Oops! I Became a Fan of My Rival Idol! - Chapter 7

Early in the morning, Qiao Huihui jolted upright in bed like a reanimated corpse.

No one could blame her for overreacting—the wake-up alarm blaring from the program crew’s speakers was downright demonic. It was the exact same background music used during high school morning runs.

The thunderous drumbeats and piercing whistle drilled straight into her skull, torturing her into wakefulness.

It instantly transported her back to high school—horrifying.

And she wasn’t the only one startled. The others weren’t faring much better.

Listening to Xia Niao’s startled “Holy sh*t,” Qiao Huihui stared blankly, drowsiness creeping back over her. Her hair was a mess, her baby-fat cheeks even more pronounced, and a faint red mark from who-knows-what pressed against her face…

Shen Nanqing neatly folded her blanket, casting a seemingly casual glance in her direction.

Xia Niao yawned, her voice weak from below: “Mornin’…”

Qiao Huihui shook her head, struggling to fully wake up. She stared at the still-dim sky outside the window and sighed deeply. Why had she been so foolish as to come here and suffer this inhuman torment?

By the time they had all freshened up, the program crew’s broadcast sounded right on cue.

“Good morning, everyone. You now have thirty minutes for breakfast. Please assemble in the practice room by eight o’clock sharp.”

“This feels like military training,” Xia Niao muttered under her breath.

Qiao Huihui tied up her hair and adjusted her appearance in the mirror. Without turning around, she replied, “Hurry up, or we’ll be late!”

Xia Niao sluggishly crawled out of bed to get dressed.

Surprisingly, Shu Bailian, who looked delicate and frail, was the most efficient when it came to getting ready. She showed no intention of sticking with them and left alone as soon as she was done.

Just as Qiao Huihui was about to leave, she hesitated and glanced back at Shen Nanqing. Before she could decide whether to invite her, the other girl pulled open the door and walked out.

Qiao Huihui: (╥﹏╥) Are all my roommates this cold…?

Xia Niao also looked over and sighed wistfully. “Even though there are four of us, it feels like just the two of us.”

“I used to be called a social butterfly, but Shen Nanqing’s too icy to approach, and Shu Bailian’s too intimidating…” She glanced at Qiao Huihui again and grinned. “At least they left me one normal person, or I’d probably go insane.”

Qiao Huihui burst out laughing, all her earlier worries forgotten as she tugged Xia Niao toward the cafeteria.

Pushed for time, the two grabbed a quick breakfast before rushing to the practice building.

Panting, Xia Niao gasped, “Damn! The company won’t have to worry about me gaining weight anymore—I’ll lose it all just from walking like this every day.”

Chewing on her bread, Qiao Huihui remarked with the wisdom of an elder, “Feels just like rushing to school back in the day.”

When they entered the practice room, they found quite a few people already inside. Qiao Huihui only recognized a handful, but as she scanned the room, she spotted Le Xingshan at the front, surrounded by a small group. Noticing her arrival, Le Xingshan flashed her a smile.

Meanwhile, Shu Bailian stood with the short-haired girl from yesterday, Jian Luobai. It seemed everyone had their own little group—even Qiao Huihui was paired with Xia Niao. Only Shen Nanqing stood alone in the corner, appearing as if she had been isolated.

As if sensing her gaze, Shen Nanqing, who had been idly staring out the window, turned her eyes toward her. Their gazes met abruptly.

Like the frost of early March, her eyes carried a chilling coldness that left Qiao Huihui momentarily dazed.

Shen Nanqing was always like this—like an ice lotus atop a snowy mountain, exuding an aura that warned others to keep their distance. She stood among the crowd yet seemed detached from it. Qiao Huihui couldn’t help but wonder—what would this person look like if she smiled?

Before she could dwell on the thought, the mentors entered the practice room. Instantly, the room fell silent, and the two naturally averted their eyes.

“Good morning, everyone!” Chu Junling greeted with a smile.

“Good morning, mentors—”

“Today, there are two important matters. First… hand over your phones.”

???

Wait, do survival shows confiscate phones?

Qiao Huihui clutched her phone in panic.

For an internet-addicted girl like her, this was downright cruel. The surge of motivation she had felt earlier quickly dissipated. Silently, she thought, As expected, I’m just not cut out for survival shows. Maybe I should just quit…

The others also groaned in protest. In modern society, phones were practically indispensable, and being forced to part with them was unbearable. No one wanted to hand theirs over.

But rules were rules. A few staff members carrying baskets mercilessly collected their phones.

After that, the mentors took turns giving some perfunctory remarks before Chu Junling announced the competition rules.

“And that brings us to the second matter—your first official evaluation is coming up.”

Holding the script card from the production team, Chu Junling read aloud word for word.

