The bus returned to the hotel. Xia Qingtian and the other two were still out shopping. By the time Xia Qingtian and the other two returned, many local students from the capital had already been picked up by their parents.
At the hotel entrance, Xia Qingtian spotted Liao Tingting dragging her suitcase, about to go home alone.
Liao Tingting met Xia Qingtian's gaze and let out a cold snort. Recalling how she had humiliated Xia Qingyu and exposed the sisters' act of deep affection, Liao Tingting sneered disdainfully.
"They're not blood-related, so who cares about whom? What are they pretending with this sisterly affection?"
"Liao Tingting, right?" Xia Qingtian suddenly called out to Liao Tingting.
"What? Did Xia Qingyu complain to you?" Liao Tingting asked with a snort.
"Complain?" Xia Qingtian raised an eyebrow slightly at the sound. "What did you do to Qingyu?"
"What could I do? I'm not as shameless as you, deliberately making me look bad on the day of the competition and causing me to perform poorly!" Liao Tingting said coldly. "I would never do something so shameless!"
"So, you deliberately approached Qingyu on the competition day and said all that nonsense not to mess with her mindset, but to bless her with several good luck buffs?" Xia Qingtian retorted, crossing her arms.
"I!" Liao Tingting was momentarily speechless. She had indeed intended to provoke her.
Who told Xia Qingyu to be so excessive?
A mere student from Z City, daring to be so arrogant in the capital?
"Then I truly misjudged you~" Xia Qingtian chuckled and said, "Liao Tingting, I admit that what I said yesterday was a bit childish. If it caused you any harm, then I apologize. If you have any issues, take them up with me. Don't make things difficult for Qingyu."
"Ha!" Liao Tingting let out a mocking laugh. "Did you sisters conspire to put on a show for me?"
"Xia Qingyu saying she'd apologize to me on your behalf and asking me not to blame you, in the end, it's just that burdensome tag-along trying to curry favor with you.
And you, telling me not to make things difficult for Xia Qingyu, it's just because you're worried I'll expose your maliciousness and affect your career as a star, right?
You're both so fake, selfish trash, what are you trying to pull with me!
It makes me sick!"
Liao Tingting seemed to feel that mocking Xia Qingyu before wasn't enough, and now she was mocking Xia Qingtian.
Her eyes were fixed on Xia Qingtian's face, as if trying to find a trace of embarrassment to further prove she was right.
But Xia Qingtian didn't show any signs of panic from her exposure, instead asking, "You said... Qingyu begged you, and that she was apologizing to you on my behalf?"
"Yes! But she was just talking. I asked her to kneel, and she chickened out," Liao Tingting said, crossing her arms. "A mere small test revealed her fake sincerity. Shouldn't you thank me? Having such a burdensome tag-along trying to curry favor with you must be quite troublesome for you~"
"You dared to ask Qingyu to kneel for you?" Xia Qingtian's voice instantly turned a few degrees colder. "Who do you think you are! To dare to trample on my Qingyu!"
"Goddess sister!" Seeing Xia Qingtian about to charge at Liao Tingting, Shi Xingwu immediately stepped forward to block her.
"You scoundrel! You're no match for Qingyu, you wanted to mess with her mindset, and you deserved the consequences! You even dare to take it out on my Qingyu! Who do you think you are!" Xia Qingtian said angrily. "Shi Xingwu! Let go!"
"Qingtian! No, no, no!" Miao Tong also quickly stepped forward to block. "It's not worth it, it's not worth it! She won't dare anymore! She won't dare anymore!"
"What are you waiting for! Hurry up and leave!" Shi Xingwu said while blocking Xia Qingtian, winking at Liao Tingting. Was this woman an idiot?
Why wasn't she leaving at this moment? Did she want to get beaten or stage a fake accident!
Liao Tingting was clearly startled by Xia Qingtian's demeanor. She remained still, her eyes wide as she stared at Xia Qingtian, muttering, "Impossible, impossible..."
Xia Qingtian and Xia Qingyu weren't even real sisters. How much could they care about each other?
Her own parents treated her like an invisible person, completely indifferent to her thoughts. Would Xia Qingtian care about that unrelated tag-along, Xia Qingyu?
She participated in the competition alone, lived her school life alone, and even got sick alone...
Even yesterday, when her mindset was unstable and she performed poorly, knowing she hadn't done well, she cried and called her parents.
"What's there to cry about over such a small matter? I'm in a meeting! We'll talk when you get home!" Her father rudely interrupted her and hung up.
She couldn't understand why her father always had endless meetings.
"Alright, you're not a child anymore. Don't bother me with such things! I'm very busy!" The coldness in her mother's voice chilled her to the bone. She hung up without even letting her finish speaking.
Xia Qingyu was the same age as her. Why could she still act like a child?
No...
Liao Tingting recalled scene after scene from her past.
When participating in competitions, other contestants had parents to cheer them on and take photos with their parents after the event.
On the way to and from school, other classmates had parents to pick them up, and there were even family dinners after exams or parent-teacher meetings.
When going to the hospital, all her peers had family accompanying them, while she went through registration, consultation, examination, getting medicine, and IV drips all by herself... she was alone.
From beginning to end, she was alone!
No one cared about her, no one was concerned about her!
Fake! It was all fake!
Since they didn't care about her or concern themselves with her, why did they give birth to her without her permission?
Why, after bringing her into this world, did they ignore her and treat her like a burden!
She was a person! Not a burden!
Fake! It was all fake! Everything was fake!
Since that was the case, she wanted to make her parents regret it!
She wanted to do the most outrageous things, she wanted to see if their hearts were made of flesh or stone.
She dyed her hair, deliberately submitted a blank paper for today's exam, and exposed Xia Qingyu's facade.
Liao Tingting felt that she had seen through this world; it was fake, everything was fake.
But why was Xia Qingtian so angry?
Was she angry on behalf of Xia Qingyu?
No! It was impossible!
While Liao Tingting was lost in thought, Lei Xirui found Xia Qingyu, panting, "Qingyu! Your sister! Your sister is outside the hotel about to fight with Liao Tingting! Hurry and go see!"
Upon hearing that it involved Xia Qingtian, Xia Qingyu's mind went blank, and she rushed out.
"So fast!" Lei Xirui was also stunned by Xia Qingyu's disappearing figure.
As Lei Xirui was about to chase after her, her phone rang. Seeing the caller ID, Lei Xirui was taken aback but still answered the call.
A hoarse voice came from the other end of the line: "Fourth Miss, Third Young Master has already set off to pick you up at the hotel where you are staying. Please be ready to return to the Lei family with Third Young Master."
"Okay, I understand."