Chapter 184 Family!

“The last contestant to enter the top five is….”

The host looked at the judges and then at the contestants on the stage. From the talent round, only ten contestants were chosen. The rest of the girls were sent home as they were eliminated by the best contestants.

Today, the top ten girls were given tasks and only five of them got into the next round which was also the last round.

This round was also known as the final question/answer round.

“Xiao Xinyi!”

The selected girls hugged Xiao Xinyi aka Twinkle. Therefore, the top five finalists were– Ji Mao’er, Jiang Yao, Chen Jia, An Xiulan and Xiao Xinyi.

Among all the five girls, Jiang Yao’s scores were highest followed by Ji Mao’er, Chen Jia, An Xiulan and Xiao Xinyi.

An Xiulan scored the lowest scores in the first two rounds but she had the highest scores in the talent round where she not only showed her talent but a hidden purpose too. This was the reason why she was able to enter the final round. To be a beauty with a brain was what the judges were looking for.

The final round would take place after two days.

Today, the family and the friends of the contestants were also present in the audience. After the event ended, the contestants went to meet their family and friends.

“Mom, ” An Xiulan grinned as she hugged her mother. She missed her family a lot. More than anyone, she missed her mom even though she saw her mom only a few days ago. Who said she couldn’t moss her mom even if she talked to her all the time?

“How are you doing?” Her mother asked. She had been worried about her daughter who had been badly bullied online. The PR team of the Orchid group was suppressing online haters that were ridiculous and unreasonable. However, if they suppressed one account, a hundred more would appear again. Someone was buying water armies to spread negativity about An Xiulan but they couldn’t understand who it was.

“Great, ” An Xiulan replied.

“I told you she will be fine. You were worrying in vain, ” Lu Xuan scoffed as he entered after a moment.

“Excuse me, she is my mom. She is allowed to worry about me. What has this got to do with you?” An Xiulan asked a certain someone who said that they were doing better without her at home. So, why should she talk nicely to him?

Sometimes, she couldn’t understand how there could be such hateful people?

“Be nice to your brother, ” An Qinyan said with a sigh.

An Xiulan gaped at her mother and resisted an urge to stomp on her feet. These people…they no longer cared for her? She knew that she was being dramatic…but that was what she was….over dramatic person.

Could she file a complaint against her mother? Her mom took her brother’s side, not hers!

“Jiejie!” She heard a shriek and turned her head to see Lu Zhaolin coming with Song Yofei and Xiaobao. At least, someone else cared about her.

“My little brother, only you care about Jiejie, ” An Xiulan wiped her nonexistent tears.

“Ma, we only sent her to a beauty pageant. She learned acting too, ” Lu Xuan snorted.

Of course, An Xiulan graciously ignored a cawing crow hovering around her.

“My dear favourite brother, did you hear a crow cawing around?” An Xiulan asked Xiaobao who seriously nodded his head.

It was Lu Xuan’s turn to gape at his little brother? He gave more treats to this boy than Betty and Augustine and that’s what he got in return? Betrayal!!

“Jiejie! Pwetty! Pwetty!” Xiaobao said as he pulled her dress and she squatted on the ground to be on an equal level with him. He leaned ahead and kissed her cheeks before bursting into a fit of giggles. He looked back at his mom and dad and giggled again before kissing his sister’s cheek and then shyly putting his small chubby hands on his face.

“Xiaobao, I missed you so much, ” An Xiulan genuinely said. Her little brother was a sweetheart.

“Hihihi, ” Xiaobao acted cutely.

“Lanlan, turn around. Your dad and Auntie Song are here. Won’t you greet them?” An Qinyan said to her daughter.

“Hello, father. Hello, Auntie, ” An Xiulan greeted them. It was not that she didn’t see them. She was just too busy with her little brother that she forgot about all the other people.

“You performed well, ” Lu Zhaolin said. He wasn’t good with words in the first place but he tried to tell her that he was proud of her. She was doing so well and as a father, he couldn’t be happier.

“Thank you, father, ” An Xiulan felt touched. Although she claimed that she didn’t care about Lu Xuan’s dad, deep inside, she still wanted the real An Xiulan to get the love of a father. If not love, maybe acceptance. Why was it like this? Was it because she was loveless in her last life? She was getting so much love and attention in this life and still she wanted more.

Gosh, was she lovesick and love-starved?

“Since all of us are here, why don’t we take a family picture?” Lu Xuan suggested and An Xiulan nodded her head. “Dad, Auntie, why don’t you stand on Teeny’s left side? Mom, you stand on the right side.” He walked out of the door for a moment and came with a bodyguard who held his phone while he stood next to his mother and posed before the camera.

“Say family!” An Xiulan shouted.

To the family…

For the family…

With the family…

“Uncle Zed, take more pictures. My dress is beautiful and my family is looking beautiful just like me. We should take more pictures, right?” An Xiulan said, looking at everyone who agreed with her. They took several pictures together. “How about a picture of me, Lu Xuan, father and mom? We don’t have photographs with mom and dad together in it with us.”