Su Liqian won. 

That was the last thing Bai Yu and the others ever expected. 

They were already shocked when she first stepped into the arena. But as the match went on, their understanding of her kept being flipped upside down. 

There’s no way… that’s the same Su Liqian who used to blend into the background, right? 

This has to be a dream. 

But no matter how hard they tried to deny it, the truth was right there in front of them. The sound of the crowd cheering for Su Liqian rang in their ears, snapping them back to reality. 

Now, when Bai Yu looked at Su Liqian, her gaze had completely changed. 

She was no longer just the quiet, ordinary niece that nobody paid attention to. Su Liqian seemed like a completely different person now. 

She was incredibly talented—an unexpected rising star from the Sixth Star District, with tons of fans backing her. Standing in the center of the arena, she practically glowed. She was so dazzling it almost hurt to look at her. 

But wait… wasn’t it supposed to be her son, Hao Lin, who was the chosen one?

Wasn’t he supposed to be the one getting all the admiration and applause?

And yet now, out of nowhere, someone even more “gifted” than Hao Lin had appeared. Bai Yu couldn’t help but feel a deep sense of disappointment and loss. 

People who are used to being praised can’t stand the idea of sharing the spotlight. 

What’s worse, that person was from the family of the younger sister she had always looked down on… 

And as the one being compared to, Hao Lin’s face turned dark, his expression clouded with the same gloom from yesterday’s match. 

To him, Su Liqian was no longer his cousin, but a new, troublesome rival. 

He’d always hated those gifted prodigies. And now, there was one standing right in front of him, stealing the spotlight. Worse still, this “genius” was even more dazzling than him.

He actually watched the whole match this time, and the more he saw, the more uneasy he felt. 

A complete rookie? This is her first time entering a card competition?

If he was being honest, even he wasn’t sure he could beat her. 

Why?

Is this what a real genius looks like? 

The more he thought about it, the darker his expression grew. 

One family can only have one genius, right?

So why does this cousin have to show up and outshine me now of all times? 

As fans all around kept shouting Su Liqian’s name, Hao Lin just grew more agitated. 

“…That’s really our cousin?” 

Bai Zhi was the first to speak, completely stunned. Her disbelief was written all over her face as she stared at Su Liqian standing at the center of the arena. She even gulped. 

“Sister Qian!!! That was amazing! I’m your biggest fan! Aaaaahhh!” 

Compared to the gloomy mood on this side, Meng Tong was practically bouncing with excitement. As soon as Su Liqian was announced the winner, he jumped up and joined the rest of the crowd cheering her name. 

“See? I told you! Sister Qian is super strong!” 

“That was so cool! I need to get her autograph later so I can brag to everyone!” 

Meng Wu was more observant than her little brother. Though she was also caught up in the hype of the match, she quickly noticed the weird atmosphere coming from the adults next to them. She tugged her brother back down and shot him a look to be quiet. 

“What? Come on…” 

Meng Tong looked annoyed but sat down anyway, grumbling under his breath. 

A few moments later, Su Liqian returned to the audience area and sat down next to Bai Yu. 

To be honest, if there had been another seat open, she wouldn’t have come back here. 

“Xiao Qian, I didn’t realize you were hiding so much talent. Good child, good child.” 

Bai Yu smiled at her with a “kind” look, but the smile was visibly stiff. 

The usually eloquent Bai Yu, at this moment, couldn’t bring herself to say any words of praise. She simply patted Su Liqian’s shoulder and half-heartedly congratulated her. 

“Sister Qian, that Illusion World you used just now—what was it called? I’ve never heard of it before.” 

Bai Zhi and her family lived in the Fifth Star District, so they hadn’t seen the Journey to the West Illusion World that had taken the Sixth Star District by storm. 

“Oh, that’s called Journey to the West.” 

“Wait, did you… craft that Illusion World yourself?” 

Bai Zhi asked carefully, glancing at Bai Yu’s expression as she did. 

“I was just the first one to turn that story into an Illusion World.” 

“Oh…” 

Bai Zhi didn’t fully get what that meant. 

But wasn’t that the same as saying Su Liqian was the original creator? 

Which meant… Su Liqian was a Dream Caster 

She didn’t dare say it out loud. 

Everyone knew how valuable a Dream Caster was. 

Even if Hao Lin was still a genius, his worth couldn’t compare to someone who could endlessly create value from scratch. 

And based on what they’d just seen, even in terms of card battling skills, Su Liqian seemed stronger. 

Now that’s what a real genius looks like… 

Bai Zhi started regretting the way she’d treated her before. 

Why didn’t I notice how amazing she was earlier? I could’ve gotten on her good side… 

“Sister Qian, you’re incredible! First tournament and already in the finals? Can I train with you sometime?” 

