A few minutes later, she entered with two ice creams.

Golden waffle cones held three scoops each: one light blue, one pink, and one creamy white. The chilly aroma mingled with the milky sweetness, filling the entire car.

Ji Yunnuo glanced over, initially thinking she didn’t mind gaining a few pounds.

Unexpectedly, Xiao Yanjin handed her one of the ice creams.

Ji Yunnuo wasn’t driving, so she could have easily accepted and indulged.

But she hesitated because she only allowed herself to have ice cream twice a month: once for a small piece of tiramisu and once for a bowl of sweet dumplings.

“I can’t eat it.”

“Are you watching your figure? But you don’t look overweight at all,” Xiao Yanjin teased, having offered twice already. The sweetness of the ice cream blossomed on her tongue, rich and perfectly sweet.

“No, I only allow myself to have ice cream twice a month,” Ji Yunnuo explained, then added, “And I’ve already used up those two times.”

“In that case, make it three times this month. Rules are meant to be broken, and a little change now and then won’t hurt,” Xiao Yanjin suggested, blinking her eyes mischievously, her sweet scent filling the car.

Ji Yunnuo hesitated for a moment, then relented, “Thank you for the ice cream.” She took a bite, finding the taste quite pleasant.

“I have to thank Nojie for the money,” Xiao Yanjin chuckled, somewhat surprised by Ji Yunnuo’s gratitude. “By the way, I don’t think I have your WeChat. I’ll pay you back when I earn some money.”

Ji Yunnuo shook her head, “Forget it, no need to repay.”

“No, even if it’s just a dollar, I must repay it. It’s a matter of integrity,” Xiao Yanjin insisted.

Unconsciously, Ji Yunnuo added her on WeChat.

She hadn’t realized that despite their unsuccessful arranged meetings and blind dates, they could now casually exchange contact information and banter.

After dropping Xiao Yanjin off at home, she waved sweetly, “Thank you, Nojie, for driving me home.”

Ji Yunnuo returned home without saying a word.

But she didn’t get out of the car; instead, she reflected on what had just transpired.

It felt strange to have escorted someone home for the first time, especially when they were a failed blind date.

Ji Yunnuo sighed silently. Xiao Yanjin was quite the character.

Entering a spacious garden and then a luxurious mansion, there were only two people in the living room.

“Darling, these strawberries were just picked. Try them,” Ji Zhiye hugged his delicate wife, coaxing her affectionately.

Wei Qin nestled in his embrace, pouting, “Your hands are dirty. Feed me with your mouth.”

“Okay, okay, as you wish, my dear,” Ji Zhiye complied, leaning in for a kiss.

Ji Yunnuo watched their affectionate display, shaking her head helplessly. That silly Xiao Yanjin.

A few days later, a notification jolted Xiao Yanjin awake from her sleep.

Seeing the message on her phone, Xiao Yanjin was stunned.

“Hello, you have successfully passed the audition and will become one of the 110 contestants in the second season of ‘Chase Your Dreams, Girl!'”

“Ah—”

The atmosphere in the company was unusually lively.

Mr. Zhang raised a toast to celebrate the success of his company’s trainees. “We are fortunate to have had five people audition, and three of them passed. Perhaps we’ll even have a debut group in the future!”

“A debut? Dream on!” Xiao Yanjin burst into the office.

Mr. Zhang’s eyes lit up with amusement, “Xiao Yanjin, you’re in luck!”

Jiang Nan exclaimed, “Hey, don’t fight! Stop fighting!”

“Xiao Yanjin, calm down,” Mr. Zhang didn’t expect her to actually become physical and almost choked up, “The show has new rules now. Once you’ve successfully auditioned, you can only withdraw due to illness. You know, there was a male group audition once, and many withdrawals led to a shortage of members, disappointing many fans. Therefore, they’ve introduced a rule now that if you withdraw, you have to pay a hefty penalty. We can’t afford to cover it for you.”

Xiao Yanjin pondered for a moment and let him go.

She wondered why she was chosen. Was it because of her association with the former celebrity, Xiao Yanjin, that her influence was expanded? Yes! Participating in the audition would surely attract many viewers due to her previous fame. Oh, but she hadn’t watched audition shows before, so she couldn’t think of these tactics!

