After Marking a Paranoid CEO [Transmigration] - Chapter 22

As Xia Youxi walked down the road with Wen An, Mo felt a chill at the back of her neck. She reached back to touch it, her intuition telling her it was related to Mu Huayue. She sidestepped closer to Wen An and whispered, “Sister Wen, Sister Mu needs you more than I do. You should go back.”

Wen An nodded and turned to leave, but Xia Youxi hesitated, grabbed her arm, and called her back. “One more thing, Sister Wen. Tonight, I’ll reserve excellent seats for Sister Mu and… you too. Just tell the staff my name when you arrive.”

With that, Xia Youxi waved goodbye and entered the practice room building with a smile.

Inside, many contestants had witnessed the scene through the windows. Guan He muttered her usual “bad luck,” while Sibe froze by the window, staring petrified at Wen An’s retreating figure.

From their perspective, Xia Youxi and Wen An had appeared extremely intimate—whispering secrets, teasing each other playfully—just as Han Bei had described, like a couple.

“No way…” Sibe murmured.

Xia Youxi remained unaware that someone’s world was crumbling. She entered the practice room, greeted her teammates, and went through the final rehearsal before heading to the dressing room to change.

To ensure the best performance that evening, Xia Youxi hadn’t had a chance to return to her dorm all day. After finally persuading the staff to reserve two seats for her, she waited until the live broadcast of the performance. She then discovered that only Captain Huang Ruo would be allowed to greet the audience first. There was no audience view backstage, and the public screen only showed footage from the stage.

Anxious to know if Mu Huayue had come to see her perform, Xia Youxi paced restlessly in the waiting area. Her teammates tried to comfort her, while Sibe hovered nearby, about a meter away. Noticing Sibe, Xia Youxi smiled at her and said, “Good luck with your performance.”

“Hehe,” Sibe replied with her signature innocent smile. “Then, if I make it through, will you answer a question for me?”

“Sure,” Xia Youxi agreed readily.

Sibe flitted backstage like a nimble bird. Their team captain, witnessing this, sighed helplessly. “Hottie, stop admiring yourself. Career is an Alpha’s foundation. Don’t let beauty cloud your judgment. We’re about to go on stage. Why don’t you take off your contacts first?”

Sibe looked confused. “Huh? We’re about to go on stage. Why bother with that now? Let’s go. We’ll advance together.” With that, she slung her arm around the captain’s shoulder, and the two Alpha comrades strode onto the stage.

White light bathed Sibe as she stepped into the spotlight. Xia Youxi, watching the public screen in the waiting room, heard the audience’s cheers. The camera focused on Sibe’s face, capturing her goofy grin. Gradually, the usually animated Alpha’s expression stiffened, her gaze fixed on something in the crowd.

A stream of comments flooded the screen:

Our Sibe must be so nervous with all these people watching!

My husband is so cute~

Hey, that’s my husband!

Xia Youxi didn’t overthink it, assuming Sibe was just nervous about performing in front of such a large crowd, having never experienced a major performance before. She whispered encouragingly, “Go get ’em, Sibe!”

The stage lights dimmed, and Sibe began to dance with her teammates as the performance officially started. She seemed completely transformed, like a chihuahua turning into a wolf cub. Xia Youxi relaxed, and when Sibe started rapping, she couldn’t resist making the hand gestures along with her, silently marveling, “Wow, her rap is definitely S-tier.”

Xia Youxi was genuinely happy for her friend, but she forgot how imaginative the audience could be. When a barrage of “kswl” (a Chinese internet slang abbreviation meaning “I’m dying from the cuteness”) comments flooded the screen, she froze, desperately hoping Sister Mu wouldn’t understand the pinyin abbreviation and jump to the wrong conclusions.

A while later, Sibe, having won the PK round, returned to the contestant area with her teammates. She excitedly ran toward Xia Youxi, eager to share her joy. But Xia Youxi, spooked by the comments, knew Sibe wanted a high-five. Instead, she clapped enthusiastically and whispered, “Your performance was amazing!”

Sibe, flattered by her praise, grinned sheepishly, twirling a strand of hair. “Hehe, really? Then will you be my wife?”

On the stage below, another group of contestants was performing. The waiting area was soundproofed, but the contestants’ shocked expressions as they stared at Sibe and Xia Youxi didn’t escape the sharp eyes of the audience. The live stream chat erupted with comments:

Look at the waiting area!

