Become My Assistant

Yu Shuman was stunning, naturally attracting attention wherever she went, a radiant presence in any crowd. The sleek dance outfit accentuated her figure perfectly, complementing her bold makeup. A mic was clipped to her ear, and as the music began to play, she launched into her dance routine.

Though her singing and dancing skills were not extraordinary—Yu Shuman was, after all, a novice who had only recently taken up performing—her dedication was evident. While her movements lacked the finesse of a seasoned dancer, she executed each step with maximum effort. Paired with her expressive performance, she managed to captivate the audience.

Sitting in the audience, Qin Ran couldn't take her eyes off Yu Shuman. She watched every step, listened to her voice amplified through the speakers, and noticed the sweat glistening on her forehead. But most importantly, she saw the smile on her face. Throughout the performance, Yu Shuman beamed with joy—a confident, spirited, radiant, and vibrant smile. In that moment, Qin Ran knew her efforts hadn't been in vain. She had feared that Yu Shuman might only be in this for the money, to repay the kindness of others, without any real love for the stage.

But now, Qin Ran was certain that Yu Shuman genuinely enjoyed being in the spotlight.

Just as Qin Ran had instructed Sister Li to ensure, Yu Shuman was having the time of her life.

As the song ended, Yu Shuman, slightly out of breath from the intensity of the performance, took a deep breath. Her chest rose and fell with each heavy breath, sweat trickling down her temples, but her eyes sparkled with excitement. She bowed to the judges as they gave their brief critiques before announcing her successful advancement to the next round.

Even though she had been confident of her success, hearing the judges confirm it still brought a bright smile to Yu Shuman's face. Her friends and family in the audience erupted in cheers, with someone shouting, "Yu Shuman! You've got this! Keep going!" With the staff reminding her, she waved to her supporters as she made her way off the stage.

With Yu Shuman's performance over, her support group was free to leave, but Qin Ran planned to stay a bit longer, at least until she saw the female lead's performance. The others decided to explore the area, planning to leave with Sister Li and the rest of the staff later. Before they left, they checked with Qin Ran to see if she wanted to join them, but Sister Li intervened, "Don't worry, she'll leave with me later." This reassured them.

Sister Li, sitting in the staff section, invited Qin Ran to join her. Despite looking like a quiet and obedient student, Qin Ran's response to Sister Li was far from typical, "Boss, still planning to scout the competition?"

"…Yes."

With her eyes on the stage, Sister Li pointed out several promising talents to Qin Ran, including the female lead. Although the female lead was well-guarded by her three brothers and a childhood sweetheart CEO, very little information about her had leaked, but they did know which company backed her.

"Not sure what her background is, but since she's with that company, she's definitely no ordinary competitor."

Sister Li might not have known the female lead's background, but Qin Ran did. She rattled off the female lead's various identities, including her connections and the company she was associated with. The more Qin Ran talked, the more numb Sister Li became. In the end, all she could say was, "You really do your homework, don't you?"

Qin Ran wasn't sure if that was a compliment, so she simply replied, "Thank you."

As they talked, several more contestants performed before it was the female lead's turn. With her pure and graceful aura, the female lead stood out from the others. Dressed in a white Hanfu, she sang a traditional Chinese-style song, incorporating minimal dance moves but gracefully flicking her long sleeves, playing to her strengths.

This was Qin Ran's first time seeing the female lead, and she couldn't quite put her finger on what felt off about her. The female lead was undeniably beautiful, with a voice as sweet as her appearance, and eyes that seemed to ripple like a tranquil lake. Yet, perhaps because of her preconceived notions, Qin Ran found it difficult to warm up to her. She leaned forward in her seat, trying to discern something more, but found nothing suspicious.

It wasn't until the female lead finished her performance and exited the stage that Qin Ran finally averted her gaze.

From beside her, Sister Li commented, "She's definitely a formidable opponent, no doubt about it. She's got the skills, and her cool and refined look is exactly what's trending right now. She'll be one of Yu Shuman's main rivals." Although the competition was scripted, no company could guarantee the champion. There was still the risk of being outvoted by a popular dark horse, a mistake that no one wanted to repeat. Most companies only pushed to get their contestants to the finals; the ultimate winner was usually determined by public opinion.

