Chapter 58: Behind the Miracle (1)

As the music ended, the crowd remained, unmoving and silent, their gazes fixed intently upon the stage, unwilling to disturb the lingering sense of wonder that hung in the air. At this moment, Moya, one of the central figures of the affair, appeared before the audience at the front of the stage. Shalan, the other protagonist, knew in her heart that she had been thoroughly defeated. Now, she wished for only one thing—that the Zhen Xiaoyan before her was an impostor. If not, she could only accept sharing Moya with Zhen Xiaoyan, though she hoped her position in Moya’s heart would never rank below Zhen Xiaoyan’s. Yet, after tonight’s events, it was clear to all what the outcome would be.

Bathed in the glow of well-wishing eyes, Zhen Xiaoyan and Moya simply stared at one another, gazing deeply, unmoving. Time slipped by, minute after minute.

Hey, move already! Ten minutes have passed; surely you’ve looked enough!

“Fatty, go on! You’ve endured so much for this day, for this moment, haven’t you?” Ye Lang watched Zhen Xiaoyan standing atop the stage, not moving toward Moya, her eyes occasionally flicking to him as if seeking his approval.

Perhaps it was because, throughout this journey, Zhen Xiaoyan had grown accustomed to seeking Ye Lang’s consent for everything. Even when it came to her own matters, she still sought his opinion. Maybe, faced with this outcome, she was at a loss. Though she had longed for such a result, now that it had arrived, uncertainty and fear clouded her mind—a common sentiment for anyone. Or perhaps it was for other reasons, those unknown possibilities…

“I… I’ll go now…” Zhen Xiaoyan kept her gaze on Ye Lang, and after a moment, she slowly walked toward Moya.

“What’s there to hesitate about? Isn’t this what you wanted? I’ll never understand women. I’m heading home!” Ye Lang said, somewhat perplexed, before slowly stepping off the stage to leave.

“Brother, you’re just going to leave? Aren’t you going to watch them…” Ye Lanyu, who had been waiting below, asked curiously.

“What’s there to watch? It’s just a pair of lovers whispering sweet nothings. I’m not interested. Besides, I’m exhausted—these twenty-some days have worn me out,” Ye Lang replied carelessly.

“Tired? Then let’s go home and rest. The carriage is waiting outside; you can nap on the way,” Ye Lanyu said gently. Hearing that Ye Lang was tired, she resolved to postpone her questions, no matter how many she had.

At this moment, another voice chimed in—

“Hehe, you’re lying! You’ve spent every day lounging around, watching Xiaoyan struggle. You never encouraged her, never comforted her…”

“..., Liu Feiyan, what are you doing here?” Ye Lang looked toward the source of the voice and saw Liu Feiyan standing gracefully to the side, as charming as ever—her recent, private appearance.

“Why shouldn’t I be here? I’ve worked hard for you all these past twenty-some days. I want to see how it all ends. But honestly, while I believed you could do it, I still find it hard to believe. Three days ago, Xiaoyan wasn’t nearly so lovely and enchanting. What did you do these last three days to bring about such a transformation?” Liu Feiyan smiled, her words revealing something to everyone.

So, Ye Lang’s disappearance these past three days wasn’t without cause. He had been making one last effort to perfect Zhen Xiaoyan, to make her flawless—at least for this moment.

“And you’re just going to leave without seeing the result?” Liu Feiyan finally asked the question everyone had wanted to ask but had momentarily forgotten.

Ye Lang yawned and replied lazily, “Is it necessary? Fatty did splendidly; victory is assured! Unless the judges cheat, but I doubt they’d dare. And even if she doesn’t win first place, just look at them—like a pair of illicit lovers—her goal’s already achieved. The rest doesn’t matter much.”

“How can you call them illicit lovers? That’s hardly fair!”

“Isn’t it? Isn’t that what ‘illicit lovers’ means? Fatty’s the third party, and Moya is fickle…”

“…”

Is that even appropriate? This continent allows polygamy, and besides, neither has married yet—they’re free to choose!

Love should be free!

“Let’s not talk about this. You little rascal make everything confusing!”

“Then let’s drop it. Fatty’s gotten what she wanted—there’s no need to worry about anything else!”

“Yes, Xiaoyan originally did all this for Moya. So long as she’s recognized by him, winning the Flower Queen title is just icing on the cake.”

Sometimes, a person’s immediate goal is merely a side benefit, often overlooked by others who forget the true purpose. Just like Zhen Xiaoyan now—her only wish was to prove herself to Moya and gain his simple approval.

And now, things had far exceeded her expectations. The so-called Flower Queen title no longer mattered to her at all.

This outcome was beyond anyone’s imagination. Who could have foreseen her transformation—so alluring, so lovely, so perfect?

Everyone present wanted to know: how had Ye Lang accomplished this?

The Seventh Princess couldn’t help but ask, “Ye Lang, how did you do it? To bring about such a change in Zhen Xiaoyan—it truly feels like turning the ordinary into the extraordinary!”

Ye Lang shook his head and sighed softly. “It’s not about what I did. All I could do was give her medicine, soak her in potions, offer a bit of help. The real key was her own effort. If she hadn’t worked hard herself, even with all the skill in the world, I couldn’t have helped her.”

Ye Lanyu and the Seventh Princess fell silent, but Liu Feiyan understood deeply—she had witnessed Zhen Xiaoyan’s relentless dedication, the kind of effort most could never achieve.

As for Ye Lang, though he always seemed carefree and indifferent to Zhen Xiaoyan’s struggles—as if he merely offered a little help and then left her to her fate—Liu Feiyan sensed his unique support for her. It was a kind of understanding shared only between them, invisible to outsiders.

Over these twenty-some days, Liu Feiyan had noticed their relationship grow stranger, shifting from friends to rivals, quarreling, even nearly coming to blows, only to reconcile quickly after. She found a reason for this: perhaps Ye Lang wanted to help Zhen Xiaoyan relieve the hardship by sparring with her—so she could forget her pain, if only for a while.