"Are you okay?"
As she and Zhenxi left the arena, Huai Shi felt the teenage girl's gaze and noticed she seemed to want to say something but was hesitating.
"...My cousin told me some things about Miss Amber," Zhenxi said after some thought, struggling to find the words. "Some not-so-good things."
"And what do you think about it?" Huai Shi asked.
"I don't know what to say." Zhenxi sighed in frustration. "But it feels like everyone's life is so difficult."
"Wanting to live means you can't take it easy," Huai Shi shrugged. "Working is tough, and wanting to live a better life is also tough. Everyone just wants to minimize the hardship and live a little better."
"Also..." Zhenxi continued, "my cousin wants me to drop out of the selection, but I didn't agree."
"It wouldn't really matter if you did," Huai Shi said. "If you don't want to deal with it anymore, then just leave. Even without relying on the Li Jian family, the Ivory Tower will always find a way."
