Oops! I Became a Fan of My Rival Idol! - Chapter 18

“Impressive!” Jian Luobai gave her a thumbs up.

Qiao Huihui looked at Shen Nanqing standing beside her, and a wave of shame suddenly surged up, making her feel utterly embarrassed.

Sigh, who could have guessed… She had just wanted to feed a pig, that’s all.

Xia Niao rushed over and grabbed her hand, lowering her head with a shy smile: “Today, I was saved by the Pig-Riding Heroine. As a humble maiden, I have nothing to offer but myself in return.”

Qiao Huihui’s expression instantly changed: “Ugh!”

“Pig-Riding Heroine, hahahaha…” Zhao Xining, who had figured out the whole story, laughed so hard she sounded like a rooster.

Being surrounded by a group of people laughing at her was definitely not a pleasant experience. Qiao Huihui, furious, turned her back on them and ran straight toward the vegetable patch. Surely picking vegetables wouldn’t lead to any more mishaps, right?

…

A cheerful morning passed. Qiao Huihui gathered plenty of fresh vegetables, while Xia Niao caught nothing but a few chicken feathers. Shen Nanqing and Jian Luobai, meanwhile, chopped a pile of firewood.

The group who went to transplant rice seedlings also returned, each covered in mud, but all looking quite happy.

After lunch, it was time for a midday break. The heat was intense, and the crew needed rest, so filming was paused for the time being.

The break also counted as free time. Qiao Huihui had never been one for naps, so she wandered around the small courtyard.

After a while, Shen Nanqing came out too.

Spotting her, Qiao Huihui happily approached: “Teacher Shen, you’re out for a stroll too?”

“Mm,” Shen Nanqing nodded faintly, seeming reluctant to engage.

But Qiao Huihui had already decided: to reconcile, she had to be shameless to the end—humble herself and stick around no matter what.

With someone like Teacher Shen, if she didn’t take the initiative to clear up the misunderstanding, they might never make up.

Truth be told, Shen Nanqing’s personality was a lot like her grandfather’s—cold on the outside but soft inside. Whenever her grandfather acted all tsundere and gave her the cold shoulder, a little acting cute would always make him crack a smile.

Though she’d steeled her resolve, acting cute in front of so many people was still embarrassing. Luckily, there was a secluded grove not far away. She took Shen Nanqing’s hand and said, “Teacher Shen, let’s go over there. It’s cooler.”

Shen Nanqing glanced subtly at their joined hands, her heart racing uncontrollably. She didn’t dare squeeze back, letting her hand hang loosely as she was led forward.

At this point, she wasn’t even thinking about where Qiao Huihui was taking her or why. Her mind was entirely occupied with: “She’s holding my hand, she’s holding my hand.”

The leafy canopy above rustled, and a few cicadas clung to the trees, their incessant chirping adding to the summer ambiance.

Shen Nanqing’s heart was in turmoil. Without thinking, she tightened her grip on Qiao Huihui’s hand and looked at her.

Qiao Huihui cleared her throat: “Teacher Shen, I don’t know why you’re upset with me, but I hope we can clear up this misunderstanding.”

Shen Nanqing’s pounding heart suddenly stilled, even turning a little cold.

Stiffly, she replied, “I’m not upset with you.”

Ah, it was so obviously a lie.

Qiao Huihui frowned in frustration. She bit her lip and looked up pitifully: “Really? Teacher Shen, don’t lie to me. I consider you a good friend, and it hurts when you suddenly ignore me…”

Seeing her like this, Shen Nanqing softened a little, wondering if she’d been too harsh.

After all, she liked the other person, but they didn’t know about it. In the end, she didn’t even have the right to be jealous.

Thinking of this, Shen Nanqing’s heart ached again.

She clenched the hem of her clothes tightly, her fingers trembling slightly, and asked nervously, “In your heart, who is more important—me or Le Xingshan?”

Qiao Huihui froze.

Then she realized… this question was truly deadly.

Undoubtedly, it was a variation of the classic dilemma: “If both your mother and your wife fell into the water, who would you save first?”

