Yu Shuman's daily routine was incredibly straightforward: wake up, put on makeup, rehearse, eat, touch up makeup, rehearse again, eat, and then sleep. Every day was exhausting yet fulfilling for her, as she experienced things she had never done before. This new lifestyle filled Yu Shuman with energy and excitement.
She would dance in front of the mirror in the practice room all day long. By the time she went to bed at night, her feet were swollen, forcing her to soak them in hot water. Sister Li would also bring her medicinal patches for her ankles and buy her protective ankle wraps to wear.
With how hard she was pushing herself, injuries were inevitable.
Yu Shuman thanked Sister Li, unaware that it was Qin Ran who had instructed Sister Li to take these precautions. After a few days of reading Sister Li's reports, Qin Ran couldn't sit still any longer. She had wanted Yu Shuman to enjoy herself, not to work herself to the point of exhaustion. The last thing Qin Ran wanted was for Yu Shuman to end up in the hospital before she even made it to the stage.
So, after discussing with Sister Li, Qin Ran decided to join the production team as a part-time worker. She wasn't sure why, but she felt a deep fear that Yu Shuman might discover she was her benefactor. Qin Ran had a strong sense that if Yu Shuman ever learned the truth, their relationship would never be the same.
As a homebody and someone afraid of change, Qin Ran had grown accustomed to her current relationship with Yu Shuman and dreaded the idea of altering it. She also feared that if Yu Shuman discovered her true feelings, they might not even remain friends.
Now that she had sorted out the plot, Qin Ran was even more aware that Yu Shuman was straight. Even though she wasn't deeply involved in certain circles, she understood the saying, "Trying to turn someone is like asking for lightning to strike." So she kept her feelings carefully hidden, maintaining her role as a friend and junior, staying by Yu Shuman's side.
Dressed in the production team's uniform, Qin Ran entered the set under Sister Li's watchful eye, who seemed to be thinking, "I really don't understand what's going through your head." Qin Ran's job was to distribute lunch boxes to the contestants, going from one room to the next, delivering the meals prepared by the production team.
The major contestants had their meals provided by their own companies, especially someone like Ling Miaohan. With her family's background, there was no way they would let her eat a simple lunch box. If they knew, they'd probably cry while holding her and cursing her childhood friend.
When Qin Ran knocked on Ling Miaohan's dressing room door, only an assistant came out to take her own meal, leaving Ling Miaohan's untouched.
At Yu Shuman's door, the assistant came out and took three meals: one for Yu Shuman, one for herself, and one for Qin Ran. The assistant didn't know that the girl delivering the meal was actually her big boss. Sister Li had just mentioned that she was a junior friend of Yu Shuman's and that they should be extra polite to her. So the assistant took Qin Ran's meal and invited her to join them after she finished her work since Yu Shuman was still practicing.
Qin Ran checked the time on her phone. "Is Senior still practicing?" It was already 11:30 AM. Yu Shuman had been up since 6:30 AM, had breakfast at 7 AM, practiced singing until 8 AM, and had been dancing since then.
The assistant proudly replied, "Of course, our Shuman is the most diligent when it comes to practice."
Qin Ran frowned, not seeing that as a good thing.
She finished delivering everyone else's lunch before returning to Yu Shuman's dressing room. By then, Yu Shuman had already come back, sitting on the small sofa in the room. She had taken off her dance shoes and socks, and her feet were propped up on the sofa as she gently massaged them.
Her ankles were still red and swollen despite the medicinal patches. As Qin Ran approached, Yu Shuman noticed her and quickly put her feet down, slipping them into the slippers the assistant had brought. "What brings you here?" Yu Shuman asked.
Qin Ran shifted her gaze from Yu Shuman's feet to her face. Just like in high school, Yu Shuman had her hair tied in a high ponytail, neat and tidy. But after a morning of practice, it was no longer as smooth, with some strands escaping to cling to her sweat-drenched face.
Sweating so much had made her face shiny, not unattractive but not particularly appealing either. Her dance clothes were also soaked through, clinging to her body and accentuating her curves. Anyone would find her to be a beautiful, albeit sweaty, sight.
Yu Shuman's eyes were bright, filled with determination and joy from the hard work she was putting in. It was impossible not to be drawn to her when you saw those eyes. If she spoke about her ambitions, even the most stoic person would be moved.
