She gently held Qiu Baiyu’s hand.
The piano competition was held as scheduled.
Qiu Baiyu bought a bouquet of sunflowers, symbolizing hope.
She hoped that Yi Wanyue could always bravely pursue her dreams and wished her a future full of brilliance and hope.
Yi Wanyue accepted the bouquet, lowering her eyes to look at the vibrant sunflowers: “Thank you, I really like them.”
Qiu Baiyu couldn’t help but observe her.
Her black hair was all pinned up, with only two slightly curly strands falling at her sideburns.
She wore a black gauze dress with off-shoulder straps, the hem of the skirt adorned with tiny twinkling stars, like a starry night sky, dazzling and captivating.
Her makeup was clean and beautiful, with bright red lips, charming and alluring.
Her temperament was elegant and poised, and her appearance was exquisitely outstanding.
Qiu Baiyu’s mind was filled with the simple question, “How can someone look so beautiful?”
“You look very good today.”
Qiu Baiyu was very direct.
Yi Wanyue chuckled lightly at the words: “Thank you.”
Qiu Baiyu asked again: “Did your family come today as well?”
Yi Wanyue shook her head: “They couldn’t get away from their work matters, but they sent an assistant to bring me flowers. The assistant is now already waiting in the audience.”
Her family’s assistant not only had to deliver flowers to her but also take photos, record her competition to take back for her mom and sister to watch, as a remembrance.
From her childhood to now, her mom has recorded every competition.
These are all traces of her growth.
Qiu Baiyu continued asking: “Did your other friends come too?”
Yi Wanyue nodded: “Yes, they are also in the audience waiting for the competition to start.”
Qiu Baiyu understood.
It seems everyone is afraid to disturb Yi Wanyue or other contestants by going backstage.
But with no one backstage, who will help Yi Wanyue guard against any bad people?
Without hesitation, Qiu Baiyu asked, “Can I go backstage with you?”
“Hmm?”
Qiu Baiyu began to find reasons: “The competition hasn’t started yet, and I’m afraid I’ll be bored sitting in the front, so I’d like to go backstage with you. Is that okay?”
“If you need any help at that time, I can help run errands for you. Otherwise, it wouldn’t be convenient for you to run around wearing that outfit.”
Seeing her thoughtfulness, Yi Wanyue agreed.
They turned and walked shoulder to shoulder towards the backstage.
The event is important, and the organizers are very attentive to every aspect.
The backstage is cleaned spotless, the corridors are spacious, and the men’s and women’s dressing rooms and makeup rooms are fully equipped and clearly distinguished. There are also dedicated personnel to guide and guard, preventing any unexpected situations.
Qiu Baiyu followed Yi Wanyue to her makeup room.
Inside the room sat three other contestants. Upon seeing Yi Wanyue return, two of them greeted her warmly and even approached her to ask more questions.
Their words showed their fondness for Yi Wanyue.
Qiu Baiyu clearly sensed that Yi Wanyue seemed to have become the group’s favorite.
Inside the room, only one person sat steadily, without moving.
Qiu Baiyu slightly turned her head to look at that contestant.
She wore a blue long dress, her appearance pretty yet distant.
Above her head slowly appeared a frame that others couldn’t see, with “Female Supporting Character: Lan Xin” written inside.
She is the one in this competition who acted underhandedly against Yi Wanyue.
Because she also likes Jiang Shen, and knows that Jiang Shen likes Yi Wanyue.
Qiu Baiyu sighed in her heart,
Such a boring and cliché competition.
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What is so good about that man?
Hurting other women for the sake of a man is even more foolish; it is meaningless. Love itself won’t transfer to the perpetrator just because others are hurt.
At that moment, Lan Xin was silently sitting in front of the mirror, tidying up her appearance.
Her gaze was very calm, even somewhat indifferent, showing no concern for anything around her.
If she could always remain indifferent to everyone, it would be good.
Qiu Baiyu, looking in that direction, couldn’t help but recall the information given by the system.
The original text of the novel is written like this: Lan Xin, proud and arrogant, was not convinced that Yi Wanyue surpassed her in everything, even taking away Jiang Shen’s heart. So she decided to act before the competition, making her unable to compete.
Then the system just gave this directly to her, without telling her exactly how she acted, even adding mystery to it.
Therefore, the only point Qiu Baiyu knows now is: act before the competition.
This means, as long as she can let Yi Wanyue compete smoothly, she will have successfully resolved the crisis.
Qiu Baiyu started thinking about how to block Lan Xin without being abrupt, to prevent her from acting against Yi Wanyue.
Should she always follow Lan Xin and stare at her?
But wouldn’t this expose her foresight ability?
As Qiu Baiyu thought about this, she started to zone out.
Sensing the gaze from behind, Lan Xin lightly raised her eyes to look into the mirror.
Beside Yi Wanyue’s position, diagonally behind her, stood a woman.
The woman appeared somewhat gentle, with no expression on her face, and her eyes were unblinkingly staring at the table leg in Lan Xin’s position.
Lan Xin: “…?”
Following this, Lan Xin saw in the mirror that the people beside Yi Wanyue had dispersed. Yi Wanyue glanced at the woman, then looked in Lan Xin’s direction, withdrew her gaze, and gently held the woman’s forearm.
“Baiyu, what are you looking at?”
Qiu Baiyu came back to her senses and calmly said, “I was zoning out.”
Lan Xin: “…”
— How inexplicable.
But what did Yi Wanyue just call her?
Baiyu?
Which Baiyu?
She remembered Jiang Shen’s ex-wife was named Qiu Baiyu… could this be Jiang Shen’s ex-wife?
Lan Xin thought, her eyebrows slightly furrowing, and then dismissed the idea.
