Transmigrated into the Villainous Scummy Alpha in a Talent Show Novel - Chapter 48

Jiang Ming never thought Lin Qi was bad with words.

Every time, this person could effortlessly and eloquently say the word “like,” appearing sincere yet nonchalant. Such frank affection made one’s heart race with both joy and unease, longing for love yet fearing the outcome might not be as hoped. She was afraid of falling into an abyss from which there was no return.

Holding onto Wei Xuanyue’s arm, Jiang Ming felt somewhat downcast. But after reuniting with her teammates, she managed to compose herself, instantly transforming into a determined and brave warrior as she stepped onto the stage.

“Next up, we’ll welcome our first performance group the creative team! Their theme is quite extraordinary, focusing on feminism. Let’s first invite the seven performers welcome!”

Xia Lian smiled sweetly, her gaze shifting to the other side of the stage as the seven members walked up slowly. Dressed uniformly in dark red women’s riding and archery attire, there was no distinction based on secondary gender, they simply wanted to express the strength of women.

After all, even after the second gender differentiation, the phenomenon of favoring sons over daughters still persisted.

The large screen displayed the resolute expressions of the seven. An Zizi smoothly took over the topic, “Now, let’s first have the team leader, Wei Xuanyue, introduce your theme.”

Wei Xuanyue nodded. “We all know the story of Hua Mulan, which took place when there were only two genders. She joined the army in place of her father, balancing both family and country. We want to showcase feminism in the new era. Additionally, our team’s Jiang Ming wishes to dedicate this song, Mulan, to her father.”

The camera instantly cut to Jiang Ming. Her delicate, petite features were incredibly photogenic. Before she could even process what was happening, waves of screams erupted. Bewildered, she looked at the audience, unaware of how utterly adorable her expression appeared on the big screen.

“Jiang Ming! I love you!”

A chorus of female fans’ voices rang out from the audience seats. She glanced over, momentarily shy, and smiled.

“Ahhh!”

Another round of screams followed. Jiang Ming also caught sight of her own face on the screen, her pink hair accentuating her fair skin, her braided hairstyle exuding a heroic air. Yet, her overwhelming cuteness stole the show, her rosy cheeks complementing her hair color perfectly. She raised her hand in a wave, pressing her lips together in a smile.

So many people like me?

Having never experienced such overwhelming affection before, Jiang Ming clenched her hands behind her back, silently psyching herself up. Waiting for her teammates to finish their introductions, she nervously raised the microphone.

Before she could even speak, the familiar screams rose again. Puzzled, she turned her head sure enough, her confused expression was once again displayed on the big screen. Jiang Ming chuckled helplessly. “Hello everyone, I’m Jiang Ming from the Mulan team. Thank you all for your love!”

Gratefully, she bowed a perfect ninety degrees, even pausing for a moment before straightening up. As she rose, her fox-like eyes, adorned with sparkling eyeshadow, shimmered with unshed tears.

Blinking back the redness in her eyes, Jiang Ming gazed into the distance. She wondered if her father could see this performance.

Once everyone had finished their introductions, Xia Lian raised her script, giving Jiang Ming a deep look. The sight of the girl with reddened eyes was almost too heartbreaking, she almost couldn’t bear to have Lin Qi perform as her concert backup dancer later.

“Now, everyone, please look forward to the performance by the Mulan team!”

The stage suddenly plunged into darkness, punctuated by the sharp beats of military drums signaling the onset of war. Wei Xuanyue seized the moment with a breathtaking flip to the front of the stage, bathed in a deep crimson spotlight. For the first time, her voice carried such raw power as the sweet-faced girl gripped the microphone and launched into a rap.

Backstage, Lin Qi watched intently on the overhead monitor broadcasting the live performance. Her heart gradually rose in anticipation of Jiang Ming’s act.

The spotlight swept across the empty stage before settling on Jiang Ming, seated on a weathered wooden chair. The accompaniment faded into silence as she lifted her gaze, revealing red-rimmed eyes.

*”As a child, I loved your calloused palms,

On tiptoe I could cling and never let go;

Then sudden tragedy stole the sunlight away,

Left me stumbling through shadowed corners alone;

Now grown at last to adulthood’s frame,

Under vast starry skies, where have you gone?”*

Her sorrowful, searching voice gradually faded. The wooden chair beneath Jiang Ming collapsed with a crash, but she rose steadily to her feet. Then, in a surprising shift, her usually gentle voice broke into rap:

*”Here I stand, unafraid to win or lose,

Never fearing the fog’s embrace,

Malice aplenty, roads run bleak,

But I’ll hold back these tears.

I revel in solitude that’s mine to keep.

Pored over every Chinese book,

Mastered the toughest dance steps,

Wait till I don that pink training gear

May we meet again as we began.”*

It was hard to imagine the usually soft-spoken, adorable Jiang Ming delivering such a commanding rap performance. Though her voice still carried a youthful sweetness, it brimmed with determination and grit, just like the lyrics she’d written. She truly feared no mist.

With Jiang Ming’s part concluded, Lin Qi lowered her head to hide the proud tears welling in her eyes. The awkward duckling she’d once sheltered in her arms had truly transformed into a graceful swan.

The second program was The Last Waltz. As a devoted Jiang Ming enthusiast, Lin Qi grew restless seeing others dominate the screen. She stood to smooth the wrinkles from her white blouse after sitting for so long.

Suddenly, the familiar voice she knew so well echoed from the TV behind her. What was Jiang Ming saying?

Whirling around, she realized each contestant had a solo monologue segment. Distracted earlier, Lin Qi caught only the final word: “guardian.” Guardian of what?

