Transmigrated into the Villainous Scummy Alpha in a Talent Show Novel - Chapter 33

After seeking help from her mom, Lin Qi finally felt at ease. She hadn’t known the reason why Jiang Ming’s ranking couldn’t rise before. Two days ago, she had even reported her ID number to the voting group’s administrator. Although she was questioned a bit, she managed to brush it off by claiming it was just a coincidence that she shared the same name as the contestant in the show.

With that 200,000 yuan poured in, she refused to believe the second-round rankings could still eliminate the female lead.

After parting ways with Jing Sha, Lin Qi planned to have dinner with Jiang Ming but also wanted to surprise her when they returned to the dorm. Hesitating for a moment, she turned her steps toward the cafeteria.

Then, suddenly, she spotted the seven members of Creation Group Three on the plaza. Led by Wei Xuanyue, they were sitting scattered on the steps, legs crossed. Among them, the most striking…

Was Jiang Ming, dressed in gray training clothes.

No dull color could mask her natural beauty. The aloof and distant person Lin Qi remembered was now covering her mouth, revealing only a pair of crescent-moon eyes, seemingly very happy. She even laughed so hard that she leaned toward Wei Xuanyue beside her.

Her head rested on Wei Xuanyue’s shoulder.

Lin Qi wasn’t sure what she was feeling as she watched the harmonious atmosphere among the seven, a mix of emotions flooding her heart.

The first time she had seen Jiang Ming in a group setting flashed before her eyes again, it was during the theme song mission announcement. The female lead had sat alone in the noisy crowd, wearing a simultaneous interpretation headset, while the other trainees chatted in small groups. None of them seemed to pay her any attention.

Back then, Lin Qi remembered the feeling in her chest it was called heartache.

But now, without her, Jiang Ming could blend into the group just fine. Look, she was laughing and sharing her thoughts with everyone.

Before being noticed, Lin Qi quickly left the plaza, though her steps slowed afterward. The person who had just resolved a major issue, initially walking with her head held high and in good spirits, now lowered her head, somewhat dejected.

It seemed Jiang Ming didn’t really need her anymore.

She wasn’t the only one Jiang Ming would grow close to.

Though no one was watching, Lin Qi forced a smile. She should be happy, Jiang Ming had made many friends. The once withdrawn and insecure tragic heroine had become amiable and cheerful. She should feel proud.

Not this sense of loss.

Arriving at the cafeteria, she randomly picked a food window. What she ate didn’t matter anymore; filling her stomach and heading to practice was the priority. As she chewed tastelessly, her mind was filled with the image of Jiang Ming laughing and leaning on Wei Xuanyue’s shoulder.

Damn it!

In frustration, she stabbed her chopsticks into the tray. No matter how much Lin Qi didn’t want to admit it, she understood this feeling was called jealousy.

It was the first time she had experienced such resentment. Even when facing Song En, she hadn’t felt this bitter.

She didn’t want to waste food, but she had no appetite. Picking up her tray, she decided to head to the practice room and keep dancing at least staying busy would keep Jiang Ming off her mind.

But just as she stood up and took two steps, whether by coincidence or cruel fate, she ran into Jiang Ming and Wei Xuanyue, chatting and laughing.

Right when her face looked like she was owed eight million yuan.

“Lin Qi, I was looking for you to have dinner, but your classroom was empty.”

Jiang Ming seemed genuinely surprised. After explaining, her voice softened with a hint of grievance, “So you came to the cafeteria by yourself after all.”

Hiss. How did I suddenly become the one in the wrong?

“I also went to check your classroom first. When I didn’t see you, I came here alone.”

Lin Qi lied awkwardly, curling her index finger to rub the tip of her nose, her gaze evasive.

Wei Xuanyue, oblivious to the tension, grinned carelessly. “The classroom’s too small for our group to really shine. We’ve all been practicing at the square. If you’re looking for Jiang Jiang, you can find her there.”

“OK, I’ll head out then. Enjoy your meal.”

