Testing the Waters

The underground idol chatted with the makeup artist for a while, and soon, the other three members gradually arrived. When Ling Miaohan came in, she glanced at Yu Shuman. As of this morning, Yu Shuman's pendant had been trending for so long that it was hard for anyone to ignore.

Seeing Yu Shuman sitting quietly on the sofa, Ling Miaohan instinctively turned her head away. Her expression was noticed by the other members. Although their relationship had somewhat improved because of the opportunity to appear on this show, it wasn't like they were suddenly best friends.

They didn't have as many issues with Ling Miaohan anymore, knowing she was going to pursue acting while they focused on singing and dancing, different paths altogether.

But between Ling Miaohan and Yu Shuman, everyone still preferred Yu Shuman.

Fans might favor the cool, unique type, but in daily life… come on, who would like someone who always has a stiff face?

Seeing Ling Miaohan's expression, the group had a revelation: she must be annoyed by Yu Shuman's trending topic again. Considering Ling Miaohan's background as the heiress of the Ling Group, and her usual luxurious clothing and expensive jewelry, she should have been the standout among her peers.

But then Yu Shuman came along, not only matching her style but even outshining her in some aspects.

Not to mention, Yu Shuman's popularity had soared recently thanks to that TV drama, attracting many new fans. The show had received an impressive 8.5 rating, which was rare for a historical romance drama.

Yu Shuman's first drama had been both a critical and commercial success, while Ling Miaohan's youth campus idol drama had just finished filming and was still in post-production with no release date in sight.

It was no wonder Ling Miaohan couldn't stomach this. Anyone in her position would feel the same, unwilling to be overshadowed. It wasn't about competing but about survival in this industry, where you either rise to the top or risk being forgotten.

But the others enjoyed watching Ling Miaohan struggle. After all, in the debut reality show, she had acted so high and mighty. Now, they loved seeing someone with her attitude get humbled by an underdog.

Yu Shuman was oblivious to all this, still preoccupied with her own thoughts: Does Qin Ran like her? Or was she just overthinking it?

She didn't snap out of it until the makeup artist came over to discuss with Lucy. Yu Shuman quickly put on her professional smile, softly smiling at the makeup artist.

After a while, everyone sat down in front of the mirrors to get their makeup done. Lucy was very skilled, and even though the show required a unified look, she made subtle adjustments to enhance Yu Shuman's beauty.

When all five members were ready, with nothing else to do, the chatty underground idol kept conversing with Yu Shuman, with the other two occasionally chiming in. Only Ling Miaohan sat silently by herself. The dressing room was filled with the lively chatter of the girls, and after a while, the show's staff came to escort them to the stage.

This TV station was the same one that had hosted their debut reality show, with the same host. Yu Shuman even felt a bit nostalgic. Unknowingly, it had been more than half a year since they debuted.

After performing a song on stage, they participated in a fun Q&A with the host. When it was Yu Shuman's turn, the host naturally asked about the pendant from last night.

Before Yu Shuman could answer, the underground idol jumped in, "She only found out in the dressing room that the pendant is worth a 'small goal.' When she realized it, her whole face froze, like this." The underground idol animatedly mimicked Yu Shuman's expression, making Yu Shuman burst into laughter.

"Yes, I only just found out. Last night, I was even fiddling with it in my hands. Thinking about it now, I'm just glad I was careful. If I had accidentally damaged it, I definitely couldn't afford to pay for it."

"Haha, you're joking, Manman," the host laughed and then moved on to interview Ling Miaohan.

He didn't ask any risky questions, just brought up the new drama Ling Miaohan was starring in. After that, they mixed things up with some games involving the other guest hosts. The games were fairly simple, but in the entertainment industry, even basic math could stump some guests.

As someone who had made a name for herself as a "top student," the camera quickly focused on Yu Shuman. She didn't disappoint her alma mater, a top university in the capital—solving the equations was a piece of cake for her, and she quickly wrote down the numbers on the board and held it up.

To everyone's surprise, both Yu Shuman and Ling Miaohan raised their boards at the same time. Even the host was amazed, "Wow! Your group has two top students!"

Yu Shuman found the question a bit childish, but it had stumped many of the guests. Because of the host's comment, she instinctively glanced at Ling Miaohan. Ling Miaohan, rare as it was, smiled, "It was easy."

The other guests groaned, "Easy?! It was super hard! How did you solve it so quickly?!" With a smile on her face, Ling Miaohan explained the problem to them, showing them how to approach it.

Yu Shuman was still a bit naive, not realizing this was the perfect opportunity to get more screen time. She didn't quite grasp the importance of helping others during the competition, nor did she realize that at this point, what mattered most wasn't winning or losing but getting on camera. Ling Miaohan, however, was different from her usual self on the show—she rarely smiled like this in her daily life.

