Grab The Heroine and Run Away Ch. 38.2

“Ah, what’s going on, Haya? Can’t you work as hard as Ning Ning?” Xu Heran began to shift the blame.

Haya turned her head. “What’s going on, Flower? Can’t you be as outstanding as Little Fenghua?”

Laurel crossed her arms and rolled her eyes.

“Our victorious team emerges! But our stage doesn’t end here. In order to express our gratitude to the Star Makers who came to the venue to support the trainees, as well as those who couldn’t attend in person but are watching the performance in the live stream, and even the Star Makers who couldn’t watch the live stream in time, each team has prepared two additional stages. Thank you for your continuous support, and please continue to support and care for these lovely girls in the days to come!” Ning Yunfei said sincerely.

The winning team performed last, with Team Three still in the first spot and Team One in the second.

Sun Lingxi, Mu Yueliang, You Yu, and Luo Xi, these four adorable girls sang a song that was suggested by Sun Lingxi in the past, but wasn’t chosen—a song from the senior group Fish Lemon Light Music, 《Forest and Deer》 The remaining Tan Yutong, Jing Rui, and Jian Yueyin chose a sad song.

In the audience, Xu Heran stood beside Xin Nuo and sighed. “Sis Yueyin sings with such genuine emotions. No wonder she says she likes sad and heart-wrenching songs.”

Xin Nuo nodded, her gaze shifting to Lin Weining standing next to her. She gave a slight smile.

“Weining, I heard your company’s under a lot of pressure. Yueyin’s ranking keeps improving each time. She hasn’t been scolded by her manager, right?” Her tone was a simple inquiry, and her expression showed genuine concern for Jian Yueyin.

Lin Weining hesitated for a moment and lightly bit her lip.

“At the beginning, Sister Yueyin wasn’t in our trainee department. But because we participated in the show together, the company assigned me and Sasa’s manager to take care of her. Our manager… well…” Lin Weining’s brows slightly furrowed, and she chuckled. “He’s stricter, especially with us. But maybe because he isn’t as familiar with Yueyin, he’s not as strict with her.”

Not being strict implies not caring much.

“I see,” Xin Nuo smiled.

Lin Weining sighed inwardly. She had heard Sasa complain. Among all the promotions their manager currently handles, Jian Yueyin is just a minor inclusion. Some promotions don’t even have her name.

When scolded by their manager, Sasa always muttered angrily in a corner, saying that their manager can’t bring out anyone. She could only sigh with a bitter smile.

She’s a beneficiary and felt embarrassed to talk to Xin Nuo about these matters.

Xu Heran rubbed her chin, glanced at Lin Weining, then at Jian Yueyin on stage, and raised an eyebrow.

After Team Three’s performance, Xu Heran, who had changed into different clothes, waved to Xin Nuo. “I’m going up now!”

The first stage of Team Three.

Xu Heran, Haya, Jiang Qiong, and Laurel performed the song 《The Monster》

“Ah! Pearls!”

“Xu Heran!!”

In the center of the stage, four elevated platforms rose, with Xu Heran standing at the back on the highest one. She placed the microphone in its stand, bowed to the cheering crowd, and then raised her hand, pointing towards Haya.

“Haya!”

“Ah ah ah ah Yaya! One meter seventy-three never gives up!!” Haya’s fans held up signs and shouted.

Haya stood with her hands on her hips, her proud expression immediately turning enthusiastic.

“Jiang Qiong!” Xu Heran pointed at Jiang Qiong, and the red-haired girl smiled, bowing repeatedly towards the audience.

“Little Qiong won’t give up! We’ll strive forward with all our might!”

“Little Qiong, you must hold your ground! I’ll support you forever!”

“Woof Woof Team is going to debut together!!”

Finally, Xu Heran’s index fingers landed on the blonde girl in the middle of the three elevated platforms.

“Laurel!”

“Hail Laurel! You are our glory!”

“Long live the Flower Majesty!!”

Laurel raised her hand. “We will eventually achieve victory!”

“Ah ah ah!!”

Fans cheered in the audience.

Below the stage, the trainees rushed over excitedly. “Are Haya and Jiang Qiong going to do rap?”

“Laurel taught them word by word, they’re doing a rap trio.”

“So impressive!”

The music started, and Xu Heran grabbed the microphone, her coat swaying with her movements. Her gaze was determined as she looked out over the sea of people below the stage.

“Ran Ran’s voice is getting better and better. Who could have imagined she’s only sixteen?” Jian Yueyin stood beside Xin Nuo, her eyes shining. “Ran Ran’s current stage presence is like that of a superstar. Just watch, her future will definitely be on an even grander stage!”

Hearing Jian Yueyin’s words, Xin Nuo’s lips curled up. She looked at the dazzling and confident girl on the stage and suddenly remembered that night, sitting beside her, when she obediently and sweetly said, “I can sing now.”

