Grab The Heroine and Run Away Ch. 33.1
“Hahaha! It’s her again!”
“Pearl’s Mom fan, the renowned Pearl Shell, a magical creature that can cultivate a deep voice, your ultimate assistant in cheering and flag-waving!”
“I can’t stop laughing! Just now, Little Pearl was making kissing sounds at Xin Nuo, and Sun Lingxi’s pupils dilated in shock. The camera ‘whooshed’ away, and then the footage switched to a shot of Xu Heran’s mom fan roaring in anger!”
“Director’s Team: Help—”
“It had to be you, Little Pearl!”
“Sob sob sob, Nuo Nuo looks so beautiful! Both beautiful and cool! When she glanced at the camera, my knees went weak… sob sob sob, Nuo Nuo!”
“Will never be disappointed in Xu Heran! Please support our five trainees, including Xu Heran! Please vote for our Little Pearl~ There will be more Pearl buns to unlock in the future~”
“Little Pearl: Everyone, vote for Xin Nuo!”
“Uh… Sparrow will do that (forced smile, looking hesitant left and right).”
“…”
To avoid disturbing the trainees’ stage, the barrage in the live chat room was not displayed on the big screen. It wasn’t until all six trainee stages ended that the central screen in the arena immediately switched to live mode.
Ning Yunfei stepped onto the stage, waving with a smile, “Hello to all the Star Makers in the live chat room!”
The audience of Starlight Girls and Ning Yunfei’s fans immediately greeted her with text.
“Although it’s a pity, now that all six stages are over, do you all feel like you want more?” Ning Yunfei said with a smile.
“Yes!” The audience enthusiastically shouted.
“As the competition goes on, more and more girls are eliminated, and the number of performance stages decreases. Like the previous show, we enjoyed a total of ten stages, but now we only have six. Going back like this, I feel a bit embarrassed, not just for the production team, but for myself too,” Ning Yunfei said with a smile. “So, before everyone votes for our trainees, I have another piece of good news to announce.”
Backstage, all the trainees perked up their ears along with the audience.
“Only six trainees from the top three teams can showcase themselves.” As Ning Yunfei’s voice fell, the trainees backstage widened their eyes in an instant.
“What? Solo performance?”
“Can we perform anything, like singing and dancing?”
“Wow—sounds amazing!”
“But who should perform? I’m too scared to perform solo…”
The trainees were both stunned and excited by this news. While they were considering if they could have a chance for a solo performance, they were also thinking about what they could perform. Many of them grew more nervous as they thought about it.
A solo performance… surrounded by the gaze of ten thousand people, all your strengths and weaknesses exposed to everyone’s eyes.
“I’m not prepared at all,” Xu Heran shook her head, her twin ponytails swaying with the motion. She grinned and said, “If I go up, should I sing ‘Sunset Glow’ again?”
Xin Nuo replied warmly, “Sure, you can.”
They were the last group to perform, standing behind the stage panels, with trainees from other teams present. Xu Heran’s voice was also audible to them.
“Little Pearl, do you plan to perform solo?” Sasa asked Xu Heran, “Sigh, if only I had your confidence.”
Xu Heran was five years younger than her, but her confident demeanor on stage made Sasa extremely envious.
“I’m up for it,” Xu Heran said cheerfully, “But I want to see Nuo Nuo’s performance!”
Aside from Nuo Nuo, she thought of recommending lower-ranked trainees like Jiang Qiong and Laurel to try as well. This was her own idea, and the specifics would depend on whether they wanted to seize the opportunity or not.
Xin Nuo said casually, “Spare me, please.”
“I won’t.” Xu Heran wrapped her arms around Xin Nuo’s waist.
“It’s so hot, there’s no air conditioning here. How about I give you a performance? Do you want to see Xin Nuo, Nuo Nuo, and Little Pearl?” Xin Nuo threatened.
Jiang Qiong’s eyes lit up, “I want to! I want to see!”
Upon hearing Xin Nuo’s voice, all the trainees present raised their hands in unison, “I want to see too!”
Xu Heran: “!”
No emotion, just pure hostility!
In a corner, Xu Yanran, who no one paid attention to, stared coldly at them. She found it laughable. Before she even got a chance to perform, Xu Heran was already strutting around with a sense of self-satisfaction. Did she really expect everyone to cater to her every whim?
