Dad, Please Let Me Solo Stan You! Chapter 2

The black tide receded, and the radiance faded.

The girl stood rooted to the spot. Her pale golden gradient eyes held a sense of detachment from the world. Her silky, smooth hair was pure Tianshan Snow white, while her youthful features were exquisite and lovely—cool yet adorable.

Her slender, delicate body was wrapped in a gradient gray formal dress. Lace accents matching her hair adorned it, and the lines of the skirt hem looked as though they had been seared by flames, carrying an air of destruction and solitude.

Most eye-catching of all were the pure white flowers blooming all together on the hair ornament, leg garters, formal dress, and branches spreading above her head. Some clustered together while others stood apart, as if they could wither and fall at any moment, possessing a translucent sense of impending death.

A Magical Girl's attire changed according to her state of mind.

This outfit, adorable yet imbued with the meaning of decay, was undoubtedly directly related to her current psychological state.

Chu Yuanqing did not notice any of that at first. She only felt that the surrounding space had suddenly grown much taller. Her eyes lowered for a moment before the pale springtime hidden inside her collar scorched her gaze, and she immediately looked away.

The girl pattered into the bathroom and looked at her brand-new self in the mirror. Her pale golden pupils shook wildly, as if she were stunned that one day she would become like this—and even wear such a light little dress.

She stood there blankly for a long while, pursed her lips in a depressed mood, then awkwardly tugged at the lace garter around her leg. Her cheeks inexplicably reddened as she murmured faintly,

"So cute. Like a fairy, but it's still way too strange."

"And... if Xiao Shu finds out, there'll definitely be a huge problem, right?"

Although she had never tried to repair their father-daughter relationship because she did not have much time left, she still hoped to leave behind the image of a normal father in her daughter's heart.

Chu Yuanqing briefly imagined her daughter finding out. Her scalp instantly went numb, her toes curled into the floor, and she already wanted to leave this beautiful world ahead of schedule.

It's fine! No one knows!

She silently comforted herself, gripping the Lantern Pendant hanging from her chest. This kind of socially fatal truth absolutely has to be buried for good while I'm alive and taken into the coffin with me!

"First, let's see if I can change back."

As soon as she spoke, her petite body broke apart into countless motes of Light Dust and poured into the pendant in her hand. Then Light Dust flowed back out in alternating streams, quickly weaving her original male form before the mirror.

Mm, just as I thought. I really can use magic to construct my original body.

Though it was a false creation constructed from magic, it was enough to fool Ordinary People and conventional technology.

It was just that...

Chu Yuanqing calculated the magic continuously flowing from the pendant. At most, she could sustain this magical body for three hours at a time. It was practically a high-end version of Ultraman's chest light coming on.

Still, it was fine. Her daughter was already living at school, and even when she was home, given how often they interacted, three hours was more than enough.

Now, she needed to consider how to apply for that Talent Show.

Even after successfully becoming a Magical Girl, she had not gained any particularly superhuman strength. If she wanted to earn money legally and properly, going there to coast along was still a good option.

Chu Yuanqing snapped her fingers and used the lantern to turn back into a Magical Girl, then began experimenting.

Ten minutes later, she had roughly figured out the specific changes to her body and abilities.

First came the most basic physical stats.

Height: 163 cm. Weight: 46 kg. Measurements: 86/51/84.

Those were excellent, luxurious numbers. Combined with a leg length approaching 100 cm as measured with Magic Thread, her upper and lower body had a golden ratio that could only be described as exceptionally superior.

And her looks, which formed people's first impression of her, undoubtedly possessed the dazzling charm expected of Magical Girls in all sorts of film and television works. They would only be a bonus.

Next came her strength, stamina, and agility, which were almost only half what they had been before. She was at the level where even a kilometer run could kill her. Without cheating with magic, she could absolutely be considered frail and sickly.

As for the effects of her Magic Armor and magic, they were too weak to bother describing.

Chu Yuanqing thought for a moment and muttered uncertainly,

"At this level, I should be able to pass the auditions and coast along in the show, right?"

It was not that she lacked confidence in this body's qualities.

After all, even the World-class idol known by All Humanity as the Doomsday Diva, who had once fought alongside her during her world-saving days, could only be said to have their own strengths compared to this body when it came to outward conditions alone.

But talent show variety programs assessed far more than looks. Dance, vocal ability, stage presence, personal charm, and background all mattered.

