What Chen Xin said makes sense.
After all, her Xia family has the strength. Even if Xia Yingxing said she wanted to debut, with her own looks, her family's financial resources, and her father's connections, achieving this would be very simple.
She could also, as Chen Xin suggested, become a behind-the-scenes investor, becoming the capital big-shot behind Yan Qinghuan.
Then wouldn't she be able to order Yan Qinghuan around and boss her about?
"Yan Qinghuan, give this Princess a shoulder rub…" After singing this song, Yan Qinghuan gracefully exited the stage.
The audience below was wailing and howling.
"Goddess Yan Qinghuan, what will we do if you leave us?!"
"She's quite aloof," Xia Yingxing said.
"Not bad, I guess. After all, this is a school anniversary celebration, not her concert. How could she interact with the audience as enthusiastically as she would at a concert?" Chen Xin said.
"That's true."
After Yan Qinghuan left, more student performances followed.
It must be said, they had all prepared meticulously. The 50th-anniversary school celebration was very significant, and they all wanted to leave a deep impression on their classmates.
Soon, it was Shen Fenglian's turn to perform.
The closer it got to her performance, the more nervous Shen Fenglian became.
Before, she could still manage a forced smile, but now she couldn't even smile.
She knew this was a critical moment, but she was still scared.
Those nightmarish three years of junior high school taught her to hide her brilliance, and now she was revealing it again.
Would she repeat the same mistakes?
"Don't be nervous," Xia Yingxing said to Shen Fenglian.
"I know, but I can't calm my heart down," Shen Fenglian said.
"I understand. After all, it's her first time facing so many people, and also her first time dressing up so beautifully since junior high," Xia Yingxing said with a smile.
After Chen Xin's magical touch, Shen Fenglian was reborn, looking stunning. There was no trace of her former self; this was what the real Shen Fenglian should look like.
"Why do you have the courage to resist?" Shen Fenglian suddenly asked.
"Because this isn't the life I want. I don't want to be bullied by Yang Xi my whole life, and I don't want to be called the Sickly Princess my whole life, so I worked hard."
"You probably don't want to keep going on like this either, so you also need to work hard. Don't worry, we'll help you," Xia Yingxing said.
Shen Fenglian nodded.
She really didn't want to keep hiding like this anymore.
She didn't have Xia Yingxing's courage, but now that Xia Yingxing and Chen Xin were by her side helping her, what reason did she have not to take this step?
Clearly, just taking this step would clear the skies, would fill her dark world with color—this was what she yearned for.
Shen Fenglian still went up.
She had made a huge decision.
"She should be fine, right?" Chen Xin asked, a little worried.
"Of course, because she wants to change. If she just wanted to be content with the status quo, she wouldn't have accepted our help in the first place, so I believe in her," Xia Yingxing said.
Shen Fenglian was actually very uneasy, especially the moment she stepped onto the stage. She was afraid that what would surge towards her was a flood of malice.
In fact, she was wrong.
When Shen Fenglian went on stage, a series of gasps erupted from the audience.
"Holy cow, who is this girl? She's so pretty, why have I never seen her before?"
"Her name is Shen Fenglian, a freshman! She's really beautiful!"
"She's so pretty, why isn't she on the campus beauty ranking?"
"I know Shen Fenglian, I know! I used to think she was pretty invisible and didn't really dress up. I never imagined she'd look this good once she did! She's absolutely a goddess!"
Everyone in the audience was astonished by Shen Fenglian's beauty.
On stage, Shen Fenglian also heard their words—praise for her beauty, and how her appearance made them happier.
It wasn't like in junior high, when she was ostracized and bullied for being too eye-catching.
It turned out the world wasn't as bad as she had imagined; it was just how she had always perceived it.
After receiving affirmation, her apprehension naturally dissipated, and Shen Fenglian became increasingly confident.
Xia Yingxing and Chen Xin both saw this.
"It seems she has found her true self," Xia Yingxing nodded, very satisfied with Shen Fenglian.
Their efforts to help her were not in vain.
Such a beautiful girl shouldn't be constrained by the past; she should display her most perfect self.
If her junior high classmates isolated and alienated her, it was because they were narrow-minded and lacked an extraordinary discerning eye. That was their problem, not Shen Fenglian's.
What's wrong with a girl wanting to be beautiful and dress up nicely?
Just because one isn't as pretty as her, does that mean one can't stand to see others receive widespread admiration?
Fortunately, Shen Fenglian was not completely ruined by those people; there was still room for salvation.
Shen Fenglian finished her performance and came down.
"How was it?" Xia Yingxing asked.
"It wasn't as scary as I imagined. I was always too sensitive. I felt the enthusiasm of the students below," Shen Fenglian said.
The feeling now was completely different from back in junior high.
Not everyone is so narrow-minded and unable to stand others' success.
Perhaps she shouldn't have cared so much about their opinions; constantly trying to please others would only hurt herself.
"Then let's keep it this way from now on, alright?" Xia Yingxing asked.
"Alright," Shen Fenglian nodded.
There was no need to hide her brilliance anymore.
From this moment on, she would be her true self again.
"Xia Yingxing, it's almost your turn to go on stage. What are your thoughts?" Chen Xin asked.
"Thoughts? No thoughts. Just one question," Xia Yingxing said.
"What question?"
"Is it still too late for me to back out now?" Xia Yingxing asked seriously.
"…"
Wow, how can you back down at a time like this?
"This stage is very important for both you and Shen Fenglian. Shen Fenglian has successfully crossed over, now it's up to you. You don't want to be called the Sickly Princess forever, do you?" Chen Xin said earnestly.
Xia Yingxing felt a headache coming on.
The others were clearly well-prepared; you could tell by how effortlessly they performed on stage. Shen Fenglian already had a foundation, she just needed a little practice and to overcome some psychological hurdles, which was fine.
But she was cramming at the last minute!
It was hard to guarantee she wouldn't mess up.
If she really failed, would she really have to use her family's power to silence them?
"Don't worry, just let them see a lively and agile Xia Yingxing who can sing and dance! To get rid of the Sickly Princess title, you have to go up there!" Chen Xin said.
Alright, alright, it's come to this, there's no point in backing down now.
So, she just had to go on.
Although she was cramming at the last minute, Xia Yingxing believed in Ling Yun-jie's ability. What she taught her wholeheartedly would definitely not be bad and could allow her to present a perfect stage to the students.