"Why?" Shi Youxi muttered, lifting her face.

Just moments ago, his face was as cold as ice, like he had a blank expression, but now the corners of his eyes were burning red, and his dark pupils were sparkling. He rubbed the tip of his nose against the two slender collarbones on his fair skin.

"Someone made me pretend to be unfamiliar with the place, and I did a good job, so they didn't even give me this little reward?"

"I'm going to bite!" the man said, lowering his head menacingly. He even viciously used his fangs.

"No! Shi Youxi, you dare to leave your mark and see what happens!"

Mu Yiran had just changed into a one-shoulder jumpsuit for the stage, but Shi Youxi deliberately bit the exposed side of her outfit.

The man looked at the marks left on the surface with satisfaction, rubbing them with his fingertips.

"Shi Youxi? Aorsa, did you call me by the wrong name...?" He leaned closer to the woman's furious face, their expressions suggestive.

"Aren't we not familiar with each other?"

"..."

Mu Yiran stared at him for a few seconds, then raised her hand to stroke the man's temples, down to his lips, lingering on his distinctly heavy breathing. She could feel the man's obviously heavy breathing.

Mu Yiran smiled, turned her head to avoid his request, and tugged at the man's tie, which served only as decoration.

"Hugging and cuddling when you're not even close, Lack, are you trying to get me to bribe you?"

"It's not good to be photographed like this."

"What's wrong?" Shi Youxi grasped her hand that was pulling at her tie.

"After all, there's no one in this world who can make Lack favor someone, and I won't do a losing deal, so..."

Shi Youxi raised an eyebrow: "So?"

Mu Yiran knew all too well how to manipulate his temper. She pushed the man away and even rubbed the places he had touched.

"So let's continue to be the most familiar strangers, okay?"

Don't say a word to me.

“........”

Mu, that scumbag girl, flirted with him and then left.

The moment her hand touched the doorknob, Mu Yiran was lifted into the air.

"Holy crap—"

Shi Youxi hooked his arm around her waist from behind, lifted her up with one hand, placed her on the stair railing, and then placed his hands on either side of her. The man pursed his lips and buried his face in her shoulder, rubbing against her repeatedly.

"Sister, I was wrong."

"Don't ignore me. Why is it so hard to get you to talk to me? You just keep making me angry." The man gritted his teeth, pressing his teeth against her neck, but probably afraid of making her leave again, he just rubbed against her without eating.

Mu Yiran felt an inexplicable urge to laugh when she saw him angry. She remembered how he used to throw tantrums when she teased him as a child, and it tickled her heart—it was both intriguing and exciting.

"What did I do to you? Am I wrong?"

“No.” Shi Youxi looked up and touched noses with her. “You can only be biased if you have room for other options in your heart. I have no reservations for my sister. I don’t need to be biased. I only follow my heart.”

Mu Yiran looked at him as if she'd seen a ghost, and then…

"Pfft (\/≧▽≦)\/"

Shi Youxi's face darkened. "...What are you laughing at?"

Mu Yiran didn't want to laugh too wildly, but she couldn't help it. She finally managed to hold it back, but when she looked up and saw Shi Youxi staring at her with a wronged and resentful expression, she burst out laughing again.

The girl hooked her arms around his neck and laughed freely in front of him because of him. The stairwell was so dark, but Shi Youxi could still clearly see her long eyelashes trembling as she laughed. The mole on the tip of her nose seemed to come alive, hooking him, making his eyes dazzled, and making his heart ache.

The feeling of being teased had long since vanished, and even Shi Youxi didn't realize when she had started laughing along with her.

Mu Yiran laughed until tears streamed down her face, pinching his cheeks. "Who taught you those cheesy pickup lines?"

Shi Youxi stared at her without blinking.

"Not going to talk? If you're not going to talk..."

“I understand…” Shi Youxi’s eyelids twitched, and he avoided her gaze before finishing his sentence:

"The happiest man is one who understands his wife..."

