Chapter 38: The Tenth Day

Morning.

The training room window was open, and the wind blew the curtains in and out.

Su Nian stood in front of the mirror.

Raise hand.

Turn.

Pose.

Raise hand.

Turn.

Pose.

Sweat slid down from her forehead, dripping onto the floor.

Xiao Xi crouched in the corner, hugging her knees.

She had already pressed two shallow red marks into them, but she didn’t move, simply watching Su Nian.

Chuxue leaned against the wall.

Today she wore light gray loungewear, her snow-white hair draped over her shoulders, looking a bit different from her usual white dress.

She held her black tea cup, steam still rising from the rim.

She watched Su Nian with a smile.

I had bought new mats for all three of them — pink, red, and black, one for each.

I hadn’t originally intended to buy one for that smelly white-haired girl, but my finger had already clicked three times at the store before I realized it.

I was too lazy to return it.

I simply swapped her mat for the black one —

‘Yeah, it definitely fits her nature.’

As I looked at the smelly white-haired girl who refused to sit on the mat I had specifically bought, I felt quite certain of this.

Sunlight streamed in from the window, landing on the new mats.

A small section of Su Nian’s was already soaked with sweat, Chuxue’s was perfectly clean, and Xiao Xi’s was tucked under her knees, the edges slightly wrinkled.

The sunlight was pleasant.

The black tea cup was empty, and the smelly white-haired girl wandered slowly back into the room to prepare a fresh one.

Everything was normal.

Then —

Bang.

The door was slammed open.

A head peeked in.

Short yellow hair.

Eyes wide open.

Her face practically screamed the words “I finally found it.”

“Senior Chuxue — !!!”

She charged inside.

Her sneakers made a patter-patter sound against the floor.

Then she stopped.

Because she saw me.

She blinked.

Then she looked at Su Nian — Su Nian was still holding her pose with her hand raised, frozen in place.

Then she looked at Xiao Xi — Xiao Xi shrank back, hugging her knees tighter.

Then she looked at me — from top to bottom, then bottom to top, her gaze lingering on my face the longest.

“Um…”

She spoke.

“May I ask… is this…”

“An agency,” I said.

“Oh… an agency…”

She nodded.

Then she froze.

“Wait — Senior Chuxue! Why are you living in a place like this — !!!”

She pointed at Chuxue, who had just stepped out of the room, her voice so loud the entire training room vibrated.

As she shouted, I noticed it —

‘Mm, tiger tooth attribute.’

Short hair, tiger tooth attribute, lively, and clumsy — a very standard character mold.

But considering it was that manager’s handiwork… I felt like something was missing.

I continued to observe.

‘Wait. How did she get in here anyway?’

While I was feeling puzzled, she wasn’t idle; her finger was pointed straight at us, her nails painted a sparkling pink.

Chuxue set down her tea cup.

The bottom of the cup hit the table with a soft clack.

She spoke leisurely.

“Xiao Wei, how did you find this place?”

“Of course I did!”

The girl named Xiao Wei rushed in front of her.

“Senior, you suddenly moved out without saying where you were going.

I searched for three whole days — !”

“Three days?”

Chuxue blinked.

“I’ve been gone for almost two weeks.”

Xiao Wei was stunned.

“Two… two weeks?”

“Yes.”

“Then… then how did I only just find…”

“Because you’re stupid.”

Xiao Wei’s expression froze.

Xiao Xi, standing nearby, whispered to Su Nian, “Sister Su Nian… who is that…”

Su Nian shook her head.

“I don’t know… but… she’s noisy.”

I thought she was pretty noisy too —

However, hearing those words come from a large dog like Su Nian… felt a bit strange.

The girl named Xiao Wei was still standing there.

She turned her head and looked at me again.

She looked more carefully this time.

From top to bottom.

Bottom to top.

Then she spoke.

“Who… are you?”

“The President,” I said.

“President?”

She blinked.

“President of what?”

“President of this agency.”

She was stunned.

She looked around the room once more.

