For a moment, all eyes were on Su Liqian, coming from all directions. Some were skeptical, some mocked her, some were just watching the show, while others were worried. 

Bai Yu smiled on the surface, but inside, she didn’t have much of an impression of her niece. It didn’t stop her from looking down on the little girl, who had already learned to lie and save face at such a young age. 

Hmph, does she really think anyone can be as gifted as her son? 

Bai Yu glanced around at the relatives sitting around her and quickly turned her gaze away. 

Who here could compare to her family? 

She had married a husband with ambition, and in just a few years, they had moved from the outskirts of the Sixth Star District to the prosperous Fifth Star District. Most importantly, they had an incredibly capable son. He was Bai Yu’s pride and joy! 

Hao Lin had always been different from others; he was a genius, the child everyone placed their hopes on! 

One day, he would definitely become a renowned Card Master like Zi Lian or Chu Ji. His future wouldn’t be confined to a single star district. That’s why Bai Yu had always advised him to stay away from those ordinary people. 

And these people, the only reason they had any connection to her family was the unbreakable blood tie. Otherwise, how else could they have the chance to meet the future card star? 

Bai Yu sneered in her heart but hid the disdain in her eyes. She looked Su Liqian up and down, her smile not reaching her eyes. 

It had been a while since they last met, and her inconspicuous niece had indeed grown taller and more beautiful, but that didn’t change the fact that she was just a “useless card master.” Just a few months ago, she was still worried about her future studies, and now suddenly she had reached the district finals? Only a fool would believe it! 

Bai Yu’s opinion of Su Liqian grew worse. 

She was just a little clown trying to grab attention. 

Bai Yu glanced at her son sitting next to her. He had been focused on his communicator, not even sparing a glance at the situation here. 

“Right, right! Xiao Qian, when is your match? Let’s go watch it together!” 

Bai Zhi chimed in, her voice full of curiosity, following Bai Yu’s lead. 

Su Liqian looked at her worried parents for a moment, gave them a reassuring smile, then nodded casually. 

“Sure, but my match is tomorrow. I’m not sure if you’ll make it in time?” 

Her answer left everyone stunned. They had thought Su Liqian would try to come up with some excuse to stop them from watching, but she agreed so easily. Didn’t she fear being exposed on the spot and becoming even more embarrassed? 

Bai Yu subtly furrowed her brows but quickly put on a smile. 

“Haha, of course we’ll make it in time! No matter how busy we are, we’ll go! You all need to be there, got it? We can’t let our niece lose face!” 

No matter what tricks she had up her sleeve, Bai Yu was curious to see what the little girl would do. 

“Right, Xiao Qian, you really made it to the district finals?” 

Uncle Bai Li snuck a glance at Bai Yao and asked, half-believing, “You never told us! We just found out about such a big thing. I guess the kids in our family are all doing great. This must be Xiao Qian’s first time competing too, right?” 

That comment rubbed Bai Yu the wrong way. 

Was he implying that Su Liqian was better than her son? Bai Li really had no sense. 

But then Bai Yu thought to herself, it didn’t matter—this whole thing about Su Liqian making it to the finals wasn’t true. The more they built her up, the harder she’d fall. She was just a kid; she needed to learn a lesson. 

“No, no, I just didn’t want to put too much pressure on Xiao Qian since it’s her first time competing. But after the match tomorrow, I’ll treat everyone to a meal,” Bai Yao said with a gentle smile, her eyes full of love and pride for her daughter. 

This puzzled Bai Yu a little. 

Her younger sister was usually soft-spoken and never liked being in the spotlight, so why was she helping her daughter lie today? 

“Yay, I want to watch Sister Qian’s match too! I’m a fan of hers!” Meng Tong spoke up, breaking the tension with an innocent comment. 

Indeed, children were always so pure and carefree. 

At this meal, everyone had different thoughts. Some were waiting for the drama to unfold, while others kept to themselves. 

Bai Lan barely spoke a word during the whole meal. She only exchanged a few sentences with Bai Yao before taking her kids home. 

◇◆◇ 

“Xiao Qian, are you feeling any pressure?” 

On the way home, Bai Yao, looking worried, suddenly asked. 

“No, don’t worry. I’ll just focus on my match,” Su Liqian reassured her. 

“I’m glad you think that way…” Bai Yao sighed in relief. “I feel bad for bringing you there… I should’ve known better.” 

“It’s okay.” 

Su Liqian smiled at her mother. After clearly assuring her that the match wouldn’t be affected, Bai Yao finally felt at ease. 

They got home late. Su Liqian quickly reviewed some preparation materials before going to bed. 

◇◆◇ 

The next morning, the match was set to take place. 

