Failed to Pretend to Be an Alpha and Got Marked by the Enemy (ABO, GL) - Chapter 79

Chapter 79

‘Youth Training Camp’ was a large-scale variety talent show. One hundred contestants competed fiercely for five debut spots. The competition was extremely brutal, and opportunities were rare. Yu Jing didn’t dare slack off.

Recording started in late August, leaving her less than two weeks to prepare. After resting at home for two days, Yu Jing couldn’t hold back and went to the company to practice.

Besides Yu Jing, Light Shadow also sent Zhao Meng and Yu Qian to participate. They all needed to prepare for the initial stage performance, but due to limited company venues and resources, singing and dancing practice followed a rotating schedule.

Yu Jing arrived at the company early. She first rehearsed the newly arranged song with the vocal teacher several times.

“This is for you.” Xiao Ye pushed a brand-new lunch box toward her.

Yu Jing exclaimed, “Wow, are takeout containers this fancy now?”

“No way.” Xiao Ye said, “Sister Ming Zhu made this herself.”

Yu Jing froze, then realized something: “When you took a call earlier and said you had to go downstairs, was it her?”

Xiao Ye nodded and said, “Sister Ming Zhu said it wasn’t convenient for her to come up, so she asked me to pick it up. Then she drove off.”

Yu Jing was very surprised. She had no idea Ming Zhu would personally deliver food for her. Ming Zhu hadn’t mentioned it either.

Was this a surprise?

She eagerly opened the lid.

The lunch box was divided inside: a portion of white rice, stir-fried vegetables, stewed beef, a fruit platter, and a soup. Though not gourmet dishes, they were nutritionally balanced.

Thinking these were carefully prepared by Ming Zhu, Yu Jing’s heart swelled with warmth. She picked up chopsticks expectantly, tried a bite of beef, and her expression turned subtle.

Xiao Ye, without a girlfriend to bring her a loving lunch, ate takeout. She glanced at her own plain fast food, then at Yu Jing’s rich meal, swallowed hard, and asked, “Is it good?”

Yu Jing chewed for a long time, swallowed the beef with effort, took a sip of soup to ease it down, and smiled brightly: “A heavenly delight!”

Xiao Ye was tempted by her words, wanting to try Ming Zhu’s cooking but too shy to ask. She watched Yu Jing eat with relish, while her own boxed meal tasted like wax.

After eating and resting, Yu Jing went to the practice room to rehearse dance in the afternoon.

The initial stage needed to be explosive and eye-catching, so the choreography for ‘To the Sun’ was quite challenging. The teacher demonstrated once for her. Yu Jing recorded it on her phone. The second time, she practiced with the teacher. By the third time, she memorized all the moves, though some details needed polish.

The teacher let her practice alone, observing and giving pointers occasionally.

Yu Jing practiced intensely, sweating profusely and exhausted before stopping. She turned off the music and heard scattered applause. Turning, she saw Zhao Meng and Yu Qian had come to watch her.

“Good afternoon, senior sisters.” She greeted them with a smile.

Neither Zhao Meng nor Yu Qian were professional singers or dancers. Seeing Yu Jing dance so well, both were stunned.

Zhao Meng praised her lavishly: “Jingjing, you’re amazing! I’ve been at the company so long and didn’t know you were this strong. You definitely deserve a debut spot!”

Yu Qian gave a soft hum, disagreeing: “Debut spots aren’t that easy. ‘Youth Training Camp’ is just a capitalist tool to make money. Many agencies spend heavily to ensure their artists debut. The more you spend, the better your chances.”

Zhao Meng’s eyes shifted, lowering her voice: “I’ve heard about these inside stories too. Some people reportedly secure debut spots when signing contracts.”

“That’s the so-called royalty.” Yu Qian had clearly done her research, analyzing confidently. She pointed at the three of them: “For a small company like ours, with no money or resources, we might just be cannon fodder.”

Yu Qian’s scenario was real, but Yu Jing didn’t fully agree. She thought for a moment and said carefully, “It’s not entirely unfair. I watched all past seasons of ‘Youth Training Camp’. Sure, every season has a few ‘royalty,’ but most debut spots are chosen by the audience based on real talent.” She wiped sweat from her face with a towel and smiled: “So let’s work hard first and leave the rest to fate.”

Zhao Meng sighed: “You have talent and a chance. Amateurs like us are just here to fill space.”

Yu Qian seemed displeased with Zhao Meng’s use of “us.” She frowned and shifted the topic to Yu Jing: “I heard Wu Dan Ni is also in this season’s ‘Youth Training Camp’. You two are so close. Did she tell you anything?”

Yu Jing took the water bottle Xiao Ye handed her, pausing as she unscrewed the cap.

Her sweat-soaked eyelashes drooped, hiding a fleeting emotion. She slowly looked up, smiling naturally: “No, she’s probably been busy lately. We haven’t talked much.”

Zhao Meng chimed in: “Since Dan Ni signed with a new company, her resources are great. I see her Weibo always active, either on variety shows or shooting ads. So enviable.”

Yu Qian agreed: “People climb up, water flows down. She’s just lucky.”

While speaking, Zhao Meng took out her phone to check Weibo, intending to see what Wu Dan Ni posted today. As the page refreshed, a notification popped up. She exclaimed, “Jingjing, your fans and Dan Ni’s fans are fighting!”

Yu Jing looked over, confused, and saw Zhao Meng’s phone on the trending list: #YuJingWuDanNiFansClash#, prominently in the top ranks.

She quickly set down her water bottle, grabbed her phone from Xiao Ye, and logged into Weibo. She discovered a marketing account stirring trouble.

