Transmigrated into the Villainous Scummy Alpha in a Talent Show Novel - Chapter 63

The three of them were assigned to the “First Love” group.

In the car, Wei Xuanyue, Jiang Ming, and Lin Qi sat together, with Lin Qi in the passenger seat. She couldn’t see the back at all, only sensing the heavy silence in the car.

Wei Xuanyue was the first to break. She cleared her throat and asked, “Hey, Xiao Qi, what were you and Song En talking about earlier?”

“Endorsing a lipstick brand.”

“Oh, so you signed without looking into it carefully?”

Lin Qi couldn’t exactly say she didn’t dare let Jiang Ming leave her side. Leaning back in her seat, her expression was somber, though she feigned nonchalance. “Song En wouldn’t screw me over, right?”

“Yeah, probably not.”

After that brief exchange, the three fell silent again. Both Lin Qi and Wei Xuanyue knew Jiang Ming well. she was sensitive and insecure. Her silence now likely meant she was struggling internally.

Lin Qi closed her eyes, pretending to rest, but her mind was racing. This was her first relationship, and she had grown up surrounded by love, never truly experiencing insecurity or self-doubt. She knew she was thick-skinned, not being arrogant was already an achievement.

When they reached the dormitory entrance, Wei Xuanyue seemed like she wanted to say something, but Lin Qi shook her head and followed the silent Jiang Ming back to their room.

As soon as they entered, Jiang Ming loosened her tie and went to the wardrobe to grab clothes. Finally, she spoke her first words in what felt like forever: “I’m going to shower.”

“Okay.”

Lin Qi pressed her lips together and nodded, sitting on her bed, emotionally drained. It wasn’t Jiang Ming’s silence that bothered her it was her own helplessness that exhausted her.

She had said all she could, but she had no idea what else to do.

Did she really have the face of a cheater?

Why couldn’t Jiang Ming believe she’d stay devoted?

Sighing, Lin Qi tugged at her tie to loosen it around her neck when suddenly, an announcement echoed from outside. The show’s host sounded apologetic: “Trainees, sorry for the inconvenience, but due to scheduling conflicts with one of our guest mentors, the song selection for the mentor collaboration stage will be recorded early. Please gather in the square within ten minutes.”

Already in a bad mood, Lin Qi was even more annoyed at the production team cutting into their rest time. She glanced at the bathroom door and knocked tentatively.

The sound of running water stopped almost immediately. From behind the door, Jiang Ming’s muffled voice came through: “What’s wrong?”

“They’re recording the mentor collaboration song selection early. Hurry up, okay?”

Less than two minutes later, the door opened. Steam billowed out as Jiang Ming emerged, her hair dripping wet, wearing only an oversized shirt that barely reached her thighs. The shoulders were soaked, revealing black spaghetti straps underneath, while her long, slender legs were fully exposed. She towel-dried her damp pink hair, noticing Lin Qi’s stunned expression, and blushed furiously.

“I was in a rush… my pants got wet.”

Clearing her throat, Lin Qi fought to keep her gaze in check, looking away as her ears turned suspiciously red. “Uh, put some pants on first. No rush. And maybe change your shirt your hair’s soaking it.”

“Mm.”

Her voice was barely audible, clearly embarrassed. Aside from that incident in the changing room, this was probably the most skin Jiang Ming had ever shown.

Turning away, Lin Qi could feel her face flushing. She had only intended to cool herself down with some cold water at the sink, but she forgot there was a mirror there. As a result, her bare back came into view, her pale skin accentuated by the black bra. She saw Jiang Ming lift her hands and pull off her shirt entirely.

Time seemed to slow. The slender curve of her waist was revealed, and Lin Qi could even catch a glimpse of Jiang Ming’s white underwear, slightly damp.

Her soul was no longer at the age of innocence, and Lin Qi’s eighteen-year-old body burned with embarrassment. Afraid Jiang Ming might notice she could see everything and indeed not daring to look any longer, she hurried to the door. She nearly bolted outside but worried someone might be there, witnessing what she herself couldn’t bear to keep watching.

“Done.”

She wasn’t sure how long it had been, the rustling sounds had never stopped. Pressing her burning cheeks against the wall in silent repentance, Lin Qi endured the torment until, at last, Jiang Ming’s soft voice came from behind. Relieved, she opened the door, her gaze darting nervously. “Let’s go.”

The two walked toward the square, surrounded by other trainees, some eager to pick a good song, others grumbling about the late-night recording, and some simply numb to the camp’s relentless schedule.

Jiang Ming lifted a hand, running her fingers through her still-damp hair. Suddenly, she turned back, her smile radiant. “Why is your face so red?”

The water had slicked her bangs back, revealing her entire face, dewy and fresh from the shower. Her cheeks were faintly pink, and for the first time that day, Lin Qi saw her smile like this.

At a loss for words, Lin Qi pressed her lips together before answering, “Because you’re beautiful.”

The unexpected sincerity of the compliment seemed to finally click something in Jiang Ming’s mind. She smiled shyly, then reached out and grabbed the tie hanging loosely at Lin Qi’s chest, her expression playfully coquettish. “Did you see me changing?”

