Chapter 62
A few days later, the M Group's winter order fair grandly opened at the Shanghai International Convention and Exhibition Center. This event was the largest and most impressive since the establishment of the M Group.
Not only was the venue chosen at the prestigious International Convention and Exhibition Center, but many fashion celebrities were also invited to attend. All the primary distributors participated, and numerous fans were invited to watch the event live, something that had never happened before.
Stepping into the ordering event, the front stage lighting, sound system, and seating arrangements were all being finalized. While the front stage was proceeding steadily, the backstage area was a chaotic yet orderly affair.
The backstage area is a huge exhibition hall, with various new winter products displayed in a well-organized manner in the center of the hall. On both sides, there are several temporary changing rooms set up with black cloth covers and simple makeup tables, so that the models can change clothes and makeup in time.
Zhang Ying was in charge of hosting the event at the front, while Zhang Xiao was in charge of managing the backstage. Compared to the front, the backstage task was more demanding, as no mistakes could be tolerated in the styling, makeup, and clothing; everything had to be presented in its most perfect state.
They saw Zhang Xiao with a stern face and sharp, eagle-like eyes surveying every corner of the backstage area.
"Xiaolei, all the clothes must be arranged according to their numbers. Sets should be placed together; there can be no mismatches."
"Lu Fan, Zhang Chi, you two are responsible for tracking the models as they change clothes. You must strictly control their order of appearance and the clothes they wear!"
"Yao Yanyan, the models' makeup must be carefully checked. If it's not done according to the pre-set style, it must be stopped and changed."
"Lin Ting, you are in charge of liaising with Chen Zhiyi's team on all matters. You must make sure everything is prepared perfectly and there is no room for error. His part is the most important part."
Everyone else responded firmly with "Received" upon hearing the arrangement, but Yao Yanyan could only weakly utter a single word, "Okay."
Helpless, she was furious. First, she was furious that she had ultimately chosen Lin Ting's plan, which meant all her hard work had been in vain. Second, she was furious that she had been assigned such an insignificant task at such an important occasion, and that she, who was inferior to her in every way, could get such a good opportunity. Jealousy and resentment filled her heart.
Zhang Xiao was still worried, so she called Lin Ting over, "Go and confirm again when Chen Zhiyi will arrive?"
"good."
Turning to Chen Zhiyi, Lin Ting sent him a WeChat message: "How much longer until we arrive?"
Five minutes.
Lin Ting smiled slightly. "I'll wait for you."
...
Sure enough, five minutes later, Chen Zhiyi appeared backstage. There was no fanfare as expected; it was just him and his assistant.
Zhang Xiao was a little surprised, "Teacher Chen, didn't the rest of the team come along?"
"for example?"
"It's the costume and makeup artist." Zhang Xiao knows the rules; big-name celebrities bring their own makeup, styling, and clothing for all kinds of events.
Chen Zhiyi smiled politely, "This time we're wearing your clothes for the fashion show, so you know best how to coordinate them." He then glanced at Lin Ting, "And with Designer Lin here, she's the main designer for the limited edition, so she should be the most familiar with how to coordinate them. I don't think it'll go wrong if she's in charge. As for the makeup and styling, my assistant Zhang Ke can handle that. She can communicate with Designer Lin about what kind of makeup to present."
It's simple and easy to understand; there's no need for anyone else. Lin Ting can handle everything. Zhang Xiao turned his head, frowned, and looked at Lin Ting, thinking, "Wow, when did the two of them become so familiar?"
Lin Ting felt a little awkward at that glance, but she still had to maintain a calm demeanor, meeting his gaze without any ripples, as if to say, "You're overthinking it."
It didn't matter to Zhang Xiao. She was already incredibly busy backstage and worried about not taking good care of this popular person in front of her. Since she had someone she trusted, she might as well entrust him with everything.
Zhang Xiao instructed Lin Ting again, "From now on, all matters concerning Teacher Chen will be under your responsibility. Make sure you do a good job." Zhang Xiao gave her further instructions.
Lin Ting replied seriously, "Okay," then turned to Chen Zhiyi with a polite smile and extended her hand in an invitation, "Teacher Chen has prepared a private changing room for you, please follow me."
Chen Zhiyi cooperated with her acting, bowing his head to indicate, "Okay."