In the end, whether or not Yu Shuman won wasn't of utmost importance. As long as she enjoyed herself, that was what mattered.

Of course, this wasn't something Qin Ran could say to Sister Li, especially since Sister Li was the hardworking type. The first time Qin Ran had told her to pass along the message "Just have fun," Sister Li had nearly lost it. If she dared to repeat it, Sister Li might very well quit and find another company to work for. Qin Ran had only managed to recruit Sister Li by promising not to interfere with her work, except for anything involving Yu Shuman. Additionally, Qin Ran had pledged to provide maximum support and even managed to poach back an artist that had been snatched away from Sister Li before.

With this approach, Qin Ran not only reignited Sister Li's passion but also helped her advance her career.

Qin Ran nodded in agreement with Sister Li's assessment.

She also mentioned a few other names, suggesting that they had potential and were worth signing if they weren't already taken. Sister Li chuckled, "You're underestimating my professionalism. I've already got my eye on them. You didn't have to say anything." With nothing more to add, Qin Ran watched a few more performances before deciding it was time to head back to school.

Sister Li offered to drive her, but Qin Ran declined, saying she had another ride coming.

Curious, Sister Li asked, "What kind of car?"

"My part-time boss's car."

"???"

Sister Li looked puzzled, but Qin Ran was telling the truth. She had quit most of her part-time jobs, but there was one she had held onto for a long time. When she finally decided to resign, her boss had been unusually kind, asking if something was wrong and offering to give her a raise instead. How could Qin Ran, who was terrible at social situations, possibly say, "I just won the lottery, so I don't need this job anymore"? That would have been a cruel blow. So she mumbled something about everything being fine and ended up staying on.

The job itself wasn't difficult; she just worked in a cafeteria… The owner knew that they were going to see Yu Shuman's performance that day and happened to be in the area for her own lunchbox business. She offered Qin Ran a ride back, and Qin Ran, unable to refuse, awkwardly accepted.

As she got into the car, Qin Ran felt a pang of regret. The woman was too enthusiastic, not giving her a chance to get a word in. She kept saying, "Yu Shuman used to work part-time for me too. I've watched her grow from her first year at school until now. She's finally making something of herself, and it hasn't been easy. I know your situation too, Qin Ran. You've had it tough. If you ever need anything, just let me know, and I'll help however I can."

In Qin Ran's mind, the system fumed, "What's going on here? I'm the one who can actually help her! Why should she have to ask anyone else?!"

By the time they arrived at school, Qin Ran practically tumbled out of the car, desperate to escape. The woman didn't forget to remind her, "Don't forget to show up for your shift tonight!" At that moment, Qin Ran made up her mind: she had to quit this job!

Yet, when the evening came, Qin Ran found herself standing behind the cafeteria counter, serving food to students. After her shift ended, she checked her phone during a quiet moment and saw that Yu Shuman had sent her several messages. Knowing that Qin Ran was likely working, Yu Shuman hadn't tried to call her but instead sent text messages.

Yu Shuman apologized for not spending more time with them today; she told Qin Ran how happy she was to see them all there and asked how she thought her performance went. Scattered throughout were a few cute emojis, completely at odds with her cool on-stage persona.

Qin Ran smiled and typed back: "You were amazing today. We were all mesmerized."

What she really wanted to tell Yu Shuman was that she looked stunning on stage, that she was born to be in the spotlight, shining as brightly as a star. But Qin Ran couldn't bring herself to say it. She was naturally shy, and even after all this time at school, she could only remember the names of her own roommates.

Barely a moment after she hit send, Yu Shuman replied with a voice message. Caught off guard, Qin Ran fumbled to answer it. On the other end, Yu Shuman's voice was soft, with a slight echo, as if she were hiding in a bathroom to make the call.

"Pretty cool, huh? Your big sis is awesome, right?"

Qin Ran could easily imagine Yu Shuman's proud expression, the little smile tugging at the corner of her mouth, so lively and full of life. Her voice naturally dropped to match Yu Shuman's tone, "Yeah, you were amazing, big sis." They rarely used each other's names, always calling each other "big sis" and "little sis." Qin Ran liked it that way; it made her feel closer to Yu Shuman.

"I'm going to keep working hard, get better, and make lots of money. And when I do, I'll have you as my assistant."