Ignoring Jiang Ming’s obvious desire to say more, Lin Qi picked up her tray and strode over to the dish return area in just a few steps.

Only after turning away did her expression darken slightly. Frowning, she seemed deeply irritated, yet her emotions were conflicted so much so that when she dumped her leftovers, the stainless steel tray clattered noisily.

The clamor only worsened her mood. Annoyed, Lin Qi stormed out of the cafeteria. Hearing Wei Xuanyue casually and affectionately call Jiang Ming “Jiang Jiang” had been the last straw.

Honestly, if she hadn’t witnessed their closeness earlier that afternoon, it might not have stung so much.

Lin Qi had never realized that Jiang Ming could be so physically comfortable with someone else someone who wasn’t her.

How foolish she’d been, assuming Jiang Ming felt the same way. What a pipe dream.

Returning to the classroom with a scowl, she found only Jing Sha inside. It was strange, why was the young miss still here at this hour?

“Jing Sha, why are you still here? Have you eaten?”

“I have”

Before she could finish her stubborn reply, a loud growl from her stomach betrayed her. With only the two of them present, there was no question whose stomach had protested.

Lin Qi bit back a laugh, though her amused tone was unmistakable. “You’ve eaten? Seems your mouth is full, but your stomach’s still hungry.”

Sitting cross-legged beside Jing Sha, Lin Qi leaned against the mirror behind her. “Alright, out with it. Why didn’t you go eat?”

The young miss hung her head, and after a moment, sniffled twice, as if on the verge of tears. “I did go to the cafeteria, but every time I sat down, the other trainees would pick up their trays and leave. It’s like they all hate me.”

Who would’ve thought the seemingly unflappable heiress could be so sensitive?

Lin Qi chewed her lower lip, thinking for a moment. “You know, everyone’s here competing for those nine debut spots. But you’re an ‘airdrop.’ You skipped the auditions and interviews and came straight in. In other words, you used privilege.”

“And survival shows despise privilege. That’s why they audit the votes every year.”

“It’s normal for them to dislike you. In their eyes, you’re just a spoiled rich girl who waltzed in through the back door for a fun experience. You only need to”

Before she could finish, Jing Sha looked up at her with red-rimmed eyes. “Do you think that too?”

“Of course not. At first glance, I thought you’d be arrogant and willful. But after spending the day together, I realized you’re actually really fun. Even though you can’t dance, you still train hard to keep up. I like you.”

Jing Sha let out a soft humph, wiping her tears before turning away with a haughty tilt of her chin. “Too bad. I already have a favorite sister.”

Patting the young lady on the shoulder, “Look how smug you are. Get up, let’s go eat. We still have training tonight.”

“Hey, hey, aren’t you going to ask me who I like?”

“Do I need to? You’ll blurt it out sooner or later with that big mouth of yours.”

Seeing Jing Sha’s deflated expression again inexplicably lifted Lin Qi’s mood. Smiling, she led her to the cafeteria, where she learned that the young lady’s crush was none other than the legendary triple-crown actress from the book Pei Zhirong, who also happened to be the original owner’s love interest.

After “Lin Qi” debuted as the center of the group, she had collaborated with Pei Zhirong on the drama The Fake Groom. The original owner had pursued Pei for a year and a half to no avail before shifting her attention to Jiang Ming.

Who would’ve thought the world was so small Pei Zhirong was actually Jing Sha’s crush.

But barring any surprises, she would still have to work with the renowned actress Pei.

Ah well, watching Jing Sha wear her “pain mask” was pretty amusing. Lin Qi couldn’t help but entertain a slightly wicked thought.

Just as they arrived at the cafeteria, Lin Qi nearly blacked out on the spot. She didn’t know whether to call it fate or sheer coincidence, Jiang Ming was right at the entrance. A phrase popped into Lin Qi’s mind: The last time we met was the last time we met.

