Qin Ran was serious when she told Yu Shuman that Ling Miaohan wouldn't win the championship. Although Ling Miaohan had debuted as the champion in the novel, reality had already deviated significantly from the original plot.
The show "Debut, Girls!" had garnered far more attention than it had in the novel, trending one after another, with a group of yet-to-debut artists and their companies causing such a stir that even the authorities took notice.
In particular, Ling Miaohan and the company behind her, led by Pei Qi, had offended many contestants and companies. Under such circumstances, the fact that the production team hadn't eliminated her during the fourth performance was already a favor to Pei Qi and his sponsorship. There was no way they would let Ling Miaohan win the championship—that would be like stepping on the faces of all the other companies.
Before the final, Qin Ran knew that the other companies had agreed to unite and pressure the production team, as long as Ling Miaohan didn't win, anyone else could. In the end, a young idol picked up the victory, and her company was practically over the moon.
Qin Ran couldn't help but wonder if Ling Miaohan, now without the championship, was at home crying to her domineering CEO childhood friend, Pei Qi.
But now that it was over, Qin Ran didn't plan to bother Ling Miaohan or Pei Qi further, as long as they stayed away from her and her senior.
The day after the show ended, Qin Ran was still catching up on sleep when Yu Shuman called her. Unlike the sleepy, mumbling voice from the previous night, Yu Shuman was now full of energy. She urged Qin Ran to get up and head to the school library with her. With the semester more than halfway through, the final exams would start in February, followed by winter break.
Yu Shuman had a makeup exam scheduled for Monday, so she needed to cram. Qin Ran, ever the loyal companion, yawned as she climbed out of bed, got dressed, and took the subway back to school. By the time she arrived, Yu Shuman was already waiting at the cafeteria entrance. Despite wearing a baseball cap and mask, her stylish outfit and graceful demeanor drew plenty of admiring glances.
A few juniors recognized her and, giggling, approached to ask for her autograph.
They weren't necessarily Yu Shuman's fans; they just thought that getting a celebrity's autograph might become valuable someday if she became a top star. Yu Shuman, a bit flustered, apologized for her unpracticed signature but still signed their notebooks.
It wasn't until the juniors left that Qin Ran finally emerged, teasing Yu Shuman for not knowing how to refuse people. Yu Shuman twirled her cap in her hand and draped an arm over Qin Ran's shoulder. "Come on, Junior, you're jealous of everyone."
She really was jealous of everyone.
Before Qin Ran could dwell on it, Yu Shuman led her to the cafeteria's food counter, ordering several of Qin Ran's favorite dishes in one go. Qin Ran tried to stop her, saying, "Senior, it's okay, I can pay for myself," and attempted to push Yu Shuman's hand away from the payment.
But Yu Shuman was quick, paying for the meal before Qin Ran could react. She carried her tray ahead and told Qin Ran to follow. With no other choice, Qin Ran brought her overly generous portion to the table across from Yu Shuman.
Yu Shuman placed her bag down, stuffed her cap into it, and sat across from Qin Ran. After a few bites, she suddenly remembered something and told Qin Ran to wait while she went back to get two bowls of soup, placing them on their table.
While they ate, Yu Shuman chatted non-stop, mentioning that Li Jie hadn't scheduled any work for her in the next two days, allowing her to enjoy her last month as a student. She knew that Yu Shuman had no classes left in the second semester of her junior year and would need to start her internship, so Li Jie decided to treat her star career as her internship.
After all… 99 Entertainment could indeed provide an internship certificate.
Hearing this, Qin Ran paused and asked, "Senior, do you like being a celebrity?"
Yu Shuman hesitated for a moment. Instead of answering, she picked at her rice with her chopsticks, then took a bite without adding any side dishes, chewing and swallowing it plainly. It was a Sunday afternoon, so the cafeteria was relatively empty. Most students preferred to have a roommate bring food up to them or order takeout.
The few people around were seated at a distance, too far to hear their conversation.
Yu Shuman was never one to hide her thoughts. She was straightforward, always speaking her mind, especially with her junior, whom she trusted completely. She had no reason to keep anything from her.
Yu Shuman sighed, "To be honest, I do enjoy being in the spotlight. I think I like being a celebrity." A visible sadness crossed her face, and Qin Ran felt a pang in her heart, sensing that there was more left unsaid. "But it seems like something's bothering you," Qin Ran probed.
Yu Shuman didn't hold back, voicing the thoughts that had been weighing on her. "Yes, but I don't particularly enjoy singing or dancing. Sometimes I feel scared on stage, especially during the third performance when you weren't there. Looking at the audience made me feel anxious. I'm not really suited for performing on stage, but I love the attention that comes with it."
