Oops! I Became a Fan of My Rival Idol! - Chapter 26

Xia Niao noticed that Shen Nanqing had appeared in front of her a bit too often tonight.

 

She was eating dinner when Shen Nanqing walked by with a plate; she returned to her dorm, and Shen Nanqing opened the door ahead of her; she had already lain down on her bed, yet Shen Nanqing was inexplicably pacing by her bedside.

 

Her presence was overwhelming.

 

When the light from the ceiling fixture shone into her eyes once more, she couldn’t help but speak up: “Boss, if you have something to say, just say it properly. No need to torment innocent light bulbs.” And please, stop tormenting me.

 

Clearly, the lights were supposed to go out at ten o’clock, but Shen Nanqing kept flicking the switch until midnight.

 

Standing at her bedside, Shen Nanqing looked down at her with an expression as cold as a grim reaper.

 

Xia Niao felt a bit intimidated.

 

Suddenly, a noise came from beside her; Shu Bailian yanked off her eye mask and turned with a half-smile, “Someone’s lovesick.”

 

Xia Niao shivered, feeling as if her heart might leap out of her chest: “Y-you’re not asleep?”

 

Shu Bailian rolled her eyes: “With all this noise, who could sleep?”

 

Seeing the two of them chatting as if they were the only ones in the room, Shen Nanqing impatiently tapped the bed’s railing, drawing their attention.

 

She tried to act nonchalant: “Where’s Qiao Huihui?”

 

Xia Niao was momentarily stunned, then suddenly furious.

 

“This? Just this?”

 

“You followed me around like a ghost all night just for this?”

 

Shu Bailian snickered beside her.

 

Shen Nanqing’s expression darkened, and Xia Niao, noticing, reluctantly backed down.

 

“Her college entrance exam results came out today, and the director’s team gave her three days off.”

 

Satisfied, Shen Nanqing turned off the light and silently climbed to her upper bunk to sleep.

 

Xia Niao, feeling discarded, thought, “What kind of person is this?”

 

In frustration, she pulled the blanket over her head.

 

Meanwhile, a topic quietly climbed the trending list on Weibo.

 

#QiaoHuihuiCollegeEntranceExamResults#

 

Upon opening it, she found a post from someone claiming to be an insider, stating that they were Qiao Huihui’s high school classmate and that Qiao Huihui’s results were very poor, around two or three hundred points, and she might have to pay to attend a vocational college.

 

The marketing account even lamented at the end, saying that poor results didn’t matter since the entertainment industry didn’t require academic credentials; Qiao Huihui had already secured her debut position, so there was no need to worry about the future.

 

The tone was sarcastic, causing many in the community to frown.

 

Some keyboard warriors directly criticized the entertainment industry, claiming that celebrities were just a bunch of actors with no education, relying on their looks and flattery to make money, essentially parasites on the country.

 

Where there were ladders, there were always those climbing up.

 

Xiao Ninglu’s fans immediately went wild, educating everyone on how well their idol performed academically and how high her educational background was, concluding with, “Not everyone is as academically gifted as Lulu.”

 

The college entrance exam had always been a major concern for society, and Qiao Huihui’s results had made it to the trending list that night, even overshadowing discussions about legitimate exam results, and naturally, the public was not fond of her.

 

Little Deer: “A passerby says, starting in the entertainment industry at such a young age to make money, probably never studied seriously.”

 

Li Zitian: “The atmosphere in the entertainment industry is spoiled by people like this.”

 

Day and Night: “This kind of person, at such a young age, with such a mindset, probably won’t achieve anything great in the future.”

 

Although the fans were trying hard to control the narrative, they were still overwhelmed by the flood of negative comments.

 

Just when netizens thought the matter had been settled, the direction of the conversation on Weibo suddenly shifted in the early hours of the morning.

 

The reason was a post that had climbed to the top of the trending list—Qiao Huihui was the top scorer from H Province.

 

Before clicking in, everyone thought they were seeing things, but upon seeing the large photo on Weibo, they could no longer deceive themselves.

 

The girl in the photo, though slightly youthful, was unmistakably Qiao Huihui in her school uniform, just coming out of the exam hall.

 

The poster even detailed how they captured the photo, initially thinking it was just a casual shot, but later realizing the significance of the moment.

 

It stated that Qiao Huihui was the science top scorer from H Province, with a score of 731.

 

The comments were filled with admiration for the academic genius, along with a chorus of laughter.

 

“The fastest face-slapping scene in history.”

 

“Wow, I saw the trending topic in the first half of the night, and by the second half, it was debunked.”

 

“Pretty and talented, studying well too—I’m a fan now.”

 

“Those who were cursing should come out and apologize; it’s not good to be biased and gullible.”

 

“The marketing accounts are just ridiculous, claiming to have ‘insider information’—what a well-crafted lie.”

 

Fans were once again left dumbfounded; their Qiao Huihui truly had a knack for making it to the trending list.

 

And before they could even clarify, the rumors were swiftly debunked, making them feel utterly useless.

 

In the Cultural Report Agency, the president’s eyes were nearly squinting with joy as he patted his beer belly, smiling amiably: “Jiahao, you did great this time; your bonus is guaranteed.”

