Oops! I Became a Fan of My Rival Idol! - Chapter 10

When the dormitory lights went out, Qiao Huihui finally climbed up the ladder. Shen Nanqing lay with her eyes closed, listening to the movements beside her.

 

Suddenly, a gentle stream of air brushed past her earlobe, making her shiver involuntarily.

 

“This ointment seems really effective. Didn’t you hurt your back today? Want me to apply it for you?” Qiao Huihui whispered in a breathy voice near her ear.

 

Shen Nanqing shifted slightly. Though she initially wanted to refuse, the dull ache in her lower back made her nod instead.

 

Opening her eyes, she saw Qiao Huihui’s sparkling eyes illuminated by moonlight from the window, and something inexplicably tugged at her heart.

 

“Lie on your stomach.”

 

Shen Nanqing silently complied. She felt the corner of her pajamas being lifted, followed by a cool sensation that sent shivers down her spine.

 

Warm, soft hands pressed against her skin, applying the ointment with deliberate care.

 

Shen Nanqing clenched her eyes shut. Her waist no longer felt like her own—the tingling sensation was almost unbearable. Her slight trembling prompted Qiao Huihui to ask, “Does it hurt?”

 

“…No.” No one could see her ears burning crimson in the darkness.

 

But soon, she experienced the same treatment Xia Niao had endured before.

 

An intense kneading motion made Shen Nanqing pale, nearly drawing a loud cry from her lips.

 

It was… excruciating!

 

Mindful of the late hour, she gripped the sheets tightly and muffled herself by biting the pillow.

 

Still, tears welled up at the corners of her eyes from the pain.

 

“Hss… mmm…” She panted in short gasps. Any itchiness was long forgotten—her back now felt like it might snap in two.

 

After the massage ended and Qiao Huihui’s hands finally withdrew, Shen Nanqing secretly exhaled in relief.

 

Qiao Huihui leaned close to her ear and whispered, “It might sting at first, but it’ll feel better soon.”

 

“And…” The girl’s sweet, soft voice brushed against her ear again. “Thank you for today, Qingqing-jie.”

 

“Mhm.” Shen Nanqing stiffened. She turned over and burrowed into her blanket, not daring to look at the person beside her.

 

This was torture.

 

Qiao Huihui also settled under her covers to sleep, but Xia Niao’s teasing voice suddenly cut through the dark.

 

“Tsk tsk, what were you two up to in the middle of the night? Better take it easy—the bed was creaking like crazy…”

 

“Only a pervert would think like that!” Qiao Huihui retorted. “Go to sleep!”

 

In the darkness, Shu Bailian chuckled softly.

 

Shen Nanqing froze. Listening to her own rapid breaths, she felt her heartbeat thunder wildly.

 

She desperately tried to distract herself—hamsters, think about hamsters…

 

Yet even the thought of hamsters excited her. After over a decade of failed attempts at pet-keeping, every adorable little creature had rejected her affection. The one hamster she’d owned had nearly starved itself to death under her care.

 

Closing her eyes, she imagined Qiao Huihui as a hamster spirit massaging her back late at night…

 

Her pulse only quickened further.

 

Early the next morning, Li Shan came to the practice room and called Qiao Huihui outside.

 

Confused, Qiao Huihui asked, “Shan-jie, what’s the matter?”

 

Li Shan smiled warmly, her gaze full of approval. “Huihui… Keep working hard. You’re doing really well.”

 

Even more puzzled, Qiao Huihui: ???

 

“Ahem—” Sensing Qiao Huihui’s confusion, Li Shan quickly explained her purpose.

 

“The first episode has already aired, and the response has been excellent, but…”

 

After understanding the whole story, Qiao Huihui was utterly shocked.

 

Pointing at herself, she asked, “Shan Shan-jie, are you saying… I’m famous?”

 

Li Shan nodded, unable to contain her joy. “Ah, normally we shouldn’t disclose this to you, but your case is special, so I’ll share a bit more. Not only are you famous, but you’re also ranked in the top three!”

 

“Your fans are going crazy trying to find your Weibo account. The production team is almost overwhelmed by the inquiries, so Director Liu sent me to get your Weibo handle to verify it for you.”

 

Qiao Huihui was even more stunned. She even started to doubt the taste of the audience. She tried hard to recall what she had performed on the first day, only for her brain to completely shut down.

 

Putting aside everything else, she felt her brother was probably going to lose money.

 

If such a mediocre performance could land her in third place, what kind of people must be in first and second?

 

Looking at Qiao Huihui’s dazed expression, Li Shan simply thought she was overwhelmed with joy, completely unaware of the girl’s inner turmoil.

 

“Huihui, quickly tell me your Weibo handle. I need to report back!”

 

Snapping out of it, Qiao Huihui was stumped by the question.

 

First, she did have a Weibo account.

 

Second, she absolutely couldn’t reveal it.

 

Her account was filled with photos of Le Xingshan. Anyone with eyes could tell she was a “Little Star” (fan nickname). A fan secretly infiltrating the idol’s circle would be considered a sasaeng (obsessive fan) and would be harshly criticized and boycotted.

 

Heaven knew she had only intended to make a brief appearance, but who could have guessed she’d end up staying by her idol’s side?

 

So there was no way she could give it out—it would be disastrous.

