Madam, Please Behave-Chapter 219: Confidence

At the door of the dressing room, An Yuanyao took a moment to compose herself, gradually calming down.

She took a deep breath, raised her hand to smooth the strands of hair on either side of her face, and then, with a gentle smile, pushed open the door.

Inside, Liu Changqing and Liu Xiazhi were seated. As soon as they noticed the door open, both turned their gazes toward An Yuanyao.

"You're not hurt, are you?"

As she spoke, An Yuanyao walked toward them and stopped in front of Liu Xiazhi, addressing Liu Changqing, who was seated beside her.

Liu Changqing, still sitting, looked up at An Yuanyao and replied softly, "I just checked. No major issues."

"That's good."

Hearing his response, An Yuanyao let out a small sigh of relief, the worry on her face fading.

After a moment, she realized that both father and daughter were staring at her, making her feel something was off.

Instinctively, she raised a hand to touch her face, her voice carrying a trace of confusion.

"Did my makeup smudge? Why are you both staring at me like that?"

"No," Liu Changqing said calmly.

He kept his eyes on An Yuanyao, who looked as if nothing had just happened. Yet, both he and Liu Xiazhi had clearly heard her conversation with Li Wanran earlier.

It was hard to imagine that someone as gentle as An Yuanyao had actually slapped someone.

But he had to admit…

Liu Changqing found it quite satisfying.

Rising from his seat, he reached out and gently took An Yuanyao's hand.

Caught off guard by the sudden gesture, An Yuanyao hesitated for a moment before quickly glancing at Liu Xiazhi, her eyes flashing with panic.

She tried to pull her hand back, lowering her voice to a whisper.

"What are you doing? Xiazhi is right here…"

"An Aunty!"

Before An Yuanyao could finish, Liu Xiazhi lifted her little head and looked at her with an expression that suggested she had something to say.

Hearing herself being called, An Yuanyao stopped trying to pull her hand away and turned to Liu Xiazhi in confusion.

The little girl’s face lit up with a bright, sincere smile.

"I like you the most!"

Liu Zhiyue stared sternly at the ticket inspector blocking his way.

Taking a deep breath, he spoke in a calm tone.

"You saw me walk out just now. And now, just because I lost my ticket inside, you're not letting me back in?"

"Sorry, no ticket, no entry."

"But you clearly saw me come from inside!"

"Sorry, no ticket, no entry."

"My sister is competing in there. As her brother, can't I go in to watch?"

"Sorry, no ticket, no entry."

"Can you at least say something different?"

"Do you have a ticket?"

"…"

Liu Zhiyue fell silent, staring at the emotionless man in front of him. He looked like a soulless ticket-checking machine.

After watching his mother leave, Liu Zhiyue had tried to re-enter through the main entrance. When the inspector asked for his ticket, he explained that he had already entered earlier but had stepped out briefly.

The inspector then asked him to show his ticket as proof.

Only then did Liu Zhiyue realize—today’s pants had shallow pockets, and his ticket had vanished.

And so, this situation unfolded.

With no progress in their conversation, Liu Zhiyue simply stared at the ticket inspector, silently hoping his gaze could convey his frustration.

Just then, a middle-aged man carrying a leather briefcase and speaking sternly on his phone walked up the steps.

"Yes, arrange it this afternoon," he said, striding forward without hesitation.

Reaching the entrance, he continued his call, stepping inside effortlessly as if the checkpoint didn't exist.

Liu Zhiyue saw the whole thing.

He instantly lost his composure.

Pointing at the man’s back, he turned to the ticket inspector and demanded,

"What was that?"

"…"

"I saw that! Why didn't you check his ticket?"

"He’s with the event organizers."

Liu Zhiyue froze, unable to find a response.

Taking a step back, he inhaled deeply, his face filled with disappointment as he looked at the inspector.

It really felt like… he was being singled out.

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The competition officially ended.

As expected, Liu Xiazhi did not make the top ten due to a major mistake, leading to her defeat.

Even though they had anticipated this outcome, both An Yuanyao and Liu Xiazhi still felt a little down upon hearing the final results.

After all, they had worked so hard for the past month…

Liu Changqing walked beside them, his large hand holding An Yuanyao’s smaller one as they moved through the crowd toward the exit.

"This might actually be a good thing."

His sudden statement made both An Yuanyao and Liu Xiazhi look up at him in confusion.

Turning to them, Liu Changqing thought for a moment before explaining further.

"Even if she had made the top ten this year, she’d have to compete again in sixth grade to secure a spot in the elite school. But wouldn’t that make the whole process meaningless?"

"Meaningless?"

An Yuanyao didn't quite follow.

"What do you mean?"

"Think about it. Getting into an elite school through talent competitions—what’s the point? We can enter through academic excellence instead. Why rely on a contest that involves an element of luck?"

Looking at his daughter, who was still holding An Yuanyao’s hand, Liu Changqing smiled.

"My daughter isn’t just beautiful;she’s also incredibly smart. I believe she can get into an elite school based on her grades alone!"

"…"

An Yuanyao listened to Liu Changqing’s words, and her eyes grew brighter.

After thinking about it carefully, she realized he made a lot of sense.

Back when she was in school, she had received offers from prestigious institutions but had turned them all down, choosing instead to earn her way into an elite school through her own academic performance.

Recalling her own experiences, An Yuanyao couldn't help but nod in agreement.

"You're right!"

Hearing her response, Liu Changqing's smile grew even wider.

He turned to his daughter, who was walking like a little puppet, completely silent as An Yuanyao led her forward.

"So, Xiazhi, what do you think? Do you have the confidence to get into an elite school based on your grades?"

"…"

Liu Xiazhi suddenly stopped walking, causing An Yuanyao to halt as well, and naturally, Liu Changqing followed suit.

They both looked at the little girl, waiting quietly for her response.

Time ticked by, and as more and more people left the venue, the crowd thinned.

Finally, after what felt like an eternity, Liu Xiazhi slowly lifted her head.

Her face was flushed red, her eyes darting around nervously, and when she finally spoke, her voice stuttered.

"M-M-Maybe…?"