Grab The Heroine and Run Away Ch.32.2
On the second-to-last day before the performance, the program team sent out makeup artists to discuss makeup with the trainees. As for costumes, the program team communicated with the trainees’ managers and brought them to the camp.
“Why is it so complicated?” Some trainees complained discontentedly.
“Maybe they’re worried about song leaks,” someone guessed.
Everyone shrugged. Tomorrow was the performance day, and they chatted briefly before immediately shifting their focus to their makeup.
In the crowded makeup room, Jian Yueyin stood up, looked around, and asked the makeup artist sent by the program team with some confusion, “Where’s Ran Ran and the others?”
Several members of a team were missing.
“Oh, they’re dyeing their hair.”
“Dyeing their hair?”
Didn’t Ran Ran already dye her hair? Was Xin Nuo going to dye her hair too?
“Nuo Nuo is, of course, here to keep me company,” Xu Heran told Jiang Qiong in the tone of the main wife, “Please don’t hold any unrealistic fantasies.”
“Chirp,” Jiang Qiong cooperated, “If you can take me to dye my hair, I’d be endlessly grateful, and I wouldn’t dare to have any other thoughts.”
After she finished speaking, she immediately lifted her orchid finger and cast a flirtatious glance at Xin Nuo.
“Tsk, bold!” Xu Heran rolled up her sleeves.
“Both of you behave!” Xin Nuo tapped each of them with a color selection booklet. The two girls with hair dye caps exchanged a glance, then raised their hands and swayed along with the music playing in the room.
“You’ve worked hard,” Cui Qi reluctantly distributed snacks and drinks to the hairdressers, “Our Ran Ran is a bit noisy, sorry about that.”
The hairdresser smiled and said, “It’s alright, lively atmosphere.”
Beside Cui Qi stood a middle-aged man. Seeing Cui Qi handing out snacks, he subconsciously took out a box from his pocket—cigarettes.
Jiang Qiong immediately widened her eyes, “Uncle!”
Jiang Qiong’s uncle, huh? Xu Heran looked over curiously.
“Hey, it’s a habit, sorry.” The man scratched his head.
“How did you get in?” Jiang Qiong asked.
“The program team had me bring clothes for you. After I came in, I got lost, and a young guy led me here,” Jiang Qiong’s uncle explained apologetically.
Jiang Qiong introduced him to Xu Heran and Xin Nuo, “My uncle, my boss, the head of Fantasy Economic Nanbowan.”
“Hello,” Cui Qi shook hands with the man, searching her mind. Fantasy Economic… which company was that? She hadn’t heard of it.
Who is he?
“We’re all supporting actors in our company. My uncle used to be a supporting actor,” Jiang Qiong said without any embarrassment, “If I get eliminated, I’ll run around with this head of hair worth thousands as a supporting actor!”
Cui Qi: “…”
Xin Nuo: “…”
Jiang Qiong’s uncle: “My goodness, what hair is worth thousands?”
He looked puzzled.
“What kind of… uh, that thing’s paste do they use? It doesn’t damage the hair. Even if I told you, you wouldn’t understand. Just remember one thing: from now on, my hair is the company’s most valuable prop!” Jiang Qiong said with a proud expression.
“If I get eliminated, I’ll cut my hair the next day and use it as a prop. You don’t know, hairpieces are expensive these days!”
“Oh, I see!” Xu Heran indicated that useless knowledge had increased. She turned her head and asked curiously, “Is being an extra fun?”
Jiang Qiong’s uncle scratched his head, “It’s not bad. Some drama crews have really delicious boxed meals.”
Xu Heran: `O 0 O′
How delicious!
Cui Qi: “…”
“Cough, Jiang Qiong’s uncle, the kids are still busy, and the program team doesn’t allow external contact. I also came to deliver things. Shall we go back together?” Cui Qi was afraid that Jiang Qiong’s uncle might say more, and Xu Heran seemed genuinely interested in being an extra, so she immediately wanted to take everyone away.
“Sure, you guys go ahead.”
After Jiang Qiong’s uncle left, Xu Heran discreetly turned her head back.
“Don’t move.” Xin Nuo reached out from behind and pressed her head.
