The night wind roared, and a flicker of firelight appeared in the darkness.
Huo Qianyun leaned against his race car, slowly exhaling white smoke from his beautifully shaped thin lips.
Ding.
His phone lit up. He opened it impatiently.
Chen Xuan: “Xiao Yun might be going to the Grand Gala this month. Are you going?”
Chen Xuan: “Don’t act like you’re not curious. Stop pretending.”
Huo Qianyun’s eyelid twitched. He really wanted to beat this guy up.
But… the Grand Gala?
He was a little interested.
[Heroes Strike Official Website]:
Dear Ms. Yun, congratulations on winning first place in the voice livestream competition. In addition to the 500,000 RMB prize, you are cordially invited to attend the Grand Gala.
A moment later, 500,000 RMB was deposited into Yun Li’s bank account.
She stared at the notification for a long time, then kissed it repeatedly.
After her excitement faded, she replied to the official message.
Looking at her reflection—her striking face paired with a white shirt and loose shorts—she frowned.
She needed a proper evening gown.
She quickly browsed luxury brands and custom design platforms, then gave up.
Simple reason: she was broke.
And that 500,000? Absolutely not to be touched.
To be fair, the original owner’s wardrobe wasn’t completely hopeless.
Like that fluorescent green dress… or those “Pleasant Goat” themed stockings.
Yun Li froze, her hand trembling as she held the stockings.
What kind of human being buys this?
Ugly on first glance, worse on second.
She threw them into the closet and collapsed onto the bed, deep in thought.
【Host, why not ask your all-powerful system?】
The round little system flew in dramatically.
Yun Li silently looked away.
The system immediately flared up.
【What is that look?! I can do almost anything except interfere with missions!】
Seeing it about to explode, she finally looked back.
“You’ve got a history.”
The system went silent.
…It couldn’t refute that.
【This time is different! I promise no scams. Dresses are expensive because of design value—if we just buy fabric, we can save 90%! With my genius brain, designing is easy!】
It leaned in, rubbing its fluffy face against her shoulder.
“Stop that. Just tell me the price.”
Instantly, it perked up.
【20 points! Flat rate! One-time deal!】
After a brief pause, Yun Li said, “18.”
【Deal! Customer, you have great taste!】
In under five hours, the system completed everything—from fabric selection to tailoring.
When it lifted the cloth, even the prepared Yun Li was stunned.
A blue mermaid gown shimmered before her eyes. The hem bloomed like flowers, the waist perfectly fitted, crystal accents sparkling at the neckline and skirt.
When she put it on—
She was breathtaking.
In the mirror stood a tall woman with perfect proportions. The dress hugged her waist like it was made for her, making her look like a swan about to take flight.
But the most striking feature was her eyes—soft, luminous, carrying a faint melancholy.
No one else could wear this look like she could.
Yun Li stared at herself for a long time, nearly pressing her face into the mirror.
Only after being persuaded did she finally take it off and carefully store it away.
To show respect, she even cleared a special section in her closet just for it.
If not for restraint, she would have taken 800 photos and posted them online every half hour.
The Grand Gala began.
Before the banquet officially started, elites and influencers had already arrived.
Every guest was dressed in luxury, exuding the confidence of the powerful.
Business circles formed naturally—casual clinks of glasses sealed deals worth hundreds of millions.
Outside those circles, influencers scanned the room, hunting for attention.
Time passed quickly.
Chen Xuan looked at his watch impatiently. “She’s not really going to bail on us, right?”
Huo Qianyun picked up his jacket. “No entertainment. I’m leaving.”
“Hey, don’t be so—”
Before he could finish—
A dazzling figure appeared at the entrance.
The entire hall seemed to light up.
Everyone turned toward the door.
And froze.
Yun Li walked in and quietly took a seat in a corner. She could feel countless glances landing on her.
She raised her eyes—and spotted a familiar face.
At the main platform, Yun Xin stood elegantly beside their father, smiling perfectly.
