Oops! I Became a Fan of My Rival Idol! - Chapter 46

Xiao Ninglu had clearly spotted her too, abruptly changing her course from leaving to walking straight toward them.

 

“I’ll take this one.”

 

The spicy strip snack was forcibly yanked from Qiao Huihui’s hand.

 

But she remained perfectly calm—it was just one pack of spicy strips, and there were plenty more here. She simply picked up another one.

 

“This one too!” With another willful and domineering remark, the item in her hand was snatched away again.

 

Xia Niao couldn’t take it anymore. Angrily, she said, “Xiao Ninglu, don’t push your luck.”

 

Qiao Huihui sighed and turned to face the smug Xiao Ninglu.

 

She really hadn’t wanted to waste time arguing, but the other girl seemed determined to pick a fight.

 

“Didn’t realize you were so fond of spicy strips.”

 

Though she disliked conflict, she wasn’t the type to let others walk all over her.

 

One principle summed it up: Don’t provoke me, and I won’t provoke you.

 

Xiao Ninglu curled her lip and tossed the two packs of spicy strips back before disdainfully dusting off her hands. “This kind of junk is probably only fit for country bumpkins.”

 

Before Qiao Huihui could even respond, the two girls trailing behind Xiao Ninglu first wore awkward expressions—each held a bag filled with exactly this kind of “junk.”

 

Clearly oblivious to having accidentally insulted her own friends, Xiao Ninglu was too thrilled by her own jab at Qiao Huihui. With exaggerated theatrics, she gasped, “Oh! I just remembered—your original name was Qiao Yaozu. That’s what we should be calling you.”

 

The moment she uttered the name, the two girls behind her burst into giggles, their gazes openly mocking as they looked at Qiao Huihui.

 

Qiao Huihui was utterly baffled.

 

She didn’t even see this as something worth laughing at. Besides, the name reminded her of her grandpa.

 

According to Hua, when she was pregnant, the village’s barefoot doctor had predicted a boy. Her grandfather, the family’s most authoritative figure, had decided to name her “Qiao Yaozu,” pairing it with her brother’s name to signify “bringing honor to the ancestors.”

 

Given that the village was full of names like “Dogegg” and “Cuihua,” Qiao Huihui thought her grandpa had been quite creative with those two names.

 

On the day she was born, Grandpa Qiao hadn’t even bothered confirming her gender before rushing to register the name at the town office. It wasn’t until he returned with the household register that he realized she was a girl.

 

Thus began this little farce—Qiao Huihui bore the name until she was two.

 

But no one in the family ever actually called her that; they all used her nickname, “Huihui.”

 

By the time she was ready for kindergarten, Hua suddenly realized her daughter needed a more feminine name and went to the police station to change it to “Qiao Huihui.”

 

This story often came up when Hua reminisced about the past, and Qiao Huihui could still see her former name on the household register. So she genuinely didn’t find it strange at all.

 

Xiao Ninglu kept repeating, “Qiao Yaozu, Qiao Yaozu… Hahaha, what a great name.”

 

“I think it’s pretty good too.”

 

Expecting to have struck a nerve, Xiao Ninglu was caught off guard by this unexpected response and froze.

 

Qiao Huihui said candidly, “This is the name my grandfather gave me. Although I’ve never used it, I think the old man was quite prophetic.”

 

Xia Niao, standing nearby, looked puzzled. “Prophetic?”

 

Qiao Huihui answered earnestly, “You all know the meaning of ‘bringing honor to one’s ancestors,’ right? Now that I’ve been admitted to Huaqing University as the top science student in H Province and won first place in the talent show, I feel like I’ve truly brought honor to my ancestors!”

 

Xia Niao blinked dumbfoundedly. “Well… I guess that makes sense!”

 

It had to be said, Qiao Huihui’s achievements were outstanding enough to perfectly embody the phrase “bringing honor to one’s ancestors.”

 

Even Xiao Ninglu couldn’t think of a rebuttal after considering this…

 

Noticing Xiao Ninglu’s face turning green with suppressed frustration, Qiao Huihui suddenly flashed an innocent smile. “Sister Lulu, thank you for saying my name sounds nice.”

 

“Earlier, you mentioned hoping to be my schoolmate. I really wanted to attend your university too, but who knew I’d accidentally score a few hundred points above Nan Cheng University’s cutoff? Ah… what a shame I can’t be your junior.”

 

She even sighed, as if genuinely regretful.

 

Everyone knew Xiao Ninglu took immense pride in her academic achievements, never missing a chance to boast about them. When Qiao Huihui’s results were announced, Xiao Ninglu had already been mocked online relentlessly. Just as she’d managed to push that humiliation aside, Qiao Huihui had to bring it up again, twisting the knife.

 

“You—ugh!” Xiao Ninglu trembled with rage, unable to utter another word. She shot Qiao Huihui a venomous glare before storming off.

 

Watching Xiao Ninglu’s retreating figure, Qiao Huihui felt a sudden rush of satisfaction.

 

So this was the kind of joy Shu Bailian usually experienced?

 

Truly, when three people walk together, there’s always something to learn. Except for Xia Niao—there wasn’t much to pick up from her—everyone else had something useful to offer.

 

Pleased, she turned around only to find Xia Niao staring at her in shock. “Hui… Huihui, you were practically channeling Shu Bailian just now!”

 

“Was it convincing?”

 

Xia Niao nodded vigorously, even putting down her bag to give a thumbs-up. “That was next-level!”

 

Qiao Huihui beamed at the praise when her phone suddenly rang.

 

Pulling it out, she saw Qiao Guangzong’s name on the screen. She gestured to Xia Niao. “I need to take my brother’s call first.”

