Snow-Kissed Rose (GL)Chapter 41.2

???

!!!

"…"

Silence befell the scene.

Song Yingshi was the first to snap back to reality. She took out the napkins she had prepared for Tan Qianyan, handed them to Dan Silan, and gave her a sympathetic look, thinking, Child, it's your turn for social death.

Dan Silan's mind had already stopped functioning when the fire door opened. Hence, when she mechanically accepted the napkins, she held them stiffly, not knowing what to do with them. She looked like a soulless mushroom, pitifully hugging herself in the corner.

Seeing this, Quan Yuanyuan took a deep breath, crouched down before Dan Silan, snatched the napkins from the other party's hand, and began wiping Dan Silan's face with them, her actions somewhat rough.

"You... You..." Quan Yuanyuan wanted to say something, but her mind struggled to come up with the appropriate words to say in this situation. At the same time, she inwardly started to panic:

What's going on?! Why is Dan Silan hiding and crying here instead of Qianyan?!

Why is Dan Silan crying in the first place?! And she's saying it's my fault for being mean?!

But I've never yelled at Dan Silan before, have I?! How can someone as stuck-up as Dan Silan cry because of a few words?!

I swear to god, I never meant to make her cry!

Ahhh— I can't believe I made a girl cry!

I'm even running out of napkins!

Quan Yuanyuan felt a chill run through her body, and panic overwhelmed her. At this point, she wanted to cry too.

Dan Silan's face turned red from all the rough wiping. Holding back the tears she had yet to swallow, she muttered, "It hurts..."

Upon hearing this, Quan Yuanyuan reflexively retracted her hand and apologized, "Sorry, sorry."

Quan Yuanyuan's attitude was as good as it could be, even lowering her loud voice to a whisper. However, the stark contrast from her usual behavior ended up scaring Dan Silan rather than comforting the girl.

"The way you're treating me…hic…I'm scared," Dan Silan said.

Quan Yuanyuan: "…"

If neither shouting nor whispering works, should I choke you to death?! Quan Yuanyuan thought furiously.

However, before Quan Yuanyuan could explode her anger all over Dan Silan, Little Chili Pepper's anger quickly fizzled when she saw Dan Silan's teary eyes.

Quan Yuanyuan felt helpless and wanted to cry injustice. When she turned around to seek help from her teammates, she saw Tan Qianyan peeking through the fire door with a staff member.

Tan Qianyan was equally stunned when she saw Dan Silan crying in the corner. When she saw Quan Yuanyuan and the others turning to look at her, she asked in a panic, "Is Leader crying because of my terrible dancing?"

The trio: "…" Your team leader was made to cry by one of your teammates.

Song Yingshi was the first to respond, tactfully saying, "No, it's just that Leader and Yuanyuan had some misunderstandings."

"Didn't they argue because of me? In the end, it's still my fault," Tan Qianyan said. Immediately afterward, she stepped forward, crouched next to Quan Yuanyuan and Dan Silan, and showed Dan Silan what she was holding, "Leader, look. I borrowed these dance sandbags[1] from my roommate. I'll wear them when practicing to achieve results faster and ease your worries."

Dan Silan sniffled and looked at the sandbags, criticizing, "That's it? Aren't they a bit small?"

By now, Song Yingshi was certain that Dan Silan had a sharp tongue and low EQ. Even while sobbing, the girl still kept provoking others with her words. Fortunately, Tan Qianyan's petite body housed a big heart that let her remain strong despite the verbal abuse.

"Can't you stop running your mouth for a second?" Quan Yuanyuan said in exasperation.

However, as soon as Quan Yuanyuan finished speaking, Dan Silan resumed her waterworks.

Quan Yuanyuan: ?!

To salvage the situation, Quan Yuanyuan softly said, "I mean, we wouldn't want you to be dehydrated, right? So, don't talk for now. You look much prettier when you're quiet."

Seemingly realizing Quan Yuanyuan was trying to comfort her, Dan Silan stopped crying and muttered, "My mom told me to talk less on the show so that I don't annoy people."

"Your mother is a wise woman," Quan Yuanyuan said with utmost respect.

"If I didn't think you guys wouldn't know how to practice, I wouldn't have wanted to be the team leader. I would've been much better off being the center," Dan Silan said.

"Yes! It's all my fault for making you worry, Leader!" Tan Qianyan said, comforting Dan Silan.

Dan Silan felt satisfied by Tan Qianyan's words. Looking at Tan Qianyan, she awkwardly said, "I… I don't always mean what I say. You've been working very hard. Although the sandbags are a little small, they're suitable for noobs."[2]

Tan Qianyan: "…"

"It's time to practice," Dan Silan said, rubbing her eyes with the back of her hand. However, after being in a crouching position for so long, she wobbled like a giant penguin as she stood up. Halfway up, she suddenly paused, bent down, and gently patted Tan Qianyan on the head, saying, "Keep up the good work."

