Grab The Heroine and Run Away Ch. 34.1

Xu Yanran practically rushed back to the training camp at escape speed. She retrieved her phone from the hands of the expressionless staff member, without even sparing a “thank you.” After turning on the phone, she immediately contacted her mother.

The phone rang for a long time, and Xu Yanran’s anxious heart gradually turned cold as she waited. In the midst of the prompt “The phone you dialed is temporarily unavailable,” she tremblingly pressed the red button, her quivering fingers calling the person labeled as “ATM.”

After a prolonged ring, just when Xu Yanran was feeling disheartened, the call suddenly connected. Her eyes brightened, and her tone immediately became urgent.

“Dad! Please help me quickly. I don’t know what to do now. Xu Heran knows about the things I did! Has she exposed what I did? Are people online all cursing at me? What should I do? So many people are asking me to withdraw from the competition!”

Silence greeted her from the other end of the line. Xu Yanran furrowed her brow, growing increasingly impatient.

“Dad, say something! Dad! I can’t stay here anymore. Please arrange for someone to come and pick me up! What’s going on with you? Xu Heran is targeting me. Why aren’t you helping me? Are you just letting her bully me? Am I still your daughter? Xu Heran doesn’t acknowledge you as her father. I’m your real daughter!” Xu Yanran’s voice grew louder as she spoke, echoing through the corridor.

The staff member responsible for supervising the trainees’ luggage stood up and closed the door with a “bang.”

Xu Yanran was startled, and on the other end of the phone, Xu Junjie, who had been silent all this while, finally spoke.

His hoarse voice passed through the speaker and reached Xu Yanran’s ears.

“Xu Yanran, how much do you know about your mother and Liu Ming’s affair?” Xu Junjie asked coldly.

Xu Yanran widened her eyes, her voice getting stuck in her throat. Her eyes shifted restlessly, and she swallowed hard before her voice lowered, stammering, “What affair… How could my mother have anything to do with Uncle Liu?”

“Isn’t Uncle Liu your accountant? They don’t usually have much contact,” Xu Yanran said softly.

“Heh heh.” In the dimly lit room, Xu Junjie stubbed out his cigarette on the desk. His bloodshot eyes revealed a mocking smile as he coldly retorted, “Don’t play innocent with me. Let me tell you, the moment you wanted to frame Xu Heran, it was exposed on the second day of your livestream. Damn it, it was even at 8 in the morning, broadcasted across the entire internet, right in the middle of the 《Starlight Girls》 episode!”

“That young master from the Xing family also wanted to team up with me to deal with the Xu family, but in the end, we became the laughingstock of the entire internet ourselves! I thought of drawing funds and using connections to suppress the matter, guess what happened? Your dear mother, fucking teamed up with Liu Ming and drained the money away! There’s only a few hundred thousand left in the company account!”

Xu Yanran’s eyes widened, cold sweat trickling down her forehead.

“This… There must be a misunderstanding in all this.”

“A misunderstanding?” Xu Junjie reclined, his complexion ashen and defeated. He sneered, “You keep defending her, by the way, did I mention that on the third day of your livestream, your mother left Transcend Entertainment with Liu Ming because she saw the situation was unfavorable? I’ve already reported it to the police. There’s not a single decent thing in this family. Since you don’t want to live properly, don’t expect anyone else to escape either. Hahaha…”

His mad and chilling laughter reverberated in the dark room, and on the other end of the phone, Xu Yanran trembled in terror.

“Beep.”

The call ended, and with a loud thud, Xu Yanran knelt on the ground. She frantically dialed her mother’s number, refusing to believe the reality that her mother had abandoned her and left with another man. No matter how many calls or messages she sent, there was no response from the other side.

Holding onto a final shred of hope, she opened the internet, searched for 《Starlight Girls》 and was greeted by an onslaught of mockery directed at her. The most viewed video, with two hundred thousand more views than her own, was the segment of her calling her mother in the room during the livestream.

Ruined.

Everything was ruined.