“Nuo Nuo.” Xu Heran rolled her eyes, “You mentioned last time that you’re interested in acting. If you’re not going to be an idol, are you going to become an actress?”
“Perhaps.” Xin Nuo adjusted the loose strands of hair she had just fixed for Xu Heran. Hearing Xu Heran’s words, she said, “I think your acting skills must be great. Didn’t Teacher Ji also praise you?”
“Yes.” Xin Nuo smiled and patted Xu Heran’s shoulder.
“Don’t move randomly.” Just as she had finished fixing the loose strands, Xu Heran moved, causing them all to fall down. “I think my acting skills are pretty good too.”
She spoke softly, “If you dare to misbehave again, I’ll give you a performance of an unconcealed dagger in the heart.”
Xu Heran: “…”
Xu Heran and Jiang Qiong spent the evening dyeing their hair. It wasn’t until the next day, when everyone was packing up to go to the gymnasium, that they realized the trainees with changed hair colors were surrounding Xu Heran and Jiang Qiong, shouting and cheering.
“This is too over the top! Jiang Qiong, you look completely different with red hair!”
“Ah – Ran Ran, pink pearls!”
Xu Heran raised her hand in a pretentiously proud manner, standing back-to-back with Jiang Qiong, striking a cool pose.
Her hair was completely dyed pink, and the stage was set at night with dazzling lights. Her slightly deeper pink hair color, combined with her fair skin and blue-purple eyes, transformed this already good-looking girl into an instant doll-like figure.
The trainees present were all clamoring to play with the doll, which immediately frightened Xu Heran into hiding behind Xin Nuo.
“This pearl doesn’t even want to hug us now? So disobedient!” someone complained.
“What’s wrong with hugging? Xu Pearl, aren’t we your beloved sisters? You’re heartless!”
Xu Heran hugged Xin Nuo and said playfully, “I won’t let anyone else hug, only Nuo Nuo!”
Xin Nuo was taken aback, her pitch-black eyes like frozen pools opening up. She suddenly remembered that Xu Heran had mentioned that if she didn’t like it, she wouldn’t let anyone else hug her.
She had thought Xu Heran was just speaking casually, but she didn’t expect her to actually follow through with it.
But… why?
Xin Nuo was puzzled and bewildered.
“Oh!”
The trainees didn’t know the inner turmoil Xin Nuo was experiencing, but they accepted the answer with satisfaction.
Fine, let’s consider it a playful act between you two lovebirds~
“Everyone, please pack your luggage and get ready to board the bus. The bus is about to depart,” a staff member announced through a megaphone.
There were a total of 42 trainees, divided into three buses, with Team One and Team Two sitting together.
Xu Heran was standing next to Xin Nuo, chatting with her with a smiling expression, waiting for the other members of Team One. At this moment, a gaze filled with jealousy pierced through. Xu Heran froze as she looked at Xu Yanran, who had glared at her before turning to board the bus.
“Huh?” Xu Heran almost forgot about her, “Xu Yanran hasn’t withdrawn from the competition?”
All her actions had been exposed, yet Xu Yanran hadn’t withdrawn from the competition?
Speaking of this matter, Xin Nuo’s expression darkened slightly, “Because Transcend Entertainment didn’t inform Xu Yanran about the early release of the main episode.”
Xu Heran: “???”
“She has a good father, didn’t Sister Cui tell you?” Xin Nuo chuckled, “Xu Yanran’s true face was exposed, and she faced backlash from netizens. In this situation, Xu Junjie doesn’t allow Xu Yanran to withdraw from the competition.”
“She’s still striving to achieve her dreams at any cost, surpassing yours.”
Xu Heran fell silent for a moment, “…So, who is Xu Junjie? Have I heard this name somewhere? Is he Xu Yanran’s dad?”
My biological father?
Xin Nuo remained silent, patting Xu Heran’s shoulder, “Let’s go.”
Well, at least Xu Heran won’t be heartbroken over this biological father in her lifetime. That’s a good thing.
At six in the afternoon, the audience entered the venue.
Yu Wan declined Ji Songyu’s invitation, holding up her self-designed support sign, and sat at the very front of the audience, the best spot for visibility. In the live venue, there were ten thousand seats, each equipped with a paper bag containing water, two packs of snacks, a light stick, and a voting device.