Why should she listen to their instructions in such a great opportunity? Why should she let them dictate her choices?
“Everyone, get ready. Everyone, on stage,” the staff reminded.
Onstage, as Ning Yunfei said, “Let’s welcome our lovely girls back to the stage with applause,” the staff raised their hands. Over forty girls immediately put on bright smiles and hurriedly made their way to the steps.
“Wait, Heran’s microphone.” A sharp-eyed cameraman stopped Xu Heran. Xin Nuo also halted, reaching out to help Xu Heran with her microphone.
“Thanks, Nuo Nuo,” Xu Heran said, and when she raised her eyes, she locked eyes with Xu Yanran, who had been waiting until the end.
Xu Heran: “…Hey.”
She suddenly called out to Xu Yanran.
“What?” Xu Yanran frowned and looked at her.
“If I were you, I’d leave this place now,” Xu Heran’s smile vanished from her face, and she whispered, “Just go.”
In the waiting area, only one staff member remained standing at a distance. The cameraman followed the trainees to the stage for filming. At the steps, only the three of them stood.
Xin Nuo’s expression remained indifferent, as if she hadn’t seen Xu Heran talking to Xu Yanran. She leisurely reached out to adjust the collar of Xu Heran’s baseball jersey.
Behind the stage panels, the crowd cheered, and the stage was filled with laughter and joy.
In an instant, a dark thought crossed Xu Yanran’s mind. Could Xu Heran be deliberately trying to keep her off-camera? With her higher ranking and more camera time, maybe she was intentionally delaying her.
With this thought in mind, Xu Yanran glared fiercely at Xu Heran, “Where are you going? Who are you? When did you become the director, Xu?”
“And why should I leave? Others might think you have money and power and want to curry favor with you, but not me! Don’t think I don’t know, you’re trying to mess with me!”
“Mess with you?” Xu Heran rubbed her chin and suddenly chuckled, “You’re right. But…”
“I’ve already taken action.”
Xu Yanran froze.
“Do you really not remember what you’ve done, Xu Yanran?” Xu Heran chuckled softly, “Perhaps in your mind, we’re like water and fire, constantly at odds. But…”
“In my eyes, you’re nothing.” Xu Heran’s voice was calm, but it instantly paralyzed Xu Yanran, a sense of humiliation slowly flooding her heart.
“In Xu Heran’s eyes, Xu Yanran was merely another trainee from the same training camp. We exchanged only a few words, our relationship nothing more than that of strangers. After some time passes, I’ll forget your name and your appearance. If someone mentions your name long after, that’s all I’ll remember.” Xu Heran narrowed her eyes, “Ah, Xu Yanran, the one with inadequate talent, causing trouble behind the scenes, a little schemer who distorts right and wrong.”
Xu Yanran’s pupils dilated, and a sense of ominous foreboding swept over her.
What was Xu Heran saying… What did she mean? She knows everything? How is that possible!
Apart from her mother, she hadn’t told anyone—wait, that SD card!
Xu Yanran’s heart skipped a beat.
The SD card she had wanted to take back to her dorm to destroy, fearing someone might find it, but then it had disappeared without a trace. She had waited quietly for several days, and everything in the training camp had gone on as usual. She had finally let her guard down, thinking the SD card was simply lost.
After all, it was a small thing the size of a fingernail. No one would pay attention to it on the street.
Xu Heran, did Xu Heran have that card?
Xu Yanran’s triumphant heart, which had been swelling for so long, felt like a mountain that had suddenly exploded, erupting with a hundred thousand tons of dynamite. It reverberated loudly, reducing her smug satisfaction of over ten days to dust. Flying debris filled the air, and the rational string in her mind was abruptly severed by the falling stones.
The stone that fell from the sky seemed to hit her directly on the head, and Xu Yanran’s mind buzzed.
“You… you know everything?” Xu Yanran’s voice trembled, “If I leave now, you, you promise not to reveal this matter?”
A trace of pity appeared on Xu Heran’s face, but quickly faded into nothingness.
“I told you, I’ve already taken action,” Xu Heran straightened her posture, “When you decided to use me as a scapegoat, I had to strike back, didn’t I?”
“I’m letting you leave just to preserve your last bit of dignity, Xu Yanran. Withdraw from the competition, leave now, go back and study hard. You still have a chance in life.”
