After Rebirth, I Ended Up with My Idol [Entertainment Circle] - Chapter 13

Xu Xiaoye had been waiting for this opportunity for far too long. She had seen the power of capital, and she had lost to the power of capital, but this was her dream; she couldn’t let it go, and she couldn’t look back. Therefore, the moment this variety-style competition emerged, Xu Xiaoye sensitively sniffed out that there would definitely be some hidden issues within it.

During the auditions, Xu Xiaoye had been squatting backstage and finally spotted Wang Yunshui. She and Wang Yunshui had known each other for a long time—to be precise, Wang Yunshui had come to the company for training last year. It was more of a “dabbling” pursuit for her, as she seemed to have some connection with the company’s high-level executives. As for the exact nature of that connection, Xu Xiaoye wasn’t entirely sure.

But she understood very clearly: the underlying meaning of making this show and letting Wang Yunshui participate was that Wang Yunshui must debut.

She couldn’t stop Wang Yunshui from targeting whoever she wanted, but this group was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for Xu Xiaoye. She had to seize it, and it couldn’t be a mess.

The three-year mark had arrived. Three months from now would be her twenty-fourth birthday. If she couldn’t debut this time, she would have to keep her promise and go home to work in an industry she completely disliked and lacked talent for.

She could tolerate Wang Yunshui getting in, but at the same time, she absolutely had to have An Rong!

She was set on it!

After An Rong finished exercising, the gym was empty. She was covered in sweat, and her clothes were soaked through. She stood in a corner and sniffed herself; there was a bit of a sweaty smell.

She sat outside for a while until her sweat had mostly dried, then entered through the other door of the restroom, looped around to the shower, and took a quick rinse before pulling on her clothes to head back to the dorm.

The light in the cubicle had been covered, making the illumination hazy and dim, unable to reach very far outside.

An Rong estimated that at this hour, Xu Xiaoye should already be asleep. She crept in stealthily and scooped up her pajamas from the bedside.

Xu Xiaoye, half-asleep and half-awake, spoke in a raspy voice, “What time is it?”

An Rong was startled. She checked the time and whispered, “It’s one o’clock. Go back to sleep.”

“Mm—” Xu Xiaoye let out a sound and rolled over. “Hurry up and sleep. There’s training tomorrow.”

An Rong gave a hum of acknowledgment. She tiptoed with extreme care to wash up and change her clothes, taking the opportunity to wash the clothes she’d just worn as well.

Training here required washing clothes every day; the smell of sweat was too strong.

The bathroom was brightly lit but completely empty. An Rong had no idea what had transpired here a few hours ago.

After another quick rinse and finishing her laundry, An Rong quietly returned to the dorm.

The desk lamp was covered with cloth, casting a very faint glow. The second hand of the small desk clock nearby made a light tick-tock sound. Using the weak light, An Rong looked at Xu Xiaoye sleeping in the darkness. She wasn’t sure what she was dreaming about, but her brow was still slightly furrowed.

She must be under a lot of pressure, right?

In her previous life, the initial An Rong had never even considered that Xu Xiaoye might be stressed. To her back then, Xu Xiaoye was simply a guide—a powerful and perfect captain, a gentle and affectionate older sister. In front of the camera, she was always composed and grand. Thinking back now, she must have overlooked so many details.

She had to work harder, grow even faster, and become someone who could be relied upon.

An Rong turned off the light and took the towel off the lamp, draping it over the desk clock instead to muffle the influence of that faint ticking sound.

The next morning, when An Rong got up, Xu Xiaoye had already finished her makeup. She looked radiant and was in high spirits, sitting with her legs crossed while drinking coffee.

An Rong was still aching all over—actually, it was slightly worse than yesterday, feeling like a million needles.

Hearing movement, Xu Xiaoye looked up at her and said, “Don’t just stand there dazed. Hurry up and get down to wash and eat.”

“Oh.” An Rong climbed down from the bed slowly. Not yet fully awake, she rubbed her eyes sleepily. Walking to the door, she turned back and said, “You don’t need to leave the light on for me tonight. There’s a bit of light from outside at night; I can see.”