And Chu Yuanqing had nothing besides her looks.

Mm, it was a very simple matter.

How could anyone expect a middle-aged Corporate Slave struggling to make a living to have leveled up skills in Singing, dancing, and rapping? Even if she had once saved the world, she had relied on superpowers, not dancing and singing.

"Whatever! I'll figure it out once I get there!"

Having made her decision, Chu Yuanqing took a deep breath. She instinctively lightened her steps and carefully walked to her daughter's room.

The girl looked as if she were plotting some heinous crime. Embarrassed and nervous, she pressed her lips together. Only after apologizing to herself dozens of times did she overcome her guilty conscience, ignore the note on the door that read [Do Not Enter], and push it open.

Chu Yuanqing's gaze settled on her daughter's wardrobe as she argued with herself.

This Magical Girl outfit was far too light and cute. To avoid getting so embarrassed by drawing too much attention that it affected her performance, borrowing a set of Xiao Shu's clothes was something there was no choice but to do, right?

Color rose in the girl's adorable face. Her slender Fingertips rested on the waist tie of the little formal dress, and only after a struggle did she undo the hidden clasp tangled in Magic Thread.

In the next instant, the Magic Armor dissipated into a vast cloud of Light Dust, leaving only the undergarments beneath it.

Chu Yuanqing did not look at the full-length mirror beside her. She hurriedly opened her daughter's wardrobe and looked over the neatly arranged clothes inside, immediately finding herself in a predicament.

Her sense of fashion for girls' clothing was nearly nonexistent. She could only recall the feeling of dressing her daughter up like Miracle Nikki ten years ago, then reference her recent outfits to put together a fairly conventional combination.

A rustling sound arose.

Chu Yuanqing looked at the full-length mirror in the room.

She wore a light purple printed T-shirt with an obvious drape on top, a dark gray pleated skirt below, light purple chunky sneakers on her feet, and long dark purple socks. Overall, the outfit followed a gradual color scheme.

Though simple, her pale skin and long legs made it especially eye-catching, giving her an invincible youthful aura.

To avoid trouble, the hair and eye colors belonging to the Magical Girl also returned to uniform black under the concealment of magic, making her formerly intense personal aura more restrained.

At a glance, she was now a slightly immature yet excessively delicate and beautiful girl.

Chu Yuanqing looked at herself in the mirror and let out a Sigh of Relief.

Very good. Everything was ready; all that remained was the final push. It was time to set off!

Volume One: Auditions Passed.

Sea Capital, Fenglong District, Central Television.

Shining Stage audition venue.

At this moment, the interviewer's heart was Full of astonishment after being struck by the girl's looks. Looking Towards the young woman sitting primly before her, her little face tense and appearing uncomfortable—even shy—she could not help sighing inwardly.

How long had it been since the Chinese Entertainment Industry had seen such a stunning amateur?

Although the interview had only just begun, and there was nothing remarkable about the girl's profile or introduction, passing the auditions was practically a certainty based on that face alone—a face that perfectly embodied the saying that beauty could overcome all flaws.

As everyone knew, even Talent Shows were variety programs at heart. Those universally acknowledged beauties could win viewers' affection and attention even if they were utterly useless in every other respect. There had never been a shortage of beautiful deadweights among the Girl Groups that had debuted over the years.

So, in the interviewer's mind, the following stages were merely procedural—a way to create material that could be released for this contestant later.

The interviewer skipped over the profile's long list of miscellaneous talents, including video editing, yo-yo tricks, handicrafts, painting, shooting, cooking, sales, and more. With anticipation, she asked,

"Contestant number 198, it's time for the performance segment. Do you have any singing or dancing you can show us?"

Chu Yuanqing blinked and answered honestly,

"I have zero foundation in dancing and singing, so I didn't prepare anything."

The interviewer was startled.

Although Shining Stage was unprecedentedly massive in scale, spanning the Donghuang Federation and the Sacred United Nation with a potential audience numbering in the tens of billions, it was like previous Talent Shows in one respect: every contestant was competing for limited slots to debut together as a group. Put simply, it was a selection competition to determine who qualified as an idol.

In other words, under normal circumstances, even amateur contestants who had not signed with an Entertainment Company usually possessed basic singing and dancing abilities. Otherwise, there was no point in passing the auditions. Someone as completely untrained as Chu Yuanqing was truly rare.