Xu Yanran’s face turned pale, and the only thought in her mind was how foolish she had been. After Xu Heran had warned her that things were falling apart, she still had the audacity to continue provoking her.

It turned out, the ridiculous one was herself…

Foolish and overestimating her abilities. Witnessing the dense mockery, fear engulfed her. She even contemplated whether the taunting would intensify after the end of today’s livestream…

If she had heeded Xu Heran’s advice and left when prompted, could she have preserved a shred of dignity?

But there were no “ifs.”

Xu Yanran’s body felt weak as she knelt on the ground. The phone slipped through her fingers and fell to the ground.

Why… If only she could have suppressed her jealousy from the start, participated in the program as a simple trainee, even if eliminated, would she have gained the modest yet genuine affection she craved? Instead, she now faced universal condemnation and disgust.

Xu Heran was right, she should have had her own splendid life.

“Sob… Ahhh!!!”

In the dimly lit corridor, Xu Yanran wailed in pain.

The moonlit night was quiet and serene, gazing upon the world,

Inside the bus returning the 《Starlight Girls》 contestants to camp, laughter and joy filled the air.

Haya, still wearing her makeup, leaned to the side, tapping her mineral water bottle against her shoulder. Her gaze settled on the back.

In the last row, the pink-haired girl with twin ponytails sat dominantly in the middle, legs crossed, arms folded, lost in thought. The space around her was empty, except for the seat on her right, where the black-haired girl leaned against the bus wall, resting her eyes.

Well, Little Pearl surprisingly wasn’t clinging to Xin Nuo right now. Quite unusual!

Haya, mimicking the leg-crossing, bounced her foot and playfully asked, “Dongmei, Dongmei, why were you crying when Xin Nuo sang just now?”

Dongmei maintained a cold expression and denied it.

“Who cried!”

Haya nodded in agreement, “Yeah, yeah, it was the pig that cried.”

“Hey!”

Xu Heran’s face reddened slightly, and she said unhappily, “That’s called being moved. Can’t I be moved by Nuo Nuo’s beautiful singing? Besides, I didn’t really cry that much.”

Blame the cameraman, capturing her face in a bad light, does Pearl have no shame!

Beside her, the black-haired girl who had been keeping her eyes closed smirked.

“Hey, what song did your team perform?” Xu Heran asked Haya, “When you guys went on stage, we were waiting backstage and too nervous to pay attention. By the way, why were you third?”

“Hey!” Haya didn’t like her tone, “Is being third not okay?”

“Our Little Elegance Fairy, Ning Ning, didn’t get third. Why should you be third? I won’t accept it on her behalf!” Xu Heran was petty and held grudges, deliberately stirring up conflict.

“Sowing discord? This little pearl’s core is rotten, just toss it.” Haya stood up, picked up a tablet, and sat down next to Xu Heran. “Come on, let me show you Haya’s stage.”

The tablet had been “borrowed” from her manager. Anyway, once the stage performance was over, the program’s restrictions would be lifted, and everyone could retrieve their phones to contact family and the company. Haya’s manager didn’t resist—actually, they couldn’t resist—so they were compelled to lend it.

The tablet contained six videos, each capturing a different group’s stage performance from the perspective of the manager in the audience. Xu Heran saw Haya’s face on the cover and tapped it.

A sweet voice and lively music filled the air simultaneously. Haya turned up the volume, and the girls sitting in the front row perked up their ears, especially the trainees from Team Two, who instinctively put on smiles.

“Wow.” Xu Heran rubbed her chin, her blue-purple eyes suddenly lit up.

On the stage, Mu Yueliang began the performance, a beautiful girl wearing an orange dress that instantly transported everyone to summer. As the song reached its climax, Haya took a glide step, the corners of her vibrant mouth curling up. She held the microphone with her left hand and used her right index finger to draw a gentle circle at the corner of her mouth, pointing downwards. She sang, danced, and smiled without missing a beat.

When the girl on the screen began to sing, Haya immediately raised her mineral water bottle, and Xu Heran clenched her fist, placing it near her mouth. Both of them started at the same time.

