Xia Ling opened her eyes, and the face of a stranger entered her vision.

A girl donning a set of white dancing attire was looking down on her in a half kneeling position. The girl was calling out to her anxiously, but it was only until some time later that Xia Ling barely managed to make out what she was conveying. “Xingling! Xingling! Are you alright? Are you unwell?”

…Xingling?

Who is Xingling?

An unfamiliar name, an unfamiliar face in front of her, and an unfamiliar voice. Xia Ling was dazed. She was sure that she was not this so-called “Xingling”, much less acquainted with this girl in front of her, whose face was painted in worry.

Her head was spinning.

She thought she was dead. When the power was suddenly cut off from the stage, someone shoved her. Before she could react, she was falling off the high stage, landing on top of a cold, hard concrete barricade. Her head was punctured by a sharp steel bar upon impact. Blood and brain matter splattered all over the ground.

But what is this situation in front of her eyes?

The girl was still shouting out to her, yet Xia Ling was no longer in the mood to listen. She turned her head to examine her surroundings.

Under the gentle lighting, seven to eight good-looking girls were stretching, gracefully spinning and leaping or practicing dance steps under the instructions of a coach. This was… a dance studio.

Looking past the dancers, she saw her own reflection in the mirror.

She was looking at a somewhat feeble girl, about 15 or 16 years of age, curled up at a corner of the room. She had soft and silky long hair, a clean and delicate face, and was wearing the same white dancewear as the others in the room. She was looking at a stranger. Certainly, this was not who she was before — Xia Ling, the diva of the music industry.

Ads by Ad.Plus

Xia Ling was in shock.

She recalled reading a few resurrection themed novels that were trending online. Could it be… that she had resurrected? Reborn into the body of a stranger?! What the…

As she was coming into terms with this bizarre occurrence, the girl that was earlier by her side pulled someone over. She worriedly said, “Coach, quick, come over and look at Xingling. She hasn’t said a word after waking up! Is there something wrong with her?”

“Ha! What could possibly be wrong with her?” The man, whom she addressed as “Coach”, looked at Xia Ling in disdain. “Ye Xingling, pretending to be dizzy again?! I’m not falling for it. Get up and continue your dance practice. At Skyart Entertainment we have no lack of trainees. We are nearing the end-of-month examinations. If you end up in the last place again, you will definitely be expelled!”

Oh, so Ye Xingling is my name now . Xia Ling thought.

Wait. That is not the point. The point is… this Ye Xingling, is a trainee of Skyart Entertainment?

Xia Ling had heard of this reputable company. It might not be as renowned as Imperial Entertainment — the company she worked for in her previous life — but it was still considered a first-tier establishment in the entertainment industry. Skyart Entertainment, like many other companies in the entertainment industry, would invest in grooming trainees, subjecting them to strict training sessions, examinations, and eliminations. Only the lucky ones left would debut as artistes.

And now, Xia Ling was one of these trainees.

How long ago… was the last time she was a trainee?

Xia Ling felt a little bitter. A slight wave of pain surged through her head, which made her memories somewhat fuzzy. She still remembered the bright summer day years ago the transparent full-length windows in Imperial Entertainment’s dance studio, the rays of sunlight mixed in with the scent of flowers, and…

The man who always smiled warmly and doted on her…

“Xingling? Xingling?! Are you alright?!”

The worried voice of a girl pulled Xia Ling back to reality. Tilting her head, she saw the face of the same girl who was by her side previously. She was staring at her without blinking, her face fraught with concern and worry.

Luo Luo.

Unknowingly, the girl’s name came into Xia Ling’s mind. Soon after, memories shared between “Luo Luo” and “Ye Xingling” slowly flowed into her mind. However, before she could sort these memories out, Luo Luo said with a crystal clear voice, “Xingling… are you feeling better? Say something! Don’t scare me!”

She rubbed her temple to ease her slight headache, saying, “I’m alright, Luo Luo. Thank you.”

“As long as you are fine.” Luo Luo grinned happily. She immediately ran to a water dispenser nearby, filled a paper cup with water, and passed it to Xia Ling. “Come, have some water. Don’t overdo your dance practice next time. I know you were not pretending! You almost shocked me to death when you fainted just now!”

Her unguarded concern was unsettling for Xia Ling.

In her past life, there was a person who was this innocent and unguarded in front of Xia Ling as well. That person was her younger sister, Xia Yu. Xia Ling had doted on her as if she was a precious treasure. She gave her all her trust and care, but in the end, she was completely betrayed.

