[Ballet Company · Lounge]
The heavy soundproof door let out a soft click,
announcing Jiang Wei's complete departure.
Ye Xiaoxiao felt as if all the strength had been drained from her body. She clutched her head with both hands and let out a muffled, collapsing groan.
"Oh my god! Qiao Fei—what did I just do? What did I JUST DO?!"
A cold blue shimmer spun rapidly beside her. Qiao Fei's spirit gave a disdainful snort, her voice sharp with a mix of irritation and reluctant disbelief.
"You just agreed—on my behalf, on our behalf—to star in a damn TV drama."
Xiaoxiao was still drowning in regret when Qiao Fei's spirit suddenly condensed and hovered right in front of her, translucent eyes locking onto her face.
"I know how to dance. I do not know how to act! Explain yourself—right now! Why did you hear the name 'Qin Mu' and suddenly nod like you were under a spell? Who is he?!"
Being interrogated at such close range finally snapped Xiaoxiao out of her daze.
She knew it.
Qin Mu was her trigger.
The name that short-circuited her brain—the temptation of seeing her long-time crush again.
But the wave of regret crashed down instantly.
"I—I don't know what happened!" she wailed. "I—I can't act at all!"
Qiao Fei noticed her flushed face, her gaze instantly sharpening with dangerous curiosity.
"Talk. Who is this Qin Mu?"
Xiaoxiao's heart jumped, like a secret she'd buried deep had just been unearthed.
"H-He… he…"
Qiao Fei: "A guy?"
Xiaoxiao nodded wildly.
Qiao Fei: "You like him?"
Xiaoxiao nodded again, then tried to shake her head—before finally burying her face in her arms.
"…Fine, I admit it.
I've… liked him for a long time."
Qiao Fei's eyes widened.
"So you sold my entire life just so you could see him on set?!"
Xiaoxiao let out a tragic howl.
"I didn't mean to!
I just—when I heard his name, my brain froze…
and then my body… nodded on its own…"
Qiao Fei floated coldly above her head.
"So the reason you agreed to act was—
chasing a celebrity?"
Xiaoxiao muttered weakly, "…Not chasing a celebrity.
Chasing… my crush…"
Qiao Fei pressed a hand to her forehead.
"That's even worse!!!"
Xiaoxiao nearly collapsed to her knees.
"Then what do I do now?! I really can't act!
I almost broke my neck just dancing—what if I ruin the entire show acting?!"
Seeing her on the verge of tears, Qiao Fei finally sighed.
Her tone softened—less accusatory, almost… gentle.
"…Fine."
Xiaoxiao looked up, eyes watery.
"Huh?"
Qiao Fei shrugged.
"What's done is done. Yelling at you won't change anything."
She floated down and sat beside Xiaoxiao (despite having no actual weight), her voice easing.
"We'll figure it out together.
You used my body to dance and didn't die—so acting… worst case, you just ruin one role?"
"Hey!!" Xiaoxiao protested.
Qiao Fei couldn't help laughing.
"Relax.
If you were impulsive enough to do this for Qin Mu, then work hard enough that even I—"
She paused, lips curling.
"—the real Qiao Fei—have to admit:
'Yeah… this idiot might actually pull it off.'"
Xiaoxiao froze.
Qiao Fei added lightly,
"And besides… this is the first time I've seen you this motivated.
The way you work hard for someone you like… is actually kind of cute."
The atmosphere in the lounge softened.
Xiaoxiao sniffed.
"So… we're really going to act this show together?"
Qiao Fei nodded.
"Yeah. This time—
you're not alone."
At that very moment—
The silver ring on Xiaoxiao's wrist glowed faintly once more.
As if responding to the step she'd finally taken—
a signal that fate had begun to unfold.
[Night · Qiao Fei's Bedroom]
Xiaoxiao lay half-reclined on the bed, waving a thick stack of scripts in her hand, veins throbbing at her temples.
"Ye Xiaoxiao, get up," Qiao Fei said, pacing around the room (technically floating).
"Read it. Tell me what we're acting."
Xiaoxiao sat up straight and obediently opened the script, reading like she was giving a school report.
"Male lead He Zhan plays Yu Heng… female lead Shen Xu… um… they're in love, but their families are sworn enemies, so… they're forced apart…"
Qiao Fei: "..."
Xiaoxiao continued,
"Male third Lu Gang plays Sheng Yuan, who falls for the female lead while fighting for power and tries to take her away; male second Qin Mu plays the bodyguard Qi Mo, who repeatedly saves Shen Xu from Sheng Yuan…"
By now, Xiaoxiao was breaking out in a cold sweat.
Qiao Fei let out a cold snort.
"This plot is old enough to be a period drama.
Romeo and Juliet: Ballet Edition? Or just extra dog-blood melodrama?"
Xiaoxiao flipped to the character profile.
"Female lead Shen Xu—rich heiress, trained in ballet since childhood, winner of countless awards, cold temperament, arrogant…"
Qiao Fei: "..."
Her eyebrow climbed dangerously high. "That's just me."
Xiaoxiao kept reading—then suddenly froze.
Her face turned red. Her voice cracked.
"Q-Qiao Fei… Qin Mu… he… he plays the bodyguard who secretly loves me!!!"
Qiao Fei rolled her eyes. "Why are you panicking? It's not like he actually loves you."
Xiaoxiao was on the verge of tears.
"B-But… as long as he looks at me, I freeze up and can't even talk…"
Qiao Fei tried to smack her head with her spirit hand (and failed).
"Ye Xiaoxiao. Right now—
you are me."
She pointed at the full-length mirror. "Go. Look."
Xiaoxiao set the script down and walked over obediently.
"Chin up. Chest out. Put away that overworked assistant soul of yours."
Xiaoxiao shakily raised her head.
In the mirror—
She didn't see the familiar round-faced girl.
She saw someone devastatingly beautiful. Cold.
A presence so powerful it could crush silence itself—
Qiao Fei.
Qiao Fei pointed at the reflection.
"This is Qiao Fei.
Cold, self-willed, born untouchable, chased by the world and never bothered to look back."
Her gaze sharpened.
"So all you have to do—
is play yourself."
Xiaoxiao: "…Myself? In what universe am I like you?!"
Qiao Fei rested her chin in her hand.
"Relax. As long as you fix your posture, lower your voice, and turn off your fangirl brain—"
"Playing a cold, arrogant heiress is easier than you think."
Xiaoxiao whimpered, "…But I crash the moment I see Qin Mu!"
Qiao Fei floated in front of her, hands on hips—pure intimidation despite having no physical form.
"Ye Xiaoxiao, you are using my body.
This role is ninety percent me. You don't need talent."
She turned away, drifting upward, toes barely touching the floor.
"You've already agreed. No backing out now."
"From this moment on, I'm teaching you the basics of a tsundere heiress."
"Chin up. Emotions controlled. Cold stare combo."
Xiaoxiao panicked.
"Wait! I'm not ready—!"
Qiao Fei glanced back, lips curling into a cool, infuriating smile.
"You already sold my life to the production team. At the very least—"
"—we're going to act like our love is more real than real love."
As her words fell—
The silver ring on Xiaoxiao's wrist glimmered once again.
As if pressing the very first beat
for the chaos, heart-fluttering, and entwined destinies about to unfold.