“I really really really really really like you ①”

Xin Nuo opened her eyes and looked at Xu Heran’s direction with helplessness.

The girl who had been lost in thought since they got on the bus turned at some point, her index fingers pointing at Xin Nuo. “And I want you, do you want me? Do you want me, too? ①”

It seemed like Xu Heran didn’t notice Xin Nuo looking at her. It was as if she was just casually singing and dancing. When she reached the line, her finger pointed at herself, then she turned around and joined Haya to sing, “I really really …”

“Hey, friends in the front, let me see your hands!” Haya shouted.

Jiang Qiong immediately raised her hand, and the trainees from Team Two started singing along unconsciously.

Xu Heran raised her hand to her mouth. “Louder!”

Everyone immediately raised their voices.

“I really really really really really like you! ①”

Xin Nuo stifled a laugh and rubbed her ear.

The bus instantly became lively. Jiang Qiong borrowed a phone from the filming crew and played the song. Everyone swayed their arms, turning the bus into a makeshift KTV. In the back seat, Xu Heran crossed her legs and watched Haya’s stage performance again.

“Alright, I agree with your third place,” Xu Heran patted Haya’s shoulder.

“Well, thank you very much,” Haya said.

Xu Heran grinned and dragged the progress bar. She placed her hand on Haya’s shoulder and whispered, “Fenghua’s lyrics are really short.”

“Uh-huh.” Haya rubbed her face. They both looked up simultaneously, gazing at the position in the third-to-last row. Song Fenghua sat alone by the window, quiet, with her head turned towards the outside view.

From their angle, they could only see Song Fenghua’s head, unmoving.

“Fenghua’s dancing is fine, but her singing is a bit weak,” Haya whispered, “And this time, her performance, how should I put it…”

Xu Heran understood.

Song Fenghua’s expression was as cold as her personality. Last time, her stage performance was passable, but this time her flaws were fully exposed. Among a group of cheerful girls, the girl who struggled to smile had a somewhat panicked look. She appeared very lacking in confidence, making people feel uncomfortable just looking at her.

Lack of determination wouldn’t satisfy the audience when they looked at her.

Haya opened the stage ranking. Song Fenghua was in 19th place with 205 votes, the lowest among Team Two except for Xu Yanran.

“Ah,” Xu Heran sighed with concern, worried that Song Fenghua might be eliminated this time. Haya and Yueyin had told her that during regular recordings, Song Fenghua was very quiet, always distant from the camera.

Xu Heran couldn’t exactly explain why, but she felt more favorably towards the six from the last stage. She didn’t want to see them get eliminated.

“Do you want to take a look at your stage?” Haya changed the subject. “You really scared me with that stick of yours. You wasteful person, do you know how expensive those cameras are?”

“I didn’t hit the camera! I used pre-installed plastic pieces!” Xu Heran immediately defended.

Because she had to watch her own stage, Xu Heran became more focused. She sat up straight, watching as Haya opened the last video.

“Looking for me?”

When the pink-haired girl shattered the camera, Haya couldn’t help but whisper in astonishment. However, Xu Heran didn’t show much of a reaction. Her gaze was serious as she scrutinized the stage. She had a separate opening scene, while the opening song was “Laurel.”

The blonde girl sang with stability and clarity. As she sang, the black-haired girl behind her had a gentle smile on her face. Thin straps hung delicately over her slender shoulders, and her dance moves were sharp.

She wore a deep green camisole, paired with even darker green pants. Her lower legs were encased in shiny black leather boots, and with every step, it felt like she was stepping on people’s hearts.

At the prominent neckline of the girl’s collarbone, a silver long chain dangled, bouncing on her chest with her movements, its glimmer dancing along with her long black hair.

Apart from her neck, on Xin Nuo’s black pants, at her wrist, silver chains were layered similarly. Xu Heran suddenly recalled the details of the stage. When Xin Nuo stood next to her, every movement caused the silver chains on her to collide softly, emitting a gentle sound.

