Look Up

"Very good."

With this compliment, Li Chu quietly left the room, gently closing the door behind her as she went.

Li Chu, you're amazing! You might just be a little genius!

As she waited for the elevator, Li Chu couldn't help but praise herself in her mind. She felt so energized, almost as if she could step onto the stage and perform right away!

Of course, this was just a bit of an internal joke. If she actually had to perform now, Li Chu knew she'd probably be nervous.

Once back in her own room, she shut the door and finally let out the breath she'd been holding in.

She went for another shower, put on some comfortable pajamas, and laid down on the bed to scroll through her phone. It was only ten o'clock, even though she'd expected to be studying much longer to find the right mindset. To her surprise, she'd only spent less than an hour in Ning Manqing's room.

Having a good mentor on the journey of learning really makes everything easier.

As her thoughts drifted to Ning Manqing, Li Chu couldn't help but feel grateful. Ning Manqing had been nothing but kind to her, speaking up for her in front of the cameras and offering to guide her privately. Li Chu was convinced that Ning Manqing's kindness was directed toward her, not the original owner of her body.

Perhaps it's the hundred days of grace from that one-night connection, Li Chu thought with a chuckle.

Looking back at Ning Manqing's actions throughout the day, Li Chu found herself briefly wondering, Does she like me a little? Maybe her pheromones were particularly attractive to Ning Manqing. Could Ning be drawn to the way her body smelled?

Of course, this was just a self-deprecating joke. The thought barely formed in her mind before she dismissed it.

"She likes me" is probably one of the scariest delusions in the world, and Li Chu prided herself on being too self-aware to fall into that trap.

Maybe Ning Manqing was just an especially upright and responsible person. In this world's setting, after all, Alphas naturally had a sense of protectiveness toward Omegas especially their own Omegas. Perhaps Ning felt guilty about the way things had unfolded.

Thinking about guilt brought Li Chu back to that glass of water.

She got up, irritated, and drank a glass of water herself before settling back down in bed.

Even though she had adapted well to this world, Li Chu sometimes missed her original one. Although her relatives were no longer around, she still had a few close friends. They must have been devastated when they learned she had died.

Li Chu had tried using the summoning system, but nothing had happened in her mind. It was almost as if the system was mocking her for being foolish.

That, at least, was good news. No system meant she didn't have to be bound by any rules.

As she lay there, Li Chu found herself typing "Ning Manqing" into the search bar on her phone.

At the moment, Ning Manqing was still a third-tier celebrity somewhat popular but not yet famous. She had a handful of dedicated fans, along with plenty of casual ones. Li Chu found a video that had been posted by the president of the Ning Manqing Support Club a month ago on the homepage.

She couldn't resist clicking on it. The video was meticulously edited, showcasing nearly all of Ning Manqing's works since her official debut.

Ning Manqing had taken on many different roles. Even if some characters had only a few scenes, you could see the timeline of her acting journey in the video. It was clear that Ning's skills had matured over time, and her emotional control had sharpened.

"She never wastes a second of footage, and that's why I love her."

That was the caption for the edited video. After watching it, Li Chu felt like she too had fallen in love with the dazzling Ning Manqing, just like these fans had.

Teacher Ning is incredible, Li Chu thought, touched by how much Ning's true fans adored her. She accidentally clicked into one of their profiles.

@ningmanchangqing: "I heard that an incredibly annoying D-list celebrity with the surname L is going to be on the same variety show as my sister. It's such a shame. I hope she stops stirring up trouble and learns her place. Back when she debuted, she was completely useless and had to rely on a rigged vote to overshadow my sister. I hope she leaves the entertainment circle soon."

Li Chu wondered which side character was trying to ride on the heroine's fame, only to realize she was staring at her own reflection on her phone screen.

Oh, it's me!

But leaving the entertainment industry was out of the question now. She could only disappoint these cute little fans.

Curious, Li Chu searched for herself. The results perfectly fit the profile of an 18th-tier celebrity. She didn't have many die-hard fans either.

After Li Chu's first film flopped, Tang Congnan had deleted all her posts and told her to restart her career from scratch.

Li Chu didn't know what to post, so she hadn't bothered uploading anything since.

She wasn't in the mood for a late-night makeup-free selfie, so she just stared blankly at her phone for a while.

Her fingers hovered over the search bar as she briefly considered looking up the current status of the book's male protagonist.

Then she stopped. Wait, what's the male lead's name again?

