Who else could you love besides me

Chapter 55

Minglu and Fujin, standing to the side, were stunned. They exchanged incredulous glances and murmured in unison, "It's just a hydrangea, not Longming..."

It's clear that the hydrangea has already been chosen.

Someone cried out in despair, "Hua Feifei, I bet ten thousand taels on Hua Feifei..." His voice was hoarse, like a crow's.

Immediately someone else shouted, "I'll bet twenty thousand taels..."

"I'll bet thirty thousand taels..."

"I bet 30,001 taels..."

Huh? Everyone looked at the speaker in surprise, thinking that someone was deliberately trying to cause trouble.

To their astonishment, the person who spoke was dressed in blue robes with delicate white lilies of the valley embroidered on the collar and cuffs. He was dressed in luxurious clothes, and his gaze swept over the crowd watching him, exuding an imposing air of nobility. Although he was still a young man, he was almost too intimidating to look directly at.

It's obvious at a glance that he's not an ordinary person, so why did he only bet an extra ounce?

The person who bet 30,001 taels was none other than Minglu.

Seeing the surprised expressions on everyone's faces, Minglu chuckled inwardly: Long Ming, since you suddenly targeted me, I naturally can't let you lose your fun.

Fu Jin chuckled softly and said, "Interesting."

At that moment, the stadium suddenly announced, "Ye Piaopiao is coming on stage."

Fu Jin had been in a low mood, and even the incredibly exciting stimulation from Long Ming couldn't lift his spirits. But when he heard that Ye Piaopiao was about to appear, his eyes suddenly flashed with a lightning-like light, which shone directly onto the stage. Luckily, the stage was made of wood; if it were made of iron, who knows who might get electrocuted. Of course, the most likely candidate was Ye Piaopiao, who was about to come on stage.

At this moment, the earlier commotion was quickly forgotten by the audience, and everyone's attention was once again focused on the stage.

Because Ye Piaopiao is about to make her appearance. I've heard that Ye Piaopiao is a fairy with jade-like beauty and unparalleled charm. I wonder how she compares to Hua Feifei, who just appeared.

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That's just how I am when I write; I get really slow if I don't have inspiration, sigh...

The following section is a perspective shift, describing the events from the viewpoints of Minglu, Fu Jin, Nalan, and others, whereas the preceding section was written from the perspectives of Long Ming and Xiri. It's not that Long Ming threw the embroidered ball twice, haha~~~~

Main text: A Thorn in my Back

When Ye Piaopiao's name was called, the entire backstage area fell eerily silent for a moment. Xi Ri didn't have the courage to turn around and look. She felt as if dozens of bees had stung her back; it was truly a thorn in her back.

As she accepted the embroidered ball, she noticed her fingers trembling uncontrollably, and she instinctively clenched her fists.

Just then, a soft laugh came from behind me, and I suddenly felt a tingling sensation on the back of my head.

Sensitive as she was, she immediately recognized the laughter as coming from Long Ming, as if he were mocking her.

He must have already seen through his nervousness and fear. He was definitely waiting to see him make a fool of himself. Thinking of this, he couldn't help but feel annoyed!

She closed her eyes, took a deep breath to calm herself, and deftly removed the veil covering her face. Then she took off her cloak, revealing the clothes she was going to wear on stage. Just as she was about to tidy her hair, she suddenly heard someone say, "Ye Piaopiao, just how beautiful are you? Turn around and let everyone see!"

"Hmph, that's right! I'd like to see what kind of handsome man he is!"

"What celestial beauty? I think she's nothing special. If she also has a pockmarked face, then she'll really be something to look at." Someone said sarcastically, and everyone burst into laughter.

Xi Ri did not turn around. She slowly raised her hand to tie up her hair. Her wide sleeves hung down on both sides of her face, obscuring her features. While tying up her hair, she said loudly, "I apologize for making you all laugh. I am just here to make up the numbers."

One of them immediately chimed in, "So you're just here to fill a position!"

Everyone burst into laughter again.

Xi Ri remained silent, offering no rebuttal. She had never intended to compete for the title of "Most Handsome Man in the World." Even if she were a man, given her background, she would never participate in such a contest, let alone be a woman. She was only acting out of desperation, hoping that the thief Zhang Guiyi would be caught quickly so she could disappear immediately.

It was almost time. She had finished getting ready, picked up the embroidered ball, and turned to go up on stage.

But as she turned around, she suddenly met dozens of pairs of beautiful eyes that were scrutinizing her intently. Her heart pounded uncontrollably in her chest.

A woman was suddenly being stared at by dozens of incredibly handsome men at the same time...

Especially being scrutinized and judged so harshly by so many handsome men...

Really...

Her gaze darted away, trying not to see, yet unable to ignore, Long Ming, who stood silently to the side, his eyes narrowed with amusement. She knew he was watching the spectacle, but was powerless to do anything about it. Thinking of the subtle tension between the two of them, she didn't know whether to be angry or amused. Xi Ri could only lower her head, not letting anyone see the faint smile creeping onto her lips, and slipped towards the front desk.

Behind him, a low gasp escaped someone's lips: "He just blushed..."

How could you not blush when so many handsome men are staring at you?

When she arrived at the front desk and peeked out from behind the curtain, she was suddenly overwhelmed by the sight of so many expectant and eager eyes. At that moment, she felt her mouth was dry and her forehead was covered in cold sweat. It wasn't that she wasn't nervous or afraid; only she knew the unease in her heart.

She gently patted her chest, telling herself that no one would realize she was a woman, no one would recognize her.

Her gaze searched the crowd and found Minglu's direction. Seeing Minglu standing calmly and composed among them boosted her confidence. Suddenly, her eyes fell on three very familiar figures not far from Minglu. A woman with disheveled hair stood in a corner, holding an embroidered ball as if it were a precious treasure, smiling joyfully. Maids and servants were tidying her up beside her. Upon closer inspection, the disheveled woman was none other than Tian Xiyun!

Xi Ri was immediately shocked. Wasn't that her younger sister, Tian Xiyun? How could she be here! She couldn't help but look again and again, and was certain that it was Tian Xiyun. What should she do? How was she supposed to get on stage now?

At this moment, the people in the back of the venue urged, "Young Master Ye, it's your turn to go on stage."

Xi Ri broke out in a cold sweat in an instant. What should she do? If she appeared, Tian Xi Yun would definitely recognize her! There was no way out now. In her haste, Xi Ri snatched the folding fan from the venue and said, "Let me borrow it." Ignoring the venue's objection, she opened the folding fan with a whoosh, held it in front of her, and stepped onto the stage.

At the front desk, everyone was waiting. Just as Ye Piaopiao came out, someone in the crowd suddenly shouted, "Hua Feifei! It's Hua Feifei!"

On stage, Xi Ri paused, glancing towards the chaotic crowd. She immediately spotted him; Long Ming was standing there, smiling, seemingly out of nowhere. He looked up at her with a smile, and, ignoring the throng, called out, "Ye Piaopiao, throw the embroidered ball to me!"

This shout caused chaos in the crowd.

No sooner had he finished speaking than someone nearly stumbled into his arms, but before they could reach him, he shoved them away without hesitation. One after another, front and back, left and right, kept him busy. While he was busy, he still managed to look up and smile at her on the stage, and finally, he even freed up a hand to reach out to her.