Chapter 38.1

“Bang, bang, bang.”

The restless heart pounded within the narrow chest. Flesh and bone seemed to transform into thin paper at this moment. The thumping heart went “bang” against the paper, imprinting the paper with a complete shape. As if with a bit more strength, the scorching heart was about to burst through the paper, leaping out from the body.

The backstage was dim, and everyone’s expressions were like blurry old photos or a film captured by an unfocused camera.

Soft laughter and voices intertwined, all beyond the stage separated by a wall.

A myriad of cheers, a myriad of excitement, a myriad of calls by name, a myriad of raised lights from the audience.

Those lights couldn’t disturb the embrace of the two. They held each other tightly, their upper bodies swaying slightly, their satisfied smiles impossible to conceal.

“Xu Heran, control your heartbeat sound.” Xin Nuo leaned her chin toward Xu Heran’s ear, teasingly whispering, “It’s so loud, it’s bothering me!”

The young girl’s face involuntarily turned red, but at this moment, the sudden rise of inexplicable stubbornness and unwillingness to lose made her refuse to bow her head.

“Is that so? I thought it was your heartbeat!” Xu Heran whispered softly.

“Heh, someone’s telling lies now. Are you so skilled at turning the tables? Aren’t you blushing?” Xin Nuo said and intentionally tried to lift her head to see if Xu Heran was blushing.

Without hesitation, the teased girl hugged Xin Nuo’s slender waist tightly, her long palms pressed firmly against her back, enveloping Xin Nuo completely within her embrace.

Xin Nuo’s body curved like a crescent moon, captive within Xu Heran’s arms.

“What are you looking at? No peeking.” Xu Heran whispered.

“It’s unreasonable.” The black-haired girl slightly tilted her head back, both hands resting on Xu Heran’s shoulders. Her fingertips still held the fan, and the pearls, reflecting a gentle glow, hung quietly on her shoulder beneath the pink-haired girl. The tassels dangled and swayed lightly.

“Then I’ll just be unreasonable too.” Xu Heran’s tone was calm.

Xin Nuo blinked, her eyes curved, “Xu Heran, you’ve grown taller and your cheek has thickened too?”

“You can lie and not reason. Haya was right. Some little pearls have turned rotten to the core.” She chuckled lightly.

Xu Heran’s ears felt warm again. She smelled the faint fragrance from Xin Nuo’s hair and, as if entranced, whispered, “I haven’t.”

“I think, Sister Nuo Nuo’s heartbeat might be the fastest, but you’re usually so quiet. Maybe your heartbeat is the same as everyone else’s, just too reluctant to make a sound.” Xu Heran squinted her eyes and spoke seriously.

“How about we verify it?”

Xu Heran licked her lips and said with a playful smile. She loosened the palm pressed against Xin Nuo’s waist and slowly lifted it along the patterned, soft fabric…

“Can I turn around now?” Jiang Qiong waved the fan she held for Song Fenghua and asked Haya, “How long are those two going to hug?”

“The world has changed, people’s hearts aren’t what they used to be. Is there anyone who can control them?”

Haya had one hand on her waist and the other was fanning. Lin Weining stood between her and Jiang Qiong, and either of them fanning could take care of her.

“The candy’s too hard, it hurts my teeth.” Haya raised an eyebrow, and she put more force into fanning. She turned her head slightly, glanced at the tightly embraced couple, and licked her lips.

“Is it really so nice to hug like that?” She curiously said, then turned to the quiet and graceful Lin Weining with a smile, “How about we give it a try too?”

Lin Weining’s smile stiffened slightly, and she looked at Haya in astonishment. The wind from Haya’s fanning rustled her bangs, and her long hair was coiled at the back of her head, adorned with a wooden hairpin, making her look like a lady from the Republican era.

The Republican-era lady was being… flirted with by the naughty girl, and she stepped back.

“No, thanks…”

“Just kidding, see how scared you got? Come here, feeling hot?” Haya raised her hand and pulled Lin Weining back, fanning more vigorously.

As they were chatting and laughing, they suddenly heard “slap, slap” sounds from behind, followed by the familiar sound of someone’s painful scream.

“I was wrong! I absolutely, absolutely won’t dare next time!” Xu Heran wailed.

Xin Nuo’s face turned dark and cold. She raised her hand, and her index finger lightly tapped Xu Heran’s arm.

“Give me your hand.”

Xu Heran widened her eyes, the blue-purple gems showing surprise and fear, “No, not spanking?”

