Grab The Heroine and Run Away Ch. 40.1
“Ah ah ah! Xu Heran! Mama supports you!”
“Go for it, Xu Heran!”
The fans in the audience were shouting frantically. On the stage, Xu Heran’s mouth was covered by Xin Nuo, and her revealed eyes curved downward.
“Is this on purpose?” Xin Nuo whispered in her ear.
Xu Heran immediately widened her eyes, looking innocent.
“Hmph.” Xin Nuo let go of her hand and lightly patted her back as if punishing her. Upon witnessing this scene, the viewers, as if on cue, covered their mouths and exclaimed in amazement.
The camera had already moved away. The host quickly went to interview others who were far away from Xu Heran. The atmosphere in the live stream gradually improved.
The camera had already moved away. The host quickly went to interview others who were far away from Xu Heran. Only then did the atmosphere in the live broadcast start to improve slightly.
“Hahaha, is Little Pearl marked? Is it an indicator that she must trend every time she appears on a live broadcast?”
“Did Little Pearl cause a commotion today? Yes!”
“This isn’t causing a commotion, it’s demonstrating her status, right? The envelope-delivering CP has been so popular lately. Someone can’t sit still, huh huh huh!”
“Can there be a more genuine CP than this? Mutual expressions of love! My hugs are only for you! Now we’re even discussing positions! Just ask who’s left! It’s making me die from laughter!”
“Although, however, Little Pearl is only 16 now! Is it not good for our sisterly friends to be the epitome of beauty? Same height, same age, even the dance style is the same, isn’t this destined to be delightful? Is adult love not delightful?”
“Huh? You guys have kisses and hugs too? I’ve seen someone’s statistics from Xin Nuo’s show, from the beginning to now, of the number of physical contacts with other trainees—don’t ask me why there’s such a statistic, anyway, apart from Xu Heran, Xin Nuo has hugged only Jian Yueyin and Sun Lingxi, and Sun Lingxi was the one who initiated it! There’s a bit more shaking hands, hmm, less than ten times. But look at Xin Nuo and Xu Heran, even the counting has become tedious towards the end! Not to mention how affectionate they are off-camera!”
“Here we must thank our newly arrived female photographer and post-production guy. They’re good and sincere people, not hiding anything. The main footage this time made my throat sore, showing that they used to be much more restrained in editing.”
“Hehehe, Ping Ran Xin Dong, so good to ship, but I also want to quietly promote our Xin Yue Cheng Fu CP! Twin gentle big sisters, I’ve pursued you countless times, and I finally gained your acknowledgment. You’re willing to open your arms for me, and I’m willing to offer my heart to you, sincerely and devotedly! “
“Wuwuwu, all the ships are so good! I love every one of them! They’re all my favorite geese!”
“Seeing everyone’s comments, I suddenly realized, Little Pearl’s bold vow today is the responsibility of everyone present!”
“Really? Hehehe.”
“…”
On the stage, through her earpiece, Ning Yunfei received a prompt from the director. She smiled slightly, straightened her posture, and looked at the camera. In that moment, everyone on and off the stage realized it: the time had come.
Starlight Girls, the sixth elimination, was finally here.
“Dreams set sail, stars shine. Out of the 140 girls, only 14 stand on this stage. And today, among them, four will leave, while ten will advance, competing for the final debut spots!”
“Ah!!”
Announcing the results of the advancement live on stage felt completely different from recording in the hall as before. In front of the audience, the young trainees were even more nervous.
“The ranking of the top ten Starlight Girls is now complete, and the results are about to be revealed. The trainee who ranked ninth in this round is!” Ning Yunfei raised her voice, “Please look at the big screen.”
Xu Heran trembled and held onto Xin Nuo’s hand.
“You scared me! I thought Sister Feifei was going to insert a commercial,” Xu Heran patted her chest.
Xin Nuo: “…”
Well, let post-production editing take care of this.
“The ninth-ranked trainee!” Ning Yunfei emphasized again.
On the stage, the fourteen trainees full of anticipation and the ten thousand star makers in the audience, along with countless viewers in the live broadcast, all fixed their nervous gazes. The photo of the ninth-ranked Starlight Girl appeared on the central screen and in everyone’s eyes.
