Oops! I Became a Fan of My Rival Idol! - Chapter 50

Shen Nanqing suddenly fell silent.

 

Qiao Huihui gazed at her eagerly, waiting for her to speak.

 

“Huihui, I…”

 

She lowered her head, her voice slightly strained, her expression dim.

 

“I’m sorry, I lied to you.”

 

“I wasn’t chosen by the director—I had to take that role for certain reasons.”

 

“I’m not a good actress at all.”

 

Qiao Huihui had already guessed as much. After all, if the director had truly valued her, he would never have humiliated her like that.

 

Her heart ached unbearably, and she instinctively retorted, “Don’t say Teacher Shen isn’t good—not even you can say that.”

 

“Shen Nanqing, in my heart, you’ll always be the best!”

 

“I hope that one day, I can see you standing on the biggest, grandest stage, receiving the glory you deserve.”

 

Her expression was sincere and resolute, her eyes shining with a dazzling light, as if this were a deeply held belief.

 

Shen Nanqing was taken aback.

 

The next moment, Qiao Huihui took her hand and said, “I’ll take you somewhere.”

 

They walked through corridors, streets, and alleys…

 

“We’re here!”

 

The two stopped, panting softly, and Shen Nanqing looked up at their surroundings.

 

It was a secluded and tranquil place—aging streetlights, a cobblestone path, a murmuring river, and the small white bridge beneath their feet.

 

Qiao Huihui’s face glowed under the streetlight as she looked up at Shen Nanqing. “Teacher Shen, look over there.”

 

She pointed, and Shen Nanqing followed her gaze.

 

“Fireflies?”

 

Across the river, tiny specks of fireflies drifted like scattered stars from the sky, their soft glow flowing slowly, like little fairies dancing gracefully. It was a breathtakingly beautiful and magical scene, and Shen Nanqing was momentarily spellbound.

 

Qiao Huihui’s sweet voice sounded beside her ear: “When I was very little, my family didn’t have much money. We’d just moved from the countryside to the city and lived here with my parents and brother.”

 

Shen Nanqing turned to look at her.

 

“My brother and I often stood on this bridge, gazing at the fireflies in the distance, while my parents watched us from behind, smiling.”

 

“Later… my parents made money in business, and we moved into a big villa. They were always busy with work, flying abroad all year, and my brother had to live at school. Only the housekeeper and I were left at home.”

 

Her voice grew subdued here, as if she were saddened by the memory.

 

Shen Nanqing’s heart tightened, and she wanted to comfort her.

 

But then she heard Qiao Huihui say with a smile, “Well… but my childhood memories are still beautiful. After my grandfather found out about this, he scolded my parents and moved into the villa to take care of me. I was very happy.”

 

“Except there were no fireflies in the villa, so I often sneaked back here, leaning on this railing to play with them.”

 

“I even drew lots of pictures and made wishes to them, hoping I’d become a great painter someday.”

 

She laughed softly, as if recalling something wonderful, her eyes sparkling.

 

A few fireflies drifted slowly toward them, and Qiao Huihui extended a finger. One of them gently landed on her fingertip.

 

“Look, isn’t it beautiful?” she exclaimed excitedly, holding it up for Shen Nanqing to see.

 

“Yes, it’s truly beautiful,” Shen Nanqing replied softly, though the reflection in her pupils wasn’t the firefly but Qiao Huihui’s joyful smile.

 

Qiao Huihui carefully shook her fingers, and the firefly lazily drifted away into the distance. Suddenly, she looked up at Shen Nanqing’s face with a serious expression. “Teacher Shen, I’ve told you all about my past. Would you be willing to share… yours with me?”

 

Shen Nanqing froze for a moment before regaining her composure. Her gaze drifted toward the flowing river in the distance.

 

“I… don’t have much to say.”

 

“My parents passed away when I was very young. I don’t remember their faces or have any clear memories of them.”

 

“After that, I was sent to an orphanage. Then in high school, a talent scout noticed me, and I entered the entertainment industry.”

 

Her amber eyes appeared unusually pale, devoid of emotion, and her voice was cool and detached—as if she were merely recounting some random story she’d read somewhere.

 

“At first, I was naive. I thought I could make a name for myself in the industry, become an outstanding actress. But as time passed, I realized it wasn’t that easy.”

 

Her words grew vague at this point, and she let out a light chuckle. “Anyway, years have passed, and I still haven’t achieved anything.”

 

Qiao Huihui suddenly interjected, “That’s not true at all! If it weren’t for your company and manager holding you back, you’d already be famous.”

 

Shen Nanqing shook her head self-deprecatingly. “Yu Yao once said I just don’t have what it takes to be famous. Maybe she was right.”

 

Qiao Huihui’s eyes reddened with anger. “Who does she think she is, saying that about you? She’s definitely just jealous and talking nonsense!”

 

Fuming, she wrapped her arms around Shen Nanqing and buried her face in the other woman’s chest. “They don’t want you to succeed, and you actually believed them? How silly!”

