Chapter 58: The Pink-Haired Legend and the Talent Show

Hua Mu’ai let out an “Oh,” then followed, her hands tucked into the pockets of her hoodie.

As they reached the reception room door, Qin Lan suddenly paused, lowering her voice to offer a warning.

“General Manager Wang of Starflare Entertainment is a notorious old fox; be careful later, don’t let him lead you by the nose.”

“Would I, this young lady, be afraid of a mere businessman?” Hua Mu’ai scoffed, her lips curling in disdain.

Qin Lan shook her head, a helpless smile playing on her lips.

“I’m not afraid of him deceiving you.”

“I’m afraid you’ll beat him up on the spot, and then I’ll be left to pick up the pieces.”

“…”

Pushing open the reception room door, a slightly corpulent man in a luxurious suit, a smile plastered across his face, immediately rose to his feet.

“Commander Qin, it’s been a long time; you’re as graceful as ever!”

Wang Kaiming enthusiastically extended his hand, shaking Qin Lan’s.

After a brief exchange of pleasantries, his gaze fell upon the pink-haired little girl beside Qin Lan, confusion flickering in his eyes.

“Commander Qin, didn’t you say that Lord Tian Lanxing would be coming personally today?”

He gestured towards Hua Mu’ai, asking cautiously.

“And this young friend is?”

A surge of fury shot straight to Hua Mu’ai’s head.

‘Young friend?’

‘Your whole family are young friends!’

“I am Lord Tian Lanxing!” She jumped up in a fit of pique, delivering a swift smack to Wang Kaiming’s head.

“Ouch!”

Wang Kaiming cried out in pain.

Then, he looked at Qin Lan with a bewildered expression, as if to say, ‘Commander Qin, are you playing a prank on me?’

Qin Lan stifled a laugh, cleared her throat, and solemnly nodded at Wang Kaiming.

“General Manager Wang, allow me to introduce you.”

“This, indeed, is the legendary Magical Girl, Lord Tian Lanxing, whom you were seeking.”

Wang Kaiming’s expression at that moment was more colorful than a painter’s palette.

He could never have imagined that the legendary hero who single-handedly ended the great catastrophe would be this… seemingly underage, pink-haired loli standing before him?

Yet, Wang Kaiming was, after all, an old fox who had been scrambling in the business world for many years.

After his initial shock, he immediately grasped the situation.

‘Isn’t it perfectly normal for legendary figures to possess peculiar traits?’

Having understood this, Wang Kaiming’s facial expression switched in an instant.

He bowed abruptly, his sincerity and apprehension so profound it was as if he had become a completely different person.

“Lord Tian Lanxing, please do not bother yourself with a common mortal like me. I deserve to die! I truly deserve to die!”

This sudden change in demeanor left Hua Mu’ai utterly bewildered.

The subsequent negotiation took on a very peculiar atmosphere.

Wang Kaiming remained bowed throughout, addressing Hua Mu’ai as “Lord” repeatedly, his attitude so respectful he was almost ready to kneel and kowtow on the spot.

When discussing the specific concert arrangements, Wang Kaiming proposed an entirely new plan.

“Lord, I have a small, perhaps unrefined, suggestion.” He rubbed his hands together, his face full of obsequious flattery. “While a simple solo concert could indeed ignite the entire internet, I feel it’s still not enough; it hardly befits your legendary status!”

“To maximize the impact of this performance, Starflare Entertainment plans to tailor a phenomenal idol talent show specifically for you!”

“Talent show?” Qin Lan furrowed her brows.

“Precisely!” Wang Kaiming grew more excited with each word. “We’ll hold nationwide auditions, and through successive rounds of selection, the ultimate champion will earn the highest honor: a precious opportunity to perform on stage with you!”

“Just imagine, sharing the stage with a legend—what an enormous draw! This program will undoubtedly become a sensation across the land! And your return will reach an unprecedented climax under the gaze of millions!”

After listening, Qin Lan did not immediately express her opinion, instead looking at Hua Mu’ai, who was idly playing with her hair nearby.

“What are your thoughts?”

Hua Mu’ai yawned.

“Is he paying more?”

Wang Kaiming froze for a moment, then nodded repeatedly. “More! Of course, more! As long as you agree, Lord, we can triple all cooperation fees from the original amount!”

Hua Mu’ai’s eyes brightened, her mental abacus clattering furiously.

‘Since the end result is a concert anyway, it’s definitely better to rake in more money.’

‘And besides…’

‘With more people on stage to sing and dance with me, perhaps it won’t be as nerve-wracking or awkward?’

With this thought, she adopted a haughty demeanor once more.

“Since you’re so sincere, then I, this young lady, will reluctantly agree to your terms.”

“However, how the show is produced and how people are selected is entirely none of my concern; you’ll have to handle it yourselves.”

“Naturally!” Wang Kaiming’s face flushed with excitement. “We would absolutely not dare trouble you with such concerns, Lord!”

He seemed to already envision countless banknotes and streams of traffic rolling in his direction.

****

A week later.

Holy Sakura Academy, a corner of the library.

This was Chu Yuyao’s sanctuary.

She hid in the shadows cast by the bookshelves, her thick bangs and black-rimmed glasses almost entirely obscuring her face.

A song played on a loop in her cheap headphones.

It was “Star Wish” by Magical Girl Tian Lanxing.

That ethereal, healing voice was the sole light in her meager life.

As she listened, she unlocked her old mobile phone, her fingertips trembling slightly as she tapped to open her email.

Her inbox was empty.

The light in her eyes dimmed, and she let out a soft sigh.

The audition results for the “Sing with Tian Lanxing” event had still not been released.

She had sent her acapella video three days prior, and ever since, she had been refreshing her email every half hour.

She truly longed to stand on stage with Tian Lanxing.

…

At lunchtime, the cafeteria buzzed with a cacophony of voices.

Carrying her tray, Chu Yuyao navigated around the crowd, simply wishing to find an empty corner to quickly finish her meal.

Yet, trouble always seemed to seek her out.

“Well, well, isn’t this our class’s famous ‘Gloomy Girl’?”

Three fashionably dressed girls blocked her path; the one leading them was Zhang Li, the ringleader of her bullies.

Chu Yuyao’s body stiffened, and she buried her head even lower.

“Hey, I’m talking to you, are you mute?” A girl accompanying Zhang Li impatiently shoved her.

Chu Yuyao stumbled, and the soup from her tray spilled out, splashing onto Zhang Li’s expensive skirt.

“Ah! My skirt!” Zhang Li shrieked, her face contorted with disgust. “You country bumpkin, you did that on purpose, didn’t you!”

“I… I didn’t… I’m sorry…” Chu Yuyao apologized softly.

“What good is ‘sorry’? Do you know how much this skirt cost? You couldn’t pay for it even if you sold yourself!”

Zhang Li grew angrier with each word, while the gawking stares from those around them pricked Chu Yuyao like needles, making her tremble all over.

“I think you just need a lesson!”

Zhang Li abruptly raised her hand, knocking Chu Yuyao’s tray to the floor.

“Clatter.”

Rice and vegetable scraps scattered across the floor, creating a messy scene.

Frightened, Chu Yuyao crouched down, frantically attempting to clean up the spilled food.

However, a white sneaker pressed down hard on the back of her outstretched hand.

“Ah!”

Feeling a piercing pain, Chu Yuyao’s eyes immediately welled up with tears.

“What are you picking up, it’s filthy!” Zhang Li looked down at her, her face filled with contempt. “A poor bumpkin from the countryside deserves nothing more than to eat off the floor!”