“Brother Hao Lin! Brother Hao Lin!” 

Bai Yu led the whole family toward the contestants’ resting area. Bai Zhi’s voice could be heard from quite a distance away. 

Hao Lin, with a few minor injuries, immediately switched from his gloomy expression to a more cheerful one when he heard the voice. 

In front of others, he was supposed to be an elegant and talented young man. 

“Mom.” 

Hao Lin nodded at his mother, Bai Yu. 

“How is it? Are you hurt?” 

Although she was happy to see him, Bai Yu was still concerned about her son’s injuries, her face full of worry. 

“It’s fine, just a small injury. Didn’t expect everyone to come. I just embarrassed myself a bit earlier.” 

Hao Lin smiled humbly at the group, scratching his head awkwardly. 

“Oh, come on, you didn’t embarrass yourself at all. If my daughter had even half your talent, I’d be burning incense in thanks!” 

Uncle Bai Li was great at lightening the mood, and his comment made everyone laugh. Bai Zhi pouted and pretended to be angry, making Bai Yu laugh even more. 

“Hahaha, you! You don’t know how lucky you are. I think Xiao Zhi is beautiful and has a great personality. If you don’t like her, give her to me! I’ve always wanted a daughter!” 

“See that? Auntie loves me!” 

“…” 

Su Liqian, listening to their conversation, for a moment felt like she was back on Blue Star, but her emotions didn’t stir much. She just quietly stood in a corner, playing the role of the invisible person.

After all, she didn’t have much emotional connection to these people. 

“Sister Qian.” 

Lost in thought, she suddenly heard someone call her name. When she turned her head, she saw Meng Tong standing next to her, though she had no idea when he had come over. 

“What is it?” 

Just as Su Liqian asked, Meng Wu came over with a frown and tugged at her little brother, “I told you not to run off.” 

“I didn’t run off. I just wanted to ask Sister Qian something…” 

Meng Wu glanced at Su Liqian, gave a small apologetic smile, and pulled her brother to the side. 

Meng Tong lightly broke free from his sister’s grip and said in a spoiled tone, “I’m not a little kid anymore.” 

Meng Wu sighed helplessly, crossing her arms in a “I don’t care anymore” gesture. 

“What do you want to ask?” 

Su Liqian spoke up at the right time. 

“Oh, it’s nothing much. I just wanted to ask… You mentioned you made it to the finals—does that mean you’re like Brother Hao Lin?” 

The boy’s innocent and slightly excited expression surprised Su Liqian a bit. She hadn’t thought anyone would believe a nobody like her could make it to the finals. 

“Yes.” 

Su Liqian nodded. 

Meng Wu, who had been standing by her brother the whole time, looked at Su Liqian in surprise and instinctively frowned, as if she was trying to figure out whether it was true. 

But Meng Tong seemed not to have any such doubts. His eyes lit up, and he looked at Su Liqian with admiration, suddenly shaking her arm excitedly. 

“Wow! Sister, you’re amazing! Can you teach me? I’m going to participate next time!” 

Su Liqian, caught off guard by the enthusiasm of a little boy, didn’t want to reject him and just smiled, “If you have any questions, feel free to ask me.” 

“Yay! Thanks, sister! Can I add you as a contact?” 

“Sure.” 

Finally, after the small talk was over, the whole group headed to the restaurant they had already booked. 

Meng Tong was pulled to the back of the group by Meng Wu. She looked at her brother, who was grinning like an idiot at his portable communicator, feeling a bit like he was hopeless. 

“Can you stop trusting people so easily?” 

Meng Tong was a bit confused by his sister’s sudden question, but he quickly noticed the irritation in her tone. 

“What’s wrong? Are you talking about Sister Qian?” 

“Good, so you do know.” 

“But… Why can’t I trust her? She’s amazing!” 

“Idiot.” 

Meng Wu sighed and knocked her brother’s head. “Even Brother Hao Lin didn’t make it to the finals the first time he competed. You believe whatever she says!” 

“But…” 

Meng Tong, still holding his communicator, looked conflicted. 

“But the official information can’t be wrong, right? Sister Qian not only made it to the finals, but she also has so many fans on Star Art!” 

Meng Wu glanced at her brother’s communicator without caring at first, but then froze in place. 

“Popular contestant certification, Finalist certification, Dream Caster certification…” 

If it weren’t for the fact that the competition video on the Star Art account clearly showed that familiar face, Meng Wu would never have believed any of this. 

Meng Wu picked up the information Meng Tong had gathered and flipped through it. The more she read, the more unbelievable it seemed. 

“See? I told you, Sister Qian is amazing! I watched clips from her matches—she’s seriously so cool! Anyway, I’m already a huge fan of hers. I even got her contact info—don’t be jealous!” 

“And look at this! Sister Qian is super popular on the Sixth Star District forum! She’s just as impressive as Brother Hao Lin!” 

“…” 

Meng Tong was like a die-hard fan enthusiastically promoting his idol, and luckily, they were at the back of the group, so no one noticed the commotion. 