It was only a short encouragement, but it was enough to move Tan Qianyan. With vigor, she said, "I will, Leader!"

Everyone watching couldn't help but feel emotional. Although it was only a short encouragement, this was the first time anyone had heard something nice from Dan Silan's mouth.

To preserve what little reputation Dan Silan had left, the matter was kept within the production crew and the "Surrender" team. Everyone tacitly agreed not to tell others about it—

Of course, that would only be the case for the time being. There was no way the production crew would let such a dramatic scene go to waste. It would definitely make it into the show, and everyone would eventually realize the proud little peacock was actually a pitiful little crybaby.

…

Despite nobody saying anything, some people still noticed the changes to Song Yingshi's team.

The first person to notice was the simple and honest Lu Xuewen.

During a conversation with Tao Qin and Yu Sheng, Lu Xuewen said, "I don't know what's gotten into Yuanyuan, but she suddenly told me to supervise her speech and remind her to speak more gently these next two days. Isn't she just setting herself up for failure? Has she ever been gentle before? Haha."

"Could it be that Yuanyuan has fallen for someone? Is she thinking about dating?" Tao Qin wondered.

"Is everyone out to find love in your eyes?" Yu Sheng retorted.

"Did I never tell you before that Yuanyuan is bent?" Tao Qin said with a raised brow.

Lu Xuewen & Yu Sheng: ?

Suddenly, Lu Xuewen said solemnly, "Could it be…that she secretly likes me and is using this as an excuse to…"

However, Yu Sheng and Tao Qin simply looked at Lu Xuewen like she was crazy, saying, "Stop worrying about the impossible, my dear."

While Tao Qin, Lu Xuewen, and Yu Sheng were fooling around, Song Yingshi brought Huai Xu to meet her assistant, Li Yining.

Li Yining wasn't strictly Song Yingshi's assistant. She was also the vice president of Song Yingshi's new studio. She owned shares in the studio and was responsible for management. Song Yingshi had hired her specifically for this role.

Similar to Qu Qing, the "homeroom teacher" Song Yingshi had hired for Huai Xu, Li Yining was a seasoned veteran of the entertainment industry. She specialized in behind-the-scenes work and was familiar with the industry's various affairs.

After asking the production crew for her phone last night, Song Yingshi contacted Li Yining to prepare the necessary contracts for Huai Xu. In response, Li Yining acted quickly, bringing three contracts to the White Tower in the afternoon.

Of the three contracts, one was the old contract that Song Yingshi and Huai Xu had signed previously, and one was the new contract that Song Yingshi had asked Li Yining to draft to her specifications yesterday. As for the final contract, it was the artist contract for Song Yingshi's studio.

Upon receiving the old contract, Song Yingshi promptly tore it up in front of Huai Xu.

In response, Huai Xu signed the new "(Provisional) Romantic Partner Contract" without hesitation.

While looking at the artist contract, Huai Xu learned the name of the company she was about to sign with.

Magnificent Films and Media Studio.

The company was established at the beginning of the month, and there were currently only two artists under it—herself and Song Yingshi.

While Huai Xu carefully reviewed the terms, Song Yingshi stepped out for a moment to chat with Shi Zhi. Meanwhile, Li Yining packed away the newly signed contract.

Li Yining treated the whimsical "(Provisional) Romantic Partner Contract" with the same gravity as any other formal contract, not showing the slightest sign of disrespect. After all, she could clearly see her employer's good relationship with Huai Xu. Song Yingshi also seemed willing to put in the effort to win Huai Xu's affection rather than just throwing money at the problem, which showed just how much Huai Xu meant to Song Yingshi.

In that case, the last thing Li Yining should do was offend Huai Xu.

After Li Yining was done packing, she pointed at the contract in Huai Xu's hands and said, "Your contract is the same S-class contract as the boss's. Naturally, the resources assigned to you both will also be the same."

Huai Xu hummed and carefully finished reading the contract before signing it.

Seeing such prudence, Li Yining's impression of Huai Xu improved a little.

By signing this contract, Huai Xu officially became one of the artists under Li Yining's management. Whether an artist could make good decisions was just as important as their marketability.

"Welcome to Magnificent," Li Yining said as she stood up to shake Huai Xu's hand.

When Song Yingshi returned, Shi Zhi came in with her. Since she and Huai Xu were no longer independent artists, Shi Zhi had to discuss endorsements and other matters.

However, Song Yingshi didn't concern herself with these matters, leaving it all to Li Yining. In the meantime, she and Huai Xu went to the cafeteria for dinner.

