Oops! I Became a Fan of My Rival Idol! - Chapter 14

The sound of audio equipment being tested on stage was constant, with staff bustling back and forth. Qiao Huihui sat in the backstage lounge when she suddenly felt a faint, long-lost sense of nervousness.

This could be considered her first real stage performance—unlike playing the piano in front of a camera before, this time she would truly be performing in front of so many people.

Xia Niao’s carefree voice rang out: “I wonder how many of my little fans showed up today.”

She had always loved and thrived on stage, and seeing her so nonchalant eased some of Qiao Huihui’s tension.

Before Xia Niao could launch into another long-winded speech, Shu Bailian promptly dragged her away. Their group was the first to perform, so they had to stay together for final preparations.

Qiao Huihui’s group had been assigned their slot by Shen Nanqing’s lucky draw—they would be the grand finale.

At the moment, everyone was preparing in their own way. Some, like Shen Nanqing, chose to close their eyes and rest, while others were still reviewing dance moves to reinforce their memory.

Qiao Huihui fell into the latter category.

She softly recited the lyrics under her breath, tapping her foot to the beat, using the rhythm to dispel her nerves.

But someone found this scene particularly grating.

“Ugh, can you shut up?!” Xiao Ninglu glared at Qiao Huihui.

“???”

Qiao Huihui was baffled. She mentally reviewed her actions—she had been deliberately quiet, and other trainees were also practicing nearby. Why was Xiao Ninglu singling her out?

The others turned to look. Li Huixin bravely spoke up, “Xiao Ninglu, you’re being a bit too much.”

“None of your damn business!” Xiao Ninglu snapped, shooting a fierce glare that made Li Huixin shrink back, too intimidated to say more.

She was naturally timid and easily cowed by aggressive, unreasonable people.

Seeing Li Huixin get scolded for defending her, Qiao Huihui was immediately displeased. Frowning, she retorted, “You’re being completely unreasonable. My voice was quieter than the music outside. What, are your ears tuned only to me?”

Before Xiao Ninglu could react, she added sarcastically, “Hah! Who knew you were such a fan?”

A few muffled laughs rippled through the room.

Xiao Ninglu’s face flushed with anger as she spat out, “It’s because your voice is grating and annoying!”

“Oh? That’s even more confusing. Just the other day, the mentors praised my voice. How come it’s ‘grating’ to you?”

“Are you more qualified than them, or just tone-deaf? Maybe you should get your ears checked first.”

A faint glimmer of amusement flashed in Shen Nanqing’s eyes as she watched from the side.

The usually soft and gentle girl had shed her meek exterior, turning sharp-tongued and witty—like a feisty little kitten unsheathing its claws to swipe at its foe.

Just then, the host’s announcement echoed from the stage—the first group was about to perform. Qiao Huihui instantly lost interest in arguing with a fool and bounced off to watch Xia Niao’s performance.

Xiao Ninglu had been mentally preparing a scathing comeback, only for her target to walk away before she could deliver it. It was like punching cotton—frustrating and unsatisfying.

As soon as Qiao Huihui opened the lounge door, she was startled by the deafening cheers from the audience. Seeing the sea of glowing light sticks in the crowd, her heart swelled with excitement.

The song “Summer Flowers” that Xia Niao and Shu Bailian were about to perform was a gentle piece, with several particularly challenging lyrics that required exceptional vocal skills.

At this moment, she couldn’t help but worry—with Xia Niao’s free-spirited personality, could she really pull off this type of song?

Soon, the first group took the stage. The lights dimmed completely, leaving only the wildly waving glow sticks in the audience. She even heard a man shouting hoarsely, “Go, Xiao Lian! You’re the best—”

His cry seemed to trigger a chain reaction, as fans erupted into frenzied screams. Qiao Huihui covered her ears slightly, feeling a bit overwhelmed, but her eyes sparkled with excitement.

She loved this kind of atmosphere.

As the prelude began, Shu Bailian, standing in the center position, opened her mouth softly—and in that instant, it felt like she had stunned the entire world.

Qiao Huihui stared in shock at Shu Bailian’s gentle singing on stage, never expecting her skill to be this high or her voice to be so beautiful.

It was no exaggeration to call it heavenly—ethereal and melodious, like the song of a siren, captivating every heart.

Clearly, the audience felt the same way, as the live stream’s barrage of comments suddenly erupted into a heated argument.

Shu, this fake sweetheart, makes me sick. Can she just stop polluting our eyes?

People who act gentle on the surface but stab others in the back are disgusting. She always bullied our Lulu back at the company, and now she’s haunting this competition too.

That’s going too far! Our Xiao Lian is clearly a gentle little fairy.

Xiao Ninglu is the one who bullies others with her influence, okay? Xiao Lian always ends up crying from the insults!

Hah, with that fake, scheming act of hers, her fans are probably just creepy guys. Just look—she doesn’t have a single female fan.

Just a casual viewer here—is the one singing right now Shu Bailian? I was starting to like her, but if she’s really that kind of fake, then forget it.

