The crowd erupted in an uproar.
The smile just beginning to form on Bai Yiyi's face froze as if someone had hit a pause button.
Panic flashed in her eyes, but she quickly composed herself. Biting her lip, with tears welling up, she said, "If... if it has to be this way, then I'll accept it..."
As she spoke, Bai Yiyi looked toward Xie Qizhen, then turned her face to the onlookers. A tear rolled down her cheek at that exact moment, making her look pitiful and wronged under the lights.
Several onlookers gasped. The gossipy thrill they'd felt just moments before seemed to shift, controlled by some unseen force, involuntarily morphing into sympathy for Bai Yiyi and disdain for Jiang Qingli. They began to chime in:
"That poor Bai Yiyi. She's the one who was photographed and framed, yet she still has to cover for Jiang Qingli..."
"I thought Jiang Qingli had changed, but I guess she's as jealous as ever."
