"Little Xi!"
"You were amazing!"
As Qiu Xi stepped off the stage, Yu Xin Xin greeted her with an exclamation of praise.
"Xin Xin, isn't that a bit premature?"
Even Qiu Xi, who felt she had performed well and had a thick skin, couldn't help but feel a little overwhelmed by such immediate praise.
"It's not premature!"
"I saw it all, the judges on stage and the audience below, your score must be excellent."
"And I believe in you!"
"Alright then~"
"I'll take your word for it~"
Yu Xin Xin smiled a little foolishly, "Hehe~"
"Okay!"
"Hmph!"
As the two of them were chatting happily, someone nearby let out a cold snort and walked onto the stage.
"What's wrong with her?" She doesn't seem right...
"Little Xi, you didn't see it when you were up there, but this woman really is a sycophant!"
Yu Xin Xin's words might have been a bit harsh under normal circumstances, but directed at the inexplicable number 22, they weren't harsh at all.
"She and that number 24, they're like two sides of the same coin, one willing to give and the other willing to take. And I saw that number 24 barely acknowledged her."
Perhaps her comment about having no friends had really gotten under her skin; the way she acted just now was… a bit comical.
This was truly a real-life scenario of someone enthusiastically trying to please someone who was completely indifferent!
After hearing Yu Xin Xin's description, Qiu Xi didn't know what to say.
"It is quite speechless..."
Speechless and ridiculous...
"Right!"
Qiu Xi nodded, "Mm."
"So you should go prepare, you're next."
"Okay." Yu Xin Xin didn't dawdle, and as soon as she finished speaking, she stood to the side and began to review her script one last time.
"...Number 21, 9.9 points."
After a long pause, the host's voice surprised everyone present.
Those who were slightly better off were the judges on stage and the audience members participating in the scoring.
The most astonished were the contestants, like Qiu Xi, who were still on the sidelines.
This was the first contestant so far to come close to a perfect score.
"This is too outrageous!"
"Such a high score!"
"Could this be the first place of this round?"
"..."
As soon as the scores were announced, a group of people began to murmur amongst themselves.
With so many eyes on her, Qiu Xi felt a little awkward for a moment.
Having already experienced grand occasions, she wasn't flustered, but the way everyone was looking at her like she was a rare specimen made her feel a bit helpless and unable to say anything, thus feeling somewhat awkward.
The only person who could have eased her awkwardness, Yu Xin Xin, had already walked onto the stage when number 22 came down, so she hadn't had a chance to speak with Qiu Xi.
And since everyone was just discussing and not approaching her, Qiu Xi eventually had to shift her position...
Meanwhile, Yu Xin Xin, now on stage, still had the mood to feel excited for Qiu Xi!
She was someone about to begin her own speech!
Little Xi is so amazing!
She had to work hard too!
Yu Xin Xin was number 23, and that number 24 was right after her.
As this person walked over, she still maintained that aloof and self-assured demeanor...
Although it was rather off-putting, Qiu Xi still listened intently to her speech after she took the stage.
"Little Xi, you're listening so intently, what do you think?"
After Yu Xin Xin came down, she repeated her unexpressed joy several times.
Then she saw that Little Xi was actually listening intently to number 24's speech.
To her surprise, after she asked, Little Xi actually nodded seriously.
Qiu Xi praised, "It's very good."
Although this person didn't seem remarkable, Qiu Xi now acknowledged her talent for public speaking.
Setting aside other aspects, number 24's speech was very realistic, very "economic," or perhaps even a bit "capitalistic."
The topic was also very bold, directly asking, what is your value worth?
Qiu Xi listened very attentively from beginning to end.
And Yu Xin Xin, listening to Qiu Xi's words, also started listening intently.
After it ended, she had to admit that number 24 was much better than her...
"Little Xi, she spoke so well..."
Although the topic was realistic, it was also very impactful.
Qiu Xi nodded, "Indeed."
Qiu Xi agreed with what Yu Xin Xin said, because it was indeed very well spoken.
"But I think you're better!"
Yu Xin Xin's words weren't just mindless flattery.
Because it was all about public speaking, setting aside the subject matter, she felt that number 24's stage presence wasn't as good as Little Xi's.
The content was good, but if you consider the overall performance of the person, she felt that number 24 was still lacking quite a bit.
Qiu Xi just smiled at these words.
For these aspects, she had been honed by Xiao Hua in the system for a long time.
And the requirements from several teachers after later training were not low either.
Teacher Li Yun Xi had often lectured her on the points Yu Xin Xin had just mentioned.
So she didn't deny it, but rather felt confident that she had definitely done well in this regard.
"Xin Xin, your score is out."
As number 24 just finished her thank-yous and stepped down, the host began.
"...Number 23, 9.4 points..."
"Xin Xin, it seems pretty good, doesn't it?"
"Ah!"
As soon as her name was called, Yu Xin Xin covered her mouth, her eyes unable to hide her joy.
"Little Xi! I think I did alright..."
Qiu Xi nodded in agreement, "Mm, that's very good~"
It wasn't a comforting gesture, but a genuine happiness for her.
"Mm!"
Yu Xin Xin was already starting to speak incoherently.
She was satisfied with how far she had come in this competition.
While the two of them were happy, number 22, who was waiting next to them for number 24, was in a bad mood.
However, thinking about her own score from earlier, she pouted and said nothing.
Only after number 24 came down did she follow her to the side.
...
However, this quiet moment didn't last long before that mouth couldn't hold back any longer.
Because number 24's score was announced...