy, hesitant self with effortless brilliance.

It was the kind of confidence Lin Qi had praised so often, the very ideal Jiang Ming longed to embody.

Unwilling to concede defeat, Jiang Ming stubbornly resisted the urge to take Lin Qi’s hand. Yet the fear inside her only grew, gnawing at her fragile heart until her eyes burned with unshed tears once more.

An Zizi, who had been watching everything unfold, shouldn’t have cared, but she couldn’t help feeling a twinge of pity for this trembling girl. With a sigh, she said, “Lin Qi, I’ll give you two hours to show me the new choreography. But right now, come outside with me. We need to talk.”

Her throat was dry and hoarse, and Lin Qi’s head was pounding. Losing Zhu Yu wasn’t a big deal, but choreographing for eight people was tough. Most girl groups had an odd number of members for a reason, odd-numbered formations were easier to arrange, made it simpler to highlight the center, and symmetrical formations looked better.

But even-numbered choreography…

She really hadn’t dealt with much of that in her past life.

And! There was an even bigger challenge having a one-on-one conversation with her ex, who had broken up with her via cold shoulder.

What could they even talk about?

Would An Zizi slap her across the face?

Jiang Ming alone was already enough to handle, and now this mess? Save me!

Original owner, could you hurry back and explain yourself? How was she supposed to know why they broke up?!

With no other choice, Lin Qi followed An Zizi out of the classroom to a secluded spot.

“Go on, why did we break up?”

The question of death.

Lin Qi opened her mouth, her hands flailing uselessly, but no words came out. Could she really say she wasn’t the original owner who had dated An Zizi?

Obviously not.

Watching An Zizi’s gaze grow colder, Lin Qi lowered her head, closed her eyes, and decided to throw caution to the wind. After all, hadn’t the novel said that once this ex-girlfriend found out the original owner liked Jiang Ming, she stopped bothering her?

“Because I fell for Jiang Ming!”

But what she didn’t know was how Tan Yi, sneaking by the wall, would dramatically embellish her “heartfelt confession” to the other members in the classroom. Nor did she know how red Jiang Ming’s face would turn after hearing those words.