Grace Miller took Evie to get her styling done first.
Evie wanted to keep a low profile. She didn't want a big fuss like last time, which only brought trouble.
This time, she just wanted to participate in the semi-finals quietly. It didn't matter if she won or lost, as long as it didn't disrupt her normal study and life.
So today, while getting her styling done, Evie specifically talked to the designer.
In the end, there really wasn't any special design. She wore light makeup. She chose a simple, elegant white dress. She styled her hair in a princess bun, without even a single hairpin.
Evie really liked this look. It was simple and elegant.
On the way to school, Grace said with a smile, "Don't all girls like to dress up beautifully?"
"Simple is best!" Evie replied sheepishly.
"But you have a great foundation. Even dressed simply, you look amazing. If you really dressed up, you'd look like a fairy descending to earth."
"How can it be that exaggerated!" Evie said, half laughing, half crying.
"Actually, you look much better without your glasses!"
"I'm not used to wearing contacts," Evie explained.
"It's uncomfortable at first. You'll get used to it after a few tries."
"Honestly, I'm just lazy. I hate the trouble."
"So there are only lazy women, not ugly ones!"
"Right, right!" Evie nodded in agreement.
After dropping Evie off at the school gate, Grace drove away.
Evie went straight to the auditorium for the second round.
This time, she hadn't asked Emily to help her.
Anyway, just like Stella said, she would treat everyone below as nothing but cabbages and turnips. After her performance, she would go straight back to the dorm.
"Evie! Evie—"
Hearing someone call her name, Evie looked up and saw Emily and Stella standing hand in hand under the steps at the auditorium entrance.
"How did you two come?" Evie asked in surprise.
"To cheer you on! Isn't your rematch this afternoon? We were just about to call you, and here you are. Look, we even made a sign!" Emily said with a smile.
"I thought you guys had forgotten all about it!"
"How could we forget! The class monitor and the others are coming later!"
"Can you tell them not to come? Seriously, I just want to go back to the dorm after the competition!" Evie said quickly.
"Don't you want everyone to cheer for you?"
"It's not that I don't want to, it's just that it makes me more nervous!"
"That's true! I'll call the monitor!"
So Emily called the monitor and explained.
After hanging up, she and Stella escorted Evie into the auditorium to wait for the competition.
"Evie, you look so beautiful today!" Stella couldn't help saying.
"Don't exaggerate like that!" Evie looked down at herself and asked nervously.
"Not at all, it really suits you!" Emily replied with a smile.
"Yeah, you look gorgeous!" Stella echoed.
Evie smiled awkwardly.
She just wanted to keep a low profile right now.
After entering the auditorium, Evie was scheduled to perform later this time.
It would be two hours before her turn.
Luckily, the previous acts were quite entertaining. The cheerleading team was there to cheer them on, so watching the show in advance wasn't boring.
Otherwise, waiting for two hours would really drive anyone crazy.
Finally, it was Evie's turn.
Evie walked onto the stage, bowed to the audience and the judges, and walked over to the piano.
After sitting down, she took a deep breath and started playing.
During the prelude, there was some noise in the auditorium.
But when Evie began to sing—
"In a distant village—"
Her sweet voice came through the microphone, and the auditorium fell silent.
Even Emily and Stella were very surprised that Evie had chosen this song, and that she sang it so beautifully.
After Evie finished her performance, she took a bow and stepped down.
Emily waved at her excitedly.
"Let's go back first!" Evie came over and said in a low voice.
Then the three of them quietly walked towards the exit.
After walking out of the auditorium, "Evie, why did you change the song?" Stella asked curiously.
"This song has more of a campus vibe," Evie explained.
If it weren't for Alexander's insistence, she would never have changed the song.
"It has a completely different feel. It's so beautiful. Evie, you're so talented."
"Actually, I was really nervous. I only started practicing last night. I don't know how I did. Look, my palms are sweating."
"It was perfect. We were completely stunned!"
"Stunned by how good it was, or stunned by how bad it was?"
"Anyway, it means the same thing!"
"It wasn't too bad!" Evie answered with a relieved smile.
The three of them were about to head back to the dorm. On the way, Evie received a call from Owen.
Seeing that it was Owen calling, Evie hesitated for a moment, but still answered, "Hello?"
"Evie, where is your school?" Owen's voice came from the other end of the phone.
"Huh? Are you coming here?" Evie asked, stunned for a moment.
"I've already left."
"Do you have any business at our school?" Evie asked in confusion.
"Nothing special. I'll have dinner with you."
"It's only five o'clock now!" she implied, meaning, do you eat dinner this early?
"You can show me around your school first, and then we'll have dinner later," Owen said with a smile.
"But—" Evie was embarrassed.
Let's not even talk about the relationship between Owen and Alexander, which made her feel very awkward.
She really didn't have time to go shopping with him!
She still had a lot of books to read!
"I've only been back for a long time, and I'm still not familiar with the place..."
"..." Evie was speechless.
This Owen was way too familiar!
She had only met him for the first time two days ago, okay?
They didn't even know each other that well yet!
"Alexander has gone abroad again, sigh—"
"Okay, come here. I'll wait for you at the school gate," Evie had to give in.
Finally, she told Owen the name of her school and its location.
After catching up with Emily and Stella and telling them, she walked towards the school gate. It was too late to change her clothes.
As Evie walked, she looked down and sighed.
It seemed that Owen wasn't going to let her off easily.
In fact, there was no need for him to be hostile to her. She was really just a passerby.
If she found a chance this evening, she would explain it to him.
After Evie had this plan, she thought that even though she was wasting her evening study time, at least it would still have some value.
Evie stood in a conspicuous spot at the school gate for a long time, but she didn't see Owen.
She thought he might be playing a trick on her!
Just as she was thinking this, her phone rang. Seeing that it was Owen, Evie answered directly, "Owen, haven't you arrived yet?"
"I haven't seen you come out of the school gate for a long time!"
"No, where are you? I'm at the school gate!" Evie looked around and asked.
"I'm at the school gate too. I only see a beautiful woman in a white dress, but I don't see you!" Owen said.
Evie was speechless again. She raised her hand and asked, "See me? I'm raising my left hand!"
There was no sound on the phone for a while. Then, she heard a car door open.
Someone got out of the car.
Evie turned her head and saw Owen. She said, "I'm standing right next to your car. How could you not see me?"
"Are you Evie?" Owen looked at Evie and asked.