Was that Miss Jiang's sister?

Taking her by the arm, Gao Tian guided her to a secluded corner, mindful of Xia Mingzhou potentially spotting them as she left the room.

"I know it wasn't the nicest thing to say, but she... she said I wasn't suited for the pageant. How could I just let her say that to me?" Jiang Xiu blurted out, her frustration evident.

"Jiang Xiu..." Gao Tian called out, causing her to straighten her back nervously.

"What is it?" she asked, anticipation in her voice.

"You did a fantastic job," he reassured her with a chuckle.

Jiang Xiu froze in her place as she had a dumbfounded expression.

even intentionally aggravating them further, or simply left if she wasn't in the mood for confrontation. But this was Luo Zhelan's grandfather, adding weight to the words and impacting her more deeply.

She wasn't one to easily succumb to the words of others, yet now, she found herself unable to meet Luo Zhelan's eyes, feeling unworthy to even hold his hand.