“Rou Rou, today’s the day for the talent selection registration! Get up, or we won’t get a spot!”
Xu Qingmei nudged Ji Rou, who was still buried under the blankets, fast asleep.
Ji Rou rubbed her sleepy eyes. She had stayed up too late practicing last night and didn’t want to wake up—but the thought of Qian beckoning her instantly chased away her drowsiness.
“Right, I need to hurry, or Qian will be gone!”
“What?” Xu Qingmei didn’t catch what Ji Rou said and looked puzzled.
“Ha! I mean, if I don’t get up now, we’ll miss the registration!” Ji Rou laughed it off, quickly changing the subject. She didn’t want her friend to know she was motivated by money.
“Oh, okay.” Xu Qingmei didn’t suspect a thing and simply urged Ji Rou to move faster.
After all, this talent selection was extremely popular; anyone with a skill could register.
When they arrived at the registration site, the crowd was massive.
Seeing the throngs of people, Ji Rou’s mouth dropped in shock. “No way! All this just for some money?”
“Ji Rou, what are you saying? They’re not here for money!”
“What? Not for money? Then why are they here?”
Ji Rou couldn’t understand—if not for money, why compete at all? Surely they weren’t just bored.
Xu Qingmei didn’t know whether to call Ji Rou naïve or foolish. “One of the judges this time is the international director Zhang. He’s using this selection to choose the female lead for his upcoming project, The Charming Apprentice of the Immortal Master.”
Ji Rou’s face fell. How could she forget? This was the opportunity for the female lead. Zhang Xiaoxiao, the eventual heroine, got noticed by Director Zhang through this very selection—an event that eventually launched her dominance in the entertainment industry.
“No wonder so many people are here—they’re all coming for Director Zhang!” Ji Rou stared at the sea of participants, her scalp tingling.
With so many contestants, could she even make it into the top seven? Ji Rou felt a little discouraged.
“Exactly! That’s why the crowd is so huge.”
Xu Qingmei couldn’t help but smile at her friend’s discouragement but still offered encouragement.
“Rou Rou, you’re so beautiful. It’s only a matter of time before the director picks you!”
Ji Rou twitched at the corner of her mouth. Even with her thick skin, she couldn’t bring herself to say something so vain.
She quickly laughed it off to change the subject. “Qingmei, let’s hurry and get in line! If we wait too long, we won’t even get to register before dark.”
“You’re right.”
As Xu Qingmei led Ji Rou to the line, a commotion erupted ahead.
“Zhang Xiaoxiao! Did you even check how you look before showing up here?”
“Don’t cry at home later if you get eliminated!”
A girl with a heart-shaped face, hands on her hips, sneered at the delicate-looking contestant before her.
The target was none other than Ji Rou herself. Her cheeks flushed red; she was furious but dared not speak.
She knew a regular girl like herself couldn’t compete with these wealthy ladies—but she still wanted to stand up for herself.
“Xu Qingqing, how dare you mock someone’s appearance! And even if you’re beautiful, your heart is wicked. Nobody likes you!”
“You…” Xu Qingqing’s face turned red with anger. At school, so many admired Zhang Xiaoxiao, but despised her. The thought alone made her furious.
“How dare you call me wicked? I’ll teach you a lesson!”
She lunged at Zhang Xiaoxiao like a wild animal, claws out. But the staff intervened.
“This is the registration area. Any disputes must be taken five hundred meters ahead. We can’t stop what you do there, but if you fight here, your registration will be canceled.”
The speaker was the head of the event. He had arrived early to check the scene and didn’t expect trouble. As the organizer, he wouldn’t tolerate anyone disrupting the venue.
His warning immediately quelled Xu Qingqing and Zhang Xiaoxiao. They didn’t dare fight here, but their mutual disdain was obvious.
Xu Qingqing knew this wasn’t the time to deal with Zhang Xiaoxiao properly, but she couldn’t leave without asserting herself. “Zhang Xiaoxiao… we’ll see about this.”
She left in a huff.
Ji Rou watched in astonishment. She hadn’t expected the heroine and the malicious girl to clash so fiercely.