Oops! I Became a Fan of My Rival Idol! - Chapter 3

As Chu Junling’s voice faded, the lights at the front of the stage illuminated the judges’ seats, and several figures emerged from backstage one after another.

The screams from the audience grew louder and louder.

Asian Dance King Fan Wei, Diva Zhang Han, Rap Prince Qiu Wen, and Film Queen Wan Jing.

One after another… it was practically a gathering of the entertainment industry’s top stars in recent years.

The contestants were on the verge of losing their minds. Many of them were outright fans of the people on stage, screaming at the top of their lungs. At this moment, they no longer felt like competitors but rather like fervent fans at a concert.

“The production team really went all out! How much money did they spend on this?”

“This is amazing! With these mentors, our show definitely won’t lack attention.”

“Ahhh!!! These are all my favorite celebrities!!!”

After allowing the contestants to revel for a while, Chu Junling raised her hands with a smile, signaling for quiet. Her clear voice rang out: “Now, it’s time to begin our first round of evaluations.”

“This round will eliminate 100 contestants. The remaining ones will be placed into classes A, B, C, D, or E based on the mentors’ scores. Sounds tough, doesn’t it?”

The contestants immediately groaned in dismay.

“So cruel!” “I have zero confidence…”

Some even resorted to pleading: “Mentors, can you make it a little easier?”

Chu Junling blinked playfully and replied, “No can do!”

“The stage is all yours now, girls. Do your best!”

With that, the stage lights dimmed completely. When they brightened again, a group of temporarily teamed-up contestants stood ready. As the music started, they began performing a cute dance routine.

“Wow!” Xia Niao exclaimed in awe, turning to Qiao Huihui. “I didn’t know we could form teams! I just prepared a solo dance.”

Seeing the sparkle in Xia Niao’s eyes, Qiao Huihui couldn’t help but ask, “What’s up?”

Xia Niao immediately brightened. “How about we team up?”

Qiao Huihui: “…No.”

“Why not? Is your performance only for solo acts?” Xia Niao’s imagination ran wild.

Qiao Huihui looked at her seriously. “No.”

You probably wouldn’t believe me if I told you I haven’t prepared any performance at all.

“Alright, that’s too bad. But we can team up next time!”

Seeing Xia Niao’s earnest expression about future collaborations, Qiao Huihui couldn’t resist asking, “You seem really confident.”

Are you so sure you’ll make it to the next round?

Xia Niao immediately looked shocked. “How could I possibly get eliminated? I’m a pretty popular Trainee, you know!” Then she glanced furtively at Le Xingshan sitting nearby and whispered, “Though not as famous as Le Xingshan.”

A popular Trainee?

Qiao Huihui studied Xia Niao’s perpetually cheerful face, finding it hard to believe.

After all, Xia Niao always spoke so casually that it was difficult to tell when she was joking and when she was serious.

Just as their conversation ended, the announcer called Le Xingshan’s name.

Hearing her idol’s name, Qiao Huihui instinctively straightened her posture, straining her neck to get a better view of the stage.

Le Xingshan certainly lived up to her expectations, performing a recent hit song with flawless vocals and dance moves. Her stage presence remained as captivating as ever, exuding boundless charm that reassured her little fan while making her want to scream and cheer along.

Of course, Qiao Huihui restrained herself. She remembered this was being filmed—every move could be captured on camera.

As the song ended, thunderous applause erupted from the audience. Unsurprisingly, Le Xingshan was directly placed into Class A—the first trainee to achieve this so far.

Next was Xia Niao’s turn. With a sharp, precise dance routine, she proved her skills to Qiao Huihui and demonstrated why she was indeed one of the most popular trainees recently.

Performers cycled on and off the stage until a tall, long-haired girl stepped up.

Chu Junling glanced at the information sheet and read aloud, “Shen Nanqing, performing ‘The Puppet’… Hmm?”

She looked up at the aloof girl on stage, surprised. “You’re performing your own original choreography for the first round?”

“Yes.” Shen Nanqing nodded, her amber eyes cool and detached.

Chu Junling smiled encouragingly. “Go for it! As far as I know, you’re the only one performing an original piece. That takes courage.”

For an elimination round in an audition show, most contestants opted for safer choices—popular songs from recent years. As long as their covers didn’t have major mistakes, they’d be fine.

Choosing an original piece as an opener? Either the contestant was supremely confident or overly arrogant.

Chu Junling hoped to witness the rise of a bright new star.

She stepped offstage, leaving the space to Shen Nanqing. The lighting crew plunged the stage into darkness. As the first notes of music slowly emerged, a spotlight illuminated the center.

Bathed in light, Shen Nanqing slowly lifted her head.

