Michelle's parents had always taken her photos ever since she was a child. She had always been a photogenic girl and had no problem smiling happily in front of the camera. Her smile was able to melt people's hearts.
This was the case as Leon watched her on the screen.
Every time he saw her smile, his lips would always curve upwards.
Ever since they sat together, Valerie hadn't moved her eyes away from Leon. She saw familiar glimpses of his affectionate expression every time he looked at Michelle. It was the same way he had looked at her in the past. Finally, she was sure of one thing.
Michelle wasn't just his friend. He was in love with her.
At first, she was doubtful about it. But now, she was sure, and the thought made her feel very uneasy.
He had been looking for her for so long. And yet he fell in love with another woman. A young girl.
Valerie felt disgusted as she watched Michelle during her interview.
"Now that we've talked about the competition, let's focus on something else," the host said.
"Okay, but please hurry up," Michelle replied. "I'm going to call my brother to tell him about the good news."
"Isn't he watching the live broadcast of the competition?" the host asked.
"I don't want him to watch it. I'm afraid he'll scold me for being fierce in the game," she answered.
The host smiled. "Okay. We have a question for you and we're curious to know the answer. No one knew that you were a girl because you've always hidden your voice and face. Why is that?"
"Because he won't allow me."
The host looked confused. "Why wouldn't he allow you?"
"He doesn't allow me to show neither my voice nor face. He also doesn't allow me to add any friends on WeChat randomly. He says I'm easily deceived, and he doesn't believe me when I tell him I'm not."
"He must be a caring brother. My next question is for all the single boys. Do you have a boyfriend?"
"What?" Her face turned pinkish. "No."
The host continued his line of questioning. "Is there anyone you're in love with?"
Hearing the question made Leon frown. He thought he could no longer handle watching for another second, so he stood up and left.
"Yes, I do. I like him very much," Michelle's sweet voice played from the screen. Valerie noticed that Leon had walked away. She immediately understood why.
For a moment, she felt very sorry for him. The one he loved had a crush on someone else.
But that was inconsequential to her. From now on, her heart only belonged to him.
Since Michelle had already fallen in love with another man, Valerie thought she had nothing to worry about.
Leon had learned a lesson from his experience with her. He had learned not to cage Michelle the same way he had done to her.
When she heard Michelle say something from her iPad, her face turned pale. She tried to exit the page several times, but the live broadcast wouldn't close. She had no choice but to turn off her iPad in a hurry.
When the light from her iPad faded, her fingers trembled slightly.
'Thank God Leon went to the balcony.
If he heard what Michelle had said...' Her thoughts trailed as she couldn't bring herself to even imagine the possibilities.
After the interview, Michelle left the camera and exhaled upwards, gently blowing her bangs.
Joanna clapped as she walked towards her. "All this time, I thought you wanted to keep it a secret. Turns out you were just waiting for the right opportunity! You're so awesome! But I gotta say, it's a little high-profile."
"I...I can't help it. What if Leon was watching it?" Michelle pressed both her palms against her face. She could feel the warmth of her own hands. "I...I think I made a mistake, Joanna."
"No! Don't regret it. Have courage. If Leon watched it, then you can take that as an opportunity to confess your love to him. If not, then you can just repeat what you said to him." Joanna placed her arm around Michelle's shoulders.
"What?" Michelle's legs were still trembling from the adrenaline of confessing. "Maybe Leon didn't see it. After all, there are so many videos online."
Joanna pinched Michelle's nape. "Don't be so timid, okay? What if he also likes you?"
"But what if he doesn't?" Her mind couldn't help but jump to the worst-case scenario. The more Michelle thought about it, the more regretful she became.
"If he doesn't like you, then try to make him like you." At Joanna's age, everything was a possibility for her.
Even though Michelle always thought like a child, the fact was she was no longer one.
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