Her gaze instinctively locked onto Jiang Ming. Gone was the joy from just minutes ago now, the girl looked somewhat troubled, her eyes carrying a hint of resentment??

What the hell? She hadn’t even shown any attitude yet.

“Why are you here again?” Here to eat with your new teammate?

The latter half, dripping with resentment, went unspoken. Jiang Ming, no longer using the soft, sweet tone reserved for Lin Qi, crossed her arms, her voice chilly. It was as if she had “I’m upset, comfort me now” written all over her face.

Lin Qi could read her like an open book the girl’s expression practically spelled out the couplet: Top scroll: I’m very unhappy. Bottom scroll: Hurry up and comfort me. Horizontal plaque: You big dummy. But as the dummy in question, she genuinely had no idea what she’d done wrong.

Was it because she saw Jiang Ming leaning on someone else’s shoulder?

“I brought Jing Sha here to eat.”

The tension was thick enough to cut with a knife. The two bystanders exchanged glances, Wei Xuanyue raised an eyebrow, silently asking Jing Sha what was going on.

Young Lady Jing was equally baffled. With a wooden head just like Lin Qi’s, she couldn’t decipher the situation, but she at least knew one thing.

So, Jing Sha forced an awkward laugh. “I’ll go eat first. You two talk. Uh, Wei Xuanyue, right? Recommend me something good to eat.”

Eager to escape as well, Wei Xuanyue grabbed the young lady’s wrist. “Yeah, yeah, I’ll take you to dinner.”

Once the extras had cleared out, Lin Qi figured the cafeteria entrance wasn’t the best place for a heart-to-heart. She pulled Jiang Ming over to a bench, still oblivious to her mistake, and plopped down casually. “Why are you upset?”

“I”

How could she say it? Without any official status, throwing a jealous fit like this, Jiang Ming barely got a word out before hanging her head, deflating like a balloon, all her earlier fire gone.

“You what?”

“Nothing!”

“Wait, why are you acting like you swallowed a firecracker?”

“Firecracker? I didn’t swallow one. I had a salad.”

“‘Swallowing a firecracker’ means you’re snapping at everything I say one word from me, and you bite back.”

“Well, it’s your fault for being dumb.”

If they kept bickering like this, it would probably never end. Lin Qi finally grasped a key point, Jiang Ming seemed to be unhappy with her about something.

“I’m really dense, so how about a hint? Why are you upset?”

“No hints.”

Why was she being so stubborn??

Now Lin Qi understood the headache Jing Sha felt when dealing with An Zizi. Scratching her head, her slow-witted brain suddenly recalled a saying: “No argument can’t be resolved with a kiss.”

They weren’t a couple, so a kiss was out of the question. But what about a hug?

Well, desperate times called for desperate measures.

With a sigh, Lin Qi stood up from the bench, took a step forward, and wrapped her arms around the sulky girl. Chest to chest, she could almost hear the other heart beating faster and more erratically.

Amused, she raised a hand to stroke Jiang Ming’s slightly slender back, only to feel the sensitive girl tense up all over, as if embarrassed.

“I was wrong. Forgive me, okay?”

“Y-you call this an apology?”

“You don’t understand. This is Chinese etiquette apologies require hugs.”

Fully aware that this was nonsense, Jiang Ming still rested her chin on Lin Qi’s shoulder. The petty grievances in her heart had vanished the moment their chests touched. Nuzzling against the soft fabric of Lin Qi’s training clothes, she murmured, “I saw you walking with Jing Sha. It made me unhappy.”

What?!

Jiang Ming was unhappy because…

Her heart leapt with joy, and the corners of her lips curled up involuntarily. Lin Qi tightened her embrace. “Earlier in the cafeteria, before I left, what were you going to say?”

“I wanted to tell you that we’d already come up with a theme for our project today. But you didn’t even listen to me you just left. I thought you were in a hurry to train, but then you showed up later with Jing Sha…”

The more she spoke, the more aggrieved she felt. Jiang Ming lightly bit Lin Qi’s shoulder.