Xin Nuo smiled gently, her left hand holding Xu Heran’s wrist, she raised the fan, “slap, slap, slap.”

“Well, maybe I’ll get a ruler next time.” She seemed to mumble to herself.

“Ah!!” Xu Heran covered her hand, “Ouch! It hurts so much! More than my butt!”

She opened her hand and looked at it, feeling wronged.

“It’s all red!”

“Look at you, look at you, it’s all red from the spanking!” She got spanked and she’s showing the spanker her red hand.

Xin Nuo grabbed her hand and rubbed it, slipping her fingers between Xu Heran’s, lifting them up, moving closer to her lips, playfully opening her mouth as if to bite Xu Heran’s hand. Xin Nuo softly let out an “Ahwoo.”

“Next time you dare to mess around… hmph, I’ll bite your hand off and feed it to the guard dog at the camp entrance.”

Xu Heran was startled and touched her face, then lowered her head to nuzzle against Xin Nuo’s shoulder.

The onlookers shook their heads, clicking their tongues in amazement.

“When will Little Pearl be able to stand up! I’ve had so many root lollipops crushed because of the Pup Pals camaraderie!” Jiang Qiong cursed the pearls for not becoming Pups!

Lin Weining’s eyes brightened, she looked at the fan in Xin Nuo’s hand, then at Haya. Under Haya’s alert eyes, she gave a gentle and light smile.

“This could be tried, do you prefer the left hand or the right hand?”

Haya: “…”

“To all the Star Makers here at the venue and in the live broadcast, our on-site voting has ended! The ten thousand Star Makers in the audience have used their voting devices to cast their precious votes for their favorite trainees tonight. Among the three teams, the team with the most combined votes will win the stage, and they will share one hundred thousand votes!”

Host Ning Yunfei stood on the spacious stage, her voice transmitted through the microphone to the ears of the ten thousand audience members present, as well as to those watching the live broadcast.

“Our SMS voting has not yet ended, everyone still has the chance to use the double-vote privilege, support your favorite trainee, edit her name and ranking, and send it to the program’s designated number. Let her journey to stardom shine because of you! Now, let’s welcome our twenty-one shining and outstanding Starlight Girls!” In Ning Yunfei’s enthusiastic voice, the three teams took the stage.

The cheers in the venue intensified as the girls raised their smiling faces, waving at both the audience present and those in the live broadcast.

Staff members handed over microphones from the sides, two for each team.

“You can tell that everyone has a good relationship. After the stage ends, everyone mingles around, and it’s making my head spin. So many beautiful girls, wuwuwu!”

“Ah! Ning Ning’s qipao is so beautiful it’s etched in my heart! Why is there such a gentle girl as beautiful as a fairy! Mom, I really want to marry her!”

“I used to think that Song Fenghua had such a low presence. We only saw her a few times in the first season’s program. Today’s stage completely shocked me! Her singing has improved so much! The dance is truly beautiful! She’s like an ice lotus, wuwuwu. In the past, I couldn’t understand the charm of a cold beauty, but today I’m completely amazed!”

“Me too, I want to give a home to all the cold beauties in the world! And if that cold beauty’s last name is Xu and she has a younger sister named Little Pearl, that would be even better! I’m a person with depth, definitely not after her money, her face, or her body! I swear to the heavens!”

“Hehe, as expected, someone wants to steal my wife! Let me tell you, I’m shallow, and my wife has depth. We complement each other! A match made in heaven!”

“But isn’t it about financial compatibility? I’m different from those shallow people above me. I just want to become Xu Heran’s sister-in-law. I’m really good at eating free meals! I can eat three big bowls in one sitting!”

“I can eat five bowls!”

“Shut up! Nobody try to steal her from me! I’m a rice bucket, I can eat a whole barrel!”

Xu Heran: “…”

“They’re talking about weird stuff again,” Xu Heran turned her head to Xin Nuo and said.

Xin Nuo shifted the microphone in her hand slightly and glanced at Xu Heran.

In the audience, a crazed fan shouted loudly, “Xu Heran, Mom loves you! But Mom wants to be your sister-in-law!!!”

“No way! She’s my sister-in-law!!”

Xu Heran: “…”

Trainees on the stage: “…”

“Hey, Mom, do you happen to know someone named Sasa?” Xu Heran frowned, “She’s right here. How about you two fight it out?”

Xin Nuo suspected she wanted to say, “How about you two have a fight.”

The live audience burst into laughter, having seen Sasa in the behind-the-scenes footage gripping Xu Heran’s hand and declaring herself her sister-in-law.

