Transmigrated into the Villainous Scummy Alpha in a Talent Show Novel - Chapter 66

As the sun had just risen, Lin Qi arrived at the filming location. Lifting her gaze, she saw a familiar, tall, and slender figure standing under the backdrop, a woman with a gentle and understated aura. It was Pei Zhirong.

Only then did it dawn on her the guest performer the show’s organizer had mentioned yesterday, the one with scheduling conflicts, was Pei Zhirong.

Song En was quietly sitting on a chair in the distance, hands resting on her cane as she feigned sleep. Waking up so early had probably left her exhausted.

Still harboring a bit of a competitive spirit, Lin Qi blinked her bright eyes and bowed slightly to Pei Zhirong. “Hello, Sister Pei. I had no idea my partner would be you!”

“I specifically chose you.”

Though the words carried a hint of ambiguity, Pei Zhirong inexplicably exuded an elder-sister vibe, kind and warm, as if expressing her admiration.

Lin Qi smiled sheepishly and walked over to stand beside Pei Zhirong for the upcoming shoot. Only then did she realize that Pei Zhirong was just a few centimeters shorter than her. So this is the type Jing Sha likes, Lin Qi mused inwardly.

“Then thank you for your kindness, Sister Pei.”

“No need for thanks. Just make sure you and Jiang Ming are doing well.”

What?

“Huh?”

Pretending not to understand, Lin Qi forced an awkward laugh. “Jiang Ming and I have always been fine. Why do you ask?”

“I’m twenty-eight. I’ve seen plenty of couples in the entertainment industry. You and Jiang Ming are already the fandom’s official real CP. And that contestant yesterday oh right, Jing Sha, she’s clearly into me.”

No way…

Miss Jing, you’ve really gone and exposed yourself before even making a move. Just one meeting, and your feelings are already out in the open.

Having been an idol in her past life, Lin Qi knew full well that dating was practically a death sentence for idols. She had initially avoided fanning the CP flames with Jiang Ming out of fear that her solo stans would tear into the girl she liked.

But later, as Jiang Ming’s popularity lagged, Lin Qi stopped caring about keeping their intimacy off-camera, hoping the CP would boost Jiang Ming’s visibility. Sure enough, the “Jiang-Lin” ship dominated the rankings, becoming the show’s hottest topic.

Lin Qi had seen countless CP popularity charts, and “Jiang-Lin” consistently topping them had become the expected outcome. But while she knew their ship was popular, she hadn’t realized people genuinely believed they were in love.

Though she’d been in the industry before, Lin Qi had never dated anyone herself. She loved shipping couples, even when she knew some were just contractual “business lesbians” putting on a show. She shipped them happily regardless real or not, as long as it felt real to her.

But did the Jiang-Lin shippers actually think they were together?

Yikes. Doesn’t that make us seem super unprofessional?

“Sister Pei, does the public really think Jiang Ming and I are dating?”

Pei Zhirong nodded, looking slightly puzzled. “Aren’t you?”

“We are. I just wonder if people knowing would make us seem like we lack self-awareness as idols.”

With a carefree laugh, Lin Qi shrugged. “Ah, whatever. No matter what anyone thinks, I like Jiang Ming. Professionalism be damned.”

Seemingly sighing at the sweetness of the young couple, Pei Zhirong, who hadn’t been in a relationship for years, shook her head enviously and said, “You two are dating, but will your stage performances suffer? The First Love stage is still trending on the hot search list. Do you really think the fans are here just to watch you compete in the show? Aren’t they here for the CP drama? The historical drama I starred in doesn’t get nearly as much buzz as those fluffy romances.”

“Is that so?”

“Of course. Your fans all know you’re the young miss of the Lin family, worried you might quit the industry any day to go home and inherit the family fortune. You and Jiang Ming, real-life rich heiress falling for Cinderella everyone’s obsessed. Jiang Ming’s fans especially adore you.”

Lin Qi smiled shyly. Strangely, in front of Pei Zhirong, she always felt a bit docile, perhaps because Pei-jie had such strong older-sister energy.

“Alright, Pei-jie, Xiao Lin, we’re ready to start shooting.”

The director interrupted their conversation. After makeup was applied, filming began. A series of lipsticks were brought out, and Lin Qi, following instructions, applied them to Pei Zhirong. That’s when she noticed Pei-jie had heart-shaped lips, when she smiled, they formed a perfect little heart.

“Pei-jie, your lip shape is so pretty.”

Her pressed lips curved into a heart as she smiled. Pei Zhirong also picked up a lipstick and, seeing Lin Qi’s obedient expression and the considerate way she slightly crouched to apply it, shook her head helplessly. “Honestly, I’d love to have a little sister like you pretty, sweet, and well-behaved, with such a honeyed tongue. But,”

Changing the subject, she followed the director’s cue, lifting her hand to swipe at Lin Qi’s lips. The red pigment spilled slightly beyond the lip line, adding a touch of wildness and allure.

“But you should be careful with that mouth of yours, or you might attract unnecessary affection. Speaking of which, did you know we actually have a CP fan page? It’s called Peppa Pig.”

It was just an earnest compliment, Pei Zhirong’s lips really were lovely, but upon reflection, the words did carry a hint of ambiguity, the kind suited to a moment just before a kiss. For the two of them, though, it was clearly inappropriate.

Pei-jie was genuinely educating her, playing the role of a responsible CP fan perfectly.

Nodding obediently, Lin Qi’s expression had been serious, but the moment she heard their CP name, she burst out laughing. “What kind of nonsense is that?”

