Transmigrated into the Villainous Scummy Alpha in a Talent Show Novel - Chapter 4

For a moment, Lin Qi seemed to lose the ability to speak, her lips trembling slightly as she completely forgot the purpose of her visit.

Meanwhile, Jiang Ming, having regained her composure, merely cast a disgusted glance at the rigid figure standing by the door before deftly slipping past Lin Qi and leaving.

Had she understood Chinese, she might have muttered something like “hauntingly persistent” under her breath.

Just as Lin Qi was emerging from her guilt over startling the timid girl, she found herself alone in the restroom. With a bitter chuckle, she realized she had been clutching the lyrics she had painstakingly written for over an hour so tightly that she could no longer feel them in her hand. Only when she lowered her head in disappointment did she remember her original intention.

Stepping out of the restroom, Lin Qi spotted Jiang Ming in a corner of the C-class practice room. Gone was the carefree confidence she had displayed when alone, now she seemed to shrink into herself, her movements hesitant and awkward, making her already unpolished technique look even worse.

It was hard to believe this was the same “Enchanting Goddess” who would later captivate thousands of fans with just a sway of her hips.

Folding the densely written paper and tucking it into her jacket pocket, Lin Qi sighed and headed back to her A-class training room. With vocal lessons starting in about twenty minutes, she could also check if her lyrics were correct.

Pushing open the A-class door, she found all eight of her classmates inside. Wei Xuanyue, who had been lying on the floor, sprang up like a carp leaping out of water and grinned. “Xiao Qi, you’re back! Did you give the note to Jiang Ming?”

Pressing her lips together, Lin Qi replied, “Yeah. She said thanks.”

“Aw, no need to be so polite! After the theme song evaluations, can I visit your dorm? I’ve liked Jiang Ming since the first performance!”

“We’ll see. She still needs to learn more Chinese right now, you two wouldn’t even be able to talk.”

“Oh, right.”

They chatted a bit more, with Lin Qi doing her best to paint Jiang Ming in a positive light, avoiding any mention of her reclusive, cold demeanor. After all, Wei Xuanyue was a good person and would debut later, it’d be great if they could become friends.

Time flew by, and soon the vocal instructor walked in. Without preamble, she launched into a series of high-to-low vocal runs that would be impossible for most people. Though impressive, the sudden display startled all nine trainees in the room.

Just as Lin Qi was recovering, the teacher asked, “Song Jin, what was my highest note just now? And the lowest?”

Song Jin? Who was that?

“Teacher, I… I didn’t catch it.”

Following the voice, Lin Qi saw a sharp-featured woman with piercing eyes, high-arched brows, and thin lips, someone who didn’t seem easy to get along with. Glancing at her name tag, Lin Qi noted she was an alpha.

The novel hadn’t described this person much maybe she didn’t debut later?

While lost in thought, Lin Qi was suddenly called on. “Lin Qi, did you hear it clearly?”

Unfazed, she recalled the vocal runs and answered correctly.

The teacher nodded in approval before sitting down and continuing, “That’s the vocal range of the theme song. As you know, it’s huge, and the song itself is fast. It’s been a day, has anyone mastered it enough to demonstrate?”

Lin Qi already had it down, but she knew better than to stand out again. Having already drawn attention once, she stayed silent to avoid alienating herself from the group.

However, they saw Song Jin raise her hand defiantly, claiming she could do it.

The teacher, fair to all, gave her the chance to showcase herself.

But after her performance, the entire Class A classroom fell silent, likely stunned by Song Jin’s audacity her rhythm was chaotic, her transitions between high and low notes were stiff, and she even messed up several lyrics.

“Song Jin, to be honest, during the initial evaluation, I gave you a D. But the other mentors all gave you an A, so the majority ruled, and you ended up in Class A. However, I hope you have a clear sense of self-awareness and don’t get blinded by that pink uniform.”

