Chapter 44.2

The group walked out of the room, coming to the small platform on the third floor. The sky outside was starting to darken, and the eight of them gathered around a small table, digging into cake.

“Sister Cui told us not to order takeout randomly. There’s a housekeeper cooking at home, and we can also eat at the company cafeteria,” Jian Yueyin said. “I haven’t had a proper tour of the new company yet.”

Song Fenghua replied, “When there’s a chance.”

With just over ten days until their debut, the cakes and pastries Xin Nuo brought were delicious, but the seven of them were afraid of gaining weight. Each of them only had a small portion. Then, they sat on the cozy couches, leaning against each other’s legs, talking while watching Xu Heran devour her meal with an unstoppable momentum.

“Ranran is still trying to gain weight?”

Xin Nuo nodded, “She’s still growing, being too thin isn’t good for her health, and she exercises every day.”

Haya laughed, “Now I can spar with Little Pearl and hit the punching bag every day. The park is so big, and the scenery is nice. We can go for a jog every morning! Let’s get moving, everyone!”

Except for Xu Heran’s agreement, the remaining six fell silent in unison.

“Get away from us.” Xin Nuo suddenly said.

“Who did you learn that from?” Song Fenghua looked at Xin Nuo, finding it funny, a smile playing on her lips.

Who else could it be?

Everyone looked at the person sitting across from them, not even lifting her head as she ate. Xu Heran’s cheeks were puffed out, chewing with effort. After finishing two pieces of cake, she downed a glass of watermelon juice, then patted her belly, lying down on the ground.

“So full…,” Xu Heran gazed at the ceiling, her expression vacant. Thirty seconds later, she closed her eyes.

Everyone: “…”

“Xin Nuo, did you put sleeping pills in the cake?” Laurel asked, shocked.

Xin Nuo was taken aback, and the others were equally surprised by Laurel’s sudden outburst and the way she addressed Xin Nuo. The girl with black hair lazily raised her hand, “Don’t accuse me. That’s a talent Zhuzhu naturally possesses.”

“It’s just that her talent has become more powerful.”

Laurel laughed.

For some reason, everyone felt a strange sense of connection, as if their relationship with Xin Nuo had inexplicably grown closer.

Jian Yueyin laughed, “Ways to calm Ranran down: One, put Xin Nuo near her; Two, put Sister Cui near her; Three, let Ranran eat her fill. Have we all become experts at this?”

“Then we’ll have to carry snacks with us from now on and make sure to feed her properly,” Jiang Qiong said with a smile. “If Xu Zhuzhu acts up, we’ll immediately rush over and stuff her mouth with something delicious!”

The seven people burst into laughter, and the Xu Heran on the carpet struggled to raise her hand, discontentedly saying, “I heard that.”

“Go to sleep,” Xin Nuo said, picking up a glass of water from the table. She asked the others, “Have the songs all been chosen?”

Six people nodded one after another.

Jiang Qiong said firmly, “I’m sure 《Yaco》 was written by Xu Zhuzhu. I’m voting for 《Yaco》!”

“I thought about it, and I feel like 《Stellar Catch》 is by Yueyin. Although Yueyin used to say she likes sad songs, that was before. Isn’t everything starting to get better now?” Lin Weining whispered, “And I really like the feeling 《Stellar Catch》 gives me. I’m voting for 《Stellar Catch》.”

Jian Yueyin laughed, “So everyone is ‘favoring one’s own family’?”

“Hahaha, even though we’ve received songs from many well-known musicians, some of whom have written hits, this is our debut song after all. We still want to sing songs by our own people,” Haya raised an eyebrow, “Consider it a bit of faith on my part.”

Those who voted the same way nodded in agreement.

“Well… it seems everyone has the same faith. But aren’t you afraid of voting for the wrong song?” Jian Yueyin smiled, “Oh dear, what if our sense of faith has shifted?”

Jiang Qiong was shocked, “So I’m the only one who voted for Xu Zhuzhu?”

Qiong Woof Woof lamented, “I’ve actually deviated from the majority because of false woof-woof camaraderie!”

“…It’s okay, even if it’s not your song, I really like this song,” Haya said, “So, it’s really not yours?”

The others immediately stared at Jian Yueyin’s expression.

Jian Yueyin smiled, “I didn’t say it’s mine.”

Before everyone could become disappointed, Jian Yueyin narrowed her eyes again, “Of course, I didn’t say it’s not mine either.”

“…?”

“Where did you learn that from, you little troublemaker! It’s so bad!” Even Lin Weining couldn’t stand it anymore.

Song Fenghua’s mouth curved downward, and she nodded in agreement.

Laurel asked her, “If it’s not you, who else could it be?”

“Of course, it’s me, hahaha!”

“Hahahaha! Hahahahaha!”