The trainee with the surname Sasa on the stage blushed more deeply than a certain pearl, her secret crush exposed in broad daylight. She couldn’t help lowering her head, covering her red face, gritting her teeth, and planning to come back and give Xu Xu a hard time during the Lunar New Year.

“Once we’re back, let’s crowdfund for Xin Nuo! Let’s buy a ruler!” Jiang Qiong comforted Sasa, patting her shoulder. “I’ll pitch in 50 cents!”

Sasa clenched her fist, “I’ll pitch in $5!”

Ning Yunfei smiled and waved her hand, quickly stepping forward to host. This time, she couldn’t let the events from before happen again! She was determined to break the curse of “Starlight Girls’ livestreams always trending”!

The root of the curse was being too fond of Xu Heran!

In the audience, the director and Xu Heran’s manager crossed their arms, staring intently at Xu Heran, attempting to communicate through their stern gaze.

Behave!!

“Dreams take flight, stars shine bright! Next, we will reveal the ranking of this stage’s votes. The top seven winning girls will be announced one by one, and the remaining fourteen girls’ rankings will be revealed simultaneously.” After Ning Yunfei finished speaking, the large screen behind her displayed the Starlight Girls’ crown logo.

“The trainee who ranked seventh in this round of voting is—”

On the screen, the smoky makeup-clad girl appeared with an arrogant expression, her eyes filled with mockery and disdain.

Blast Entertainment Haya: 538 votes.

Xu Heran: “Hahaha!”

Haya helplessly shouted, “Come on, please, change the photo for the child!”

The audience in the venue and the live broadcast laughed heartily, and someone deliberately asked, “Hey, who’s this girl walking out? Is she the same person in the photo? My lenses are thick, don’t try to fool me.”

“Report, someone’s boosting their rank! The winning girl is obviously 173 cm tall!”

Xu Heran’s eyes lit up when she saw this barrage. She grabbed Xin Nuo’s hand and raised it, speaking cheerfully.

“I’m currently 171 cm tall, but with my shoes on, I’m probably 173 cm!”

Gasps came from the audience below. You grew three centimeters in a month, are you secretly a bamboo spirit!

Haya, who had already stepped forward, felt a bit uneasy for some reason. She looked at Xu Heran warily, “What are you trying to do?”

Xu Heran deliberately opened her arms and rushed towards Haya, “Come on! If you dare, let’s have a comparison!”

“Don’t come over!” Haya looked left and right, about to run away. The trainees behind her hurried over, blocking her path. Xu Heran grinned and hugged her shoulders.

“Come, take a look!” Xu Heran stood up straight and patted Haya’s back.

The camera focused on the two of them, and the large screen behind them displayed the current scene, emphasizing the space above their heads.

“You liar! Look at this, the difference is so big!!!” Xu Heran reached out and pinched the distance between the two, shaking her head in disappointment, “People nowadays, so deceitful!”

Haya pouted her neck and denied, “My shoes are high!”

She lifted her platform shoes.

“Hahaha!”

Haya’s height was mercilessly exposed. Her and Xu Heran’s friendship had reached its end. The two of them went their separate ways on the stage, deciding to break their bond in three minutes.

“Haya’s almost 180 cm tall. She’s too tall, isn’t she?” Xu Heran’s eyes sparkled. She returned to Xin Nuo and whispered in her ear, “I wish I were that tall!”

Xin Nuo: “…”

“Well, work hard for it then.” Xin Nuo raised her hand, patted Xu Heran’s shoulder, and tilted her head with a somewhat melancholic expression. If Xu Heran grew even taller, would she end up being carried around everywhere? Just thinking about that scene was, terrifying…

“Obtaining sixth place in this voting round!”

The crown logo on the screen spun, and the blonde girl’s expression remained blank. Her disdainful dead-fish eyes seemed to hold a hint of contempt for the mundane world.

Unique Voice Laurel: 592 votes!

“Great job!” Xu Heran high-fived Laurel, watching her step forward onto the stage.

Haya embraced Laurel and stood side by side.

The fifth-place contestant.

Best Entertainment You Yu: 629 votes.

The sweet and cute girl bounced out, opened her arms, and bowed to the audience.

“Learn from her.”

Haya patted Laurel, only to be retorted by Laurel, “Talking to yourself there.”

Ning Yunfei stood at the edge of the group of 21 trainees, holding a cue card. She turned slightly and looked at the large screen. “So, the fourth-place contestant is about to be announced.”

