Chapter 153 Quite Ambitious

Without him, she probably...

The moment the thought popped into her head, she forcefully suppressed it.

She dared not think any further, but her thoughts would not obey her commands.

Without Guo Zhenyi's financial support, his resource introductions, and his timely assistance, it would have been impossible.

Will her brand survive the first quarter?

Thinking of this, Zhou Shufen's heart tightened.

She couldn't help but wonder if she could handle those troubles on her own without Guo Zhenyi.

She suddenly realized that she seemed to have been relying on a stage built by others to dance.

Instead of building their own stage.

This realization made her feel suffocated and unable to breathe.

Seeing that her expression was not right, Huang Chuanzhen deliberately pulled the people around her to continue making sarcastic remarks.

"Women these days really have no sense of propriety."

"His abilities haven't improved, but his ambitions are huge. He doesn't take good care of his family and insists on going out to start his own business."

She would say a sentence, pause, and glance at Zhou Shufen with a seemingly casual look.

“Look at some people, they’re busy attending events and giving interviews all day long, dressed up so glamorously, but who’s their backer? Everyone knows that, right? If you ask me, living a down-to-earth life is the right thing to do. Why bother fighting for that empty fame?”

Although the words were not named, it was obvious to anyone with a discerning eye who they were referring to.

Zhou Shufen's fingers trembled slightly.

Her face burned, and she wished she could leave immediately.

In the end, she didn't finish her meal and left under some random excuse as the meal was about to end.

"I'm sorry everyone, I have an urgent meeting at my company and I have to leave now."

No one tried to stop her; only a few meaningful glances followed her retreating figure.

Zhou Shufen was restless the whole way, Huang Chuanzhen's words kept echoing in her ears.

She was very confused.

Guo Zhenyi's conditions are indeed too good.

He owns his own company, is very wealthy, and has a social network that spans the political, business, and art worlds.

And what about her?

She is just a girl from an ordinary family who has gotten to where she is today through a bit of talent and hard work.

Standing next to him, she always felt that they weren't a good match.

She once thought that love could overcome these obstacles.

But at this moment, for the first time, she wavered.

Zhou Shufen tried to suppress her chaotic emotions. After arriving home, she received an email from Fashion Week.

She clicked on it and saw that it was a confirmation letter from the organizer.

Her collection has been officially selected for the Fall International Fashion Week and will be presented as the finale on the third day.

This should have been joyous news.

But reading it now evoked mixed feelings in her.

She simply threw herself into design work, hoping to use busyness to drive away distractions.

She turned on her computer and pulled up the unfinished design sketches.

Open the color matching manual and adjust the details one pen at a time.

She didn't want to stop, and she didn't dare to stop.

On the other hand, Pan Yun became increasingly angry as she thought about it.

She curled up in a corner of the sofa, clutching her phone, the screen displaying a screenshot of Guo Zhenyi's WeChat Moments.

He also shared a promotional poster for Zhou Shufen's brand.

The caption was simple yet profound: "People who give their all for what they love deserve respect."

Pan Yun felt that her current predicament was entirely caused by Zhou Shufen.

If it weren't for her, Guo Zhenyi wouldn't be so cold to him.

In the past, no matter how busy Guo Zhenyi was, he would always reply to her with a voice message late at night.

But now, news about her often disappears without a trace.

However, he paid more and more attention to Zhou Shufen.

She didn't believe Zhou Shufen had any design talent at all; she was sure she had connections to help her.

Otherwise, how could they possibly squeeze into a circle like Fashion Week?

Pan Yun gave a cold laugh.

Having studied in Paris for three years, she knows all too well how high the bar is for top fashion weeks.

Without strong resources to back it up, how can an unknown person stand out?

The only explanation is that someone paved the way for her.

"Zhou Shufen, since you don't know how to be content, don't blame me for being ruthless."

Pan Yun's eyes darkened.

She would no longer tolerate it; this time, she would make everyone see Zhou Shufen's true colors.

This time, she was determined to make Zhou Shufen suffer a major setback.

Moreover, we must severely undermine her in the field of design, which she values ​​most.

Design is the soul of Zhou Shufen, the starting point of her struggle, and the source of her pride.

If we defeat her here, that would be true destruction.

Pan Yun has already made up her mind.

Not only should she lose public approval, but she should also be ruined in the industry.

She knows many people abroad and has plenty of ways to bring down a newcomer who's just starting out.

She gently opened her contacts, her fingertips swiping through the names one by one.

Editor-in-chief of a Paris fashion magazine, jury consultant for Milan Fashion Week, professor at London Design School...

These are the people she built up during her studies abroad.

As long as they join forces to exert pressure, Zhou Shufen is nothing to worry about.

Pan Yun pulled out his contacts and contacted several friends in the industry, asking them to secretly do something.

She was careful with her words and never directly mentioned the word "suppression".

Instead, they used seemingly neutral statements like "Pay attention to the quality of the works of emerging designers" and "It seems like there's been a bit too much exposure lately, is it worth promoting?" to guide public opinion.

She knew that the real harm was often hidden beneath the guise of "objective evaluation."

Zhou Shufen gained attention entirely because she won an award in that design competition.

That was the first major breakthrough in her life.

Countless people remembered her name because of this, and considered her a representative of the new generation of talent.

However, in Pan Yun's view, it was just a coincidence.

Since the honor comes from the competition, let the doubts also begin with the competition.

Pan Yun secretly instructed a professor who had served as a judge in the competition to publish an article.

There are suspicions that Zhou Shufen's award-winning work was plagiarized.

Citing so-called "expert analysis," it points out that it is highly similar to a concept draft of a European brand that was not released many years ago.

Although there is no conclusive evidence.

But once rumors take hold, they can shake people's hearts.

Before long, the media began to launch a concentrated attack on Zhou Shufen's works.

First, several small fashion-focused social media accounts published clickbait articles.

Next came reprints and comments from authoritative magazines.

On online platforms, the topic quickly became a trending topic, garnering over 100 million views.

Even "veterans" in the design industry have come out to criticize it.

A barrage of mockery and insults flooded the internet, with almost all the comments being negative.

The comments section was filled with harsh words such as "garbage design", "only trying to ride the wave", and "just quit the industry".

Zhou Shufen sat in front of the computer, staring at the glaring messages, her fingers frozen on the mouse.

She felt like the whole world was collapsing.

Pan Yun smiled with satisfaction upon seeing the results.

She wanted to completely destroy Zhou Shufen.

She didn't believe that, even in this dire situation, Guo Zhenyi would still protect her as always.

Even the strongest feelings can't withstand the constant questioning from those around you.

Pan Yun was well aware of the fragility of human nature.

Men, in particular, often unconsciously back down when faced with family pressure and public opinion.

Everything she did was to plant the invisible yet most deadly thorn between them.

She knew that she alone could not shake their relationship.

After all, the relationship between Zhou Shufen and Guo Zhenyi had been going on for some time.

There is also a certain level of trust between them.

A few casual words or a small action cannot truly break their bond.