Inside Mu Xia’s room. She surveyed the spartan furnishings of the hotel room, but no trace of displeasure or resentment stirred within her. Losing Situ Hai’s temporary favor meant nothing. Her arrival had already sent ripples of disruption through the family. Once that disruption erupted into true chaos, she was certain she would find the truth she sought. The ceremony began half an hour later. Before leaving, Mu Xia paused before the mirror, smoothing down a few stray hairs. The girl reflected back at her looked sweet, playful, the very picture of obedience. But she alone knew it was just a mask. A wolf in sheep's clothing could strike faster, truer, and with more brutal efficiency, leaving its enemies with no chance to defend themselves. The ceremony hall was magnificently decorated. Tasting stations for various coffee bean sponsors were scattered throughout, filling the air with a rich, aromatic fragrance. Upon entering, Situ Qingshan picked up a cup of coffee and held it to her nose. She turned to Situ Hai. "This one's not bad. The aroma is very mellow. Judging by the size of the beans, they must be... from Colombia." The sponsor, who happened to be standing nearby, overheard and approached them with an appreciative smile. "The young lady has a discerning eye. Our beans are indeed sourced from Colombia." He then launched into a torrent of praise for Situ Qingshan, and Situ Hai’s heart swelled with pride as he listened, his gaze on his daughter filled with unconcealed pride. Situ Qingshan was basking in the glory when she looked up and saw the sponsor staring at Mu Xia, his expression one of utter astonishment, as if he were completely transfixed. She had no doubt that if he kept staring, he’d start drooling. A fire of annoyance and jealousy ignited within her. She and Situ Qingshan were the same age, in their early twenties, still possessing the tender immaturity of young women. But in a few more years, when she had fully blossomed, Mu Xia would become devastatingly beautiful. At that point, Situ Qingshan feared she wouldn’t even be worthy of being the background foliage to Mu Xia’s brilliance. The more she thought about it, the deeper her resentment grew, until she wished Mu Xia would simply vanish. This country girl should never have appeared to disrupt her life. Situ Qingshan took two sharp steps to the left, physically blocking the sponsor's line of sight. With a malicious glint in her eye, she snatched a cup of coffee and thrust it toward Mu Xia. "Here, sister, you should try their coffee. I think it's quite good," she said, forcing the cup into Mu Xia's hands. Before Mu Xia could say a word, Situ Qingshan clapped a hand to her mouth, feigning a sudden realization. “Oh, I forgot… Sister, you’ve spent your whole life in the countryside. You’ve probably never even tasted coffee, have you?” Hearing this, the bright, appreciative look the sponsor had given Mu Xia dimmed. He was here to find a brand ambassador, and for a moment, he’d thought Mu Xia’s image was perfect. But she’d never even had coffee? And she was from the countryside… A girl like that, no matter how beautiful, was unsuitable. If the public found out, their brand ambassador would only bring them negative publicity. Unacceptable. Mu Xia paid Situ Qingshan’s words no mind; she was genuinely curious to taste it. She took a sip and her brow furrowed. "It's too bitter." The coffee smelled fragrant, but the taste was overwhelmingly bitter, lacking the smooth, mellow aftertaste it should have had. Its quality was not nearly as good as Situ Qingshan had claimed. Situ Qingshan snatched the cup back, assuming Mu Xia was simply ignorant. What would a girl from the country know about coffee? Mu Xia’s reaction was exactly what Situ Qingshan had hoped for. She turned to the sponsor with an apologetic smile. "I'm so sorry, sir. It's not that your coffee is bad, it's just that my sister isn't used to it." This only solidified the sponsor's decision. The girl clearly knew nothing about coffee. He forced a smile back at Situ Qingshan. "It's quite all right, not everyone is a coffee drinker. Well, I won't disturb you any longer. I'll be on my way." He gave Situ Qingshan a nod and walked away. Situ Hai watched the sponsor depart, a thoughtful expression on his face. His second daughter, he mused, was indeed far superior to his first. Fearing Situ Hai's anger, Mu Xinyue feigned a scolding tone. "Qingshan, really, how could you offer your sister coffee in front of all these people?" Situ Qingshan put on a wronged expression. "I just forgot for a moment..." Situ Hai waved a dismissive hand. "Children are forgetful. But Mu Xia, how could you say the coffee was bitter right in front of the sponsor? You've completely embarrassed me!" Mu Xia lowered her gaze, her apology meek and submissive. "I'm sorry, Father. Please don't be angry..." "Forget it!" Situ Hai turned away impatiently, then instructed Situ Qingshan, "It's almost time. Go backstage and get ready. Your mother and I will be in the audience, waiting to see you accept your award." "Okay, Father." Situ Qingshan smiled sweetly, waved at Mu Xinyue, and headed backstage with her credentials. Mu Xia followed Situ Hai and Mu Xinyue toward the audience seating. Whether by accident or design, Situ Hai left her far behind, as if avoiding something unclean, making it clear they had not arrived together. This was her father. Her wonderful father, who could cast her aside the moment she had no use. A flicker of sharp frost and desolate loneliness crossed her eyes, but it vanished in an instant. She expertly masked her emotions and followed meekly behind him. The ceremony began shortly after they were seated. The crowd was larger than usual this year, the reason being a special guest: Ye Sijue. Many had fought tooth and nail for a ticket, hoping for a chance to be noticed by him. Finally, after the host’s introduction, the guests of honor made their entrance. The first was one of the founders of the Royal Coffee Academy. The second was a renowned coffee master in the industry. The third was Evans, the man Mu Xia had coincidentally met on the plane. And the final guest— "And finally, let's give a warm welcome to the President of the Ye Corporation, Mr. Ye Sijue!" The mere mention of Ye Sijue’s name sent a wave of excited applause through the hall. It was no exaggeration to say that over half the audience had come for him alone. The cameras all swiveled to the backstage entrance, ready to capture footage that the academy would later edit and post on their official blog. The annual ceremony video always generated a huge buzz, largely due to Ye Sijue’s presence. Ye Sijue walked calmly from the backstage steps to the front of the stage, giving the audience a cool, detached bow. But as his eyes swept over the crowd, they suddenly landed on a familiar face. Was that... Mu Xia? His gaze lingered on her for two seconds longer than it should have before he tore it away and bowed to the audience again. "Good evening, everyone. I'm Ye Sijue." The applause grew even more enthusiastic. Seeing the audience's reaction, the host stopped Ye Sijue as he was about to take his seat. "Mr. Ye, everyone is so thrilled to see you. Would you care to say a few more words?" His first instinct was to refuse, but the thought of a certain person in the audience made him inexplicably agree. Ye Sijue cleared his throat and, for the first time ever, added more than a simple greeting. "It's an honor to be invited by the Royal Coffee Academy to this awards ceremony. After the awards have been presented, I will be announcing the new brand ambassador for Midnight Cafe." The announcement carried through the sound system, reaching Situ Qingshan's ears backstage. Her heart began to race, her eyes shining as if she were on the verge of reaching the pinnacle of her life. Becoming the face of Midnight Cafe meant frequent opportunities to interact with Ye Sijue. Moreover, the endorsement would help her land a role in Director Song's new film, a stepping stone that would launch her into the A-list. Thinking this, Situ Qingshan clenched her fists. She was the champion. The endorsement had to be hers. ... Out front, the host delivered a few more remarks to warm up the crowd before welcoming Ye Sijue to his seat and then inviting the ceremony’s official witness, Evans, to the stage. Evans beamed, his eyes sweeping over the hall before seeming to casually drift in Mu Xia's direction. "Thank you all for taking time out of your busy schedules to join us for this awards ceremony..." After some opening remarks, Evans got straight to the point. "And now, let's announce the results of this year's competition. We'll begin with third place..." Soon, the third and second-place winners had received their awards. It was time for the champion. Evans paused for dramatic effect before announcing, "Congratulations to our champion... Ms. Situ Qingshan!" Backstage, Situ Qingshan's breath caught in her throat as she excitedly made her way to the stage. The hall thundered with applause. Her face flushed, Situ Qingshan accepted the champion's trophy from Evans. It was solid gold and heavy in her hands, yet she felt as if she were walking on clouds, floating on air. "Thank you, everyone. Thank you, Mr. Evans. And thank you to my parents for their unwavering support. I will continue to work hard!" Situ Qingshan’s voice was choked with emotion. Just then, Evans spoke again. "And now, I'd like to invite Chairman Ye Sijue to the stage to announce the brand ambassador." Situ Qingshan’s excitement surged anew. She watched, star-struck, as Ye Sijue walked onto the stage, nearly forgetting to hand him the microphone. Ye Sijue took the microphone and said, "To keep things brief, I'll announce the brand ambassador directly." Situ Qingshan was a bundle of nerves and excitement. She glanced at her palm and saw a thin sheen of sweat. This was it. It was happening. The peak of her life was here. But Ye Sijue's gaze didn't even brush past her. It settled on Mu Xia for a fraction of a second before he spoke into the microphone. "The new brand ambassador is... Ms. Mu Xia."