That evening, Xia Qingtian not only removed her makeup but also took a scented bath before finally burrowing into the soft covers and sleeping until well past dawn.
At breakfast, no one dared to wake her, allowing her to sleep to her heart's content.
Today was the final day of the friendly matches, the grand finale. Xia Qingyu and her two companions left in the morning, accompanied by Xia Honglang and Aunt Liu.
Although Li Xiaozhong had been eliminated early on, Shi Xingwu and Xia Qingyu had held their ground until the very end.
Upon seeing Xia Honglang and Aunt Liu, Pavilion Master Shi couldn't help but praise Xia Qingyu profusely, expressing regret that such a talented individual hadn't been sent to him sooner, stating he would have taught her even without charge.
Vincent also politely offered his commendation for Xia Qingyu.
She was his friend's only female disciple. He had initially thought she was just there to make up the numbers. However, as the friendly matches progressed, he realized this young girl was quite capable. She truly possessed skill and wasn't just a display of flashy but empty moves.
Xia Honglang had always believed Xia Qingyu to be exceptional. Receiving this praise, he simply smiled warmly, maintaining his elegant demeanor.
After all, his daughter was indeed amazing.
Aunt Liu, however, was quite surprised. She had been reluctant for Xia Qingyu to pursue this path previously, but now she saw that her daughter possessed a talent for it.
Thinking this, Aunt Liu felt a little embarrassed.
If it hadn't been for the support of Xia Honglang and Xia Qingtian back then, Xia Qingyu might have truly missed out on such a remarkable talent due to her interference.
She realized she hadn't truly understood her own daughter.
Xia Qingyu regarded Pavilion Master Shi and Vincent's words as mere politeness. Standing to the side, neither arrogant nor subservient, she maintained a gentle and appropriate smile.
At this moment, she wasn't particularly concerned with these superficial compliments. Her attention was far more focused on Tarik and Lei Xirui, who were not far away.
Lei Xirui's presence was one thing, but why was Tarik lurking around like a persistent shadow?
Had Xiang Xueyuan asked him to keep an eye on her?
What was the point?
Did they fear her family would simply flee at this juncture?
They were in Finland; how could they possibly escape?
Preposterous, why would they even bother?
This was actually where Xia Qingyu had a misunderstanding.
Tarik had originally been invited by the third young master Lei to accompany Lei Xirui around.
Lei Xirui and Tarik didn't have much to talk about, so their conversation turned to the fashion week the previous night and the Xia Qingtian sisters.
Tarik also found himself lacking common ground with Lei Xirui. The moment Lei Xirui mentioned Xia Qingyu, his heart felt like a pond disturbed by a spring breeze, ripples of unrest disturbing its tranquility.
As if by some strange impulse, Tarik casually mentioned, "Xia Qingyu has a competition today."
"A competition? Was it the world championship? That finished yesterday," Lei Xirui blinked in surprise.
"No, it's a martial arts friendly match held internationally." Tarik's gaze shifted slightly as he voiced his unspoken desire, "If you'd like to watch, I can take you."
"Martial arts friendly match?" Lei Xirui's face lit up with astonishment. She vaguely recalled Xia Qingyu mentioning she was exercising, but Lei Xirui hadn't expected Xia Qingyu to have reached the level of participating in such an international friendly match. "I want to go!"
After a slight pause, Lei Xirui added a little sheepishly, "Would it cause trouble for Qingyu if I showed up so suddenly? I… I don't really want to bother you…"
Lei Xirui didn't want to trouble others. She always felt her presence was somewhat superfluous.
Moreover, today was originally Tarik's birthday banquet, and it was already quite busy. Her rather forceful third brother had made such an unreasonable request, leaving Lei Xirui extremely embarrassed and yet afraid to refuse.
Now, she was asking Tarik to take her to find Xia Qingyu. Wouldn't that disrupt Xia Qingyu's competitive rhythm?
Lei Xirui was troubled.
"It's fine," Tarik chuckled softly, his expression gentle. "The organizer is a good friend of my adoptive father. He invited me to watch before, but I haven't had the time lately. Today is a good chance to go and see it, [accompanying you]."
"Then… alright." Hearing Tarik say this, Lei Xirui finally looked up at him, a genuine smile gracing her lips, her eyes sparkling. "Thank you, Tarik."
Meeting Lei Xirui's gaze, Tarik felt a flicker of guilt, but in the end, he let out a dry laugh and averted his eyes. "Heh, no trouble at all."
And so, the two of them arrived here.
Ever since these two entered, Tarik's gaze had not left Xia Qingyu.
Today, Xia Qingyu wore her hair in a high ponytail and was dressed in martial arts attire suitable for sparring. A large character "武" (wǔ) was emblazoned on her back, its strokes vigorous and powerful, much like her own character, full of resilience.
The first match after the competition began was Xia Qingyu against a female contestant from Vincent's side.
Her opponent had a standard European frame, with well-defined muscles. Standing there, she was a head taller and noticeably broader than Xia Qingyu.
"Don't get drawn into a prolonged fight," Pavilion Master Shi, having trained Xia Qingyu for so long, understood her habits somewhat.
Although his goddess appeared gentle and delicate on the outside, when she truly engaged in combat, she was the most resilient and stubborn. Her inherent unwillingness to admit defeat was what always allowed her to persevere until the end.
Xia Qingyu herself hadn't realized it, but her determination and urge to "win," that ambition and desire, were remarkably similar to her birth father.
"Don't worry," Xia Qingyu thought. Even if she wanted to prolong the fight today, she didn't have the inclination.
With Tarik standing over there, every time she looked at him, she would think of Xiang Xueyuan, and thinking of Xiang Xueyuan ignited a fire in her belly, demanding her attention.
However, she couldn't bring herself to drag Tarik onto the stage and beat him up; she wasn't that crude or disrespectful.
"The opponent across from you was the youth continental boxing champion in their region," Li Xiaozhong was being quite conventional while gathering information. "She was involved in a drunk driving incident earlier this year. Although her family used money to smooth things over, and it wasn't widely reported, she sustained injuries to her left shoulder, wrist, and ankle to varying degrees. It might be a breakthrough point."
"Mm," Xia Qingyu replied, her eyes tracing the opponent's body joints.
"Go, Goddess. Absolutely do not prolong the fight," Pavilion Master Shi reminded her. "You still need to wear an evening gown tonight!"
"Got it," Xia Qingyu turned to Pavilion Master Shi and said with a light smile, "If I get injured, I'll wear your dress, and you can wear my evening gown."
"Huh?" Pavilion Master Shi was taken aback.
"Better not," Li Xiaozhong twitched his lips. "Just thinking about it is an eyesore."
"Hahahaha…" Xia Qingyu couldn't help but laugh. Li Xiaozhong joined her laughter, and even Pavilion Master Shi laughed heartily, scratching the back of his head.