“You can too, Yueyin. You’re both stars in the field of music.” Xin Nuo smiled and patted Jian Yueyin’s shoulder. “Keep going.”

Jian Yueyin nodded vigorously. “We’re all stars.”

We all shine.

The fourth performance of the Starlight Girls ended successfully. Xu Heran and Xin Nuo didn’t make any new headlines in the entertainment section, which disappointed some of the audience.

Come on, Little Pearl.

You can’t stop trying just because you have a sensational piece of news!

However, due to the double broadcast of the main episode today, the Starlight Girls still trended. Universal Entertainment’s name suddenly made waves in the entertainment industry. Many artists whose contracts were about to expire looked at the three major brands under Universal Entertainment’s control, itching to make a move.

Those three luxurious endorsements are truly tempting.

And with only two artists under Universal Entertainment right now, it’s a golden opportunity for them!

On Weibo, the artist Ge Tao emerged the day after the Starlight Girls’ performance ended, amidst the cries and shouts of the crowd, revealing his prediction for the next round’s rankings.

“Don’t play dead! Weren’t you right before? Hurry up and spill the beans!”

“Yeah, someone said you didn’t guess on your own, that the show leaked the information. If that’s true, that’s really despicable, right?”

“Ge Daxian, speak up? I saw you online!”

Ge Tao, feeling somewhat panicked, contacted his informant within the program team. The informant replied speechlessly, “It’s not even that time yet. Right now, they’re editing the performance. The rankings will only be revealed next week during the broadcast. Are you dumb or what? Why would you go online now?”

“Someone’s messing with me, I’m just following the rhythm. If I don’t come out, won’t it seem like I’m guilty?” Ge Tao retorted in frustration.

“What can you say even if you come out?” the person on the other end of WeChat replied, exasperated. “Deal with it on your own. Don’t contact me during this time. I’ve signed a confidentiality agreement. If it’s discovered that I leaked information to you, I’ll be sued!”

“Given your level of courage, your program team has hundreds of people. If you don’t talk, I won’t either. Who would know it’s you? Forget it, I can’t rely on you, my brother. I’ll just fool them first.” After Ge Tao finished speaking, he closed WeChat, opened Universal TV, found the current ranking list for Starlight Girls, and looked at the two people who were far ahead. He licked his teeth.

Ge Tao: “Haha, don’t worry. They say destiny can’t be revealed, and with such a long time span, the accuracy is bound to be low. I can only give it a simple try. If it’s not accurate in the end, don’t blame me.”

His fans, who were paying special attention to this matter, immediately perked up. “Cut the nonsense and get on with it!”

Looking at his over one million followers and the tens of thousands of comments under each of his Weibo posts, and considering the program invitations he was currently negotiating, Ge Tao’s fingers itched.

“Whatever, those with guts thrive, those without cower. I’ve got my bases covered, so what’s there to fear!”

With determination, Ge Tao’s fingers landed on the keyboard. “I’ll definitely calculate the accurate rankings for Saturday night! For now… Let me see. Based on my calculations, the first place is undoubtedly Xu Heran! Haha, I think everyone’s clear on this result, considering Xu Heran’s background… Haha, no need to say more. Second place goes to Dream Entertainment’s Tan Yutong! And third place goes to Xin Nuo, one of the trio from Angel Entertainment, along with Lin Weining and Sasa!”

“???”

“This is it?”

“… Anyone with eyes can see that the Emperor and Empress of Dream Entertainment, as well as other artists, have reposted and voted for Tan Yutong. Xin Nuo’s popularity is up, and Angel Entertainment is also a big company. But I don’t quite understand, Xu Heran being first is due to her background. What are you trying to imply?”

“Now there’s someone who’s still bringing up Xu Heran’s background, it’s really laughable. Even antis aren’t using that term anymore!”

“Huh? Xu Heran still has antis? Are they from before?”

“Then I’ll take a guess too: first place Xu Heran, second place Xin Nuo, third place Lin Weining. Anyway, just lean toward the big companies!”

“Did Ge Laoshi make a mistake? The big companies have better promotions and more popularity. It’s normal for trainees from those companies to get more votes. This just proves that Ge Laoshi didn’t guess wrong!”

“Hehe, I brought up the current votes. First place Tan Yutong, second place Xu Heran, third place Lin Weining, fourth place Liu Yueming, fifth place Sun Lingxi. By the way, Ge Tao, do you look down on Fish Harmony? Mention Fish Harmony in your post. None of the top three that Ge Tao guessed are from Fish Harmony, huh? Come on, official verification, take a look~ This teacher seems to look down on the trainees from your company. Does he look down on your company?”

