The Sickly Regent Prince Who Was Abandoned as a Substitute Bride

However, just as everyone was mocking Dongfang Wan'er, a voice suddenly rang out: "Stop talking, all of you. Aside from her slight physical flaw, Miss Dongfang is beautiful in every other way. Perhaps her talents surpass all of ours..."

These words immediately caused an uproar. Everyone turned to look, and saw that the speaker was none other than Li Yanran. At this moment, she was looking at Dongfang Wan'er with a serious expression, her eyes filled with expectation.

"Hahahaha, oh my god, what did I just hear? Someone is actually praising Dongfang Wan'er..."

"She doesn't understand. Dongfang Wan'er is arrogant and domineering, and she's good for nothing. She's always either chasing after the First Prince or thinking about how to woo him. What kind of literary talent does someone like that have..."

The talented women around Li Yanran burst into laughter upon hearing her words, clearly not believing her. They thought Li Yanran must be crazy to say such a thing.

However, Li Yanran ignored the reactions of others and continued, "Don't forget, Miss Dongfang's mother is the most talented woman in the capital! Her talent is absolutely not to be underestimated!"

After saying that, Li Yanran ignored the reactions of others and sat down on her own.

Oriental Pearl also noticed this, gave a cold laugh, but maintained her good sister image on the surface...

"Don't talk about my sister like that. Even though she's not pretty and doesn't have any special talents, it's good that she came..."

"Look how kind the second young lady of the Marquis's mansion is..."

Standing in the center of the stage, Dongfang Wan'er slightly raised her head and glanced at Li Yanran and Dongfang Mingzhu sitting below the stage through the gap in her veil.

Neither of them are easy to deal with. I really want to know how exciting things will be in the First Prince's residence when you two marry into it...

Meanwhile, Li Sisi, sitting to the side, kept her distance from Li Yanran, a look of embarrassment on her face. She really didn't want to admit that this woman who spoke so arrogantly was her sister, so she chose to remain silent.

Dongfang Wan'er thought to herself, "Perfect! I'll show you all what real skills I, Dongfang Wan'er, truly have!"

She took a deep breath and gently lifted her veil.

When everyone saw her true face, they were immediately in an uproar.

But Dongfang Wan'er was not affected. She calmly picked up the pipa and began to play a melodious tune.

The melody was melodious and plaintive, captivating the listener.

After the performance, the entire audience fell silent.

Then, thunderous applause erupted.

"Great! Great music!"

"I never imagined that Dongfang Wan'er was so talented!"

Even those who had previously mocked her were now amazed.

Dongfang Mingzhu and Li Sisi's faces turned extremely ugly. They never expected that Dongfang Wan'er would actually have such outstanding talent.

Ye Jiuchen also looked at Dongfang Wan'er, a hint of curiosity in his eyes.

The eldest prince stared intently at Dongfang Wan'er's face, momentarily stunned as if struck by an invisible force, then overwhelmed with joy. He inwardly exclaimed, "Dongfang Wan'er is so beautiful and captivating! She's like a fairy descended from heaven!"

Previously, the eldest prince had felt a strong desire to marry no one but her! This obsession grew stronger, and he felt that missing out on the woman before him would be an immense regret, and might even lead to ominous consequences. Therefore, he decided that he must marry Dongfang Wan'er no matter what.

Fortunately, I made the right decision...

Just then, the eunuch loudly announced the list of those who passed the preliminary round: "Dongfang Wan'er, Dongfang Mingzhu, Li Yanran, Li Sisi... and the names of others."

Hearing her name called, Dongfang Wan'er was overjoyed, but she didn't show much emotion on her face. She knew that the upcoming competition would be the real test, and she couldn't afford to be careless.

"Now, we will begin the first competition—dancing. Although some of you have already demonstrated your skills, this round will still proceed. Please prepare yourselves!" the eunuch continued.

As the music began, the selected women returned to the stage, showcasing their unique dance skills. Their movements were light and graceful, like butterflies fluttering in the air; their expressions were focused and dedicated, moving the audience deeply. Dongfang Mingzhu, Li Sisi, and Li Yanran, in particular, had prepared a variety of dances and gave their all this time, striving for perfection.

The dance level in this competition was clearly a notch above the previous preliminary rounds; both the fluidity of the movements and the expressiveness were truly impressive. Audiences praised, "It's quite entertaining." Even the usually discerning judges expressed their appreciation for the women's performance.

"Yes, I bet on the Oriental Pearl Tower to win..."

"I bet on Li Yanran..."

The crowd buzzed with discussion, but soon quieted down, for it was time for Dongfang Wan'er to showcase her talents.

Dongfang Wan'er had already changed into her dance clothes. After arriving at the center of the stage, she said softly, "I will present a 'Dance of the Startling Swan' for everyone to enjoy!" After speaking, she gestured to the accompaniment team to begin playing the music.

As the music began, Dongfang Wan'er began to dance gracefully. Her movements were elegant and fluid, each one full of beauty, like a light butterfly fluttering in the air. Moreover, she incorporated many challenging dance moves, such as spins and leaps, showcasing her exceptional dance skills.

The audience below the stage was stunned, completely captivated by Dongfang Wan'er's dance. The others on stage were equally astonished, never expecting Dongfang Wan'er to possess such superb dancing skills.

"Is this Dongfang Wan'er?" someone asked incredulously.

"Dongfang Wan'er can actually dance! Oh no, oh no, my money is gone..." another person complained in frustration.

The dance must be judged and scored.

As expected, Dongfang Wan'er received the approval of all the judges, scoring a perfect 10.

The Oriental Pearl Tower is eight points.

Li Yanran and Li Sisi each get 7 points.

The dance eliminated another group of people. Only ten remained on stage.

"Next up is the piano performance. Ladies, please prepare yourselves..."

"Oh no, I'm not very good at playing the piano..." Li Sisi started to panic...

Dongfang Mingzhu hadn't expected Dongfang Wan'er to be so well-hidden; she could actually dance. It seemed she had to take this seriously. Fortunately, playing the zither was one of her strengths…

"The upcoming piano competition requires everyone to play together; the one who remains unaffected wins..."

The Oriental Pearl Tower knew about the piano competition long ago, so it prepared good pianos well in advance.

With good musical skills and a good instrument, victory is assured.