But not Qin Ran. Qin Ran wasn't captivated; she was concerned.
Pressing her lips together, Qin Ran finally answered Yu Shuman's question. "I'm here to work." But Yu Shuman was the one who felt concerned first. "Isn't it hard doing part-time work here? And this place is so far from school. How did you get here?"
She always thought of others first. Qin Ran fell silent, her gaze dropping back to Yu Shuman's feet, though they were now hidden in slippers and harder to see. Yu Shuman noticed the attention and instinctively pulled her toes inward.
"It's okay. The pay is pretty good here, and there's a bus that goes back and forth."
In reality, Sister Li had brought her over, but Qin Ran couldn't admit that. After all, Sister Li wouldn't have gone out of her way to pick her up without reason. If she mentioned it, Yu Shuman would definitely suspect something was off.
Yu Shuman had been about to say something but stopped when she heard about the good pay. She looked at Qin Ran with a hint of pity, knowing her situation. If the pay was good, no matter how tough the job was, Qin Ran would come.
Their conversation about the part-time job ended there, and Qin Ran tactfully changed the subject. "I'm hungry. Are you hungry, Senior? Let's eat."
Only then did Yu Shuman remember lunch, and the assistant quickly handed out the meal boxes. The production team's lunch boxes were decent, made by the same place Qin Ran had worked before—clean, hygienic, and reasonably priced, with one main dish, a small side dish, and two vegetables. Instead of soup, which could spill, they included a small bottle of water and some fruit, like an apple, a banana, or a few cherry tomatoes.
Today's fruit was cherry tomatoes, a favorite of both Qin Ran and Yu Shuman.
Although Yu Shuman had her own dressing room as a contestant backed by a major company, the room wasn't large. It had just one makeup table, a small sofa for resting, and a tiny coffee table, with only two seats available. The assistant had borrowed a chair from the staff to make space for them all.
The three of them huddled around the small coffee table, with their meals and water bottles laid out. They held their rice boxes and started eating.
The sofa was the most comfortable seat, and although the assistant had intended to give it to Qin Ran, she ended up sitting there herself, while Qin Ran and Yu Shuman sat on the chairs that were barely taller than the table, huddled together to eat.
Yu Shuman was used to eating with Qin Ran. During her first year of high school, she often invited Qin Ran to join her meals out of concern for her younger friend's tough life, always sharing her food. This habit had returned now that they had reunited, and just like before, Yu Shuman found herself offering food to Qin Ran.
"Eat more, Junior. I have to watch my figure, so I can't eat much. It's part of my job as an artist." She tried to put a big piece of meat into Qin Ran's bowl, but Qin Ran dodged it. "I can't eat two pieces of meat, Senior."
Yu Shuman hesitated, remembering they weren't in school anymore and that Qin Ran's lunch wasn't lacking in meat.
In reality, when Qin Ran had first bound to Yu Shuman, she already had enough money. She just didn't have a strong preference for meat, enjoying small portions rather than large helpings.
But Yu Shuman had thought she avoided meat due to poverty and often split her meals with Qin Ran. Thanks to Yu Shuman, Qin Ran had even gained some weight in her first year.
After Yu Shuman left for college, Qin Ran had grown accustomed to eating more meat. But even so, she couldn't finish two large portions.
And Qin Ran didn't believe for a second that Yu Shuman would skip meat to stay in shape. With her daily exercise, Yu Shuman could easily burn off even the most indulgent meals. Skipping meat would only leave her depleted.
Seeing that Qin Ran's lunch box already had meat, Yu Shuman didn't insist and started eating herself. Having experienced hard times, they both appreciated a good meal and didn't see a lunch box as beneath them. In fact, such a meal would cost at least 10 yuan on campus, and even more outside—15 yuan if you were lucky, but it could easily go up to 20 or 25 yuan at a pricier spot.
Sister Li had asked Qin Ran if they should provide Yu Shuman with a special diet, but Qin Ran had declined.
She understood Yu Shuman's personality. If she received special treatment now, it might make her uncomfortable. Seeing that other contestants also received similar support from their companies, she wouldn't question it too much. But if her meals were different from everyone else's, it would likely make her uneasy.
Once Yu Shuman became a top star, she would naturally receive better treatment, and by then, she would be more prepared for it.
Yu Shuman was down-to-earth, preferring to build her success step by step.