—It sounded as if she could only perform confidently on stage because I was there.
This thought crossed Qin Ran's mind but was quickly dismissed. How could I think that? She rationalized that Yu Shuman just felt more at ease with someone familiar in the audience. Still, Yu Shuman's words made Qin Ran incredibly happy, as a warm, sweet feeling blossomed in her heart.
She pushed her excitement down and asked, "Did you tell Li Jie? What did she say?"
Yu Shuman shook her head. "I haven't mentioned it to Li Jie yet, and I don't know how to bring it up. Besides, she left for a vacation this morning, turned off her phone, and switched to a local SIM card, so she's pretty much unreachable."
Only then did Qin Ran remember that she had given Li Jie a week of paid vacation, covering all expenses. Of course, Li Jie had taken advantage of the New Year's holiday to go all out. With triple pay for working on New Year's Day and the week-long vacation Qin Ran had granted, Li Jie had a total of nine days to enjoy herself without worrying about the cost.
With Li Jie away, Qin Ran wasn't sure how to address the situation. She wasn't an expert, after all, and this was something that needed a professional opinion. But Yu Shuman didn't expect Qin Ran to solve her problem; she just wanted to share her thoughts. Not wanting Qin Ran to worry, she urged her to finish eating so they could head to the library.
"Let's eat. But don't worry, this meal doesn't count as me treating you. I promised a proper meal, so when winter break comes, I'll take you out for something really good."
Yu Shuman had indeed promised to treat her, but Qin Ran had forgotten about it. Yu Shuman, however, had kept it in mind. They didn't eat quickly, mainly because Yu Shuman kept talking. She spoke, and Qin Ran listened.
Halfway through, Yu Shuman got thirsty and sipped her soup. The cafeteria was serving tomato and egg soup today, though it was more like water with a few tomato and egg scraps floating in it. The eggs were so scarce they barely resembled egg drop soup. At least they were generous with the salt, giving it some flavor.
Thin and watery, it was perfect for quenching thirst.
"The soup here isn't as good as the place where we worked part-time before. Even at the filming base, it was that restaurant's owner who provided the food. There's a reason why their business is booming."
"Come on, eat."
Before the cafeteria aunties hear you and take it out on you.
After finishing their meal, they returned their trays and headed toward the library.
January 2nd was a beautiful day, with clear skies and no clouds in sight. The warm sunlight filtered through the dappled shadows of the trees, falling gently on their shoulders as they walked side by side down the school path. January was already quite cold, and Qin Ran had bundled up in her thick down jacket—the one she had bought last year while working part-time. Since becoming a small star, Yu Shuman's life had improved considerably. Li Jie and her assistant now helped her coordinate her outfits, making her look much more stylish compared to the cheaper clothes she used to wear.
Seeing Yu Shuman like this made Qin Ran happy. Her senior was so beautiful, she deserved to wear nice clothes.
But Yu Shuman felt a pang of discomfort in her heart. Seeing her junior in worn-out clothes made her sad, so as they walked, she said, "Junior, wait for me. In a while, I'll talk to Li Jie about making you my assistant."
Qin Ran was taken aback, remembering her earlier conversation with Li Jie. She knew she couldn't be Yu Shuman's assistant, so she shook her head. "Senior, there's no need."
Yu Shuman stopped in her tracks, and Qin Ran walked on for a couple of steps before realizing she wasn't following. She turned back to see Yu Shuman standing there, lips pressed together, looking unsure.
"Senior, what's wrong?"
Prompted by Qin Ran, Yu Shuman finally spoke. "Junior, was I being too presumptuous? Maybe you don't really want to be an assistant, and I just kept pushing the idea…"
Qin Ran didn't know what Yu Shuman was thinking, but to be honest, if it were possible, she would love to be Yu Shuman's assistant. Being able to stay by Yu Shuman's side every day would be the best job in the world for Qin Ran. She smiled, "Senior, of course, I'd love to be your assistant, but I'm just a student, and a freshman at that. My coursework is heavy. If I were your assistant, I'd probably be asking for time off every other day."
It was rare for Qin Ran to say so much. She usually didn't like talking to people, but with Yu Shuman, she found herself saying more than she normally would. Hearing this, Yu Shuman suddenly realized, "I'm sorry, I was being too hasty."
Qin Ran shook her head, took a few steps back, and gently took Yu Shuman's hand. "I know, Senior. You just want to help me have a better life."