"Then why did you want to participate in our program?"

Chu Yuanqing looked somewhat cramped. Shyness mixed with embarrassment in her expression. She hesitated for a moment before saying apologetically,

"Because... the pay here is high?"

???

The interviewer froze in confusion. It was the first time anyone had answered that question with a question.

Especially when the answer was so oddly specific.

What did she mean, the pay was high? That little bit of money was not even one-tenth of an Ordinary Person idol's appearance fee, was it?

Chu Yuanqing tried hard to organize her thoughts and continued explaining haltingly,

"Well, look, your program's promotional flyer says there are no education requirements, and it includes food and accommodation. Most jobs don't offer those conditions nowadays... so I came."

Such words brimming with the harsh realities of life, spoken by a girl who seemed to have walked out of a fairy tale, created an almost surreal sense of dissonance.

The interviewer's expression did not change, but she found it amusing.

The feeling was just like an unemployed Corporate Slave earnestly applying for work. It was too funny.

Wait.

The interviewer suddenly thought of something. Looking at the profile filled to the brim with sincerity and longing, yet containing not a single personal qualification that met idol standards, she came to a realization.

Case solved. She had really come here to apply for a job.

The interviewer looked at Chu Yuanqing's serious yet bashful face and those clear eyes looking over at her. The immense contrast suddenly struck her straight in the heart. It felt as if fireworks had exploded in her chest cavity, sending a bright, sweet-and-sour sensation like soda surging upward and straight into her brain.

Gap moe really was the best!

This airheaded beauty type was great too!

The interviewer professionally kept her expression under control. If not for the last of her rationality, she might have been unable to stop herself from bypassing the program director and personally approving Chu Yuanqing's audition on the spot.

At that moment, the staff monitoring the cameras began discussing the matter.

The program director gave a tactful evaluation.

"Her main selling point is her looks. Even in the Haido District, which ranks among the top ten districts in popularity within the Donghuang Federation, she has extremely strong competitiveness."

The screenwriter-director said,

"She has great potential for development."

"And a complete amateur is also a major point worth looking forward to."

An official from Sea Capital Television Station frowned upon hearing that.

"This program is not a simple Talent Show. It is a massive global project that will Stir up a revolution. Do you think it is appropriate to mix in an amateur who understands nothing?"

The Director held a different opinion.

"I admit that this Talent Show needs unprecedented attention, but don't forget that nearly a hundred programs under the same project are airing one after another within the Donghuang Federation. Kyoto alone is a competing region domestically."

"We have the same cards as Kyoto and are all standing on the same Starting Line. If we want to compete for the domestic viewer traffic pool, it still has to come down to the program itself. The contestants must have the qualities to create chemical reactions if we want a chance to stand out globally!"

"And from my years of experience in the Entertainment Industry, this amateur has excellent bone structure and looks. She was born for the big screen. Giving her one slot would not be a waste even if she were nothing but a pretty vase."

After he finished speaking, another round of discussion followed before they finally reached a decision.

The interviewer listened to the response through her earpiece, then smiled brightly.

"Congratulations. You've passed these auditions. I hope you have a good time at the selection competition two weeks from now."

"The specific information and other matters requiring attention will be sent by text message to the phone number listed in your personal profile. Please keep an eye out for it."

Awesome! She had actually passed!

That meant that as long as she coasted along in the program afterward, she could pay all her insurance premiums!

Chu Yuanqing was no longer tense. She let out a breath, and her whole body relaxed.

"Thank you for your trouble. I'll keep an eye out for it. See you in two weeks."

As she spoke, the girl smoothed her skirt. Her brows and eyes softened, and her cool, detached temperament melted away with the upward curve at the corners of her eyes. Her slightly youthful features became impossibly radiant under the blessing of her smile, making even the descending daylight seem gentler.

One glimpse was enough to make one forget the mundane world.

The female interviewer seemed to have disconnected. She did not even notice Chu Yuanqing stand, bow, turn, and leave. Only when the broadcast announced that contestant number 371 was entering did she come back to herself.

Huh? I actually got charmed?

Damn it, why was this kid's smile so unfair?

If that smile from just now, one worthy of a god-tier picture, had been captured and posted online, she could probably gain countless followers with ease, right?

On the surface, the interviewer continued working, but her thoughts drifted further and further away as she could not stop imagining things.

—This kid makes me want to stan her so badly!