After Xu Heran finished speaking, she took Xin Nuo’s hand and walked up the stairs without looking back.
Behind her, Xu Yanran clenched her teeth tightly, a surge of hatred erupting from her eyes. Did Xu Heran mean she had exposed her own secrets? So, the “Xu Yanran, get out of Starlight Girls” that she had thought she misheard just now was actually real. People were really cursing her from the audience?
And the production team, why didn’t they allow contact with the outside world? They were all guarding against her, right?
They just wanted to see her embarrassed, didn’t they!
“Ha… Haha.”
It was too ridiculous.
Xu Heran and Starlight Girls were all humiliating her! All these people looked down on her!
Furious, Xu Yanran thought. Her heart was a mix of anger and fear, and she could only glare coldly at Xu Heran. In an instant, she lost the courage to step onto the stage.
Let her suffer defeat and disgrace, and then pretend to be kind-hearted, Xu Heran was truly hypocritical!
“Disgusting!” Xu Yanran gritted her teeth in resentment.
At this moment, Xin Nuo, who had been silently observing, blinked her eyes. Standing on the stairs, she turned her head leisurely, her pitch-black eyes locking onto Xu Yanran, who was seething with anger.
Xu Yanran’s face twitched. She looked at the girl who had always been calm and had been accompanying Xu Heran but whom she had never dared to approach. The girl’s eyes curved gently.
She revealed a soft and enchanting smile. Her black eyes were like millennium-old ink jade, cold, deep, and profound.
The beautiful girl spoke without a sound.
She said.
“Worthless.”
“Ah ah ah ah, Xu Heran! I love you!!”
Xu Heran thought she could successfully blend in with the group, but as soon as she got on stage, she was caught by the photographer. Cheers erupted from the audience below, and the barrage in the live chat exploded.
“Nuo Nuo—”
“Xu Heran! Why aren’t you coming on stage with everyone else? Where did you go with Nuo Nuo!”
“Oh my~ They need some private space to ‘solve’ their ‘issues,’ right?”
“???”
“What issues?”
“Oops—just on stage, the performance of Little Pearl and Nuo Nuo, who wouldn’t be moved by that? I guess Xu Heran made the first move—verbally!”
“Can you say that? Why is Xin Nuo touching her hair? She’s blocking her neck!”
“Oops~ It’s broad daylight, I haven’t thought about anything~”
Just as Xu Heran had taken her place, a soft fragrance wafted from behind her. The usually passive girl raised her hand and rested it on Xu Heran’s left shoulder. She leaned forward, resting her chin on Xu Heran’s shoulder.
The one who had always been the initiator of physical closeness was suddenly leaned upon, and Xu Heran was momentarily stunned. A smile blossomed on her face, and she couldn’t help but relax her body, allowing Xin Nuo to lean more comfortably. She lowered her head and cautiously glanced at Xin Nuo. She saw Xin Nuo lazily waving her hand towards the audience below, smiling gently amidst the fans’ responses.
Her long eyelashes fluttered up and down like the wings of a butterfly in flight, hovering over the soft petals.
Xu Heran swallowed, and then she smiled too.
Well, Nuo Nuo seems to be in a good mood!
It seems she didn’t blame me for speaking out just now.
The girl with pink hair scratched her head.
In the barrage of the live chat, someone couldn’t bear it any longer.
“Look, take a good look! Xu Heran, can you let us see your real face? Are your eyes on Xin Nuo’s face, huh? Can’t live without looking at big sister, can you?”
“Why are you laughing? Tell me too.”
“This silly child, she sees her sister laugh and she laughs too. Didn’t you see your sister greeting the fans? Do you have us in your eyes?”
The Pearl Beads wiped away tears with a tinge of sorrow.
At this moment, someone said, “Hey, how did Xu Yanran come up? I thought she left after her performance. I was glad she didn’t come out to pollute our eyes. Why was she let out again? Quickly put her away!”
Burning with anger, goaded by Xin Nuo, Xu Yanran’s foggy mind cleared as she saw the screen filled with a dense barrage of criticism directed at her. Her hands and feet turned icy, and cold sweat instantly soaked her back.
She… she didn’t want to come on stage originally, but…
“Xu Yanran, get off the stage!”
“Xu Yanran, withdraw from the competition!”