How was she supposed to answer this? Both idols were equally important to her—there was simply no way to choose.

She stammered awkwardly, “Uh… you’re both important.”

Shen Nanqing’s expression instantly turned cold, and she shook off Qiao Huihui’s hand, ready to leave.

Qiao Huihui quickly grabbed her, trying to make amends as she said, “Ah, what’s the point of comparing? In my heart, both of you are my good friends.”

Hearing this, Shen Nanqing felt like Qiao Huihui was being a total player.

She wanted to storm off without a second thought, but she couldn’t bear to leave. After a brief struggle with Qiao Huihui, she finally asked in a small, aggrieved voice, “Then… will you ever call anyone else ‘Teacher Shen’?”

Qiao Huihui’s eyes widened. Was this where the problem lay?

She thought about it—had she ever called Le Xingshan “teacher” or anything similar before?

Shen Nanqing, hearing no response for a while, assumed Qiao Huihui didn’t want to answer and angrily tried to leave again. Qiao Huihui hurriedly said, “Of course not! That’s my special nickname just for you—I’d never call anyone else that.”

Only then did Shen Nanqing’s resistance weaken.

Qiao Huihui thought to herself that this really did feel like something that would happen between young girls. After all, friendships among three people always had their complications—like feeling neglected over something as simple as a nickname.

Who would’ve thought that someone as cool and composed as Teacher Shen could be so girly at heart?

Assuming the issue was resolved, Qiao Huihui cheerfully stretched out her arms. “Come on, Teacher Shen, let’s have a loving hug!”

Shen Nanqing glanced at her, then reluctantly hugged her back.

“Huh, Teacher Shen, why is your heartbeat so fast?”

“…It’s hot.”

Seizing the moment, Qiao Huihui took out her phone. “Teacher Shen, let’s add each other on WeChat, okay?”

Shen Nanqing scanned her QR code, and the moment they became friends, Qiao Huihui’s first action was to change Shen Nanqing’s nickname right in front of her—to “Teacher Shen,” complete with a little heart emoji.

This was just a habit of hers. For example, she had also added a star emoji to Le Xingshan’s nickname.

But to Shen Nanqing, it felt incredibly sweet. Suppressing a smile, she also added a heart to Qiao Huihui’s contact name.

Qiao Huihui was thrilled—she now had both idols’ WeChat contacts. Which fan could possibly be as successful as her?

…

In the afternoon, the program recording continued. Xia Niao was still chasing chickens, while Qiao Huihui chose another task—going to town to buy supplies.

In the end, four people were assigned to the trip: her, Shen Nanqing, Shu Bailian, and Jian Luobai.

Armed with the funds provided by the production team, they boarded an electric tricycle bound for the town and set off on their journey.

The dirt road was rough, and the tricycle had absolutely no shock absorption. By the time they reached the town, they were completely numb, their legs so weak they could barely stand.

Shu Bailian had to maintain her “green tea” persona outside, acting all delicate and fragile. In the end, Jian Luobai had to carry her down in a princess hold, and she even demanded to sit for a while to rest her feet.

Qiao Huihui couldn’t bear to watch. She didn’t understand why Shu Bailian was so insistent on crafting a persona that would inevitably draw criticism—as if she couldn’t be happy without stirring up drama.

But they had an agreement in the dorm: no interfering with each other’s business outside their room. So for now, she could only keep her mouth shut and stand to the side, waiting.

“I’m so thirsty,” Shu Bailian licked her lips.

Jian Luobai grabbed a bottle of mineral water from the tricycle and handed it to her.

“Thank you, Luobai! You’re the best!”

Shu Bailian took the water and pretended to struggle with the cap for a while before putting on a pitiful act. “It’s too tight, I can’t open it. Luobai, could you help me unscrew the cap?”

Jian Luobai nodded, took the bottle, and twisted it open effortlessly.

Qiao Huihui and Shen Nanqing exchanged glances—two bystanders enjoying the show—then pretended they hadn’t seen a thing.