Your Aloof Persona Has Crumbled - Chapter 2

When Lu Jingwei stepped out of the office, the staff for the morning shift had already arrived. Countless eyes fell upon her, scanning her from head to toe.

To be honest, she knew her current look was ridiculous. It had been designed by her previous manager, who believed this style was at the “forefront of fashion” and insisted she wear it to leave a strong impression on her new agency.

If that manager hadn’t been a genuinely good person who helped pull strings for her, Lu Jingwei would have suspected she was being intentionally sabotaged.

Standing by the elevator, Lu Jingwei looked down at her phone and sent a message.

[Lu Jingwei]: I’ll transfer the money to you tomorrow. I’m starting intensive training soon, so stop causing trouble for me.

[Blossoming Wealth]: My darling girl, you just focus on the competition and becoming a big star. Your father is waiting for you to buy us a big villa. Then your younger brother won’t have to worry about finding a wife in the future.

A wave of nausea rolled through Lu Jingwei’s stomach. She promptly muted the chat and tapped on another contact, the business card Qiu Yu had shared. She scheduled an appointment to get her styling redone.

After Wen Shike returned home, she immediately hopped into the bathtub for a comfortable soak. She downloaded Weibo and searched for “Lu Jingwei.”

Lu Jingwei wasn’t a complete newcomer, but she wasn’t far from it. A year ago, she debuted in a small girl group consisting of five members. Three months after their debut, three members were headhunted away, and the remaining two person group disbanded on the spot. The group had appeared and vanished without a whisper.

Lu Jingwei’s Weibo had only 170,000 followers, and a quick glance suggested most were “zombie” accounts. Her latest post was a share of the official Dream 101 announcement, it had 11 shares, 8 comments, and 32 likes.

Wen Shike: “…”

How can it be this tragic?

She checked her own Weibo: 1.32 million followers. Her latest post had 352 shares, 1,189 comments, and 2,312 likes.

She clicked on the comments but closed them instantly. As expected, they were filled with people cursing her or being sarcastic. There were a few compliments on her looks, but the negativity outweighed the praise. After all, she was still technically a “civilian” contestant with no professional team to manage her comment section.

Wen Shike searched for more news on Lu Jingwei, but the real-time results were so sparse she was looking at posts from a year ago within seconds. Eventually, on a different site, she found a video of Lu Jingwei’s former group.

The resolution was low, and the venue was tiny, the kind of makeshift stage you’d find in a random public square. Lu Jingwei was wearing a performance outfit similar in style to the one she wore today, dancing on stage.

Wen Shike raised an eyebrow. Her dancing was actually… excellent. She completely outclassed the four teammates beside her. Yet, her position was mostly on the sidelines. And when the headhunters came to poach members, Lu Jingwei was the one left behind.

If there wasn’t some foul play involved, Wen Shike wouldn’t believe it for a second.

A notification popped up on her phone. Qiu Yu had started a group chat.

[Qiu Yu]: Jingwei, once you’re out of training, I’ll find an assistant for you. If you have any specific requirements, let me know.

[Lu Jingwei]: Okay.

Wen Shike looked at the group name. She didn’t know who changed it.

“People Blessed by the Eldest Miss.”

Wen Shike suddenly felt a heavy weight of responsibility on her shoulders.

[Wen Shike]: …

[Qiu Yu]: You two should add each other as friends. Look out for each other when the competition starts.

[Wen Shike]: Mhm.

To be fair, Wen Shike wasn’t sure who she could actually “look out for.” In terms of daily life, she was a total klutz who had never lifted a finger for chores in her life.

[Lu Jingwei]: Alright.

Wen Shike stroked her chin, waiting for Lu Jingwei to add her. As a “cool and aloof” person, she absolutely could not be the one to send the request first.

When the friend request finally popped up, Wen Shike silently counted to ten before clicking “Accept.”

[Lu Jingwei]: Hello.

[Wen Shike]: Hello.