Amidst the blend of music and cheers, it was only when one was close that it became so distinct.

“…”

On the stage, the black-haired girl turned around, lifted her hand, and raised the corner of her mouth as she clapped.

“Well, it’s quite good,” Xu Heran calmly commented, “Truly worthy of me.”

Haya looked at her with an expression that was hard to put into words. “This is Xin Nuo’s part!”

Xu Heran crossed her arms and pretended not to hear.

“Give it up.” Haya closed the tablet, patting her in the embrace. She reached out and hugged Xu Heran’s shoulder. “What were you thinking about since we got on the bus? Tell me.”

“…” Xu Heran rubbed her chin, turned her head, and pretended to casually glance at Xin Nuo. But after that one look, she didn’t turn back.

The girl sitting alone in the corner had been looking up, watching the two of them. She didn’t know how long she had been watching.

Haya followed Xu Heran’s gaze to the side.

Her bewildered eyes immediately collided with a pitch-black abyss. Xin Nuo narrowed her eyes.

Haya: “…”

“Cough.”

She slowly lifted her arm, placed it on her leg, and rubbed her hands together. “Alright, we’ll talk when we have time. I’ll go back first, see you later.”

If Little Pearl hadn’t argued with Nuo Nuo, then she could rest easy.

Xu Heran: “?”

She wore an expression of “What is this guy saying?” on her face as she watched Haya get up and squeeze her way to the front row to talk to Lin Weining.

The back row remained quiet, and no one spoke.

Xin Nuo looked at Xu Heran, who was staring straight ahead at the air.

“Xu Heran, come over,” Xin Nuo spoke up.

Xu Heran pretended not to hear.

“3”

“2”

On the third count, Xu Heran squatted down beside Xin Nuo, her face beaming with a bright smile.

“Sister Nuo Nuo!”

“Yeah,” Xin Nuo leaned back in her seat, her long legs crossing lightly, and she raised a knee to brush against Xu Heran’s thigh. “Xu Heran, have you done something behind my back?”

Xu Heran didn’t hesitate, “How could I!”

Xin Nuo remained indifferent.

“Are you avoiding me?”

“I’m not.” Xu Heran denied it emphatically, then shifted the blame, “How could I possibly avoid you? Look, we’re clearly sitting in the same row. Please don’t wrongly accuse Little Pearl of anything!”

Well, they were in the same row, but there were two seats between them.

Xin Nuo’s lips curled with coldness. She lifted her knee to press against Xu Heran’s leg slightly, exerting a bit of force.

“Uh… I just saw you resting and didn’t want to disturb you,” Xu Heran said with a guilty conscience. “Did I do something wrong?”

“Is that so?” Xin Nuo let down her leg, raised her hand, and pinched Xu Heran’s chin.

The girl with pink hair had grown noticeably taller in less than two weeks. She had been trying to eat more, but the little bit of flesh that used to be on her face hadn’t been retained. When Xin Nuo touched her chin, there was even a feeling of bumpiness.

She pinched Xu Heran’s chin, gently turning it to the side. The girl’s profile had sharp lines, and as her head turned with the motion, her blue-purple eyes also shifted in her direction. In that moment, it truly seemed like there was a play of emotions in her eyes, a glint of anticipation and radiance.

Xin Nuo paused for a moment, then suddenly burst into laughter.

Yeah, this silly Little Pearl was starting to feel a bit more grown-up.

She released her hold and whispered, “I’ll let you off this time.”

If she was going to grow up, she could have one little secret.

Just one.

And she would always know.

Xin Nuo chuckled softly.

Xu Heran licked her lips and her eyes brightened in Xin Nuo’s smile.

She wasn’t really thinking about anything, just as the livestream was about to end, she happened to glance up and saw a bullet comment. This comment was squeezed among the dense barrage, quite ordinary, with the most common white color, yet it left an inexplicable trace in Xu Heran’s heart.

It was a harmless teasing comment, and from the tone, it seemed to be from Xu Heran’s fan.