“Boo—”
In the audience, ten thousand spectators raised their hands and thumbs down, showering Xu Yanran with boos. The crowd was furious, demanding that she leave the stage and withdraw from the competition.
Amidst the furious resistance from the entire audience, Xu Yanran staggered backward.
Other trainees looked at her with mixed expressions.
“I just don’t understand. Why didn’t the program team force Xu Yanran to withdraw? They had to keep her until now. Does this dog director really want this kind of intensity?”
“It really isn’t the program team’s fault. After all, Xu Yanran didn’t have a substantial impact on the program team. In the end, she wanted to cause trouble, but her attempt was exposed at the very beginning. From the program team’s perspective, both parties signed a contract, and most normal people would be afraid of losing face and would withdraw for their own safety. I don’t know what Xu Yanran and her company were thinking. They went all out.”
“Understood, shameless people are invincible.”
Ning Yunfei had hosted countless variety shows, but she had never seen such a scene before. She tried to suppress the boos twice and finally managed to subdue the audience’s disapproval. Through her earpiece, she heard the director’s voice. Her smile remained unchanged as she lifted her handheld microphone.
“The voting has ended, and the results of the voting for the Starlight Girls that the 10,000 mentors have favored have been tabulated. At this exciting moment, I must invite a dear friend of mine to reveal the final results for us!”
Ning Yunfei’s voice drew everyone’s attention back to the stage.
“Let us welcome the remarkable actress who has won numerous awards for her acting skills both domestically and internationally, the beautiful and talented Ji Songyu, the Seasonal Queen!” As Ning Yunfei’s voice fell, the fans in the audience and the livestream were all stunned, immediately casting Xu Heran from their minds.
Ji Songyu!
Ji Songyu was actually on Starlight Girls?
Is this for real?
This thought had barely formed in their minds when, from the audience below, a sudden explosion of enthusiastic cheers erupted.
A woman with long flowing hair, dressed in a pink gown, walked out with a smile, greeting the audience both in the venue and behind the cameras.
“Good evening, everyone. I’m Ji Songyu. Some of you might recognize me, right?” Ji Songyu joked, “I could feel it even from down below, you all are so enthusiastic!”
“Chacha!!!”
Ji Songyu’s appearance on Starlight Girls immediately surged to the top of the entertainment news, and her fans rushed in upon hearing the news. They flooded into the livestream, instantly doubling its popularity.
“Chacha, why didn’t you tell the fans if you had a schedule? It’s been how many days since you last appeared on stage? You count it yourself!”
Ji Songyu was composed, “Hello, friends in the audience and viewers of the livestream. I’m Ji Songyu. I’m very happy to be invited by the program team. In the role of an acting mentor for Starlight Girls, I look forward to spending some wonderful time with our lovely girls.”
Ning Yunfei immediately picked up, “Our dear Teacher Ji, as you take the stage this time, not only to reveal the current rankings, but also to make an announcement.”
Ning Yunfei looked towards Ji Songyu.
The Seasonal Queen, elegantly attired in an evening dress, spoke earnestly with a gentle smile.
“In order to provide everyone with a better viewing experience, Starlight Girls’ official website has officially joined Universal TV. Universal TV is a legitimate video viewing software under Universal Entertainment. It will be launched on time at 20:00 this Saturday. You can now download the Universal TV app on your mobile phones, register as a citizen of the Star Planet, and there will be special gifts for you~”
Xu Heran: “…”
Other trainees: “…”
Audience in the venue and livestream viewers: “…”
If they remembered correctly, today was indeed Saturday, and as for the time… Well, it was currently 20:15 in the evening.
In other words, this app had been online for only fifteen minutes.
Ji Songyu’s fans were puzzled, “What?”
Ning Yunfei smiled brightly, “Our Seasonal Queen is the spokesperson and ambassador for Universal TV~”
In a split second, Ji Songyu’s fans became resolute.
Download!
They had to download it!
“Registering comes with rewards. By becoming a Universal TV member, you can watch all the films in which Ji Songyu participates for free. You won’t need to log in to the website anymore. Just click on the Starlight Girls section in the app, and you can directly view the trainees’ rankings, vote for your favorite girls, find like-minded people, and leave comments~” Ning Yunfei turned her head to the bewildered trainees.
Everyone’s attention was captivated by this sudden “advertisement.” Xu Heran… Who was that?