“So, if you don’t want Peppa Pig trending, we should keep our distance. Actually, I quite like Jiang Ming. If you dare treat her badly, I won’t hesitate to call you out as a heartbreaker on Weibo.”

“No way, no way! I really like Jiang Jiang too, okay?”

“Jiang Jiang? That’s a cute nickname. Maybe I’ll start calling her that too.”

Chatting like this, it became clear just how clever Pei Zhirong was. She could point out Lin Qi’s issues in a lighthearted way, then steer the serious topic back to humor, making the lesson easy to accept without any resentment.

Truly a veteran who’d spent years in the entertainment industry, not something Lin Qi, with only two years in the business, could compare to.

By the time filming wrapped up, it was already afternoon. Song En had long since left to find Yuan Li for dance lessons. Just as Lin Qi was about to say goodbye to Pei Zhirong, they ended up in the same car, both needed to prepare for the mentor-collaboration stage two days later.

Carrying a box of lipsticks gifted by the brand, Lin Qi asked Pei Zhirong to pass them to Jiang Ming, then knocked on the door of the baseball cap group’s practice room.

“Hello, Senior Xia, hello everyone.”

The atmosphere was noticeably tense. Qin Wei, the team leader, forced an awkward smile. “Lin Qi, welcome back. Let’s take a look at the choreography first.”

“Ah, sure.”

It was strange Xia Lian, who was usually all smiles, had a cold expression this time. Her eyes were hidden beneath the shadow of her cap, revealing only her tightly pressed lips.

This odd feeling lingered until dinner. Although Xia Lian taught the dance with great focus, she spoke very little, only offering brief corrections like, “Your hand wrong direction,” when someone made a mistake.

Leaving the stifling classroom, Lin Qi couldn’t figure out why Senior Xia seemed so displeased, but there was nothing she could do about it. She might as well go find Jiang Ming for dinner. Aside from their brief chat at five in the morning, they hadn’t seen each other all day.

She missed her little girlfriend so much…

After asking around, she quickly arrived at the entrance of the Veil Group’s practice room. Peeking inside, Lin Qi’s breath hitched.

Everyone was dressed in dark red gauzy skirts with matching veils, their figures graceful and alluring. Jiang Ming stood at the center. Her features were already striking, like a goddess from a painting, her beauty so ethereal it seemed untouchable. But when she lifted half of her veil, the smile on her face was unexpectedly seductive.

Suddenly, the door swung open. Pei Zhirong stood there with her arms crossed, a smirk playing on her lips. “Well, well, who’s this little rascal?”

Lin Qi chuckled awkwardly and pulled her gaze away. “Isn’t it dinner time? I came to find Jiang Ming to eat together.”

“Mm, come in. We’re running through the final rehearsal.”

Nodding, Lin Qi quickly found a spot by the wall to sit. She noticed Jiang Ming’s inexplicably flushed cheeks. Having spent so much time together, she immediately understood, Jiang Ming was embarrassed about crying that morning. Offering a reassuring smile, Lin Qi mouthed, “You’ve got this.”

When she took in the whole group, she was stunned, Jing Sha was actually wearing a red gauze dress?

The usually bold and carefree heiress had a radiant, striking beauty, her features sharp and heroic. Even in such a dress, she should’ve looked dashing. But she clearly wasn’t comfortable, wearing an expression of utter resignation, forcing a smile whenever Pei Zhirong glanced her way.

Honestly, Lin Qi couldn’t help but laugh at the sight of the young mistress struggling with her veil.

The rehearsal wrapped up quickly. It was the first time Lin Qi had heard their song the vocals were lazy and effortless, dripping with sensuality.

After listening to the demo, Lin Qi could already imagine Jiang Ming’s voice. She found herself eagerly anticipating it, like a fan.

The moment she took Jiang Ming’s delicate hand, before they could even take two steps, Jing Sha rushed over and slung an arm around Lin Qi’s neck. “Lin Qi! What were you laughing at earlier?”

Bending slightly at the waist to avoid Jiang Ming getting jostled, Lin Qi let go of her hand and playfully wrestled with Jing Sha. “If you’re asking, don’t you already know the answer? Wow, you’re still so agile even in a dress?”

This only made Jing Sha more flustered and angry. The two of them chased each other around.

Jiang Ming, who preferred quiet and had never really experienced the boisterous energy of student life, watched them helplessly. “Stop fooling around.”

Her words made Lin Qi pause, but they couldn’t stop Jing Sha, whose face had flushed red with anger. On the other hand, Pei Zhirong, who had just finished tidying up, glanced at the three of them and smiled helplessly. “Jing Sha, I don’t know the way. Could you accompany me to dinner?”

Instantly, Jing Sha straightened up, her face turning even redder. “O-of course, Teacher Pei ah, no, Sister Pei.”

Once again holding Jiang Ming’s hand, Lin Qi shook her head in exasperation. “Tsk, another henpecked husband.”

“Henpecked husband?”

The girl who grew up in Japan didn’t understand the term. Jiang Ming raised a brow slightly. The two were standing close, and Lin Qi suddenly noticed that her lip color today was different.

“Hey, Nuonuo, did you change your lipstick?”

“Yeah. Didn’t you ask Sister Pei to bring it to me? She said this shade was the one you wore for today’s shoot.”

Though it was just a small thing, Lin Qi couldn’t help but grin. She reached out and lightly touched Jiang Ming’s soft lips. “Do you like me that much?”

“What? I just like the color.”

The shy girl quickly ran off, with Lin Qi chasing after her, looking smug. “Then you still like the color I endorsed!”