Frustrated, she tugged at her tie with a pained expression. This was Jiang Ming’s personal monologue and she’d missed it!

But “guardian” likely meant Jiang Ming could now protect her father… or perhaps she’d learned to guard herself?

It had to be one of those two options. The thought that it might relate to herself never crossed Lin Qi’s mind. After tucking in her blouse neatly, she led her teammates to the wings of the stage.

“Did everyone love Mulan team’s performance?”

“YES!!!”

“Then press your voting devices now the 30-second countdown begins!”

Unable to see the stage, Lin Qi’s nerves tightened with each passing second. The half-minute stretched like an eternity. Dread coiled in her chest, if Jiang Ming didn’t make the top three this time, the storyline would revert to the original plot.

“Let’s see who our top vote-getter is!”

Xia Lian exaggeratedly gasped, “Wow!” before teasing, “It’s a contestant whose mere appearance sends fans into screaming frenzies!”

Who else could it be?

Unable to suppress her grin, Lin Qi raised a hand to cover her uncontrollably rising smile. Right on cue, the audience erupted in shrieks as the screen cut to Jiang Ming’s face just as expected.

“Exactly, it’s our auditing student, Jiang Ming! Congratulations on your return as an official trainee!”

As Lin Qi stepped onto the stage, she happened to pass Jiang Ming, who was leaving. Lin Qi secretly gave her a thumbs-up, grinning like a Samoyed out for a stroll.

She had expected Jiang Ming to be overjoyed, or at least to smile back at her. But instead, Jiang Ming averted her gaze. Lin Qi stared blankly at her retreating figure, wondering what she had done wrong this time.

“Next up, welcome the group for The Last Waltz! MC duties will fall solely on Teacher An, because I’ll be joining as one of their backup dancers.”

With a playful flick of her tongue, Xia Lian lifted the train of her wedding dress and naturally took her place beside Lin Qi. Soon after, six other senior trainees joined them on stage. The audience erupted into chaotic cheers that refused to die down.

An Zi instinctively tightened her grip on the script, her enthusiasm waning as she took in the visually harmonious pair before her. “Let me explain originally, this song was supposed to feature mannequins as backup dancers, but they were destroyed in a fire on the prop truck. Thankfully, our senior trainees stepped in to save the performance. Now, please enjoy The Last Waltz.”

The lights turned stark white. Seven pairs of trainees and seniors joined hands. Lin Qi pressed her lips together but ultimately chose to rest her hand lightly on Xia Lian’s waist.

The chime of a bell rang out, followed by an eerie yet elegant prelude. The seven pairs began to slowly rotate and switch positions as Tan Yi’s melancholic voice filled the air. “I want to take you to the beautiful end. Before darkness falls, let’s forget just for now let’s forget how to smile, shall we?”

Everything moved in slow, unsettling motions. The senior dancers contorted their bodies into unnatural angles. As the countdown of “dendenden” echoed, the sound of shattering glass suddenly pierced through. Lin Qi was the first to react, pulling Xia Lian upright just as she bent backward, her head nearly touching the floor. Worried about her senior’s safety, Lin Qi wrapped an arm around Xia Lian’s waist. Her professionalism allowed her to flash a carefree smile as she leaned in to whisper by the beauty’s ear.

“Dance with me, completely. My last dance though it’s almost over.”

“Our love is truer than anything. Let our steps fly, don’t stop. The happiest, the most beautiful. Even in farewell, we must be the ultimate romantics. Smile more even in sorrow, let it shine.”

The harsh white lights softened slightly. The seven pairs moved with increasing synchronicity, executing a series of intricate and challenging dance moves across the stage.

As the performance neared its end, the chime returned, bringing the piece full circle. The backup dancers collapsed once more in grotesque poses.

Following the choreography, Lin Qi lifted Xia Lian’s veil and feigned a tragic, breathtaking kiss. The spotlight above her shifted to a blood-red hue, absorbed by her pristine white suit, transforming her into a bloodstained demon. With a low chuckle, her tender voice carried the final lullaby-like notes: “Among so many sorrowful endings, none could be more perfect than this.”

At last, the performance concluded. Silence lingered for a long moment.

Smiling, Lin Qi raised her mic as the lights returned to normal. She helped Xia Lian up and glanced at the seemingly stunned audience. “Sorry about that we didn’t rehearse. I had no idea the dance would turn out so creepy.”

An Zizi nodded. Although she wasn’t happy about the interaction between the two, she still explained on Lin Qi’s behalf: “Because the puppet was burned last night, there was no rehearsal. Yet, they still managed to achieve this level of completion. As your dance instructor, I’m very proud.”

Once again, it was time for voting. Lin Qi wasn’t nervous for herself but rather worried about the two auditing students, Jing Sha and Yuan Li. She and Tan Yi were sure to rank high, which meant at most only one of the other two could stay.

Personally, she leaned toward Jing Sha, who had helped her and Jiang Ming, but it was clear that Yuan Li was the stronger performer. Lin Qi lowered her head with a headache, only to hear gasps from everyone when An Zizi announced the results.

What happened?

Her gaze shifted to the large screen. First place: Jing Sha. Second place: Tan Yi. Third place: Yuan Li. Fourth place: Lin Qi. Fifth place…

What?

She only got fourth place?

Frowning in confusion, she thought, surely not? It had only been half a month since the first performance, and she’d gone from being the top vote-getter to barely scraping by?

Would she end up being the one who didn’t make the final lineup?

Rubbing her temples in frustration, Lin Qi followed the others in silent unison back to the break room.