"Gong Ning? How is that possible?"
"Then how did she get in?"
The person who had objected fell silent. The World Federation of Literary and Art Circles is a globally authoritative organization, and all its procedures are transparent to the public. There is absolutely no room for bribery or backdoor dealings...
Gong Xiangru felt as if her legs were filled with lead, so heavy that even taking a small step was difficult.
She had always prided herself on knowing Gong Ning very well, but what she saw today...
When did Gong Ning pass the preliminary round? What subject did she participate in?
On the other end, Gong Xiaojing had just finished making a call to Nan Wei when Nan Wei called back shortly after. "Sir, I contacted the World Literature Association's headquarters, and they said that Miss San is a contestant and should have entered the competition area by now."
Upon hearing these words, Gong Xiaojing subconsciously looked up at the entrance of the venue not far away. Gong Ning was no longer there. He took a deep breath, hung up the phone, and looked somewhat dazed.
Lu Weixi noticed something was wrong with him and followed his gaze towards the entrance of the venue. She exclaimed in surprise, "Where's A-Yun? Wasn't he just there?"
"She's entered!" Gong Xiaojing's voice was very soft, almost ethereal.
"Oh, Nanwei's efficiency is getting higher and higher." Lu Weixi praised him lightly.
"No, she entered through the competition entrance..."
"Oh, um? The entrance to the competition, how did she get in?" Lu Weixi's eyes widened slightly.
Gong Xiaojing recovered from his daze, his eyes filled with intense joy and a touch of pride. "The staff said A-Yun is also a contestant. That girl, she didn't even tell us she passed the preliminary round..."
Lu Weixi remained silent for a long while, as did the old man sitting to the side.
For a moment, the carriage fell silent.
In an instant, two voices rang out simultaneously:
"She truly is my granddaughter!"
"She truly is my daughter!"
Gong Xiaojing coughed lightly and added, "She truly lives up to her reputation as a girl from the Gong family!"
Then, the old man, who had been calm and collected, suddenly became anxious. "This little girl didn't even say a word beforehand. I wonder how well she's prepared?" He turned around and shouted loudly at the two people next to him, "Is this how you parents are? You don't care what your child does. We didn't even cheer her on before such an important competition. Sigh!"
A hint of self-reproach flashed in Lu Weixi's eyes. "So A-Yun has been so busy these past few days because of the World Literature Association's competition. I should have asked her then. I wonder how she's preparing, and whether she'll be nervous going in?"
Time passed slowly, and the chill of the morning in Los Angeles gradually dissipated, giving way to a slight dryness.
As the sun rose high in the sky, contestants emerged one after another, but Gong Ning was nowhere to be seen. The three matriarchs grew anxious, and Lu Weixi even stood on tiptoe to look around, seemingly disregarding her usual elegant and aloof noblewoman image.
Not long after, Gong Xiangru came out, her face pale and covered in a fine sweat. Lu Weixi's eyes lit up, and she quickly stepped forward and grasped Gong Xiangru's wrist. "Xiangru, how are you? Are you confident? Why is your face so pale? Were the questions very difficult?"
Gong Xiangru was taken aback. Looking at the concern on Lu Weixi's face, her heart warmed slightly. "Well, it's not too difficult, at least within my capabilities."
Lu Weixi breathed a sigh of relief upon hearing this, but then a look of anxiety appeared on her face, and she unconsciously tightened her grip on Gong Xiangru's hand, "Did A-Yun go in with you? We just found out that A-Yun also passed the preliminary round. Did you see A-Yun when you came out? What category did she participate in? I wonder how she is doing now?"
At the very moment Lu Weixi uttered those words, Gong Xiangru felt a surge of emotion and warmth welling up inside her. She stared intently at her mother, whose face was filled with worry, as she frequently glanced towards the entrance of the venue.
Her gaze lingered on the old man and Gong Xiaojing for a few seconds, and without exception, she saw the urgency and worry that caught her off guard. And all of this emotion was for Gong Ning.
The smile on her lips faltered. She removed Lu Weixi's hand from hers, and for the first time, she had no desire to speak to them. "Mom, the competition is mentally taxing. I'm a little tired and want to go home and rest..."
Lu Weixi withdrew her gaze, which swept across her pale face, a few flashes of heartache crossing her eyes. "Look at me, alright, let Nanwei take you back first, go back and eat something, and get a good night's sleep."
Gong Xiangru left somewhat hastily, even finding Lu Weixi's smile a little irritating.
Little did they know that the low mood caused by such differential treatment would be forever etched in the heart of five-year-old Gong Ning when she was abandoned by Lu Weixi and kicked off the plane by Gong Xiangru.
This is something she, and Lu Weixi, will always owe Gong Ning.
Choosing to forgive does not mean forgetting the past and the lingering wounds.
On the way back, Gong Xiangru leaned her head against the back seat of the car, her eyelids closed with a hint of weariness, but her mind was filled with a multitude of thoughts.
Actually, she really liked A-Yun when she was little, but for some reason, she gradually began to dislike the girl named A-Yun.
When A-Yun was found, she was actually very happy.
I really want to tell my sister that she didn't do it on purpose on the plane; she was just too scared. She was terrified that she would be the one falling.
After the palace clan was revived, she voluntarily admitted to her actions in front of everyone...
She always felt that she was braver than her mother...
Later, she knelt in the ancestral hall every day until her knees ached and became swollen, until A-Yun was found and brought back...
She wondered then, is this punishment enough? Is it time to ask A-Yun for forgiveness?
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