Wait, I Got in the Wrong Car (GL) - Chapter 33

Mo Ying was afraid her Fourth Sister might start lecturing her, so the moment Lou Anran left, she quietly slipped out the door. “Fourth Sister, the others’ performances are about to start. I’m off to hunt food for baby fish.”

With that, she bolted.

Yu Xuan stood in front of the floor-to-ceiling window with one corner of the curtain pulled aside. Watching her Xiao Wu and her little girlfriend head off in opposite directions, she clenched her teeth. No matter what, the issue with Lou Annie had to be resolved soon.

“Little beauty, we meet again.”

Mo Ying nearly jumped out of her skin. Lou Annie had suddenly popped out from a corner and startled her. Mo Ying stamped her foot and turned to flee.

“Don’t run. If you run again, I will not keep your secrets. I’ll spill everything about your past and let the world know what you’ve done.” Lou Annie had played this game of hide-and-seek with Mo Ying for days, but her patience had run out.

Seeing Mo Ying freeze, Lou Annie grinned with satisfaction. Her threat had worked. “If rumors spread about a newcomer who just passed the prelims, debuting will be nearly impossible, don’t you think?”

No debut meant no way to hoard food.

Mo Ying glared at her with puffed cheeks, brimming with frustration. She raised her fists. “You look like you’re just begging for a beating.”

Lou Annie let out a theatrical gasp and studied Mo Ying’s adorable yet feisty look. Although this was not her first time seeing her, every encounter gave her a new impression. Clicking her tongue in amazement, she murmured, “No wonder Queen Yu personally stepped in. You really do have the kind of charm that drives men crazy and makes women obsessed. Even I, a completely straight woman, find you dangerously attractive after staring for a while.”

Mo Ying did not understand her strange babbling. “Get out of my way, or I will hit you.”

Lou Annie glanced around and, seeing no one nearby, lowered her voice. “Are you pregnant? They say the child might even be mine?” Her teasing gaze fell on Mo Ying’s flat stomach. The girl had a slender waist and graceful curves in all the right places. There was no sign of pregnancy at all.

Mo Ying’s clear green eyes shifted quickly as inspiration struck. “Don’t talk nonsense. Would a pregnant woman be singing and dancing like me?”

Lou Annie had harbored suspicions, but now she frowned. Watching Mo Ying skip off so energetically, she muttered, “So Yu Xuan was messing with me?”

The preliminaries were nearing their end, and the private lounge was filling up. Mo Ying, who often dozed off in the middle of performances, usually chose a quiet corner to avoid attention. After spending time with Wanqi Tianxin, Wu Si, and Chen Ruiling, their group had developed an unspoken seating arrangement. This time, however, there was an unwelcome addition in the corner.

Wanqi Tianxin groaned in frustration. “Why do you keep following us? You’re so annoying.”

Lou Annie crossed her arms. “I’m not following you.”

Wanqi Tianxin quickly sat beside Mo Ying. “Don’t even think about hitting on our Xiao Yu’er. She doesn’t like you.”

Mo Ying glanced at them from the corner of her eye before resting her chin on the back of the chair. Her gaze stayed fixed on the screen, fully absorbed in the performances of the other contestants. With each breath, her cheeks puffed slightly, making her look like a tiny hamster enjoying endless snacks.

To keep Lou Annie from bothering her, the trio instinctively formed a barrier around Mo Ying. Chen Ruiling sat on her left, while Wanqi Tianxin and the sturdier Wu Si guarded her right. Unable to get closer, Lou Annie settled for sitting beside the aloof Chen Ruiling.

During the entire show, Lou Annie’s gaze never left Mo Ying. The longer she watched, the more convinced she became that Mo Ying could not be pregnant. For one thing, Mo Ying ate so sparingly it bordered on self-denial. She nibbled a few bites of staple food or tasted something sweet or sour, then pushed the rest away. Wasn’t a pregnant woman supposed to eat more for nutrition?

In addition, Mo Ying bounced around constantly every day. She moved quickly and slipped away even faster. That level of energy could not possibly be healthy during early pregnancy. Yet Mo Ying never showed the slightest concern. She seemed entirely carefree.

The more Lou Annie thought about it, the more certain she became that Yu Xuan had tricked her. That famous diva had insisted with unwavering conviction that Lou Annie was responsible for Mo Ying’s pregnancy. The idea itself was ridiculous. After all, women were not capable of such a thing.

Now, watching Mo Ying’s relaxed and unaffected manner, the pregnancy story collapsed.

Lou Annie slapped her own forehead in exasperation. The sharp sound startled the entire row behind her. Chen Ruiling quietly edged closer to Mo Ying, as if worried Lou Annie’s madness might be contagious.

