After the minor character transforms into a beauty, she steals the heart of a tycoon's son.

The preliminary round of the Saint Lan Star Selection Competition is scheduled for Saturday afternoon.

When Ruan Tang arrived at the school, the playground had completely changed.

Red carpets were laid out along the main road, and flower baskets were placed on both sides. All the electronic screens on the teaching buildings were switched to the live broadcast interface of the competition.

The etiquette team, dressed in uniform, stood at the entrance, holding directional signs.

A huge T-stage was set up in the center of the playground, with the school emblem of Shenglan as the stage backdrop, and upbeat music playing from speakers on both sides.

Several rows of judges' seats were set up below the stage, with the four seats in the middle still empty, which were the seats for the four deacons.

The audience area behind was already about 70-80% full, with students and people who had come from outside the school.

Judging from their clothes and appearance, they were not ordinary people.

Ruan Tang found a seat in a corner of the audience area.

Her hair wasn't tied up today; it was down and covered most of her face.

There was a commotion at the entrance. Ruan Tang glanced over and saw Wen Yan and Pei Heng walk in.

Wen Yan was wearing a light gray casual suit with two buttons undone at the collar of his shirt. Pei Heng walked beside him, wearing a black short-sleeved shirt with clearly defined arm muscles and his hands in his pockets.

As the two walked toward the judges' table, Pei Heng suddenly stopped when they passed the audience area.

"Yo."

He took two steps back and tilted his head to look at the person in the corner.

Ruan Tang raised her eyes and looked at him through her glasses.

"Isn't this the little girl from the cafeteria the other day?" Pei Heng grinned and patted Wen Yan on the shoulder.

"Look, it's that guy who's really good at talking."

Wen Yan followed his gaze, his eyes lingering on Ruan Tang's face for a couple of seconds. He narrowed his eyes, showing some interest. "She looks even better than that day."

Ruan Tang lowered her eyes and did not reply.

Pei Heng simply sat down next to her, draping an arm over the back of her chair. "Girl, have you made up your mind? When you're done studying, come find me, this young master?"

"Young Master Pei is joking," Ruan Tang said softly.

Wen Yan stood to the side, looked at her and smiled, "Aheng, don't scare her."

"Who scared her?" Pei Heng leaned closer and lowered his voice, "Little girl, I'm serious."

Ruan Tang looked up, and the sunlight fell directly on Pei Heng's face, making his features flamboyant and handsome.

She turned her face away shyly, "The competition is about to start, the judges should take their seats."

Pei Heng raised an eyebrow, stood up, and said, "Alright, I won't tease you anymore. We'll talk about it after the match."

Wen Yan nodded politely to her, turned and walked towards the judges' table, but after taking two steps, he turned back and looked at her again.

The system screamed in her mind, "Tangtang! Wen Yan has noticed you, you're his target!"

Ruan Tang ignored it.

People around them were watching them. Several girls huddled together and whispered, their eyes scanning Ruan Tang.

Ruan Tang pretended not to see it and turned her gaze to the stage.

The music changed; the rhythm sped up.

The host, a male student council member dressed in a black suit, walked onto the stage. His voice was loud and clear: "Distinguished guests, esteemed judges, welcome to the 72nd Saint Lan Star Selection Competition of Saint Lan Noble Academy!"

applause.

"Today's judges are composed of student council deacons and representatives from off-campus media. Let's welcome them with applause."

He reached out his hand toward the judges' table.

Wen Yan and Pei Heng didn't get up. They simply turned their heads and nodded to the audience. The other two seats were empty; Si Lin and Ji Yan weren't there.

Ruan Tang glanced at the four VIP seats, then at Si Lin's name tag, before casually looking away.

The competition began, and Shen Weiwei was the first to go on stage.

She wore a champagne-colored strapless gown with a floor-length skirt and a very fitted waist.

Her hair was styled in an updo, revealing her slender neck and delicate collarbone. Two pearls adorned her earlobes, swaying gently as she walked.

Shen Weiwei stood at the very front of the catwalk, her hands clasped at her waist, her chin slightly raised.

The light shone on her face, making her skin glow white. She had a sweet smile, a stark contrast to her appearance when she was beating someone on the playground the day before yesterday.

"Shen Weiwei! Shen Weiwei!"

People started calling her name.

Shen Weiwei nodded slightly, turned around gracefully and walked back, her skirt trailing a beautiful arc on the ground.

Pei Heng sat on the judges' panel, legs crossed. "Is that dress she's wearing a limited edition from C&C this year? There are only five in the world. Did you give it to her?"

Wen Yan shook his head slightly, "She's not worth my trouble. It's probably her father who has invested a lot in this competition."

"Her waist is really nice." Pei Heng looked at Shen Weiwei's back. "It's a pity she's just a plastic flower, she doesn't have any substance. I'm getting a little tired of her."

Wen Yan smiled. What a coincidence, he was also getting a little tired of playing it.

However, he has a new prey in mind.

Several more girls came on stage, some in evening gowns and some in cheongsams. The applause from the audience was sometimes loud and sometimes soft, but no one could overshadow Shen Weiwei's earlier performance.

Until the host announced the next name, "Next contestant: Lin Xiaokui."

A low murmur arose from the audience area.

Lin Xiaokui walked out from backstage.

She wore a modified Chinese-style stand-up collar dress, her hair was pinned behind her ears with a silver hairpin, and wispy strands of hair fell casually down her forehead, revealing her full forehead.

She wore very light makeup, without deliberately whitening her skin, but instead used a darker contour to emphasize her original features.

Lin Xiaokui walked to the very front of the catwalk and stood still.

She wasn't fair-skinned, but she wasn't dark-skinned either. When the light shone on her face, her healthy complexion gave her an indescribable good glow.

Her individual features are quite ordinary, but when put together, they create a very unique charm.

He has a heroic air about him, and a touch of wildness.

There was a moment of silence in the audience, and the murmurs gradually subsided.

I never imagined that people from the lower classes could experience such a typhoon.

Pei Heng stared at the stage for a few seconds. "This ignorant special admission student, when dressed up, is actually quite presentable."

Wen Yan smiled faintly, "This is more than just visual appeal. She has brought out a different kind of feminine style by playing to her strengths and avoiding her weaknesses."

"This is certainly a new face."

Lin Xiaokui turned around and walked back, her steps steady, without any stage fright.

Ruan Tang watched as she walked to the inside of the stage and stood next to the other contestants.

There were two people between her and Shen Weiwei. Shen Weiwei glanced at her sideways, her smile fading for a moment before she quickly put it back on.

After all the contestants had finished their presentations, the host announced that the judging process would begin.

The large screen backstage began playing a series of introductions and short videos of each contestant.

Shen Weiwei's short film is a clip of her dancing, wearing a ballet tutu and spinning in the practice room. The camera zooms in on her face, accompanied by soft piano music.

Lin Xiaokui's short film consists of her entrance photo and a clip of her winning a chemistry competition award—simple and unpretentious.

The judges were writing on their score sheets with their heads down.

The host walked to the front of the stage with the results card, "After careful review by the judges, the results of this year's Saint Lan Star competition are in my hands..."

The big screen suddenly went black, and the music stopped for a beat.

A murmur arose in the audience area, and everyone looked up at the screen.

The host turned around, thinking there had been a technical malfunction, and then the screen lit up.

In the video, Shen Weiwei raises her hand and slaps Lin Xiaokui across the face.

"Who do you think you are? A piece of trash on a blacklist, yet you dare to apply for Saint Lan Star?"

The entire playground fell silent for a moment, then exploded.

"What is this—"

"Oh my god—"

"Shen Weiwei?! A goddess?"