Your Aloof Persona Has Crumbled - Chapter 4

“And you?” Lu Jingwei asked.

“One song and dance number, plus a song I wrote myself to satisfy the mentors.” Wen Shike looked Lu Jingwei in the eye.

Lu Jingwei was slightly surprised. “An original track? I’m looking forward to it.”

“Thanks.” Wen Shike looked away, staring at the palm of her own hand.

Wen Shike’s internal monologue: What does “surprised” mean? Why be surprised! Oh, so you’re just like everyone else, you think I’m just here to play around!

Lu Jingwei sensed the shift in Wen Shike’s mood. However, Wen Shike remained silent, though that “thanks” sounded anything but sincere.

Lu Jingwei tapped the railing twice.

Just as Wen Shike was curious about Lu Jingwei, Lu Jingwei was curious about her too. After meeting Wen Shike, Lu Jingwei had gone back and looked up some information about her.

She and Wen Shike belonged to two completely different worlds. Although she didn’t know exactly what kind of person the other was, there likely wouldn’t be much deep interaction between them in the future.

“Heading back to the dorm?” Lu Jingwei asked.

“Yeah,” Wen Shike responded.

Nearly everyone in the dorm had arrived. When Wen Shike got back, there were six people in the room, likely visitors from other rooms, making the already small space incredibly cramped.

“Ah… so you guys are sharing a room with that ‘Eldest Miss’?”

“Who?”

“Wen Shike. I heard she’s the little princess of the Yin family.”

Wen Shike, who was standing at the door trying to figure out how to enter while maintaining a “cool and aloof” persona, was suddenly mentioned: ?

“I wonder if she’s easy to get along with. I searched her online yesterday, and the internet makes her sound so scary…” one girl sighed.

Wen Shike swept her gaze across the room and identified the speaker.

“She’s so rich. All her skincare is from Brand A. Have you guys ever even seen this packaging before?” Two people were standing in front of her desk, looking.

“Nope. Probably some limited edition.”

“Don’t touch her stuff.”

“I know, I’m just looking.”

Wen Shike debated whether she should leave first. Just as she turned to go, someone spotted her.

“Ah… Wen Shike, you… you’re back.” A girl spoke hesitantly, her voice even trembling slightly.

The atmosphere became instantly awkward.

Wen Shike pursed her lips. She was also embarrassed and had no idea what to say.

“Ah… let her in, she’s probably blocked by us.” A girl sitting down stood up and smiled at her. “Hi, I’m Jin Ling.”

“Hello.” Wen Shike nodded. The others automatically cleared a path for her.

Wen Shike watched as the six of them split into two rows of three on each side. The scene looked bizarre no matter how you sliced it.

Under everyone’s watchful eyes, she walked to her seat and sat down. After a moment of thought, Wen Shike spoke: “I’m easy to get along with.”

“Okay.” Several people nodded.

Well, now the atmosphere is even more awkward.

The corner of Wen Shike’s mouth twitched. She didn’t say anything else, sat with her back to the group, and began frantically messaging Shu Shu.

Wen Shike: !!!

Wen Shike: My god, do you know how awkward it is? I just walked into the dorm and found a group of people discussing me. Just as I was about to leave, they caught me.

Wen Shike: It’s so awkward. I’m literally cringing so hard I could dig out the Great Wall with my toes.

Wen Shike: [Crying emoji]

Wen Shike: Why did you give me this persona!

Shu Shu: How can an “aloof” person send so many messages at once? Just bear with it. You’ll get used to it. As long as you aren’t embarrassed, they’re the ones who are embarrassed.

Wen Shike: ……

Wen Shike rubbed her temples and let out a soft sigh. “Sitting on pins and needles” was probably the best description for her current state.

Perhaps because Wen Shike was there, the girls who had been chatting animatedly switched to messaging on their phones or exchanging glances.

[Jin Ling]: Let’s watch what we say from now on. Wen Shike doesn’t seem that bad.

[Wang Lulu]: So awkward, so awkward. She heard everything.

[Sun Yuexi]: I feel like Wen Shike didn’t really say much? She doesn’t look like the type of “Eldest Miss” who bullies people with her status.

Wen Shike caught a glimpse in her mirror and noticed the people behind her were all looking down at their phones. Her intuition told her they were still talking about her.

She felt a flicker of worry. This was only the first day.

Reflecting on her behavior, Wen Shike couldn’t help but tap the table twice. Everyone looked at her again. Feeling the gazes on her back, Wen Shike’s hand froze in mid-air for a second.

The others looked down and exchanged secret glances. The room was thick with undercurrents.

Wen Shike sighed internally, stood up calmly, and walked out. Better to go train.

Only after she left did the atmosphere in the dorm gradually liven up again.

Because of that awkward start, the vibe in Wen Shike’s dorm remained strange all the way until the day of the Initial Stage recording. While girls in other dorms were already walking arm in arm to training, Wen Shike’s roommates were still saying “thank you” six times just for a glass of water.

The Initial Stage recording began at 2:00 PM. Wen Shike’s performance outfit was custom-made, the tiny crystals on the skirt were real diamonds, a strict requirement from her father.

“For your first time on stage, you must blind everyone else’s eyes.”

Wen Shike really wanted to tell him that no one could tell if the diamonds were real or fake, and besides, when you’re dancing, who cares what’s on the skirt?

Trainees from the same company sat together and had to self-assign their initial ranks.

Wen Shike and Lu Jingwei signed their names on the signature board. Wen Shike gave a reserved nod to the camera, while Lu Jingwei offered a relaxed smile and a wave.

When the two entered the studio, many people had already chosen their seats. Upon seeing Wen Shike enter, the room went quiet for a few seconds, as if everyone was waiting to see what choice she would make.

She was the center of attention.

Wen Shike: ……

To be fair, Wen Shike thought she was being low-key, but it felt like after just a few days, every contestant knew her, even though she hadn’t matched all their faces to their profiles yet.

“Where do you want to sit?” Wen Shike scanned the seats.

“Anywhere is fine,” Lu Jingwei said indifferently.

Wen Shike looked up at the top tier for Class A and grabbed Lu Jingwei’s wrist. “Then let’s go with Class A.”

“Sure.” Lu Jingwei nodded. She gently pulled her wrist from Wen Shike’s grasp and then took her hand instead. “This is better, otherwise people will think you’re forcing me.”

“Oh… okay,” Wen Shike responded.

Wen Shike rarely held hands with anyone. The last time was probably during elementary school folk dances or when she was young and still enthusiastic about attending balls.

The older she got, the less she liked this kind of physical intimacy, partly due to a psychological shadow left by someone with sweaty palms, and partly because everyone eventually learned her preferences and stopped trying.

However, holding Lu Jingwei’s hand was quite comfortable. It was soft, the palm was dry, and it felt slightly cool, like holding a piece of cold jade. Initially, Wen Shike was leading the way, but somehow, as they walked, it turned into Lu Jingwei leading her.

“Wow!”

“Class A! Impressive! Good luck, Miss Wen!”

“Jingwei! Jingwei! Unbeatable!”

The surrounding trainees cheered and teased.

Wen Shike glanced at the person who called her “Miss Wen” and then sat down next to Lu Jingwei. The latter let go of her hand and sat with her back perfectly straight, looking forward.