Grab The Heroine and Run Away Ch.11

4/7

《Ding Dong》 is a youthful song about secret love, with a pure style that is beautifully portrayed by the young trainees.

With the sound of a bell ringing, the girls in white uniform dresses rushed out from behind the door, their dance steps light and lively.

“Wow.” Xu Heran’s blush faded from her face, and she whispered in admiration, her hands involuntarily clapping together in applause, “Clap, clap, clap,” her fingertips tapping. “They look so pretty.”

The others quickly nodded in agreement.

Both songs were performed by one team. Team One faithfully reproduced the innocence of the song, while Team Two took a different approach. In pink dresses, they not only conveyed the nervousness of a secret crush but also added a hint of ambiguity, as if their hidden feelings had been discovered and the object of their affection secretly responded.

“It’s a bit sweet, I choose 2,” Haya said.

“I’m also going with 2.”

“I prefer the first one.”

“Excuse me, can we vote?” Xin Nuo made scissor gestures toward the cameraman.

Xu Heran immediately understood and cleared her throat. “Both teams performed really well. I have no idea which one to choose!”

Haya nervously added, “Yeah, yeah, both styles are beyond my control. They’re so amazing!”

After saying this, she looked at Xin Nuo. Xin Nuo responded with a smile that wasn’t quite a smile and tousled her hair.

The performance of Team One concluded, and host Ning Yunfei invited both teams to the stage. She interviewed each team separately, giving them a chance to campaign for votes.

“Are the ten thousand ‘Star-Makers’ in the audience ready with your voting tickets from the staff when you entered?” Ning Yunfei lifted a colorful piece of paper in her hand. “After watching all the performances, there will be voting boxes placed in the exit passage. Fill out your chosen team and put it into the voting box. The team with the highest votes among the ten teams will win and split 100,000 votes equally!”

“Of course, this doesn’t affect your SMS votes. Everyone can still vote for your favorite trainee through SMS.” After Ning Yunfei finished, she raised her voice. “So, let’s welcome the second group of teams. They will be performing the song,《Snow》”

Xu Heran noticed that as the sound of 《Snow》 began, the cheers in the audience suddenly grew louder. The live broadcast camera switched, sweeping over the audience, and among the sea of people holding support lights, many were shouting the name “Lin Weining,” raising her placards and light boards.

“Ah… they’re the first.” Xu Heran exclaimed in surprise. “Impressive.”

Xin Nuo glanced at her, her lips moved slightly, eventually forming a gentle smile.

“Lin Weining has always maintained a good ranking. Except for when she first entered the camp and was second, she’s been first for two consecutive times. Impressive strength.” Jian Yueyin said softly. On the screen, the audience’s voices grew louder, and the cameraman focused on a big brother in the audience. He was quite enthusiastic in his support, shouting with a flushed face and a thick neck. The girls beside him and the trainees backstage burst into laughter.

A group of girls in white dresses walked onto the stage. They wore white floral crowns on their heads and had sweet smiles on their faces, like angels descending to earth.

Haya suddenly asked, “Isn’t this the second time Lin Weining has performed in this style?”

The usually quiet Song Fenghua nodded slightly. “It suits her.”

After speaking, her gaze shifted to Xin Nuo. The others’ eyes followed and landed on Xin Nuo’s face. Xu Heran sat next to Xin Nuo, puzzled. Following Song Fenghua’s gaze, she turned her head slowly and looked at Xin Nuo as well.

Xin Nuo: ?

“What am I doing?” Xin Nuo smiled lightly.

“Hehe.” Haya touched her face, not yet accustomed to the makeup on her face. “I actually thought you would choose this song.”

Xin Nuo tilted her head, “Mhm, I want to try out a few different styles.”

Xu Heran deliberately asked, “Really? It’s not because you lost a game, is it?”

Suddenly, she reached into her pocket and pulled out a rope. It’s unclear when she had tucked it into her pocket.

“Since it’s still a while before we go on stage, how about we all practice some rope tricks to stay calm?”

Xu Heran stuck out her tongue, with a mischievous smile. The others shook their heads, focusing on the upcoming stage performance, leaving this childish ghost to face the “storm” she had stirred up on her own.

A glint passed through Xin Nuo’s dark eyes. She raised an eyebrow and let her eyelashes fall, her gaze landing on Xu Heran’s fingertips, which were holding the rope. She curved her lips and said softly, “What are you doing?”

“Pearl?”

Her pronunciation was very accurate, but Xu Heran had a feeling that in the next moment, another name was about to be uttered from her rosy lips.

While the other teammates kept their eyes on the screen, their ears perked up.

“This hand is so unruly!” Xu Heran suddenly exclaimed. She tossed the rope onto the makeup table and extended her hand, giving a hard slap to the hand that was reaching for the rope.

“I’m teaching it a lesson. Tell me, will you still dare to bully our Nuo Nuo?”

