Xing Yiyue's hatred against Luo Qingqing had finally reached its peak after the latter managed to steal tonight's spotlight from her. She initially thought that it would be easy for her to make a name tonight because none of the other models could compete against her.

  Some of them were newcomers within the modeling world and were still building their portfolios, while the others were young actresses that had yet to earn a break within the show business.

  That was why she was arrogant and confident that she would be the star of the night. All of that changed, though, when at the last minute before she stepped on stage, she heard Liu Ruoyan's assistant gasp and stare with horror at something on the other side of the backstage.

  Following her gaze, Xing Yiyue cursed her luck when Luo Qingqing walked towards her with such domineering and regal movements. Her eyes looked at Xing Yiyue as if the woman was below her status.

  "My, my, Miss Xing, I wasn't expecting to see you here," Luo Qingqing greeted the other actress she hadn't seen for a long time, though it felt like yesterday since she last saw her.

  Xing Yiyue was taken aback by Luo Qingqing's words, wondering if this was the same woman she bullied repeatedly before. Luo Qingqing was far from the meek and gentle woman who could only lower her head in shame while Xing Yiyue berated her in front of their colleagues.

  "Luo Qingqing, you dare to look down on me now? How dare you?" Xing Yiyue sneered at her— refusing to back down from Luo Qingqing's intimidating gaze. Whatever happened to the woman who used to avoid her eyes before? She wondered.

  Luo Qingqing harrumphed and crossed her arms on her midsection. After having a long talk with Tang Moyu months ago during her second photoshoot for Xiao Xing about dealing with her insecurities, Luo Qingqing realized that she was being bullied by Xing Yiyue and the other artists because she allowed them to do so. By not saying anything, enduring their harsh remarks, she had willingly given them the permission to look down on her— but now, not anymore.

  Tang Moyu was right. If she wouldn't stand up for herself, no one would. This was the harsh reality she'd learned the hard way. If she continued to allow people to look down on her, in the future, she wouldn't be able to stop them from harming her Little Yunyun.

  "Please don't say that, Miss Xing. Unlike you, I have a reputation to protect and I don't want other people to think that I'm bullying you when in fact, I am not. Speaking of bullying, have you forgotten how you treated me back then?" Luo Qingqing gave the other woman a sweet smile that Xing Yiyue found so sickening.

  "So? Don't tell me you want to return such favors, Luo Qingqing." Xing Yiyue lowered her voice, not wanting to get unwanted attention but it was already too late. People around them were talking in hush voices as to how the mighty Xing Yiyue had fallen.

  Since Xing Yiyue came here along with Liu Ruoyan earlier, they shamelessly proclaimed that they would bag tonight's award without considering how other participants would feel about it. The staff of the competition just shook their heads. In their eyes, it seemed that Liu Ruoyan's arrogance had already blinded her.

  "Not everyone is like you, Miss Xing." Luo Qingqing lowered her arms and was about to turn to leave but Xing Yiyue caught her wrist, stopping her.

  "What do you mean by that? Who do you think you are?!" she demanded Luo Qingqing.

  This time, Xing Yiyue couldn't contain her anger any longer. She didn't care what people think of her right now. So what if she's trying to leech off Liu Ruoyan's resources? If anything, she was tired of being on Liu Ruoyan's beck and call so why couldn't she ask her something in return?

  Since she already hit the rock bottom, Xing Yiyue knew that she could only rely on herself from now on, but that didn't mean she would allow anyone to look down on her, especially Luo Qingqing.

  "Miss Xing, since we never got a chance to compete on the same stage, do you think you would be able to get the right traction tonight? Would you be able to come back after this?" Luo Qingqing challenged her before pulling her wrist from Xing Yiyue's hold. She will prove to everyone that she reached whatever she had today not because of the misfortune that befell Xing Yiyue, but because of her hard work.

  "Then you better not be disappointed later, Luo Qingqing," Xing Yiyue said before turning to step up on the stage when she heard her name being called.

  It was now or never. After the humiliation she suffered from the scandal that dragged her name to the mud, Xing Yiyue knew that it would be hard for her to come back to the showbiz industry. Her reputation was nothing now compared to Luo Qingqing, and she found it unacceptable.

  A year ago, Luo Qingqing was the one who always got the shorter part of the stick. Now, she had certainly risen into stardom and was now considered by everyone as the newest film empress after her spectacular performance in the historical TV drama and another blockbuster movie that were now popular overseas.

  Xing Yiyue took calming breaths and shut her eyes. As Liu Ruoyan's entry was called by the host, the fierceness that flashed in her eyes let everyone know that she wasn't giving up yet. No. She refused to admit defeat to anyone— not to Luo Qingqing, and definitely not to Tang Moyu.

  After this, she would make Feng Tianhua regret betraying her— denying her a chance to become a mother to their daughter. It didn't matter who she was because whether she was Liang Ling or Xing Yiyue, it wouldn't change the fact that she was the woman who gave birth to her baby.