Lou Annie caught the movement from the corner of her eye and frowned in irritation. She narrowed her eyes. “Hey, have we met before?”

Chen Ruiling replied coldly, “No.”

Lou Annie kept staring at her icy profile. Something about it seemed familiar. She racked her brain, refusing to give up. “What’s your name? Maybe we were classmates.”

Chen Ruiling suddenly stood. “Wu Si, let’s switch seats.”

Wu Si was mid-doze beside Mo Ying and stood up groggily when called. “Huh? Okay.”

Lou Annie frowned at Chen Ruiling’s long face. “I know I’ve seen you somewhere before. Where was it?”

She puzzled over it until the last preliminary performance ended. Still, she could not recall where she had seen Chen Ruiling.

When the prelims wrapped up, some contestants had to leave. Those who passed were given two days off. When the staff returned everyone’s phones, snacks, and other items, they gave a friendly reminder. “The semi-finals begin in two days. You should get ready in advance.”

Mo Ying was still dazed upon hearing she could go home.

Wanqi Tianxin noticed she was not as happy as everyone else. “Xiao Yu’er, do you have nowhere to go? You could visit my place.”

Chen Ruiling pinched the back of her neck. “Worry about yourself. Didn’t you hear them say the semi-finals start in two days?”

Wu Si was packing nearby, mumbling, “If they follow the usual pattern, we’ll probably be grouped together.”

The three exchanged wide-eyed looks, then shook their heads in unison. “This is going to be hard.”

Wanqi Tianxin specialized in jazzy, fast-paced dance routines. Chen Ruiling preferred traditional folk styles in both song and movement. Wu Si focused on strength-based choreography, which somewhat matched Wanqi Tianxin’s dynamic energy. As for Mo Ying…

All three turned to look at her. She blinked. Ni Xinyu, worried Mo Ying might be clueless, had arranged for several teachers to train her in popular musical and dance styles. Mo Ying’s sparkling eyes darted between them. “I can match your rhythm.”

Lou Annie suddenly popped up. “Count me in, too. Five people. Perfect.”

Wanqi Tianxin snapped, “Who even are you? How thick-skinned do you have to be to eavesdrop on us?”

Lou Annie replied, “I didn’t eavesdrop. You just didn’t pay attention to where you were talking. Anyway, I’m friends with Mo Ying, and friends of friends are friends too. Right, Little Beauty?”

Mo Ying blinked innocently and shook her head. “I don’t know her.”

Then she took off without a backward glance, leaving Lou Annie fuming. “Mo… Ying.”

…

Xiao Ai was as thoughtful as ever. By the time Mo Ying dawdled out of the villa, the car was already waiting. “Xiao Yu’er, how were the last few days?”

Mo Ying nodded. The fear and unease she had felt in a strange environment had faded, thanks to Lou Anran and Yu Xuan showing up one after the other. Combined with the trio’s care, she had almost started to enjoy herself. If the staff had not announced the break, she might not have wanted to leave.

Comparing the two homes, they did not feel that different.

Seeing her in such good spirits, Xiao Ai felt reassured. “Sister Ni said she wants to see you.”

The moment she heard that, Mo Ying’s fishy brain recalled the intimate photo Wu Si had shown her earlier. Alcohol had blurred her memory, but the details of that night had since returned. Unfortunately, her phone had been confiscated the next day, and she never got the chance to learn more about her Fourth Sister’s romantic history. “Sure. We’re all one big family anyway.”

Xiao Ai’s heart warmed. She did not catch the deeper meaning behind those words.

If you searched Yu Xuan’s love life, you could write an entire novel from it. The drama alone could fill hundreds of pages. The common thread was that the endings were always bad. You love me, but I don’t love you…

Celebrity affairs, love triangles, being the other woman, and now a romance between rivals. Yu Xuan had experienced it all.

Mo Ying sat there, dumbfounded. Her worldview had taken a massive hit. So when Ni Xinyu finally arrived, she found Mo Ying wide-eyed and dazed, walking as if she were stepping on clouds. “What happened? You joined a preliminary competition and came back floating?”

Mo Ying was stunned for a moment but quickly recovered. After all, in the deep sea, there were even more scandalous things. She smiled and exclaimed, “Ah, your leg healed!”

Ni Xinyu was startled by her dramatic reaction, but being cared for was not a bad feeling. “It was just a sprain, not a fracture.”

The sprain, made worse by bumping into the pool’s edge, had required a cast for healing.

Mo Ying nodded as if she understood, then squatted down to peek at her leg. Ni Xinyu quickly pulled her onto the couch. “I heard you wanted to experience emotions, maybe date a boy or a girl?”

