Failed to Pretend to Be an Alpha and Got Marked by the Enemy (ABO, GL) - Chapter 85

Chapter 85

The Youth Training Camp was a wildly popular national talent show. The production team built a large training base in the suburbs of City B specifically for contestants to undergo closed training.

Following the address provided by the production team, Yu Jing arrived at the meeting point accompanied by Xiao Ye.

The sun blazed fiercely, the sky stretched clear without a cloud, and the stifling heat intensified the anxiety in people’s hearts.

Through the tinted privacy glass, Yu Jing saw cars coming and going, and vibrant trainees stepping out, one after another. Xiao Ye couldn’t help but exclaim, “There are so many people!”

Yu Jing faced the sunlight, gazed at the four large words “Training Base” embedded on the gate, took a few deep breaths, unbuckled her seatbelt, and said to Xiao Ye, “I’m going.”

The first recording was like a preliminary audition. The audience would eliminate forty out of a hundred trainees on the spot. Though Yu Jing believed she wouldn’t fail to advance past the initial round, it was her first time in such a large competition, and her heart still felt nervous.

Xiao Ye couldn’t enter with her, handed her a huge backpack, and said solemnly, “All your gear is in here. Jingjing, you can do this!”

“Wait for my good news.” Yu Jing slung the backpack over her shoulder, opened the car door, and strode confidently into the scorching sun.

At the entrance, she registered her personal information and followed the staff’s guidance to the assembly hall.

Some trainees had already arrived in the hall. Seeing a newcomer enter, they craned their necks to look, their curious expressions resembling those watching a monkey escape from a zoo.

As Yu Jing stepped inside, gazes from all directions enveloped her. She wasn’t overly shy, but she disliked being stared at by a crowd. Feeling uneasy, she forced a professional smile and waved to the strangers, “Hi, hello.”

But no one responded. Hearing her greeting, some turned their heads away, while others continued sizing her up with scrutinizing glances.

Yu Jing’s waving hand froze awkwardly in mid-air.

Hmm, this group didn’t seem very friendly.

But that was human nature. They didn’t know each other and were competitors—why would anyone show her kindness?

Yu Jing quickly accepted this, unbothered by their coldness. She brushed her hair with her raised hand, scanned the room, and looked for a place to settle.

A familiar voice called from the side, “Jingjing!”

Yu Jing followed the sound, saw Xiao Yihuan emerge from a crowd of unfamiliar faces, and her eyes lit up again. She walked straight toward her.

Before she could reach her, Xiao Yihuan eagerly rushed over and hugged her tightly, “It’s been so long, I missed you so much!”

Yu Jing’s heart filled with joy, lifted her, and spun her around.

Since finishing Happy Star, they hadn’t seen each other in a long time. Reuniting felt like meeting family, familiar and warm. They hugged and chatted as if no one else existed, drawing frequent glances from other trainees.

Xiao Yihuan grinned widely, pulled her aside after catching up, and asked, “Are you preparing a sing-and-dance performance?”

“Yeah.” Being so close with Xiao Yihuan, Yu Jing held nothing back, smiled, and asked back, “What about you?”

Xiao Yihuan didn’t hide anything either, “I planned to do both singing and dancing, but after two weeks of practice, my dancing was still awful, so I chose just vocals. Ugh, I’m so nervous. Before you came, I went to the bathroom three times.”

Yu Jing burst out laughing, pinched her shoulder, and said, “I’ve heard you live. Your vocals are fine. Believe in yourself.”

Her friend’s encouragement worked a little. Xiao Yihuan’s body relaxed, grabbed her hand for a high-five, and said, “Let’s do this together!”

Yu Jing smiled.

More trainees arrived gradually. Yu Jing wasn’t overly curious, put on her earphones, listened to To the Sun, and closed her eyes to recall dance moves. Xiao Yihuan, usually a gossip enthusiast, was influenced by her and got serious, holding her phone to practice her solo song repeatedly.

