Dad, Please Let Me Stan Just One! Chapter 4

This ad was really airing every day? Even if Xiao Shu hadn't been interested before, she might still take a look. What if she saw her? Wouldn't that be social death?

Chu Yuanqing gritted her teeth inwardly.

No, she had to give Xiao Shu an absolutely solid reason not to watch the show. She did not want to see herself dancing on the television at home in the future.

After thinking for a moment, she calmly replied:

"It's nothing. I just thought girls your age seemed pretty interested in this kind of show, so I was wondering whether I should watch it and learn about the topics people your age talk about."

—Retreating in order to advance.

Chu Yuanqing figured her daughter was in her rebellious phase. Even if she had originally been interested in Shining Stage, hearing that would definitely make her refuse to watch it.

But contrary to her expectations...

Chu Wangshu looked as though she had been struck by lightning. Her cool expression suddenly gained a hint of panic.

Huh? Why was he actually interested? What was a middle-aged uncle doing watching a talent show? It was so cringe, okay?

The little girl's thoughts were tangled like hemp. Seeing Chu Yuanqing raise her phone as if she were about to scan the QR code on the distant ad, she hurriedly grabbed her arm. Pressing her lips together and forcefully suppressing her pounding heartbeat, she summoned the best acting of her life and said coldly:

"Don't scan it. There's nothing worth watching in a show like that."

"Aren't you busy with work? There's no need to waste time learning about things I'm not interested in."

"You'd be better off sleeping a few more hours."

Chu Yuanqing was relieved. She put away her phone and replied:

"Is that so? Then forget it."

Chu Wangshu also breathed a sigh of relief. Slightly annoyed, she ground her teeth inwardly and said irritably:

"So? You came to see me just to say that?"

Chu Yuanqing fell silent for a moment and looked at the face that had shed its childhood innocence. There were many things she wanted to say. She wanted to ask whether her daughter had enough spending money, whether she got along with her classmates, whether she truly was not going home lately.

But in the end, she only managed to squeeze out, "Dad changed jobs and will be away on business for a while. If anything comes up, send me a WeChat message. I've already transferred next month's living expenses to you."

"Remember to take good care of yourself."

Chu Wangshu did not notice anything unusual. She merely nodded. "Anything else? If not, I'm going back."

She still had to hurry back to practice dancing. She had heard there were many formidable contestants in Sea Capital. Among the amateurs alone, there were people who had conquered the interviewers with nothing but their looks. She had to work even harder.

"Nothing else. Then Dad will leave first?"

Chu Yuanqing looked at her daughter and wanted to reach out to pat her head, but her movement abruptly stopped.

—The limbs woven from magic could no longer touch real warmth.

Besides, Xiao Shu no longer liked having her head patted.

—"Okay, bye."

Chu Yuanqing thought that would be the last thing she said to her daughter for some time.

At the very least, she never imagined she would run into Chu Wangshu somewhere other than school.

After all, her daughter had always been obedient and sensible. She was only having a little spat with her lately. How could she possibly lie to her?

Yayoi Kiriwake.

Two weeks later, it was already the eve of the show's recording.

Sea Capital, Zhelong Town, Film and Television Park.

The first episode of Shining Stage would be recorded here.

At this moment, roughly a hundred Entertainment Companies' reporters and teams had been screened and approved to shoot firsthand material here.

A long line of vehicles flanked both sides of the entrance. Amid the crowd, the clamor of camera flashes and questions rang out constantly.

Xu Ling was mixed in farther back, squeezed among the dense crowd. The short-sleeved shirt beneath her sun-protective jacket was already soaked with sweat.

This area belonged to the fans. They had to enter a lottery on the official website to obtain a visitor pass that allowed entry.

The space was small, and there was no air conditioning outdoors. Every so often, she had to hang her camera back around her neck, wipe the sweat beading on her forehead, and look toward the entrance of the Competition Venue with a helpless sigh.

But after just glancing a few times at the person she followed on Twitter, her scattered focus immediately became energized again.

Unlike the fan-site photographers and fans who had come to show support.

Xu Ling could only be considered a casual viewer of talent shows. She was not especially obsessed with chasing stars, and in the past, she had even thought fans who supported their idols in extreme weather were rather foolish.

But this time, she could somewhat understand how they felt.

At least... that foolish idol who, after her group disbanded, had gambled everything to return to the stage, crossing the sea to compete in Sea Capital, was worth the trouble of buying a visitor pass and waiting earnestly beneath the blazing sun.