The dance studio, which could fit twenty people, was currently less than half full.

In the massive wall mirror, there were only five people including her, and miscellaneous items were piled in the corner outside the hallway.

Then she turned back to look at me.

“This… agency?”

“Yes.”

“You’re… the President?”

“Yes.”

She looked at me again.

her gaze slid from my eyebrows to my chin, then back up.

Then she whispered, “But… you don’t look like one…”

My eyes twitched.

Chuxue laughed nearby.

It was a light laugh, her shoulders shaking slightly as the tea in her hand swayed, sending ripples across the surface.

“Xiao Wei, what are you here for today?”

Xiao Wei turned back to look at her.

“To take Senior back — !”

“I’m not going back.”

“But — !”

“No buts.”

Xiao Wei’s expression collapsed.

The corners of her mouth turned down, her eyebrows rose, and the light in her eyes dimmed for a moment.

She stood there like an abandoned little sparrow.

Her fingers twisted the hem of her clothes, wringing the white T-shirt into a series of wrinkles.

Su Nian looked at her and suddenly asked, “Um… are you an idol too?”

Xiao Wei turned around.

“Of course — ! I am an official idol of the first-tier agency ‘Star Glare’ — !”

She puffed out her chest.

The print on the front of her T-shirt stretched out.

‘So she has that attribute too. A large chest.’

I was enlightened.

Now the mold was complete.

Despite being quite small, her size in that area was on the same level as Su Nian.

‘Wait, now isn’t the time to be thinking about that. How did she get in here anyway?’

Just as I was about to ask, Su Nian blinked and beat me to it.

“First-tier?”

“Yes! First-tier!”

Su Nian looked at her.

Then she looked at Chuxue.

Then she looked at me.

Then she whispered, “…But, you don’t look like one.”

Xiao Wei was stunned.

“What… what do you mean I don’t look like one — !!!”

“Just… you don’t.”

Su Nian thought for a moment.

“Miss Chuxue looks more like one.”

Chuxue’s smile didn’t change.

Xiao Wei’s face turned beet red.

She opened her mouth, wanting to retort, but no words came out.

Xiao Xi stood nearby and whispered, “Um… Sister… what is your name…”

Xiao Wei turned her head.

She looked at her.

Xiao Xi shrank back.

But Xiao Wei’s expression softened a little.

“…Shen Wei,” she said.

“What about you?”

“Lin Xiaoxi…”

“Xiao Xi?”

Shen Wei blinked.

“What a cute name.”

Xiao Xi blushed.

I stood to the side, watching the scene.

Shen Wei walked over and stood in front of me.

She looked me up and down.

“Are you… really the President?”

“Yes.”

“Is this agency… really a place someone can stay?”

“It is.”

She blinked.

Then she leaned in a little closer.

Lowering her voice, she asked, “Um… do you know Alice?”

I looked at her.

She looked back at me.

Her eyes sparkled with the light of gossip.

I had seen that look before — in the eyes of countless fans.

“…I don’t.”

“Liar — !”

she cried out.

“Senior Chuxue already told me! You’re the Little White Face Alice is keeping — !”

Silence.

Su Nian was stunned.

Xiao Xi was stunned.

I was stunned.

Only Chuxue remained there, smiling as she sipped her tea.

I turned my head and looked at her.

“Chuxue.”

“Hmm?”

“What did you tell her?”

“Nothing.”

She blinked.

“I just said there’s a President who is very close with Alice.”

Shen Wei nodded beside her.

“Right, right, right! She also said you were his Little White Face — !”

“I am not.”

“But Senior said —”

“What she says doesn’t count.”

Shen Wei leaned in.

The distance closed by another 10 centimeters.

“Then do you know Alice?”

3 seconds later.

“…I do.”

Her eyes lit up.

They shone like two light bulbs.

“Really — !?”

“Yes.”

“Then — then can you introduce me — !!!”

“No.”

Her expression collapsed.

“Why — !!!”

“He’s busy.”

“Busy with what — !!!”

“Performances.”

Shen Wei opened her mouth.

