Chapter 294

"I abstain."

Abstain? Abstain at this time? Everyone looked at each other, not knowing what Cui Ya meant.

"I'm very sorry, I don't mean to disrespect the competition, nor am I afraid to face the result of failure, but I hope to use the time saved to tell everyone some things, about—my friend He Lele."

Hearing the last sentence, the host, who was ready to intervene, looked at the program’s general director off-stage. Only then did he discover that the few people supervising the scene were all gone! After hesitating for a moment, the host decided to wait and see first. If Cui Ya said something she shouldn't, he would interrupt again.

Under the spotlight, cold sweat slid down her forehead. He Lele closed her eyes to prevent the salty sweat from sliding into her eyes.

"No, please don't look at her. Do you know? If there is one person who has not exerted her full strength since the competition, that person is her. So losing to her, I am convinced."

"Xiao Ya, what do you mean by that?" The host still tried to find a sense of existence.

Cui Ya’s gentle and affectionate eyes looked at the host, then slowly scanned the audience, and finally turned her head to look at He Lele.

"Because Lele... she has a fear of being watched."

"I only found out about this before the second battle, so I have no way to face the comparison with Lele. I can't imagine what kind of life she has been living all along, and I can't imagine how she survived every minute and second of the competition." In the close-up shot, tears slowly filled Cui Ya’s eye sockets, and the moment her curled eyelashes blinked lightly, they slid down her white cheeks.

He Lele looked up at the audience’s expressions, which were either pitying or moved, and smiled helplessly. Uncontrollable anger was fermenting in her heart.

"Lele... has already endured too much! I know, I know that many people have criticisms of her and look down on her because of some things, but please put yourself in her shoes and think about it. How many children can live like she does now after experiencing that kind of thing!"

He Lele’s figure swayed. Liu Jie was anxious off-stage but didn't dare to interrupt the live broadcast.

Seeing this, the host walked to He Lele’s side, hugged her trembling body, and asked in a low voice, "Can you still hold on?"

He Lele pulled the corners of her mouth, her eyes fixed on the microphone in the host’s hand.

"Do you have anything you want to say to everyone?"

Taking the microphone, He Lele tried to calm her tone as much as possible, "Cui Ya—"

"He Huan, I know I’m sorry for you. As your only friend, when you needed me most, I retreated and didn't stay by your side, making you feel betrayed, making you lonely and..."

Cui Ya didn't say what she was lonely and... but combined with those rumors on the internet, everyone knew what He Lele was "lonely and..." People who were still half-believing those rumors heard Cui Ya’s "explanation" and one by one showed expressions of regret but disapproval.

"I know you hate me, I know! I came to participate in the competition just to apologize to you, to apologize to you in front of the national audience!"

"He Huan... don't hate me anymore, forgive me, okay?" A sorrowful and pleading voice.

"..." Holding the microphone, He Lele found that her throat was so tight that she couldn't even breathe out a breath. Looking at the beautiful and moving Cui Ya, who was pear-blossom-like in the rain, she felt not so much hatred as deep disgust.

Even if she were to be sliced to death by a knife, she probably wouldn't hate someone so much!

Was she too stupid? She really couldn't understand—how could there be such a disgusting person in this world!

Thinking that the live broadcast time was almost over, the host subconsciously looked at the prompt screen and was surprised to see that the live broadcast countdown had stopped at some point!

"He Lele, forgive Xiao Ya!"

"It’s been so many years, let it go!"

"You can't blame her for everything, how you live depends on yourself!"

"Xiao Ya! We support you!"

People in the audience stood up one after another and shouted.

"Hehe, is it... is it that no matter what I say now, no one will believe me?" Her voice choked, and a strange red flush began to rise on He Lele’s pale face, which was the result of the blood she couldn't suppress rushing up.

"If I say..." Say what?

She suddenly couldn't remember what she had originally intended to say, the truth she had planned to tell the media after the competition.

Did anyone really care about the "truth"?

She, was so tired...

"Do you want to admit defeat?" A cold and solid male voice seemed to come from the sky.

The audience looked up and looked around in confusion, while the staff were horrified, because they knew this voice could only come from the control room, but it didn't come from any of the ones they were familiar with!

Who is it?

He Lele was shocked and looked at the direction of the control room in disbelief.

Writer’s words:

Regarding the question of "truth," let me be long-winded about some private words~

Girls born in the 80s in mainland China have probably all read the so-called "communication draft" called "The Contest of Summer Camps." Because of this communication, the 80s generation was called the "lost generation," "little emperors and little princesses." I still clearly remember the anger at that time—how could they send such a group of useless things to lose the country’s face?

More than ten years later, I accidentally saw a log written by a student who participated in that summer camp after growing up, and then searched for related news, only to know that the "communication draft" was smearing the faces of that group of Chinese elementary school students, smearing the faces of the entire 80s generation. Even now, countless people are still using that communication draft as a crime of the 80s generation.