On a sunny afternoon, Xu Heran stood with her hands on her hips, holding the lyrics, and burst into wild laughter.

“Xu Heran, get down from the sofa!” Cui Qi reprimanded.

“Oh!”

Xu Heran bounced down, getting happier the more she thought about it. She held up the lyric sheet and danced for her teammates, who were sitting on the sofa, stunned.

“It seems everyone still recognizes my talent! How many times have I said it? Thirty years in the east, thirty years in the west! Don’t underestimate a poor gem! As long as the effort is deep, my lyrics will capture your heart!”

Xu Heran raised her fist and delivered the message passionately, “Thanks to Xi Xi TV, Universal TV, and thanks to all the friends who supported me in front and behind the scenes. Thank you all for recognizing my lyrics, but here, I want to give a special thanks to my classmate Xin Nuo, who helped revise and edit my lyrics. She’s my close friend, and we’ve shared the same bed for years! Thanks to her help all along, I can come to this point! Thank you, thank you everyone!”

Xin Nuo: “…”

Everyone: “…”

Jiang Qiong “squeaked” her head around, shocked, “What’s going on? 《Stellar Catch》 was written by Xu Zhuzhu? Then what about 《Yaco》?”

Jian Yueyin raised her hand with her eyes bent.

Everyone was even more astonished. Xin Nuo specifically leaned out to confirm with Jian Yueyin.

“That’s right, it’s me,” Jian Yueyin said with a light laugh.

“What’s gotten into you?” Song Fenghua asked her, uncertain in her tone, “Jian Yueyin?”

Laurel simply lifted her hand and pinched Jian Yueyin’s face.

She turned her head heavily and nodded to everyone, “Yes, it’s me.”

“???”

“Wait, during Yueyin’s performance, didn’t she mention suddenly being interested in sweet songs? Could it be that you wrote it then?” Haya asked.

Jian Yueyin rubbed her chin, “It wasn’t written at that time. However, during the Ten into Seven song collection, regardless of who got in, I wanted everyone to dance to a cute dance. After all, we’re a girl group~”

“Especially Ranran and Xin Nuo, as well as Fenghua and Laurel,” Jian Yueyin smiled very gently.

The four people she mentioned trembled inexplicably.

Oh my, Yueyin is so frightening!

Jiang Qiong took a breath and asked Xin Nuo, “So, Nuo Nuo, you knew that these were Zhuzhu’s lyrics and you were also involved? Yet you pretended not to know! We were all fooled by you!”

Xin Nuo leisurely speared a piece of fruit to eat and smiled slightly, “Respecting the program’s rules, maintaining the mystery.”

“And besides, don’t you find it interesting?”

Seeing everyone trying hard to guess the lyricist.

“…”

Oh my, this is also so frightening!

“Hey!” Xu Heran felt ignored, stood in the living room with her hands on her hips, and waved the lyric sheet at the people on the couch, “Look at me! I’m the highlight of today, okay!”

“Hmph.”

Several people snorted at Xu Heran.

Cui Qi smiled and clapped her hands, saying, “I had a meeting with my colleagues in the music department all morning. We’ve decided to respect everyone’s wishes. Our debut song will be 《Stellar Catch》. After debuting on September 15th, in late October, we will release our first album. 《Yaco》 will be the title track, along with 《Follow Me》 and the other six songs we’ve chosen for album recording and MV shooting.”

Jian Yueyin said, “Let me handle the composition for 《Stellar Catch》. Ranran and I can work on it together.”

“That’s our plan too,” Cui Qi said, “You’re all very talented. Now is the opportunity to prove yourselves to everyone.”

The eight girls raised their hands, “SGS, fighting!”

On September 15th, Saturday, at 5 PM, two black minivans drove into the underground parking lot of Haicheng TV station under the escort of front and rear cars.

“Thanks to the shining Xu Heran’s leadership, we get to experience the feeling of superstars ahead of time!” Jiang Qiong nervously trembled, playfully teasing the others.

The Xu Family’s care for their three children had been cautious and thorough from a young age.

The other girls, whose faces had shown signs of nervousness, couldn’t help but smile, and their tension eased slightly.

The group of people moved towards the direction of the elevator.

“Hey, have you guys seen that news?” Haya whispered.

“What news? We’ve been working overtime to practice singing and dancing. If it weren’t for Sister Cui reminding me, I wouldn’t even know today is the debut live broadcast,” Laurel said.

“That news about the 《Starlight Girls》 high-ranking trainee having a private meeting with the Film Emperor, and their intimate behavior suggesting a romantic relationship,” Haya smoothly recited the news headline.

Xu Heran’s gaze “whooshed” onto Haya.

