Transmigrated into the Villainous Scummy Alpha in a Talent Show Novel - Chapter 35

“Ah?”

Leaning against the door behind her to steady herself, Lin Qi was utterly baffled. What did “Did you have fun playing with Jing Sha” even mean?

Tossing her pen aside, Jiang Ming crossed her legs and folded her arms with a cold snort. “Five Poison Divine Palm, Ice Soul Silver Needles.”

Biting her lower lip, Lin Qi inched her way over to Jiang Ming’s side, cautiously meeting her gaze. The girl who had always kept her head down in Lin Qi’s memory was now tilting her chin up defiantly, her soft eyes brimming with playful reproach.

“You know about those? Do they watch The Return of the Condor Heroes in Japan too?”

Hoping to deflect with humor, Lin Qi forced an awkward laugh and changed the subject.

But Jiang Ming wasn’t having any of it. She let out a light scoff. “Japan also has Detective Conan, where someone dies every episode.”

“Haha, haha.”

Silently retreating a step, Lin Qi realized her tactic had failed miserably. With a look of grim resignation, she admitted, “I was just teasing Jing Sha, okay?”

“So I’m asking you, was it fun?”

Blinking twice, the socially inept blockhead genuinely didn’t know whether to say “fun” or “not fun.”

“Your hesitation means you’re thinking about how to lie to me.”

“No! I ”

Since when was hesitation a crime?

Rubbing the back of her neck in frustration, Lin Qi noticed her hair, tied into a ponytail during training, was damp with sweat despite it only being late April.

“I ”

Just as she was about to speak, her phone, charging on the desk, vibrated like a lifeline thrown her way. Breathing a sigh of relief, Lin Qi darted over and grabbed it.

Her memory was sharp, she recognized the number immediately as Jiang Ming’s aunt. Pointing at the phone, she handed it to the still-frowning girl.

“Auntie?”

Who would’ve thought the Japan-raised female lead had mastered Chinese opera skills? Her face-changing act was impeccable. Watching Jiang Ming’s expression soften into a smile as she took the call, Lin Qi nodded in admiration and tactfully stepped out with a water bottle to give her some space.

Inside the room.

Jiang Ming’s suppressed laughter finally broke free. Truth be told, seeing Lin Qi trembling yet trying to act composed had already melted her anger. After all, wasn’t she the one Lin Qi cared about most?

But she wasn’t about to let her off the hook so easily. Holding back had been worth it just to see Lin Qi’s adorable floundering.

“Nuo Nuo, is your roommate named Lin Qi?”

“Yeah, why do you ask?”

A hint of shyness flickered in Jiang Ming’s fox-like eyes. She had expected Qi Xu to ask about her progress with Lin Qi, but now, after just throwing a petty tantrum, she felt a little embarrassed.

“I’ve been managing your fan support group, right? Last week, one of your fans donated 200,000 in one go. I asked her to verify her identity to prove she’s an adult. Guess who it turned out to be?”

With that much buildup, Jiang Ming knew exactly who Qi Xu was referring to. Her brows furrowed again. “It’s Lin Qi, isn’t it?”

“Bingo.”

“How could she…?”

Before Qi Xun could finish speaking, she sensed her niece’s negative emotions. After all, the dejection in Jiang Ming’s voice was impossible to hide. “I told you this just so you’d know she definitely likes you not to make you blame yourself or feel like you’re a burden to her. Our Nuonuo is so wonderful. The low ranking is only temporary, and I’m sure you’ll make your debut. Your dad would be so proud of you too.”

“Mhm.”

Jiang Ming responded with a hum, lowering her head. No one could tell what she was thinking.

Qi Xun could sense something was off and sighed, still searching for ways to comfort her sensitive and fragile niece. “Did you know? Lin Qi’s online alias is ‘Jianglin’, your ship name! And when I checked Weibo, even though the show has only aired up to the second episode’s theme song evaluations, your CP has already made it into the top ten rankings.”