Fish Harmony Entertainment, Sun Lingxi, 4,635,147 votes.
“Wow!”
“Ah, ah, ah, Lingxi!”
“Hearts connected, fearless! Go for it, precious Lingxi!”
Amid cheers, Sun Lingxi wiped her tears and stepped out of the lineup, bowing to everyone around her continuously.
She raised the microphone in her hand. “Thank you. I’m truly honored to come this far. Thanks for all your support! I will continue to work hard!”
After Sun Lingxi finished speaking, she moved to a position behind Ning Yunfei. She lifted her head, but tears continued to roll down, her nose, cheeks, and eyes all reddened.
Ning Yunfei smiled at Sun Lingxi and raised the microphone again. “Next, we have the eighth-ranked trainee in this round, the eighth-ranked trainee! Please announce it!”
Below the stage, many people shouted different names. On the large screen, the logo, three times larger than before, spun around. Three seconds later, it froze, revealing a photo of a blonde girl.
Laurel was immediately embraced by the people around her.
“Your Highness!”
“Flower Queen!”
“Long live Flower Queen!”
Laurel took a deep breath, tightly gripping the microphone handed to her by the staff, her gaze determined.
“Thank you. Thank you all for casting your precious votes for me. Thank you! Being able to persist until now is an unexpected surprise for me. Every day I can walk alongside my friends in the training camp is filled with uncertainty and happiness,” Laurel’s expression was neutral, but the microphone in her hand trembled slightly. “From the beginning to the end, on every stage, I’ve given it my all. I, Laurel, have a clear conscience and am committed to victory.”
“Please continue to support me. Thank you.”
After the blonde girl finished speaking, she bowed, a ninety-degree bow.
In the audience, the fans who had been worried about Laurel due to Ge Tao’s unfounded accusations during this time cheered wildly. Laurel showed no expression; they cried for her, laughed for her, and felt excitement on her behalf.
Our Laurel, with a clear conscience!
“Thank you, Laurel. Next, for this round’s ranking, the seventh-ranked trainee, and also the last trainee to debut, her name is!” Ning Yunfei pointed at the big screen.
Fish Harmony Entertainment, Mu Yueliang, 5,324,678 votes.
Mu Yueliang’s legs weakened as she excitedly stepped out of the lineup.
“Thank you! Thank you all! I thought this time I was going to say goodbye to everyone. Thank you, thank you for letting me stay! I will continue to work hard!”
After Mu Yueliang finished speaking, she excitedly rushed toward Sun Lingxi, and the two hugged tightly.
“The sixth-ranked trainee, please announce.”
A golden crown spun and gleamed.
Angel Entertainment, Jian Yueyin, 5,927,174 votes.
“Ah! Ah! Sis Yueyin made it to the debut spots!!” Xu Heran shouted along with the fans below the stage.
Xin Nuo applauded and nodded. “Not bad, Yueyin! Keep it up!”
Jian Yueyin looked at her vote count in surprise, smiling happily.
“Yueyin is amazing!”
“Go, Yueyin!”
“Yueyin, the divine voice!”
Amid the cheers of the fans in the audience, Jian Yueyin raised the microphone, saying with a smile, “I didn’t expect to have a fan chant too. I’ve grown up!”
“Hahaha!”
“Thank you, thank you all. Whether I can debut or not, I will remember this moment. Thank you to all my friends who have supported me to this point. I will work hard and repay everyone with my music,” Jian Yueyin bowed, then walked behind Ning Yunfei. She appeared composed, raising her hand to wave at the audience.
“The fifth-ranked trainee, please announce,” Ning Yunfei said.
Fifth-ranked trainee, Angel Entertainment, Lin Weining.
Sasa immediately embraced Lin Weining, crying in a sobbing tone, “It’s over, it seems like I didn’t make it, sob! Ning Ning, come on! You must bring my share of the debut!”
Lin Weining held her tightly, then released her and smiled gently.
“The fourth-ranked trainee…”
In the gap between the host’s words, Xu Heran’s eyes widened. She looked around, realizing that both Song Fenghua and Tan Yutong hadn’t made it in yet. Even Youyou was missing! Xu Heran felt a bit uneasy and grabbed Haya and Jiang Qiong’s hands.