“Wow! They’re actually doing live voting?” Yu Wan exclaimed in surprise.
Does this mean there won’t be an official live broadcast from the production team tomorrow?
Backstage, nervous trainees applied makeup while watching the screen, which displayed the orderly entrance of the audience.
Xu Heran raised her arm and shouted, “Let’s shake it!”
Xin Nuo and the hairstylist stood on either side, braiding her hair. They both simultaneously pressed down her hand.
“Why did you agree to the promise?” Xin Nuo said softly.
Behave.
Xu Heran immediately placed her hands on her knees and sat up straight.
The room was brighter than the daytime sun, illuminated by studio lights. In the mirror, her fair cheeks were adorned with drunken makeup. Pink blush extended from her left cheek, crossing her high nose bridge to her right cheek. Large stars and heart-shaped sequins were mixed into the blush, sparkling with brilliance and shimmering in the light.
“Don’t move, okay?” the older sister makeup artist said gently, placing a golden star at the corner of her eye, “Perfect.”
“We’re almost done too,” the hairstylist said.
Xu Heran’s hair was thick. Combining her ideas, the stylist created a circle of small braids, then mixed the remaining hair together and tied two high ponytails, one on each side.
For this stage look, the hairstyle didn’t need to be intricate, so Xin Nuo volunteered to help by weaving small braids.
When her styling was complete, the makeup artist couldn’t help but hold her face and exclaim, “Ah, ah, ah, ah, the baby looks so adorable!”
“Can we take a photo together?”
Others in the room looked on in amazement, repeatedly glancing at her.
“Photos are allowed, but don’t call me ‘baby’!” Xu Heran indicated that she was a pearl with boundaries and shouldn’t be casually called “baby.”
“Alright, alright!” The makeup artist was charmed by her serious expression. She quickly pulled out her phone and switched to the front camera.
As she stepped over, Xu Heran reached out and pulled Xin Nuo over.
Makeup Artist: “… Well, fine, two big babies!”
“Um, I also want…”
In another room, after finishing makeup and changing clothes, nervous and trembling trainees suddenly felt an inexplicable excitement in the room. The photographers who had been around them, as well as the directors, screenwriters, and even the makeup artists and other staff, began leaving one after another. Not long after, they returned with mysterious expressions.
After they returned, the trainees huddled in a corner, holding their phones. As they watched, they burst into strange laughter.
Trainees: “…”
??
One trainee couldn’t help but ask, just as she was about to utter a syllable, the theme music of《Starlight Girls》played from the screen on the wall. All the trainees’ hearts tightened, and all their thoughts were cast aside.
It’s starting!
“Dreams take flight, stars shine bright! Welcome everyone to the live performance of 《Starlight Girls》!”
Ning Yunfei rose slowly on an elevator from underground, speaking passionately amidst cheers.
“To our Star Makers in the audience and the live viewers, choose your favorite girl and cast your precious vote for her. The destiny of the final seven girls to debut is in your hands!”
“The winning team of this round will be directly chosen by the ten thousand Star Makers in the audience using their voting devices after the stage ends. However, please note that this live vote is not based on teams. Instead, tonight, you’ll be voting for the girl you find most dazzling! ” Ning Yunfei’s words stunned both the viewers and the trainees backstage.
“The combined votes for each team will determine their total votes, and the team with the highest votes will win.”
“In addition to the live vote, online and text message voting will also open following the previous rules. During the competition, send a text message with the name of your chosen 《Starlight Girls》to the program. For votes generated through text messages, each vote will count double!”
“Cheer and support your favorite trainees, help them secure a spot in the debut lineup. Who will be the next advancing contestant? Now, I announce—”
“Let the voting, begin!”
Amidst a tsunami of applause, Ning Yunfei calmly stated, “Let’s welcome the first performing team. Their captain should be familiar to everyone, led by last round’s third-ranked trainee You Yu as the captain. Our adorable Team Three trainees! Let’s welcome them to the stage!”
Because the contestants chose their own songs, to maintain the mystery of the stage, the songs would be released simultaneously after the stage performance began.