 

She quickly stepped away from the noisy convenience store to a quieter spot and answered. “Hey, brother, what’s up?”

 

Seated in his office, Qiao Guangzong stared at the information on his computer, his entire demeanor dark with tension. Yet his voice remained gentle when speaking to his sister. “Huihui, I’ve found out who’s been using trolls to sabotage you.”

 

“Who?”

 

“Xiao Ninglu.”

 

Qiao Huihui raised an eyebrow. The answer wasn’t exactly surprising.

 

With Xiao Ninglu’s personality, after suffering so many defeats at her hands, it was only natural she’d resort to underhanded tactics.

 

“Her family planted someone in the production team, so she’s been able to contact the outside world during your training.”

 

The thought infuriated Qiao Guangzong. His sister, who could’ve easily pulled strings, hadn’t done so—yet some random woman dared manipulate his project.

 

“Huihui, I have the evidence. Should we expose her?”

 

Qiao Huihui stopped him: “Brother, don’t worry about it for now. I don’t think she poses much of a threat.”

 

And she was right. One was in the open, the other in the shadows. Normally, the one in the shadows would have the advantage, but the other party kept acting like a childish elementary school student with their provocations, practically wearing the word “villain” on their face for the whole world to see. Qiao Huihui really didn’t feel she was any threat at all.

 

Even when hiring internet trolls, they kept failing repeatedly.

 

She finally understood why she had become Xiao Ninglu’s number one target—apparently, without even realizing it, she had already defeated her opponent multiple times.

 

It’s better not to have too many scandals in a talent show. Besides, although Xiao Ninglu’s personality left much to be desired, her popularity was undeniable. As long as she was around, she would bring in viewership for her brother. Keeping her in the show was the best choice.

 

Since the other party’s intentions were completely transparent, keeping her under close watch would ensure nothing went wrong.

 

She added to the person on the phone, “Let her stay, but backdoor deals aren’t a good practice. Talent shows should be fair—the person who facilitated this can’t stay.”

 

“Got it. He was already let go.”

 

Qiao Guangzong agreed to his sister’s request, then hung up the phone, his glasses reflecting a cold glint.

 

He turned to his secretary and said, “Terminate all collaborations with the Xiao Group.”

 

On stage, if his sister wanted a fair competition, then he would let her have it.

 

As for him… he would engage in a battle of capital against the backers behind their opponent.

 

President Qiao’s logic was self-contained, completely forgetting that the Xiao Group had been on a steady decline in recent years and was no match for the flourishing Bridge Splendor Entertainment.

 

The outcome of a fight between a fierce tiger and a sickly cat was inevitable—the cat would be devoured, bones and all.

 

As a ruthless capitalist, Qiao Guangzong never showed mercy in business.

 

After hanging up, Qiao Huihui thought about it and realized the name “Qiao Yaozu” might have caused some misunderstandings, so she decided to clarify.

 

She took a selfie and posted it on Weibo, flashing a peace sign.

 

Qiao Huihui, 180cm V: First place! Living up to Grandpa’s expectations—I’ve brought honor to the family! Hehe dog emoji

 

In less than half an hour, it became a trending topic.

 

#QiaoHuihuiBringsHonorToTheFamily#

 

BlueCanvas: Hahahaha our baby is so accomplished, bringing honor to the family!

 

DeepForestZoo: So proud of you, keep it up, sis!

 

CreamPudding: So adorable! Giving today’s cutie a head pat~

 

IcedCola: The name “Qiao Yaozu” is weirdly catchy—next time she goes full A-mode, I’ll have a dedicated nickname for her!

 

VanillaIceCream: Exactly what the sister above said! Soft and sweet as Huihui, fierce and powerful as Yaozu!

 

CoffeeMilkChocolate: Hahahaha the duality is real~

 

FriedChickenIsGood: Am I the only one who noticed something? The president of Bridge Splendor Entertainment is Qiao Guangzong, and Huihui’s original name is Qiao Yaozu… What kind of divine coincidence is this?!

 

NoIdeaForAName: Sherlock, you’ve spotted the key detail!

 

The online response was overwhelmingly positive, with fans all joining in on the joke. Satisfied, Qiao Huihui closed Weibo and got ready to head out with Le Xingshan and the others.

 

Le Xingshan drew the task of pranking people while wearing a mascot costume, and she needed someone to film her. Originally, she had asked Jian Luobai for help, given that the latter’s combat prowess was well-known. If any passersby got angry and tried to hit them after discovering the truth, Jian Luobai could definitely help her escape quickly.

 

Unfortunately, Xia Niao overheard her while she was looking for help and insisted on tagging along for the fun. She even wanted to bring Qiao Huihui, so in the end, the group ended up going together.

 

This time, everyone except Le Xingshan had to disguise themselves before heading out.

 

But they couldn’t be as careless as last time—there was a high risk of being recognized, so it was better to dress more normally.

 

Take Shu Bailian, for example. If she showed up again with yellow hair and temporary tattoos like last time, her public image would definitely be ruined if she got recognized.

 

“Are you guys ready yet?”

 

Le Xingshan pushed the door open, already dressed in a bear mascot costume.

 

Qiao Huihui’s eyes lit up, and she rushed over to hug the adorable giant bear.

 

“Jiejie, you look so cute today!”

 

Le Xingshan chuckled and patted her head. “Was I not cute before?”

 

Qiao Huihui didn’t hesitate before replying, “Cute, cute, cute! Jiejie is always explosively adorable!”

 

Even though she had now become an idol herself, she hadn’t forgotten her fan skills when it came to showering praise.

 

Besides, she still hadn’t stopped being a fan.