Forced closer, Lin Qi’s heart raced. She swallowed nervously, forcing out an awkward laugh. “Well, I did turn around, didn’t I?”

Jiang Ming shook her head and tugged the tie again, closing the distance between them. She studied Lin Qi’s unusually flushed face, confirming her suspicions.

Suddenly, the one who had been in control was now blushing just as fiercely. Still holding the tie, she lifted her gaze to meet Lin Qi’s guilty eyes and lowered her voice. “Did my body look good?”

Normally hidden behind her bangs, Jiang Ming’s deliberately seductive gaze was now unmistakable. Lin Qi’s mind went blank with heat, and she nodded dumbly. “Y-yes, it did.”

The tie was abruptly released, and a light shove sent Lin Qi stumbling back. When she looked up again, Jiang Ming had crossed her arms, her expression clearly saying, Let’s see how you explain this. Lin Qi hung her head. “I, I really didn’t mean to. I just wanted to wash my face at the sink, but then I saw you in the mirror. I’m sorry, I went straight to the door and faced the wall after that!”

Jiang Ming’s smile grew even brighter, though she couldn’t quite explain why her mood had shifted so dramatically. Just before her shower, she’d been berating herself for subjecting Lin Qi to cold treatment due to her own insecurities, Lin Qi hadn’t done anything wrong. The only mistake was falling for someone as insecure as her.

But after stepping out of the bathroom, though initially shy, she’d never walked out wearing just a shirt before, her exposed legs trembling slightly in the air Lin Qi’s stunned expression had delighted her.

It was as if this person would only ever be captivated by her.

Like just now, when she’d deliberately teased Lin Qi with a glance, and the girl had foolishly revealed that she’d been sneaking looks.

Truthfully, being seen from the back didn’t bother Jiang Ming much. Though shy, she didn’t mind, especially if it was this silly person in front of her, who only knew how to bow her head and apologize. Even something more daring would be fine.

“I’m not blaming you.”

Her emotions had been on a rollercoaster, and Lin Qi, hearing this, was momentarily stunned. She looked at the girl covering her mouth with a radiant smile, her fox-like eyes curved into crescents just like her own sexuality, now bent into a paperclip.

Help, why am I so happy even when I’m being teased into a daze?

Though she’d never been in a relationship, Lin Qi had always prided herself on being the assertive one, the one who did the teasing. But now, she found that being teased wasn’t so bad not when it meant seeing this delicate, sensitive little rabbit glowing with confidence.

“Jiang Ming, you, you…”

She didn’t know how to bring up the look Jiang Ming had given her on the First Love stage or the breakdown in the dressing room. In the evening breeze, she could almost feel the damp warmth on her shoulder again. Biting her lower lip, she wondered if she should just let the matter fade silently.

After all, Jiang Ming seemed much better now.

With no other trainees around, just the two of them, Jiang Ming tensed at the stammered words. The fear in her heart hadn’t completely vanished, she was still afraid. Would Lin Qi lose patience? Would she grow tired of her inexplicable unease?

Her heartbeat grew louder, accompanied by a pang of anxiety. Forcing a smile, her voice laced with uncertainty, she murmured, “Let me handle these emotions on my own, okay?”

Lin Qi almost blurted out, I can help you, but then, what could she even do? She shouldn’t have brought it up in the first place. Maybe pretending everything was fine was better than seeing the person she liked lost and helpless.

“Mm, I’ll be here with you. Let’s go, we’re probably late for the square.”

Quickening their pace, the atmosphere between them wasn’t as sweet as before, but neither was it as icy as in the car. When they arrived at the square, the show’s host greeted them with an amused look.

“Ah, our first and second place have finally arrived!”

He was referring to the rankings from the third performance Lin Qi in first, Jiang Ming in second.

The flush on her face had faded. Bowing politely, Lin Qi led Jiang Ming to the A-class section, smiling. “Sorry for keeping everyone waiting.”

“Alright, since everyone is here, let’s proceed with selecting songs for the mentor collaboration stage. Behind me are five items, each representing one of our guest mentors and their musical styles. You can choose an item based on your preferences to form teams, with a maximum of seven members per team. Selection will follow the order of the second ranking announcement. Due to Song Jin’s misconduct, we now only have 34 contestants, so one team will be short by one member with only six people.”

Lin Qi nodded and looked at the five items: a baseball cap, a cane, a veil, a thermos, and a hairband.

Her first instinct was to pick either the baseball cap or the hairband, she really wanted to showcase a sporty style. But then she noticed the expectant gaze of the show’s host directed at her. Hmm, the thought of Jiang Ming acting jealous and coquettish made her hesitate.

Who asked the host to emphasize the word “fate” like that?

With a sigh, she watched as Jiang Ming, who ranked first in the second announcement, walked straight toward the veil. Lin Qi, who prided herself on being a tough top, began to wonder should she join the veil team too?

Wearing a skirt didn’t matter anymore. She just wanted to stick close to her wife.