She did not want to experience such a situation again.

Thus, she quietly distanced herself from Luo Luo. “I will be fine after some rest. Go practice your dance first.”

Luo Luo, however, stubbornly shook her head, and sternly said, “You have to take care of your body. This is the third time you’ve fainted this month! I know you want to pass the examination but…”

She bit her lips, hesitant to continue.

Xia Ling smiled. She knew what Luo Luo was getting at. The original owner of this body, Ye Xingling, had been in the bottom in the examinations two months in a row. If Ye Xingling did not improve her ranking this time, she could only pack her bags and leave. That was why Ye Xingling was so desperate, practicing till she fainted time after time, making Luo Luo this worried.

The owner of this body probably died of exhaustion?

Xia Ling lamented. What would Luo Luo think when she realized that she was not Ye Xingling, the owner of the body?

Yet, the examinations that Ye Xingling was struggling with was a piece of cake for her. The time from her death to resurrection was akin to a long nap. The soulful dance moves she previously owned was ingrained in her memory. In her past life, she had used them to charm the world. Using them to pass a trainee’s examination in this life would be a breeze.

Gazing at Luo Luo’s pained expression, she gave a relaxed smile. “Luo Luo, don’t worry, I know my limits. I won’t dance till I faint anymore. I think I managed to grasp some of the key techniques. This time, I will show an improvement in the examination.”

“Really?”

“Really.”

Luo Luo’s worried expression lifted, as she beamed and said, “Then you have a good rest. I’ll go practice my dance.”

Xia Ling watched as Luo Luo joined the dance practice with the others, breathing a sigh of relief. Speaking to someone this innocent reminded her of her “good sister” Xia Yu. And also, the memories of that man.

Those memories… were scars forever etched in her heart.

She shook her head, clearing her mind of those painful memories. Sorting the memories of Ye Xingling in her mind was of utmost importance now. Without further ado, she quietly got up and walked towards the exit.

No one stopped her from leaving. All the trainees were focused on their own dancing. Once in a while, one or two would notice her. Yet they would either choose to ignore her or glanced at her in contempt. A failure fated for elimination, who would want to even spare her the slightest sliver of concern other than innocent Luo Luo?

Xia Ling couldn’t care less about their attitude. The ups and downs she experienced in her previous life had made her accustomed to the harsh realities of human relationships. This little disdain from the trainees was too insignificant to faze her.

She searched for a secluded spot where she sat down and started sorting through everything related to Ye Xingling in her mind.

Sifting through Ye Xingling’s memories, Xia Ling learned that Ye Xingling was 16-years-old and was born into a normal working family. She had a father, a stepmother and a half-sister, Ye Xingfei.

A year ago, Ye Xingfei pulled Ye Xingling along to participate in a Skyart Entertainment’s trainee audition. Fortunately, both of them were successful in their auditions and were selected as trainees. Skyart Entertainment signed them on and planned for the sisters to debut as a duo. However, little did they know that the day they signed the contract, tragedy struck. Ye Xingfei was involved in an accident with a truck that lost control, which left her in a vegetative state.

Seeing the plan to debut the sister duo foiled, Skyart Entertainment wanted to terminate the contract with Ye Xingling.

After all, in their eyes, Ye Xingling was only of average talent. The one who really had potential was Ye Xingfei, now a patient in a vegetative state. The person responsible for the termination of the negotiations was the general manager of Skyart Entertainment’s Trainee Center, Tan Ying. He was considered a big name in the entertainment industry, having previously discovered and groomed several A-list artistes. He was known to have a good eye for talent and was astute in his criticism. If he claimed that one had no future, then surely that person would not succeed in the industry.

But Ye Xingling was not willing to terminate her contract then.

She had a close relationship with her sister, and she desperately needed cash to pay for her sister’s exorbitant treatment fees. Hence, kneeling and begging in front of Tan Ying, she pleaded the company for a loan and vowed to work doubly hard to achieve the best results and repay the company.

Xia Ling had to admit, Ye Xingling was a person with great determination. She was able to convince Tan Ying, who was known to have a heart of stone in the industry, to give her a chance. The company paid her a large sum of money in advance, of which she needed to repay upon debuting along with interest. However, if she were to be eliminated before debuting, she would then have to clear her debt within the year, otherwise…

Xia Ling narrowed her eyes, feeling sympathy for Ye Xingling.