“Congratulations to the fourth-ranked trainee.”
On the large screen, a stunningly beautiful face suddenly appeared. Her expression was confident, with raised eyebrows that exuded a wild and proud aura.
Xu Heran’s heart finally settled. She leaned over to the microphone in Haya’s hand, playfully asking, “Who’s this?”
Jiang Qiong immediately joined in, “Yeah, who’s this?”
Even Xin Nuo was smiling as she asked Haya, “Who is she?”
“Don’t recognize her.”
Haya finally reluctantly swapped her photo, saying, “…”
“Anyway, I’m very happy, thank you! Hahaha!” Haya raised her hand, pointing to the stage and the camera, wearing a bright and radiant smile. She hugged the trainees who had already advanced.
Ning Yunfei tightened her grip on the cue card and whispered, “Now, there are only the top three debut spots and four advancing spots left.”
“After announcing the rankings from four to nine, now we will reveal the trainee who secured the tenth position in this advancement!” As Ning Yunfei’s voice fell, standing on the right side of the stage, among the remaining eight trainees, many nervously clasped their hands together.
“Begging, please, just this once! Let me in!”
“Let me hold on a little longer, just a bit longer.”
Xu Heran silently placed her hand on Jiang Qiong’s shoulder, sharing the tension with her.
Begging, let my friend in! Be the gatekeeper for once more!
Even though her relationship with those on the stage was good, deep down, Xu Heran had her biases. Among the few remaining, she couldn’t admit, no matter what, that she would compare Xin Nuo, Jiang Qiong, Song Fenghua, Tan Yutong, Liu Yueming, Youyou, and Sasa equally.
“Gatekeeper, gatekeeper!” Xu Heran shivered along with Jiang Qiong, murmuring.
“The trainee who secured the tenth position, please announce.”
Everyone’s heads shot up, their gaze fixed on the large screen.
In the vast screen, a brilliant smiling face appeared.
Jiang Qiong cried out with a “Wow,” suddenly turning around and embracing Xu Heran tightly.
“It’s me!!”
“It’s me, sob, sob! The child survived!!!”
Xu Heran almost cried along, her eyes reddened. She patted Jiang Qiong’s back and then turned her head, her voice tinged with a crying tone as she said to Xin Nuo, “I didn’t make the first move, she hugged me first, aah! I’m innocent!”
Xin Nuo: “…”
The black-haired girl raised her hand, supporting her forehead, and her lips curved in resignation. “You fool.”
“Get away from me!”
Jiang Qiong wiped her tears, pushed away the emotionless Xu Heran, and excitedly took the microphone.
“Thank you to all the star makers who voted for me! Thank you! Thank you for the ‘Luggage Anti-Milk Strategy’! And I think red is still quite festive, hahaha!” Jiang Qiong cried and laughed, her fans held their faces and laughed along.
“Although I really didn’t want to say this, right before the voting results were announced, I secretly thought to myself, if I make it this time, I’ll forgive a certain Pearl from the Woof Woof Squad for betraying us. Let’s all do the ‘Woof’ again, rebuild the Woof Woof Squad! Since even the heavens agreed, Xu Heran, let’s still be good friends! I will continue to support you, and also you, Xin Nuo!”
Jiang Qiong turned around, raised her thumb toward Xu Heran and Xin Nuo, “Let’s go on another journey together.”
“Sob, sob, she’s so sentimental, can’t handle it!” Xu Heran shook her head, hugged Xin Nuo, and buried her head in her shoulder.
“Xu Heran, don’t cry.” Xin Nuo raised her hand and rubbed her head, “I don’t want to see the two of you being sentimental on stage and then regretting it when you get offstage, feeling awkward and then ‘fighting.'”
“Even elementary school students aren’t as childish as you guys.”
Xu Heran’s motion of rubbing her eyes, immersed in emotion, froze. She felt that Xin Nuo’s words not only made a lot of sense but were also quite foresighted. However, Xu Heran didn’t want to admit she was childish!
She casually lowered her hand, resting it behind her back, “If I’m an elementary school student, then Jiang Xiaoqiong is in kindergarten, preschool class!”
