Transmigrated into the Villainous Scummy Alpha in a Talent Show Novel - Chapter 9

When Lin Qi woke up, she felt a bit dazed, almost forgetting for a moment whether she was the villain who did many evil deeds in the book or the honest and kind top star from the real world.

As she realized her identity, she also recalled all the events from the dream she had last night. The book briefly introduced Jiang Ming’s background in just two thousand words, and behind each seemingly innocent character was the protagonist’s very real eighteen years, a period filled with dark memories.

After throwing off the covers and getting out of bed, she noticed that the bed next to her was already neat and tidy, the blanket perfectly arranged, and it felt as if there was not even a trace of warmth left. Had that person gone to class early again?

While brushing her teeth, she glanced at the clock and saw it was only eight in the morning. Moreover, the entire morning was scheduled for free training, so there was no rush.

After finishing her morning routine at a leisurely pace, Lin Qi, who usually preferred black, white, and gray, reluctantly put on a pink jacket and decided to head to the cafeteria for breakfast.

After a hearty meal, Lin Qi loosened her belt a bit and set off towards Class C.

For the athletes who had practiced until dawn last night, it was still too early. Lin Qi glanced around and saw only three or four people training, with Jiang Ming being the most conspicuous among them.

The protagonist’s talent seemed immeasurable. Today was the third and final day of learning the theme song, and after just two days of hasty training, Jiang Ming seemed to have grasped some key points of dancing.

Her ink-black hair danced lightly with her movements, and Jiang Ming’s gaze was focused, her beautifully shaped eyebrows and eyes shining brightly. She was tall, with an impressive proportion, and her long, straight legs made her dance even more aesthetically pleasing. Occasionally, when she jumped, the outline of her toned abs peeked out from beneath her clothing.

It was evident that Jiang Ming seemed a bit more confident.

A smile gradually replaced all expressions on her face, and Lin Qi stood at the door, feeling genuinely happy for her, as if she could never get enough of watching Jiang Ming dance. She almost pulled the other athletes aside in excitement, saying, “This is Jiang Ming! This is the protagonist from the tragic story, Jiang Ming!”

Fortunately, Lin Qi still retained her rationality. She simply watched the dancer quietly, her expression as steady as a rock.

Before long, when the clock struck nine, a large group of people flooded into Class C, bustling and filling the already small classroom. As Lin Qi maneuvered through the crowd, she caught sight of Jiang Ming’s bewildered expression.

Anxiety, unease, fear.

Like a wild fawn that had mistakenly wandered onto a crosswalk, her clean and bright eyes were suddenly clouded with panic.

Her previously free movements shrank back, and Jiang Ming was pushed into a corner by the crowd, her hands hanging by her thighs trembling slightly. To encourage herself, she tightened the soft fabric of her loose black sweatpants.

Everyone began their training, chatting and laughing, while those who didn’t understand the order of arrival dominated the scene, forgetting Jiang Ming, who had been the first to arrive, in the corner.

Unable to watch any longer, Lin Qi stepped in, grabbed Jiang Ming’s hand that was clutching her pants, and tried to pull her away, but to no avail.

Of course, although their relationship had eased somewhat, she still hadn’t earned the protagonist’s full trust.

Seeing the confusion in Jiang Ming’s eyes, Lin Qi sighed and leaned closer to her ear, “Don’t you dislike crowded places? Let me take you somewhere less crowded to practice, just the two of us, okay?”

With all resistance gone, she successfully led Jiang Ming out of the training building. Lin Qi smiled, “Are you hungry? Let’s go to the cafeteria. There’s a restroom with a mirror there; we can practice in front of it.”

Once outside the building, Jiang Ming gently pulled her hand away, leaving Lin Qi feeling a bit down. But she understood; they had only known each other for three days, and it was normal for the protagonist, who disliked contact with others, to resist her.

Hiding her hand behind her back, Lin Qi smiled, “Sorry about that.”

Jiang Ming, who had instinctively pulled away, felt puzzled. Why had she only just realized that her hand had been held by someone she disliked all the way from the classroom to outside the building? And now, she was met with Lin Qi’s apologetic smile.

Why was she feeling so lost?

Jiang Ming lowered her head, her voice small, “It’s fine, let’s go to the cafeteria.”

The journey was quiet. Lin Qi disliked silence, so she glanced at the calm-faced Jiang Ming, her mind racing for a topic. Fortunately, one came to her, “Jiang Ming, I need your help with something.”

“Mm?”

“Before tonight, I need to record a one-minute solo shot. My plan is to dance a duet with another contestant.”

After saying this, Lin Qi paused and tentatively asked, “Can you come and sing? Just sing ‘Graduation (Cover).'”

As expected, there was another moment of silence. The April breeze blew Jiang Ming’s hair, making Lin Zaki’s hands itch to tuck the messy strands behind her ear.

Her thoughts drifted back to what she had read in the book, that Jiang Ming had dyed her hair pink after a fire. The shallow words had been extravagantly used just to describe her beauty.

Lin Qi couldn’t imagine how the seemingly ethereal beauty with dark hair, calm and quiet, would look with pink hair. Her fair skin would surely complement the light color, right?

“Is this you helping me? Why?”

Interrupted by Jiang Ming’s calm and distant tone, Lin Qi swallowed hard, unsure how to respond. Her remaining emotional intelligence told her not to say it was out of compensation; although the protagonist was insecure, she still held onto her pride and would likely refuse to accept charity from others.

