Oops! I Became a Fan of My Rival Idol! - Chapter 24

The faint glow from the tablet persisted late into the night. After tossing and turning countless times, Shen Nanqing finally couldn’t help but advise, “Staying up late is bad for your health.”

Startled by her voice, Qiao Huihui’s hand trembled, nearly misplacing the red mole on the other’s collarbone in her drawing. Staring at the unusually alluring portrait on the screen—so different from her usual style—she guiltily turned off the display and shoved the tablet under her pillow.

She silently berated herself. It had been too long since she’d last touched her drawing tablet, and her skills had clearly rusted. How could she have strayed so far from the character’s original design?

Brushing aside the odd flutter in her chest, she quickly muttered “Goodnight” and burrowed completely under the covers.

Shen Nanqing frowned, keenly sensing that something was being hidden from her.

…

With the second round of competition approaching, their nightly practice sessions resumed as usual. At exactly 5:30 AM, Qiao Huihui opened her eyes with practiced timing, finding the space beside her already empty as expected.

After dressing, she carefully stepped down the ladder and skipped eagerly toward the field’s edge.

A pale moon still hung in the sky, and the morning breeze carried a misty chill that prickled against her skin.

Shen Nanqing was already deep in practice. Qiao Huihui watched from the sidelines, unable to deny… how perfectly this song suited her.

“Unrestrained” embodied the very essence of free-spirited abandon, its choreography exuding noble indifference. When Shen Nanqing executed the sharp movements, her aloof expression and disdainful gaze made one want to prostrate before her.

It was… breathtakingly cool!

As the music ended, Shen Nanqing turned. “You’re here.”

Qiao Huihui clapped like an enthusiastic seal. “Teacher Shen, you were amazing!”

Shen Nanqing smiled modestly. “There are still many imperfect movements.”

“No worries,” Qiao Huihui reassured. “We’ve got plenty of time to practice.”

Ever since their mentor had commented that one danced mechanically without emotion while the other overflowed with feeling but lacked precision, the pair had been learning from each other.

True to form, Qiao Huihui—with her natural talent—memorized the routine after just two demonstrations and began offering corrections.

“Bend your knee a bit more here.”

“Straighten your arm…”

Standing before Shen Nanqing, Qiao Huihui meticulously adjusted each position. Sensing the heavy silence, she looked up with a playful grin, intending to lighten the mood.

Instead, she found herself drowning in Shen Nanqing’s gaze.

Eyes never lie. Hers brimmed with tenderness and affection, gazing so intently that Qiao Huihui felt her very soul being pulled into their depths.

Motionless, Qiao Huihui stared back, swallowing hard as an absurd thought surfaced.

Right now, she desperately wanted to kiss those beautiful eyes.

Perhaps it was the enchanting moonlight, or perhaps the adorable blush on Shen Nanqing’s ears. Qiao Huihui gently closed her eyes and leaned in.

Shen Nanqing bit her lip nervously, a spark flashing in her eyes as her hand settled on Qiao Huihui’s shoulder, drawing her closer.

In that moment, swept up by irresistible emotion, both forgot who they were and where they stood, yielding only to the magnetic pull between them.

Qiao Huihui could no longer deceive herself—Shen Nanqing and Le Xingshan were entirely different.

She had deliberately conflated her feelings for the two before, suppressing those emotions fiercely. But now, they could no longer be hidden.

“What are you two doing?”

An abrupt voice shattered the sweet atmosphere.

Qiao Huihui flusteredly opened her eyes to see a face right in front of hers. Both of them averted their gazes simultaneously.

Qiao Huihui turned to look at the uninvited guest.

Xia Niao touched her own face curiously, puzzled. “Is there something on my face? Why do you both look at me so strangely?”

Qiao Huihui coughed lightly. “It’s nothing. Why did you come down so suddenly?”

“I happened to wake up early today,” Xia Niao scratched her head. “Thought I’d go for a morning run.”

“And you two? What are you doing here?”

“Practicing dance.” Before Qiao Huihui could answer, Shen Nanqing cut in.

But her expression was icy, radiating an intimidating aura.

“Big Boss Shen,” Xia Niao warned her. “You look like you’re about to murder me any second now.”

The corner of Qiao Huihui’s lips curled slightly as she secretly brushed the back of Shen Nanqing’s hand.

Shen Nanqing trembled at the touch, forcing a benign smile as she said to Xia Niao, “You’re mistaken. It’s probably just the cold—my face is frozen stiff.”

Xia Niao shuddered at her smile. “Please stop smiling. It feels like the opening scene of a horror movie.”

Rubbing the goosebumps on her arms, she took a step back and chuckled. “At first, I thought you two were secretly dating. Turns out it’s just dance practice. Keep it up! I’ll go for my run now.”

With that, she turned and jogged toward the track.

The two left behind stood in awkward silence. The momentary lapse in judgment had passed, leaving only embarrassment in its wake.

Especially after Xia Niao’s offhand remark about “dating,” which laid bare the unspoken tension between them.

“Huihui, I…” Shen Nanqing parted her lips, wanting to say something.

Qiao Huihui’s face burned crimson. She jumped up in a fluster, not daring to meet Shen Nanqing’s gaze.

“It’s—it’s almost dawn. I should head back first.” With that, she dashed into the dormitory building like a gust of wind.

Shen Nanqing remained where she stood, touching the corner of her lips as a sudden smile bloomed in her eyes.

Her heart felt like it was bursting with fireworks, an overwhelming joy radiating from within. Though nothing had been explicitly confessed, Qiao Huihui’s reaction had said it all.

Nothing in the world was more beautiful than discovering the person you loved felt the same way. The bitterness of unrequited feelings faded away, replaced by a newfound sweetness in every past memory.

From a distance, Xia Niao returned after completing a lap and noticed Qiao Huihui was gone. She asked Shen Nanqing in confusion, “Where did Huihui go?”

Shen Nanqing immediately wiped the smile off her face, fixing Xia Niao with a frosty glare that made her shudder. Too afraid to ask anything else, Xia Niao hurriedly turned back to focus on her run.

…

Qiao Huihui practically sprinted back to her dorm and buried her head under the blankets.

Her heart was in turmoil, her mind filled with nothing but the image of Shen Nanqing’s flushed ears and the look in her eyes—one that made her weak.

She ruffled her hair and carefully pulled out her tablet from under her pillow, opening the drawing she had finished just last night.

Looking at the slightly seductive expression of the person in the painting and the dazzling red mole on their fair collarbone, her heart pounded wildly.

Her gaze dazed, she buried her head in the pillow.

It was over—she had tainted the pure admiration a fan should have for their idol. She was lusting after their body!

At least she hadn’t actually kissed it, or what kind of person would that make her?