Qin Huan stared at her phone screen, her fingertips hovering above the input box.
She typed a few words, deleted them, then typed them again.
[I’m not mad~ See you tomorrow, Qin Huan~]
The tone was as light as usual, with a tilde at the end, but Qin Huan still felt something was off.
She read the message over and over, trying to extract some hidden emotion, but found nothing.
She rolled over and buried her face in her pillow.
‘When it comes down to it, this is all Guchuan Xing’s fault! That flashy pervert! If she hadn’t suddenly sent that weird voice message, Zuo Xi wouldn’t have heard something like “master,” and the Golden Finger wouldn’t have been activated.’
‘Now it’s too late. Zuo Xi’s Golden Finger is active.’
‘Zuo Xi is the third female lead I’ve met in this world, and so far the one that makes me feel the most comfortable.’
‘Su Lingling is cute, but that NTR vibe she gives off makes me feel like I’m going to fall at any moment. Ju Zhenli is already mostly conquered, but her inherent desire for control still surfaces from time to time. And Guchuan Xing? Forget about her—she’s a pure degenerate.’
‘Only Zuo Xi started off with a simple idol-fan relationship. Getting along with her is easy and natural.’
‘Even if that simplicity was something I deliberately created for the conquest…’
A strange, indescribable guilt surged in her heart.
‘No, no. What am I thinking?’
‘I’m here to save this world. Conquering the female leads is my mission. The methods might not be completely aboveboard, but the outcome is good, right? Once I strip away all the female leads’ Golden Fingers, they’ll return to normal. And then…’
[Qin Huan, your mindset is slipping again, meow.]
“I know.” She sighed. “But knowing that doesn’t stop it from hurting.”
[…Qin Huan, you’re actually a good kid, meow.]
“What are you suddenly saying, you stupid cat?”
Qin Huan couldn’t help but chuckle.
She lifted her head from the pillow and picked up her phone again.
‘Whatever. Thinking about this now is useless.’
‘The first priority is to push the band forward. Before the culture festival, I have to get Zuo Xi’s Affection Level to 100 and lower her Obsession Degree. Once I finish conquering Zuo Xi and free up some of Miao Heavenly Emperor’s power, everything will get better.’
She opened Guchuan Xing’s chat window.
[Senior, do you have time tomorrow afternoon? The band’s first rehearsal.]
[Cat peeking.JPG]
A reply came in less than ten seconds.
[I do~ As long as Huanzi is looking for me, I always have time~]
[Image]
Qin Huan didn’t even need to open it to know what kind of photo it was.
[Senior, can you not send photos every time…]
[Why? Doesn’t Huanzi like them? I think I took a really nice one~ Look at this expression, how cute~]
[…]
[Is Huanzi shy? So cute~ Let big sister take a few more tomorrow during rehearsal~]
Qin Huan decisively closed Guchuan Xing’s chat window, then opened Fu Lan’s.
[Fu Lan, the band’s first rehearsal is tomorrow afternoon. Do you have time?]
[Yes.]
[Then tomorrow at 2 PM, meet in the Instrumental Music Club’s rehearsal room. Okay?]
[Okay.]
[Great, see you tomorrow~]
[Cat sending flowers.JPG]
[Mhm.]
Qin Huan turned off her phone and lay flat on the bed.
‘Regardless, the band is finally officially starting rehearsals. Things are looking up…’
—
“Xiao Huan, wake up.”
Qin Huan groggily opened her eyes.
Ju Zhenli was sitting by the bed, wearing a light purple silk nightgown, her long golden hair loosely tied in a low ponytail that fell over her shoulder.
Sunlight leaked through the curtains, casting soft shadows on her face.
“Elder Sister Zhenli…”
Qin Huan rubbed her eyes.
“What time is it?”
“Half past eight.”
Ju Zhenli reached out and smoothed Qin Huan’s messy hair.
“Didn’t you say you had rehearsal today?”
“Rehearsal isn’t until two…”
Qin Huan muttered, burying her face back in the pillow.
“You still need to get up early.”
Ju Zhenli’s tone was gentle.
“Breakfast is ready. Come eat.”
“Okay…”
Qin Huan struggled out of bed and stumbled toward the bathroom.
After washing up and changing, she arrived at the dining room.
Ju Zhenli was already sitting at the table waiting for her.
“How long will today’s rehearsal be?”
Ju Zhenli picked up her coffee cup and took a light sip.
“Hmm… maybe until evening.”