“You speak Japanese well, and you sing beautifully. Isn’t it nice to help each other out and collaborate?”

It seemed she had convinced Jiang Ming, who replied with a “Okay,” but her outstretched hand was not reciprocated. Lin Qi nodded in understanding, withdrew her hand, and followed Jiang Ming toward the cafeteria.

Upon reaching their destination, Lin Qi observed Jiang Ming and thought that she probably hadn’t had breakfast, so she said, “I’m hungry. Will you accompany me for a bite?”

God knows how Lin Qi overcame the cries of her weight to say this, considering she had already eaten a hearty breakfast that morning.

“You eat; I’m going to train.”

With her plan thwarted, Lin Qi had anticipated Jiang Ming’s refusal and prepared a Plan B.

“Forget it, let’s train first. How about we have lunch together at eleven?”

Seeing Jiang Ming nod perfunctorily, Lin Qi smiled. She could feel that the protagonist was no longer so resistant to her.

In the mirror, the serious-looking girl was about to dance but glanced at Lin Qi, who was standing nearby, seemingly at a loss.

“Aren’t you training?”

“I’m practicing singing. I’m singing the theme song, and you can dance. How about that?”

Jiang Ming shook her head, indicating it didn’t matter, but she assumed the preparatory pose for the theme song, waiting for Lin Qi to start singing.

This proud little cat was truly adorable. Lin Qi cleared her throat and began to sing the theme song. Originally an upbeat and positive song, it was delivered in a gentle voice, like a melancholic girl missing her beloved on a rainy night.

Instead of zoning out, she focused intently on every movement Jiang Ming made while dancing. Having been the captain of a girl group for two years and responsible for most of the choreography, Lin Qi had developed a keen eye.

After finishing the song, Lin Qi moved to a spot parallel to Jiang Ming, taking her first serious approach.

“Look, this movement isn’t about using your wrists; it’s about your shoulders. Compare the two; doesn’t it look much better?”

Jiang Ming was clearly intelligent and immediately recognized the difference, but during the process of trying to correct it, her lack of dance experience made it difficult, causing her brows to furrow in frustration.

Lin Qi naturally treated Jiang Ming like a member of her previous team who struggled with both singing and dancing. She casually placed a hand on Jiang Ming’s shoulder and held her unresponsive hand, guiding her through the dance movements.

“How’s that? Do you feel the difference?”

Standing behind Jiang Ming, Lin Qi’s breath brushed against her ear due to their height difference, and she could clearly feel Jiang Ming’s body tremble slightly.

Regaining her composure, the seemingly obedient girl quickly stepped back, raising her hands in a surrender gesture, her expression sincere, “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to.”

Jiang Ming had sensed it the moment Lin Qi’s hand touched her. She should have pulled away immediately, but she hesitated. Despite disliking contact with others, she had allowed Lin Qi’s touch, even though this person had bullied her just three days ago.

Her lips moved as if to say, “Don’t let it happen again,” but the words twisted on her tongue and ultimately came out as, “It’s fine.”

In the mirror, she could only see her own reflection, but Lin Qi could see the flushed earlobes hidden behind Jiang Ming’s hair. Was the protagonist blushing?

It seemed that after not interacting with others for so long, even the slightest contact could make Jiang Ming feel like a startled cat.

For the rest of the lesson, Lin Qi refrained from touching Jiang Ming. She understood that for this sensitive, proud, and insecure girl, it was better to take a gentle approach. No, that phrasing made it sound like her intentions were impure.

No, she just wanted to help Jiang Ming escape her dark memories. It was merely atonement, with no other thoughts involved; after all, the original pairing, Song En, was still waiting for the protagonist in the hospital.

Another two hours passed, and by the time Lin Qi’s lips felt dry and chapped, it was finally eleven o’clock. She moistened her lips with water, her eyes sparkling, “Shall we go eat? Is that okay?”

“Mm.”

She was just about to jump for joy. Lin Qi walked ahead, having already decided what to eat for lunch while teaching the dance. Without hesitation, she headed to the Japanese food counter. Speaking Japanese these past few days reminded her of her time studying in Japan, and she craved Japanese food. She could only hope her body could handle it and not end up on a bathroom tour.

After all, her previous self had suffered from gastroenteritis and had a weak stomach, eating once and running to the bathroom every time, truly the definition of “straight to the point.”

Finding a corner table, Lin Qi saw Jiang Ming holding a plate of fruit salad, looking quite pale. Was this all she was eating?

“Jiang Ming, is that all you’re having? Why not try a piece of sushi from my plate? You’re too thin; when I carried you yesterday, it was quite uncomfortable.”

“You carried me?”

Oh no, it seemed the protagonist didn’t know that she had princess-carried her back yesterday!

Would she be disliked again for carrying this cold and aloof protagonist without permission?

“Ah? I misspoke, I misspoke! It was nothing, nothing at all. Who carried you?”

“Lin Qi, you carried me back to the dorm yesterday, right?”

Why was she digging so deep?

Putting down her chopsticks, Lin Qi wore a pained expression, “I really didn’t mean to carry you. I went to Class C to find you, and when I saw you sleeping on the cold floor, I was worried you’d catch a cold, so I brought you back. I didn’t mean to…”

Before she could finish, Jiang Ming interrupted, “Thank you.”

With a smile in her eyes, the cat who had just eaten salad had a small piece of it stuck to her lips. Lin Qi had never seen such a bright gaze before, let alone thought she would see it on Jiang Ming’s face.

After the ice melted a bit, it turned out to be so soft and warm.