What are those lovebirds whispering about?

Did they just secretly pledge their lives to each other behind our backs?!

Xia Youxi glanced at the chat and her heart skipped a beat. She quickly offered a sheepish explanation, “I was just asking about your fans’ nickname. Your performance was so amazing, I’ve been a fan for ages!”

“Hehe.” Sibe flashed a grin, her white teeth gleaming like a reincarnated husky. Though some contestants still looked skeptical, Sibe, oblivious to the need for discretion, leaned closer and whispered, “That’s not what I was going to ask.”

Xia Youxi took a large step back, her smile perfectly polite. “We can talk after the show.”

When Xia Youxi returned to her position, her expression was one of exasperation. She couldn’t exactly shoo Sibe away, so she feigned concern and adjusted her position.

While Xia Youxi was acting, Han Bei from the other team mistakenly believed she was stage-frightened, whispering gleefully to her teammates, “I told you that half-baked talent only got her spot through connections. She’ll crack under pressure in a real performance. Just wait and see us win!”

Guan He shot her a cold glance and strode out.

Onstage, the host was interviewing Guan He’s team. Xia Youxi quickly glanced to the left side of the stage, near the camera—an optimal viewing spot, away from the enthusiastic crowd.

Sister Mu…

She murmured inwardly, a smile blooming on her face. Shifting her gaze, she spotted two figures in the reserved seats below the stage, illuminated by the stage lights. Wen An sat expressionlessly, holding a “Yousey” light sign, while Meng Chang waved a support banner and smiled warmly at her.

Meng Chang?!

What is she doing here?

Xia Youxi’s composure faltered for a moment, her face stiffening. After a few seconds, she forced her professional smile back into place, waving to the audience with her teammates before retreating into the blackness behind the stage.

As the familiar music began, she stared at the brainless cannon fodder she had manipulated into her scheme, her mind racing with thoughts of Mu Huayue. A pang of frustration surged through her. She had exhausted herself to secure such a perfect spot for Sister Mu, only for Meng Chang to swoop in and steal the opportunity.

Meng Chang was like a living Yama, never showing her a kind expression. Even if Sister Mu didn’t want to come, she shouldn’t have let Meng Chang take her place.

But why hadn’t Sister Mu come? Was she still upset about Xia Youxi’s lie, or was she feeling unwell again?

The name “Mu Huayue” floated through Xia Youxi’s mind. Before she knew it, the music had reached its end. Xia Youxi glanced over and was surprised to see that Han Bei’s group hadn’t made any major mistakes during their performance.

Still, there was nothing particularly impressive about it. They had turned a lively dance-pop song into something resembling a grade school talent show. Yet Young Miss Han seemed oblivious to her own shortcomings. As she left the stage, she even raised an eyebrow at Xia Youxi in a provocative gesture.

Xia Youxi guessed the young miss was trying to say, “You’ve lost.”

Straightening her posture, Xia Youxi adopted the dignified demeanor of a senior sister, just as she had during their practice sessions, and gave Han Bei a withering glance.

With a clatter, Young Miss Han’s terrifying memories resurfaced. Muscle memory made her legs buckle, and she collapsed onto the stage. The spotlight shifted from her to Xia Youxi, alternating between darkness and light. As the music began, the adorable young girl revealed a radiant smile and gracefully stepped forward from the back of the stage, dancing and singing her way to the center.

This segment happened to be Han Bei’s section. Almost as soon as the music began, her brow furrowed into a deep frown. Xia Youxi’s voice was far more magnetic than hers, but what truly terrified Han Bei was that after singing an entire verse, she barely heard Xia Youxi take a breath.

It must be because the beginning is too simple, Han Bei thought. Xia Youxi hasn’t even had proper vocal training. She can’t possibly be a natural talent.

Han Bei stood up and watched quietly. Soon, they reached the section universally dreaded by her group—a segment that required both singing and dancing. The singing was manageable, but the dancing was a nightmare, pushing human coordination to its limits. Hands and feet had to move in different directions, with rapid changes in rhythm and complex footwork.

According to the demonstration, this was supposed to be a sword dance. When executed well, it was spectacular, but few contestants possessed the skills of professional dancers. Her group had simplified the routine, essentially cutting out this section to maintain team cohesion. There’s no way that half-baked team can pull this off, she thought smugly.