“…”

Mu Yiran remembered what he had said:

Hahahahahahahahahahaha.

Shi Youxi: "..."

Watching her laugh so hard she could hardly breathe, Shi Youxi narrowed her eyes, leaned in, and covered her wide-open mouth with her hand.

“…”

The man only withdrew after his earlobe was pinched and licked a few more times.

"Have you laughed enough? I've made you laugh so happily, aren't you going to give me a reward?"

"What do you want?" Mu Yiran glanced at the time, wanting to leave, but she knew she wouldn't be able to leave if she didn't appease the person in front of her.

She initially thought the man would want her to initiate the kiss, but unexpectedly it turned out to be—

"earrings."

Mu Yiran was taken aback: "Earrings?"

A sudden thought struck Mu Yiran, and she asked, somewhat absurdly:

"You don't...you mean the one Aunt Zhou just wore, do you?"

Shi Youxi nodded: "Yes."

"What do you need that for? Just because I put earrings on Aunt Zhou?"

Isn't this man outrageous? He's like a child, doing whatever comes to mind.

Shi Youxi's eyes flashed with a dark light. "You've never put earrings on me, nor have you ever given me earrings."

"That's because you don't have pierced ears, young master!" Mu Yiran was truly speechless.

"Is it enough to have it?"

Mu Yiran: "Hmm."

Shi Youxi's pupils fixed for a moment, then began to move downwards.

"Actually, it's okay if you don't have any. Clip-on earrings are easier to make, and I'll make a few more for you later—"

As she was speaking, she suddenly felt her right ear loosen, and the long earring she had just put on to cover her clothes was now in Shi Youxi's hand.

Before she could react, the man raised his hand and, without hesitation, plunged the earring pin into his right earlobe.

A bright red bead of blood instantly congealed, resembling a matching agate on the pale white earlobe.

What are you doing!

Mu Yiran quickly turned her face away to look at him. He was ruthless; the earring went right through in one go, and there was still blood on the silver needle. Her entire right earlobe was red.

"What are you doing, acting so recklessly! Can't we go back and fight then?!" Mu Yiran was furious.

"You're addicted to self-harm, aren't you!"

"Let's go back. There should be a first-aid kit there. We can disinfect it for you."

"Wait a minute, we haven't finished hitting your sister yet." Shi Youxi circled her, pointed to her left ear, and said, "I want you to put it on for me."

"How could Mu Yiran possibly get through?" she exclaimed.

Putting aside the possibility of injury from going through it like that, even if there wasn't, the ear piercing would be larger than normal, essentially leaving a noticeable scar on Mu Yiran's ear.

Seeing her resolute attitude, Shi Youxi could only say:

"It doesn't hurt. I wore it before, and it only closed up a year ago. There's still a little gap."

"No--"

"I want this one, sister." Shi Youxi pulled her hand to touch his swollen right ear. "Don't you like it? I know what you like is all yours..."

"Will you wear it?"

“I think I have my sister’s mark on me, I think I am my sister’s.”

"..."

After a few seconds of stalemate.

“A male demon…” Mu Yiran muttered, taking off her left earring and gesturing to it before hesitating, “I might not be able to, I can’t just pass through in one go…”

Shi Youxi grabbed her hand in return, "Wear it."

They looked into each other's eyes, and Mu Yiran could clearly see herself reflected in his pupils, completely, always.

An indescribable surge of satisfaction.

She may have truly been assimilated by Shi Youxi…

Surprisingly, I found it quite enjoyable.

The fact that she was marked made Youxi feel incredibly happy.

Mu Yiran didn't hesitate any longer and exerted force directly. The earring paused for a moment and then passed right through it.

A drop of blood trickled down her earlobe onto her thumb. Shi Youxi glanced at it, then opened her mouth and took it in, mumbling indistinctly:

"I love my older sister so much, I love her so much..."

“…”

She can't stay here any longer; the walkie-talkie is calling her. She has to go…

Mu Yiran closed her eyes briefly, then hooked her arm around him and leaned in to kiss him.