“Really?”

She should have been happy, but the moment she thought about how much Lin Qi had done for her behind the scenes not to mention all the open support it felt like she had always been the one benefiting in their relationship.

Around her, Lin Qi was either incredibly gentle or trembling with fear while apologizing, like earlier. It was only because of Lin Qi’s favoritism that Jiang Ming had grown so much more willful compared to when they first met.

Jiang Ming realized that Lin Qi had never seemed as carefree and happy with her as she did when joking around with Jing Sha.

“Nuonuo, are you upset?”

The voice on the other end of the call grew cautious. Not wanting her mood to affect Qi Xun, Jiang Ming shook her head and forced a brighter tone into her subdued voice. “I just don’t know how to repay Lin Qi.”

As her own niece and fully aware of the hardships Jiang Ming had endured, Qi Xun couldn’t bring herself to joke, “Then just marry her.” Instead, she fell silent before suggesting, “How about returning the 200,000 yuan? Our Nuonuo can secure her debut spot on her own.”

“She won’t take it back.”

Jiang Ming knew Lin Qi too well. She bit down hard on her lower lip, the delicate flesh turning white, yet she seemed numb to the pain. “Let’s use it. Once I debut, I’ll pay her back.”

It wasn’t as if Qi Xun didn’t have her own selfish hopes, she wanted that 200,000 yuan to make a difference. If Jiang Ming could survive the provisional trainee system and become an official contestant, she’d at least make it to the finals.

“Alright, then it’s settled. Nuonuo, do your best! At the start of next month, I’ll visit your dad and let him know how you’re doing. You have to stay, I’ll come watch your performance in the finals.”

“Mhm.”

After hanging up, Jiang Ming listlessly set her phone down. The clatter of metal against the wooden desk startled her, and she buried her head between her folded hands, as if overwhelmed by a headache.

How on earth was she supposed to repay Lin Qi?

Oh, right the girl was probably still spacing out by the water dispenser.

She quickly got up and opened the door, spotting Lin Qi idly pacing near the water dispenser at the end of the hallway, cup in hand. Jiang Ming adjusted her stiff expression and forced a faint smile. “Let’s go back.”

“Oh, did you have a good chat with your aunt?”

“It was alright.”

Silently trailing behind Jiang Ming, Lin Qi frowned slightly. Why was she hanging her head again?

Compared to this dispirited look, she’d much rather see Jiang Ming acting spoiled with her chin held high.

“I feel like you’re not very happy?”

Tentatively asking, Lin Qi pursed her lips, “Can you tell me what’s wrong?”

Jiang Ming stopped in her tracks, hands clenched into fists at her sides, head bowed as a silent storm brewed within her.

Lin Qi also stopped, confused and unsure, only able to watch Jiang Ming with concern. This time, she hadn’t turned on the call recording, so she had no way of knowing what the female lead and her aunt had discussed.

“Lin Qi, did you donate 200,000 to my fan support group?”

“Huh? How did you ”

The words “know that” were quickly swallowed back. Lin Qi forced an awkward laugh, “What nonsense are you talking? Where would I get 200,000 from?”

“My aunt told me.”

“Uh… the admin of that fan group is your aunt?!”

As soon as the words left her mouth, Jiang Ming nodded but then said, “So it really was you.”

They walked back to the dorm in silence, Lin Qi following closely behind Jiang Ming. The socially awkward blockhead had no idea what to say. Honestly, she didn’t understand why donating money to support Jiang Ming would upset her.

Wasn’t this helping her stay in the competition?

Lin Qi scratched her head in frustration, her brain seemingly just for decoration as she couldn’t fathom the source of Jiang Ming’s current emotions.

“Why are you so good to me?”

The moment their eyes met, Lin Qi’s beautiful peach-blossom eyes widened in shock. The gaze she encountered was far too complex, even with systematic training in reading expressions, she couldn’t decipher Jiang Ming’s feelings at that moment.