After a couple of games, their group, having come to grab some screen time, had to leave. After leaving the stage, Yu Shuman saw Ling Miaohan leave in a hurry without even taking off her makeup. It seemed she had another engagement to rush to. Yu Shuman wondered if Ling Miaohan was pushing herself too hard, but the underground idol leaned in and said, "I'm so jealous! After finishing this show, she's off to do something else. But it's already past nine o'clock. What else could she have to do?"

Yu Shuman shook her head, then followed the other three back to the dressing room, removed her stage makeup, and drove home with Xiao An.

The closer she got to home, the more nervous Yu Shuman became. The doubts that had been pushed aside by work resurfaced: Does Qin Ran really like her? No matter how straightforward she was, Yu Shuman couldn't bring herself to ask directly if someone liked her. She remembered the stack of scripts Sister Li had given her and decided to test Qin Ran.

When Yu Shuman got home, it was almost 10:30. Qin Ran was still in the living room playing games. When she saw Yu Shuman come in, she paused the game, put down the controller, and quickly ran over to ask, "Senior, you're back! Do you want something to eat?" She knew how hard celebrities worked—often skipping meals before shows, and once the show was over, it would be too late to eat without risking weight gain.

But Yu Shuman had exerted herself so much; she would be hungry if she didn't eat!

Qin Ran looked at Yu Shuman with bright eyes. It was late, and she was already dressed in her loungewear—a warm yellow cotton pajama set with black lines outlining the face of a yellow duck. On her feet, she wore bunny slippers, looking both comfortable and adorable.

Thanks to Qin Ran's reminder, Yu Shuman realized her stomach was quite empty. She thought about how celebrities shouldn't eat too much but also considered that it was her boss encouraging her to eat, so she might as well comply. So, Yu Shuman sat down at the table with Qin Ran, where she saw a spread of mouthwatering dishes.

There weren't many dishes, but they were perfect for a late-night snack: spicy braised bullfrog, spicy squid, vermicelli with clams, and a bunch of grilled skewers. The vermicelli and skewers looked freshly served, still steaming slightly—Qin Ran must have guessed her timing and prepared everything, probably after getting the schedule from Sister Li.

The spicy braised bullfrog looked delicious too. Two plump bullfrogs lay quietly in a white porcelain dish, with a few drops of the reddish-brown sauce spilled on the plate, making them stand out. Besides the bullfrogs and the sauce, there were three or four red chilies for garnish. Just looking at it, you could imagine the taste.

Once Yu Shuman sat down, Qin Ran took a large bottle of ice-cold Sprite from the fridge, placed a glass on the table, and poured the Sprite into the glass. The carbonated drink fizzed loudly as bubbles filled the glass. After pouring the drink, Qin Ran finally sat down, pushing the glass toward Yu Shuman.

The two of them sipped Sprite and snacked on the braised dishes. The atmosphere was so pleasant that Yu Shuman almost forgot to ask Qin Ran what she wanted. The braised bullfrog was really good—spicy but not too hot. After eating a lot, her mouth started to feel a bit on fire, and taking a sip of Sprite to cool down was incredibly refreshing. The frog legs were also meaty; holding a piece of meat in her gloved hand, it looked as white as a garlic clove, but in her mouth, it was unmistakably frog.

After finishing a whole bullfrog, Yu Shuman remembered she still had something to ask Qin Ran.

She took off her gloves, picked up her chopsticks, and grabbed a clam, sucking out the meat. Her eyes fixed on Qin Ran as she casually but nervously brought up, "Junior, I've finished filming my last drama, and it feels like I don't have much work lined up. I'm thinking of taking on another drama."

Qin Ran was focused on her bullfrog, gnawing on the frog's back, so she didn't look up and just answered, "Isn't that a bit rushed? Your last drama just finished airing."

"That's exactly why I need to strike while the iron is hot. You know how it is in our industry. If you fade out of the audience's view, they'll forget you quickly."

Qin Ran didn't think Yu Shuman would be forgotten so easily—she was always trending online. But having ambition was a good thing, and Qin Ran knew how much her senior loved acting.

"True, do you have anything in mind?"

With that question, Yu Shuman knew it was time. She took a sip of Sprite to calm herself. The bubbles tingled in her mouth, nearly extinguishing the fire in her heart.

Yu Shuman took a subtle deep breath before cautiously asking, "Among the scripts Sister Li gave me, there's a role in a workplace romance drama that I think is pretty good. It's about love, but it has depth. The only thing is… I might have to sacrifice a bit and give up my on-screen first kiss."

Spicy braised bullfrog really is delicious…