In her previous life, she had heard of certain rumors about Skyart Entertainment. It was said that the company was owned by the Li family – a family associated with the underworld. Other than grooming their artistes, the entertainment company also allegedly meddled in some underworld businesses. If one were to offend a company with such a shady background…

Fine. Perhaps she should not sympathize with Ye Xingling. Ye Xingling was gone for good and would not have to worry about these things anymore. All her problems were now Xia Ling’s.

If it were up to her, Xia Ling would not have stepped into the entertainment industry again in this life. She had already stood at the pinnacle of fame in her past life, receiving and enjoying the most enthusiastic support from fans, and experienced the most sinister of schemes as well. She could not think of anything that would attract her about the entertainment industry anymore. Moreover, the industry reminded her of everything about “that man”…

Pain churned in her heart, as she tried to suppress her memories of “that man”.

Ads by Ad.Plus

If it were possible, Xia Ling wished that Ye Xingling could be officially eliminated during her trainee stages and live a normal life. However, due to the massive debt that Ye Xingling had racked up, this was but wishful thinking. Xia Ling had no idea how to repay the debt because she knew nothing else except for singing.

Therefore, not only could she not leave, but she had to stay and debut successfully.

Xia Ling sighed deeply and forced a smile.

The heavens must be playing a joke on her. The sum Ye Xingling owed to the company, while said to be a massive loan, was in actual fact only a few million dollars. In her previous life, anything Xia Ling bought would easily be around this amount. However, this time she was stumped. She had no choice but to continue working and suffer in this bizarre entertainment industry.

In the persona of a mere subpar trainee on the brink of elimination no less.

Xia Ling was gradually getting used to her new identity.

The days spent in Skyart Entertainment were uneventful. Every day was a standard routine – she would wake up at the same time, practice her singing and dancing, and then wash up before heading to bed. Perhaps for some, 12 hours a day of intensive practice was grilling. However, after experiencing all the backstabbing and despair in her past life, a simple life was like heaven to Xia Ling.

Day after day of practicing and familiarizing with her new body, Xia Ling was delighted to find out that this body was unexpectedly flexible. This was an innate talent, yet the previous owner of the body was unable to use it to its full potential. Otherwise, she would not be inferior to anyone in the industry after debut, let alone succeeding during this trainee period.

Even her vocal abilities were exquisite. Underneath the seemingly normal vocals, she had a hidden uniqueness that was one of a kind.

Xia Ling was elated with her discoveries. She might have been disappointed by the entertainment industry, but her passion for singing and dancing were ingrained in her bones. She must have been pitied by the Gods to be able to be reborn in such a body.

As she familiarized herself with her new body, coaches in every department were shocked to find that the hopeless student Ye Xingling had improved tremendously after a week. She was able to perform an entire routine without any error.

A handful of coaches praised her.

These praises attracted the jealousy of the trainees in the same class. In their impression, Ye Xingling was a good-for-nothing trainee, existing to rank last in the examinations and to highlight the talents and elegance of others. Now, it was certainly a disappointment that the good-for-nothing trainee had improved.

Xia Ling planned the speed of her “improvements” with caution. The pace of “improvement” was quick, but not excessive. After all, it would definitely be inconceivable that a trainee on the verge of elimination could rise up to be as skillful as a diva.

Even Luo Luo who was always sticking by her side had not realized any abnormalities.

Luo Luo ran and hopped towards Xia Ling, grabbing on to her elbow affectionately. She looked up at Xia Ling with an innocent smile and asked, “Xingling… Xingling! Shall we go for a meal together?”

Xia Ling controlled the urge to massage her temples.

Luo Luo had been pestering her in the past few days. This innocent, energetic girl was sticking to her harder than a chewing gum. No matter how much Xia Ling tried, she could not seem to get rid for her. Well, they were not “best friends” for nothing…

Everything started three months ago.

Back then, Luo Luo arrived at the training camp after passing her auditions. As she was still unfamiliar with everything, there was one time she went into the wrong classroom and missed important pointers from the coach. In the training camp everyone was a competitor, thus no one was willing to help Luo Luo other than Ye Xingling. Her results might be terrible, but she still tried her best to transmit all the information she could remember to Luo Luo.

From then on, Luo Luo saw Ye Xingling as her good friend.

However, the Xia Ling now did not need any “friends”.

Opening your heart to and growing too close to another person was the dumbest thing to do in this world. Be it kinship, friendship, or… love.