The whole family arrived on time outside the competition venue in the Sixth Star District, but this time, the focus was on Su Liqian. 

“Hey, Xiao Qian, aren’t you going to prepare for the match?” Bai Yu asked, noticing Su Liqian standing outside in casual clothes to greet them. 

Behind her was her precious son. 

Hao Lin, who stood behind Bai Yu, kept his head down, glued to his communicator, showing no interest in greeting his cousin. 

“There’s still some time before it starts. I just stepped out for a bit of air,” Su Liqian replied casually. 

Her words sounded normal, but in Bai Yu’s ears, it seemed like a lame excuse, as if she were stalling. 

Bai Yu sneered inwardly but kept up a warm smile on the outside. “Oh, okay. Make sure to prepare well for the match. Your aunts and cousins will cheer you on.”

Soon, Bai Li’s family and Bai Lan’s family arrived and took their seats. Bai Yu pulled Su Liqian to her side and kindly reminded her about the match. 

“Xiao Qian, don’t push yourself too hard during the competition later, safety comes first. If you don’t understand something, just ask Hao Lin; he has plenty of experience with competitions…” 

Bai Zhi wasn’t too upset about losing her seat next to Bai Yu. After all, they were here to watch Su Liqian make a fool of herself! 

They had already made a scene by coming to the competition venue. Let’s see how she’ll handle it later! 

“Come on, Hao Lin, your sister’s about to compete. Why don’t you share some tips with her?” 

Bai Yu pulled Hao Lin away from his chat on the communicator. He lifted his head in irritation, gave Su Liqian a quick glance, and said, “There’s nothing much to say. Card battles aren’t a child’s play. Just don’t mess it up and lose your life over it.” 

His tone was clearly mocking, and he didn’t even try to hide it. After throwing out his words, he went back to his communicator. 

“Hahaha, Hao Lin’s just too blunt, but he’s also concerned about you. Xiao Qian, you must be careful. When it’s your turn, I’ll definitely drag him to cheer you on.” 

Bai Yu kept talking in her ear, and though Su Liqian was a little annoyed, she stayed polite and didn’t leave her seat. 

“Don’t worry, Aunt, I’ll give my best in every match.” 

Finally, the moment arrived, and Su Liqian stood up to leave. 

“Go, Sister Qian!” Meng Tong stood up excitedly, while Meng Wu exchanged a look with Su Liqian and smiled, nodding her head. “Good luck.” 

Surrounded by words of either encouragement or mockery, Su Liqian walked down from the audience seats.

“The next match is soon, she really won’t get on stage, will she?” 

Bai Zhi had been waiting for the moment Su Liqian would embarrass herself, but as the match was about to start, she noticed Su Liqian calmly walk into the preparation area. 

This wasn’t right. Could it be… 

No way. No way… 

Bai Zhi turned to look at Bai Yu, who was also frowning, looking confused. 

“Is that girl really going down? Hao Lin, there’s no way they’d swap someone in for her, right?” 

Hao Lin looked down at the screen, where the name “Su Liqian” appeared clearly. Only then did he put down his communicator and sit up straight. 

“Of course not.” 

But… 

Hao Lin frowned deeply, a possible thought briefly crossing his mind, but he quickly dismissed it. 

“Let’s wait and see.” 

“Next up, we have two dark horse players from the Sixth Star District. One is a genius card master who impressed everyone in her first competition, coming from Lanxi High School—Su Liqian. The other is…” 

Bai Yu and the others didn’t catch the rest. They were too stunned the moment they heard the name Su Liqian.

“Isn’t Su Liqian from Lanxi?” 

“It can’t be a coincidence, right…” 

As they tried to process it, a girl in casual clothes with a high ponytail strolled confidently into the center of the competition arena, greeted by cheers and loud applause from the crowd. 

“Su Liqian! Su Liqian! Su Liqian!” 

The person sitting next to Bai Yu, who seemed like a fan of Su Liqian, shouted her name with all their might. 

The girl on the broadcast screen was none other than the familiar face everyone knew! 

Hao Lin’s eyes flickered with confusion and a subtle hint of jealousy. He unconsciously put down his communicator and focused on the competition stage. 

Standing at the center of the arena, Su Liqian radiated confidence and ease. One hand casually slipped into her pocket, embodying the youth and energy of a girl on fire with passion. 

She stood there quietly, yet everything about her felt different from the usual impression she gave. 

Su Liqian, standing on the stage, radiated a calm, confident aura. She seemed to enjoy the attention and cheers from the crowd, and there was no trace left of the invisible person she used to be. 

“Let the match begin!” 

With that signal, the girl on the stage moved instantly. 

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