Mo Ying nodded. “Yes.” Then she remembered their little mark agreement. She smiled sweetly and announced, “But I already have a little girlfriend.”

Ni Xinyu’s pupils shrank. Her grip on Mo Ying’s hand tightened slightly. Her voice turned sharp without her realizing. “You. Have. A. Girlfriend.”

Ni Xinyu had received a voice message from her singer the following morning. She had planned to sit Mo Ying down for a serious talk about the risks of romance, but had not managed to reach her in time. She assumed nothing serious could happen inside a closed-off competition venue, so she kept putting it off.

And now, Mo Ying had returned and casually dropped a giant emotional grenade in her lap.

Strands of red light streamed from Ni Xinyu’s body, spreading quickly through most of the room. In the past, Mo Ying would have welcomed such a feast without hesitation.

Things were different now. Ever since she had her baby fish and had been spoiled each day by Lou Xiaohei, her tastes had become far more particular. She had no desire for something this overpoweringly spicy. Quietly, she shifted aside. When Ni Xinyu’s dark, brooding gaze fell on her, Mo Ying suddenly thought of her Fourth Sister in one of her rages. The resemblance was uncanny. “My Fourth Sister knows too,” she said.

Mo Ying believed that using her Fourth Sister as a shield would calm Ni Xinyu.

Instead, the red strands filled the entire room.

“Wow, even my Fourth Sister agrees with me being in love. Why don’t you go talk to her instead?”

Mo Ying yanked her hand away from Ni Xinyu and darted upstairs. She slammed the door shut, pressed herself against it, and listened for a long while. When she felt safe, she slipped into a hidden passage, splashed into the bathtub at Lou Anran’s place, and began to play with the water.

Ding—

A WeChat voice message appeared from someone named Xinxin. “Xiao Yu’er, let’s hang out tomorrow. Everyone’s meeting to discuss the second round of the competition.”

Thinking of the fiery storm still raging downstairs, Mo Ying agreed without hesitation.

The next day, she arrived at the meeting spot bright and early. Soon, the group of four was complete again, but this time a newcomer stood beside Wanqi Tianxin. He was a striking young man in a full suit despite the sweltering heat. His hair was styled with meticulous care, yet the sweat on his forehead and his unsteady breathing revealed that he had rushed to get there.

“Xiao Yu’er, this is my brother, Wanqi Tianhan.”

“Oh?”

“Not another fan, is he?” Wu Si studied the man, noticing how his eyes never left Mo Ying. She moved aside to make room. “Wow, Tianxin, you really set this up.”

“No, that’s not it at all,” Wanqi Tianxin tried to explain, but before she could say more, Chen Ruiling cut in. This time, she offered no help in smoothing things over. “If it’s not that, then what is?”

Mo Ying’s eyes sparkled as she looked at the man. She asked brightly, “Are you a fan of mine?”

Wanqi Tianhan chuckled, while Wanqi Tianxin laughed even harder. “Brother, I told you! Xiao Yu’er is obsessed with her fans. I warned you not to come, but you insisted.”

Wanqi Tianhan smiled apologetically. “Forgive me for intruding on your outing. In truth, I came to ask a favor from you lovely ladies.”

…

Their outing somehow turned into a modeling event.

“For an auction like this, shouldn’t the jewelry be displayed in glass cases? Why make models wear it? What if something breaks during the show? That’s just asking for trouble,” Wu Si grumbled. “Xiao Yu’er, think this through. These pieces are outrageously expensive. We couldn’t afford the consequences if anything happened.”

“It probably won’t be that bad.”

Wanqi Tianxin was unsure herself. “I think it’s because a jewelry collector wanted a more immersive presentation. Wherever he goes, auction houses make exceptions. This time, after some consideration, they decided to use models to display the pieces.”

Even the finest jewelry needed breathtaking beauties to bring out its brilliance.

Wanqi Tianhan’s company had originally hired a popular starlet to model, but after accepting the job, she had thrown a tantrum and stormed off an hour earlier. That was why Wanqi Tianhan turned to Mo Ying. To him, she was an even better fit.

“We’ll make sure your friend receives the best pay and benefits. None of the concerns you mentioned will be an issue. She won’t need to move at all. Our staff will put the pieces on her.”

“Brother, don’t ruin this for me.”

“You brat. What are you saying? I’m your real brother.”

While they bickered, Mo Ying was already examining the jewelry she was to wear. Each piece gleamed in vivid, flawless colors.

“Tianxin, I’ll help your brother.”

Wanqi Tianxin hugged her tightly, trying to reassure her. “Be careful. If, and I mean if, anything happens, I’ll blame my brother. Don’t worry, Xiao Yu’er.”

