She shut her eyes briefly before looking up at Jiang Yue. "The only person I never wanted to find out… was Brother Ming."
Her voice cracked slightly. "He's the only one in my family who never treated me like I was invisible. Even though he's cold sometimes, he never ignored me. If he knew—if he realized what kind of person I used to be—I don't know how he'd look at me anymore."
Jiang Yue's expression was unreadable, but Yan Meixiu could feel the weight of her silence pressing down on her.
Yan Meixiu inhaled shakily. "Somehow, Yan Chun Hua found out."
Jiang Yue's gaze sharpened.
"She told me she'd make sure Yan Ming knew everything if I didn't do what she wanted. She dangled it over my head for days, waiting for the right moment. And when she found out Jiang Xiu was entering the pageant…"
Yan Meixiu's voice wavered. "She ordered me to ruin her. Not just her performance—her reputation. She wanted to destroy her completely."