The light shining through the skylight slanted across the ground, casting a long shadow several steps below.

It was two people embracing tightly, kissing passionately.

“…”

Ji Yunli stared intently at the shadow in that spot, a place where the light didn't reach, making her hide on the lower steps. She couldn't lift her foot to go up; the stairwell was empty and deathly silent, and she felt as if she had fallen into an ice cellar.

She was startled back to her senses when she heard a noise from above, and immediately fled through the door behind her.

how so…

Why do Aorsa and Lack know each other? Are they... a couple?

Why? They barely said a word!

Why aren't the things she likes hers?

Why do people like Aorsa always seem to have everything they want so easily?

Just because she didn't have a good family background or a good education?

Just because I'm not a real designer?!

Just because she didn't climb high enough?!

Why?

Why!

Why!

“…”

Ji Yunli couldn't help but gasp for breath. She had twisted her ankle because the heels were too high. She leaned against the wall and looked down, only to see that the dress she had bought with her credit card maxed out was dragging on the ground because it was the wrong size.

What she bought with almost all her savings turned out to be nothing more than a leftover plus-size women's dress.

It's because she can't afford to transfer the goods.

Just because of money...

Ji Yunli crouched down awkwardly. Mu Yiran's voice came through the walkie-talkie again, but she didn't answer. She only looked up when the phone rang.

"Hello."

"..."

After spending more than ten minutes with Shi Youxi, Mu Yiran returned to the studio and worked even faster. After she finished styling Aunt Zhou, Zhou Yuan and the internet celebrity she had arranged with the company also turned on their cameras and started working.

These kinds of shows always have a few exceptions: "Let's go see what the internet celebrities are up to!"

Zhou Yuan's company was quite efficient; within minutes, millions of viewers flooded into the live stream, and the screen was filled with comments.

The online influencers gradually shifted their focus to Zhou Yuan.

At the same time, Ji Yunli also returned.

Mu Yiran was making her final touches when she saw her and took a box out of her bag.

"Yunli, this is for you—"

"Something's wrong, Mr. Zhou!" Zhou Yuan's agent rushed over, pushing aside the internet celebrity and whispering:

"Our theme is the same as Helian Xin's! The colors and the designs are the same too!"

"Now the online trolls are accusing us of plagiarism!"

"......"

Mu Yiran and Zhou Yuanyi exchanged glances, and one immediately went to check Weibo, while the other went to check the live stream.

Zhou Yuan's studio, the show's Weibo account, and even Saorsa's newly created official account were almost completely flooded with comments, filled with insults and accusations.

Mu Yiran clicked on a picture posted by a popular influencer.

Besides a few blurry photos of models in casual clothes, the most important thing that was revealed was the sketch of Zhou Yuan's main outfit.

[666 again! Didn't they say before that this A-something plagiarized their graduation project and even dared to steal someone else's portfolio to submit to Joris? Now they're definitely proven right.]

[That's different. And even if Helian Xin's group released their sketches first, it doesn't prove they drew them first.]

[Still washing her hands of it. I don't know when she copied the picture, but it's clear she chose this theme after Helian Xin's group drew the New Chinese style theme, and it was taken in a perfectly normal way!]

[You actually believe Wenxin's usual tactics of maliciously editing to create controversy and drive traffic?]

[Exactly! I'm genuinely worried about their intelligence. Those who believe this are definitely 65-year-olds buying health supplements, no doubt about it. Do you think Zhou Yuan is stupid? How could the designer not have investigated this person before choosing him?]

[Of course, it's because that designer has such a powerful background; even Zhou Yuan was fooled.]

[Go look at Xinxin's group and the official Weibo post from a week ago. Someone already warned about it then, accurately predicting it was true. Is there any need to defend it?]

They're fighting backstage! The video's on my profile, go check it out!

[...]

“Isn’t this the first draft? And there are also previous drafts, why were they sent out!” said Saorsa’s stylist in charge of the models’ makeup.