Xin Nuo watched her performance with a playful smile.

Xu Heran’s throat tickled, she cleared her throat and leaned her palm close to Xin Nuo’s fair ear.

“Listen.” Xu Heran raised her index finger to her lips, “It says,”

“When the snow falls, it will tell me that it misses you…” On the stage, seven girls in white dresses danced, their singing echoing through the sports arena.

Amid the cool melody, Xu Heran leaned down and approached Xin Nuo’s side, lifting her gaze.

“I won’t bully you anymore.”

“Sister.”

Xin Nuo had been sitting on the stool with a smile on her face, her gaze fixed on the screen. Her thoughts, however, drifted unconsciously into the distance, until Jian Yueyin reached out and tapped the table in front of her.

“Let’s go, it’s our turn.”

Xin Nuo suddenly snapped back to reality, instinctively raising a smile.

Jian Yueyin glanced at Xin Nuo, her gaze gentle.

In the center of the stage, Ning Yunfei revealed a thought-provoking smile.

“Now, it’s the turn of our last two groups of trainees,” she looked towards the stage on her left. Sun Lingxi let out a breath, her face lighting up with a brilliant smile as she ran out first.

“Hello, everyone~”

She wore a sakura-colored fluffy skirt, resembling an adorable doll, with pink rabbit ears on her head. The girls behind her were the same, standing in a row with smiles, melting the hearts of the audience below.

“Wow~” Xu Heran sighed for who knows how many times.

After the voices from below the stage quieted down, Ning Yunfei raised the microphone, “Truly remarkable, this group is the most anticipated one since the show started airing. Let me say on behalf of our director, it wasn’t intentionally arranged this way, but they happened to be drawn as the last group.”

She smiled and turned her attention to the stage on the right, “Let’s welcome—”

“Xin Nuo—”

Suddenly, a loud and enthusiastic call came from below the stage.

Jian Yueyin, who was the first to step forward, froze for a moment. She wanted to give Xin Nuo some space to stand in front, but Xin Nuo lightly pushed her shoulder through her clothes.

“Ah!!!”

“Xin Nuo!!!”

“Fenghua—”

Backstage, the practicing trainees who had already gathered together all opened their mouths wide, startled by this unprecedented cheer. Lin Weining shook her head while clapping her hands, thinking that Xin Nuo was really something else. Next time, she should surpass her in the rankings.

“Xu Heran! It’s Xu Heran! My goodness, is a real person really this good-looking? Is the color of those eyes real?”

“I’m getting goosebumps. There’s still a gap between TV and real life, really, no wonder she’s taken the first place based on appearance!”

“Xin Nuo—”

“Oh my god, how come I’m seeing their group, their looks… so high! Celestial-level looks!”

“Who’s that girl? Haya?! How could she be Haya! Did she get plastic surgery?”

Backstage, the trainees who were seeing the post-makeup stage for the first time were even more excited than the live audience.

“Huh?” Ning Yunfei deliberately took a step forward, exclaiming, “Really? The tallest one, that’s Haya?”

Haya’s face turned red, and she waved her hand, “I really am, 173 cm tall!”

“Whoo—”

Boos came from the audience, her height had become a running joke.

Ning Yunfei chuckled and continued hosting, “Now that both teams are ready, do you have anything you want to say to each other?”

Every time two teams went on stage, Ning Yunfei would ask this question. Xu Heran couldn’t help but raise the microphone and ask, “Why do our talent shows still have a pre-match trash-talking segment?”

Xin Nuo raised her hand and discreetly poked her waist.

“Hey, are you scared now?” Sun Lingxi, who held the microphone, retorted.

“Haha!” Xu Heran playfully shook her head, “Are we scared?”

In the audience seats, a group of people immediately shouted, “Go for it against her!”

Laurel, who was standing with her arms crossed, was taken aback and was patted on the shoulder by Jiang Qiong with a smile. Laurel raised her thumb at them, raising an eyebrow.

Sun Lingxi felt that their momentum was being suppressed, so she immediately spoke up, “Then let you all experience our charm! Remember, we’re Team No. 9! Team No. 9 is the cutest!”

“Number 9, Number 9!” Her teammates behind her raised their hands, pretending to be cute.

Xu Heran lifted her chin and signaled to the people behind her. Suddenly, she raised her hand and pressed the button on her coat. The members of Team Ten understood and followed suit, raising their hands.

Each of them was dressed in a black windbreaker that extended down to their calves.

“Cute?”

Xu Heran chuckled lightly, unbuttoning her coat and tossing it behind her, “Cute, insignificant compared to sexiness.”

A row of long, slender legs lined up on the stage.