The separate changing room is next to the exhibition hall; you can see it as soon as you push open the side door of the exhibition hall.
As soon as the door closed, Chen Zhiyi pulled Lin Ting into his arms.
Lin Ting shoved him, her eyes feigning fierceness, "What if someone sees us?"
"What are you afraid of? I still want to kiss you." Chen Zhiyi pouted.
Lin Tingteng blushed and immediately covered his mouth.
Actually, Chen Zhiyi didn't really intend to kiss her. He knew she was shy, but he just wanted to tease her. He loved seeing her flustered and embarrassed, finding it lively and interesting.
That one word, "Teacher Chen," had really jolted him, making his blood rush to his head.
He lowered her hand from her mouth, put his arm around her waist, and leaned close to her ear. Lin Ting felt the hot breath approaching, and a deep, magnetic voice sounded in her ear, "You called me Teacher Chen just now, and it made my whole body go weak. You can call me that more often when you get home. I love hearing it."
Lin Ting blushed completely, pinched his waist hard, and growled in a low voice, "Chen Zhiyi."
Chen Zhiyi picked at his ear, raised his eyebrows, and said casually, "Why are you talking so loudly? I'm not deaf, I can hear you."
Lin Ting was completely speechless. "Watch your words, Zhang Ke is here."
"She's not an outsider; she'll just pretend she didn't see or hear anything."
Zhang Ke coughed lightly to cover his embarrassment, "I'm going to go outside for a walk. I'll knock if I need anything."
After saying that, he quickly left and closed the door behind him.
Only when the two of them were left in the room did Lin Ting relax a little, and the blush on her face faded.
Chen Zhiyi cupped her face and looked at it. "You're wearing makeup?"
"Well, since today's occasion is important, I need to pay attention to my image, so I've simplified it a bit."
He'd just been so brazenly teasing her; she needed to teach him a little lesson. Changing her tone, she smiled charmingly, "Is it pretty?"
Chen Zhiyi nodded quickly.
Lin Ting felt this was a bit perfunctory, as if boys were naturally indifferent to these kinds of questions.
What makes it look good?
"It's beautiful everywhere."
...
The question of death, when faced with the answer to death, remains unsolved.
Lin Ting pursed her lips. Sure enough, male chauvinism has nothing to do with looks; even handsome men are no exception.
He was about to turn around to deal with the matter when Chen Zhiyi turned him around to face him.
He took a lipstick out of his pocket, skillfully uncapped it, twisted it up, lifted Lin Ting's chin, first stroked her lips with his thumb to feel their shape, and then gently slid the lipstick onto her lips with delicate movements.
The light shimmered in his deep eyes, and whenever you looked into his eyes, you could see a tiny version of yourself. His lips were warm, and his lipstick was moist. The intertwined sensations permeated your body, and every touch made Lin Ting's heart tremble.
"You look beautiful without makeup, and you look beautiful with makeup too. You're beautiful from every angle. But today, someone is going to make a grand appearance. Although your beauty can only be seen, I know you have dreams and ambitions. This touch of red is my support for you, because I know that your confident and charming appearance when you present your work on stage is incomparably beautiful. I want to make that beauty stand out even more."
Lin Ting blinked and stared blankly at him with a strange look in her eyes, a reaction that Chen Zhiyi hadn't expected.
Such heartfelt words couldn't elicit a similarly touching confession, but at least they earned a sincere thank you.
Are you reciting an advertisement?
"..." Chen Zhiyi almost laughed out of exasperation. He could clearly see the flutter in her eyes as he applied lipstick to her lips, and of course, what she just said came from the bottom of her heart.
This is Lin Ting; she's always clueless when emotions run high, which is also part of her charm.
He pinched her cheek. "Truth or dare."
Lin Ting wanted to let go of his hand, "Don't touch me, I have powder on my face, I'll get your hand on it."
"No, it's soft and fun to touch."
"Squeezing a doll."
"that is."
...
"Sister Fei, what brings you here?" Zhang Ke shouted from outside the door, and the noise from inside immediately stopped.
Qin Fei found Zhang Ke's behavior strange. "Why are you shouting so loudly?"
No, no.
Where is Zhiyi?
"Inside."
Qin Fei opened the door and saw the two people standing inside. Although she had only met Lin Ting once, she recognized him and understood where the strangeness came from.
