Charming

As Ding Yuqing finished speaking, the crowd fell silent.

No one asked any more questions. Some looked at Lin Jiao suspiciously, while others whispered among themselves.

Ding Yuqing's face had already flushed red. She lowered her eyes, secretly praying that the uneven lighting on the court would conceal her expression.

"Are you done?" Xiang Hanshan pressed.

"Mm."

"Then Hesta's turn." Xiang Hanshan took a deep breath, shifted her gaze, and slightly adjusted her tone. "You're up."

"...What were you just talking about?" Hesta asked. "It went too fast. I didn't catch it."

"She was introducing herself," Xiang Hanshan answered. "Now that she's finished, it's your—"

Hesta turned to Ding Yuqing. "What did she just say to you?"

Ding Yuqing vaguely sensed that Hesta seemed to be standing up for her. For some reason, that intuition made her feel even more embarrassed—she could clearly feel more eyes settling on her.

"Nothing..." Ding Yuqing said softly. "It was just a normal introduction."

"But your tones were strange," Hesta said. "What was all that about Dad's mother and older sister's daughter? Weren't we talking about hobbies? How did it suddenly get dragged into this—"

"It's your turn now, Hesta!" Xiang Hanshan suddenly raised her voice. "Everyone is waiting for you. Could you stop wasting everyone's time?"

Hesta shifted her gaze. From Xiang Hanshan's displeasure, she swiftly confirmed what she had sensed earlier.

Beside her, Lin Jiao held her forehead. "Hanshan..."

"What's going on here?" Someone in the crowd tried to smooth things over. "Since she's new, we should be a little more patient."

"Yeah..."

Xiang Hanshan clenched her fists. She could feel Hesta's stare from the corner of her eye, but deliberately avoided looking at her, staring only straight ahead.

"...My tone was a little harsh just now. I was in a hurry."