“Yes, yes, yes,” Xin Nuo chuckled softly. She raised her eyelids slightly, extended a finger, and lightly brushed it against the corner of Xu Heran’s eye.
“You’re the best, you’re a mature Pearl.”
“Big Pearl!” She extended her hand and made a gesture.
Xu Heran: “…”
“You’ve picked up some bad habits, you’re no longer the kind-hearted and gentle Sister Nuo Nuo in my heart!” Xu Heran said indignantly.
Xin Nuo smiled slightly, “Well, I’m truly honored then.”
Xu Heran: “!”
Where did she learn this from? Learned all the wrong things!
Xu Heran stood with her arms crossed, fuming.
The nearby trainees watched with envy as the two of them talked together, realizing that only those who were confident in themselves could still manage to smile in such a tense situation.
How wonderful.
Behind Ning Yunfei, after Jiang Qiong and the other advanced trainees embraced, firmly standing in their respective places, Ning Yunfei turned around, smiling as she looked down at the stage.
“So, now comes the most important moment. Which three trainees will be the top three in our ranking this time? Now, please announce the third contestant!”
“Yoyo!”
“Yutong, go for it!”
“Fenghua!!”
Xu Heran licked her lips, staring fixedly at the big screen. Song Fenghua let out a sigh, lowered her eyelids, and clenched her fists at her sides.
Three seconds later, cheers erupted from the crowd, and a beam of light shone at her feet.
Song Fenghua’s eyes widened suddenly, a scent of sweet orange wafted over, and Xu Heran excitedly grabbed her hand, patting her back.
“Good job, Xiao Fenghua! Congratulations!”
“Congratulations, Trainee Song Fenghua, please come to the front of the stage,” Ning Yunfei smiled and announced.
With the rule change of resetting all votes and re-voting, the two biggest dark horses in this round of rankings emerged.
Song Fenghua lifted her long lashes and looked at the big screen.
“Years of Work Studio, Song Fenghua: 6,324,745 votes.”
She walked out of the crowd with an incredulous feeling, even though she had experienced it once before, she still couldn’t calm down. In the audience, her only family member who always attended her performances in person, her sister, kept wiping away tears, while Song Fenghua smiled.
“I’m very happy. Thank you, everyone. I hope I can stand on the final stage with this grateful heart,” Song Fenghua raised her eyes, her gaze bright, “I hope I can be one of the last seven. Please continue to support me! Thank you!”
“Wow, Xiao Fenghua is finally feeling confident!” Xu Heran applauded.
Xin Nuo asked her, “Where did you learn that?”
Xu Heran: “?”
Xin Nuo grinned, “Aren’t you feeling confident?”
A certain Pearl suddenly remembered how she had just “felt confident” in front of everyone. Realizing this belatedly, her face turned red, but as a thick Little Pearl, could she admit it?
Xu Heran calmly held Xin Nuo’s hand, “I’ve always been confident, haven’t I?”
“Oh~” Xin Nuo’s tone was gentle, “You say you are, so you are.”
The two of them had been standing together since the beginning. Whenever the camera swept over them, it always passed quickly, causing dissatisfaction in the live stream room. However, when the third-place contestant was announced and the host received a signal from the director, they smiled and spoke, “For this round’s rankings, the final two trainees, the first and second place trainees, will be born from these two.”
The originally dispersed beams of light converged into one, shining down on the two girls standing close together and smiling.
Amidst the attention of everyone, Xu Heran held Xin Nuo’s hand and raised it high, “It must be us!”
“Please let this Little Pearl be a bit more modest.”
Xin Nuo chuckled softly, almost whispering as she said, gripping Xu Heran’s hand in return, standing beside her in the spotlight.
Ning Yunfei looked at the two girls holding hands together and intended to ask Xu Heran again whether she was confident about getting first place, but she suddenly remembered what Xu Heran had said just now.
Ning Yunfei: “…”
Never mind.
The director frantically waved from the audience.
Proceed!
Proceed!
Ahem, well then.
Ning Yunfei could only laugh and cry, raising the microphone, “Next, we will announce the second-place trainee. She is——”
The stage lights spun, the crown on the big screen shimmered, freezing in place.