That was a good question. Li Chu stared at the search page, deep in thought. She had considered searching for the male lead a week ago, but couldn't remember his name at the time.

And now, more than a week later, she still couldn't recall it.

What a heartless reader I am.

All she vaguely remembered was that he was some sort of boss typical, really. He was also an Alpha whose pheromones perfectly matched the female lead's. But now the female lead had also become an Alpha. How awkward.

What else? Li Chu tried wracking her brain, but couldn't remember much. All she could recall was the usual cliché: face-slapping moments and some sweet romance.

She had been all in while reading, but once the book was finished, it was as if she raised her metaphorical pants and pretended it never happened.

Li Chu gave up on the search just as Tang Congnan called to check in on her.

He had been disheartened after hearing she'd landed the role, but he still told her to do her best. "It's fine, Li Chu. Just perform well, even if the reviews aren't great. Don't worry about it."

"It's okay, Tang. I think I've figured things out. Even if my performance isn't stellar, at least it won't be embarrassing."

"It's okay, Baoer. You can perform confidently, don't stress yourself out too much. This variety show is just a warm-up, a chance to get some exposure. I'm already looking for a new script for you. Let's start with a campus idol drama. Don't worry if you get eliminated just relax."

Tang Congnan comforted Li Chu, clearly worried that she might be feeling overwhelmed.

Li Chu thought to herself, This is such male-mother love.

After the comforting talk, Li Chu set her phone aside and peacefully closed her eyes. It had been a busy day.

The next morning, the "Owl Girl" team gathered again in the practice room to rehearse and perform together.

"Li Xiaochu, have you been getting secret lessons behind my back?!"

Chen Ying was shocked by Li Chu's performance.

What's going on here? she thought. Yesterday we were on the same level, but now you've suddenly made huge progress, leaving me lost and confused!

"I just went home and practiced some more last night. It clicked for me."

Li Chu responded shyly, keeping quiet about Ning Manqing. It was a silent agreement between them.

"Are you really an Omega? I'm getting jealous over here."

Chen Ying sighed dramatically before turning back to study her own performance.

Meanwhile, Li Chu continued working closely with Ning Manqing on the final segment of the performance, trying to make their collaboration even better.

During a break, Li Chu finally asked a question that had been on her mind since yesterday.

"Teacher Ning, why did you join this variety show? Weren't you supposed to be filming a drama?"

Li Chu had been wanting to ask this but hadn't found the right moment until now. Last night, she'd been too thrilled by Ning Manqing's guidance and her own breakthrough to remember.

Even though she couldn't recall much of the original book's plot, Li Chu distinctly remembered that, after Ning's split, she went straight to filming a movie the same one the original owner had tried to sabotage by spiking her drink in exchange for a role.

"You seem to have some inside information, but not all of it. Here, wipe your sweat."

Ning Manqing handed her a tissue. Li Chu accepted it naturally, wiping the sweat from her forehead as she waited for Ning Manqing to continue.

"That film is more suitable for a Beta or an Omega to play," Ning finally said.

Li Chu felt a pang of sadness upon hearing this. She hadn't meant to be the butterfly causing chaos with a mere flap of its wings, but somehow she'd altered the course of things anyway.

If she could do it all over again, she wouldn't drink that glass of water. But at the same time, if she hadn't, Ning Manqing might not have had to face her split.

For a moment, Ning thought Li Chu was feeling guilty, perhaps regretting her actions. But she dismissed it as nonsense and instead thought Li Chu was sympathizing with her situation.

Ning's heart softened at Li Chu's expression. Without thinking too much, she offered comforting words. "There will be plenty of opportunities for me."

The light fragrance of tea surrounded Li Chu, blending with Ning Manqing's gentle voice. When Li Chu looked up, she met Ning's confident gaze.

"Of course, Teacher! You're so talented. You'll have so many more chances, and you'll become a star the pinnacle that everyone looks up to."

Li Chu nodded enthusiastically, practically ready to shower Ning with compliments on the spot.

At that moment, Li Chu realized that some emotions couldn't fully be conveyed in a book. Right now, she was absolutely certain that she would witness Ning Manqing's rise to stardom, following her journey to the very top.

Her certainty and the light in her eyes were so intense that they dazzled Ning. There was a rush of emotion in Ning's chest, and her breath seemed to grow a little warmer.

Ning Manqing would remember this scene for a long time. Every time she found herself at a low point in the future, she would recall this moment, climb out of the slump, and then feel annoyed all over again. But for now, she simply smiled and brushed it off.

"Thanks," Ning said casually.