"What should we do? Even the designs of the jewelry are basically the same!"

"Just because their sketch was posted earlier than ours, they're accusing us of plagiarism?!"

"Did one of our own people send it out?"

"Who is it!" the fabric maker cursed angrily. "Are you looking for death! Could there be a traitor among us?!"

"Yunli! Ji Yunli!"

Ji Yunli squeezed out of the crowd, sweating profusely. "There are so many people criticizing Aorsa Studio's official WeChat account. Why do they all say we plagiarized?"

Mu Yiran glanced at the messages and saw they were all insults. Only a few were from Saorsa's VIPs who wanted to issue an announcement. Her phone was also receiving private messages from some customers requesting refunds.

Most of them were new customers who placed orders when the show was first announced.

Mu Yiran sneered inwardly; this move had been planned for quite some time.

The fabric stylist asked Ji Yunli, "Where did you put the original design?!"

Ji Yunli was stunned for a moment, looking left and right at Mu Yiran's serious expression. She stared wide-eyed in surprise and fear and said:

"I didn't! Aorsa took the original manuscript back after I finished drawing it here last time, didn't she? Why are you doubting me!"

"You were the only one who came with Aorsa that day! You were the only one who had the chance—"

"Enough, arguing about this is pointless," Mu Yiran interrupted the two. "Now we should be thinking about how to resolve this."

"How can this be resolved?" Zhou Yuan scoffed.

Before anyone could react, Zhou Yuan stood up and walked towards the internet celebrity who had just been filming. She slapped the internet celebrity's hand, which was holding a phone, away. Her strength was great and she was caught off guard. The phone flew out of her hand, and the female internet celebrity winced in pain, clutching her hand and lowering her head in silence.

Zhou Yuan: "It's understandable that I suspect you since something happened in your live stream. It's best if I don't find out it was you, because if it really was you..."

She turned her head slightly, her gaze piercing everyone present. "If you dare to target me, I won't be Zhou Yuan if I make you disappear from this circle!"

"........"

No one dared to meet Zhou Yuan's gaze; some even trembled.

"Aorsa, give me a solution."

“Come on, it’s too late, Aorsa. There’s less than half an hour left.” Ji Yunli mustered her courage and said to Mu Yiran, who had a sullen face, “How about we switch to the one you changed before?”

Mu Yiran paused, then looked up at her: "You brought it?"

The set that Ji Yunli mentioned was a new Chinese style that she had done here as practice before, and Mu Yiran had even helped to modify it.

Ji Yunli said shyly, "I didn't take it back after that. If I alter it again, it should be wearable."

The fabric maker immediately asked, "Let me take a look. If it's okay, I can repair it right away!"

"What about the necklace? What about the headdress and earrings?!"

"Have the company find an unlisted property right now, there's still time!"

Everyone quickly got into the zone, and Ji Yunli was urged to hurry up and get the clothes. She was a little confused, "Okay...okay! I'll get them!"

A smile involuntarily crept onto her lips, and just as she opened the wardrobe, a hand pressed down on her from the side.

Ji Yunli turned her head: "Aorsa?"

"How much longer?" Mu Yiran asked.

"Uh, twenty-eight, twenty-five minutes. If we delay the show's start time, our situation will be even worse! It's too late, Aorsa, don't even think about it—"

"There's still time," the woman said softly.

Ji Yunli met her gaze, and the woman's usually bright and gentle eyes now held a sharp, unfamiliar, and piercing intensity.

"...What?"

Mu Yiran didn't look at her again, but turned to everyone and said:

"Everyone, except the models, get out."

"this..."

"How about we use Yunli's style? You modified it, so it shouldn't be bad."

Ji Yunli's smile was stiff:

"Yeah, and there are only twenty minutes left, Aorsa, how can you manage alone?"

Mu Yiran casually grabbed a makeup brush from the dressing table, put her hair up, and said coldly, turning her head to the side:

"If I say yes, then there's no such thing as no."