“Does anyone have any questions?” Ning Yunfei politely inquired.
The pink-haired girl with slightly parted lips instinctively raised her arm.
The camera turned towards her, and both the livestream audience and the trainees on stage looked at Xu Heran.
Ji Songyu’s fans were stunned, “What the heck! Who’s this? This little girl! Who is she!!”
“Give us the color code for your contact lenses!”
“Huh, is there still anyone who doesn’t know about our Little Pearl’s naturally beautiful eyes?”
“That’s right, you’re not mistaken. Her eyes are completely natural! Don’t miss out on our Universal Entertainment’s gem, the pearl in our palm, the owner of the 66-story Seacity Tower, who is beautiful, has a sweet voice, acts cute, is affectionate, and can also stand up for herself. Little Pearl, who even knows how to find a wife for herself! Starlight Girls’ fifth trainee, Xu Heran!!!”
The fans of others who were watching the livestream for fun were silenced—most likely by the mention of the 66-story tower.
“Xu Heran, any questions?” Ning Yunfei’s smile turned stiff.
I was just politely asking, how did you take it seriously!
“Um…” Xu Heran was genuinely curious, “What gifts?”
Xin Nuo bit her lip, maintained a calm expression, stood up, and pressed her fingers onto Xu Heran’s butt, pinched, and twisted.
“Um…” Xu Heran swiftly retracted her hand with a pained expression on her butt, forced a weak smile, and said, “It’s fine, please continue, I was wrong… sniff…”
Ning Yunfei and Ji Songyu looked at Xin Nuo, giving her approving looks.
The camera shifted to the black-haired girl beside Xu Heran. Her expression remained calm as she nodded slightly towards the camera.
The onlookers seeking excitement were once again baffled.
“Goodness! Who’s this now?”
When in doubt, ask. Is this the Handicraft Station of Nuwa, the goddess of Chinese mythology?
“Step forward, please! Starlight Girls’ trainee, Xin Nuo! The girl with a 66-story tower! She’s neither a dog nor a cat, she’s our Nuo Nuo, a pearl eater! Naturally beautiful! No losses when investing!”
“That’s right, buy one, get one free, no losses at all!”
Onlooker: “…”
On the stage, Ji Songyu smiled and gave Xin Nuo a thumbs-up.
Well twisted.
She, too, had learned about her endorsement for Universal TV and becoming its spokesperson just fifteen minutes ago. Her sister, the richest woman in China, had called her. Her sister’s voice was lazy, gentle, and she chuckled as she informed Ji Songyu about being kicked out and the news of her signing with Universal Entertainment.
Ji Songyu: “…”
Though, well… okay.
Approaching thirty, Ji Songyu, the illustrious Seasonal Queen, smiled gently, her mood calm, and her hand—her fingers clenched into a fist.
“Waaaah, heartless capital mogul Lu Manxin! Who cares if you’re the richest person! Tonight, she’s going to file a complaint against her sister-in-law and then harass her with phone calls until half-past midnight for a whole week!
Ji Chacha has her dignity!
Come on, everyone, let’s have a nonexistent nightlife together!
Upon seeing Ji Songyu’s smile, Xu Heran shivered inexplicably. She raised her hand and rubbed her nose, only to have Xin Nuo restrain her hand.
“A star fell.” Xin Nuo whispered, pinching the glitter that had floated down onto her chest.
The silver glitter stuck tightly to the warm skin. When the slightly cool fingers touched it, the girl’s chest quivered slightly under the caress. Both of them lowered their heads, looking at Xin Nuo’s hand pressing against Xu Heran’s chest.
Xu Heran: OVO
Xin Nuo: “…”
The black-haired girl’s ears beneath dropped slightly in color. She cleared her throat and grabbed Xu Heran’s hand, pressing the glitter into her palm.
“Do it yourself.”
“Alright.” Xu Heran smiled, raising her hand to press the glitter onto Xin Nuo’s face.
Without thinking, Xin Nuo raised her hand to punch her.
“Well, aside from the prizes you all saw when you registered, our Starlight Girls’ signed posters are also included.” Ji Songyu’s eyes glanced at the two who acted like nobody else was around, and she smiled as she spoke.
What, we have signed posters?
The trainees were puzzled.
The Universal TV staff members who were watching the livestream were equally confused.
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Translator: Glariosa
Editor: Sinensis