Immersed in their own worlds, they didn’t notice how much time passed until a strong commotion erupted around them.

The noise was so loud that Yu Jing thought a task had been announced. She removed her earphones, saw the person entering the hall, and her gaze shifted slightly.

She knew Wu Dan Ni had also signed up for the Training Camp, but meeting her in this setting stirred an indescribable feeling in Yu Jing’s heart. She didn’t approach her.

“Hello, everyone.” Wu Dan Ni, a Beta, wasn’t strikingly beautiful or charismatic, but her smile was warm and approachable, fitting her online nickname “Girl Next Door.”

Her smile was infectious. As she entered, the trainees couldn’t help but whisper among themselves.

“It’s Wu Dan Ni! Didn’t she switch to acting? Why’s she in the Training Camp?”

“I loved her in Meteor Falls, I Miss You. I want a photo with her!”

“She’s been pretty popular lately, right? Over ten million Weibo followers, and she’s competing with us debutless newbies for a spot? That’s unfair.”

“The rules don’t ban debuted artists. Wu Dan Ni hasn’t sung or danced in years—she might get eliminated in the first round.”

“True, I saw her practice videos on Weibo. Her dancing’s average.”

Besides Wu Dan Ni, several other debuted trainees joined the show, like Yu Jing and Xiao Yihuan. But their fame paled compared to Wu Dan Ni’s, so their arrival went unnoticed.

Xiao Yihuan found the others’ tones sour, wanted to vent to Yu Jing, turned, saw Yu Jing watching Wu Dan Ni with a complex expression, recalled their relationship, nudged her, and whispered, “Your friend, huh?”

Yu Jing’s eyes flickered, let out a neutral “Hmm,” put away her earphones, and watched Wu Dan Ni approach her step by step.

“Jingjing.” Wu Dan Ni called her warmly, as if nothing unpleasant had ever happened between them.

Yu Jing couldn’t tell how much of her smile was genuine or fake, stared at her for a long time, and gave a lukewarm tug at her lips.

Sensing her distance, Wu Dan Ni’s smile stiffened, her lips moved slightly as if to say more, but a loud bang interrupted her.

“Bang—”

The hall’s door slammed shut by the staff, and the hundred trainees fell silent instantly.

The staff entered to announce the first competition’s rules. For the next few hours, trainees would change and do makeup, preparing for the evening’s recording.

To enhance audience engagement, the show would be presented via live broadcast. Recording began at 7 p.m., and the hundred trainees were brought to the studio half an hour early. The vast studio was divided into three sections: the performance stage at the front, the mentors’ seats in the middle, and the tiered viewing platform at the back.

The production team didn’t assign fixed seats, allowing trainees to sit freely. Seating was crucial—the center “C position” and front-row seats near the mentors were prime spots. To claim them, some trainees shamelessly began fighting openly.

Unbeknownst to them, the online live stream had already started the moment they entered the studio.

[They’re fighting before the competition even starts? This show’s intense!]

[That Yang Lele girl’s too aggressive, pushing people like that.]

[Laughing so hard, is this a talent show or a brawl?]

[Did the production team let in some chaos demons for drama?]

Seeing the rising viewer count, the director didn’t warn them about the live stream, crossed arms, and watched the spectacle.

Yu Jing quickly pulled the stunned Xiao Yihuan behind her, dodged a charging trainee, frowned, and muttered, “It’s not a throne—what’s there to fight for?”

The camera panned to her, and the comments exploded.

[Aaaaah, it’s Jingjing and Huanhuan!]

[Is Yu Jing’s beauty even real? She’s stunning in close-ups!]

[I knew you two quit Treasure Hunt to join the Training Camp.]

[Even knowing Yu Jing’s an Omega, that move pulling Xiao Yihuan was so alpha.]

[Except around Sister Ming Zhu, Yu Jing’s always alpha. You’d never guess she’s a sweet Omega.]

[Hahaha, the truth!]

