Chapter 138 Upholding Principles

He then glanced at the time and reminded him.

"There's only one hour left, hurry up."

Staff updated the countdown display screen simultaneously, and the bright red numbers jumped to "01:00:00".

Wei Mingwei's gaze swept back and forth between the two contestants, his tone calm yet warning.

He did not name anyone who was lagging behind.

But everyone could tell that these words were directed at Cheng Yulu.

Zhou Shufen was now in the final stages of her work.

With a fine needle in hand, she guided the silk thread to embroider a simple yet elegant pattern on the neckline.

When the timer showed "00:30:00", she put down her needle and thread, slowly took a step back, and gazed at the garment she had made with her own hands.

On the other side, Cheng Yulu's finger had already been pricked twice by the needle.

The bloodstains on the edges of the fabric were left untouched.

She forcibly sewed the pieces of cloth together.

The cuffs are misaligned, the waistline is off-center, and the buttons are misaligned.

They barely managed to pull off the look at the last minute.

When the two works were displayed side by side on the judging panel, the contrast was exceptionally striking.

A piece that is like a work of art, embodying the ingenuity of craftsmanship.

The other one looked like a hastily completed student assignment, riddled with flaws.

A murmur of sighs rippled through the audience, and the judges exchanged glances, all revealing their regret.

But Cheng Yulu refused to admit defeat and pointed at Zhou Shufen, shouting loudly.

"How could she possibly finish in such a short time? You must have leaked the questions to her beforehand!"

"I was brainstorming similar themes just a few days ago!"

She continued her accusations.

"The inspiration comes from the artistic conception of Eastern landscapes, using gradient colors to represent the flow of mist. This concept is very special, and it's impossible for it to be a coincidence! She must have peeked at my sketch!"

She spoke with righteous indignation, as if a conspiracy were truly unfolding.

But the facts are undeniable, and no amount of arguing will change anything.

The judging panel unanimously reviewed the surveillance footage and confirmed that the two contestants did not communicate at all from the moment they entered the venue until the creation process began.

The questions were randomly selected and sealed until just before the start of the competition.

Technical experts also pointed out that Zhou Shufen's design logic was clear, the steps were complete, and every modification could be traced.

Cheng Yulu's statement is both unfounded and contrary to basic common sense.

The chief judge stood up and solemnly read out the resolution.

"After collective review by the judging committee, and in conjunction with on-site records and technical analysis, it was determined that contestant Cheng Yulu's work did not meet the basic standards and that she engaged in disruptive behavior. Therefore, she is hereby officially disqualified from the competition. Contestant Zhou Shufen's work met the requirements and complied with the procedures, and she is permitted to continue participating in the subsequent stages."

As soon as he finished speaking, sporadic applause broke out, which then coalesced into a wave of approval.

Cheng Yulu's eyes were bloodshot, her lips trembled, and she kept repeating "unfair" and "someone cheated."

She tried to rush to the judges' table to argue, but was quickly stopped by two security personnel.

They held her arms and guided her toward the exit.

She struggled a few times, but eventually gave up due to the disparity in strength.

He could only watch helplessly as he was led away from the scene.

The echoes of that anger still reverberated in the corridor.

"You're all framing me! I'm going to sue you!"

Zhou Shufen gently stroked the hem of the newly completed dress with her fingers, a faint smile appearing on her lips.

She suddenly realized that true fairness does not come automatically.

Instead, it requires someone to uphold principles and step forward.

She turned to look at Guo Zhenyi, her eyes filled with gratitude.

"Thank you for making the special trip to speak up for me."

Guo Zhenyi stood not far away, his hands in his suit trouser pockets, his expression still calm and composed.

He didn't say much, just nodded slightly.

Zhou Shufen had so much to say, but she didn't know where to begin.

That sentiment cannot be clearly expressed in just a few words.

It contains the heartache and emotion she felt upon learning of his efforts for her.

It also contains the indescribable longing and reluctance to part when we are face to face at this moment.

Guo Zhenyi smiled and walked a few steps to her.

"Alright, stop thanking me."

His gaze swept over her slightly haggard face.

"It's too late, I'll take you home."

Zhou Shufen nodded, her fingers unconsciously clenching the hem of her clothes.

Suddenly remembering something, she looked up and asked softly.

"Have you finished dealing with things over there?"

Not yet.

Guo Zhenyi answered truthfully, his tone gentle and calm.

"My flight is at 7 o'clock, and I have to rush to the airport soon."

He raised his hand and glanced at his watch.

As night fell, a hint of gray and white appeared on the horizon.

“If time weren’t so tight, I wouldn’t have chosen to deal with this in the middle of the night.”

A mix of emotions welled up in Zhou Shufen's heart.

It's like a mix of all the flavors: sour, sweet, bitter, and spicy.

What's ironic is that he traveled all night for his own sake, without even a moment's rest.

What's sweet is that he's willing to stop his schedule for her.

The painful thing is that he is about to leave again.

What's infuriating is that she clearly has a thousand words to say, yet she can't utter a single one.

Her nose tingled, and her eyes suddenly felt hot, almost turning red.

But she immediately bit her lip, forcefully suppressing that soft feeling.

She glanced at her phone.

The screen lit up, displaying the time as 4:17 AM.

After dropping him off at the hotel and getting his luggage sorted, it'll be time to head to the airport.

He himself probably doesn't even have time to take a nap.

Thinking about it, she suddenly spoke up.

"How about I treat you to breakfast?"

Guo Zhenyi was slightly taken aback, seemingly not expecting her to make this suggestion.

He thought for a moment and estimated the time.

If we leave now and eat first, we might still make it in time.

He nodded, a faint smile playing on his lips.

"Sure, I don't have anything else to do anyway."

The two hurried towards the food stalls outside the hotel.

The breakfast shop lights were already on by then.

The dim light shone on the glass window, and rising heat escaped from the cracks in the door.

However, the official sale usually starts after 4:30 PM.

They found a spot on the side and sat down to chat.

During the process, a few ideas that Guo Zhenyi casually mentioned unexpectedly inspired Zhou Shufen.

The previously stalled solution in my mind suddenly found a breakthrough.

As she listened, she was overjoyed.

At 4:30, breakfast was served one after another.

While serving him food, Zhou Shufen introduced him to local delicacies.

"This pancake with an egg is the most famous way to eat it in the old town. Would you like to try it?"

Guo Zhenyi smiled and nodded, then took a bite, raising his eyebrows slightly.

"It smells good."

It was almost five o'clock when we finished eating.

The dishes on the table gradually emptied, and the two of them fell silent.

Zhou Shufen originally planned to take him to the airport and then go back to rest, so that she could at least spend more time with him.

Guo Zhenyi flatly refused.

"Alright, you've been busy all day, go back and get some sleep. You have a match tomorrow, don't push yourself too hard."

His tone was firm.

"Staying up late has a huge impact on your performance. You're aiming for an award, so you can't afford to falter at this crucial moment."

She couldn't persuade him, so she had to give up.

He personally escorted her to her room and reminded her to turn off the lights and rest.

Afterwards, I hailed a car and headed straight to the airport.

After Guo Zhenyi left, Zhou Shufen tossed and turned in bed, unable to sleep.

I'm still going over the design ideas for tomorrow in my mind.