Transmigrated into the Villainous Scummy Alpha in a Talent Show Novel - Chapter 53

Facing the camera with a poised and graceful smile, Jiang Ming suddenly furrowed her brows in surprise and whispered, “What’s going on over there?”

Behind the photographer, Song En followed with her cane, tapping the ground twice to navigate toward the sound of crying. Feigning confusion, she made sure to step within microphone range before signaling her assistant to cut the live stream.

That should do it. With Wei Xuanyue’s words, public opinion would naturally sway in the direction she desired.

The photographer obediently turned off the camera and began organizing the footage he had just captured.

Earlier, Song En had launched the live stream under the pretense of an informal visit to the training camp, coincidentally running into Jiang Ming, who was buying mineral water from a vending machine downstairs. The striking young woman, with her pink hair and slightly sweat-dampened pink training outfit, had tucked the hem of her shirt in, revealing her slender waist. She smiled innocently and greeted, “Hello, President Song.”

Unfortunately, the blind woman couldn’t appreciate the sight and merely nodded faintly. “You must be contestant Jiang Ming, right? Could you show me around the company?”

“Of course.”

Jiang Ming then proceeded to guide her through each floor, introducing the facilities. To avoid appearing too deliberate, she maintained a sweet smile throughout, ensuring every trainee they encountered got their moment on camera. Finally, she playfully winked at the lens and said, “Let’s check out the ‘First Love’ group’s practice room! Lin Qi has been working so hard on her cute act lately that she’s almost in tears!”

Song En responded with a restrained, polite smile and said gently, “Is that so? Let’s go take a look then.”

On their way from the restroom to the “First Love” group’s practice room, Wei Xuanyue’s tearful, aggrieved voice suddenly flooded the live stream.

Frowning deeply, even Song En, blind as she was quickened her pace. The rhythmic tapping of her cane echoed as she feigned surprise at the unexpected situation, stepping into the eye of the storm.

A distinctly omega-like scent of milk candy filled the air, catching her off guard. Though Lin Qi had mentioned over the phone that Yuan Li would release pheromones to make Wei Xuanyue’s “secondary differentiation” seem plausible, this scent was unexpectedly dizzying. Song En’s face flushed, and she hastily took two steps back, patting her trusted photographer’s shoulder to signal him to keep filming. Covering her nose from a distance, her usually gentle voice came out muffled. “Is that contestant Wei Xuanyue? What’s happening here?”

Lin Qi had been in the “First Love” group’s practice room the whole time. Everyone knew she was the young miss of the Lin family, so no one batted an eye at her having a phone. She had been watching Song En’s live stream, her heart fluttering at the sweet, smiling girl on screen though the sight of the cane-wielding woman behind her was irritating.

She really hated seeing Jiang Ming and Song En in the same frame.

Gritting her teeth so hard her jaw nearly dislocated, she finally heard Wei Xuanyue’s somewhat exaggerated sobs. Despite her sweet, girlish appearance, Wei Xuanyue usually had a bright and cheerful voice. Now, however, she was deliberately pitching it higher, sounding both pitiful and amusing.

Lin Qi had been monitoring the barrage of comments, and just as the screen flooded with question marks, the live stream abruptly cut to black as if shouting, “Nothing to see here!”

Adjusting her frameless glasses, Lin Qi glanced at the trending hashtags on her phone: “Wei Xuanyue Song Jin,” “Wei Xuanyue Secondary Differentiation,” “Song Jin Forced Permanent Marking,” “Song En Live Stream”…

The smile on her lips grew increasingly refined and utterly villainous.

The top five trending searches were all dominated by the recent incident. This world placed great importance on omega rights, and if an alpha attempted a forced permanent marking, they would be sentenced to life imprisonment.

Closing her eyes briefly, she feigned ignorance. While An Zizi was still anxiously awaiting results yet diligently instructing the other members in dance, Lin Qi subtly flashed her an “OK” sign. Keeping her expression composed, she said calmly, “Teacher An, Jiang Ming has been gone for a while just to buy water. I’ll go look for her.”

“Alright, go ahead.”

An Zizi couldn’t quite define her feelings toward Lin Qi. Lowering her head, her expression grew complicated. The person who once shared a past with her seemed vastly different from the determined, gentle, and kind individual before her now.

She admired the current Lin Qi but felt no romantic stirrings. At this moment, she was simply relieved that a talented contestant wouldn’t fall victim to foul play.

“Jiang Ming?”

As soon as she stepped out, Lin Qi spotted the visibly furious woman by the restroom. Yet, the moment Jiang Ming saw her, the anger melted away, like a bristling kitten softening instantly upon seeing its favorite person.

“Lin Qi! Song Jin tried to force a permanent mark on Wei Xuanyue!”

Her voice, soft yet laced with indignation, carried as Jiang Ming hurried to Lin Qi’s side, putting distance between herself and Song En, someone she never liked much to begin with.

The female lead’s act of distancing herself from the official love interest pleased Lin Qi immensely. Suppressing a smile, her impeccable composure allowed her to darken her expression instead. Aware that Song En was silently recording everything, she pretended to be seething with rage. Grabbing Song Jin by the collar, she slammed her to the ground and hissed coldly, “Song Jin, how dare you try this again?”