Who is this?
Chen Zhiyi spoke up, "Sister Fei, this is Lin Ting, the designer from M Group, and also the main person in charge of the limited edition."
Qin Fei looked Lin Ting up and down. She wasn't the typical glamorous beauty seen in the entertainment industry. She had a delicate appearance and a cool temperament, truly the kind of "white moonlight" image that men couldn't forget.
Standing next to Chen Zhiyi, the two of them had a kind of "golden breeze and jade dew meeting" feel to them.
So what? This smell will dissipate sooner or later.
Qin Fei smiled faintly at Lin Ting, "Designer Lin, you've worked hard these past few days."
That smile was half polite and half hostile.
"You're too kind, this is just my job."
"Your job? Is being here your job?" Qin Fei narrowed her eyes slightly, her gaze revealing a disdainful indifference.
Lin Ting choked up, unsure how to reply, and her expression became somewhat flustered.
Chen Zhiyi immediately explained, "I was just about to change my clothes and I was worried that some details of the outfit might not be right, so I asked Designer Lin to take a look. After all, she knows best."
"Where are the clothes? I haven't seen a single one."
"The clothes are hanging on the exhibition hall's gantry; I'm going to get them now." Lin Ting quickly ran off.
Just as I reached the door, I saw Zhang Xiao and Song Xiaolei rushing over, the latter carrying a limited-edition coat.
"Oh no! Someone slashed a huge hole in my limited edition coat!" Song Xiaolei couldn't hide her distress; tears welled up in her eyes.
Lin Tingxin tensed up and opened her coat to check. Sure enough, there was a large cut on the front right waistline, which was obviously done intentionally.
Zhang Xiao was furious. "What happened to Lin Ting? She repeatedly insisted that the limited edition items be properly stored. They are the most important and crucial items in this order fair. How can they be shown on the runway like this?"
Chen Zhiyi leaned closer and asked, "Are there security cameras?"
Song Xiaolei's voice was still choked with sobs, "There shouldn't be any surveillance cameras there. To differentiate it from the other clothes, I put the limited edition in a small room behind the north entrance of the exhibition hall, where there are no surveillance cameras."
Zhang Xiao was utterly speechless. "Why not put it here? You know perfectly well that this room was prepared for Teacher Chen?"
"I, I..." Song Xiaolei was so anxious and scared that she could barely speak.
Chen Zhiyi: "Maybe this coat won't be on the runway."
Lin Ting refused, her tone leaving no room for argument, "No, the coat is a limited edition main style and the main product for winter sales. Moreover, the raw material factory for the fabric has already been ordered, so it must be shown on the runway."
Chen Zhiyi: "Are there any spares?"
Lin Ting shook her head. "The limited edition sample garments were all rushed out of the factory, and there's only one of each."
Zhang Xiao pointed at Song Xiaolei and sternly reprimanded her, "You were in charge of keeping the sample garments safe at this ordering event, so you must take responsibility for what happened."
Clearly, this was a way of shifting all the blame onto Song Xiaolei. Zhang Xiao knew very well that if no one took the blame, she, as the person in charge behind the scenes, would be severely punished, and demotion and pay cut would be inevitable.
Song Xiaolei shed large tears, but she didn't say another word for herself, swallowing all her grievances.
People are selfish, especially those who are in a high position; they cannot accept falling from that height.
Lin Ting grabbed Song Xiaolei's arms. "Go get my bag. I have a plan."
The determination in her eyes was like the last straw she had grasped.
Song Xiaolei always trusted Lin Ting. She wiped away her tears and quickly took Lin Ting's bag.
Lin Ting took the bag and quickly took out the sewing kit inside. It wasn't very big, but it had everything: a needle case, different colored embroidery threads, scissors, a thread ripper, nickel clippers, and so on.
"Xiaolei, remove all the stitching from the front lining waist and hem of both garments."
"no problem."
Zhang Xiao immediately stopped him, "What are you talking about? Taking it apart like this is like taking the lining apart. Are you planning to just throw everything away?"
Lin Ting: "Sister Xiao, there's no other way now. Let's try it out, maybe we can turn the tide."
Indeed, this way the responsibility would fall even further off him, and Zhang Xiao immediately took a step back.