Handsome yet cold, the god-like memories of “that man” emerged yet again. Each scene of them together fleeted across her mind. Suddenly, she felt her heart writhing in pain. “Pei Ziheng…” She muttered under her breath.

“What did you say?” Luo Luo glanced over to her curiously. “Hurry~ if we get to the canteen late, there won’t be anything delicious left for us! Xingling, hurry up~ Today’s menu is your favorite codfish and lettuce!” She rushed her with a smile.

Xia Ling was stunned back to her senses and followed Luo Luo towards the direction of the canteen.

It was lunchtime. Everyone from the company was heading in the same direction. Xia Ling and Luo Luo chatted as they walked — well, it was mainly Luo Luo doing the talking and Xia Ling listening to her in silence.

“Did you know?” Luo Luo walked with a spring in her step, her short hair bouncing along, looking as adorable as a bunny. “This upcoming end-of-month examination isn’t your usual examination! I heard that Shen Manyao will be coming to select dancers for her new MV!”

“Oh.” Xia Ling responded nonchalantly, uninterested in the conversation.

Luo Luo suddenly pressed. “Xingling! Did you hear me? It’s Shen Manyao! SHEN MANYAO! She’s an actual star, not like us trainees who haven’t debuted! If we can be selected to participate in her MV’s dance troupe it would be such a good opportunity! It’s an actual MV shooting and not just practice!”

“So?”

Luo Luo stared at her as if she was staring at a monster. “Xingling, why is your reaction so lukewarm? Aren’t you excited at all?”

What was there to be excited about? It took her some time to even figure out who this “Shen Manyao” was. In her previous life, she did not have wide connections. With the big boss of Imperial Entertainment, Pei Ziheng, showering her with adoration, coupled with the protection of the internationally renowned first-rate manager Chu Chen, Xia Ling could be described as arrogant and domineering and paid no one any attention. Back then, she would not even care to spend an ounce of energy to remember a small star of a different class.

The only reason she even remembered Shen Manyao at all was because Shen Manyao had once offended her.

Back then, Pei Ziheng doted on her excessively.

Sometimes, Xia Ling would wilfully lose her temper and argue with him.

That day, after a heated argument with Pei Ziheng, she threw a tantrum in her makeup room, causing a delay. Resultantly, the recording had already started for some time by the time she strutted into the studio, with several staff members holding up the train of her exquisite, delicate gown, after the makeup artiste managed to complete her job. As she walked in, she saw her seat taken by another lady with thick makeup on, chatting happily along with the host and two guests. Her nameplate was carelessly thrown to one side.

She immediately felt angry.

The director fearfully laughed as he apologized. “Miss Xia Ling, I thought you weren’t coming for the shooting anymore. It wouldn’t look nice for the best spot to be left empty, so…”

Xia Ling ignored the director, beelined towards the lady in her seat and said, “Get out.”

That lady was wearing a sexy red mesh top and remained seated in a seductive manner. She played with her fingernails and looked up at Xia Ling from the corner of her dramatically painted eyes. “Oh! It’s a famous star, Xia Ling! Tsk tsk, everyone thought you weren’t gonna come today. Let me give you a piece of advice, this isn’t how you play the big shot. Everyone skipped out on their meals only to wait for you. Don’t you have any shame? Luckily I was here to help out, otherwise, the show would be in trouble…”

Shen Manyao openly mocked Xia Ling, giving no regard to the sideways glances and warning signals that the director and hosts were giving her.

The Xia Ling then was at the pinnacle of her career – when was she disregarded like this before? All she felt was that her lungs were on the verge of explosion. She raised her voice. “Who are you to talk to me like that? Get out of my way!”

Shen Manyao jumped up like a frazzled cat. “You dare scold me?” Her blood-red nails almost scratched Xia Ling’s face. “Who are you to scold me? You’re just a toy to warm up Pei Ziheng’s bed! Don’t think you’re someone with him backing your career! You just sang a few lousy songs and…”

She continued her rampage of ridicule, but Xia Ling could not remember the rest of it clearly.

In any case, those words were not pleasing to the ears.

That day, it was Xia Ling’s manager, Chu Chen, who sent a bodyguard to half-pull, half-drag Shen Manyao out of the studio. Chu Chen also pulled measures that Xia Ling could not fathom, such that Shen Manyao appeared on Xia Ling’s doorstep a few days later, pleading for her forgiveness.

Thinking back, her fame had got into her head back then. She was pampered by Pei Ziheng to the extent that she became overbearing and unreasonable.