Wen Shike idly splashed the water in the tub. The status on the other end stayed at “Typing…” for a long time before a message finally came through.

[Lu Jingwei]: Please take care of me in the future.

Wen Shike set her phone aside and waited for the clock to turn from 9:27 to 9:30 before replying with a single word: “Mhm.”

And that was the end of their conversation.

The awkwardness radiating from the screen was palpable. Wen Shike stared at the phone for a moment, then quickly turned it off and covered her face in embarrassment before climbing out of the tub.

Since the training location was local, Wen Shike had time for a lie in on the day of the gathering. It wasn’t until Shu Shu came to her house to shout for her that she slowly crawled out of bed.

“Lu Jingwei has been up since seven, waiting for you,” Shu Shu said, standing with her hands on her hips.

“What’s the rush?” Wen Shike yawned, eyes half-closed as she stumbled toward her walk-in closet.

Her outfit for the first public appearance had been prepared in advance. Since Wen Shike had no intention of hiding her wealthy background, she didn’t choose anything low-key, opting instead for a style that fit the “persona” the company had arranged for her.

Truthfully, even though her outfit and jewelry totaled seven figures, seven figures couldn’t block the freezing wind outside. After getting ready and stepping out, Wen Shike immediately turned back to grab a thick padded coat.

Shu Shu: “…”

“If Sister Qiu finds out, she’ll definitely scold you.”

“Being ‘aloof’ doesn’t mean I’m immune to the cold,” Wen Shike said, eyes wide as she looked at Shu Shu. “You stand off camera. As soon as I’m done recording, wrap it around me immediately.”

“Fine…” Shu Shu said helplessly. “Better to wear more than to catch a cold.”

Wen Shike got into the car but realized it was empty. Her composed expression slumped instantly. She wanted to lean back but was afraid of ruining her hair. “I thought you said Lu Jingwei was waiting for me? Is she still at home?”

“Yes.”

“Where does she live?”

“Xincheng Garden.”

“Huh?” Wen Shike paused. “Where?”

“Oh, you wouldn’t know. It’s an old neighborhood. Her previous company was too poor, she had to rent a place and share it with others. She’ll move after she gets back,” Shu Shu explained with a complicated expression. “I went there yesterday. It’s a tiny room in a shared apartment. The place is subdivided into many small rooms like a spiderweb. With her talent, I don’t know how she ended up signed to a place like that.”

The car drove into Xincheng Garden. Wen Shike frowned slightly. The security in this neighborhood was terrible, people came and went as they pleased, and delivery scooters zoomed through the alleys. This was a world Wen Shike had never touched.

As Wen Shike stepped out of the car, the “Spirit of Ecstasy” hood ornament on the luxury vehicle drew many stares from passersby. Those looks were not particularly friendly.

She had a vague idea of what they were thinking. In many people’s eyes, if a young woman was driving a car like this, she must have done something “untoward” to get it.

“You didn’t actually have to come up,” Shu Shu said.

“I just wanted to see.” Wen Shike wore her sunglasses, scanning the surroundings. Her gaze landed on a large, neglected trash bin, and she pinched her nose, frowning. “Where are you planning to move her later?”

“Wherever the other artists live. If she debuts, she can stay in the dorm for another year or so,” Shu Shu laughed.

Wen Shike nodded.

The old building had six floors and no elevator. Lu Jingwei lived on the fourth.

When Lu Jingwei opened the door and saw Wen Shike, she was stunned. She hadn’t expected the “Eldest Miss” to actually come up. She quickly greeted her, “Hello.”

“Hello,” Wen Shike nodded. She looked at Lu Jingwei, and her eyes lit up.

Lu Jingwei was indeed beautiful. She had managed to pull off that absurd look yesterday, now that a professional stylist had worked on her, she looked like a completely different person.

Wen Shike followed Lu Jingwei inside. The landlord must have been desperate for money, the apartment didn’t even have a living room. Every bit of usable space had been converted into bedrooms, leaving only a narrow hallway.