Her expression was blank, her movements mechanical—like a real puppet lifting its limbs.

The first half of the music was slow, eerily tranquil. Her repetitive motions seemed shackled, conveying deep oppression.

The audience watched, spellbound, holding their breath as they followed her every move.

Then the music intensified. Shen Nanqing’s expression shifted—no longer numb, her movements grew wilder, her body swaying unsteadily. Her face twisted in agony, as if struggling against invisible chains.

Hearts raced with her motions, willing the little puppet to break free.

Tap-tap-tap—tap-tap-tap—

The drumbeats grew fiercer until—silence.

Yet Shen Nanqing never broke her chains. Standing frozen, her sorrowful eyes scanned the surroundings before settling back into that same hollow stare from the beginning.

Lights flooded the stage. The performance was over.

A delayed wave of applause erupted—unquestionably, it was a triumph.

A cold tear slid down Qiao Huihui’s cheek. She hadn’t even realized she’d been crying. Staring at Shen Nanqing, now cool and composed again, she saw no trace of the tormented puppet from moments ago.

Because she had loved drawing since childhood, she was highly sensitive to all kinds of emotions. Seeing something sad would make her grieve more deeply than others, even to the point where she couldn’t help but imagine the tragic backstory behind it, then torment herself to the point of being unable to extricate herself.

Shen Nanqing’s performance had truly devastated her.

The scene on stage reflected in Qiao Huihui’s eyes as she deeply engraved this person in her heart.

Xia Niao also sighed beside her: “This Shen Nanqing is incredibly skilled—her stage presence is just phenomenal.” After a moment’s thought, she added, “I’ve never heard of her before. Could she be an amateur like you?”

Qiao Huihui nodded and speculated, “Maybe.”

Xia Niao sighed. “There’s always someone better. I used to think I was pretty good, but it turns out I’m no match for a real master.”

Qiao Huihui comforted her, “You’re actually very talented too.”

In her heart, she thought: At least in the eyes of someone truly weak like me, all of you are masters.

On stage, Chu Junling and Shen Nanqing’s conversation ended when Chu suddenly called out, “Next contestant, Qiao Huihui… Huh, this one’s special too. Why isn’t there a program listing?”

Hearing her name, Qiao Huihui instinctively stood up abruptly, looking somewhat lost and flustered.

Xia Niao quickly nudged her back, urging her to hurry on stage.

Only then did Qiao Huihui start walking toward the stage, coincidentally passing Shen Nanqing who was coming down. They unexpectedly met in the corridor beside the contestants’ seating area.

Tear stains still fresh on her face, Qiao Huihui’s slightly red eyes unconsciously met Shen Nanqing’s gaze.

Shen Nanqing, who should have walked right past her, suddenly stopped and wordlessly handed her a tissue, then silently watched her.

Qiao Huihui accepted the tissue and couldn’t help but look at Shen Nanqing’s face. To her surprise, she detected a hint of gentleness beneath that icy expression?

Never judge by appearances—who knew she’d be such a thoughtful girl?

Qiao Huihui offered a faint smile and softly thanked her.

Shen Nanqing gave a slight nod.

The spot where they stood was dimly lit, making the other’s expression hard to discern. Before Qiao Huihui could study her further—perhaps noticing the prolonged absence on stage—Chu Junling called Qiao Huihui’s name again. Only then did she snap out of it and hurriedly walk toward the stage.

When she finally stepped onto the stage, Chu Junling smiled upon seeing her and said, “So it’s a little cutie.”

Indeed, Qiao Huihui’s appearance and petite figure easily evoked the term “small and adorable” in anyone seeing her for the first time.

Humans instinctively soften when faced with cute things. Chu Junling asked curiously, “Why is your performance information missing?”

Qiao Huihui bit her lip, thinking to herself that she couldn’t very well admit she’d been a last-minute addition through connections, completely unprepared with any performance.

Faced with Chu Junling’s question, she opted for a half-truth.

“Because I was an amateur and only signed up in the final days. I hadn’t decided what to perform then.”

“I see,” Chu Junling continued. “Have you decided what to perform now?”

Without hesitation, Qiao Huihui answered, “Piano.”

That’s right—playing the piano was her… only other talent besides drawing.

Chu Junling nodded and said no more. She stepped off the stage, leaving the space for Qiao Huihui. The props team immediately brought up a piano and set it in place.

In truth, her performance was quite risky because she was too close to Shen Nanqing’s act. As everyone knows, without comparison, there would be no harm. Since the previous performance had been so outstanding, the following act was bound to be affected, resulting in a lukewarm reaction from the audience. Not to mention, she had just admitted to being an amateur, with her performance entirely improvised on the spot.

Because of this, the audience wasn’t particularly optimistic about Qiao Huihui.