[As a Ming-Yu CP fan, I’m crying. Treasure Hunt forced Yu Jing out, and Sister Ming Zhu quit too. Will we ever see Ming-Yu together again?]

[It’d be epic if they invited Sister Ming Zhu as a mentor.]

[Sister Ming Zhu as a mentor? No way! She only joined Treasure Hunt as a last-minute favor. She probably won’t do variety shows again.]

From Ming-Yu to Sister Ming Zhu, then to mentors, the comments shifted, speculating about this season’s mentors.

The production team hadn’t revealed the six mentors’ names. After the hundred trainees settled, they discussed the mentors too.

“Chen Chen’s definitely one. He let it slip during a live stream.”

Hearing this trainee, Yu Jing and Xiao Yihuan, sitting side by side, exchanged a glance and smiled in unison.

As a national talent show, the Youth Training Camp had professional mentors each season. For entertainment, they also invited non-professional mentors, like Chen Chen.

Everyone kept it secret, but Chen Chen, the goof, forgot to mute his phone during a live stream when the production team called, exposing his mentor role, which trended online.

Before coming to the base, Xiao Yihuan and Chen Chen bickered in their six-person group chat. Chen Chen, as a mentor, warned Xiao Yihuan to perform well or face elimination. Xiao Yihuan wasn’t fazed, knowing that in a national talent show, mentors could only comment and vote, but the audience held the final elimination power.

Besides the confirmed Chen Chen, the other five mentors’ identities were unknown. At 7 p.m., when recording officially began, the hundred trainees and live stream viewers focused intently on the stage.

As usual, the show started with a mentor performance. Dazzling stage lights flashed endlessly. The host, holding a cue card, said, “Next, let’s welcome our first mentor for a spectacular performance… Who do you think it is?”

“Brother Chen!” a trainee stood and shouted.

The host smiled meaningfully, gestured to the camera, and pointed to the stage’s right side.

All eyes followed his finger, staring wide-eyed at the swaying curtain.

“Hey!” a lively figure leapt from behind the curtain, wearing a cool performance outfit, carrying an electric guitar, exuding confidence and charm—Brother Chen, the already-exposed mentor.

Though everyone guessed it, seeing Chen Chen’s dashing entrance, they cheered wildly for him.

“Brother Chen’s so hot!”

“A serious Chen Chen feels weird.”

“He seems steady today. Is he doing a self-accompanied song?”

Watching Chen Chen tune his guitar on stage, Xiao Yihuan lowered her voice, skeptically asked Yu Jing, “Since when did Brother Chen play guitar?”

Yu Jing chuckled softly, covered her mouth, and whispered, “If he had that talent, he wouldn’t wait till now to show it.”

Xiao Yihuan nodded, thought, and said, “Must be last-minute learning.”

Chen Chen’s guitar was indeed last-minute. He learned simple chords, played half a song with few mistakes, and sang decently. The performance wasn’t standout, but knowing he was a variety star who practiced guitar for the show, his effort touched people. After he finished, the hundred trainees gave him thunderous applause.

“That was embarrassing,” Chen Chen said humbly, put down the guitar, tried to return to the mentor’s seat, but the host stopped him.

“Brother Chen, don’t leave yet.” The host approached for an interview, “Everyone knows you’re a variety comedy star. Why join a singing-dancing show as a mentor? It’s not your expertise.”

Chen Chen grinned, “Because your production team paid too much!”

The host, stunned by his bluntness, laughed heartily.

The staff and trainees roared with laughter.

As a variety pro, Chen Chen knew how to keep the vibe going, heating up the atmosphere with one line. After the interview, he went to the mentor’s seat, sipped a sponsor’s drink, turned, looked at the vibrant hundred trainees on the tiered platform, and asked casually, “Do you know who the second mentor is?”

Trainees: “No.”

Expecting Chen Chen to spill, he just shrugged, teased, “Actually, I don’t either.”

Saying this, he glanced subtly toward Yu Jing and Xiao Yihuan. Yu Jing assumed he was secretly greeting them and flashed a big smile back.