Qin Huan bit into a slice of toast and answered indistinctly.
“It’s the first rehearsal, so there’s a lot to work through.”
“I see.”
Ju Zhenli set down her coffee cup and ran her slender fingers along the rim.
She was silent for a few seconds, then looked up, her brown eyes fixed on Qin Huan.
“Xiao Huan, can I come watch your rehearsal?”
Qin Huan nearly spat out her milk.
“Cough, cough… Elder Sister Zhenli, what did you say?”
“I want to watch Xiao Huan rehearse.”
Ju Zhenli tilted her head, her expression serious.
“Is that not allowed?”
‘Of course it’s not allowed!’
‘Are you kidding? The rehearsal site has that Guchuan Xing time bomb there! What if that flashy pervert big sister starts pawing at me in front of Ju Zhenli, or says something weird?’
‘And Zuo Xi’s Obsession Degree toward me is at 95. Who knows how she’ll react when she sees Ju Zhenli?’
‘Fu Lan seems quiet and obedient, but no one knows if she’ll suddenly do something unexpected.’
‘Bringing Ju Zhenli into that kind of cauldron of love rivalry is just walking right into a Defeat CG!’
“Um… Elder Sister Zhenli, rehearsal might be really boring. Are you sure you want to come?”
“It won’t be boring.”
Ju Zhenli looked at her seriously.
“As long as I can see Xiao Huan working hard, I’ll be happy.”
[Qin Huan, I suggest you agree, meow. Ju Zhenli’s Obsession Degree went up a bit last night. It’s now at 70 points, meow. If you refuse her, she’ll definitely start overthinking, and it might keep rising, meow.]
“Okay.”
She forced a smile.
“Then Elder Sister Zhenli can come watch. But it might be really boring, you know.”
“It won’t.”
Ju Zhenli curved her lips into a faint smile.
As it approached rehearsal time, Qin Huan returned to her room to gather her things.
Ju Zhenli changed into a going-out outfit: a white blouse with dark pencil pants, and a beige trench coat over it.
Her long golden hair was still tied in a high ponytail, making her look capable and elegant.
“Let’s go, Xiao Huan.”
Ju Zhenli naturally took her hand.
They pushed open the rehearsal room door.
Guchuan Xing was sitting behind the drum set, lightly tapping a rhythm with her drumsticks.
She was wearing a black tank top, revealing her toned arms, and her light red curly hair was casually loose, giving off a lazy vibe.
When she saw Qin Huan enter, her eyes brightened noticeably.
But when she saw Ju Zhenli following behind, she said, “Oh my, isn’t this President Ju Zhenli?”
Guchuan Xing put down her drumsticks, rested her chin on her hand, and curved her lips into a playful smirk.
“What brings you here?”
“I came to watch Xiao Huan rehearse.”
Ju Zhenli’s tone returned to a businesslike coldness.
“Oh~”
Guchuan Xing drew out the syllable, her gaze sweeping between Qin Huan and Ju Zhenli.
Qin Huan pretended not to notice her stare and bent down to pick up a bass guitar.
Just then, the door opened again.
Fu Lan walked in.
She was wearing a light blue dress today, her silver-white hair still falling to her waist.
When she saw Qin Huan, she gave a slight nod and called out, “Big sister.”
Then she gave Ju Zhenli a slight nod as a greeting.
Ju Zhenli didn’t recognize Fu Lan.
She turned her head to look at Qin Huan, a questioning look in her eyes.
“Fu Lan is our band’s keyboardist,” Qin Huan quickly explained.
Ju Zhenli nodded and didn’t say anything more.
Fu Lan quietly walked over to the keyboard, sat down, and began adjusting the equipment.
The air suddenly grew quiet.
Guchuan Xing sat behind the drum set, lazily spinning her drumsticks.
Fu Lan bent over checking the keyboard settings.
Ju Zhenli stood beside Qin Huan, her golden ponytail hanging over her shoulder, exuding a subtle but palpable pressure.
‘Where is Zuo Xi? Why isn’t she here yet?’
Just as Qin Huan was about to be crushed by the strange atmosphere, the door finally opened again.
Zuo Xi entered.
She was wearing a white T-shirt with a light blue denim jacket over it, a black skirt, and over-the-knee socks.
Her hair wasn’t tied up like usual but hung naturally, making her look a bit more mature than usual.
“Sorry, sorry, I’m late.”
Her gaze swept across the room, pausing on Ju Zhenli for a moment before finally landing on Qin Huan.
“Then let’s start.”