Chapter 201: We’re Not the Same Gender

Cheng Yu had never seen a girl like this before.

Delicate features, a graceful figure, and an aura that was fresh and otherworldly—like a flower bud on the verge of blooming.

And that voice, clear as spring water, carried a lazy charm as she sang.

It stirred a tender affection in the heart.

“Is she… your friend?” Cheng Yu couldn’t help but ask.

But—

Xu Suihe didn’t respond.

She simply stood there, watching the girl ahead with a faint smile on her face.

That expression, that look in her eyes—

Left Cheng Yu feeling puzzled.

What was with this Peach Blossom-Eyed Beauty and that strange gaze?

It almost looked like…

Possession?

Just then—

The song came to an end.

Thunderous applause erupted from the crowd, mixed with shouts of “Encore!” and the like.

In response—

The girl gave a gentle bow, then accepted a bag of fruit from another girl in a cap who had appeared at some point.

And then—

Before everyone’s eyes, she handed the fruit to Tao Tao.

Cheng Yu didn’t know how to read lips.

But the simple words “Happy Birthday” were easy enough to make out from the girl’s mouth.

So—

That bunch of bananas was a birthday gift?

Was this some kind of joke?

But just as the absurdity of the idea hit her, she saw the boy she admired—

Grinning like a fool as he accepted the bananas.

At first, Cheng Yu tried to rationalize it—bananas were cheap, so Tao Tao wouldn’t feel burdened accepting them. It was a harmless gesture.

But then she saw Tao Tao reach out and ask the girl for the safety charm on her wrist—only to be flatly refused.

A wave of unease surged through her chest.

At that moment—

Ye Na returned.

Hearing the noisy chatter of her classmates, like a bustling marketplace, she asked curiously, “What’s going on?”

Her classmates quickly pieced together a rough summary:

A fairy showed up.

She sang.

She was amazing.

Totally lived up to the name “fairy.”

Of course, Ye Na had heard of Jiang the Enchantress.

They were in the same grade, after all.

She’d picked up bits and pieces over time—great grades, beautiful, and with a unique presence.

Though her personality was a bit… odd.

Still, there was no denying that Jiang the Enchantress was a standout figure at school.

But Ye Na didn’t think much of girls like that.

Even if Jiang Ning really was beautiful—

Beautiful enough to make even someone like her feel a twinge of envy.

So what?

She came from an ordinary family.

Even if she got into a top university, what then?

She’d still end up working at a company like theirs.

Girls like her were a dime a dozen in their company.

Many of them spent their days scheming, trying every trick in the book just to get close to their family.

As for singing—

Please.

Did she really think she could sing better than a professional singer?

But speaking of celebrities, Ye Na suddenly remembered what had just happened outside the restroom.

With a smug look, she pulled a business card from her pocket.

“Xiao Yang, take a look at this.”

Her friend picked up the card from the table and glanced at it.

A surprised gasp followed.

“Wow! A talent scout?”

“Yeah, ran into him outside the restroom. Said I had the makings of an actress and wanted to cast me in a movie.”

“Did you say yes?” her friend asked excitedly.

“Of course not. You know how strict my dad is. If I said I was going to be in a movie, he’d probably kill me.”

As she spoke—

Ye Na casually pinched the card between two fingers and tossed it over her shoulder.

Suddenly—

A surprised “Huh?” came from behind her.

“Old Teddy’s card?”

Old Teddy?

Ye Na and her friend turned around.

They saw a girl in a baseball cap holding the card, looking at Ye Na with curious eyes.

“Hey pretty lady, did you drop this card?”

“Yeah, so what?” Ye Na asked, puzzled.

She thought the girl was about to lecture her about littering or something.

But instead—

The girl gave her a big thumbs-up.

“Nice toss!”

“That Old Teddy guy’s bad news.”

“Always tricking young girls with promises of movie roles.”

“He’s practically a disgrace to the industry!”

Hearing that—

And remembering all the bragging she’d just done—

Ye Na’s face flushed red with embarrassment.

“And who are you? How do you know all this?”

“Me?”

The girl in the baseball cap’s eyes lit up as she remembered one of her boss’s… peculiar hobbies.

With a cheerful smile, she pulled out a business card of her own.

“Top Entertainment. Ace Photographer.”

“If you ever want to capture your youth in photos—”

“You can call me.”

“Totally free!”

——————

Nightfall.

Outside the hotel.

The evening breeze drifted gently.

Tree shadows danced under the warm glow of the lights.

Tao Tao and Xu Suihe stood side by side.

And in front of them—

Stood a girl with a smile as radiant as a blooming flower.

