Oops! I Became a Fan of My Rival Idol! - Chapter 9

“Qiao Huihui, come here for a moment. I need to teach you some basic vocal techniques.”

 

Being singled out was rather embarrassing. With flushed cheeks, Qiao Huihui followed the teacher to the other side of the practice room.

 

The teacher’s attitude, however, was very kind. “Don’t be nervous. For an amateur, you sing quite well—pleasant voice and good pitch.”

 

“But your pronunciation method is incorrect, your breath control is unstable, and there’s not much emotional expression.”

 

Listening to the teacher analyze her strengths and weaknesses, Qiao Huihui nodded earnestly.

 

The vocal teacher was even more pleased by her attitude. A man in his forties or fifties with grandchildren, he was naturally more patient with obedient and well-behaved youngsters.

 

Qiao Huihui’s appearance was particularly endearing, and she looked quite young—exactly the type that elders adored.

 

And so, with one teaching seriously and the other learning diligently, an entire morning passed before they knew it.

 

It wasn’t until Xia Niao’s face appeared at the practice room door that Qiao Huihui suddenly realized she was feeling rather hungry.

 

Following her gaze, the vocal teacher smiled knowingly and said, “Alright, that’s enough for today. Go practice on your own.”

 

With that, the class was dismissed. The trainees filed out of the practice room one after another, and Xia Niao darted inside.

 

“What did your teacher say to you just now?”

 

“Nothing much. Just spent the whole morning teaching me vocal basics.”

 

A look of sympathy flashed in Xia Niao’s eyes. “I almost forgot you’re an amateur… Having to start from scratch must be so rough!”

 

Tilting her head, Qiao Huihui thought about it and didn’t find it too bad. The teacher had been kind and gentle, and aside from being a bit thirsty, she wasn’t particularly tired.

 

Just as she was thinking this, Shen Nanqing suddenly approached from the other side of the practice room and handed her a bottle of water, saying simply, “Drink some water.”

 

It was like sending charcoal in snowy weather.

 

This further confirmed her suspicion—that the other girl was merely aloof in demeanor and not particularly talkative, but actually very considerate and gentle.

 

Qiao Huihui accepted it, her eyes sparkling.

 

She thanked her sweetly, “Thank you, Qingqing-jie~”

 

Shen Nanqing’s expression shifted slightly as she glanced at the girl’s crescent-moon eyes.

 

“Ah!” Xia Niao suddenly exclaimed, drawing Qiao Huihui’s attention.

 

She looked guilty. “I’m such a terrible friend. I didn’t even think to bring you water.”

 

“It’s fine.” Xia Niao had always been carefree, and Qiao Huihui understood her personality well—she wouldn’t mind such a trivial thing.

 

If anything, it only highlighted how attentive Shen Nanqing was, always noticing the little things others overlooked.

 

“Let’s go eat then.” Xia Niao reached for her hand.

 

Qiao Huihui wanted to invite Shen Nanqing along, but when she turned around, the practice room was already empty—the other girl had slipped away unnoticed at some point.

 

Clutching the water bottle, she felt an inexplicable sense of loss.

 

“Huihui, what’s wrong?” Xia Niao’s puzzled voice snapped her out of her thoughts, and she shook her head.

 

“Just thinking about what to eat for lunch.”

 

…

 

The afternoon dance instructor was a lively young woman. After testing everyone’s flexibility, she took a particular liking to Qiao Huihui and even gave her special praise.

 

“Qiao Huihui has real talent—she’s perfectly suited for dance.”

 

To be honest, Qiao Huihui herself was a bit bewildered. She had never tried dancing before and had no interest in it. When the teacher asked her to bend backward or do splits, she was initially nervous, afraid she might accidentally strain her back. Surprisingly, she managed to perform all the moves effortlessly, as if they posed no challenge at all.

 

Qiao Huihui wondered: Could I be one of those “naturally gifted” people often mentioned in martial arts novels?

 

Practicing dance was tedious and physically exhausting, but since it was her first time, Qiao Huihui found it quite novel. She remained full of energy, bouncing around nonstop. While others took breaks to drink water, she kept practicing, as if her body had an endless supply of stamina.

