Chapter 36: Menstrual period

As soon as those words left her mouth, Jiang Ling’s hand holding the microphone near her lips trembled slightly.

The gazes of the four people on stage almost instantly converged on her.

Jiang Ling clearly understood that the glasses-wearing student who asked the question had clearly held back—asking who had the best chemistry was really just a sly way of asking who she thought was number one, who was the best match for her!

What a cunning, crafty CP fan!

But with all eyes on her, Jiang Ling couldn’t just stay silent. Her mind twisted in several directions, nearly blurting out some nonsensical words like “they are all my wings” or something.

After a moment of thought, Jiang Ling spoke carefully, “Hmm… I think this question deserves a serious answer.”

Her eyes grew sincere as she spoke.

“First of all, I’m very grateful to my four teammates. You might not know, but at the beginning, I didn’t even know the basic dance steps. It was thanks to their patient teaching that I made such great progress.”

“Bai Xue… sister Bai usually takes good care of me. Although she sometimes teases me, she encourages me right on time when I feel timid or weak. She’s like both a teacher and a friend—hmm, a love-hate kind of relationship?”

Hearing her own hesitant words, Jiang Ling couldn’t help but glance at Bai Xue, covering her lips with a soft laugh.

Bai Xue met her gaze gently but said nothing more.

Jiang Ling then shifted her eyes toward Mo Ran beside her.

“As for Ran, she often cooks delicious food for me in the dormitory, just like a mother, giving me a warm little sunshine feeling.”

Mo Ran naturally posed with her hands under her chin, forming a flower bud shape, perfectly matching Jiang Ling’s words as she smiled brightly.

“Xiaoyu is the most interesting person I’ve ever met. She’s my roommate, and she usually likes… to share her feelings with me. She’s a very emotional person.”

Jiang Ling still couldn’t bring herself to openly mention how Xiaoyu had been cuddling and fussing over her all night, so she complimented Lin Xiaoyu with a roundabout phrase. Lin Xiaoyu tilted her head, clearly a little confused.

“Nannan is a bit tsundere but very sincere. When she practices with me, she’s always meticulous. Don’t be fooled by her salty exterior!”

Fang Wannian let out a coquettish hum, offering no extra response, even turning her face slightly away, but her expression was clearly pleased.

“Back to that earlier question.”

Having laid the groundwork, Jiang Ling returned to the original topic with a gentle, lingering tone. “I think my chemistry with everyone is very high. I can’t really rank it. I’m sorry I can’t answer your question precisely—how about you ask another one?”

She looked apologetically at the glasses-wearing student, only to see her wave her hand with a knowing, auntie-like smile, repeatedly saying, “No, no, this is already enough!”

Looking around, it seemed the audience was also watching Jiang Ling warmly, whispering things like “So sweet.”

Jiang Ling felt a little puzzled but since no one objected, she said nothing more.

After the Q&A, it was time for the individual talent show segment. Jiang Ling’s dance was scheduled third.

She watched Mo Ran’s lively movements from backstage, and her nervousness eased considerably. Taking advantage of the break, she hurriedly rehearsed the dance steps several more times, afraid she might forget everything once on stage.

“Next up is Jiang Ling.”

Before Mo Ran stepped off, she playfully announced, and Jiang Ling took the stage. The cheers from the crowd instantly grew louder, mixed with some overenthusiastic remarks.

She pretended not to hear the “Top of the Wan0” or “So alive” comments, set her pose, and began her performance.

The dance “Magnetic” wasn’t so much difficult as it was full of intricate hand movements. Jiang Ling had struggled alone to memorize them and shamelessly begged Lin Xiaoyu to help check the details, which finally earned Bai Xue’s approval.

Though nervous, Jiang Ling forced herself to put on an idol smile and danced gracefully to the music under everyone’s gaze.

The skirt of her maid outfit fluttered with each movement, the swirling steps drawing praise from the audience. Jiang Ling’s state improved steadily, and by the end, she even felt a bit reluctant to finish.

The following stage ended without any surprises.

At the end of the showcase, Jiang Ling and her teammates stood in a line, holding hands, and bowed at a 90-degree angle. Their farewell greetings were clear and bright.

“NOVA’s showcase event ends here. Thank you all! See you next time!”

After returning, Jiang Ling felt as if she had laid down a heavy burden; even during her evening wash-up, she felt much lighter all over.

When Lin Xiaoyu went to shower, Jiang Ling took the chance to scroll through short videos and, as expected, found many clips of today’s showcase from various angles.

Surprisingly, the widely circulated clips weren’t of any member’s dance, but of Jiang Ling’s Q&A segment.

This fan’s footage had a great angle—almost directly facing Jiang Ling’s face, framing her upper body perfectly. The audio was also excellent, perfectly capturing every word.

The comments below the video resembled a fan club’s cheer party.

【Ahhh, it feels like everyone has amazing chemistry with 00, did you see their eyes? That look of pure adoration!】

【I get it now, I’m officially an all-Jiang Ling fan!】

【Hehehe, what if all five of them chased me at once?】

This fan-shot video of Jiang Ling quickly climbed the rankings, with views and likes far ahead—a bona fide hit.

【So cute, really captured the magical girl vibe of the original song.】

【Some moves were a bit awkward or clumsy, but I was totally charmed. Baby, you’re a very good baby!】

However, along with the popularity came not only praise but also many doubts.

Many insisted that these videos and comments were planted by NOVA’s official marketing team, leaving harsh criticisms under the official account.

【Is this group overdoing the marketing recently? It’s just a not-so-hard dance, but they’re hyping it like it’s some epic performance.】

【Agreed, you’d think they performed some insanely difficult dance. And the Q&A? It gave me goosebumps—who actually likes that?】

Comments like these were plentiful.

Normally, Jiang Ling would just scroll past without a second thought.

But tonight, clutching her phone, she inexplicably felt unsettled.

She lingered on the comment page for a long time, biting her lips, unable to shake off the rising emotions. Instead, they intensified, darkening her mood and making her irritable.

Whether it was psychological or not, she also felt a vague ache around her waist and abdomen, her head dizzy and throbbing.

Knowing she wouldn’t be able to sleep like this, Jiang Ling decided to go out and headed to the dance studio, hoping to practice the duet with Fang Wannian to ease her mood.

But as soon as she entered, she met Bai Xue’s surprised look.

“So late and you’re still practicing?”

Bai Xue asked, stepping forward. Noticing Jiang Ling’s pale face, she frowned. “You look really bad.”

Jiang Ling was silent for a moment, about to tell the truth, when she suddenly felt a warm rush in her lower abdomen. Surprised, she clutched her stomach as a vague, bewildering thought floated in her mind.

Could it be—

Bai Xue seemed to realize something as well.

“Ah… is it your period?”