“Don’t glare at me, I didn’t make that up. But that news is really funny. Just two minutes before this marketing account started spouting nonsense, didn’t Xin Nuo post a photo with Little Pearl and the café staff? In the comments, she mentioned bumping into Mu the Film Emperor, ‘slapping’ the marketing account’s face. They immediately deleted it and even posted an apology letter.”

“But in the photo, Mu Yiyue gave you flowers. So, were the flowers Little Pearl brought back that day for this incident?” Haya asked. 

In the photo posted by the marketing account, Mu Yiyue’s flower bouquet was different in size from the one Xu Heran carried.

“Ignore him. He’s just a despicable thing,” Xu Heran sneered, her finger pressing on the button.

Although several girls didn’t know exactly what had happened, they immediately moved Mu Yiyue to the opposing camp.

“Cough.” Cui Qi suddenly coughed and glanced at the cameraman beside her. The cameras for the group’s variety show were also there, ready to film their debut stage for later editing into the show.

“It’s okay, we’re colleagues, part of the team,” the shy female camerawoman whispered.

Everyone immediately extended their hands and shook hands with the two camerawomen who were also part of the team.

“By the way, our variety show and live broadcast both start at 8 PM tonight, right?” Xu Heran asked.

Speaking of the live broadcast, everyone became nervous again.

“Relax, you’re all the best! After going through so many live broadcasts, which one of you has ever disappointed the fans?” Cui Qi encouraged them. “Keep up the good work!”

The girls nodded eagerly.

At 6 PM, SGS’s newly minted idols began their rehearsal. After two rehearsals, they hurriedly returned to the waiting room to do their makeup, change clothes, and greet the other artists who had rushed to participate in the live broadcast.

At 7 PM, five hundred audience members entered.

At 7:50, the hosts took the stage, and the screens in the waiting room began to display the ongoing performances.

“The program will last for an hour and a half, with a total of fifteen performances. We’ll be the ninth to perform,” Cui Qi said.

The group remained expressionless but nodded.

At this moment, they couldn’t hear any sound; they numbly followed the audience’s applause.

The seventh performance began, the eighth was getting ready backstage, and the idols from the ninth performance were preparing to be interviewed by the host.

“Phew.”

Xu Heran exhaled, standing up straight.

The eight members took out their microphones from the boxes they had carefully prepared in their bags.

“SGS!”

“Go for it!”

“Music Night, making your night different with music~ On this beautiful night, we have encountered a group of lovely girls. They are the eight charming and beautiful girls selected from the Starlight Girls program not long ago. Tonight, they will make their debut on the Music Night stage! Let’s welcome them!” The host said with a smile.

The eight girls quickly entered the frame from both sides, and the fans in the audience below erupted in wild cheers: “SGS!”

The names of the eight members resounded one after another. Among the five hundred people in the audience were fans of fifteen idol groups or solo idols. A small wave of SGS fans, however, shouted with the force of a mighty army.

Jian Yueyin smiled and said, “Hello everyone, we are the new idol group SGS. I’m the leader, Jian Yueyin.”

Xu Heran tilted her head, her blue-purple eyes shining brightly. “I’m Pearl, Xu Heran.”

“Ah, ah, ah!! Little Pearl dyed her hair! It’s Black Pearl!!! Black Pearl!!!”

“Oh my god!! Little Pearl with black hair suddenly looks so grown up! Ah, where’s the pink Pearl, our mommy’s pink baby Pearl?”

“My dear, why do you look like you’ve grown up so quickly!”

“Waaah, Baby Pearl looks so good! Universal’s makeup is amazing! All eight babies look so good!”

“Hello everyone, I’m SGS’s Xin Nuo.”

“Xin Nuo——”

“One command, a hundred responses!”

“Ah!!”

After each girl spoke, the SGS fans below the stage cheered and supported with all their might. Regardless of whose fan they were, everyone was part of the same team!

After the seven girls finished their introductions, the host quickly asked the pre-arranged questions. She turned to Lin Weining and said, “I heard that Weining didn’t become one of the seven members to debut in Starlight Girls. Are you appearing as an SGS member this time?”

Lin Weining smiled and said, “I’m one of the female leads in SGS’s MV this time. I’m honored to stand on their debut stage with SGS.”

Cheers and encouragement filled the live broadcast and the audience below. They truly wanted to see Lin Weining debut alongside the other seven girls!

Anyway, who said the Seven Fairies couldn’t have eight members!

We are the Seven Fairies plus a cute and beautiful Black Pearl!

“Thank you, SGS, for accepting our interview. So, let’s look forward to your debut performance!”

“Ah——”

The stage darkened, a spotlight descended, illuminating a swing adorned with floral branches, gently swaying in the air.

Clad in a white dress, her face as beautiful as a heaven-sent maiden, she looked up, her jet-black eyes exuding fragmented emotions. A somewhat melancholic prelude played, and the girl lifted a microphone with a purple base that glowed with a blue light.