Seven girls dressed in fresh summer outfits walked onto the stage. Their appearances were clean, exuding a youthful aura. Once they were in position, cheerful music filled the air.
Backstage, Xu Heran exclaimed, “Oh~” upon hearing a loud, shrill scream from the adjacent room.
“Sasa?” Lin Weining said in surprise.
Xin Nuo nodded knowingly. “They collided with another song.”
“Hiss…” Sun Lingxi, who had been worried about this situation all along, took a sharp breath.
Is there anything worse than this?
Yes, that would be Sasa’s team, performing right after Team You Yu.
Xu Heran: “…”
As the music of 《Call Me Maybe》 played once again, Xu Heran, who was usually optimistic, had an expression that was hard to bear. Thankfully, Sasa had screamed miserably offstage. When she stepped onto the stage, she managed to hold her composure. Surprisingly, the most dazzling performer in their team was Tan Yutong from Dream Entertainment. Tan Yutong usually portrayed a cold beauty style, but now, she resembled a sweet piece of candy, melting herself into the stage and bringing the audience to the first climax.
“Truly a trainee from a big company,” team captains sighed.
“What if Team Two performed ‘Call Me Maybe’ again?” Xu Heran calmly contemplated.
Sun Lingxi’s eyes lit up; she clasped her hands together and prayed for Xu Heran to turn into a jinx.
“Not a good idea!” Xu Heran immediately stopped her.
“Words have power, that’s cool,” Jiang Qiong said to her.
Cool?
Xu Heran blinked and quickly looked at Xin Nuo, a single thought circulating in her mind.
“Hmm?”
Xin Nuo crossed her legs, raised her eyes to the screen, her expression seemingly indifferent. She felt the scorching gaze beside her, her eyes gleaming.
“…”
Xu Heran’s face turned red, whether from blushing or something else, it grew redder and redder. She clenched her fingers, beamed a bright smile at Xin Nuo, then quickly turned her head away, bubbles of happiness popping up all over her.
“Stupid,” Xin Nuo squinted her eyes.
A silly and joyful Little Pearl.
When Sasa’s team finished their performance, the first thing she did after leaving the stage was to embrace her fellow trainees from the same company and cry, “Half my life is gone, wuwuwu…”
“It’s okay, you did great! Really!” A trainee from the same company but a different team consoled her. “But we hope the winner will be us~”
“Get lost!” Sasa lost her camaraderie with her fellow trainees and retreated to the side in sorrow.
Before long, the third stage began, featuring the contestants from the lowest-ranking Team Six. They boldly chose “Worth It.” Although their stage might have been a bit modest, their overall performance was quite impressive, showing their diligent practice. When the performance ended, the expressions of everyone in Team Six were filled with happiness.
Xu Heran stood up, applauding their splendid performance.
Before she could sit back down, Team Four took the stage. This team’s ranking was relatively moderate, and as they started performing their chosen song, everyone in the practice room instinctively looked at Xu Heran.
“Wait, is this something we can perform?” Xu Heran still remembered the incident when her livestream was suspended for three minutes.
Surprisingly, Team Four chose the song 《WTF》 which she had played on her livestream before!
“Riding on the trend!” Jiang Qiong said with a mischievous smile. “Xu Pearl, quickly ask them for promotional fees.”
“How cheeky.” Xu Heran shook her head, using an expression of someone accustomed to big scenes, and she waved her hand. “I’ll aim to have them sing my songs in the future and collect copyright fees.”
Xin Nuo chuckled, glancing at Xu Heran.
Six stages, each lasting around five minutes, almost flew by in the blink of an eye. Team Two, Xu Heran’s designated rival, took the stage. Mu Yueliang led Jing Rui, Song Fenghua, Shu Yuemeng, Haya, Jian Yueyin, and Xu Yanran onto the platform.
“Team One, get ready,” a staff member reminded.
Xu Heran stood up, stretched her neck, and took a baseball bat from the wardrobe assistant.
“Show off a bit, Xu Pearl, looking a little fierce, aren’t we?” Jiang Qiong teased.