Behind the screen, Ge Tao, who was constantly monitoring the comments, immediately felt anxious. He had been in touch with a program that involved Fish Harmony. He quickly replied, “Hahaha, don’t worry. I said it’s not accurate now. I’ve done another calculation, and the Fish Harmony trainees are the dark horses rising up.”

“Hahaha, don’t ask anymore. The answer is that the dark horses rise up.”

“Hey, why is Little Pearl only second? Nuo Nuo is behind too. What about their fans?”

“Oh, friend, don’t you know? Because Xu Heran and Xin Nuo haven’t posted for a month and aren’t doing any promotional activities, the Pearl Shell and Knight’s Faction are angry. They said they’ll scare the kids into coming out!”

“Gee… I’m seeing a tone like Xu Heran’s mom-fan here, but why are Nuo Nuo’s votes behind?”

“Well, of course. They definitely didn’t vote for Nuo Nuo, making someone realize the importance of Mama! Realizing the importance of promoting! Pulling up Pearl Shell’s grass! This cunning kid, whoever’s a fan, their hearts will ache! Not filial at all!”

“Hahahaha… dying of laughter, this is so entertaining, does it even matter?”

“Report! It matters! Xin Nuo posted!”

“Hahaha, Starlight Girls’ official account just posted too, debunking feudal superstitions, everyone’s responsible, hahaha.”

One minute later, everyone looked at Ge Tao’s suddenly deleted post, burst into laughter, scattered in all directions, and then gathered on Xin Nuo’s Weibo.

Starlight Girl Xin Nuo: “Pulling grass? Let’s pick pearls instead. ^v^”

Below this simple Weibo post was a video.

In a spacious and bright practice room, a tall girl with pink hair held a fan in her hand and asked the person filming, “Is it starting?”

“Yeah.”

The girl’s blue-purple eyes widened instantly. She put her hands on her hips, held up the fan, and pointed and directed at the camera, “Watch closely, all of you! Don’t say I’m not promoting!”

A girl in simple long pants and long sleeves stood coolly in the center of the floor and snapped her fingers.

The music began, 《Amazing Reflection》

Xu Heran raised her hand, took off the cap she had worn on her head, tossed it aside, and danced to the music.

Fans who were watching the video on their phones sat up suddenly.

Little Pearl, dancing classical dance!

And it’s Xin Nuo’s part!

She definitely learned it hand in hand from Nuo Nuo!

Indeed, it was Xin Nuo’s hand-to-hand teaching that had Xu Heran spinning in the air, the fan in her hand swaying gently. She had long limbs. Apart from a few non-standard moves, she flawlessly performed Xin Nuo’s part, even singing the song in tune with the music.

The dance studio had good acoustics, and the melodious voice of the girl reached the ears of the viewers.

Behind the camera, a shallow sigh was heard from the person recording.

“Whew… Is this Little Pearl? The bewitching Little Pearl!”

“Even Nuo Nuo is amazed! Our Little Pearl has grown to the point of singing seductive songs! Why isn’t Little Pearl in the second group? I’m so mad!”

“Get that microphone out of Little Pearl’s mouth! Sing loudly for me! Tempt everyone who clicked in to come home with us and make soup!”

“Whimper… Whimper… Little Pearl pretending to be a little fox~”

“Xu Heran! Why aren’t you wearing a cheongsam? Who let you wear casual clothes? Neglectful!”

“Exactly! I strongly demand that Xu Heran wears a cheongsam. If she doesn’t, we won’t vote for Xin Nuo. You figure it out!”

Xin Nuo read out the comments to Xu Heran one by one.

“Thump.”

Xu Heran placed her water cup on the floor, leaned over in an instant, and said with irritation, “Who’s calling? Is it that Pearl Shell or something?”

“Mhm~” Xin Nuo chuckled lightly.

“Don’t vote for Xin Nuo if you don’t, are you even capable!” Xu Heran picked up her phone from the ground, slid it open, and tapped into Weibo. “We absolutely can’t be manipulated by them. If we wear cheongsams today, they’ll dare make us wear bikinis tomorrow! We mustn’t comply! We need to resist!”

Leaning against the wall, Xin Nuo tilted her head upon hearing this, seeing Xu Heran biting her tongue and fingers rhythmically tapping on the keyboard, a playful glint in her pitch-black eyes. “How do you plan to resist?”

“Hmph.” Little Pearl casually tossed her phone onto the ground and snapped her fingers. “Done!”

A disdainful expression of “that’s it?” appeared on her face.

Xin Nuo raised an eyebrow, then refocused on her phone screen and clicked to refresh.

“Ding dong.”

Under her Weibo post, a sudden influx of comments appeared.