The girl with blue-purple eyes had a brilliant smile, but the viewers in the livestream room sighed disappointedly.
“What’s going on? Little Pearl didn’t get first place! Everyone here has a responsibility!”
“Not me, I voted for Little Pearl!”
“Hehehe, my bad. Who made me care so much for my daughter-in-law? Next time, definitely, definitely!”
“It’s me!” Xu Heran laughed, raising her left hand and making a “yeah” gesture beside her cheek.
Global Entertainment Xu Heran: 9,840,413 votes.
Individual trainee Xin Nuo: 10,024,199 votes.
“Congratulations to Xin Nuo, congratulations to Xu Heran! We have the first trainee whose votes have exceeded ten million! Congratulations to both of you for once again being the top two contestants in this ranking!” Ning Yunfei exclaimed loudly with a smile.
Xu Heran took the microphone, laughing as she said, “I’m afraid if I say too much, I’ll make our Pearl and Shell angry, so I’ll let Sister Nuo Nuo take my turn and make a statement.”
“Ah ah ah ah! Xu Heran!!!”
In the audience, Xu Heran’s fans raised their support lights. Xin Nuo thought their next line might be, “You troublesome creature!”
The dark-haired girl she had mentally imagined couldn’t help but laugh. In her jet-black eyes, countless stars seemed to momentarily burst forth, leaving the audience staring at her in awe.
So beautiful, Xin Nuo.
“But I don’t want to make a statement on your behalf,” Xin Nuo’s chilly tone made the excited audience burst into laughter.
Xu Heran turned her head to ask her, “Why not?”
Aren’t I your beloved Little Pearl now?
“Because I want to interview you a bit,” Xin Nuo raised an eyebrow and slowly spoke amidst the fans’ screams. “Xu Heran, after so many rounds of voting, did you really never think of getting first place?”
“Every time the Pearls and Shells vote for me, are they intentionally trying to favor me?”
Xin Nuo held up the microphone, placing it near Xu Heran’s lips.
“Where did you get the idea of intentional favoritism?” Xu Heran said playfully, grabbing Xin Nuo’s hand holding the microphone and lowering her head slightly. “Sister Nuo Nuo’s every vote was earned through your own strength.”
“The next stage will be the final debut. Xu Heran, do you want to compete with me for first place?”
Xu Heran smiled, tightly holding Xin Nuo’s hand. She looked up at Xin Nuo’s dark, bright eyes.
“Well, I want to give it a try.”
“Little Pearl has gone crazy! Little Pearl has challenged Xin Nuo!”
Jiang Qiong, enjoying the spectacle, didn’t mind stirring things up. Holding a water bottle, she imitated Xu Heran’s tone, speaking deeply and affectionately, “I want to give it a try.”
“Ah ah ah!”
“Ran Ran, you’re amazing! The viewers in the live stream can’t stop praising your voice,” Jian Yueyin said with a smile.
A dozen beautiful girls sat inside a large bus, chatting and making noise.
“Hey, where are Yutong and Yueming?” Sasa asked.
The bus fell silent for a moment. Youyou sighed, “Right after the live broadcast ended, the Dream Entertainment manager took them away. That manager’s expression didn’t look too good.”
“I didn’t expect Yutong to not make it either,” Sasa shook her head.
“Ah ah ah, let’s not talk about rankings anymore. Let’s forget about the sad past! Let the past be carried away by the wind!” Youyou raised her hand.
Youyou, who had been eliminated, was embraced by Sasa. Sasa turned her head disdainfully to look at the advancing trainees.
“Let’s ignore them!”
“Right!”
“Let’s isolate them!”
“Isolate!”
Xu Heran’s eyes were shining, looking at Laurel. Laurel put down her phone and gave a thumbs up.
“Great! Friends! Tonight, at the barbecue stall, let’s party till dawn!” Xu Heran had just stood up when Xin Nuo grabbed her clothes and forcefully made her sit down.
“Minors aren’t allowed to drink alcohol,” Xin Nuo said calmly.
“Huh? Are we going tonight?” Jiang Qiong said excitedly.
Xu Heran smiled and said, “Didn’t the director give us two days off? I’ll have Sister Cui drive us to eat barbecue. We can party as late as we want and then come back to sleep! Sleep for a whole day and night!”
