After Rebirth, I Ended Up with My Idol [Entertainment Circle] - Chapter 18

Because Xu Xiaoye had asked for a massage, an excited An Rong barely slept at all during the first half of the night.

Since her rebirth, nothing had been particularly smooth. Although she was performing better this time thanks to the experience from her previous life, she had also inexplicably drawn Wang Yunshui’s hostility much earlier.

As for Xu Xiaoye—because of that accidental “oolong” kiss, she had made it crystal clear that she absolutely could not like the same sex.

An Rong’s past was an open book. Where she went to school for the first seventeen years, what awards she won, what activities she joined, and whether she had any connections to the entertainment or music circles—it was all transparent. In an era where information travels so fast, the fact that she was reborn had to be a carefully guarded secret. If anyone suspected her, she had no logical way to explain herself.

Suddenly, her future felt uncertain and her feelings felt mired in fog.

However, she was finally seeing a glimmer of dawn. This was a milestone in the history of her secret crush since returning! Xu Xiaoye had agreed to let her give her a massage! An Rong was so excited she couldn’t sleep.

At the first ring of the alarm in the morning, An Rong sat up with a “carp leap” and instantly turned to look at Xu Xiaoye by the desk.

Every morning was the same: Xu Xiaoye was already ready, wearing light makeup, radiant and full of energy.

An Rong’s heart was full of anticipation as she climbed down from her bunk, waiting for Xu Xiaoye to speak.

But until she finished washing up, put on makeup, ate, and entered the dance studio, Xu Xiaoye didn’t mention it once.

An Rong hadn’t slept well all night, and at this point, she couldn’t help but feel a twinge of doubt. Could it be that I’m so obsessed with this crush that I’ve become a pervert who’s hallucinating?

No way, right?!

During lunch, An Rong couldn’t hold it in any longer. She brooded for a long time, rehearsing several scenarios in her head to ensure she could respond no matter how Xu Xiaoye answered. Finally, she blinked and asked, “You mentioned last night that you wanted me to give you a massage—are you feeling unwell?”

Xu Xiaoye had just finished eating. She put down her chopsticks and wiped her mouth, nodding frankly. “It’s not that I’m unwell, I’m just a bit tired.”

The current intensity of training was actually similar to her usual routine, but training usually didn’t involve cameras or so many formalities. It was more free. Unlike now, where she had to be cautious with every word for fear of being caught by the nearby equipment—it really was tiring.

An Rong let out a small sigh of relief. “Then shall we start as soon as we get back?”

Xu Xiaoye hummed an “mhm” and waited for An Rong to finish eating.

An Rong instantly shifted into high gear and finished her meal rapidly. Xu Xiaoye then suggested taking a stroll to aid digestion. The two walked from one end of the floor to the other, making two full laps.

An Rong could see she was exhausted. Xu Xiaoye was already under immense pressure, and being constantly watched by cameras made her feel very uneasy. But she hid this fatigue and pressure, showing it only to herself and never letting the cameras catch a glimpse.

“Idol girl group, idol girl group,” Xu Xiaoye muttered in a low voice. She frowned slightly at An Rong, her eyes filled with an indescribable complexity. “I really envy you. You have the best talent and the best opportunity. You must work hard!”

An Rong was a bit surprised and was about to say something when Xu Xiaoye suddenly clapped her hands. She had already returned to normal, resting her arm on An Rong’s shoulder. “My waist hurts a bit. Give me a massage when we get back.”

The words An Rong wanted to say had to be swallowed back down.

Xu Xiaoye’s waist was thin—so thin that An Rong’s two hands could almost circle it. Because she exercised constantly, her buttocks were firm and full, and the “dimples of Venus” in her lower back were deeply recessed. An Rong estimated they could hold a mouthful of water.

Her pressure was just right. She seemed exceptionally familiar with Xu Xiaoye’s body—where it hurt, where it was itchy, and where the pressure needed to be heavier or lighter—she knew it all perfectly.

