Oops! I Became a Fan of My Rival Idol! - Chapter 54

By the time the girls woke up in the morning, the matter had already been settled.

 

Qiao Huihui was still bleary-eyed but resolutely scrolled through her phone, liking every single comment criticizing Yu Yao and Zhao Wenlu—one could say she held grudges quite fiercely.

 

Suddenly, an unexpected call came through.

 

She looked at the contact name on the screen, puzzled.

 

Why was Sister Shanshan calling her?

 

“Hello, Sister Shanshan, what’s up?”

 

Li Shan’s cheerful voice came through: “Huihui, Bridge Splendor Entertainment’s top agent wants to sign you and Shen Nanqing! Come to the office right away!”

 

“Oh, okay! We’ll be there soon!” Qiao Huihui jolted awake and sat up in bed.

 

She was a little confused—why had her brother suddenly sent someone to sign them without any prior notice?

 

After hanging up, she nudged the still-sleeping Shen Nanqing. When the other girl opened her eyes, she said, “Sister Li Shan asked us to go to the office.”

 

Qiao Huihui didn’t dare mention the agent wanting to sign them. Shen Nanqing’s previous words were still fresh in her mind—she had no intention of signing because of their personal connection. Qiao Huihui was afraid she’d feel uncomfortable if she found out.

 

Still, she really wanted Shen Nanqing to sign with her family’s company. It would be even better if they had the same agent.

 

Shen Nanqing gave a soft “Mm” and got up.

 

The two skipped breakfast and headed straight to the production team’s office building.

 

Knock knock—

 

Qiao Huihui rapped on the door.

 

“Come in!” Li Shan’s voice called out.

 

Qiao Huihui pushed the door open and saw two people inside.

 

One was Li Shan, and the other—a man with his back to them—wore a silver-gray suit, his posture impeccably straight.

 

Hearing the noise, the man turned to look at them.

 

He wore silver-rimmed glasses, his eyes unusually narrow, his cheeks slightly gaunt. He smiled faintly before even speaking, standing up to nod at them.

 

He looked refined and polite.

 

Li Shan was also smiling warmly. She quickly made introductions.

 

“Huihui, Qingqing, you’re here! Come over—this is Mr. Li Bin, the agent from Bridge Splendor.”

 

Fitting name, Qiao Huihui thought.

 

Li Bin stepped forward and extended his hand. “Pleasure to meet you. I’m Li Bin.”

 

“Hello, I’m Qiao Huihui.”

 

“Hello, I’m Shen Nanqing.”

 

Li Shan watched them shake hands, then nodded with a smile. “I’ll leave you to it, then. Have a good talk.”

 

With that, she turned and closed the office door behind her.

 

Now only the three of them remained.

 

Qiao Huihui kept her head down, not daring to look at Shen Nanqing’s expression.

 

She must have figured out the purpose of today’s meeting by now. Qiao Huihui felt guilty for tricking her into coming.

 

Li Bin returned to the sofa and gestured politely. “Please, have a seat.”

 

Qiao Huihui tugged Shen Nanqing—who now looked resigned—to sit across from him.

 

“I assume you both already have an idea of why I’m here today, so I’ll get straight to the point. Bridge Splendor Entertainment sees great potential in both of you and would like to establish a partnership,” Li Bin stated calmly.

 

He opened his briefcase, retrieved a document, and placed it on the table.

 

“These are the terms—salary, benefits, resources—you’ll receive upon signing. Feel free to review them first.”

 

“If you have any questions, we can discuss further.”

 

Qiao Huihui scratched her head, somewhat puzzled. “Would my brother lie to me? There’s no need to look at the contract then.”

 

As soon as she said this, Li Bin narrowed his eyes, a look of confusion crossing his face.

 

He asked, “What do you mean by ‘your brother’?”

 

Qiao Huihui was even more confused than him, frowning as she countered, “Didn’t my brother send you here?”

 

Li Bin adjusted his glasses and said, “May I ask who your brother is…?”

 

“My brother is the president of Qiaohua, Qiao Guangzong!”

 

She eyed Li Bin suspiciously, doubting he was a scammer. “Are you really a Qiaohua agent? How could you not even recognize your own boss?”

 

Shen Nanqing also watched him warily, treating him like a potential threat.

 

Li Bin: “…”

 

He took off his glasses, pinched the bridge of his nose, and sighed tiredly.

 

“My apologies… I was just surprised.”

 

After composing himself, he put his glasses back on. “Of course I know President Qiao, but I didn’t expect you to be her sister.”

 

“Please allow me to make a call to confirm.”

 

With that, he picked up his phone and quickly stepped out the door.

 

Qiao Huihui and Shen Nanqing exchanged bewildered glances.

 

“What’s going on? Did he just come to sign us without knowing who we are?”

 

Not Qiao Huihui and Shen Nanqing specifically, but the “first” and “second” place winners of the show.

 

Shen Nanqing was also at a loss for words. “Maybe… your brother never introduced you to the company employees?”

 

Though Li Bin had kept his expression under control, the momentary shock hadn’t escaped Shen Nanqing’s notice. He didn’t seem like a scammer.

 

Qiao Huihui covered her face, thinking carefully. She really hadn’t visited the company much—only her brother’s secretary knew her well. Most employees had probably never seen her.

 

Ah… this was so embarrassing.

 

She was drowning in awkwardness.