Then she whispered, “Then… then when will he be free…”

“I don’t know.”

Shen Wei was speechless.

Xiao Xi stood nearby and whispered, “Sister Shen Wei… do you like Alice too?”

Shen Wei looked up.

“Of course — ! He’s a Supernova! Who doesn’t like him — !”

Then she looked at Xiao Xi.

“You like him too?”

Xiao Xi nodded.

Shen Wei smiled.

“Then we’re the same — !”

Su Nian, standing nearby, suddenly said, “I like him too.”

Shen Wei turned her head.

She looked at her.

“You too?”

“Yes! I like him the most — !”

Shen Wei blinked.

Then she looked toward Chuxue.

“Senior, are the people here… all this strange?”

Chuxue laughed.

“Yes.

They are all very strange.”

Shen Wei turned back to look at the three of us.

She watched for a long time.

Then she said, “Then… then I want to stay here too!”

Silence.

Chuxue set down her tea cup.

The bottom hit the table with a clack.

“No.”

“Why — !!!”

“You are an idol of ‘Star Glare.'”

“Then I’ll take a leave of absence — !”

“You can’t.”

“Then I’ll skip work — !”

Chuxue looked at her.

She looked back at Chuxue.

3 seconds later.

Shen Wei lowered her head.

Her chin almost touched her chest.

“…Senior is so mean.”

Xiao Xi stood nearby and whispered, “Sister Shen Wei… would you… like some water?”

Shen Wei looked up.

She looked at the pink water bottle Xiao Xi was holding out — a cartoon cat with wide eyes was printed on the bottle.

She looked at her, then took it.

“Thank you…”

She took a sip.

Then she continued to look at Xiao Xi.

“How old are you?”

“16…”

“So young…”

“What about you, Sister Shen Wei?”

“18.”

She set the water bottle down.

The bottom hit the floor with a dull thud.

She looked around again.

Finally, she looked back at me.

“President.”

“Hmm?”

“Can I come here often?”

I thought about it.

“You can.”

Her eyes lit up.

“Really — !?”

“Yes.”

“Why — ?”

I looked at Chuxue.

“Someone will be able to take her away.”

Chuxue laughed.

Her tea cup paused at her lips for a second.

Shen Wei didn’t react at first, but then she laughed too.

“You’re such a bad President — !”

Training continued.

Shen Wei didn’t leave.

She crouched next to Xiao Xi, watching her practice.

Her knees were pressed together, her hands propped on her knees, and her chin rested on the back of her hands.

She watched for a while.

“Xiao Xi, your movement is wrong.”

Xiao Xi stopped and looked at her.

“Huh?”

“Here,” Shen Wei stood up and walked to her side, “when you raise your hand, your wrist needs to be a bit higher.”

She demonstrated.

Raise hand.

Her wrist was level with her shoulder.

The back of her hand faced forward.

Her five fingers were pressed together.

Her movements were standard, frozen there without the slightest wobble.

Xiao Xi followed her lead.

She raised her hand.

Her wrist came up, higher than before.

“Like this?”

“Yes — ! Just like that — !”

Xiao Xi smiled.

Su Nian watched from the side.

Then she walked over.

“Um…”

“Hmm?”

“Could you teach me too?”

Xiao Wei smiled as well.

The corners of her mouth curled up, revealing a bit of her teeth.

“Sure — !”

***

Afternoon.

3 minutes after Su Nian finished her training.

She had just set down her water bottle, sweat still hanging on her face, a few strands of wet hair stuck to her forehead.

“Su Nian. Change your clothes. We’re going out.”

“Oh…”

She didn’t ask why.

She simply turned and walked toward the dressing room.

I walked to the door.

Four pairs of eyes watched me simultaneously.

“Follow if you want to come.”

“Yay — !”

Xiao Wei was the first to react.

She bounced up from the floor, nearly tripping over her own shoelaces.

Then she asked, “Where are we going?”

“The theater.”

Starry Little Theater — the one where Su Nian had debuted.

The Tenth Day.