“Little Pearl getting scolded and spanked by Nuo Nuo, it feels like I’m hallucinating and back with my mom hahaha, suddenly my butt hurts.”

As Xu Heran thought of this, she bit her lip and leaned against the seat with Xin Nuo, their shoulders touching.

What kind of child is likened to their mom? Was this what everyone thought of her and Nuo Nuo normally?

Xu Heran didn’t like this notion, not at all.

When she was alone, she would ponder how to break this perception.

Isn’t it supposed to be “Thumping Heart, Xin Dong” (a reference to their ship name), and weren’t you calling Nuo Nuo your daughter-in-law? How can you think like this! The little voice in Xu Heran’s heart pointed and gestured, afraid that this idea would gain everyone’s approval.

What if this topic extends beyond “Thumping Heart, Xin Dong,” and people start thinking of her and Nuo Nuo as mother and child in the future? What then?

The more Xu Heran thought, the more annoyed she became, contrasting the lively atmosphere inside the bus.

Outside, the lights were brilliant, and Hai Cheng was a bustling and prosperous city, equally vibrant day and night.

Someone looked outside, and Xu Heran immediately stood up, pointing out the window and shouting, “Look! It’s the Liu Liu Da Shun Building!”

For a moment, all eyes turned toward the window.

In the East District of Hai Cheng, a precious business district.

A building that could serve as a landmark for the entire district soared into the sky, standing tall among the other skyscrapers, like a crane among chickens, standing out on its own.

At some point, its silver-blue rooftop was crowned with the bilingual name “Universal Entertainment.”

City lights wound around, obscuring the stars and moon in the sky. Under the continuous night, the tall building’s exterior lit up with a radiant glow.

“Congratulations.”

“Starlight Girl Xu Heran.”

“Starlight Girl Xin Nuo.”

“Starlight Girl Lin Weining.”

“Starlight Girl Jiang Qiong.”

“Starlight Girl Sun Lingxi.”

“Starlight Girl Laurel.”

“Starlight Girl Lin Ran.”

“Winner of this performance.”

“Ah ah ah!” On the three buses driving along the Yangtze River Bridge, enthusiastic voices erupted. Forty-one girls’ eyes lit up, gazing at the glittering name above the tall building with a mix of envy and astonishment.

“Mom, I’ve made it!” Jiang Qiong patted the photographer’s shoulder, “Brother, you must capture me! Please! When the show airs, I want to show my mom!”

The photographer nodded repeatedly, swayed by her excitement.

“Not bad.”

Xu Heran heard a voice beside her, and a gentle fragrance wafted over. The girl who had been leaning against her seat turned sideways, resting her head on Xu Heran’s shoulder. Xin Nuo’s tender gaze passed through the glass, lingering on the slowly changing name on the building. The name was in gold, as if stars had fallen and were shining in the night sky.

A five-meter-tall LED screen hung on the side of the building. In the video, the pink-haired girl held a microphone to her lips, her fingers pointing towards the direction of the bus, raising an eyebrow. Her blue-purple eyes were exceptionally clear and dreamy.

“Hmph, so fierce.”

Xu Heran heard Xin Nuo teasing her.

“Where am I fierce?” Xu Heran said displeasedly, intentionally resting her chin in Xin Nuo’s dense black hair, her eyes curved.

She looked up.

The Jiang River flowed outside the window, and the deliberately slowed-down bus drove steadily.

The transparent windows reflected the night, and the smiling faces inside the bus.

All the girls gazed mesmerized and longingly at the shining skyscraper, but someone’s blue-purple eyes lingered in the window’s reflection. She wasn’t thinking about anything, just blankly staring at Xin Nuo’s cool brows and eyes until the gazing girl blinked, and their eyes met through the glass window.

Those pitch-black, tranquil eyes suddenly rippled like water, ink swirling, tracing deep and shallow watermarks.

The girl with black hair didn’t turn around; she lifted her hand and gently touched Xu Heran’s face, her gaze lingering in the window’s reflection.