“No need to be that mean.” Xu Heran raised an eyebrow, bit her tongue, and deliberately smirked with her mouth crooked. Pink strands of hair fell on her cheek, radiance surrounded the girl as she sparkled. The blue-violet gemstone eyes glistened, stars at the corners refracted and shone.
At this moment, Xu Heran truly seemed like a virtual human emerging from a screen.
“That’s right, just like that!”
“Hmph.” Xu Heran confidently took a piece of bubblegum from Laurel’s hand and tapped the baseball bat on the ground.
“Did you see the audience dancing along to《WTF》 just now? That was just a warm-up. Now it’s time for Team One.” Xu Heran playfully extended her hand, and the six girls placed their palms on the back of her hand.
“We ignite, we detonate, we leave a mess and run away.”
“Team One, let’s go!”
The performance of Team Two concluded without any mishaps.
The feeling of safety without any mishaps was from the audience. Since they learned about Xu Yanran’s actions and her decision not to withdraw from the competition, both the live audience and online viewers held their breath, fearing she might cause trouble on stage. Fortunately, the production team managed to keep the information tightly sealed, and Team Two’s performance proceeded smoothly, with Xu Yanran delivering an uneventful performance.
“Hey, did I hear someone shouting for someone to get out of the show?” Haya pinched her earlobe playfully and asked with a mischievous grin.
“Really?” Jian Yueyin pushed Haya back, “It’s aimed at Ran Ran and her team.”
Behind the crowd, Xu Yanran furrowed her brows. She had just heard it too, someone was shouting… “Xu Yanran, get out of Starlight Girls?”
Impossible, she scoffed.
She hadn’t done anything, she must have misheard.
Xu Yanran crossed her arms, still tallying the votes in her mind. Team Two had many higher-ranked contestants, some even on par with Team One. It was hard to predict who would win.
Fortunately, she had made it into Team Two.
Smirking to herself, Xu Yanran thought, just as the stage plunged into darkness. A beam of light fell onto a raised platform at the back of the stage.
A torrent of shouts instantly soared into the sky.
“Xu Heran!!!”
“Thud.”
“Thud.”
“Thud.”
Within the beam of light, a girl with a ponytail chewed bubblegum, her arms resting on the shoulders of a baseball bat. She arrogantly descended the steps.
This untamed girl was dressed in a black sports vest, her flat abdomen exposed to the air. The smooth skin of her belly undulated with each breath, and two belly button piercings glided along the shadows, disappearing into her shorts.
White bandages wrapped her legs unevenly, and she stepped on sneakers that emitted alternating blue and purple lights.
In addition, a loose baseball jersey hung casually on Xu Heran’s arm. The crookedly embroidered sequins spelling out the letters were handmade, displaying the names of her team members.
“Whew~”
The girl who reached the steps let go of her hand, the baseball bat in her hand drooping to the ground, and she blew out a big bubblegum bubble.
Long strands of pink hair hung on both sides of her head, and the lights seemed to be tinted by the color of her hair. Amidst the dreamy pink glow, the girl’s blue-purple eyes looked down from a higher vantage point, her long eyelashes fluttering like wings as she playfully raised the corners of her eyes, directing them towards the quiet audience.
“Pop.” The bubble burst from her mouth, and the girl lazily smiled. She rolled the bubblegum into her mouth with her tongue and playfully asked the cameraman behind the dark lens as he approached the stage.
“Looking for me?”
“Ah!” The lucky pearl clamoring for tickets shouted loudly.
At some point, the live stream camera switched to the camera in front of Xu Heran, and the intense live broadcast room faced Xu Heran’s indifferent face. The previously scrolling barrage froze for a moment, then erupted.
“Is this Little Pearl?”
“Pink-haired Pearl!!!”
“Ah ah ah, the Little Pearl who changes attitude as soon as she steps on stage!!!”
“Found you, found you! Mom loves—”
A black shadow suddenly struck.
“Bang.”
“What the heck!” The viewers watching the livestream were startled. Before they could finish typing, they were suddenly shocked by the baseball bat that landed on the camera.
The shattered lens immediately switched to a top-down angle as eight others walked out and stood on both sides of the steps.
The mischievous girl chewed her gum, a cruel smile on her face as she leisurely walked to the side, dropping the baseball bat.