 

Shen Nanqing’s soft chuckle reached her ears, and she gently rubbed Qiao Huihui’s reddened earlobe, comforting her. “Don’t overthink it. It wasn’t intentional.”

 

Qiao Huihui gave her a deadpan stare—I suspect you’re laughing at me and have solid evidence.jpg

 

A few minutes later, Li Bin returned.

 

At the same time, Qiao Huihui received a message on her phone:

 

Brother: Go ahead and sign. Li Bin is Qiaohua’s best agent, not a scammer.

 

Qiao Huihui: “…”

 

Confirmed. She really had made a fool of herself!!!

 

And in front of her future agent, no less. Ahhh, this was so awkward.

 

The conversation resumed, but this time, Li Bin’s attitude had shifted.

 

“So you’re the young miss. I’d heard of you but never had the chance to meet. Funny how fate works.”

 

The shrewd edge in his demeanor softened, replaced by a more familiar tone.

 

This was the unspoken rule in China—the insider advantage.

 

Qiao Huihui smiled sheepishly. “So you’re Agent Li. My brother often praises your skills. It’s an honor to meet you.”

 

Well… it was obvious she was lying, but Li Bin had no reason to call her out. He chuckled lightly and shook his head modestly. “You flatter me.”

 

Noticing Shen Nanqing had stayed quiet, he made a harmless joke. “I’d heard rumors the two of you didn’t get along. On the way here, I was wondering how to mediate between you.”

 

Shen Nanqing smiled faintly and said calmly, “Just rumors.”

 

Li Bin nodded. “Then let’s get back to business—the contract. Since we’re all insiders now, I’ll discuss it with President Qiao and upgrade the terms.”

 

He sat upright, fingers interlaced on his lap, and cleared his throat. “Let me first introduce my background.”

 

“I’ve been in the industry as an agent for fifteen years, having nurtured five Best Actress winners, two Best Actor winners, three Best Female Singers, and over a dozen rising stars.”

 

“Two weeks ago, I terminated my contract with my previous artist and am currently in a transitional period. While scouting for new talent, I noticed your stage performance and saw great potential. Initially, I was disappointed to learn Miss Shen was already signed to a company. But then yesterday, I heard about your contract termination, so I contacted Li Shan to arrange this meeting.”

 

Qiao Huihui blinked, her mouth slightly agape. This resume… was practically dazzling.

 

Shen Nanqing remained much calmer and asked, “May I ask the reason for your contract termination with your previous artist?”

 

Li Bin smiled. “No need to worry—it was an amicable split. After establishing herself, she wanted to start an independent studio, so we parted ways.”

 

He looked at the two of them and asked, “So… would you like to sign with me?”

 

Qiao Huihui blurted, “Yes, yes, yes!”

 

Shen Nanqing nodded as well.

 

Li Bin’s expression brightened into a relaxed smile. His demeanor became even more cordial as he extended his hand again. “Pleasure working with you!”

 

“Pleasure working with you!”

 

…

 

When the two returned to the dorm, Xia Niao and Shu Bailian had just woken up. Seeing them back, they asked curiously, “Where did you two go so early in the morning?”

 

There was no reason to hide it, so Qiao Huihui answered directly, “We got signed by Bridge Splendor Entertainment.”

 

“Wow, that’s amazing!” Xia Niao was genuinely happy for them.

 

Shu Bailian, however, reacted oddly. She raised an eyebrow and said, “Guess we’re colleagues now.”

 

Qiao Huihui: “???”

 

Shu Bailian took delight in her bewildered expression and laughed heartily. “My former company was acquired by Bridge Splendor a few days ago. My contract’s been transferred to them now.”

 

Of course, what pleased her most was—

 

“So, Xiao Ninglu’s backer is gone. I can finally take her down openly!”

 

Qiao Huihui fell silent. It seemed these two really had some deep-seated grudge.

 

Even she, who had been schemed against by Xiao Ninglu multiple times, didn’t harbor such intense hatred.

 

Curious, she couldn’t help asking, “Mind sharing the story behind your… love-hate relationship?”

 

Shu Bailian sneered. “Same old story. The little princess couldn’t stand anyone outshining her, so she used her privileges to bully and suppress them—”

 

She glanced at Shen Nanqing and added, “Pretty much the same way Yu Yao treated her.”

 

Qiao Huihui nodded in understanding.

 

“That really is despicable.”

 

It occurred to her that Xiao Ninglu’s family company had been acquired because of her, making her feel as though fate had its own designs—this incident had inadvertently helped Shu Bailian.

 

…

 

Yu Yao and Zhao Wenlu had already been brought to justice, along with a string of accomplices. Netizens were busy feasting on the drama, and for the moment, no one paid much attention to Shen Nanqing, the victim.

 

Except for her Pumpkin fans.

 

Now that their idol was left without a company or an agent, they could only flock to the official Weibo of The Dazzling You to ask about Shen Nanqing’s situation. Many also left messages directly under her own posts.

 

“How is our sister doing now?”

 

“My heart aches for her health—please stay strong!”

 

“QAQ Can sister please post an update? I’m so worried!”

 

Li Bin was now Shen Nanqing’s manager. Although it hadn’t been officially announced yet, he had already taken on his responsibilities. After seeing the comments under the Weibo post, he sent Shen Nanqing a message.

 

Brother Li: The matter is completely over now. You should post something on Weibo to reassure your fans.

 

Shen Nanqing: Okay.