“Why is there a Pearl here? Whimper… whimper… I don’t have a cheongsam to wear. My manager said, only if you all vote for me and Nuo Nuo will I have a chance to wear a cheongsam~”

“Pleeease, dear mothers, give the child your votes! Love you all!”

“Snort!”

Xin Nuo covered her mouth and laughed. She looked at the girl sitting with her legs crossed beside her. Xu Heran had a “I’m so cool” expression on her face, crying and begging fans for votes under her Weibo post.

“Snap.” Xin Nuo captured her current appearance.

“Quick, curry favor with me, Little Pearl. If you dare to make me angry again, I’ll expose your ugly face to the world!” Xin Nuo threatened.

“Heh, would I be afraid?” The super-cool Little Pearl raised her chin, holding the pose for a couple of seconds, “I’m actually super afraid.”

She scratched her head, hastily retrieved her phone, changed her position, and sprawled on the ground to reply to comments.

“Do you finally realize that you can’t mess with us moms? Do you know you’re wrong?”

“I know I messed up, moms, votes, pleeease~”

“Good child, mommy will go vote for you right now.”

“Thank you, mommy.”

“Then why aren’t you hurrying to your own Weibo? Why wander around in Nuo Nuo’s comment section!”

“I got it, don’t be mad.” Xu Heran mumbled and climbed back to her own comment section.

Two minutes later, Universal Entertainment’s manager stormed in with a blackened face.

“Xu Heran, if you dare to post randomly again, I’ll change your password! Delete it!”

Curious, Xin Nuo clicked into Xu Heran’s Weibo.

“Why is there a Pearl here? Hey, I heard that if you vote for Xin Nuo or Xu Heran, you can unlock swimsuit photos? Is this true?”

Xin Nuo: “…”

Xin Nuo: “…”

“Xu Heran.” Xin Nuo smiled faintly, “I’ve been too good to you these days, haven’t I?”

“…” Xu Heran remained silent, lowering her head.

Half a minute later.

“Xu Pearl! Is it true that voting unlocks swimsuit photos—” Excitedly shouting, the red-haired Jiang Qiong rushed into the practice room, but the moment she saw the interior, she froze, her smile turning rigid on her face. She slowly withdrew her leg from the room, placing it outside, and carefully closed the door.

“Sorry for the interruption, please continue.”

“Help me—”

On Weibo, eagerly awaiting fans rubbed their hands in excitement, but all they got was the news of Xu Heran deleting her post. The fans were furious in the group, demanding that Little Pearl must offer an explanation. If there were no swimsuit photos, they absolutely wouldn’t vote!

In the afternoon, at three o’clock, Xu Heran uploaded a photo on Weibo.

A round pearl was cradled in a fair palm, and on the white pearl, there was a pink sticker depicting a scene often found at the entrance of kindergartens or elementary schools, where you could change clothes for dolls.

The pink bikini sticker was placed on the plump pearl, giving it a somewhat cute look.

“Why is there a Pearl here? Freshly baked Little Pearl swimsuit photo!”

Fans: “???”

In the car, Xu Heran, sitting with her legs crossed, typed on the keyboard.

“I’m not being untrustworthy~ I did say swimsuit photo, but I didn’t say whose swimsuit photo it is~”

“Isn’t it Little Pearl? Is it the even smaller Little Pearl?”

Seated in the chair beside her, Xin Nuo looked at Xu Heran excitedly “arguing” with the fans, at a loss for words. She even picked up another pearl, intending to stick a fake “Nuo” on it and put it in a small skirt.

Xin Nuo: “…”

“Xu Heran.” Xin Nuo calmly spoke up.

“Hmm?” Xu Heran struggled to pull her attention away from her phone, her expression bright as she looked at Xin Nuo. In her deep blue-purple eyes, happiness was impossible to hide, her smile almost about to burst out.

Xin Nuo’s words froze on the tip of her tongue. She lifted her hand and brushed Xu Heran’s hair that had fallen around her ears back behind them.

“I was thinking, Pearl, if in the future, someone bags you…” She hesitated, looking deeply into Xu Heran’s eyes.

Huh?

Why would someone bag me?

Has this world become so terrifying?

The excitement in Xu Heran’s eyes dimmed slightly, looking at Xin Nuo in confusion.

“If I were to be bagged by bad people, would Nuo Nuo come to rescue me?” Xu Heran quickly shook her head after speaking, “No, that’s too dangerous! If I’m in danger, you must protect yourself, hide, and then call the police!”

“No, what I meant to say is, if you’re bagged, you don’t need to worry about me.” Xin Nuo smiled faintly.

“Because I was outside, I handed them the bag.”

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The author has something to say:

Ran Ran: …………………….

Little Pearl: Why! Our love is deeper than the ocean!

Pearl: Waaah waaah waaah waaah waaah waaah waaah

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Translator: Glariosa
Editor: Sinensis

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