Xu Heran was wearing a black and red jumpsuit with leather elements. The leather jacket reached only to her thighs, and the black boots extended up to just above her knees. The exposed skin was as white as it could be, almost glowing. The fabric around her flat and slender waist was intricately designed, revealing her snow-white skin in a tantalizing manner. Beside Xu Heran, Xin Nuo raised her hand, her smooth arm resting on Xu Heran’s shoulder. Xin Nuo wore a bright red leather dress that reached her thighs, hugging her tight figure. Her originally straight black hair was intentionally curled into waves, accentuating her cool expression.

Xin Nuo raised an eyebrow slightly, disdainfully smirking at the passing camera, which elicited wild cheers from the audience.

Other than Xu Heran, the remaining six members were split into three with black elements and three with red elements. The contrast was distinct yet complementary, showcasing sensuality and beauty to the extreme.

The calls from the audience became more fervent with each passing moment.

Xu Heran proudly smiled at the camera, her blue-purple eyes reflecting the lights from the sea of people.

After changing into their stage outfits, she excitedly realized that the effect was even better than she had imagined! Every member of Team Ten looked great, each having long legs that were simply stunning. Putting aside other aspects, the stage effect was certainly outstanding.

Even Ning Yunfei was stunned by their unexpected performance for a brief moment. She exclaimed and caught a glimpse of Sun Lingxi’s somewhat displeased expression. She quickly laughed and said, “Are you trying to perform early?”

Xu Heran chuckled mischievously and quickly bent over to pick up the clothes, as discarding the clothes was part of their stage performance.

“So, shall I put it on?”

“Smack.” Xin Nuo couldn’t help but raise her hand and lightly pat Xu Heran’s head, ushering her off the stage by grabbing her wrist amidst the audience’s laughter.

“Got carried away,” Xu Heran apologized to everyone.

“It’s okay. The windbreaker is too hot on a day like this. I’ve been wanting to take it off,” Laurel said, moving her shoulders. “It feels better this way.”

Xin Nuo leaned against the edge of the stage wall, glanced at the stage, and shook her head slightly.

“Did something go wrong?” Jian Yueyin asked in a low voice.

Xin Nuo looked at the girls dancing energetically to the song, “The choreography is off.”

To a sweet song, Sun Lingxi’s team had abandoned their original choreography and re-choreographed it. However, this performance seemed to reduce the sweetness of the song by half, and instead added a touch of… childishness.

Scenes from a Children’s Day cultural performance flashed in Xin Nuo’s mind.

“Didn’t the dance instructor give them any feedback?” The program had three mentors: music, dance, and rap. They were all mature and well-known artists who could offer advice to the trainees.

Jian Yueyin whispered, “This is the revised version.”

Xin Nuo shook her head slightly.

The pressure of the competition could cause one to become overly focused, and Sun Lingxi probably got stuck in a dilemma after their team decided to change the song.

“I love you, love you, love you, my honey~” Beside her, Xu Heran had both fists by her face, hopping and twisting along.

Xin Nuo’s gaze drifted to Xu Heran and suddenly raised her hand, making a peace sign above her head.

“Maybe this is their strategy, using cute choreography to attract younger viewers,” she said to Jian Yueyin while covering her mic.

Jian Yueyin chuckled and looked at Xu Heran, raising an eyebrow at Xin Nuo.

Xin Nuo shrugged, “I didn’t say that.”

“If you say so,” Jian Yueyin said with a very forgiving expression.

Xu Heran was still bouncing around when Haya pressed her down, asking her to calm down. “I let you jump, but when you were unhappy jumping, now I can’t stop you when you shouldn’t be jumping.”

Xu Heran argued cunningly, “This feels different!”

“Please, save some energy. Can we be sweet when we go back? Is that okay?”

Xu Heran swatted her hand away, sneering, “Who wants to be sweet with you? Get lost.”

Haya rolled her eyes in annoyance.

The performance on stage had come to an end. The seven girls stood together, making heart shapes with their hands, touching their faces, each trying to look cuter than the other. However, the audience’s response wasn’t as excited as they had anticipated. Sun Lingxi’s eyes turned red, but she clenched her teeth, maintaining her smile for the camera until the very last second.

Another camera focused on a girl’s face. She was petite with delicate features, fair complexion, and her hands were behind her back. She sweetly smiled at the camera, looking adorable.

The camera moved downward, landing on her name.

“29 – Xu Yanran”

Xu Heran: “…”

She frowned, the smile on her face slowly fading.

Xin Nuo had approached unnoticed, standing behind Xu Heran. She glanced at her expression and then raised her hand, pinching Xu Heran’s hair.

“Feeling itchy on your head?”

“Not at all,” Xu Heran’s gaze shifted away from Xu Yanran. She suppressed the complex and uneasy feeling in her heart and responded.

“I see.” Xin Nuo sighed regretfully, “I thought someone was starting to use their brain.”

“True, Little Pearl is just a little pearl, all cute and adorable. How could she have a brain?”

The author has something to say:

Oh, why is the head feeling itchy? Is it a sign of growing a brain? (Image: headscratch.jpg)

It’s that expression, hehe.