Gotta admit though, Shu Bailian’s singing is seriously strong. So good!

Shu Bailian’s fanbase did skew heavily male. Unlike female fans, who excelled at controlling public opinion, her male fans only knew how to brawl with antis, often turning any scene featuring Shu Bailian into a toxic mess that turned off casual viewers.

The performance on stage continued. Though Shu Bailian had been chosen as the center, her dancing wasn’t her strongest suit, so Xia Niao took over during the dance segments.

AHHHHH XIA XIAONIAO I LOVE YOU!!!

Those peach-blossom eyes of Birdie! KILLING ME!!

Birdie’s dance moves are as sharp as ever!

Occasional hate comments appeared, but they were quickly drowned out by fans, and soon the barrage turned into a uniform wave of adoration.

By the time Xia Niao’s group finished their performance, the screams from the audience grew louder and louder, only gradually quieting when the host announced the second group’s turn.

The second group was the one Qiao Huihui had been most looking forward to—Le Xingshan’s moment to shine.

She had already been one of the most popular trainees before this, and her skills were miles ahead of her groupmates, making her the undisputed center.

Le Xingshan wore a long crimson dress, her brown waves cascading down, her eyes sparkling as if with actual electricity, her red lips curled in a slightly teasing smirk.

The phrase “seductive enchantress” fit her perfectly. Her fans screamed as if they’d tear their throats, all staring fervently at the unparalleled beauty on stage.

Qiao Huihui felt the same, but she couldn’t scream out loud at this moment. She could only tightly clasp her hands together and look up at the stage.

Right now, Le Xingshan was the queen of the stage!

Shen Nanqing watched Qiao Huihui’s admiring gaze and her flushed cheeks from excitement. The pleasant mood she had just moments ago vanished instantly, replaced by a sudden surge of sour, bitter emotions.

Although she had already noticed it before, she still…

When it came to anything related to Le Xingshan, Qiao Huihui would always pay special attention.

Just one smile from Le Xingshan could turn Qiao Huihui into a giddy fool.

Even Xia Niao had quietly muttered before, wondering if Qiao Huihui had a crush on Le Xingshan.

It wasn’t until Le Xingshan’s group finished their performance that Qiao Huihui noticed Shen Nanqing standing beside her at some point. Her inner fangirl instincts kicked in, and she eagerly asked with a smile, “Teacher Shen, don’t you think Xing Shan danced exceptionally well too?”

Shen Nanqing didn’t answer the question. Instead, she countered, “Is Le Xingshan particularly good-looking?”

Qiao Huihui wore an expression that clearly said, “How could anyone even ask such an obvious question?” and answered very honestly, “Of course she’s beautiful! She ranks first in my heart when it comes to looks!”

What she didn’t say out loud was: Teacher Shen, you’re tied for first place with her.

Perhaps it was some strange fan mentality—she could secretly praise in her heart, gush endlessly on Weibo, but she always felt too embarrassed to be too straightforward in front of the person herself.

Moreover, Shen Nanqing still saw her as just an innocent roommate. If she knew about Qiao Huihui’s inner fangirl obsession, she might be shocked.

Yet, for some reason, Shen Nanqing’s expression suddenly turned cold. She stiffly replied with an “Oh,” then turned her gaze back to the stage, clearly signaling she didn’t want to continue the conversation.

Qiao Huihui was taken aback. Although Shen Nanqing’s expression was usually the same every day, she inexplicably felt that the other girl seemed angry now.

But what was she angry about? Qiao Huihui mentally reviewed their earlier conversation but couldn’t find anything that might have upset her.

Hesitantly, she asked, “Teacher Shen, are you… angry?”

Shen Nanqing didn’t look at her, only coldly retorted, “No, you’re overthinking it.”

Qiao Huihui wanted to ask more, but the third group’s performance was about to end, and staff members came over to call their group to prepare for the stage. She had no choice but to set the matter aside for now and follow the others toward the stage entrance.

She was wearing stage makeup today, dressed in a specially made cute little skirt that revealed a stretch of fair, delicate calves. When she first stepped onto the stage, the bright lights made her squint slightly.

Then, she heard the wild cheers from the fans below. Suddenly, a girl shouted, “Huihui, mom loves you! Go for it!”

“Huihui, big sis loves you too!”

“Qiao Huihui, charge forward!”

…

She heard her own name and instinctively looked toward the audience seats. There, she saw a small sea of stars—a group of girls holding light boards bigger than their own bodies, all covered with Qiao Huihui’s name.

How magical… were these her fans?

Qiao Huihui thought in a daze.

Feeling this emotion of being loved and adored by so many people, a sudden lump rose in her throat, nearly bringing her to tears.

But at the same time, an intense excitement surged within her. Her heart pounded wildly—for the first time, she truly wanted to shine brightly on this stage.

Not just to avoid dragging down teammates, nor to adopt a perfunctory and lazy attitude.

But genuinely, to make the fans’ passion worthwhile, to make oneself deserving of such intense love.