“Mm, not fierce.”

“Our Little Pearl is so well-behaved.”

The Universal Entertainment Building had become a popular spot for social media check-ins. Many viewers or attention-seeking internet celebrities came to take photos and videos to commemorate the moment. Dedicated fans also practiced the dance and performed it in the square, dancing along with the girls on the large LED screen.

Due to the simplicity and rhythm of the choreography for one of the teams, the dance quickly gained popularity online. The 《Starlight Girls》 program’s viewership increased, and Universal TV took the opportunity to promote it further. Many people were asking when and how they could get the promised autographed posters from the official account, and who would sign them.

The manager of Universal TV’s promotion department wiped sweat from his forehead and quickly contacted the production team. The idea of autographed posters was casually mentioned by Ji Songyu during the live performance, but it was Xu Heran who had suddenly asked the question. Ji Songyu went along with it and provided an answer.

These two, one was the owner of the building they stood in, the other was the cornerstone of Universal Entertainment, currently the number one talent, and 《Starlight Girls》 was a program planned by Universal Entertainment itself. Therefore, there were no obstacles to this decision.

They only needed to wait until the end of the fourth round of eliminations to shoot the posters.

The 《Starlight Girls》 training camp had a week off.

From the performance to the next recording, there was a week of voting, during which time the trainees returned to their respective homes.

Xu Heran hadn’t seen much of Xin Nuo this week. Xu Heran had been taken to a private hospital by Cui Qi for medical check-ups, training, and massages. After more than half a month of treatment and intensive calcium supplementation, while her legs still hurt, it wasn’t as excruciating as before, and she no longer needed muscle pain relief ointment.

On the day after she bid farewell to her bandages, Cui Qi immediately took her to do an advertisement.

Starlight Milk advertisement.

“Xin Nuo—”

Xu Heran hopped off the car and rushed towards Xin Nuo.

As Xin Nuo turned around while talking to Jiang Qiong, she was met with a mouthful of sweetness before she could even speak. She raised her hand, patted Xu Heran’s waist, allowing her to catch her breath.

“I’m super amazed! Xu Pearl, did you grow taller again?” Jiang Qiong looked up.

It’s only been a week!

Hearing Jiang Qiong’s words, Xin Nuo blinked her eyes and quickly stepped back, raising her hand to compare against her forehead.

The girl with pink hair had her hair tied up in a bun at the back of her head, secured with a white lace band. Xu Heran was wearing jeans and a light yellow fitted short-sleeve shirt. She was slim and tall, incredibly beautiful.

“Yeah, I did grow taller,” Xu Heran raised an eyebrow proudly. “But I’m not telling you what secret I have.”

“Tsk!” Jiang Qiong retorted coldly, “173 warning!”

Due to her claimed height of 173cm, Haya often joked about it in the training camp.

Xu Heran wasn’t afraid. “I’m not 173 yet.”

She clasped her hands together in prayer, “Please let me grow taller, the taller the better!”

Xin Nuo suddenly remembered something she had been mentioning all the time. Her lips trembled slightly as she cleared her throat, “Let’s go, we need to return to the camp after finishing the advertisement.”

The location for shooting the Starlight advertisement was at the Universal Entertainment Building. This 66-story skyscraper had been quickly divided into departments for film, television, variety shows, and advertisements. The staff members swiftly took their positions due to generous salaries and benefits.

For the newly launched Universal TV, apart from Ji Songyu and Starlight Girls, there was an advertisement for Universal Entertainment’s recruitment. It targeted talents from both inside and outside the entertainment industry, including artists, trainees, and outstanding personnel for various departments.

“20th floor,” Cui Qi affixed her employee card to the elevator and pressed the button for the 20th floor.

The transparent glass elevator ascended directly. Jiang Qiong didn’t want to appear ignorant, but it was her first time inside Universal Entertainment, and the highly futuristic decor left her gaping.

“Wow, Xu Pearl, this is your realm!” Jiang Qiong was astonished due to her companion’s excitement. She tugged at Xin Nuo’s sleeve and jokingly said, “Xin Nuo, you’ve truly found yourself a golden son-in-law!”