Like a thick fog, there was confusion and distress, fear and unease, but most of all, pain.

Why pain?

Her throat tightened nervously, and she swallowed hard. “Because I…” like you.

“Wait! Don’t say it yet.”

Jiang Ming took two deep breaths, but her chest still heaved unevenly. She was suddenly terrified of the answer Lin Qi might give. If it wasn’t “like,” how could she handle the weight of her own emotions, which had grown even heavier tonight?

The reason for her pain was simple: Jiang Ming had realized her heart was utterly lost.

“Lin Qi, don’t be so good to me. I’m afraid I won’t be able to repay you.”

Repay?

An inexplicable tightness gripped Lin Qi’s chest, and she frowned. Had she ever asked Jiang Ming to repay her?

Not only did Jiang Ming refuse to hear her confession, but now she was talking about “repayment” as if drawing a line between them. What did she mean by that?

“I’ve never asked you to repay me. Being good to you is my own choice.”

As she spoke, it was as if she suddenly realized the source of Jiang Ming’s low spirits. Lin Qi raised an eyebrow in surprise, “So you’re upset because you found out I spent money supporting you, and you feel like you owe me too much, is that it?”

Jiang Ming lowered her head in silence, which was as good as confirmation.

Rubbing her temples as if they ached, Lin Qi lifted a hand, wanting to say something, but ultimately let it drop in defeat. “Great. Just great.”

Sensing Lin Qi’s anger, Jiang Ming timidly caught her falling hand, realizing her own words had come across as distancing. She shook it pleadingly. “Lin Qi, are you angry?”

“I’m not angry. I’m perfectly fine.”

Despite her words, Lin Qi pulled her hand away, feeling emotionally drained. She knew she shouldn’t be angry, she could understand Jiang Ming’s feelings. After all, they weren’t family, and it was natural for Jiang Ming to feel burdened by the debt.

But it still hurt.

Finally mustering the courage to confess, only to be halted by a single “Wait” was Jiang Ming afraid of breaking the thin barrier between them?

She had thought it wasn’t a one-sided crush. After over twenty years, love had finally blossomed for the first time, yet it tasted so bitter.

For the second time, Lin Qi lost her patience and slumped weakly onto the bed.

Aside from that one time when she had instinctively slapped Lin Qi, Jiang Ming had never seen her cold expression again. Panicking, she leaned closer. “I don’t want to draw a line between us. I just want us to be on equal footing. If money gets involved in our relationship, wouldn’t it seem like… like I’m being kept?”

Her voice was soft and pleading, laced with a hint of flattery, and she even used words like “being kept” who knew where she picked up such terms.

Lin Qi found it absurd herself. Even in the midst of her anger, she couldn’t help but laugh.

How embarrassing!

“You’re laughing now. Does that mean you’re not mad anymore?”

Was it really that easy?

A mischievous impulse surged within her. Sitting on the bed, Lin Qi had been looking up at Jiang Ming, but now she took advantage of the position to wrap her arms around Jiang Ming’s slender waist. The touch was soft, and with a hint of mischief, she gave it a gentle squeeze.

Losing her balance, Jiang Ming had no choice but to sit on Lin Qi’s lap. In her flustered state, she instinctively wrapped her arms around Lin Qi’s neck. Her words of protest lacked any severity, instead coming out in a soft, coquettish tone. “what are you doing?”

“You mentioned being kept, didn’t you? Then let’s say I’m keeping you. So now, what should you do? Kiss me? Or…”

At this point, Lin Qi raised an eyebrow suggestively, her gaze shifting downward with an intensity that made Jiang Ming shrink back nervously. The warm yellow lighting deepened the flush on her already crimson face, rendering her as helpless as a lamb awaiting a kiss.

They drew closer and closer. In the quiet room, the sound of Lin Qi swallowing was unmistakable. When their noses touched, she could smell the floral scent of Jiang Ming’s breath and feel the completely erratic rhythm of her breathing.