 

“Ah, the vice president is retiring soon; I think you’re doing quite well too.”

 

Xu Jiahao modestly declined a couple of times: “It’s all thanks to the president’s leadership.”

 

Watching the harmonious scene, colleagues nearby were filled with envy and jealousy.

 

Why didn’t he have such luck? A casual shot turned out to be a science top scorer, and on top of that, she was stunning and had participated in a talent show.

 

With all these points combined, how could the topic not soar?

 

As the protagonist at the center of the event, Qiao Huihui was completely unaware of what was happening; she was sound asleep, lost in sweet dreams, even smacking her lips in satisfaction.

 

Early the next morning, the admissions office called.

 

This was expected; Qiao Huihui turned down several offers for scholarships and tuition waivers, stating plainly that she wasn’t short on money and already had a school in mind.

 

This made the admissions officers envious, secretly guessing which school was lucky enough to catch her attention.

 

Until Huaxia University called, Qiao Huihui readily accepted, leaving the admissions officer, who had prepared a whole speech, momentarily speechless.

 

However, top universities had seen it all; they received plenty of top scorers from various provinces each year, so Qiao Huihui was just one among many. They discussed how to fill out her application and hung up.

 

Qiao Huihui thought the production team had given her too many days off; she didn’t need to consult her family about her application—she could just apply to her favorite school without needing three days.

 

But no one would complain about having too much time off. She dressed up nicely, preparing to meet up for a classmate gathering.

 

Having spent so long with the production team felt like attending a boarding school, where you only returned home every few months, so stepping out felt like breathing fresh air.

 

Ai Jia drove over to pick her up and greeted her with a big hug upon seeing her.

 

“You didn’t even tell me you were going to participate in a show. Do you still think of me as your best friend?”

 

Qiao Huihui pinched her cheek: “Alright, stop acting wronged. We’re going shopping tonight; it’s on me.”

 

Ai Jia immediately beamed, warmly hugging her arm and showering her with compliments.

 

Qiao Huihui shook her head; she wasn’t that poor, so why did Ai Jia love to take advantage so much?

 

Once in the car, she noticed a charm hanging from the rearview mirror—it was a large Chinese knot with her big photo in the center, and below it dangled a small wooden plaque with the words “Safe Travels.”

 

Qiao Huihui’s mouth twitched as she pointed and asked, “What’s this about?”

 

Regardless of how ugly it was, who came up with this design?

 

Ai Jia blinked innocently: “Hey, just supporting my good sister!”

 

“What do you call this support? Buying my knockoff charm?”

 

“Huh?” Ai Jia poked the charm, “How is it a knockoff?”

 

Qiao Huihui replied, “Have you ever seen any celebrity merchandise made like this?”

 

Ai Jia honestly said, “Oh, I was tricked then. I don’t follow stars, so I don’t really understand this stuff.”

 

Then she cheerfully added, “At least it only cost ten bucks, so it’s not a loss.”

 

Qiao Huihui was speechless. She closed her eyes and leaned back, deciding to ignore it.

 

“Drive, drive.”

 

When they arrived at the hotel they had agreed upon, Ai Jia went to find a parking spot while Qiao Huihui waited at the entrance.

 

Unexpectedly, two girls suddenly ran over, covering their mouths and staring at her in disbelief.

 

Qiao Huihui had noticed them for a while but hesitated to approach, fearing she was being overly sensitive.

 

After a short while, the two girls came up to her.

 

The round-faced girl spoke with a slight tremor in her voice: “Y-you’re Qiao Huihui, right?”

 

Qiao Huihui glanced at her and replied, “Yes.”

 

The two girls gasped in surprise.

 

“Ahhh, it’s really her! I can’t believe I met her in person!”

 

“So pretty and cute, Ah Wei is going to die!!!”

 

Qiao Huihui was utterly confused; just as she was about to ask what was going on, they handed her a piece of paper.

 

The round-faced girl whispered, “Huihui, I’m your fan. Can I have your autograph?”

 

The girl with twin ponytails immediately raised her hand: “Me too! I’m your fan as well!”

 

Only then did Qiao Huihui realize that she was now considered a public figure, and appearing in public without any disguise could easily lead to being recognized.

 

This was her first close encounter with her fans, and it felt quite novel.

 

She took the paper, smiling: “Of course!”

 

After asking for their names, she signed her name along with a message of encouragement for them.

 

The two girls exchanged excited glances, and after receiving the autograph, they suddenly shouted, “Huihui, go for it! You must debut!”

 

Then they quickly ran away.

 

Qiao Huihui stood there, momentarily stunned, watching their retreating figures with a bemused smile.

 

Ai Jia suddenly appeared from behind her, teasing as she walked, “Let’s go in, superstar.”

 

The two entered the hotel together and found the private room mentioned in their class group chat, pushing the door open.

 

“Huihui and Jia Jia are here!”

 

It was unclear who shouted first, but the chaotic noise inside came to an abrupt halt, and everyone turned to look at the door.

 

At this classmate gathering, Qiao Huihui was undoubtedly the center of attention.

 

First, she was the top scorer in the college entrance exam, and secondly, she was the first among the young people to become a star.