 

The dance teacher, impressed by her talent, couldn’t stop praising her—

 

“Qiao Huihui learns quickly.”

 

“Qiao Huihui’s movements are very precise.”

 

“Qiao Huihui’s stamina is great too.”

 

In short, the dance class almost turned into her personal showcase. She initially felt a little embarrassed, but when she caught Xiao Ninglu’s jealous glare, she danced even more enthusiastically.

 

Xiao Ninglu sneered, “Tch, what’s so great about that?”

 

Her voice was so low that only Shen Nanqing, sitting beside her, heard it. Shen shot her a cold glance and said, “Instead of making sour remarks, you should practice more.”

 

With that, she walked away to practice elsewhere.

 

Xiao Ninglu remained seated, humiliation boiling inside her from the public reprimand. She glared at Shen Nanqing’s retreating figure, slammed her fist on the floor, then turned her gaze toward Qiao Huihui, who was still dancing.

 

What’s so special about them? One’s an ice-cold face, the other’s a sanctimonious hypocrite.

 

Lowering her eyes to hide her jealousy, she subtly nudged a water bottle with her fingers behind her back, letting it roll slowly toward Qiao Huihui.

 

At that moment, everyone was engrossed in practice, and no one noticed—until Qiao Huihui accidentally stepped on the bottle, slipping. Li Huixin, practicing nearby, let out a startled scream, drawing everyone’s attention.

 

“Watch out!” someone shouted in panic.

 

Shen Nanqing’s pupils constricted. In a few quick strides, she rushed over and caught Qiao Huihui from behind as she fell, both of them tumbling to the ground.

 

Everything happened too fast. No one, not even Qiao Huihui, had time to react. The moment she slipped, she was already cradled in someone’s arms. Hearing a pained grunt from behind her, she scrambled up in alarm.

 

Shen Nanqing lay on the floor, her expression twisted in discomfort.

 

Shen Nanqing had saved her…

 

But Qiao Huihui had no time to dwell on it. Trembling, she grabbed Shen’s hand, tears welling in her eyes, her voice shaking. “Are you okay? Does it hurt badly? I—I’ll take you to the hospital!”

 

By then, the others had gathered around, asking what had happened. Only Xiao Ninglu’s eyes flickered with disappointment. She had hoped Qiao Huihui would get hurt, but instead, some fool had willingly taken the fall.

 

Still, better than nothing. Shen Nanqing was annoying anyway.

 

With a mocking tone, Xiao Ninglu said, “Oh dear, Qiao Huihui, how careless of you—dragging Shen Nanqing down with you.”

 

Hearing this, Qiao Huihui grew even more distressed. A tear rolled down her cheek and landed on Shen Nanqing’s hand as she frantically apologized, “I’m so sorry, it’s all my fault!”

 

Seeing the young girl on the verge of tears, Shen Nanqing tightened her grip on her hand and comforted her, “It’s not your fault. You’re a victim too.”

 

She slowly sat up, “I’m fine. It just hurt a bit when I fell, but it’s much better now.”

 

She hadn’t acted recklessly either. Though the situation had been urgent, she’d chosen the angle carefully when falling to distribute the impact, so it wasn’t as serious as others imagined.

 

Shen Nanqing swept a cold gaze across the room and said sharply, “Some people, however, didn’t secure their water bottles properly. Was that intentional?”

 

Her words carried too heavy an implication—deliberately causing harm to a teammate was a charge no one could bear. The room fell silent as everyone exchanged uneasy glances.

 

Xiao Ninglu remained perfectly calm, utterly unafraid. She’d done this many times before, and the cameras had been blocked. No one would ever trace it back to her.

 

With no culprit identified, the matter was eventually dropped. Li Shan even came by on behalf of the production team to ask if Shen Nanqing needed a hospital check-up.

 

After assessing herself, Shen Nanqing declined, confirming she was alright.

 

Meanwhile, Qiao Huihui spent the entire afternoon fussing over her, treating her like a fragile porcelain doll.

 

Shen Nanqing finally stopped her with a sigh, “Enough, I’m fine. Go practice your dance.”

 

Reluctantly, Qiao Huihui complied, though she still kept checking on Shen Nanqing between practice sessions.

