Chapter 18: Coincidence
One competition followed another, and she tirelessly went through each one. For her, competitions were just personal showcases, and few could match her. Thus, she effortlessly passed the provincial competition and successfully qualified for the nationals.
This was good news for her. She had long wanted to perform on a bigger stage, to be noticed by more people, and this fulfilled her wish. But this wasn’t enough; she had to keep moving forward, until she won the national championship. Only then would her mission be complete.
After she passed the competition, Li Yuexin specifically sought her out. This famous star repeatedly approached her, making Nangong Ying surprised and suspicious of her motives. They were complete strangers; why was she trying to get close?
“Why? I’m here to see you, and you don’t seem happy.”
“No, a big star coming to see a nobody like me, I’m overjoyed.”
Just how much of that joy was genuine, though, was unknown.
Li Yuexin had anticipated this reaction. It was understandable; anyone would find it strange. A newly famous star specifically interacting with an unknown girl was indeed a bit odd.
“To be honest, I’m optimistic about your future.”
“That’s it?”
“Yes, that’s it.”
Li Yuexin was sincere; she wasn’t lying. She did admire Nangong Ying’s talent, but she also had ulterior motives. She wanted her band to thrive. The band currently relied on her fame, which wasn’t sustainable in the long run.
“Come in and have a seat.”
Nangong Ying invited her into the hotel room, offering her a chair. Nangong Ying herself sat on the bed, wanting to see how Li Yuexin would try to persuade her.
“Don’t worry, I don’t plan to persuade you so easily. After all, we’re not close yet.”
“Then why…?”
“Just because we’re not close now doesn’t mean we won’t be in the future. Nangong Ying, you’re a promising talent, and you need fertile ground to grow. I saw your information; you used to be an athlete, winning so many trophies at such a young age. I wasn’t as good as you back then. You had the potential to become an excellent athlete, but you gave up your athletic career.”
“Nothing special, I just didn’t want to do it anymore. It was too tiring.”
She didn’t say that she gave up being an athlete because she didn’t want to follow in her father’s footsteps. That reason was for her to know. She wasn’t famous yet; it wasn’t the right time to reveal it.
“You’re joking, right? Do you think participating in these large-scale competitions isn’t tiring? Those are just excuses. But I won’t dwell on your past. I only know that you have the ability and the potential that’s worth nurturing.”
Nangong Ying sighed deeply. She knew Li Yuexin wouldn’t easily believe her excuses.
This was all within her expectations.
“By the way, Nangong Ying, you mentioned before that you came to the competition with a friend, right?”
“Yes, she’s my good friend. We came together, but unfortunately, she didn’t advance with me.”
When speaking of her friend Yu Linna, Nangong Ying’s furrowed brows relaxed slightly, and her serious expression softened.
“When you win the national championship, do you want to celebrate with your friend?”
“No, I’ll celebrate with her privately when I get back. That’s between us. If you want to have a gathering with more people, please do it before I go back home.”
“You’re really not giving me any face.”
Li Yuexin sighed. This Nangong Ying was so straightforward, showing no tact. Even though she was so obvious, Nangong Ying still didn’t take the hint. It was understandable; she was still a newbie, unfamiliar with social niceties. If she understood them, she wouldn’t be Nangong Ying.
“Miss Li, I respect you because you’re a public figure, and I don’t want to embarrass you. But please don’t interfere in my private life.”
“No problem, I’ll remember that.”
Li Yuexin smiled.
This matter required patience, a process. Haste makes waste. She had come so far; she could afford to wait.
“By the way, have you considered entering the entertainment industry? With your abilities, I think you’d do well.”
Perhaps she just said it casually, and no one took it seriously.
But who knew what consequences those words would bring? No one could have imagined. But Nangong Ying remembered those words, every single one of them. No one realized that this sentence foreshadowed a certain outcome.
Far away in South China, Yu Linna was completely unaware of what was happening. She was still worried about her living expenses. Although she had a job at the tutoring center, the salary was far from enough to meet her growing needs. She worked several part-time jobs, but aside from the tutoring center, none of them lasted long. Often, the bosses, fed up with her frequent absences due to other commitments, would fire her.
Not long ago, she lost two jobs. Fortunately, she found new ones, but her situation hadn’t improved much.
“Ugh, I wish I were rich…”
That day, Yu Linna sat at the convenience store counter, slumped over like a salted fish. The impending due dates for rent and utilities, as constantly reminded by the landlady, filled her with dread. She didn’t have enough money again.