Then she looked over.
Their eyes met.
Yun Xin didn’t recognize her at first—but instinctively felt a surge of jealousy.
Who is that woman?
Too beautiful.
Too striking.
Too much.
But the moment passed quickly. Both looked away.
The banquet officially began.
Xiao Meng was once the top streamer in Heroes Strike.
Now she was second place.
Ever since Yun Li appeared, her dominance had been crushed.
Her audience even jokingly called her the “eternal runner-up.”
Jealousy twisted inside her.
She had even secretly hired bots to smear Yun Li.
Seeing two of Yun Li’s top supporters disappear recently made her feel satisfied.
That’s how streaming works—today you rise, tomorrow you fall.
If Yun Li fell, she would reclaim first place.
She doubted the rumors about Yun Li, but that didn’t stop her from wanting to expose her.
So she started a livestream immediately, determined to see Yun Li’s real appearance.
She had prepared thoroughly—last night she didn’t sleep at all, perfecting her makeup and styling herself for maximum impact.
She was determined to “crush” Yun Li tonight.
Even the announcement text had been written in advance.
“Welcome, Brother Wuji~” Xiao Meng said in a sweet, strained voice, almost burning her throat.
Brother Wuji had long been her top donor and one of the few Marquis-tier spenders on the platform.
A Marquis account meant over a million RMB in spending. It came with special entry effects and a golden name tag.
Wuji: “I heard Xiao Yun might be here today. Go take a look.”
Xiao Meng’s smile froze for a moment. “Brother Wuji… don’t you like me anymore? Why are you asking about her first?”
Wuji: “Don’t worry. If she looks decent, I’ll take her too. You’ll always be the main one.”
Xiao Meng quickly regained her sweetness. “Then you must not forget me when new people come.”
She left the camera briefly.
Her face instantly dropped into cold annoyance.
Her assistant streamer, Xin Yu, immediately came over to comfort her.
“Don’t worry, Xiao Meng. With your looks, Brother Wuji definitely won’t be taken away.”
Xin Yu genuinely believed it.
After all, Xiao Meng was one of the top beauties in the entire streaming section, and she knew how to handle big spenders.
That’s why she became the top streamer.
Thinking about the anonymous forum posts exposing Yun Li’s “true appearance,” Xin Yu felt there was nothing to worry about.
Xiao Meng tightened her grip on Xin Yu’s hand, her nails digging in.
“Exactly. That bitch has already been exposed. If she really looked good, why wouldn’t she show her face during voice streaming?”
Xin Yu winced in pain but nodded repeatedly.
After venting, Xiao Meng finally returned to the livestream.
Meanwhile, Yun Xin was scanning the venue for Yun Li.
In her memory, Yun Li was fat, smelled unpleasant, and had distorted features hidden under excess weight.
In short—someone who would be immediately avoided by anyone with functioning eyesight.
That’s why she was so excited about this event.
But she had searched everywhere and still hadn’t found her.
Did she back out at the last moment? Understandable—after all, showing that face on stream might scare people away.
As she sneered internally—
A shoulder bump snapped her back.
“Xin Xin, this is the young master of Mo Yun Group. Greet him properly.”
Her father pulled her toward a well-dressed man.
The “Mo Yun Group” heir—one of the top pharmaceutical brands in the country.
This was the real target of tonight.
Yun Xin quickly put on her sweetest smile.
The man, however, was clearly uninterested.
Still, she persisted, continuing polite conversation without breaking her facade.
At that moment, fireworks rose outside.
The highlight segment was about to begin.
Everyone turned toward the stage.
On the big screen, the contestants’ profiles appeared one by one.
Xiao Meng and Xin Yu were among them, proudly lifting their chins.
Finally—
The host’s voice rose:
“She rose to first place in just three livestreams, captivating audiences with her stunning voice…”
A pause.
“Let us welcome—”
“Xiao Yun!”