Lin Ting then took out a silver thread, selected one strand, and used his left thumb, little finger, and index finger to spread it apart. He then placed his right index finger between the two strands and gently separated them. In this way, one thread was split into two thin threads.
"Are you splitting silk?" Chen Zhiyi asked.
“Yes.” Lin Ting answered casually, focused on the line in his hand.
Zhang Xiao was a little surprised. "Teacher Chen, you also know about splitting silk?" In her understanding, this kind of professional terminology is not well understood by people who are not experts.
Chen Zhiyi smiled slightly, "I know a little."
Of course, otherwise the two-month summer vacation would have been wasted. I remember that I even tried to learn how to split silk, but unfortunately I was not careful and not skillful enough, so I could never get it right.
Thinking back to that scene still makes me laugh.
Soon, Lin Ting split off a lot of fine threads and threaded them onto needles, then stuck them one by one into the needle case.
Meanwhile, Song Xiaolei also completed her task.
Lin Ting spread the clothes on the ground. "Sorry, there's no large workbench, so I can only spread the clothes on the ground."
Chen Zhiyi: "I don't mind, as long as it helps you."
After removing the stitches, the outer and inner fabrics of the two front pieces of the coat were separated. Lin Ting gestured with her hands over the two front pieces of fabric a few times and had a preliminary idea in mind.
First, bandage the needle around your wrist, sit in a circle on the ground, and then lift the hem of your clothes and lay it on your lap.
Then he pinched a corner of the garment and handed it to Song Xiaolei, saying, "Hold this part tight for me."
One person holds one corner, and the embroidery part is stretched flat, making it much easier to embroider.
Lin Ting pulled out a needle, and with a gentle flick of her wrist, the silver needle seemed to come alive, dancing and leaping on the fabric.
Her movements as she inserted and removed the needle were swift and without hesitation, her expression serious and focused, all her features concentrated on the embroidery in her hands.
The surroundings were silent, and everyone stood silently to the side watching Lin Ting, some with doubt, some with expectation, and some with indifference.
It was late autumn, and the cement ground was hard and cold. Sitting on the ground for a long time would make your buttocks stiff and numb. Lin Ting twisted her buttocks slightly to relieve the discomfort.
This action caught Chen Zhiyi's attention, and he whispered something in Zhang Ke's ear.
A moment later, Zhang Ke brought over a blanket, which she had placed in Chen Zhiyi's car.
Chen Zhiyi took the blanket, folded it into a square, squatted down next to Lin Ting, and said gently, without caring that there was someone nearby, "Get up, put down a blanket, the ground is too cold."
Once Lin Ting focused on something, she couldn't pay attention to anything else. Following his instructions, she lifted her buttocks slightly and then sat down again.
The movements were fluid and seamless, without any hesitation, as if the two had been living together for a long time.
Zhang Xiao couldn't focus on so much; she was only interested in resolving the immediate issue. But Qin Fei saw everything and couldn't help but grit her teeth.
Lin Ting's every stitch was just right, neither too tight nor too sparse, displaying an indescribable harmony and beauty. Under her skillful hands, the originally monotonous lines gradually converged into a pattern, and soon, a vibrant rose slowly appeared on the garment.
The blooming silver rose is the ultimate fusion of heavy metal and delicate charm.
The silver threads shimmer with a soft and mysterious light, like the brightest star in the night sky, or like dewdrops gently kissing the petals at dawn. Every stitch and every thread contains endless delicacy and deep affection, outlining the rose's layered and well-arranged form, showcasing its proud and upright posture while revealing a touch of tenderness.
The sprawling branches perfectly covered the cut, leaving no trace. The branches extended from the left front panel to the right front panel, growing wildly and unrestrainedly, displaying a kind of unbridled flamboyance.
Upon closer inspection, Song Xiaolei couldn't help but exclaim in amazement, "It's so beautiful! You can't see the crack at all, and the silver roses embroidered on the black background are particularly mysterious and stunning, as if they will never wither."
Zhang Ke couldn't help but exclaim, "This is the first time I've seen embroidery up close. Designer Lin is truly amazing. There are so few girls her age with such exquisite embroidery skills."
Chen Zhiyi chimed in, "It's not too little, it's extremely little. This is still considered simple for her. She can embroider more complex patterns, and even double-sided embroidery."
Zhang Xiao was puzzled, "Teacher Chen, how do you know so much?"
