After Jing Hao left, Ye Lichuan learned what had happened. Looking at Gu Xinrou, whose eyes were filled with anger and who was determined to be number one, he shook his head with amusement.
"You're not fully recovered yet."
"I have to participate; I'll fight for pride, not for the money."
Knowing how much she valued this competition, both her family members chose to support her, dividing the responsibility of watching over her to ensure she wouldn't overwork herself.
Jing Hao also told Lin Xinrou the news. Lin Xinrou, who was stirring her coffee, was so startled that she dropped the cup, which made a crisp clinking sound. She forced a smile and dealt with the man in front of her.
"Work hard, your chance to prove yourself has come." He patted her shoulder, got up and left, leaving Lin Xinrou alone in the coffee shop.
She thought that everything would be fine once she entered Hengcheng, but who would have thought that this would happen? With Gu Anran around, she would definitely lose face. What if she lost her job and withdrew from the competition? Wouldn't she become a laughing stock for everyone?
She was upset and snapped at the waiter who accidentally bumped into her, "Are you blind?!"
The waitress kept apologizing. Lin Xinrou had intended to humiliate her, but someone had already noticed them. Fearing that someone would recognize her, she could only leave in a hurry.
"Could you help me find some talented people who haven't had a chance to develop their careers in recent years?" Although the agent didn't understand what she wanted to do, she still made the contact for her.
Lin Xinrou planned to buy two works at a high price and then bring them out at the competition. However, despite her shrewd calculations, Jing Hao changed the competition rules, setting the questions and designing them on the spot. He even personally set the questions.
Although this better reflects the designer's flexible response and makes the competition more realistic, it made Lin Xinrou panic. Despite her reluctance, the competition still arrived on the weekend.
Gu Anran entered the venue accompanied by Ye Lichuan. As soon as she arrived, she ran into Jing Hao. Although they had argued before, neither of them were petty people.
"Then let's wait and see, and prove it with our strength." Jing Hao extended his hand, and she squeezed it lightly before quickly letting go. Jing Hao glanced at the man behind her and then went to inspect the scene.
The competition started promptly at nine o'clock in the morning. There were indeed quite a few people present, including some she recognized. In addition to the contestants from Hengcheng, there were also contestants recruited from outside.
"The theme for this event is to design an outfit based on the future. The time allotted is three hours, with a half-hour break in the middle. The venue is on the second floor, and each contestant's name is posted on the door."
The host announced the competition rules, and only after he mentioned the theme did Gu Anran have a general idea of the design scope in mind. Designing the drafts in a short time was the most energy-consuming, but fortunately, it wasn't a problem for her.
In the tense atmosphere, the side screen started timing. Gu Anran had basically completed the outline in an hour and only needed to deal with the details. Lin Xinrou, on the other hand, was at a loss and her palms were sweating.
Three hours isn't a long time, and all ten contestants completed their works.
"All contestants, please hand in your work to the staff and return to the rest room to rest."
Gu Anran stood up and looked at the people below the stage. Although Ye Lichuan's face was expressionless, she could tell that he was smiling. Ye Lichuan got up from his seat and went backstage, entering Gu Anran's dressing room.
Lin Xinrou, who originally planned to bribe staff to replace her work, discovered that she was always accompanied by two people, and she had no time to do anything cheating.
"Excuse me, gentlemen, who are you?"
"Ms. Lin, would you please go to the lounge to rest?"
She tried to get closer to the two men, but they pushed her away. Helpless, she could only return to the lounge. Every time she opened the door, she was stopped by the two men guarding her door.
"Damn it!" She kicked over the chair, waiting for the result with increasing anxiety.
The results were announced forty minutes later. Gu Anran was undoubtedly the champion, while Lin Xinrou came in eighth place.
The works were displayed one by one on the big screen. When Gu Anran's work was seen, there was a discussion among the audience. The bold use of green immediately brought to mind technology. The upper body adopted a hollow design and the neckline adopted a silver stand-up collar.
The theme of "future" was perfectly embodied, and the applause with tears in their eyes proved everyone's recognition of her work. The second-place work was also outstanding. Jing Hao, sitting in the audience, changed his expression. Everyone knew he had recruited a talent, but the current performance was undoubtedly a slap in the face to him.
Gu Anran, who had come down from the stage, sat down next to him. "The results prove everything. It seems you have to admit I was right."
Jing Hao could only apologize, but Gu Anran waved her hand, "I'm not that petty. My partner is still waiting for me, so I might have to leave first." Following her gaze, Jing Hao saw Ye Lichuan and nodded in understanding.
Lin Xinrou also felt embarrassed. Seeing that Jing Hao was about to leave, she quickly chased after him, "Mr. Jing, please wait."
Jing Hao sighed and stopped. "Ms. Lin, I'm very disappointed with your performance. I'm afraid I'll have to reconsider your decision to join Hengcheng."
Hearing this, Lin Xinrou became anxious. "I've been having some issues these past two days, but this was just a mistake. Mr. Jing, please give me another chance so I can prove my abilities in the company."
“I really need this opportunity, and I will definitely design more and better works.” She raised her hand and vowed.
Seeing her like this, Jing Hao calmed down a little, but his tone was still cold and hard. "For the sake of your previous work, come to the company to report for duty. I hope you won't disappoint me again." After saying that, he left.
After he left, she withdrew her flattering attitude, and the two people who had been monitoring him also left. She had inadvertently seen them standing next to Ye Lichuan earlier, so they could only be his people.
Did they think this would stop her from joining Hengcheng? Gu Anran was likely to be disappointed.
As staff began cleaning up, the man sitting at the back slowly stood up and asked his assistant, "What do you think?"
"Designer Gu's works are naturally very eye-catching, and she is quite well-known in the industry. If we can collaborate, it will greatly benefit the company's development."
"Make an appointment. You'll come with me to her company tomorrow. It would be best if we could discuss a collaboration, but even if we can't, we can still be friends." The assistant nodded and noted it down. After returning home, he contacted Gu Anran's secretary.
The secretary wasn't sure if she could work, so she called the boss again to confirm and scheduled a meeting for 2 PM the next day.
Knowing that Ye Lichuan was worried about her, she didn't tell him about it and went to the company under the pretext of meeting a friend.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