Xu Xiaoye was a light sleeper; any noise or light at night kept her awake.

The coffee in Xu Xiaoye’s mug was still steaming. She looked at An Rong and gave her a sideways glance. “Are you a night owl?”

An Rong shook her head and muttered, “No, I’m just afraid you won’t be able to sleep.”

Xu Xiaoye felt a warmth in her heart. She gave a slight smile and said, “You certainly think a lot. It’s fine, just take care of yourself. Even if you’re young, you can’t wreck your body like this.”

An Rong hummed in agreement.

After returning from washing her face, Xu Xiaoye pointed at the chair and said to An Rong, “Sit down.”

A row of bottles and jars sat on the desk. An Rong hesitated for a moment before slowly walking over and sitting.

Xu Xiaoye pinched An Rong’s chin, holding her face while applying makeup. “You won’t need to go to the makeup room after breakfast.”

An Rong remembered encountering Wang Yunshui in the makeup room yesterday, and her brow furrowed slightly.

Xu Xiaoye let out a “tsk.” “Don’t move.”

An Rong’s brow smoothed out immediately; she didn’t dare move an inch.

After breakfast, the two went to the dance studio. An Rong’s eyes secretly searched for Wang Yunshui. Wang Yunshui was leading her group in practice. Her movements appeared very smooth already, and her progress was likely comparable to Xu Xiaoye’s. It was strange—clearly, she wasn’t someone particularly talented, so how was her progress so fast this time?

Xu Xiaoye stood beside her, leaning down toward An Rong’s shoulder, her face almost pressing against An Rong’s. Following her gaze, she asked hauntingly, “What are you looking at?”

An Rong was startled. She jerked her head around and retreated a step, her lips brushing against Xu Xiaoye’s cheek.

Xu Xiaoye froze for a moment.

An Rong blinked uneasily. Looking at the tiny smudge of lipstick she had left on Xu Xiaoye’s cheek, she was too guilty even to look her in the eye.

Xu Xiaoye looked up and wiped her cheek with her thumb. Seeing the faint pink on her fingertip, the corners of her mouth quirked up. She deliberately looked at An Rong with a playful, flirtatious gaze and asked, “Am I that scary?”

An Rong shook her head instantly, her heart racing and her breath quickening. Not scary at all. In fact…

Xu Xiaoye gave her a soft, limp push. She pouted her lips and said in a coquettish, feigned anger, “I hate you. That’s twice now. Are you trying to take advantage of me?”

An Rong’s heart was in a state of chaos. Did Xu Xiaoye find out? No, no. If Xu Xiaoye found out, she’d probably beat me to death on the spot. Why would she talk to me like this?

An Rong’s tongue darted out to lick her lips. She shook her head nervously and said, “No, it’s a misunderstanding. I didn’t.”

The atmosphere was momentarily tense. Feeling panicked and short of breath, An Rong maintained a calm, expressionless face as she tested: “Go wash your face.”

People nearby were already looking over. Xu Xiaoye tossed her hair, her eyes looking like they had little hooks in them as she gazed at An Rong with a moist, dewy look. She let out a “hmph” and said, “No need.”

Then she used her fingertip to smudge the mark on her cheek until the color blended in and vanished.

An Rong swallowed hard. To prevent herself from being exposed by a greedy gaze, she could only hastily look away, turning back only after a few seconds. “You startled me.”

Xu Xiaoye pinched the soft flesh on her face and said seriously, “Who told you to be so distracted instead of training properly?”

An Rong’s throat was dry; she didn’t argue, only nodding repeatedly.

Xu Xiaoye let go and put on her “Captain” persona. An Rong immediately became obedient and focused, returning to her dancing without any further distractions.

Wang Yunshui stood opposite them, watching Xu Xiaoye with a frown. What kind of “popular favorite” are you treating her like? Protecting her so closely… who are you putting on this show for?

Author’s Note:

Xu Xiaoye: Teasing Little Rong-Rong is so much fun~~