Tan Yi finally caught on and asked urgently, “What do you mean? Has Xuanyue been harassed by her before?”

Wei Xuanyue sobbed pitifully, leaning against Tan Yi’s shoulder. “Wuwu… Last month, she lured me to a secluded spot and tried to strip me. I only warned her back then, but now she’s pushing her luck, she actually tried to force a permanent mark on me! Wuwu. Her tobacco scent is disgusting…”

Noticing the milk candy fragrance had faded slightly, Wei Xuanyue’s complexion returned to its usual pallor. Seizing the moment, Song En asked, “I recall Contestant Wei Xuanyue is a beta. How could you detect Song Jin’s scent?”

Song Jin, who had just been knocked down again by Lin Qi, mistook Song En’s words as support. Struggling to prop herself up, she spat out blood and slurred, “Sis, she’s right! She’s a beta! How could she smell me?!”

Expression turning icy, Song En tapped her cane sharply against the floor. “Who’s your sister?”

“Song En! Help me! Or else ”

Before she could finish her threat, Song En unleashed the oppressive aura of a top-tier alpha. The lower-ranked Song Jin immediately choked, her face flushing red as she gasped for air, writhing in agony.

The other alphas present, Tan Yi and Jing Sha, who had just rushed over also showed signs of discomfort. Only Lin Qi and Jiang Ming, who hadn’t yet presented, remained unaffected.

Retracting her aura, Song En signaled her assistant to call security. Soon, the incapacitated Song Jin was dragged away, awaiting the judgment of the law.

The matter was settled. Driven by a somewhat possessive mindset, Lin Qi slung her arm over Jiang Ming’s shoulder. Though she wanted to wrap it around her waist, their relationship wasn’t officially confirmed yet. She wasn’t entirely sure whether she had successfully driven a wedge between the female lead and her original love interest. So she settled for this buddy-buddy posture, just to show she was the closer one.

Little did she know, Song En didn’t care in the slightest.

The gentle, blind woman tapped her cane as she approached Yuan Li, bowing her head in gratitude. The scent of milk candy wafted into the air again, her voice slightly hoarse as she said, “Contestant Yuan Li, thank you for your efforts today.”

Though the rigged competition had been Song En’s doing, after learning her reasons, Yuan Li couldn’t bring herself to blame her much. She simply smiled shyly and, taking advantage of Song En’s blindness, pressed down on the scent patch at the back of her neck to ensure no pheromones leaked out. Shaking her head, she replied, “It’s nothing. I just don’t like seeing unfairness. I hope you’ll keep things fair from now on and run this competition properly, President Song.”

“Of course, I will.”

Her gentle voice turned firm. Though Song En couldn’t see Yuan Li’s face, she could imagine her vibrant, resilient, and brave, like a carp leaping over the dragon gate, the very image she had always wished to embody.

Lin Qi vaguely sensed something off about the atmosphere between Song En and Yuan Li, but she didn’t dwell on it. Whoever Song En liked was fine, as long as it wasn’t Jiang Ming.

“Jiang Jiang, let’s go back to training?”

In front of Song En, Lin Qi deliberately avoided using the generic “Jiang Ming,” opting instead for the nickname she had long coveted, feigning nonchalance.

Jiang Ming, however, was surprised pleasantly so. A sly smile curled in her fox-like eyes, her voice sweet and playful. “What did you just call me?”

“Ahem, Jiang Jiang. What’s wrong? Wei Xuanyue can call you that, but I can’t?”

The corners of Jiang Ming’s lips lifted higher. She took Lin Qi’s hand, which had been hanging awkwardly at her side, and after glancing at the crowd, leaned in to whisper in her ear, “Actually, I have a pet name. You could call me something different from Xuanyue.”

“What is it?”

Though she wanted Lin Qi to call her something more intimate, admitting her pet name was embarrassingly difficult. Jiang Ming’s face flushed, and under Lin Qi’s expectant gaze, she lowered her head, her voice soft and sweet. “Nuo Nuo.”

“What?”

Lin Qi genuinely hadn’t heard clearly, she wasn’t teasing. Puzzled, she wondered Nuo Nuo? Luo Luo?

“Nuo Nuo. The ‘nuo’ in ‘soft and sticky,’ the ‘nuo’ in ‘glutinous rice.’”

Realization dawned. The name suited Jiang Ming perfectly. Lin Qi could easily imagine that, had those misfortunes never happened, Jiang Ming, raised in love would have grown up confident and radiant, not the aloof figure she had first met. That aloofness had been a mask for loneliness and insecurity, a heartbreakingly mature front.

The Jiang Ming raised in love would have been sweet and soft, fond of acting spoiled, living up to the name “Nuo Nuo.”

But this pet name was merely her parents’ hope for her, that with them by her side, she might regain the adorable, carefree nature of her childhood. Whether willful or prone to little tantrums, they wanted her to be true to herself, living happily and authentically.

Lin Qi’s smile softened unconsciously. She reached up and ruffled Jiang Ming’s fluffy, silky pink hair, her deep voice lowering to a murmur, like a lover’s whisper.

“Nuo Nuo.”

Unlike the affectionate tone when his aunt called him that way, Jiang Ming felt his cheeks and the tips of his ears flush red just from hearing this address. His heart even skipped a beat momentarily, how could just two simple words carry such a lingering, tender sweetness?