"The Defeated Maiden" · "The Mysterious Park" (Thanks to Mo Bao, the King of Gifts)

The sound of fluttering filled the air as 3,000 yuan in cash scattered across the floor.

The VIP KTV room was still echoing with the remnants of the performance.

On the large screen in front, the intelligent scoring system displayed the final result: 【SSS Level: 100% Combo】.

Without Liu Yi needing to say a word,

the winner was clear, the gap undeniable.

Her daily, unwavering commitment to intense vocal training,

her biological clock that only allowed her to sleep after morning practice,

the endless adjustments to her voice before every live stream,

the countless rehearsals before recording each project.

As Lu Qing once said, 【All the effort you put in will one day, in a way you never expected, reward you with the truth of your past】.

Today, Liu Yi experienced it up close,

what it means to be "dimensionally crushed."

What it feels like to be utterly overwhelmed by a 「Hardworking Genius」.

What it means for 【the teachers' recognition to be well-founded】.

"I don't like kids like you. Stop calling me 'senior' all the time, it's annoying. Take care of yourself."

Click.

The door slammed shut.

Bai Xing's figure disappeared.

"……"

Her breathing was rapid, her cheeks flushed,

her fists clenched, nails digging into her palms.

The girl in the room trembled all over.

She felt,

that her once naive thoughts, at this moment, seemed like a clown,

completely exposed.

It seemed that in front of her senior, all her little schemes were laid bare.

Under that radiant light,

her dark, insignificant self,

was exposed, unable to lift her head.

The 【malice】 in her heart was magnified,

as if under a magnifying glass, scorched by the sunlight,

emitting a sizzling, soul-wrenching cry of pain.

"Is this the strength that has all the teachers praising her, that has all the other juniors in awe?"

"Couldn't she just be a vocalist…?"

"Even pursuing a career as a singer… no, with her current level, she could easily become an underground idol."

"If she had the money, she would definitely, absolutely blow up."

"Her talent isn't fake."

"She climbed out of the abyss with that level of professionalism."

Liu Yi's eyes dimmed, filled with self-doubt:

"No one is cuter than her. She has everything it takes to be an underground idol."

"—Even I can't compare to her."

"—Someone like me can't stop her."

Ah…

She was feeling a bit defeated.

Crushed by an undeniable, overwhelming display of skill.

Looking at the 30 or so scattered 100-yuan bills on the floor.

She knew.

【That was something her senior didn't even care to take.】

【Even after showcasing such an undisputed level of skill in that duel.】

【She didn't even want my dirty money.】

"But she really needs money, doesn't she?"

She needs money.

Absolutely needs money.

But she looks down on my money.

"...Sigh."

"Just as Teacher Huang said, 'She's already reached her peak here, she's learned all she can from me,' right?"

"A voice actor with both talent and dedication, pushing herself to the limit, training in secret, even at the cost of her health, just to outshine everyone around her."

"Why… is she working so hard?"

"……"

"Does she have a 「light」 in her heart?"

"Something I don't have, and still haven't found?"

Sigh…

Liu Yi sighed again.

Silent.

So silent that when the waiter pushed open the door, bringing in snacks and fruit,

she only then, under their puzzled gaze,

knelt on the floor,

picking up the bills one by one, holding them in her hands.

When she finally stuffed them into her wallet, each bill left a crease.

"I'm so ugly."

「A stain under the radiant light」.

…

…

Time flew by.

Bai Xing held her phone.

At half past ten in the evening, she stopped at the entrance of the community gate, her heart tangled.

"Annoying."

"Wasted an hour for no reason."

She felt a bit irritated.

Being targeted by a junior.

Being watched, being challenged,

trying to bring her down.

Trying so hard to exude low-quality 【malice】.

"People like that are really boring."

"Instead of improving themselves, they just overestimate their abilities."

"If it were Su Ling, she probably wouldn't hold back."

"Maybe she'd slap them?"

She thought to herself.

Now, no matter what happened, the girl had developed a terrifying habit—

「Perspective-taking」.

But this wasn't ordinary perspective-taking, not the usual "putting yourself in someone else's shoes" kind of thinking.