 

The day’s training passed quickly, and the exhausted trainees dragged themselves back to their dorm, longing only to collapse onto their beds.

 

But the moment the door closed, Xia Niao immediately asked, “Huihui, something happened during your training? What was it?”

 

Shu Bailian also quietly turned her attention their way.

 

Clearly, news of the afternoon’s incident had spread. Qiao Huihui recounted everything in detail, casting guilty glances at Shen Nanqing throughout.

 

Shen Nanqing: “…”

 

She really was fine. That pitying gaze was unnecessary.

 

Xia Niao listened, then looked at Shen Nanqing with newfound admiration, “I misjudged you before. Who knew you were an iceberg with warmth? You saved Huihui—from now on, you’re my boss!”

 

Shen. The Boss. Nanqing: “…” Not exactly the title she wanted, thanks.

 

Shu Bailian, who’d been quietly listening, suddenly asked, “Were you in the same group as Xiao Ninglu?”

 

Qiao Huihui paused, confused by the question, but nodded.

 

Shu Bailian smirked coldly, “It was definitely her. Stabbing people in the back is her specialty.”

 

Xia Niao frowned, “I get you hate her after yesterday’s fight, but isn’t blaming her for everything a bit much?”

 

Shu Bailian rolled her eyes, “Fine, call it envy then.”

 

“Her family’s loaded. That’s reason enough for me to dislike her.”

 

Qiao Huihui, also from a wealthy family: “…” Opted for silence.

 

Xia Niao was stunned, “That’s… not very logical. Also—”

 

“Didn’t your whole ‘innocent flower’ persona just crumble before us?”

 

Where was the sweet, fragile facade masking a venomous heart?

 

Shu Bailian scoffed, “That just proves you’re not even worth manipulating.”

 

Xia Niao: “…”

 

Well then. Brutal.

 

She wisely steered away from the awkward topic and flopped onto the bed, her voice weak and exhausted: “Ah, so tired… This training is even more intense than what I had at the company. My back’s about to break.”

 

Without turning around, Shu Bailian tossed a bottle her way. “Muscle relief oil, specially for bruises and sprains.”

 

Xia Niao caught the bottle, utterly surprised. She eyed it suspiciously: “Is this sulfuric acid inside?”

 

“Hah, what value would harming you bring me?”

 

“Unsolicited kindness…”

 

“Can’t I just be helpful?”

 

Still unconvinced, Xia Niao pressed on until Shu Bailian bluntly stated her motive.

 

“To shut you up. Don’t go blabbing about my business.”

 

Ah… So it’s about protecting her image. Now Xia Niao understood.

 

She mimed zipping her lips and said, “As long as you don’t mess with us, my lips are sealed.”

 

Their banter finally brought some lighthearted harmony to Room 401, a welcome change from the earlier atmosphere where only two of the four spoke.

 

Living in a harmonious dorm was great for mental and physical well-being, and Qiao Huihui’s mood lifted. She walked over, saying, “Come on, it’s time to showcase my massage skills.”

 

Xia Niao let out a loud “Whoa!” and nearly jumped off the bed. She hugged Qiao Huihui and planted a kiss on her, moved: “Kid, Daddy didn’t raise you for nothing.”

 

Hearing her cheeky remark, Qiao Huihui smirked. “No worries, I often give massages to the pigs at home too.”

 

Shen Nanqing, having finished washing up, had already climbed into bed early. Leaning against the headboard with a book, a faint smile flickered in her eyes at their exchange.

 

From the lower bunk, Xia Niao howled dramatically, begging Qiao Huihui to go easy on her.

 

Shu Bailian tapped the desk with a comb. “Stop yelling, or the other dorms will think we’re slaughtering a pig.”

 

Qiao Huihui couldn’t help but laugh.

 

Xia Niao stared in disbelief—her own friend had defected to the enemy camp.

 

“What are you laughing at?!”

 

Still smiling, Qiao Huihui pressed harder. “I just thought of something funny.”

 

Shu Bailian chuckled too, prompting Xia Niao to turn and glare. “And what are you laughing at?”

 

Covering her mouth, Shu Bailian replied, “I also thought of something funny.”