Xu Xiaoye lay on the bed, humming comfortably, “Ah~ so good~~”

An Rong’s heart trembled.

Xu Xiaoye lay on her side on the pillow, looking at An Rong sitting by the bedside. She sighed, “You’re really good at this.”

The tip of An Rong’s heart quivered. She swallowed uncomfortably and stared at Xu Xiaoye’s back, saying solemnly, “I learned it at home.”

An Rong’s master was getting older and often had leg and back pain. He would go to a massage parlor every few days, and An Rong always went along, secretly picking up the craft. She had actually learned quite a lot.

Xu Xiaoye let out a low laugh and gave a thumbs up. In a languid, slightly drifting voice, she said, “Not bad, you. You learn everything.”

Xu Xiaoye’s long curly hair partially obscured her cheek and was draped over her back, sleek and bouncy. The look in her eyes as she watched An Rong seemed to hold water and fragmented light; bright eyes, red lips, and skin as white as snow.

With a beauty by her side, An Rong couldn’t help but feel restless. In a moment of distraction, her pressure became a bit too heavy.

Xu Xiaoye’s brow furrowed, and she bit her lip, suppressing a muffled groan.

An Rong instantly lifted her hands. “I’m sorry, I’m sorry! Did I hurt you?”

Xu Xiaoye let out a breath, blowing a few strands of hair. “It’s fine, it felt quite good.”

An Rong pursed her lips, feeling a bit self-reproachful. Beauty truly was a distraction; she had lost her common sense.

“That’s enough.” Xu Xiaoye reached out and rested her hand on An Rong’s arm, saying lazily and casually, “No more. Let’s rest for a bit.”

Xu Xiaoye lay limp on the bed, stretching her body in a half-asleep daze, completely unaware of her own power of attraction.

An Rong lightly gnawed on the inside of her lower lip, hummed an “mhm,” and then with great restraint, stood up to move the chair away. Her peripheral vision lingered greedily on Xu Xiaoye’s face for just a moment.

Because the company had requirements, they had to engage in small games or activities after training. An Rong had zero interest in it. Xu Xiaoye invited her to join, but after thinking it over, An Rong declined.

She didn’t want to play; she didn’t want to “put on a show.” She was already exhausted every day and really didn’t want to rack her brains to perform.

“Captain, I don’t care about screen time or the cameras. I’m really tired.” An Rong sat in the corner of the studio, holding Xu Xiaoye’s hand, not wanting to move an inch.

Xu Xiaoye also knew that relaxing was different from trying to create footage for the edit.

“That’s fine.” Xu Xiaoye ruffled her hair and sat down beside her, leaning against the wall. “I think we’ve got enough material anyway. It should be enough for one episode.”

Xia Chunhua was squeezing a “Screaming Chicken” toy. It let out a shrill “Aaaaah” in her hand. She looked happy as a child, running over to hand the toy to Xu Xiaoye.

Xu Xiaoye was stunned for a moment, then took it.

Xia Chunhua said, “It’s a great stress reliever. Really, try it if you don’t believe me.”

Xu Xiaoye squeezed the chicken’s stomach flat in one go.

The scream sounded like someone straining their throat—tragic at the start, with the tail end fading away. “Aaaah—”

Xu Xiaoye squeezed it again, not knowing whether to laugh or cry. “Why do you have so many toys?”

Xia Chunhua shook her head, her little curls looking like they had special effects added—bouncy and soft. “It’s nothing much. I have a lot of older brothers and sisters at home; they gave them to me.”

Speaking of which, she couldn’t help but reach out and stroke the back of An Rong’s hand. She put on a “gentle big sister” act, trying to curl her lips into a smile and lowering her voice to sound more mature.

“Little sister, do you want a toy? Big sister will give you one.”

Xu Xiaoye glanced at An Rong and began to stifle a laugh.

An Rong felt a chill from the stroking and immediately shook her head. “You gave me one yesterday.”