Impossible, how could Jiang Shen’s ex-wife be with Yi Wanyue?
How can rivals in love coexist harmoniously?
The other two contestants left the makeup room, leaving only the three of them inside.
The atmosphere suddenly became very silent.
Qiu Baiyu looked at the time; there were still fifteen minutes until the competition started.
She temporarily withdrew her attention and focused on Yi Wanyue: “Are you nervous? Do you want some water?”
She had just seen a box of mineral water stacked in the corner, presumably prepared for the contestants.
Yi Wanyue replied with a yes, then added: “But I want to drink something warm. There’s a water dispenser outside, just in the corridor we came from. Can you help me get a cup?”
Qiu Baiyu was stunned and hesitated in her heart.
If she went out, the room would only have Yi Wanyue and Lan Xin left. What if Lan Xin took this opportunity to act?
“The weather is a bit hot, do you really want to drink something warm?”
Yi Wanyue, upon hearing this, seemed to think of something and laughed lightly: “Drinking warm water is good for the body.”
She gently held Qiu Baiyu’s hand, her tone gentle: “Can you help me get a cup?”
This close, almost coquettish tone left Qiu Baiyu momentarily unsure of how to refuse.
It was her first time being cajoled by such a pretty girl.
Indeed, when pretty people act coquettish, it’s quite irresistible.
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“Alright,” she compromised, “then wait here for me, don’t run around.”
Her speaking tone unconsciously softened.
Afraid her words might sound too strange, she specifically added: “I don’t know the way, if you leave, I’ll get lost.”
Yi Wanyue couldn’t help but laugh: “Okay, I’ll just sit here waiting for you.”
Qiu Baiyu then left with reassurance.
After she left, Yi Wanyue took out a book from her bag on the side and quietly started reading.
Lan Xin watched her every move from the mirror, and in her heart, she snorted coldly.
With the competition approaching, why read a book instead of looking at the sheet music? It’s hard to understand.
Thinking this, she couldn’t help but say: “You’re about to compete; shouldn’t you be looking at your performance sheet music? Once you’re on stage, you can’t see it.”
“Because there’s something in the book that’s always been unclear to me, and it’s a bit unsettling,” Yi Wanyue replied.
Then she turned to look at her and suddenly asked, “Do you mind helping me solve it?”
Lan Xin was stunned.
Yi Wanyue gave her a gentle smile in the mirror, her tone quite sincere: “Miss Lan Xin, you’re very smart. I’ve heard you have unique insights on many things, so I’d like to hear your opinion. Could you teach me?”
Lan Xin: “…”
Did Yi Wanyue just say she was smart?
This person, who surpasses her in every way and makes her deeply jealous, not only praised her but also asked for her advice?
…
“…Let me see the book.”
Qiu Baiyu returned after getting the water.
She walked hurriedly, fearing that if she were a bit slower, it would be too late.
The makeup room’s door was within reach.
She quickly reached out and opened the door—
Yi Wanyue was still there.
Lan Xin was also still there.
They were even sitting together… reading a book.
Very peacefully reading a book.
Qiu Baiyu: “…?”
She heard Yi Wanyue begin to praise: “With what you said, I can understand this passage. It’s really a very unique perspective; I hadn’t thought of it this way before. Thank you, Miss Lan.”
She saw that Lan Xin’s originally indifferent expression had disappeared, replaced by an unnaturalness and a sense of being at a loss: “Um, you’re welcome…”
Yi Wanyue smiled warmly: “If I encounter other problems while reading in the future, can I come to consult with Miss Lan Xin again?”
Lan Xin: “…”
Yi Wanyue: “Is that okay?”
Lan Xin: “…Okay.”
Yi Wanyue briefly held her hand, her eyes full of warmth: “Thank you, Miss Lan, you are really kind.”
The contact was very brief, yet it left Lan Xin with considerable shock.
She sat stiffly in place, not reacting for quite a while.
She seriously answered her rival’s questions and even agreed to let her rival come to her anytime with questions.
She was even held by the hand by her rival, who even said she was nice…
How did things develop to this point??
Yi Wanyue, already holding her book, stood up and left.
Seeing Qiu Baiyu standing at the door, she gave a gentle smile: “You’re back.”
Qiu Baiyu was made a bit confused by this strange atmosphere.
Hearing Yi Wanyue’s voice, she finally came back to her senses: “Ah, right, your water.”
“Thank you.”
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Yi Wanyue took the water, pulled her to sit down, then calmly put away her book and took out the sheet music for her performance today, focusing on it.
Qiu Baiyu looked at Yi Wanyue, then at Lan Xin, who was still sitting dazed, and suddenly did not know what kind of situation this was.
She feels that Lan Xin now is like a Pokémon captured by Yi Wanyue.
Having been captured, naturally, she will not attack Yi Wanyue anymore.
Captured?
Qiu Baiyu ponders the word that popped into her mind, not very appropriate yet strangely fitting for the current situation.
A very subtle word.
This word sounds as if Yi Wanyue anticipated the situation, so she took action first.
Yi Wanyue indeed achieved it; Lan Xin is now already looking at the sheet music, seemingly uninterested in other matters.
But how could Yi Wanyue have known these things in advance?
Qiu Baiyu recalls Yi Wanyue’s various past behaviors.
Especially when Yi Wanyue once agreed with her view: Jiang Shen is not worthy of her.
At that moment, she once had a feeling that Yi Wanyue was not a step-by-step rigid female lead. She is unique, different, like an independent existence that broke free from the constraints of the plot line.
Thinking this, Qiu Baiyu quietly looked towards Yi Wanyue.
A bold idea appeared in her mind—
Could it be… Yi Wanyue also has something like a system?