“As a star falls, I come into the world.”

Xin Nuo lowered her gaze, her toes resting on the black floor. It was as if she was questioning herself, softly singing, “Is it when angels turn life around, that we venture into earthly existence without regrets.”

As her brilliance faded, another beam of light illuminated a girl in the distance. The once expressionless girl now wore a perplexed and lost expression, “I’ve also laughed heartily in the past.”

Lin Weining looked up at the sky, “I’ve also cried in sorrow.”

“I’ve also felt despair in the depths of the night.” Jiāng Qióng and Sòng Fēnghuá exchanged glances through the darkness.

“Yet we can’t let go, the rarity of being human.”

Haya lowered her head and stepped onto the stage from the side, moving like a shooting star across the sky, leaving a trail of bright light behind.

“Turning around, unwilling to wait until tears dry up. People say that in life, you must learn to be persistent. I’ve learned, so what?” She finished her rap, spreading her arms wide across the stage.

The entire stage momentarily brightened, then dimmed quickly, only to shine again.

With her hair dyed back to black and a calm expression, the girl stood at the center of the stage. She stared into the distance with unwavering determination, her gaze fixed as if peering into the farthest reaches of the world.

After half a month apart, she seemed to have grown taller. Her thick black hair resembled waves on the sea, framing her fair cheeks. Her blue-purple eyes remained bright, like treasures untouched by dust. Her blue irises resembled a painting in the deep night sky, profound and vast. Hints of purple wove intricately within them, encapsulating all emotions within those eyes.

“I still have a dream, to flow through the desolate sea of stars, even if the world calls me absurd!”

Jian Yueyin stood on the platform behind her, echoing her melody, “Sometimes doubting, weak in persistence, yet unwilling to let go, allowing my heart to wander.”

“Sometimes the pain of being careful is overwhelming,” Xu Heran glanced sideways.

Unbeknownst to anyone, Xin Nuo had positioned herself behind the girl. They stood one in front of the other, yet through the lens, it appeared as if they were facing each other.

“Don’t be sad. Look up at the sky,” she said.

“Because I’m a star. This is the destiny and wish of a star,” she said.

Jian Yueyin’s high notes erupted suddenly, “To shine—”

Xu Heran turned around and sang along, “My persistent belief.”

“Shine—”

“My resolute desire.”

“To radiate light—because I’m a star, I hold onto my faith in the sky!”

“To shine, because I’m a star, this is the destiny and wish of a star!”

Laurel strode out like a shooting star. Everyone on stage, their hair now black, joined in unity. Amidst the increasingly bright stage lights, she raised her microphone, “Once again, I’ll never admit defeat, even if it’s an injury severe enough to take my life. I won’t bow my head, because my flesh and blood are connected to my bones!”

Haya followed, “I can cry, I can fuss, I can let my emotions ferment without restraint. But this bone, this bone, must stand tall and proud on the ground!”

“My persistent belief—” Xu Heran’s high notes flowed continuously, like a ladder reaching toward the stars.

Simultaneously, Xin Nuo and Song Fenghua sang, “I still have a dream, to flow through the desolate sea of stars.”

“Shine!” Jian Yueyin’s high notes blended with Xu Heran’s.

Jiang Qiong and Lin Weining added their voices, “Because I’m a star, this is the destiny and wish of a star.”

“Reclaiming the stars, imprisoning my heart, in a forsaken paradise, in a ruined palace. But my only path is never to admit defeat!”

“My faith in life!”

“My resolute desire.”

“I am,” Xu Heran and Xin Nuo locked eyes, “I am the only starlight.”

“I will shine brightly!”

Amidst the cheers, the eight girls walked off the stage, standing below, unable to calm their emotions for a long time.

On the stage, a new artist stepped up, singing a sweet and lyrical song. In the dimness, Xin Nuo suddenly turned her head, gazing at an empty corner.

She raised her hand and gently wiped away a tear from the corner of her eye.

The cameraman held the camera, aiming it at the somewhat silent girl. Following the director’s instructions, he softly asked, “As the debut song for all of you, this song was written by Xu Heran herself. I wonder, what kind of emotions were you feeling when you wrote this song?”

In the dim light, Xu Heran’s eyes, brighter than gemstones, curved gently.

“I’ve forgotten how I felt back then, but I remember that I was thinking of someone while writing this song.”

“I hope she will like it.”

The girl with her back turned to her turned her lips upward, brushing away the transparent droplet that had fallen to the corner of her mouth.

“I think she will really like it,” the girl turned her head and whispered.

The smile on Xu Heran’s face deepened.

“Is that so? That’s really great then!”

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The author has something to say:

[Pretend to look cool as if the lyrics are amazing (the author bows down gratefully)] 

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Translator: Glariosa
Editor: Sinensis

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