Although she made a decent profit from selling Li Yuexin’s autographs, it was just a temporary solution. She still hadn’t figured out how to cover her food and rent.
Could she really resort to illegal activities? No, absolutely not!
“Yu girl, what are you doing?”
The owner saw her shaking her head vigorously at the counter, occasionally slapping her cheeks, and was puzzled.
“Nothing! I’m not slacking off!”
But it was hard to believe she wasn’t slacking off.
“Are you lovesick?”
“No way! How could I be so perverted?!”
“Alright, I’m just kidding. There’s a new employee starting today, the same age as you. Get to know each other. Jiayi, come over here.”
Yu Linna’s previously bored expression instantly changed.
Fang Jiayi, the little angel, wearing the same uniform as her, hair tied in a ponytail, slowly walked over. Seeing the blonde hair, Fang Jiayi’s eyes widened in surprise.
“Her name is Yu Linna, same as you, also a third-year high school student. Yu girl, show her the ropes, she’s new.”
“Me?”
“Yes, she’s a temporary worker. You train her today.”
With that, the owner left Fang Jiayi and went about her business.
Fang Jiayi covered her mouth and giggled, then went to the counter and sat down, speaking in her sweet voice:
“Well, this is a surprise~ Senpai, please take care of me~”
“Don’t call me that… Why are you working here?”
Yu Linna couldn’t understand. Fang Jiayi had no need to work part-time. She didn’t look like she was short on money. She was completely different from Yu Linna, who would go hungry if she didn’t work for a day.
“I’m a bit tight on cash recently, and the summer comic convention is coming up. I need money for tickets and figures, so I had to find a job. But I’m a temporary worker, so I’ll probably only be here for about a month.”
In Fang Jiayi’s case, as a Bilibili uploader, she had a stable monthly income and shouldn’t be short on money. Moreover, because she had a stable source of allowance, her parents rarely gave her extra money, leading to her uncontrolled spending. She wanted to buy many things, but her monthly income was limited. Doujinshi, figures, cosplay costumes, after all these expenses, her savings quickly dwindled.
The summer comic convention was approaching, and she was out of money, even owing some friends. Her commission wouldn’t arrive until next month, so she had to find a temporary job at the convenience store to cover the costs of tickets and figures.
“I didn’t expect you to be this kind of person.”
“Well… I didn’t want to…”
Fang Jiayi was a bit embarrassed. She had been spending recklessly recently. If her parents found out, they would definitely scold her. Moreover, she was already a third-year student. Working part-time during this crucial year, if her teachers found out, she would be in trouble.
But to her surprise, Yu Linna also worked here. She had heard that Yu Linna worked part-time jobs, but she didn’t know where. Today, she finally found out.
“Okay, although you’re a temporary worker, we’re classmates, so I’ll teach you the basics. This job is very simple, you’ll learn quickly. Just watch what I do and sit next to me.”
The cashier’s job wasn’t complicated at all, very simple. Fang Jiayi learned it after just a couple of demonstrations. However, the convenience store was busy, and she often fumbled when collecting money. The most troublesome part was handling cash; just giving change was a pain. In comparison, Fang Jiayi preferred electronic payments; they were much more convenient.
“Linna… Help me!”
“Huh? I haven’t finished here either. Figure it out yourself!”
“Someone save me…”
The work was simple, but it was overwhelming when it got busy. This was Fang Jiayi’s first time doing this kind of work, and it was a bit too much. She used to just scan a code and be done with it when buying things. Who knew that scanning other people’s codes would be so troublesome, having to print receipts and prepare plastic bags. She almost suffocated.
By the time her shift ended, Fang Jiayi was almost dehydrated.
In comparison, Yu Linna was much more experienced. She didn’t even break a sweat throughout the afternoon.
“Hey, Fang Jiayi, are you still alive?”
“I’m alive, but I don’t want to move.”
“Hmph, woman.”
“As if you’re not one!”
Fang Jiayi went to the staff room to change, almost collapsing. She glanced over and saw Yu Linna standing outside the staff room, hesitant to enter. Her beautiful blonde hair was very attractive.
The little angel suddenly smiled.
“Linna, what’s wrong? Afraid to come in and change? Why so shy?”
“Shy… who’s shy?! I’m being reserved, reserved, understand? A maiden’s actions shouldn’t be called shy, it’s called being reserved!”
“Uh-huh, sure, whatever you say. Anyway, it’s closing time now. Why don’t you come over to my place? It’s not far from here. Want to hang out?”
She extended an invitation to the girl.
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