“Sounds good!” Haya clapped her hands. “We’ve been holding it in for so long! We want freedom!”
“We want freedom!”
“We want roasted lamb!”
“Roasted lamb!”
“Eat meat and drink heavily!”
“Great!”
The twelve girls were excited all the way until Cui Qi drove the Universal Entertainment business car, carrying them and a carload of Starlight Milk to the location designated by Laurel.
The senior manager of Universal Entertainment stood by the beach, her high heels stepping on the sand. She looked at the row of barbecue stalls below one after another and couldn’t help but comment, “Is this it?””Yes.”
Laurel spoke up and, leading the way, hugged a box of milk and walked down.
Just past midnight, there were quite a few people at the barbecue stalls. The sounds of the river and laughter mixed together. Far away on the other side of the river were the lights of bars and tall buildings, neon lights and the city’s glow reflecting on the water. It was the scenery of the world in the eyes of people.
Laurel led the group to the edge of the barbecue stall area. A row of connected flat-roofed shops stood there, most of them closed, looking abandoned for a while. Only one shop was selling drinks and ice cream. The owner sat on a lounge chair, waving a fan to shoo away mosquitoes.
“Here,” Laurel gestured and led them to the last shop, the one closest to the river. A flat cement floor extended over the water, with three tables set up. Many foam boxes were placed beside the tables for insulation.
“You all sit,” Laurel pointed at the tables. Xu Heran looked around, quickly fetching some stools piled against the wall.
“Nuo Nuo!”
Xin Nuo nodded, sat down, and glanced around. This platform was somewhat elevated, giving them a view of the riverbank scenery below. People of all kinds were visible, some stalls played lively music, and it seemed like a lively place.
Laurel placed the milk on the table and walked to the entrance of the flat-roofed shop. The shop’s entrance had a bamboo curtain, and Laurel rolled up her sleeves, starting to knock on the door.
“Bang bang bang, bang bang bang.”
“Where are you guys?” Laurel shouted.
Jiang Qiong carefully approached, whispering, “The ‘Flower Emperor’ is still as terrifying today.”
“Isn’t it scarier to deal with bamboo curtains?” Xu Heran rubbed her ear.
A response came from behind the bamboo curtain, and not long after, as the door went up, a few drowsy voices followed.
“We just took a short nap. The fire’s already lit. We can start grilling anytime.”
Xu Heran looked up curiously and saw three young men rubbing their eyes, starting to move things out. Behind the bamboo curtain was a warehouse, lit by a dim yellow light. Inside, things were piled up in a mess, and the walls were spray-painted.
A woman stiffly sat up from the couch, rubbing her head with messy hair, glanced outside, and happened to make eye contact with Xu Heran.
Xu Heran was startled, and couldn’t help but grab Xin Nuo’s hand.
Stiff, a zombie!
“Han Meimei!” Laurel shouted, “Are you pulling an all-nighter playing games again?”
“No…” The woman inside slowly got up, stumbling towards the outside. There was a tap outside the flat-roofed building. She wiped her face, shook her hand, and ran over.
“Hi!”
As she approached, Xu Heran noticed that her face was a bit pale, she was thin, and she was quite good-looking.
“Little Pearl, I know you. You have a good voice,” the woman’s voice was hoarse, she reached into her pocket.
“If you dare to smoke, I dare to throw you down from here,” Laurel said with a sinister tone, “Let me introduce you. This is my sister, Han Meimei.”
“Guys, Zhang San, Li Si, Wang Wu,” Laurel pointed to the three young men next to them, who were getting ready to start the fire and barbecue.
“Ah… you have quite a big family,” Xu Heran said awkwardly, “And no one has the same last name.”
Han Meimei laughed, “Ga ga ga,” “Little treasure with a made-up name. These are our stage names.”
“Stage names?” Xu Heran widened his eyes.
“They three have stage names, you don’t. I’m Han Meimei,” Laurel said, then rolled up her sleeves, “I’m going to stir-fry.”
Suddenly, she turned back and pointed at Han Meimei, “You behave yourself.”
Han Meimei immediately raised her hand.