…

Dormitory, practice room, and cafeteria.

This mundane cycle reminded Song Yingshi of her school days, when life remained simple and pure. It had been a long time since she experienced this kind of life.

Yesterday, the system gave her new hope. As long as the missions went smoothly, she could eventually escape the constant struggle for Life Points and return to her life of freedom.

Of course, despite her hatred toward the system's troublemaking, Song Yingshi didn't forget that she would already be dead without the system. She also realized that there were always two sides to everything, and she shouldn't be too quick to pass judgment.

Yesterday, she had a strong urge to flush the system down the toilet, but today, as she enjoyed the evening breeze, she was grateful for the system for letting her live a second time.

She also got to meet many interesting people and experience many events in this new life.

Huai Xu aside, when Song Yingshi thought about Dan Silan and her other teammates, she couldn't help but chuckle.

"What are you laughing at?" Huai Xu asked, confused by Song Yingshi's behavior.

"I'm laughing because I'm happy. I get to sit here with you and enjoy the breeze," Song Yingshi said, half joking and half serious.

After dinner, they moved to the small square outside the White Tower, where they had previously square danced. Many trainees often came here for evening strolls.

In the case of Song Yingshi and Huai Xu, they currently sat on a bench enjoying the evening breeze.

Huai Xu glanced at her and stood up:

"13 minutes, done. Let's go."

A moment later, Huai Xu glanced at Song Yingshi and stood up, saying, "It's been 13 minutes. We're done here. Let's go."

Song Yingshi: "..."

One of the Romantic Partner Project's daily tasks was to sit on a park bench together and enjoy the breeze for 10 minutes.

Seeing how robotically Huai Xu was at completing tasks, Song Yingshi refused to get up, saying, "Where are you going? Let's stay here a little longer."

Surprisingly, Huai Xu sat back down as told.

However, as if messing with Huai Xu, Song Yingshi promptly stood up and said, "Never mind. Practice is more important."

"Is that so?" Huai Xu casually replied.

Song Yingshi walked straight toward the White Tower, expressing her decision through her actions.

After walking for a while, Song Yingshi heard footsteps behind her and curiously asked, "Don't you find all this troublesome?" It's kinda boring.

In response, Huai Xu asked, "Do you find it troublesome?"

Song Yingshi didn't answer immediately.

Under normal circumstances, Song Yingshi would say no to this question to protect her dignity. But if Huai Xu persisted in fulfilling her contractual obligations—

Song Yingshi felt she could do without her dignity if it meant she could avoid becoming a slave to the Romantic Partner Contract.

As Song Yingshi pondered her options, Huai Xu suddenly said, "So you were never serious about the contract? I guess you were also not serious when you said you wanted to—"

Before Huai Xu could finish her words, Song Yingshi's survival instincts kicked in, and she quickly replied, "I didn't! I never said so!"

Turning around, Song Yingshi met Huai Xu's calm gaze. In an attempt to explain her previous question, she chose to discredit her own IQ, saying, "I… Well, some things only seem fun on paper but aren't all that interesting when put into practice. Do you get me? It has nothing to do with you, least of all our strong bond."

Huai Xu seemed to understand Song Yingshi's point and thoughtfully said, "So, you're still not happy."

Song Yingshi explained, "It's not that I'm not happy, it's just..."

"It's okay, as long as I'm happy," Huai Xu interrupted.

Song Yingshi: ?

Song Yingshi couldn't believe Huai Xu would say something like this. Picking her ears, she asked, "What did you say?"

Huai Xu glanced at Song Yingshi and said, "I said, I've decided to double our breeze-enjoying time tomorrow."

Song Yingshi had a creeping suspicion Huai Xu was bullying her. Blinking her eyes, she asked, "Why?"

"You can choose not to come," Huai Xu said with a smile.

After saying so, Huai Xu walked past Song Yingshi and entered the White Tower. Meanwhile, Song Yingshi stood in place for two seconds before she vaguely understood Huai Xu's intentions—

Was this the legendary "I'm happy as long as you're unhappy" scenario?

Song Yingshi felt incredibly frustrated at this realization, and she made a bunch of silly faces as she sullenly walked behind Huai Xu.

Huai Xu had changed; she had become bad.

TL Notes:
[1]dance sandbag: They're ankle/wrist weights that typically weigh under 1 kilogram each. This is the first time I've heard about them, but I guess they help beginner dancers improve faster?

[2]they're suitable for noobs: Fyi, I'm not arbitrarily translating this line. The "noobs" is a direct translation of 菜鸡. Although 菜鸡 could be translated into more formal terms like "beginner" or "novice," I feel like they're not provocative enough to warrant Tan Qianyan's speechless response.