Han Bei watched intently as Xia Youxi and her teammates formed a trapezoidal formation. As the fast-paced music began, the demonstration showed all five dancers moving in unison. But only Huang Ruo, the captain in the center, leaped into action, her movements even simpler than Han Bei’s group’s simplified version.

She nearly burst out laughing, thinking, Look at these fools, messing up right from the start… Wait, why are they taking turns in the Center Position? One dances, then the next?

In the end, Xia Youxi stood at the very center. To the pounding drumbeats, she flawlessly replicated the dance instructor’s demonstration, her movements precise and perfectly timed, each step landing on the beat. Her movements were light and agile, like a bird chasing the sun.

Han Bei stared in stunned silence, her mouth agape. But it wasn’t over yet. After Xia Youxi delivered the most captivating dance sequence of the entire performance, her four teammates joined in. The five moved in perfect unison, their hand gestures synchronized. Though they performed the same routine, their execution exuded a far greater sense of power and presence.

Even with a mother’s biased eye, Han Bei had to admit that Xia Youxi’s group had outperformed them. They were likely going to lose this round. She anxiously glanced at Captain Guan He, hoping Guan He would use her privileged status to give her a cheat pill. But Guan He didn’t even look at her.

What’s going on? Han Bei thought bitterly. Aren’t I a “connections” hire too? If Kengren Company hadn’t gone bankrupt, I wouldn’t be sucking up to this arrogant b1tch.

As she stewed in resentment, Han Bei spotted Wen An in the audience, holding up a support banner. At that moment, the host invited both teams to the stage to announce the results of the round.

As expected, Xia Youxi’s team won. Han Bei overheard Huang Ruo praising Xia Youxi, saying, “We were lucky to win this time, all thanks to Yousey. She’s incredibly talented in dance, learns quickly, and even taught us. But we weren’t very good at keeping up and could only manage to simplify the moves.”

Still praising that Xia girl? Ba Feng must be paying them a fortune.

Han Bei glared at Xia Youxi’s modest smile, finding it utterly irritating. As soon as they were out of camera range, she stormed over to Xia Youxi and sneered, “Assistant Wen must have been working overtime for you, huh?”

Xia Youxi straightened up. Seeing Han Bei about to leave, she grabbed her sleeve, pinning her in place. She gave Han Bei a dark, sidelong glance and asked softly, “What did you say? I didn’t quite catch that. Could you repeat it?”

Han Bei remembered her Senior Sister’s intimidating presence during their acting scenes and couldn’t help but shrink back. Spotting Guan He walking by, she frantically called for help, “Captain, save me!”

Guan He rolled her eyes and scoffed, “What a nuisance.” She glanced at Xia Youxi and added, “Singing wasn’t good enough for you? You had to become an idol.”

???

Xia Youxi was completely bewildered, but Guan He didn’t waste another word and strode past. Han Bei panicked, but Guan He ignored her. The junior members from Han Bei’s former agency stood by, watching the spectacle with amusement. “You…”

When Xia Youxi turned to look at her, Han Bei quickly changed her tone. “Um, what I meant was, your performance was truly outstanding! No wonder Assistant Wen took notice of you.”

Han Bei perfectly embodied the saying: “All talk, no bite.”

Xia Youxi gazed at the woman before her, who blinked like a pitiful mouse, and gently released her hand. She smiled politely. “Thank you. Your hand is trembling. You might be unwell. Please get some rest.”

“Yes, okay,” Han Bei nodded repeatedly, scurrying away like a pecking chick.

Xia Youxi returned to the contestants’ waiting area. She sat down with her teammates, watching the performers on the big screen with feigned attention, her thoughts already racing back to her villa bedroom.

It’s so late. Without my pheromones, will Sister Mu’s Floral Heat Syndrome flare up?

She spent the entire night in anxious anticipation. Finally, after all the groups had performed, the final moment arrived: the collective bow at the front of the stage.

As Xia Youxi stepped onto the stage, she glanced at the spot she had arranged for Mu Huayue. No miracle had occurred; Mu Huayue remained absent. Even Wen An and Meng Chang were nowhere to be seen.

Her worry deepened. Maintaining a professional facade, Xia Youxi endured until the performance ended. The moment the host announced, “This concludes our first public performance,” she turned and bolted like a wild horse freed from its reins.

Panting heavily, she burst into her dorm room and froze.