An accident

Wen Jincheng was still reeling from Song Jici's shamelessness.

Meanwhile, Fu Zhenzhen was gritting her teeth in anger because Song Jici still hadn't replied.

How many times had this happened now? Song Jici was avoiding her again!

She put away her phone, still without a reply, and shot a venomous look at Jiang Nian, who was chatting and laughing with Tong Chuhe.

It was all Jiang Nian's fault. Without Jiang Nian, Song Jici would have been hers long ago!

And not just Song Jici, but Tan Xuguang too.

Fu Zhenzhen coldly tightened her grip on the drink bottle on the table.

Last time, she had gone to great lengths to get the timing just right so Tan Xuguang would happen to see her in danger.

Tan Xuguang had saved her, just as she'd planned, but afterward, he had still kept his distance and spoken to her as little as possible.

Was she some kind of plague? Why did he run whenever he saw her?

She had even entered the competition to encourage the injured Tan Xuguang. He should have been touched that she was giving it her all for him, so why was he hovering around Jiang Nian every day, fussing over her?

It wasn't supposed to be like this. She was the transmigrator. She had an exchange system. Everyone should have revolved around her!

She let out a soft breath and exchanged for a few more buffs through the system.

It was fine. This competition would be her comeback. She would dazzle everyone and win the championship.

As for Tong Chuhe, you could be my stepping stone first.

Jiang Nian was still discussing her performance with Tong Chuhe when a sudden chill swept through her.

She narrowed her eyes, casually casting her gaze toward Fu Zhenzhen, who was huddled alone in a corner.

Perhaps because the male leads were all rather distant toward her now, Fu Zhenzhen wasn't being fawned over by her classmates the way she had been in the original novel.

Most people simply treated her as an ordinary classmate.

Jiang Nian frowned, unable to shake a sense of foreboding.

Given Fu Zhenzhen's personality, she was bound to pull something during this competition.

Jiang Nian wasn't afraid of Fu Zhenzhen's items and buffs. She only feared that Fu Zhenzhen would strike too suddenly for her to react.

[88, keep an eye on Fu Zhenzhen. Tell me immediately if she does anything.]

88 assured her:

[Of course, host. The moment she uses an item or a buff, I'll detect it.]

Jiang Nian nodded in satisfaction.

Seeing Jiang Nian stop talking, Tong Chuhe tilted her head in confusion. "Why did you stop?"

Was Fu Zhenzhen about to make her move?

Noticing Tong Chuhe watching her curiously, Jiang Nian came back to herself.

"Oh, nothing. I was just thinking the competition should be starting soon. Song Jici and the others got here ages ago."

Sure enough, no sooner had Jiang Nian finished speaking than the host's voice rang out from the stage, announcing the opening.

"Welcome to the cheerleading tryouts, everyone. I'm your host for today, Lao Chen."

Although Jiang Nian was backstage, she could clearly hear Lao Chen introducing the competition and the judges.

He worked through the program step by step, warmed up the crowd, and introduced all five judges before officially announcing the start of the competition.

"Now that we've covered the competition rules and introduced our judges, let's begin today's competition."

"Now, let's welcome our first contestant. Give them a round of applause!"

As the contestants took the stage one after another, Tong Chuhe's turn drew near.

Tong Chuhe herself wasn't particularly concerned, but Jiang Nian was nervous for her.

"Are you nervous? Want a sip of water? Is your outfit all right? Are any of the seams coming loose?"

Tong Chuhe listened helplessly to Jiang Nian's fretting. "I've competed countless times, you know. I won't get nervous, and I've checked my outfit too. Don't worry."

Outwardly, Jiang Nian nodded along, but inwardly, she was still worried.

She wasn't afraid Tong Chuhe would get nervous. She was afraid Fu Zhenzhen would suddenly target her.

Although nothing had gone wrong during Tong Chuhe's performance in the original plot.

What if it did this time?

"Next, let's welcome contestant number four to the stage with a round of applause!"

They had already reached contestant number four.

Seeing that her turn was coming up, Tong Chuhe stood, did a few simple stretches, and prepared to wait in the wings.

"It'll be fine. Trust me."

She patted Jiang Nian on the head and walked straight toward the side of the stage.

Still uneasy, Jiang Nian followed Tong Chuhe to the wings, only to turn her head and see that Fu Zhenzhen had followed them too.

Looking at Fu Zhenzhen trailing right behind them, Jiang Nian wanted to throw her out.

She just wouldn't go away.

Fu Zhenzhen acted as though she hadn't noticed Jiang Nian's wary gaze and simply smiled at the two of them.

An awkward silence settled over the three as they stood together in the wings and watched contestant number four perform.

None of them said a word, even after the scoring had ended.

The host returned to the stage and began announcing the next contestant.

"Next, please welcome contestant number five, Tong Chuhe. She'll be performing to-Señorita."

Tong Chuhe gave Jiang Nian a gentle smile and walked onto the stage.

Her outfit that day had a cool-girl aesthetic: dark colors, a fitted top, and loose bottoms-the classic jazz-dance look.

She wore a black racerback tank top and slightly loose hip-hop pants. Her long hair had been woven into several small braids, secured on either side of her head and falling naturally over her chest.

Simple and casual, it was effortlessly cool with a hint of sexiness.

Cheers filled the venue when Tong Chuhe appeared. She merely gave the control booth a calm nod to signal that she was ready.

The energetic opening burst into life, the rearranged track's strong beat filling the auditorium. Tong Chuhe's lips curved into a confident smile, and she began dancing amid the cheers, her movements sleek, fluid, and assured.

"I love it when you call me señorita, I wish I could pretend I didn't need ya."

"I love the way you call me señorita, while I keep denying what I feel."

"But every touch is ooh-la-la-la, it's true, la-la-la."

"Lost in your touch, a pleasure beyond words, utterly real."

She moved her body to the beat, sometimes leaping into the air, sometimes spinning across the stage, and sometimes dropping into a handstand.

The music and dancing ignited the audience's excitement, and everyone cheered loudly along with Tong Chuhe's movements.

Jiang Nian's initially guarded expression relaxed as she gradually lost herself in Tong Chuhe's spectacular performance.

"Oh, I should be runnin'"

"I should have run away from you,"

"Oh, you keep me coming for ya"

"But you keep drawing me in, body and soul."

As the emotion built and the music grew more intense, a sudden accident left everyone stunned.

Bang!

Onstage, Tong Chuhe's steps faltered. Her face turned pale for an instant, and then she fell backward onto the stage.

Jiang Nian's mind went blank, followed by 88's anxious voice:

[Host! Several shards of glass just appeared inside Tong Chuhe's shoes!]

"Chu He!"