Madam, Please Behave-Chapter 217: An Yuanyao and Li Wanran (2)

Dressing Room.

Thanks to An Yuanyao and Liu Xiazhi’s participation in the competition, Liu Changqing wasn’t stopped at the entrance.

He carefully placed his daughter onto a chair, crouching down to inspect her legs. After confirming there was no visible injury, he removed her shoes.

Holding her foot in one hand, he gently pressed around her ankle with the other, carefully twisting it slightly before looking up at her.

"Does it hurt?"

"……"

Liu Xiazhi didn’t respond.

She sat there in a daze, as if her mind had shut down, completely ignoring her father’s question.

Seeing her expression suddenly shift, Liu Changqing froze for a moment, then turned toward An Yuanyao, who was just as worried.

Their eyes met, both understanding what the other was thinking.

An Yuanyao shook her head slightly.

Liu Changqing exhaled, suppressing his worry, and gently set his daughter’s foot down.

Still crouching, he looked up at her bowed head and spoke softly.

"Don’t be scared. Daddy is here."

"……"

Hearing those words, Liu Xiazhi remained motionless for a few moments before slowly lifting her head to look at her father.

She could clearly see the concern in his eyes.

Then, she glanced at An Yuanyao, who shared the same worried expression.

The memories of the past month flooded her mind—An Yuanyao’s patient guidance, her careful corrections, and the words of encouragement from her father during rehearsals.

She had messed up…

Her eyes widened as an indescribable emotion welled up inside her, a suffocating pressure in her chest making it hard to breathe.

Sniffling, her eyes brimmed with tears as she looked at the two people in front of her, her voice trembling with guilt.

"Dad… I’m sorry, I…"

"It’s okay."

Liu Changqing reached out and placed a gentle hand on her head, ruffling her hair with a reassuring smile.

"I saw how hard you worked these past weeks. Failing once doesn’t mean anything. No one goes through life without stumbling."

"But I… I was doing so well until the very end…"

"Xiazhi."

An Yuanyao crouched down beside them, placing her hand over Liu Xiazhi’s and gazing at her with warmth.

"I feel the same way as your dad. You’ve been working so hard recently—we both saw it."

"Aunt An…"

"That’s why… this failure doesn’t matter. What matters is that you gave it your all. The effort you put in is what truly counts, not the result."

Seeing Liu Xiazhi’s wide, tear-filled eyes, An Yuanyao smiled and gently squeezed her hand.

Holding her firmly.

Liu Xiazhi stared at An Yuanyao, as if wanting to say something.

"Aunt—"

"You shouldn’t have made such a mistake."

A voice interrupted her.

The sudden words drew the attention of all three, their gazes shifting toward the doorway.

Liu Xiazhi froze.

Standing at the entrance was someone she didn’t want to see.

Her expression flickered with an almost imperceptible fear as she slowly averted her eyes.

Liu Changqing saw her too.

His face darkened.

He stared at the doorway for two seconds before standing up and turning toward it.

Seeing this person at this moment, in this place, sent a wave of anger surging through him.

She was like a mosquito—impossible to get rid of. If you didn’t crush her in one blow, she would keep coming back to bite.

An Yuanyao also stood up, stepping closer to Liu Changqing and subtly positioning herself to shield Liu Xiazhi.

Her gaze locked onto the woman at the door—Li Wanran.

Cold and poised, standing there as if she belonged.

An Yuanyao was the first to speak.

"Why are you here?"

At her words, Li Wanran’s grip on her purse tightened slightly.

The sound of her high heels echoed against the floor as she stepped inside.

Click… click… click…

Stopping just in front of them, she tilted her chin up slightly, looking at Liu Changqing first before shifting her gaze to An Yuanyao.

Her eyes were indifferent.

An Yuanyao didn’t back down, meeting her gaze head-on.

It was as if an unspoken battle took place in that instant.

No one knew who would come out victorious, but Li Wanran spoke first.

"The first half of the performance was quite good—the dance, and… your accompaniment."

As she said this, her eyes flickered toward An Yuanyao before continuing.

"But that mistake at the end was too amateurish. With Xiazhi’s skills, she shouldn’t have messed up like that."

"Enough!"

Liu Changqing snapped.

His expression darkened further, eyes filled with fury as he glared at Li Wanran.

Her constant interference had long since worn his patience thin.

Just as he was about to lash out, he felt a firm grip on his hand.

Startled, he turned to An Yuanyao, confusion in his eyes.

She shook her head slightly, signaling him to look behind them.

Following her cue, he glanced back—at Liu Xiazhi.

His daughter’s face was pale.

She looked frightened.

Frightened of Li Wanran.

"I want to talk to her."

An Yuanyao’s voice was calm but resolute.

Liu Changqing turned back, meeting her determined gaze as she faced Li Wanran.

This was the woman who had once been her best friend.

Now, they were nothing but strangers.

For the first time, An Yuanyao’s expression grew serious.

"Step outside. We need to talk."

Without waiting for an answer, she grabbed Li Wanran’s wrist and forcefully led her out of the dressing room.

The door shut behind them.

The room fell into silence.

Now, only Liu Changqing and his daughter remained.

An Yuanyao didn’t stop walking until they were far enough away from everyone else.

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At that point, Li Wanran jerked her hand free.

Stopping in her tracks, she turned to face An Yuanyao.

Before An Yuanyao could speak, Li Wanran’s voice—tinged with mockery—cut through the air.

"Is this your revenge?"

An Yuanyao’s face twisted in anger at those words.

But before she could retort, Li Wanran said something that completely shattered her usual composure.

"You’re with my ex-husband just to get back at me, aren’t you?"