On the other side of the flat-roofed building, a van was parked. Laurel took a gas cylinder from the trunk and demonstrated rapid assembly of a cooking stand to the trainees who were looking at her with wide eyes, like owls.
“Your Highness, no wonder you’re so good at cooking. You’re running a side business too?” Jiang Qiong helped Laurel carry vegetables and exclaimed.
“Not really.” Laurel thought for a moment and said seriously, “Occasionally.”
The others felt a bit awkward just sitting there. Some followed Laurel to see if they could help, while others followed Haya without hesitation. They trailed behind her like a group of ducklings, listening to her talking to the three who were barbecuing.
“You don’t need to help, go play by yourselves.”
After thinking for a moment, Laurel shouted to Han Meimei, “Where are the things you prepared?”
Han Meimei lazily got up, went to the warehouse, and brought out a projector and a screen.
Xu Heran glanced at Xin Nuo. The girl with black hair raised her finger to point and said, “Go ahead.”
Little Pearl immediately dashed out and headed for the warehouse of the other house.
“Sister Meimei, what kind of stage names were you talking about just now? Are you artists too?” Xu Heran helped Han Meimei carry things, curiously asking.
Han Meimei laughed, “Artists? We’re street performers. We do a bit of everything.”
“Ah—” Xu Heran held a box and looked to the side. At this glance, she almost dropped the box in her hand.
On a table by the wall were several small boxes, each with labels like “Brother Qiang, fulfilling your manly dreams,” “Sister-in-law Qiang, boosting your self-confidence,” “Choose Brother Qiang, choose professionalism.”
Xu Heran’s nightmare suddenly came to life. Her finger pointed “swish” at those boxes.
“You’re selling fake medicine!”
“Ah?” Han Meimei glanced over, burst into laughter, and said, “These are part of our side business. Who’s selling fake medicine? These are legitimate health products with proper national qualifications. We’re just selling our performances, running a barbecue stand, doing part-time pharmaceutical business, running a customer service center, and running an additional talent agency.”
Xu Heran: “…?”
Han Meimei raised her hand, rubbed Xu Heran’s head, surprised by the texture, and then cautiously touched it.
“Hahaha, don’t worry, we don’t do anything illegal or unruly. Sister Meimei here has a degree in medicine, you know.”
Xu Heran was half skeptical, kept glancing at her, and said with doubt, “Ah—”
“Seriously, Little Meimei won’t deceive minors.” Han Meimei laughed gaily, “Wanna see our miscellaneous crew?”
She led Xu Heran outside, set up the screen, played an animated movie featuring a certain sheep character for the Lunar New Year, and then brought Xu Heran back. Inside the warehouse, several boxes were covered with black cloth. Han Meimei removed the cloth and turned the inverted boxes over.
Xu Heran: “Ah!”
A drum set!
“Meimei, you’re a drummer?”
“I play bass,” Han Meimei took a guitar case and showed it to Xu Heran. “Zhang San plays the guitar, Li Si is the drummer, Wang Wu is on the keyboard.”
“What about the lead singer?” Xu Heran asked.
Han Meimei’s movement paused for a moment. She smiled, her hoarse voice saying, “The lead singer was my ex-boyfriend. He went abroad.”
“Ah…” Xu Heran nodded, afraid of bringing up painful memories for Han Meimei. “Wanna play a bit?”
She said with a smile, “We have many people outside who can sing.”
Han Meimei’s eyes lit up, and she chuckled, “You’ve figured out my plan, kiddo. Tonight, Sister Han Meimei just wants to trick a lead singer into having some fun and then run away.”
Xu Heran’s eyes were even brighter than hers. “Hehehe, after I finish singing as Little Pearl, I’ll take off. I think singing first as the lead singer shouldn’t be a problem!”
“What are you up to?” Laurel shouted from the door, seeing the instruments in Han Meimei’s hands. She furrowed her brows slightly and said, “Come out and talk. Are you trying to make it dark outside?” She spoke as if the platform were illuminating the whole area.
When Xu Heran and Han Meimei started moving the instruments outside, a group of trainees immediately became excited. They rushed over, shouting, “What’s this for?” “Are we going to sing?”
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Translator: Glariosa
Editor: Sinensis