Lin Ting has been with M Group for so many years, and Zhang Xiao knows that she is skilled with her hands and can easily sew and mend. But this is the first time he has seen her embroider, which is quite a surprise.
"When she came to submit her design drafts, she casually mentioned during her self-introduction that her hometown was a famous town for embroidery in Jiangnan, and that she had learned embroidery from her family when she was a child." Chen Zhiyi casually and subtly brought it up.
Qin Fei watched from the side without saying a word, her gaze sweeping back and forth between Chen Zhiyi and Lin Ting. One stared sharply at the work in his hands, while the other gazed tenderly at the person in front of him.
She realized that this girl was not simple. This simplicity stemmed from her own unique charm, but even more so from Chen Zhiyi's gaze. When he looked at her, Qin Fei had never seen such depth and tenderness in him. It was as if, whenever she appeared, Chen Zhiyi's gaze would only revolve around her.
Jealousy and resentment arose spontaneously.
Lin Ting used tweezers to cut off the thread ends, and Song Xiaolei breathed a sigh of relief, "Great, the embroidery is finally finished. Let's hurry up and sew up the lining now."
"No rush, there's still one more step in the embroidery process."
Song Xiaolei glanced at her phone. "But the show starts in 30 minutes. The stitching inside the dough will take a lot of time. Will we have enough time?"
Lin Ting said with absolute certainty, "There's still time."
Zhang Xiao grabbed Lin Ting's arm, "The rose pattern isn't complete? Why is there still one more step? I need you to quickly assemble the inner and outer pieces."
Lin Ting was very determined, "We must complete the last step; this step is the soul of the process."
"No, I'm ordering you now, as the design director, to immediately assemble the inner surfaces."
"But Sister Xiao, as designers, we need to be responsible for every piece of work and present it to the public in the most perfect way."
"I'm sorry, I'm now requesting insurance. If you don't agree, I'll choose to give up."
Tensions were high.
Lin understood Zhang Xiao's meaning. At this point, being conservative was the safest approach. However, her perfectionism prevented her from giving up. Only she knew best what constituted a complete work.
She looked at Chen Zhiyi, her eyes full of expectation.
Chen Zhiyi understood her and asked, "Are you confident?"
Lin Ting nodded solemnly, "Yes."
“Okay, then you can continue.” Chen Zhiyi turned to Zhang Xiao and said, “Since the clothes were designed for me and I will be wearing them, the decision should be mine. I agree to let Designer Lin complete the final step before assembling them. If we really can’t make it in time, I promise to shoot all the promotional materials for this coat separately later, without asking for any remuneration.”
Everyone present was stunned by the last sentence.
Qin Fei, no longer calmly observing, said in a harsh tone, "Zhiyi, come out with me for a moment."
The two walked to a secluded corner, and Qin Fei spoke with an unquestionable authority and anger, "Do you know what shocking things you just said? You are just a spokesperson for the M Group, and it has nothing to do with their internal conflicts. Whether this coat is on the runway or not is none of your business. Please always remember your status as a public figure."
Chen Zhiyi's voice was steady, his brows revealing calmness. "Sister Fei, you can see it's an internal problem. The coat was clearly sabotaged. Zhang Xiao, on the surface, was considering her subordinates' needs, but in reality, she's trying to absolve herself of all responsibility. If the coat can't make it onto the runway, the responsibility falls on both designers; if it does make a mistake on the runway, the responsibility still falls on both of them. Designer Lin thought of this, which is why she insisted on completing the final step. Besides, she's currently just an assistant at M Group. She knows that if this limited edition she's in charge of sells well, it could be a promotion and a raise. Would she be willing to let it slip away at the last minute? She will definitely do everything in her power to salvage the situation. Her courage to turn adversity into opportunity is invincible. Sister Fei, you're a career-oriented woman too, you can understand."
"We've both experienced how much we long for someone to stand up for us when we've been abandoned or betrayed."
Qin Fei fell silent. She had experienced almost everything the backstabbing and infighting in the workplace.
"Anyone who has been caught in the rain knows how to hold an umbrella for others. Let's hold an umbrella for these two girls together this time."
Chen Zhiyi noticed that Qin Fei's eyes flickered slightly and her face showed a hint of emotion. Knowing that she had taken his words to heart, he didn't say anything more and turned to walk back to his room.
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