Wanqi Tianhan, “…”

Their teasing soon lightened the mood. Just as Wanqi Tianhan was about to lead Mo Ying away to change, a staff member rushed over and whispered urgently in his ear. His handsome face darkened. “How could they do this?”

Mo Ying tilted her head and listened closely, catching every word.

“Ah, the person you hired showed up. So you don’t need me anymore?”

Wanqi Tianhan caught his sister’s glare and felt ashamed. “Miss Mo, please don’t worry. I’ll give you a proper explanation.”

He told the three girls to stay put and hurried away with the staff.

There were still more than forty minutes until the auction was scheduled to begin. Guests arrived in a steady stream, each with a formal invitation in hand.

They were dressed to impress. Women wore elaborate gowns and dazzling accessories. In contrast, Mo Ying and the others stood at the checkpoint in casual clothes, entirely out of place.

“What a terrible company,” Wanqi Tianxin muttered. “I bet it won’t last.”

Chen Ruiling said flatly, “So your brother will lose his job.”

Wu Si added theatrically, “And then the pressure will all fall on you. It’ll crush you until you can’t breathe. You’ll wish you were dead.”

Mo Ying looked at Wu Si with pity. “Tianxin, your life sounds so tragic.”

Wanqi Tianxin clutched her chest in mock pain. “Why am I friends with such cruel people?”

“Well, isn’t this a coincidence?” a voice said.

Song Yuan appeared in a black, backless gown. Her neck, ears, and wrists glittered with a matching set of bl00d-red jewelry. She clung to a slightly chubby man, smiling sweetly. “Darling, the security at Zhou Jewelry is slipping. How could they let people like this in without checking? Have their standards dropped?”

The man’s eyes lit up at the sight of Mo Ying. He stared at her with a greasy, lecherous look, unaware that the nails digging into his arm were almost drawing bl00d.

Before they could react, Song Yuan had already showered them with insults. That alone might have been tolerable, but her companion’s stare was enough to make anyone gag.

Wu Si frowned. “Who is she?”

“I’m not sure either,” Wanqi Tianxin said.

Chen Ruiling, with her sharp memory, did recognize her. She looked nothing like the sweet, innocent girl from the first auditions. Now, Song Yuan resembled a star on her way to collect a Best Actress award. Everything about her screamed superiority, and the disdain in her eyes was impossible to miss. “Hmm. No idea.”

Mo Ying noticed black strands writhing around Song Yuan and instinctively hid behind the taller Wu Si. “I remember her. She sang horribly.”

Song Yuan’s smile faltered. For an instant, her delicate features twisted with rage. She quickly composed herself, but if one looked closely, the beauty mark near her eye seemed to have shifted.

“!!!”

Wanqi Tianxin had recognized her earlier but had not cared enough to mention it. She had seen Song Yuan at the auditions and believed they would settle things on stage. She never expected Mo Ying, always so gentle, to strike the first blow so neatly.

“Ahem. Now that Xiao Yu’er mentioned it, I think I remember her too.”

Wu Si searched her memory. “Still nothing. I probably fell asleep during her performance.”

Chen Ruiling didn’t blink. “Didn’t pay attention.”

Song Yuan nearly choked on her fury and dug her nails into the man beside her.

“Security! How did these people get in? Does Zhou Jewelry let anyone walk through the door now?” She glared. “I don’t want to see them here. Please escort them out.”

The security guard hesitated. He had seen Wanqi Tianhan bring the girls in. Now caught between a pushy guest and his conscience, he wavered. “Do you have invitations?”

Wanqi Tianxin looked furious. “Do you think we wanted to come here? We were doing someone a favor! These people act like we’re beneath them.”

Wu Si was angry, too. “We’re not leaving.”

Mo Ying puffed out her cheeks. Suddenly, the image of Lou Xiaohei’s calm face flashed in her mind. She reached for her phone, only to freeze. She had never added Lou Xiaohei on WeChat.

She tapped aimlessly.

So… maybe she would just let it go.

Song Yuan sneered. “If you don’t throw them out, the air here will keep stinking. Every second they remain makes it worse.”

“Is that so?”

The moment Mo Ying heard the familiar voice, her eyes scanned the crowd like a radar. She quickly spotted the man approaching, his handsome face wearing a lazy smile. The only change was his hair. Once green, it was now completely silver, with not a trace of its former verdant hue. With one hand in his pocket, he walked with such confidence that the crowd instinctively parted to let him through.

Mo Ying’s lips parted slightly. The man winked, raised a slender finger to his lips, and the smile at the corner of his mouth turned wicked.