After the teacher’s earnest words, Song Jin hung her head low, her face and neck flushing crimson. Lin Qi averted her gaze and focused on herself.

The vocal training class ended right as the noon bell rang. Lin Qi slipped on her jacket, the note still lying quietly in her pocket. Glancing at her Class A classmates, who seemed intent on continuing their practice, she waved at Wei Xuanyue and quietly slipped away.

She had already pushed herself so hard in her past life training until dawn, often falling asleep in the classroom. Those three months of competition had left her with chronic stomach issues. So this time, Lin Qi decided she was done trying. She would be the first to embrace slacking off in the competition.

With light steps, she arrived at the Class C classroom. Their session had also ended, leaving only half the students behind. The once-bustling room was now much less crowded, with plenty of empty seats. Yet, no matter how hard she looked, Lin Qi couldn’t spot Jiang Ming. Weren’t the books supposed to describe this girl as an unyielding, hardcore overachiever?

Surely she wouldn’t have dashed off right after class like Lin Qi did?

Feeling a bit intrusive, Lin Qi stepped inside and approached the friendly-faced contestant from earlier. This time, she made sure to check the name tag, Tan Yi, an alpha.

“Hi, do you know where Jiang Ming went?”

Tan Yi wiped her sweat and thought for a moment. “She left right after class. Not sure where, but she headed toward the stairs. Maybe check there?”

“Got it, thanks.”

Taking long strides, Lin Qi hurried down the stairs and finally spotted that petite figure walking toward the dormitory. The pink jacket tied around her waist accentuated her slender frame, swaying gently with each step like a willow branch. Her long hair cascaded over her shoulders, and even from behind, her silhouette was mesmerizing.

Lin Qi initially wanted to tap her shoulder but suddenly recalled the startled deer-like reaction in the restroom those trembling, clear eyes that had filled her, the righteous pup, with guilt.

Instead, she quickened her pace and circled around to face Jiang Ming, walking backward. “Heading back to the dorm?”

“None of your business.”

Snapped at again, Lin Qi lowered her head dejectedly before pulling out the note from her pocket, forcing a gentle smile. “Here, this is for you.”

Jiang Ming seemed puzzled but took the note and examined it. She recognized the pinyin, piecing it together one syllable at a time, it was the lyrics to the theme song. Had Lin Qi copied this for her?

The girl in front of her remained silent for a long while, leaving Lin Qi at a loss for words. They continued walking like this until, unnoticed, a bench appeared behind her…

When tripped and about to fall, Lin Qi instinctively grabbed Jiang Ming’s hand. As someone half a head taller than the petite girl, when Lin Qi fell onto the bench, she pulled Jiang Ming down with her, causing the other girl to lose balance and collapse on top of her.

In an instant, the distance between them vanished. That breathtakingly exquisite face was now mere inches away, their gazes locked and breaths mingling. The scent of orchids from the girl above made Lin Qi’s face gradually flush red.

It strongly resembled the scene from this morning when she first transmigrated into the novel, except their positions were reversed, she’d gone from being the one pinning someone down to being pinned.

Though Jiang Ming clearly wasn’t happy about it either.

Coming to her senses, Lin Qi struggled to get up just as Jiang Ming recovered from the shock. Without any consideration for the person beneath her, Jiang Ming pushed herself up using Lin Qi’s ribs as leverage.

The sudden pressure sent sharp pain shooting through Lin Qi’s body, bringing tears to her eyes as she curled up like a shrimp on the bench. In a weak voice, she accused, “Wow, you’re repaying kindness with enmity!”

“What?”

In her agitation, the words had slipped out in Chinese. Seeing Jiang Ming’s confused expression and remembering the original host’s terrible behavior in the novel, Lin Qi could only swallow her grievances with a sigh and ask in Japanese, “Are you hurt from the fall?”

One had to admit, when it came to lying through one’s teeth, Lin Qi was truly in her element.