The second mentor’s performance was about to start.

The lights dimmed, and rustling sounds came from the stage, like staff moving props.

About two minutes later, a spotlight beamed from the second floor, landing on a black piano in the stage’s center and a graceful figure in black beside it.

The crowd gasped.

The surroundings stayed dark, all eyes fixed on the spotlight.

A jet-black gown, translucent pale skin—the figure under the light was cool and serene, like a noble black swan fallen to earth. Her slender, elegant fingers touched the keys, slowly playing captivating notes.

When the light hit her flawless face, many trainees who recognized her shouted her name.

Yu Jing stared at the central stage, dumbfounded, wondering if she was dreaming.

Until Xiao Yihuan shook her awake, “My gosh, it’s Sister Ming Zhu!”

“…” Yu Jing was speechless.

The person playing on stage was indeed Sister Ming Zhu.

Yu Jing didn’t know what piece she played, only that it was beautiful. Soothing notes flowed from her fingertips, like a babbling brook over the heart, calming and comforting.

The chattering trainees quieted unconsciously, listening in awe.

Yu Jing gazed unblinkingly at the stage, her heart pounding faster, recalling Sister Ming Zhu’s parting words, “No matter how long you’re gone, I’ll always be with you.”

She thought Sister Ming Zhu said it to comfort her, not realizing the deeper meaning.

During their time together, Yu Jing had no idea Sister Ming Zhu would be a mentor.

Before the competition even started, this surprise nearly knocked Yu Jing out.

The live stream audience was equally shocked.

[Holy crap, it’s Sister Ming Zhu!]

[I didn’t see this coming. Doesn’t she hate variety shows?]

[Is the production team using her to hype a CP with Yu Jing?]

[Look at Yu Jing’s face—perfectly stunned, lol.]

The two-minute performance ended quickly, lights returned, and a cameraman passed Yu Jing, catching her dazed face in a high-def close-up.

Seeing her silly expression on the screen, Yu Jing snapped back, quickly fixed her face.

“With Brother Chen and Sister Ming Zhu here, next it’ll be Brother Chao and Peng Ze!” Xiao Yihuan tugged Yu Jing’s sleeve excitedly.

Yu Jing’s heart raced even more but, mindful of the camera, feigned calm, “Wake up, sister, this is Training Camp, not Treasure Hunt.”

“Teacher Ming Zhu, this way.” The host’s voice cut their chat.

Yu Jing shifted her gaze back to the stage.

Sister Ming Zhu stood from the piano. For the performance, she wore a fitted black sequined mermaid dress, one-shoulder, revealing her alluring swan neck and collarbone, elegant and poised. With each step, trainees below screamed.

Yu Jing overheard a sweet Omega whisper, “Teacher Ming Zhu is my ideal girlfriend,” rolled her eyes inwardly, and wished she could drag that person away to stop them from coveting her beauty.

Unlike the lively Chen Chen, Sister Ming Zhu took the host’s mic, nodded slightly, polite and reserved, “Hello.”

“Hello, hello.” Following protocol, the host asked the same question as Chen Chen, “Teacher Ming Zhu keeps a low profile. Can you share why you joined the Training Camp?”

Yu Jing sat up straight instantly.

She was confident Sister Ming Zhu’s mentorship was tied to her, but she feared Sister Ming Zhu might spill the truth, making her unsteady heartbeat race again.

The camera zoomed in on Sister Ming Zhu. She lowered her eyes, thought for two seconds, then her beautiful gaze swept past the cameraman, swiftly and precisely finding Yu Jing among the hundred trainees.

Their eyes met, and Yu Jing’s heart leapt to her throat.

Sister Ming Zhu smiled at her, said, “Because being home alone is too boring.”

Yu Jing: “…”

She wasn’t sure if it was her imagination, but Yu Jing sensed a hint of resentment in Sister Ming Zhu’s casual words.

Was she blaming her for leaving her alone at home?