“We’ll see if I have time.” 

Su Liqian didn’t say yes or no, but to Bai Zhi, it still felt a bit dismissive. Picking up on the mood, she quickly changed the subject and started chatting with Bai Li instead. 

“You’re a Dream Caster?” 

The competition continued, but Hao Lin’s shocked tone was somewhat drowned out by the loud cheers around them, though it couldn’t hide the turbulent emotions in his eyes. 

“Yes,” Su Liqian replied calmly. 

Bai Yu followed Hao Lin’s gaze and turned to look at Su Liqian. 

A Dream Caster! 

This little girl was actually a Dream Caster?! 

Now it wasn’t just Bai Yu who couldn’t sit still—Hao Lin was just as shaken. There was no way he could keep watching the match calmly anymore. 

Even Bai Li, overhearing their conversation, looked completely stunned. And it didn’t take long for the news to spread to the others. 

“Xiao Qian, since you’re a Dream Caster now, could you teach your cousin that Illusion World you just made? He’s still in the competition, and that weapon card you used earlier looked pretty powerful.” 

“Auntie, I only just started learning about crafting cards. I don’t have the skills or the technology to make a simulation sphere yet.” 

“Oh right, silly me!” 

Bai Yu laughed and pretended to be embarrassed, then smiled warmly at Su Liqian. 

“You two should chat more often, you know? You’re the most promising kids in the family! You’ve got to help each other out from now on…” 

Suddenly, Bai Yu was being super enthusiastic toward Su Liqian, grabbing her hand and rambling on. But when she saw that Su Liqian stayed distant and lukewarm, she eventually stopped with the advice. 

When they left the competition arena, Hao Lin—who barely spoke to his cousins normally—actually waited for her on purpose. 

“Is this really your first time participating in a card competition?” 

He finally spoke after walking beside her for a while. 

“Obviously.” 

Su Liqian, having been asked this question repeatedly, was starting to feel impatient. Moreover, she didn’t have a great impression of this cousin, so she answered half-heartedly. 

“How’s your record so far?” 

Su Liqian glanced at his serious face, then put on a modest expression and replied, “Just so-so.” 

Hao Lin nodded, looking a bit relieved. 

She probably didn’t want to mention her own record? Maybe it was just luck that she barely made it into the finals. 

But regardless, the fact that she was a Dream Caster was a big deal. 

Dream Casters were one in a million. Most people could only dream of meeting someone like that—yet here she was, his cousin by blood. 

Hao Lin wasn’t stupid. 

If she were just a regular card master, her talent might make her a threat—a rival to watch out for on the battlefield. 

But as a Dream Caster? That changed everything. 

It made more sense to become allies with someone like her than to treat her like a rival. 

Dream Caster’s were incredibly important to any Card Master. 

Su Liqian had already demonstrated her extraordinary talent as a Dream Caster during that last match. He believed that it wouldn’t be long before her name appeared in the history of Interstellar Card Tournament. 

Even if she didn’t shine in the tournaments, just being able to create simulation spheres would make her rich beyond belief. 

Someone like her, of course, Hao Lin was willing to lower his stance and engage in conversation. 

Especially since they were family. And if he could get a one-of-a-kind card made by her? Even better. 

“Let’s exchange contact info. If you need anything in the future, you can ask me. I’m currently working hard for the Star Realm competition, and we can communicate more when the time comes.” 

He pulled out his communicator and offered it up like a seasoned card master giving guidance. 

Su Liqian didn’t really care for people like him, but since he was technically her cousin, it wasn’t the best time to stir up drama. 

After all, the family appeared to be harmonious on the surface, and she didn’t want to make things difficult for her mother. 

So, sticking to the principle of “less drama is better,” she added Hao Lin’s contact, then quickly found an excuse to leave. 

When she got home, she checked in on Sen Ya and Ye Zilan’s matches. 

Both of them were 1-1—one win, one loss. Their chances of advancing weren’t looking great. 

Just as she was thinking, her communicator buzzed again. 

Beep beep.

It was from the “big customer” who hadn’t contacted her for a while.  

Wishful Thinking (Finals Edition): Big Boss, are you there? 

Wishful Thinking (Finals Edition): Are you busy with the finals? 

Qian Qian Smile: Yes, what can I help you with? 

Wishful Thinking (Finals Edition): Oh, actually nothing! I just noticed you haven’t posted new stuff recently, so I came to ask. 

She had been lurking on the trading site for who knows how long! She checked every day to see if the big boss had posted anything new, only to be disappointed every time. 

Without the big boss’s cards, how could she survive? 

After waiting for several days, she finally gathered the courage to message the big boss. 

The effort paid off, and the big boss finally replied to her! 

Wishful Thinking (Finals Edition): Please save me, Big Boss! 

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