 

Steadying herself, she looked at Li Shan with a troubled expression. “Shan Shan-jie, I don’t have a Weibo account…”

 

“Ah?” Li Shan was also taken aback. Who didn’t have a Weibo account these days, especially someone about to enter the entertainment industry?

 

She took out her phone and handed it to Qiao Huihui. “Then use my phone to register one first. We’ll get it verified for you.”

 

“Okay.”

 

Still unable to process her sudden fame, Qiao Huihui was shocked once again when she accidentally saw herself trending at the top of Weibo’s hot searches as soon as she logged in.

 

She skillfully navigated the app and quickly registered an account, trying to use “Qiao Huihui” as her ID. However, she soon discovered—

 

“Sorry, this nickname is already taken.”

 

Li Shan glanced over and said, “It’s been a while. Someone probably took your name for clout. Try adding some unique letters.”

 

So Qiao Huihui started trying from the letter A…

 

But after exhausting all 26 letters of the alphabet, none were available.

 

Numb inside, she randomly typed “Qiao Huihui is 1.8 meters tall,” and to her surprise, it went through immediately.

 

This reinvigorated her, and she quickly selected a random system avatar before handing the phone back to Li Shan.

 

Li Shan took it and smiled. “A hamster avatar? That’s quite cute.”

 

“Post something quick. Once it’s verified, your fans will have a place to interact.”

 

After some thought, Qiao Huihui typed a few words and hit send.

 

Qiao Huihui is 1.8 meters tall: Hello everyone, I’m Qiao Huihui.

 

Li Shan didn’t even look at what she had written. Taking the phone, she said, “Alright, I’ll head off first then.”

 

“Mhm, bye bye, Shan Shan-jie.”

 

As soon as Qiao Huihui returned to the practice room, she noticed everyone who had been practicing separately had now gathered together, all looking up at her in unison.

 

She showed a puzzled expression. “What’s up with everyone?” Then instinctively walked over to sit beside Shen Nanqing.

 

Li Huixin explained to her: “Here’s the thing. Since we’ve been practicing for a while now, everyone thought we should take today to select the center position.”

 

Qiao Huihui nodded. “I see.” She glanced around at the others. “Shall we start now then?”

 

The center position selection was voluntary. Those who wanted to compete would raise their hands, then perform the same dance segment, after which the others would vote.

 

When the others raised their hands, Qiao Huihui noticed everyone looking at her in surprise.

 

She frowned. “Why are you all looking at me?”

 

Li Huixin asked cautiously, “Huihui, don’t you want to be center?”

 

Qiao Huihui shook her head. “No, I don’t.”

 

Then looking around, she finally understood why everyone had suddenly turned their attention to her.

 

Because all those who raised their hands were from Class A. The other classes probably thought they couldn’t compete, so no one from them volunteered. As for Class A, she was the only one not competing.

 

Qiao Huihui thought to herself—she wasn’t stupid… nor was she aiming to debut. As an amateur who’d been learning for less than a week, it would be laughable if she overestimated herself and competed for center.

 

She had a very clear position—to blend into the group, be a happy slacker, as long as she didn’t drag the team down, she was satisfied.

 

There were three competitors in total: Xiao Ninglu, Shen Nanqing, and Qiu Ya.

 

The music started, and they began to dance.

 

It had to be said, although Xiao Ninglu always came across as arrogant, her skills were truly strong. Every move was executed perfectly, with nothing to criticize.

 

Qiu Ya, on the other hand, clearly lacked strength, her movements appearing somewhat weak and lacking in aesthetic appeal.

 

Yet Qiao Huihui’s gaze was ultimately drawn to Shen Nanqing. Normally expressionless and aloof, once she stepped onto the stage, she had a captivating magic about her, as if she was glowing.

 

Perhaps because of the song’s style, Shen Nanqing actually had a slight smile while dancing, making her appear very gentle, almost like a different person.

 

Qiao Huihui couldn’t help but follow the tall figure before her. After a dazed moment, she suddenly remembered what the dance instructor had said on the first day about emotions conveyed through dance.

 

Shen Nanqing’s dancing was exactly that—dance imbued with emotion.

 

As the music ended, the audience broke into applause.

 

Xiao Ninglu smiled confidently, while Shen Nanqing returned to her usual composed expression.

 

Everyone voted by raising their hands, and unsurprisingly, Shen Nanqing was chosen as the final candidate.

 

A strange sense of pride rose in Qiao Huihui’s heart. She couldn’t help but think, Our Qing Qing-jie is truly outstanding.

 

“I don’t accept this!” A shrill voice rang out. Qiao Huihui frowned and turned to see Xiao Ninglu’s face filled with disbelief.

 

Another girl spoke up first, “What’s there not to accept? Shen Nanqing danced better than you, that’s all!”

 

Xiao Ninglu grew even angrier upon hearing this. She raised her voice and demanded, “Why? Her moves clearly aren’t as precise as mine!”

 

“But the fact is, your dancing just wasn’t as impressive as Shen Nanqing’s!”

 

“Yeah, yeah, my attention was completely drawn to Shen Nanqing just now.”

 

A group of girls began chattering away, leaving Xiao Ninglu livid with rage.

 

She declared once more, “I don’t agree with this. I want a rematch with her!”

 

Hearing this, Qiao Huihui stood up directly.

 

She met Xiao Ninglu’s gaze and said coldly, “Fine, let’s have a match. I’ll compete with you.”