It started an hour ago when Wu Dan Ni posted a dance practice video. Half an hour later, Yu Jing posted a similar dance video. A marketing account compared them, and chaos ensued.

[I just learned Wu Dan Ni can sing and dance. She dances well and acts great too. Love her, I’m a new fan.]

[Dan Ni started as a singer-dancer. Her old company was trash and gave no opportunities. Baby dances so well, I’m rooting for your center debut!]

[Are those paid bots? The video comparison clearly shows Yu Jing outshines Wu Dan Ni. Are her fans blind?]

[I thought Wu Dan Ni danced well until I saw Yu Jing’s. Wow, that’s real dancing. Her timing is perfect!]

[Yu Jing’s in ‘Youth Training Camp’ too? I’m picking her. She dances so well, honestly not worse than top H-country girl groups!]

[Wu Dan Ni and Yu Jing were from the same company, right? They even formed a sing-dance group before, but the skill gap is huge…]

[Wu Dan Ni’s been busy acting, no time to practice singing or dancing. I didn’t expect Yu Jing to have this level of skill. Before ‘Treasure Hunt’, she had no notable work, right? I thought she was just a pretty face.]

[So awkward. Yu Jing’s video is a few seconds long with no advanced moves. What skill can you see?]

[Some people are so bitter. Yu Jing has no skill, but Wu Dan Ni’s street-dance level is skill?]

[Don’t you find this suspicious? Wu Dan Ni posts, then Yu Jing posts right after, like it’s intentional. They haven’t interacted in ages. Have they fallen out?]

Seeing the comment suggesting they fell out, Yu Jing stopped reading. She lowered her head, pursed her lips, and stayed silent.

Xiao Ye had also seen the fan war on her phone. Seeing Yu Jing’s face darken, she confessed: “I posted the video…”

Yu Jing looked up at her.

Xiao Ye twisted her fingers, stammering: “Sister Jiayu said you hadn’t posted in a while and told me to share a practice video. I recorded one randomly and posted it. I didn’t notice Dan Ni posted earlier. Sorry.”

Yu Jing didn’t mean to blame her. She turned off her phone and comforted her: “It’s not your fault.”

“Exactly, Xiao Ye, don’t feel bad.” Zhao Meng huffed: “Comparing two videos for fans to judge will definitely spark fights. These marketing accounts love causing trouble.”

Yu Qian’s focus wasn’t on the incident itself. She stared at Yu Jing and asked quietly, “You and Dan Ni didn’t really fall out, did you?”

Zhao Meng, realizing late, gasped: “You fell out? It’s been a while since I saw you interact with her on Weibo.”

Yu Jing: “…”

Since Wu Dan Ni terminated her contract with Light Shadow, Yu Jing and Wu Dan Ni hadn’t contacted each other.

Fallen out? No, they never argued or formally cut ties. They just both knew they weren’t on the same path, drifting further apart.

With Zhao Meng and Yu Qian, just fellow artists with little connection, Yu Jing didn’t plan to share her issues with Wu Dan Ni. She forced a light smile and said vaguely, “When Dan Ni left, she had some friction with Sister Jiayu. If I kept interacting with her, I was afraid Sister Jiayu would feel uneasy.”

Yu Qian looked skeptical.

Yu Jing didn’t want to continue the topic and left, citing another matter.

Right after leaving the practice room, Shen Jiayu called her to the office.

Yu Jing thought it was about the fan clash on the trending list. But when she arrived, Shen Jiayu didn’t mention it.

Maybe she thought the fan fight was trivial, or knowing the rift between Yu Jing and Wu Dan Ni, she didn’t want to make it hard for her. Shen Jiayu stayed silent on it and instead said the company would cover all costume expenses for her initial stage performance. She wanted to take Yu Jing to get measured for a custom stage outfit.

The three set off immediately.

On the way, Yu Jing received a WeChat from Ming Zhu.

Sister: “When are you back?”

Yu Jing: “Maybe half an hour.”

Sister: “Waiting for you.”

Back at Heart Lake Community, Yu Jing went straight across to find Ming Zhu.

Using the spare key to open the door, as soon as she entered, Little White meowed happily and ran to greet her. She picked up Little White, petted its fur, and scanned the room but saw no one. Hearing clanging from the kitchen, she approached and found Ming Zhu preparing a nutritious meal for her.

Warm yellow light enveloped Ming Zhu’s tall figure. Her long hair was casually tied back, her profile like a beautiful painting.

When focused, Ming Zhu rarely smiled. Sensing something, she looked over, saw Yu Jing holding Little White and smiling at her from the doorway. Her lips curved, and her eyes lit with a smile: “You’re back?”

“Hmm.” Yu Jing’s eyes crinkled. She set down Little White and bounced to Ming Zhu’s side.

“Tired?” Ming Zhu handed her a piece of cut dragon fruit to her mouth.

Yu Jing bit it and shook her head: “Not bad.”

It wasn’t good to eat much at night. Ming Zhu prepared mostly fruit. As she arranged the plate, she asked casually, “Was lunch good?”

Yu Jing’s brows twitched. Her fingers brushed the cool countertop, her expression thoughtful.

Her girlfriend painstakingly prepared a lavish lunch and delivered it personally in the heat. If she said it wasn’t good…

After some internal struggle, Yu Jing decided not to dampen her enthusiasm. She hugged Ming Zhu’s arm and grinned: “Delicious! Xiao Ye next door was practically drooling!”

Ming Zhu smiled knowingly, picked another piece of fruit, and fed it to her. Her fingers lightly brushed Yu Jing’s lips, her voice warm: “Then I’ll make it for you again tomorrow.”

“Hehe, great.”