“You sure you don’t want to stay the night?” Tao Tao’s calm voice held a clear note of reluctance.

“Nope,” Miss Jiang replied with a cheeky grin.

“I’ve got a curfew.”

“My mom would kill me if I stayed out.”

“I could talk to your mom for you,” Xu Suihe said suddenly, breaking her long silence with a smile.

“After all, I’m a girl too.”

“Oh? Now you remember you’re a girl?” Jiang Ning rolled her eyes, thinking back to the banquet hall—

Where this little rascal had clung to her hand like her life depended on it.

Just then—

Miss Jiang seemed to remember something else.

She stepped forward and patted Tao Tao on the shoulder.

“Kid.”

“Not bad at all.”

“How long have you been here?”

“And already managed to charm such a pretty little girl into falling for you.”

“What’s her name again? Cheng Yu, right?”

“That kind of elegance—definitely a proper young lady from a good family.”

“Right? I thought so too,” Xu Suihe chimed in with a squinting smile.

Hearing that, Tao Tao let out a helpless sigh.

“Honestly, she’s not really my type.”

“Sure, sure,” Jiang Ning chuckled.

“Saying you’re not into her, but I bet your heart’s already floating on air.”

“I get it, I get it.”

With that, she gave Tao Tao a friendly slap on the arm.

“Alright, I’m out.”

“Heading off.”

“Really not staying the night?”

“It’s summer break anyway! I could take you to King Qian’s Mausoleum tomorrow, let you try balut, show you the Ocean World…”

Miss Jiang laughed and waved her hand.

“Next time.”

“There’ll be other chances.”

She turned and walked away.

But after just a few steps, she seemed to remember something.

She turned back, looking at the two expectant faces behind her.

“Honestly.”

“I think you two actually make a pretty good match.”

“How about—”

“Jiang Ning!!!”

A sharp shout cut her off.

Startled, Miss Jiang bolted.

She jogged away until she was out of Tao Tao and Xu Suihe’s sight.

They watched as the car in the distance slowly disappeared from view.

“I want to go back.”

“Your parents won’t agree.”

“I’ll just tell them I’m going to Jiangzhou to find a wife.”

“Then you’ll die an even worse death,” someone said, a glint of cold light flashing through her peach blossom eyes.

With that, Tao Tao fell silent.

The two of them stood under the dim streetlamp.

Their shadows stretched long across the pavement.

After a while, Xu Suihe suddenly laughed.

“Tao Tao.”

“We really are childhood sweethearts, huh?”

“Even our tastes are exactly the same.”

“It’s just a shame…”

“We’re not the same gender.”

—————

August.

The month of osmanthus.

For most people, it was just another ordinary summer.

But for the music industry, it was a month to remember.

Because this month marked the end of the summer release season.

And many music charts had already locked in their rankings.

The most eye-catching of all was the new album 【Another World】 by ‘Jiang Jiang’.

Starting with the release of 【Green Light】 in June, over the next month or so, a new track from the album dropped nearly every one to two weeks.

Each one stormed into the top ten of major charts with unstoppable momentum.

From the Pop Song Chart, Hot Song Chart, to the Chinese Golden Melody Chart—everywhere you looked, ‘Jiang Jiang’ was there.

Even the recently released 【South Sea Girl】(Nanhai Girl), out for barely two weeks, had already broken into the top ten of August’s New Song Chart.

Among them, 【Green Light】 and 【Sunny Day】 even cracked the top fifteen of the Annual Sales Chart.

And keep in mind—

This album only started releasing in June.

In just two short months, it had already caught up to the biggest hits from the first half of the year.

Many in the industry had begun speculating:

How many nominations would ‘Jiang Jiang’s’ new album receive at the upcoming Golden Melody Awards?

And the Virtual Music Creator behind all this?

Was at home, counting down the days until school started.

Ever since that night returning from Ningzhou—

And running into her mom just as she was closing up shop—

Life had become… unlivable.

Wherever her mom went, she had to tag along.

Otherwise, she was grounded at home.

Even visits to her cousin’s place were put on a time limit.

All in the name of:

“A girl should spend more time at home.”

“Stay out too long, and you’ll go astray.”

Her mom even considered signing her up for cram school, but Miss Jiang managed to talk her out of it—barely.

In exchange, she was stuck at home for the rest of the summer.

Fortunately, business at the factory and the shop was running smoothly.

Most things could be handled over the phone.

The only thing she still had to keep an eye on was the game she was playing with that sultry woman.

Luckily—

The trap had already been set.

Now it was just a matter of waiting for the right moment to spring it.

And so, day by day, the summer passed.

And Miss Jiang’s second year of high school began.

(End of Chapter)