After watching all this, Meng Wu started questioning reality. Her gaze accidentally fell on Su Liqian, who was walking a bit ahead, and her thoughts became a mess. 

Even now, she couldn’t connect the timid Su Liqian from her memories to the confident, clever, and successful card master in the video. 

This was way too surreal! 

She really had no eye for talent. She actually doubted her and thought she was bragging earlier! 

Meng Wu even regretted not asking for her contact info like her brother had. 

The restaurant Bai Yu chose wasn’t too far, and the group quickly arrived at their destination. 

The waiter led the way, guiding them into a beautifully decorated private room where Hao Ming’s father was already waiting. 

“Everyone, take a seat and pick what you’d like to eat.” 

Bai Yu took on the role of the host and naturally sat at the main seat. 

Hao Lin sat next to Bai Yu, while Bai Zhi quickly grabbed the spot next to Hao Lin, not wanting anyone else to take it. 

Bai Lan and Bai Yao weren’t the type to fight for seats, so they sat down next to each other. 

Su Liqian had just found a more secluded seat when Meng Wu and her brother Meng Tong sat down next to her. 

“Sorry about earlier.” 

Su Liqian turned to look at Meng Wu, who had suddenly changed her attitude. For a moment, she didn’t quite understand what the apology was about. 

“What’s that?” 

“Oh, I just… my attitude wasn’t very good earlier. Sorry.” 

Meng Wu smiled shyly. 

“Oh, it’s fine.” 

Su Liqian hadn’t taken it to heart anyway. She just wanted this meaningless dinner to end quickly so she could get back to preparing for the next round of matches. 

“Hao Lin, you’re the star today—go ahead and order!” 

“How about Uncle and Aunt order? I’m fine with anything.” 

“Come on, Hao Lin, don’t be so modest! You looked so handsome today!” 

“…” 

After some pointless back-and-forth, they finally finished ordering and moved on to even more meaningless small talk. 

It was mostly just people showing off and buttering each other up. Su Liqian had heard so much of it today, her ears were starting to hurt. 

“This is the first time I’ve seen Hao Lin compete live! He’s way better than I was at his age!” 

“No, no, I just happened to face a not-so-strong opponent.” 

“Brother Hao Lin is just too modest! Other people can only dream of making it to the finals, but how many actually do? When you make it to the Star Realm competition, I’ll make sure to brag about it to my friends!” 

“Ah, it’s still too early to talk about the Star Realm competition, who knows if I’ll even make it.” 

“I think you will! Did you see how Brother Hao Lin performed today? His skills! I think the Star Realm competition is pretty much a done deal. You better be ready to treat us when it happens!” 

“I agree, when Hao Lin makes it, he’ll be the first from our big family to do so! We have to celebrate!” 

“Hahaha, you’re such a joker! If Hao Lin really makes it, I’ll make sure to treat you all!” 

“Hahahahaha…” 

The conversation around Bai Yu and Hao Lin was lively and full of praise. 

“Hmph, if you ask me, Sister Qian is even more amazing. If anyone’s qualifying, it’s her.” 

Meng Tong muttered under his breath, but quickly quieted down when his sister shot him a warning glance. 

However, Bai Zhi, who had been focused on Hao Lin, suddenly turned her gaze to Su Liqian, making Su Liqian feel a chill down her spine as she was eating. 

“By the way, I was talking to Xiao Qian earlier. She said she made it through, but I wonder if she made it to the finals? If she did, that’s fantastic! Our family has two potential stars now!” 

This comment changed the mood instantly. The lively atmosphere quieted, and everyone who had been talking animatedly turned their attention to Su Liqian. She had to pause and lift her head from her meal. 

“Of course! Sister Qian is amazing too! She’s just as good as Brother Hao Lin!” 

Meng Tong, being a naive kid, didn’t pick up on Bai Zhi’s sarcastic tone. He thought he was supporting his idol and eagerly chimed in. 

But soon, he noticed the strange looks from the adults around him and the smug smile on Bai Zhi’s face. 

Although Meng Tong was lively, his mother Bai Lan had specifically told him not to talk too much at the table. Being the center of attention made him uncomfortable, so he glanced at Bai Lan anxiously. 

As for Su Liqian, she sighed inwardly but managed to keep a calm expression on the outside. 

It seemed like this meal wasn’t going to be a peaceful one. 

“Xiao Qian, you advanced to the Star District Finals too? Little sister, why didn’t you tell us about such a big thing?” 

Bai Yu was the first to speak. Her tone hinted at some dissatisfaction. 

However, she quickly shifted her expression, turning to Su Liqian with a smile. 

“I didn’t expect you to have improved so much after all this time. You know what? This is my fault! I’ve been so focused on Hao Lin that I haven’t paid enough attention to you! How about we all go cheer you on next time?”  

---

You can grab the full book now on my Ko-fi page, available in both PDF and EPUB formats! 🖤
📎 Here’s the link to the full novel