—Kiriwake Yayoi.

This name, nearly unknown in the Great Xia Nation, was like a hardy blade of grass swaying in a raging wind in Xu Ling's eyes—humble yet vibrant, with resilience carved into her bones.

Time passed slowly. One anticipated contestant after another, each carrying their own popularity, entered the Competition Venue beneath the escort of their teams and the cameras of reporters and fan-site photographers.

The clouds on the horizon were thick and gloomy, gradually pressing lower in the strong wind. The air around them began to grow damp, transforming the dry heat from a microwave into an even more torturous steamer.

Then, with a muffled summer thunderclap rumbling overhead, strands of rain came pouring down upon the earth.

The droplets were warm at first.

But the rain quickly intensified. The downpour, cascading like a waterfall, sent Zhelong Town's temperature plummeting.

The mass of reporters was drenched like drowned rats. Some hurried into their company vehicles, while others stayed at their posts with admirable professionalism.

The fan-site photographers and fans raised their parasols. Their makeup was nearly smeared by the rain, and they struggled to remain standing against the rising wind, hesitating over whether to leave.

The staff busied themselves maintaining order, silently cursing their bad luck.

Amid the sudden rain and fierce wind, the reporters discussed:

"Did we get shots of all the famous, popular ones?"

"Let me see. Yunlan Entertainment's Young Lady, the choreography genius Ji Shuzhu, Xie Qingxuan, who talent show fans praised as the Great Demon King—we didn't miss any of them. There were also various internet celebrities and returning contestants. We got most of them."

"Then why bother with the rest? Too many people passed this show's auditions. Let's wait in the cars."

Perhaps everyone thought the same way. The crowd quickly dispersed until almost no one remained.

Just as they said, nearly all the truly popular contestants had entered the Competition Venue. Even among the more irrational fan groups, few chose to keep standing in the rain. Under the staff's arrangements, most went to another area to take temporary shelter.

Rather than retreat, Xu Ling moved closer to the Competition Venue. She struggled to hold up her parasol, while her pant legs had already been soaked by splashing water.

The torrential rain poured like a waterfall, and the wind grew even stronger.

Perhaps it was because "what one never forgets is bound to receive an answer." Just as she had been soaked enough to give up holding her umbrella and was feeling regretful and disappointed enough to consider leaving, a petite figure seemed to emerge from the hazy mist in the distance and enter her sight.

Splash, splash.

The wheels of a suitcase made soft noises as they rolled through puddles.

The girl's arms were slender, her exposed wrists fair, and she was struggling to drag a heavy suitcase forward.

The rain had likely come too suddenly for her to put up an umbrella. She was drenched and bedraggled beneath the curtain of rain, yet she still advanced resolutely toward the entrance, as though moving upstream. She looked pitiful, yet stubborn.

Her face was beautiful—pure and clear, naturally innocent-looking. Even without an expression, she carried an air of melancholy. In the Chinese Entertainment Industry, which produced so many beautiful but useless people, this memorable quality alone gave her considerable competitive potential.

But what allowed Xu Ling to recognize her instantly was the sense of conviction woven from her eyes, demeanor, temperament, body language, and countless other details.

That determined, persistent, vibrant sense of conviction was like an unextinguished flame amid the grand wind and rain. It sharply contrasted with her facial features and created a unique personal charm.

—Kiriwake Yayoi.

On that Island Nation where cherry blossoms bloomed, Yayoi was another name for March, signifying that when spring arrived, flowers and grass would all sprout new buds—the image of new life.

Xu Ling had more than once marveled at how well the girl suited her name, but only when seeing her in person could she truly experience that unique infectious charm.

The little girl was so excited that she forgot she was still getting drenched. She did not even spare a thought to protect her camera. Waving at the figure, she shouted loudly:

"Yayoi! Mom loves you!"

Perhaps to avoid social death, or perhaps thoughtfully so that the Little Idol could understand, this shout—loud enough to easily pierce through the wind and rain—was delivered in standard Island Nation language.

But she understood it, yet did not understand it.

The local internet slang and the fan who seemed to have burst out of a rock in a foreign country both left her utterly confused. For a moment, she could not even sense the absurdity of it all. Her brain's CPU nearly burned out.

Kiriwake Yayoi's suitcase-dragging motion froze, and her forward steps staggered. Her little leather shoes, already prone to slipping, scraped against a puddle.