“Who among your fans wouldn’t agree to this marriage? Quickly bring them to Universal Entertainment to take a look. I guarantee they’ll be convinced. Hurry up and marry yourself off to Little Pearl!”

Xin Nuo laughed and shook her head. “You’re talking nonsense.”

As she spoke, her gaze landed on Cui Qi, who was standing by the elevator buttons.

Cui Qi smiled warmly, showing no reaction to Jiang Qiong’s words.

“What? Someone disagrees with our engagement?” Xu Heran stirred the pot from the side, playfully rolling up her sleeves. “Who’s not convinced? Let them come and challenge me!”

Xin Nuo gave her a sidelong glance.

“Xu Heran, put your skinny arms down,” Cui Qi interjected, explaining to Xin Nuo and Jiang Qiong, “She’s been taking boxing and mixed martial arts lessons from two instructors during this time. She’s gotten a bit carried away.”

Jiang Qiong was taken aback, and Xin Nuo’s eyes widened slowly.

Learning what?

“I, the Grandmaster of Martial Arts!” Xu Heran poked herself with her thumb. She noticed Xin Nuo’s skeptical look and added in a hushed voice, “In the future.”

“Ding, 20th floor reached.”

The spacious elevator doors opened. As they stepped out, Xin Nuo leaned close to Xu Heran’s ear and asked softly, “Why are you learning boxing and martial arts?”

“It was the doctor’s suggestion for me to exercise more, and I didn’t want to do things like running,” Xu Heran explained, “Originally, it was just Uncle Bao, the bodyguard, teaching me casually, but later Sister Cui found two specialized instructors.”

Xin Nuo nodded.

She watched Xu Heran stride forward with her long legs, hands in her pockets. Her previously smiling face suddenly froze.

Hmm… boxing, mixed martial arts.

She glanced at her own wrists.

Xu Heran’s strength is hard to restrain now. In the future, if Xu Heran provokes her, will she be able to suppress Xu Heran?

Xin Nuo’s dark eyes landed on Xu Heran’s buttocks.

“Alright, everyone, please gather over here.” In the studio, the director in charge of the advertisement shoot saw the seven girls assembled and quickly spoke. The director was relatively young, and his attitude was very gentle. After explaining the content of the advertisement to everyone, they immediately started the test shoot.

“Don’t be nervous, everyone just needs to remember to smile. As long as you smile, it’s right!” the director said cheerfully. He turned his head and looked at Laurel standing beside, arms crossed and eyes lifeless, then emphasized, “Smile, okay!”

Laurel: “…”

“Hahaha!” Xu Heran burst into laughter, raising the grape-flavored milk in her hand. “Starlight Milk, making you happy every day~”

“Muah~”

She pinched the milk carton and playfully tapped it against Xin Nuo’s lips.

Xin Nuo raised her hand and slapped Xu Heran’s buttocks, then after a moment’s thought, she gave another slap.

Just in case she can’t hit later, it’s better to get in a few hits now, in advance.

Xu Heran held her buttocks, feeling wronged but not daring to speak.

“Smile, remember to smile, girls!” the director clapped his hands and shouted.

“Wuwuwu…” Xu Heran forced a smile, opening her mouth wide.

The advertisement shoot went on from ten in the morning until two in the afternoon, without a meal in between. When the shoot was over, Xu Heran immediately raised her arm.

“Food! I want to eat!”

“Everyone, endure a little longer. I’ll take you back to the camp,” Cui Qi smiled warmly at everyone. “I’ve already arranged a feast for you in the program group’s cafeteria. Go back, eat well, rest, and then get ready for tomorrow’s shoot.”

“Sounds good!”

The trainees shooting their first advertisement were still excited, especially after receiving the notification of their payment. Even if they hadn’t eaten, they could happily devour whatever Cui Qi handed them, even if it were just two buns.

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Translator: Glariosa
Editor: Sinensis

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