It was only later that she had a falling out with Pei Ziheng. As a result, she was blacklisted and put under house arrest in that huge bungalow.

Xia Yu once came for a visit and sneered. “Sis, did you think that you were really something? Did you really think people in the industry respected you? Did you know that they all hated you for a long time, but who would hit the dog of a powerful owner? Without Ziheng you’re nothing. Nothing at all!”

Xia Yu had brought her various recordings of artistes, directors, producers, and reporters who discussed her during several parties that they attended. All of them, including some with whom Xia Ling thought she had a good relationship with, gloated over her misfortune, saying that Xia Ling finally got her retribution, and it was such a huge relief that she was blacklisted—even better if she had no chance of coming back at all.

At that moment, she finally realized how much of a failure she was.

Xia Ling slowly returned to her senses as Luo Luo continued with her enigmatic, incessant chatter. She noticed that the short-haired Luo Luo was unusually excited, and to calm her down, she said, “Ok, Luo Luo, even if Shen Manyao is picking people for her MV, she wouldn’t necessarily pick us. You needn’t be too excited, just act normally and do what you have to do.”

Luo Luo gave a start, shocked that Xia Ling was completely uninterested. She agitatedly reiterated to Xia Ling, gesturing with her arms. “There are 12 spots up for grabs this time! The number of trainees in this camp is less than 100. The probability of being selected is so high! Aren’t you interested at all, Xingling? I am hyped to death!”

Xia Ling shook her head. What was there to be hyped about? She wasn’t even as fazed when receiving global awards in the past.

Luo Luo started to get a little irritated. “I know, I know, my basic foundation might be a little weak. Even if the coaches say that I have potential, but I’ve only been here for three months; I haven’t even mastered many of the basic skills. There’s no way I can compete with the seniors…”

She paused before continuing, “But Xingling, you’ve been training for more than a year already! Even if before you were… Erm…” She scratched her head, thinking of a more tactful way to put it. “… Even if your condition was a little off, but your improvements of late have been really tremendous, right? Even the coaches praised you for your slick moves!”

Her eyes sparkled as she said, “So if you don’t try how would you know? If you pick a dance style that Shen Manyao likes during the examination, you might get lucky and be chosen!”

Get lucky…

Xia Ling had to control herself from throwing Luo Luo out of the room. What a joke, since when did she depend on luck to get chosen for a position? Oh right, in her past life she had big boss Pei Ziheng supporting her, but even then she still had to have talent, so that she could be put on a pedestal. She did not want to brag, but when she was at Imperial Entertainment, whether it was diligence, talent, or skills, if she were to claim to be second, nobody would dare claim the top spot.

“Luo Luo, don’t ever think about depending solely on luck.” She could not help but reply sternly.

“Why are you being so serious?” Luo Luo pouted, feeling a little wronged.

Xia Ling sighed, looking into Luo Luo’s innocent face, and said in a kinder voice, “Luck can only help you for a little while, it will not help you for life. If you look at the entertainment circle, people come and go. Didn’t you realize that all those who remain popular for a long time all have one or two key talents? None of them rely on pure luck. Luo Luo, the competition in this circle is intense, there are new idols appearing in the scene every day. Older idols lose relevance and look at how many there are that are simply one-time wonders. I don’t want you to be the same.”

Luo Luo was slightly taken aback. She corrected her nonchalant attitude and lowered her head as she pondered.

Xia Ling glanced at her. Yes, she seems teachable.

Since the reincarnation, Xia Ling did not want to be involved with too many people. However, Luo Luo’s kindness and care in this period gave her the feeling that she was indebted to her. Perhaps if she were to give Luo Luo some pointers, that could be a form of repayment. Of course, this repayment would need Luo Luo to be receptive as well. Xia Ling was not Mother Theresa, she did not have the habit of worrying for others. She would not repeat the same words twice.

After a while, Luo Luo seemed to have understood. She nodded determinedly, raised her head, and gave Xia Ling a smile that was brighter than before. “Xingling, I understand. Don’t worry, I will make sure to practice hard and not cut corners.” As she spoke, Luo Luo ran over and gave Xingling a hug. “You still treat me the best! No one else would bother to say so much to me~”

Xia Ling looked on, confounded.

As she surveyed the sight of Luo Luo hanging over her body, she reflected.Should I be colder towards Luo Luo?

Days passed quickly in the usual hustle and bustle. Finally, it was the day of the end-of-month examinations.