Then, she pulled out a microphone from her back.
This familiar scene elicited light laughter from the audience, but the next moment, their smiles turned into astonishment.
“Turn it up!” The pink-haired girl pointed towards the audience, shouting loudly.
On the steps, the golden-haired girl who had been prepared in the darkness stepped forward, microphone in hand.
“Somebody save your soul cause you’ve been sinning in this city I know”①
“Too many troubles, all these lovers got you losing control.”①
“Ah ah ah ah!!!”
“Laurel, start the show!”
“Xu Heran! Xin Nuo!!!”
In the venue, the live broadcast room, backstage, both trainees and mentors stood up together, their faces flushed with excitement, raising their supportive signs.
“I’ve been looking forward to this moment! You have no idea how uncomfortable it is for me to keep this secret!” Ding Ni stood up and stomped her foot. “Knowing the answer but not being able to say it!”
“I can make you hands clap!”①
In the center of the stage, seven girls raised their hands. Below the stage, ten thousand Star Makers in the live broadcast room, countless viewers, all at this moment.
“Clap clap clap clap clap clap”
“Let’s do it together!” In the middle of the stage, the pink-haired girl shouted.
“Clap clap clap clap clap clap”
The high notes had never made Xu Heran frown.
Amidst intense music, the seven girls executed a neat and simple synchronized knife dance. This was their strategy – concise and powerful – aimed to get all the audience members to join in.
They had only one goal: to make everyone enjoy this song, to have everyone join in –
“Clap clap clap clap clap clap!”
“Said I can make your hands clap!”①
“Ah—”
“Xu Heran—”
“Xin Nuo!”
The entire sports arena was enveloped in a frenzy of cheers and support. The girls, who were sweet, gentle, and aloof on ordinary days, all released themselves on the same stage. They weren’t just performers; together with the ten thousand audience members below, they played joyfully, they enjoyed themselves.
This was a joyful game, an invitation open to all. As long as you heard the music, you were welcome to participate.
Ignite, explode, and then –
“Clap clap clap clap clap clap!”
At the end of the stage, the pink-haired girl maintained her casual manner of not dressing properly. The loose collar of her baseball jersey hung down her back, and her elbow rested on the side of the black-haired girl next to her.
In the audience below, those who were watching the stage up close suddenly realized that Xu Heran was actually as tall as Xin Nuo?
Soon after, this taller girl tilted her head, looking at the black-haired girl beside her. With a face that expressed “Oh my God, I’m so cool,” she pursed her lips adorned with sparkling lip gloss.
“Mu ah~”
“Wow!!!”
“PengRanXinDong!” From the audience, Yu Wan shouted, “Mommy’s good girl!”
Mommy’s heart was trembling!!!
On the stage, Xin Nuo, who passively received a blown kiss, remained unfazed. In the midst of Sun Lingxi’s shocked “The script isn’t like this” expression, Xin Nuo raised her hand, gripping Xu Heran’s chin and turning her face toward the ten thousand-strong audience below.
“Hmm?”
Ling Ling’s voice reached the ears of the girl who was still chewing bubble gum.
Okay, okay.
The pink-haired girl shrugged, looked down at the audience with an expression that seemed to say “Hmm hmm hmm, that’s right, I can’t help it, it’s what your wife made me do!” She raised her right hand to her mouth, tapped it, and threw a kiss to the audience.
That indifferent attitude, as if saying,
“Yes yes yes, that’s right, I can’t help it, my wife made me do it!”
A voice from a certain front-row fan reverberated.
The author has something to say:
① “Hand Clap” by Fitz and The Tantrums (You’ve probably heard it before, haha)
Can I say this…? Drink what? Basin milk? Let Nuo Nuo feed you nainai!! (Making a weird sound)
Nuo Nuo says Ran Ran is silly and happy, but she has no idea what Ran Ran is thinking, hahaha (If she knew, a certain pearl would be ground to powder)
We’re currently looking for editors, so if you’re interested at all, then please contact @Glariosa or @sinensis on discord.
Come join the Discord, where all the cool kids hang out!
Please support us on Ko-Fi. You can now read extra chapters by supporting.
Translator: Glariosa
Editor: Sinensis