“That doesn’t matter.” Xia Chunhua slowly raised her hand, attempting to pat her head. “Big sister has many, many other toys.”

An Rong ducked her head against the wall to dodge. “Did you eat something dirty?”

Xu Xiaoye laughed so hard she pounded the floor, with the Screaming Chicken providing the “Aaaaah” accompaniment.

Xia Chunhua turned red with embarrassment and anger, lightly slapping An Rong’s knee. “Why are you being so uncooperative! I’m the big sister here!”

It was rare for her to be the older one, yet she wasn’t being given any space to display it. She was so annoyed that she couldn’t help but envy her own sisters for having such a sensible and cooperative younger sister like herself.

Xu Xiaoye laughed so loudly that even An Rong looked at her sideways.

Xu Xiaoye finally stopped and said to Xia Chunhua, “Don’t mind her. She’s the typical case of being mature for her age. Don’t let her physical age of seventeen fool you; her mental age is probably seventy. She’s like a grandma—difficult to handle.”

An Rong retorted softly, “You’re the seventy-year-old grandma.”

Xu Xiaoye let out a roguish laugh, leaning her face forward until it almost touched An Rong’s. “Look closely. I’m clearly only fourteen. My mental age is three and a few hundred months… anyway, if you ignore the change, it’s three years old. Look at this face of mine. Look, look!”

An Rong’s internal research showed that when the person you like is at ultra-close range—with the tip of her nose almost touching yours—the sympathetic nervous system releases catecholamines, causing the heart to beat faster and blood flow to increase, leading to blushing and palpitations.

Moreover, as blood rushes to the brain, it’s easy to generate irrational, impulsive thoughts. For example—

I want to kiss her!

I really want to!

At such a close distance, as long as she moved forward one centimeter—no, two centimeters—she could touch Xu Xiaoye’s lips in the blink of an eye and kiss her! And then…

An Rong’s body instinctively pulled back, her eyes dropping to Xu Xiaoye’s lips.

And then, she would be brutally beaten, kicked out of TS, and receive a lucky one-week experience card at the local police station. If she was “lucky,” she might even trend on social media and receive a wealth of “linguistic care” from the public.

Like a bucket of cold water over her head, An Rong snapped back to reality. She swallowed, resisting the urge by leaning back and trying her best to put distance between herself and the chatterbox Xu Xiaoye.

This is too scary. If she stays this close, I might commit a crime!

But in Xu Xiaoye’s eyes, this “little dummy” must have borrowed her courage from a bank. She actually dared to look at her with such disdain and pull away?

“Say something.” Xu Xiaoye pressed closer. “Look at this face—so beautiful that even I can’t bear to let it go. Me? Seventy? Hmm? Where is your conscience?”

That raspy, low nasal tone was like a knife, precisely stabbing An Rong’s heart.

An Rong touched her face. While nodding, she pushed Xu Xiaoye back to keep a distance of one arm’s length. “Yes, yes, yes. You’re the most beautiful. Miss Beauty, your spit is getting on my face.”

Xu Xiaoye: “…”

A tiny bit of embarrassment.

But Xu Xiaoye was highly experienced. Even when embarrassed, she could stare her down without changing her expression. “So what? What’s wrong with my spit? You’re disgusted by it?”

An Rong immediately shook her head. She still thought Xu Xiaoye looked beautiful—even when flustered and forcing a stare, she was arrogant yet cute. Even when she was angry, she looked good.

“Hmph. Then what are you wiping for?”

An Rong flicked her hand and shook her head. “I’m not. I’m rubbing it in evenly.”

Xia Chunhua ducked away, making a disgusted sound. “Eww—so gross!”

Author’s Note:

An Rong: Every day, I am resisting temptation, guarding my purity, staying true to myself, and strictly following the law to ensure I never harass a certain person either through behavior or language. Please learn from me: restraint, self-discipline, self-improvement, and guarding the heart! Strive to be the class monitor of a harmonious society!