The crown rotated, and three seconds later, cheers erupted as the girl in the photo smiled gently.

Angel Entertainment Lin Weining: 952 votes.

In the audience, Cui Qi shook her head and sighed, “Such promising talents.”

These trainees from the big companies were truly eye-catching.

Director Liu crossed his arms, pretending not to hear.

“They’ve pulled ahead suddenly.” Xu Heran leaned against Xin Nuo and commented.

Xin Nuo was fanning herself and responded with a “Hmm.” Her gaze landed on Lin Weining, then shifted to the teammates behind her. She looked thoughtful and then smiled lightly.

Her smile was caught by the live stream camera, and a wave of crazy confessions flooded the chat. Xu Heran glanced at it, suddenly raised her hand, and pressed it against Xin Nuo’s cheek.

Xin Nuo remained unmoved, and her folding fan tapped against Xu Heran’s hand.

“It’s hot.”

Xu Heran withdrew her hand grumpily. Facing the camera, she beckoned with her finger. When the cameraman approached, she lifted both hands, grabbed the lens, brought her face closer, and stuck out her tongue.

The audience is always paying attention to her mom fans, and the audience whose tongues are stuck out in the live broadcast room: “…”

Xin Nuo!!

There is no law!

What a shame, this little pearl! Their fists are so hard!

In the end, it was Xin Nuo who raised his hand and grabbed Xu Heran by the ear to pull him back.

At this moment, Xin Nuo suddenly understood how correct and wise it was for Sister Cui to let Xu Heran learn boxing and kickboxing. When she was sacked in a sack, she would have the ability to resist.

Sister Cui is reborn!

While they were playing around, a photo of the third trainee appeared on the screen, and an unexpected girl’s name appeared on the screen.

Song Fenghua from Years of Work Studio: 1023 votes.

“Wow!”

The trainees on the stage and the audience in the audience exclaimed.

“Xiao Fenghua is awesome!” Xu Heran gave a thumbs up.

Song Fenghua turned her head, glanced at her name, her eyes widened uncontrollably, and a hint of surprise and bewilderment appeared on her face with a barren expression. The corners of her eyes suddenly turned red, and she looked back at the screen again, looking for Xu Heran, Xin Nuo, and Jian Yueyin, she showed a shallow, grateful smile.

“The second-ranked trainee.”

When the pearl oysters in the audience excitedly raised the signs, Xu Heran knew it was her without turning her head. She stood up, crossed her hips, supported her legs, and raised her free hand high to the sky for three seconds. Cute and naughty.

Xin Nuo covered the lower half of her face with a round fan, revealing a gentle smile with crooked eyes.

Xu Heran flashed a large, radiant smile at the audience. Her blue-purple eyes gleamed brilliantly as she lowered her hands, placing them gently over her chest while forming a heartfelt gesture. Completing the heart shape, she used her hands as if they were flower holders, cradling her chin with a playful tilt, her head slightly crooked.

“Thank you, everyone!”

“Sob sob sob, my baby’s smile is so sweet! Mom forgives you instantly! Indeed, Mom spoils you the most! Mom pampers you, you know!”

“I unilaterally reconcile with Little Pearl! This heart is meant for me! No one can snatch it!”

“Hooray! This is my daughter! My daughter! Mine!”

Amidst the commotion, the remaining attention shifted to the black-haired girl who was silently observing Xu Heran’s figure. If Xu Heran was the second on the stage for this performance, then who else could be the first?

Individual trainee Xin Nuo: 1827 votes.

“Nuo Nuo! Last time I had 1728! Our numbers are the same!” Xu Heran happily shouted.

“Your understanding of the word ‘same’ seems a bit different from ours, doesn’t it?” Haya immediately retorted.

Xu Heran snorted and tilted her chin.

Close enough~

The girl in the beige cheongsam gracefully walked to the front of the stage. Her gaze swept over Song Fenghua and Lin Weining. Both girls understood her smile, and as she took a step forward, they followed suit.

Xin Nuo on the left, Song Fenghua in the middle, and Lin Weining on the right.

The girls in cheongsams exuded elegance, standing tall and graceful. In shades of beige, light blue, and jade white, like three delicate blossoms waiting to bloom, they held folding fans by their waists. Their legs, slender behind the skirts, were slightly bent, and they elegantly bowed to the audience.

“Wow—”

“Ah ah ah!!!”

The audience below excitedly raised their support items, and their enthusiastic voices floated to the stage.

Team Two, the victorious team of this performance.

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Translator: Glariosa
Editor: Sinensis

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