Chapter 25: Let’s Sleep Together

“Like She’s Glowing”

Li Xingya looked at Lin Jin’an onstage, thinking that.

Even Li Xingya didn’t notice that the moment Lin Jin’an stepped onto the stage, her own body unconsciously leaned forward from her seat.

‘So pretty.’

“Xiaoya, is Lin, Lin Jin’an looking this way?”

“Yeah.”

Li Xingya could feel Meng Yiqiao’s grip on her hand tighten.

Meng Yiqiao was pretty excited right now.

“Lin Jin’an looked over here”—it wasn’t Meng Yiqiao’s imagination.

Lin Jin’an had indeed glanced toward the front row of Section A, or more precisely, she had zeroed in on Li Xingya.

After that, Lin Jin’an’s “sticky” gaze kept drifting toward Li Xingya every now and then.

Every time their eyes met, Lin Jin’an would even give a very idol-like wink.

And every time that happened, the students in the audience would get incredibly hyped.

Only Li Xingya—only this girl being stared at by a top-tier celebrity—would silently look away.

‘Amazing expression management.’

Rather than focusing on Lin Jin’an’s dancing or singing, Li Xingya was more interested in her smile.

‘So this is the level of a female soloist?’

‘Even when facing all kinds of girl groups, her popularity doesn’t lose an inch.’

‘That’s ridiculous.’

Li Xingya could accurately notice that no matter how passionately the students below cheered, and even with the flash of cameras from the back rows, Lin Jin’an’s smile never cracked even a little.

Li Xingya was pretty good at smiling too, but…

‘But if I had to face that many people, I’d definitely end up with an ugly smile.’

“I love you.”

When Lin Jin’an sang the last lyric, she once again cast her top-tier idol gaze toward Li Xingya.

“Xiaoya, Xiaoya, Lin Jin’an looked over again!”

Meng Yiqiao tugged Li Xingya’s hand, nearly jumping out of her seat.

Li Xingya pulled herself together and barely managed to say, “Yeah, yeah, she looked over again.”

‘Sister, where did your usual cool vibe go?’

‘Don’t lose your composure in front of Lin Jin’an like this.’

Li Xingya thought to herself while quietly letting out a sigh of relief.

That was the last song.

It meant the performance was ending, and also meant she wouldn’t have to be tortured by Lin Jin’an’s smile and gaze anymore.

Truly a blessing… or so she thought?

“Encore!”

“Encore!”

“Encore!”

As the students’ cheers grew louder and louder, it was obviously time for the classic encore segment.

As a graduate of Starseeing Academy, Lin Jin’an definitely wouldn’t refuse her juniors’ request for one last song—but today, she hesitated to agree.

She silently looked at the front row, at a certain silent, motionless little cutie.

‘Will you ask for an encore?’

‘If it’s you…’

‘I’ll definitely say yes.’

“Guh…!”

A weird noise escaped Li Xingya’s throat.

‘Ah.’

‘She’s looking at me.’

‘She’s staring at me again.’

‘It feels like my teeth are aching.’

‘Do I… really have to show my stance?’

As long as it wasn’t a matter of principle, Li Xingya was really bad at turning people down.

After all, she’d spent a long time using work to avoid social interactions—if anything, she leaned a little toward being a people-pleaser.

I mean, work is work…

No matter how invisible you are… at least you have to maintain a conflict-free relationship with colleagues you don’t even know, right?

So the previous life’s Li Xingya rarely refused small requests at work.

‘It’s just…’

‘Just saying “encore”…’

‘Ugh, please… don’t look at me with those eyes. There are so many students here who like you.’

‘If you only stare at me, what will others think?’

‘Once people notice this kind of gaze, it’s going to make me famous at Starseeing Academy.’

‘I just wanted to quietly get through these three years…!’

“Ah.”

Li Xingya sighed.

‘Fine, I can’t do anything about you.’

‘Which one of us is actually the sixteen-year-old here?’

She straightened up, put on a bright smile, and tried her best to make an expression of admiration toward Lin Jin’an.

She cupped her hands around her mouth like a megaphone and, imitating the others, shouted loudly, “Encore—!”

Li Xingya’s request got a response from Lin Jin’an.

“Then let’s do one more!”

With Lin Jin’an’s voice, the speakers above the stage began playing music again.

“Today’s last song!”

Compared to Lin Jin’an’s passionate display, Li Xingya, still sitting in her chair, was already feeling “half-dead alive.”

‘I shouted too loud.’

‘My throat hurts.’

‘You have to tighten your abs to shout like that… ugh, my stomach hurts too.’

Even though she fully understood the situation, Li Xingya had to admit—

‘‘Li Xingya’s’ body is so weak.’

‘Can someone with this kind of physical fitness really be an idol?’

‘Might as well just perform in a wheelchair from now on.’

Li Xingya lifted her head a little and looked at Lin Jin’an onstage.

With every turn, every glance—whenever she had the chance, Lin Jin’an’s eyes would wander over.

Every time Li Xingya looked, there was a good chance their eyes would meet.

‘Eye contact again.’

‘It’s like she’s flirting with me through the concert.’

‘Why does she like me so much?’

Completely unaware of herself, Li Xingya couldn’t figure it out.

She couldn’t understand the situation.

She never could.

‘Don’t like me.’

Li Xingya just wanted to get farther and farther away from Lin Jin’an.

***

Five minutes later.

When the performance officially ended, Meng Yiqiao dragged Li Xingya to the backstage area of the performance hall.

Even though they were fast, there were already students from middle school to high school crowded outside the backstage door.

“Sister, why are we here?”

Li Xingya just wanted to go home as soon as possible.

But Meng Yiqiao was staring intently at the backstage door: “To get her autograph, of course. At a normal concert, we wouldn’t have such a good opportunity.”

‘Lin Jin’an’s autograph?’

‘Would it be worth a lot?’

Li Xingya no longer wanted to go home.

When she suddenly realized the commercial value of Lin Jin’an’s signature, she didn’t want to leave.

Fortunately, getting Lin Jin’an’s autograph wasn’t difficult.

In fact, Lin Jin’an even gave Li Xingya special treatment.

Everyone else’s signed photo had just “Lin Jin’an” written on it.

Only Li Xingya’s had the words “Sister” written on it.

‘This…’

‘I can’t sell this at all.’

‘It’ll just be considered fake.’

‘Always doing unnecessary stuff like this. Lin Jin’an is so annoying!’*

Li Xingya put away the photo with a hint of despair and pulled out her phone.

That was when she noticed that Jiang Chiyue had sent her a message.

[I have some company business to handle. I probably won’t be home tonight.]

[If you don’t want to eat sandwiches, just order some takeout.]

Below that was a transfer of three thousand yuan.

‘It’s money.’

‘So much money.’

Li Xingya slowly followed behind Meng Yiqiao.

She took the money, and her mood improved quite a bit.

Looking at Meng Yiqiao ahead of her, she took a deep breath.

“Sister.”

Li Xingya called out to her.

“What’s up, Xiaoya?”

Meng Yiqiao turned around.

“Is your dorm bed big enough… tonight, can I sleep with you? Please.”

Li Xingya lowered her head, suppressing her shame as she made the request.

‘An empty, cold big house or whatever…’

‘There’s no way I’m going back to stay there.’*