 

“I want you to succeed. I’ll have my brother invest in you. Then you can star in any drama you want!”

 

Shen Nanqing’s melancholy instantly dissipated at these words. Amused, she patted the little head nestled against her. “Don’t be angry, don’t be angry. You’re acting like such a child. My contract expires in two weeks anyway—then I’ll be free of them.”

 

Qiao Huihui sniffled. “I’m not being childish! I mean every word. I can’t even wait two weeks. I’ll have my brother sign you right away, get you the best manager, and make that awful former manager of yours scram!”

 

Shen Nanqing refused firmly, “Huihui, don’t do this for me. It’s just two more weeks. After that, I’ll sign with Qiaohua on my own merits.”

 

When Qiao Huihui looked up, Shen Nanqing saw she was crying.

 

“No! I don’t want you to suffer for two more weeks. It hurts me to see you like this. I—I… hic.”

 

Her words came out fast and frantic, tears streaming down her cheeks until she couldn’t hold back a sob.

 

Flustered, Shen Nanqing hurriedly wiped her tears, surrendering almost immediately.

 

“Alright, alright. You can pay the termination fee for me first, and I’ll repay you later. But let’s drop the Qiaohua talk—I’ll get signed there through my own efforts. Believe in me, okay, Huihui?”

 

Mentally, she calculated: the contract she’d signed back then wasn’t particularly large. A few hundred thousand should cover the termination fee.

 

Qiao Huihui still felt somewhat unsatisfied, but she knew that given Shen Nanqing’s pride, this was all she could accept. She could only nod in agreement.

 

The tear stains on her face hadn’t dried yet. Thinking about how she had lost her composure in the heat of the moment, a blush crept onto her cheeks.

 

After the emotional outburst, both of them now hesitated, unsure of what to say next. The air fell into silence.

 

They leaned against the railing, gazing together at the river surface.

 

A cool breeze swept by, rippling the water and carrying with it a faint fragrance.

 

Qiao Huihui sniffed the air and suddenly asked in confusion, “I almost forgot—why have you stopped changing your perfume?”

 

Recently, Shen Nanqing seemed to have abandoned her habit of wearing a different perfume every day, sticking to the same scent instead.

 

Having grown accustomed to it, Qiao Huihui had nearly overlooked this detail until now.

 

Shen Nanqing’s face instantly flushed crimson, her ears turning so red they seemed about to bleed. She blinked rapidly, stammering, “Um… well… because… because you said you liked it.”

 

“I said I liked it?” Qiao Huihui repeated, puzzled.

 

She concentrated, then suddenly her breath hitched.

 

This scent… wasn’t it the one she had complimented the night before her photoshoot?

 

A cool, serene fragrance with a hint of minty freshness.

 

Had Shen Nanqing not changed her perfume since that day?

 

She turned her head, and their eyes met briefly before both quickly looked away.

 

Qiao Huihui felt her face grow warm. Pressing her lips together, she murmured, “It really does smell nice.”

 

Shen Nanqing: “…Mhm.”

 

After a while, something brushed against Qiao Huihui’s hand. She curled her fingers slightly, then gently reached back—first just the tips of their fingers touching, then intertwining, slowly moving upward before finally clasping tight.

 

Their hearts raced wildly, yet their expressions remained calm.

 

Neither spoke. Only the distant croaking of frogs filled the silence as they stared absently at the river, as though something fascinating lay there.

 

…

 

“Teacher Shen, have you ever been in a relationship before?”

 

“No.”

 

“What does it feel like to be in love?”

 

“I don’t know.”

 

“Then… maybe… maybe we could try?”

 

“…Okay.”

 

Qiao Huihui restrained a smile, lowering her head with modest composure. “It’s really just a trial. Starting now, it’s a probationary period. When the show ends, if we still want to try… then we’ll be together.”

 

Shen Nanqing’s heart trembled slightly as she tightened their clasped hands, whispering, “Whatever you say.”

 

Under the moonlight, countless drifting green fireflies swirled around them like ribbons, dazzlingly beautiful.

 

 

“Someone took photos of them?”

 

Qiao Guangzong frowned at the images on his computer—Qiao Huihui and Shen Nanqing holding hands while running, and the two standing on the bridge watching fireflies.

 

To his secretary, he said, “Intercept all of them. Don’t let any photos showing their close relationship get out.”

 

But inwardly, he thought: It seems my sister really likes this friend of hers, enough to take her to her secret hideout.

 

Having lived in their childhood home for many years, he recognized it immediately. For this friend whom his sister valued so much, he couldn’t help but hold her in higher regard.

 

“Has that Zhao Wenlu responded yet?”

 

“Um…” The secretary hesitated. “He told us to inform Miss Shen that if she terminates the contract, she can forget about seeing that item.”

 

Qiao Guangzong looked up. “What item?”

 

After some thought, the secretary replied, “It should be a necklace. He was holding it in his hand, but I didn’t get a clear look.”

 

Qiao Guangzong pondered for a moment before saying, “Let’s put that matter on hold for now. I’ll discuss it with Huihui first.”