All participants would be divided into four large groups, each with their own practice room. Professional vocal and dance coaches would train them, and the mentors would occasionally drop by to offer guidance.

This was nothing new—most survival shows in recent years followed this formula. The contestants had all done some research before joining, so no one raised any objections. Only Qiao Huihui found it somewhat novel.

Standing at the front of the practice room, Chu Junling said, “If everything’s clear, then let’s proceed to the draw.”

A staff member handed her a box, which Chu Junling held out toward the contestants. “Here—these are the songs for your first elimination round.”

“Those who draw the same song will automatically form a team.”

This caused a stir among the crowd. Xia Niao nervously gripped Qiao Huihui’s hand, muttering, “Oh heavens, please bless me—let me draw a song that suits my style!”

Qiao Huihui was also nervous. She stole a glance at Le Xingshan’s back, wondering if they might end up on the same team.

There were four songs in total:

“Hot Kiss,” “Sunny Love,” “Summer Blossoms,” and “Chaotic Blade.”

All were popular hits from recent years, each with distinct characteristics that could showcase the contestants’ abilities.

Qiao Huihui drew “Sunny Love”—a simple, upbeat, and refreshing song. She was quite satisfied with it.

Xia Niao drew “Summer Flowers” and happened to be paired with Shu Bailian. Qiao Huihui noticed her face had turned green with dismay and offered a few half-hearted words of comfort before rushing off to find Le Xingshan.

She ran over excitedly, only to discover that Le Xingshan had drawn “Passionate Kiss.” Unable to hide her disappointment, her expression involuntarily betrayed her feelings.

Just then, a cool, detached voice suddenly spoke beside her.

“I also got ‘Sunny Love.'”

She turned to see Shen Nanqing holding up a slip of paper and looking at her.

Qiao Huihui was momentarily stunned before breaking into a radiant smile. “Ah, well… then we can practice together.” Shen Nanqing had always been aloof before, so her unexpected initiative left Qiao Huihui both surprised and flattered.

Shen Nanqing observed the baby fat puffing up on Qiao Huihui’s cheeks, mentally picturing a little hamster with stuffed cheek pouches. Her fingers unconsciously fiddled with the slip of paper.

With a faint “Mm,” she replied, her gaze seemingly unfocused, before turning and retreating to her corner.

Watching Shen Nanqing—who had been perfectly civil moments ago—suddenly turn cold again, Qiao Huihui thought, “How bizarre!”

…

Amid the contestants’ intense rehearsals, the first episode of The Dazzling You was finally completed and uploaded by the production team at 8 PM on Saturday.

It was the weekend, the perfect time for everyone to laze in bed after dinner, scrolling through their phones—and video platforms naturally saw a surge in traffic.

Yang Qingqing was an office worker trapped in the soul-crushing grind of corporate life, finding solace only in the brief respite after work.

Her way of unwinding was watching variety shows, where the dazzling looks of the participants and the hilarious interactions between guests made the world feel a little brighter.

That evening, she opened Orange Video, planning to browse for some entertaining shows.

But the moment she clicked in, the homepage recommended a new post: The Dazzling You Trailer—Come Pick Your Favorite Contestant!

A talent show, huh…

Yang Qingqing hesitated briefly before casually clicking in.

The video opened with the adorable back view of a girl dragging a large suitcase. She stood at the entrance for a long time, glancing left and right, yet never pushing the door open.

The production team played it coy, deliberately withholding a full-face shot, which only intensified Yang Qingqing’s curiosity. Eager to see what the girl—whose back looked so appealing—actually looked like, she kept watching.

Finally, the girl in the video approached the door, gently pushing it open a crack before leaning in to peek.

Unbeknownst to her, the crew had installed a tiny camera on the door, capturing her entire face pressed right up against it in perfect detail.

That face was undeniably stunning. Yang Qingqing, caught off guard by the sheer visual impact, froze in place.

Unlike the sporadic comments earlier, the screen now exploded with a flood of colorful subtitles, nearly obscuring the girl’s face entirely.

OMG OMG, what kind of celestial cutie is this?!
Ding~ Your adorable little fairy has appeared!
This is a beauty overload—her features are unreal!
Why are you just sitting there? Screenshot this now!

This barrage comment reminded Yang Qingqing. Flustered, she turned off the dense stream of comments, rewound the progress bar by about ten seconds, and then went into a frenzy of taking screenshots.

Having seen all kinds of beauties in the entertainment industry, this was the first time she was completely stunned by someone’s appearance. The impact of that shot just now was so strong it directly struck her heart.

After confirming she had taken enough screenshots, she carefully read the subtitles the program had provided for the girl—Qiao Huihui, eighteen years old, a non-celebrity.

And that was all the information there was.

Someone this stunning is actually a non-celebrity?