The girl inwardly cried that this was bad, but her center of gravity had already been thrown off. The suitcase on her right slid backward first, her body tilted forward, and her knees, wrapped in leggings, bent as she was about to fall.

Xu Ling, seeing this from afar, panicked so badly that she wanted to strangle her own self from a second ago.

And just as tragedy was about to strike,

Kiriwake Yayoi felt a force supporting the crook of her arm. Her rain-soaked clothes pressed against a warm, soft embrace. The grand sound of rain at her ears suddenly thinned, and the cold splashing against her skin receded with it.

The girl was slightly stunned and somewhat confused. She instinctively sniffed, immediately catching a faint, elegant fragrance.

It held a clear, snowy chill, a subtle and enticing sweetness, the freshness of dead branches sprouting new buds, and a gentleness mixed with shampoo that seemed to embrace all things.

How strange. It was only a scent, so why did it make her think of so much in an instant?

Kiriwake Yayoi sensed something was off and came back to herself. Looking at the suitcase on her right, which had been thoughtfully set upright, she blinked before realizing that someone was holding her and that they were sharing an umbrella.

A rosy flush spread over the girl's face. She hurriedly stood properly, held onto her suitcase, and anxiously tried to thank the person.

But the newcomer's words interrupted her:

"The ground is slippery when it rains. It's best not to lose focus while walking."

What came from the other person's lips was a husky yet cool, pleasant female voice. On closer inspection, one could detect a rich, milk-like note mixed with vodka-like intensity.

Young yet mature.

Though it was Great Xia Language that she was not very familiar with, she could still tell it was an exceptionally distinctive and beautiful voice.

"My name is Kiriwake Yayoi. Thank you for helping me. I caused you trouble, and I'm truly sorry!"

After thanking her in clumsy Great Xia Language, Kiriwake Yayoi bowed deeply in panic, like a penguin.

But that movement nearly made the Little Idol fall again. She plunged headfirst into Chu Yuanqing's full, soft contours. Her mind instantly went blank. Mortified beyond words, her neck and face flushed pink with blood, and she froze in place as though her system had crashed.

At this moment.

Xu Ling watched each scene unfold, her emotions rising and falling like a roller coaster.

Well, if her thoughts were put into words.

They would probably go something like this:

When she saw the Little Idol falling—Wuwuwu, I deserve to die!

When she saw the Little Idol get saved—Yes! Yayoi didn't fall!

When she saw Chu Yuanqing's appearance—Who is this person? She's ridiculously cute, okay?!

When she saw the Little Idol rush into someone's arms—My CP radar is going crazy. Am I the kind of wingman who'll go down in history?

During those brief thirty seconds,

Xu Ling seemed to enter the Flow State that only elite athletes could experience. No matter how wildly the Thoughts in her mind blossomed, the hand holding her camera remained completely unaffected. Bathed in torrential rain, she continued pressing the shutter as inspiration surged.

Could This Show Be a Trap?

Chu Yuanqing still had no idea that CP pictures of herself were being produced nonstop. Feeling the ticklish sensitivity of breath brushing against her skin, she instinctively stepped half a pace back.

At the same time, the gender awareness rooted deep within her began buzzing in her mind like an alarm.

As a middle-aged father who had been single for a long time, she had begun paying attention to such matters after her daughter turned ten. Not to mention Kiriwake Yayoi, who was both a stranger and an adult.

For a moment, the words "indecent assault" echoed through her mind.

Chu Yuanqing became somewhat wary and wanted to push the other girl away directly. But considering her current bedraggled state, she instead used gentler movements, only releasing her after ensuring she could stand properly.

Although joining a talent show made contact with other contestants unavoidable, that was precisely why she had to take such matters seriously. She could not become reckless in her behavior simply because her body had changed.

Chu Yuanqing repeated this to herself several times. Only after her resolve had become incomparably firm did she look toward the seemingly foolish Sakura Girl and ask with concern:

"Miss, are you alright?"

"I'm fine. I caused you trouble. I'm really sorry!"

Kiriwake Yayoi was mortified beyond words. She honestly stood where she was, holding her suitcase like wilted flowers and grass. Clearly, she did not dare bow again. Her Whole Body was filled with awkwardness, and she stammered until she could not get another word out.

Seeing a girl about the same age as her daughter so embarrassed, Chu Yuanqing displayed the mature gentleness of preserving the other person's dignity despite being strangers. She took the initiative to break the ice.

"The rain is heavy. Let's go into the Competition Venue first."