Instead, it was imagining herself as Su Ling, stepping into Su Ling's shoes, and responding as Su Ling would, to see how things might play out.

This was the core essence of the third chapter of 《The Way of Su Ling》—

【If it were Su Ling】.

…

"What would she do?"

Thinking this,

she wandered to the north gate, found a clean stone bench, sat down in the cool evening breeze, and let herself calm down.

Staring blankly, letting the cold wind clear her mind.

Inside the guard room,

Uncle Wang's deeply sunken eyes, filled with the weight of time,

his eyelids twitched slightly before opening a crack, glancing at the young woman outside.

"Huh…?"

As the sharpest eagle of Tianhe Platinum Apartments, though old, Uncle Wang's memory was sharp, and he had a good impression of every resident in the complex.

And that little girl at the gate was one of the cutest kids in the entire community.

She always came back with a smile, full of sunshine, so why was she so down tonight, lingering at the gate, unwilling to go in?

As if her home had been taken over by someone bad.

Uncle Wang couldn't stand it anymore.

He put on his security uniform, grabbed his dragon-headed mahogany cane, and with his old, aching legs, pushed open the door of the guard room, asking with concern:

"Little girl, what's wrong? Why aren't you going in?"

"Ah… it's nothing, Uncle Wang, I'm just sitting here for a bit."

Bai Xing's train of thought was interrupted, but she didn't get flustered. She just hugged her bag tighter, wrapping herself in her black coat, looking even more lonely and desolate.

"Hey, why sit there when you could go upstairs? You kids can't handle the cold, did you have a fight with your boyfriend or something?"

"...No, I… I don't have a boyfriend." The girl's face turned red as she tried to explain.

"Haha, young people, always so full of worries."

Uncle Wang nodded slightly, not saying much, just offering a piece of advice:

"It's autumn now, the weather's cold. If you need to, go to the lobby and borrow a chair from Old Ge, there's even a cat to keep you company. Don't sit out here punishing yourself, it's not worth it."

His straightforward words were simple but comforting.

Bai Xing quickly thanked him, "Okay, okay, I'll… go back now."

She knew that in a close-knit community like this, it was normal for Uncle Wang to remember her.

She didn't want to cause any more trouble for the security guard,

the reason she was waiting here was to see what time her senior would get home.

If…

If he stayed at Tang Hua's place…

"Sigh…"

Thinking about it,

it wasn't impossible.

But Su Ling was still at home waiting… would he really leave Su Ling alone at home, not coming back for the night?

Bai Xing pouted, under Uncle Wang's watchful gaze, she took out her access card, her mind still wandering.

It didn't seem likely.

That was Su Ling.

As long as the sky hadn't fallen, her senior would definitely come home to be with her.

In his heart, Su Ling's place was irreplaceable.

Every night, her senior would sleep at home, never staying out.

But, there were always exceptions.

What if Tang Hua made a move, locking him in her place…

Would he still come back on time?

Would Tang Hua do something like that?

If that were the case, was there even a point in waiting downstairs, waiting for him to return, just to use those few precious minutes to walk upstairs together, to share that rare, almost luxurious "homecoming time"?

Would she even be able to wait for him?

A night without seeing him, going back alone, felt like losing her soul.

"……"

Ugh, it hurt even more.

The girl pursed her lips, swiped her card to open the iron gate, and headed towards the lobby of Building C.

"Little girl, don't overthink things. Always frowning will make happiness slip away."

Uncle Wang chuckled as he watched her enter the complex, offering one last piece of advice.

"Oh… thank you."

Bai Xing politely waved her hand, lost in thought.

She had always been this way, nodding in acknowledgment when passing the elders in the neighborhood, which warmed their hearts.

Uncle Wang would always respond with a kind and gentle smile, but when it came to other kids, he wasn’t so generous with his expressions,

often choosing to remain silent, pretending to be aloof.

“Youth is such a wonderful thing.”

The door of the mailroom slowly closed as Uncle Wang watched the young girl’s retreating figure, sighing with emotion:

“Back in my day, if I had the kind of worries these kids have, things would’ve been just fine…”

“But that girl has such a kind face. I’m sure good fortune will soon come her way, don’t you think?”

……

……