Xiao Yanjin didn’t dislike singing; she just thought audition shows were a waste of her energy and time. Moreover, given her current status, she was unlikely to make it to the final group. Wasn’t it a waste of effort?

And she hated rankings.

In that case, she decided to take a roundabout route. She could gain some recognition and quickly exit the show. It’s a win-win situation.

Xiao Yanjin coughed, “Mr. Zhang, I’ve figured it out. I’m willing to participate in the competition. My behavior earlier was impulsive, and I apologize.”

Mr. Zhang laughed and patted her shoulder, “You’re wise to understand the situation.”

Then he turned to Jiang Nan and Zeng Heshi, who also passed the audition, “Our company has only been established for a year, but in this short time, we’ve coincided with the recording of the second season of ‘Chase Your Dreams, Girl!’ and successfully auditioned three trainees. I’m so touched.”

Xiao Yanjin forced a smile, internally rolling her eyes at the melodrama.

“Although I don’t expect you all to debut as a group, it’s definitely not going to happen,” Mr. Zhang continued, “But you should aim to make it to the top fifteen in the final round. Jiang Nan, do you have confidence?”

“Yes!” Jiang Nan exclaimed.

“Zeng Heshi, do you have confidence?”

“Yes, but Mr. Zhang, my surname is Zeng,” Zeng Heshi corrected.

Mr. Zhang nodded and looked at Xiao Yanjin, who was maintaining a composed smile, grinding her teeth behind her lips. “Alright, Zeng Heshi, Yanjin, what about you?”

“I’m confident,” Xiao Yanjin forced a smile, grinding her teeth, “Confident that I’ll drop out after the first round!”

The three of them left, with Jiang Nan and Zeng Heshi walking on either side of Xiao Yanjin.

“Hey, are you two sandwiching me?” Xiao Yanjin quipped.

The two immediately moved, feeling nervous about teaming up with someone so talkative.

“Xiao…Yanjin! We can definitely make it to the finals!” Jiang Nan encouraged.

Zeng Heshi nodded, “Let’s do our best! We can do it!”

Xiao Yanjin thought, What famous character are you cosplaying as?

She couldn’t help but massage her temples. These kids, so young yet so naive. What will happen in the future?

…

The production team of the second season of “Chase Your Dreams, Girl!” began recording in City A.

It was the second show produced by Dream Video, a program where girl groups grow and develop.

There were 110 contestants, including 46 alphas, 39 Omegas, and 25 betas, all shining brightly on stage!

Xiao Yanjin and her group followed the staff to the recording site.

Today was the debut on stage for every contestant, and to ensure everyone had a chance to perform, they started early.

Xiao Yanjin sat in the fifth row, bored, propping up her chin, watching the lively and energetic girls one by one.

The first to enter was a refined and aloof Omega, who caught Xiao Yanjin’s gaze and nodded at her. Her smile was like the resurrection of all things, pure and innocent, like a jasmine flower.

Xiao Yanjin raised an eyebrow, recognizing her as a talented singer from her world.

Following her was a tall and brisk alpha with short hair, who caught Xiao Yanjin’s gaze and smirked at her.

Full of provocation.

Xiao Yanjin curled her lips in amusement.

“Next, we have the trainees from Dongfang Entertainment Company,” the backstage announcer introduced the last group to appear.

Everyone in the room stood up and cheered eagerly. They were clearly anticipating the appearance of trainees from such a prestigious company.

Dongfang Entertainment was the company of Xu Zhixia, the runner-up of the previous debut girl group, and among her juniors was Ji Yunnuo.

There were five of them, with Ji Yunnuo in the middle. As a top-tier Omega, she exuded a confidence that even alphas lacked, unfazed by the scrutiny of so many people, leading her companions to the only vacant spot.

Xiao Yanjin withdrew her gaze, realizing that Ji Yunnuo looked even more stunning today.

But also colder.

She wore a white tight-fitting top with blue jeans, seeming unsuited for dancing. Xiao Yanjin guessed they must have their performance outfits backstage.