"No! What I mean is!" Ji Yunli was at a loss.
"I just wanted to help out a bit, otherwise you guys are the only ones busy, and they've got me so many endorsement deals over there..."
“I didn’t mean to forbid you from taking on freelance work. I remember you said you wanted to be like everyone else, to sit in front of the stage and draw designs, to go to fashion shows. If you have a clear goal, then don’t let short-term gains make you forget about the bigger picture. People who can achieve their goals are either stubborn or very aloof.”
Mu Yiran neatly arranged the scattered handbags. "I know this process may be a bit long for you. It's normal to need to find other tracks to support your progress and change yourself along the way. But right now, I think you should prioritize."
Pinning her name tag to her chest, Mu Yiran patted her shoulder. "Right now, the most important thing is to make sure the show goes smoothly, hmm?"
Ji Yunli couldn't tell if it was shame or inferiority; she didn't dare look at the woman speaking gently to her. "Aorsa..."
Just then, Director Chen ran in with a small bee: "Alright everyone! Please gather at the front, the Goddess Fashion Show is about to open!"
No further words.
To ensure fairness and make the event more engaging, the seven goddesses wore seven different outfits, all completely concealed, and appeared in groups, with Zhou Yuan being the last to appear.
When Jing Zhi's group passed by, the two met. Seeing that the girl's face was rosy and she was in good condition, Mu Yiran secretly breathed a sigh of relief.
Watching the girl's slender figure disappear into the distance, Mu Yiran couldn't help but recall what Shi Youxi had told her:
"Jing Zhi is indeed Lin Zhi."
"Why she ended up in the entertainment industry and became an unknown nobody with no connections is a bit complicated, and I don't know for sure, but it might be because she had a falling out with the Lin family."
"Huh? How could that be? Her brother spoils her so much, how could he not care about her?"
"It's because the person who doted on her is no longer here."
"..."
Gone...
Could it be referring to...?
"What are you thinking about?" Zhou Yuan whispered beside her.
"Ah, no."
Thinking she was nervous, Zhou Yuan hooked her chin and turned her to examine Mu Yiran's makeup. "Little darling, are you nervous?"
Mu Yiran looked around: "No, I..."
Zhou Yuan pinched her cheek, unable to put it down. "Don't worry! Your little husband isn't here, but I am. I'll protect you and see which bitches dare to harm you, mmm~ my sweetie."
"..."
The woman, alluring yet aloof, her slender figure embracing Mu Yiran, arrogantly flirted with the camera. This overwhelming sense of security, this domineering arrogance, made Mu Yiran feel as if she were Zhou Yuan's most fashionable accessory at that moment—
Her dog.
“Sweep away those bastards, these are all our own people, don’t be afraid,”
The cameraman standing nearby trembled slightly when he met Zhou Yuan's gaze. Was Zhou Yuan threatening them? After all, they had filmed everything they shouldn't have with Yu Li and the others before.
He wanted to cast a glance at Yu Li for help, but when he turned around, he suddenly realized that Yu Li was already in jail.
"Hey, those guys I didn't introduce to you last time are here today too. Shall I take you to say hello? They're all rich guys, how about we get them to add a few more orders for you?"
Hearing her firm and resolute voice, Mu Yiran became even more guilty. "Um, Mr. Zhou, there's something—"
"Huh? Which darling do you want to get to know? Actually, I think that boy band member looks just like your little husband, obviously flirtatious, hehe, and definitely more well-behaved than him—"
"President Zhou!" Director Chen's hoarse voice, which had been shouting all day, suddenly broke through, "It's your turn! Go on, go on!"
Zhou Yuan: "..."
Despite rolling her eyes, Zhou Yuan didn't stop walking, heading towards the small catwalk with an air of nobility and aloofness, with Mu Yiran following closely behind.
The venue was already packed with spectators. The first six groups of goddesses had been introduced and were in their places in order of appearance. In the center were Helian Xin and Wen Qingyu.
When their eyes met, they froze for a moment before subtly looking away.
Mu Yiran couldn't tell anything, but Wen Qingyu was all smiles, her carefully styled look exuding confidence.
With their deliberate marketing, the two have generated a lot of buzz this week. Both have impressive family backgrounds and equally matched careers. The novel's heroine and her best friend have become a reality, instantly attracting some fans who admire strong female protagonists. The pairing of "rich family best friend - a clear-headed human being" has frequently trended on social media.
The two of them seemed to be in great spirits, as if they knew nothing about what happened that night, as if they had just gotten a free meal that they hadn't been able to get.
At this time, there were also many fans at the scene holding up two light sticks and support photos of her, and their screams were no less than those of Zhou Yuan.
Zhou Yuan, amidst the cheers of her fans and in her high heels, walked straight towards the two of them.
Helian Xin and Wen Qingyu held their ground for a while, until they saw Zhou Yuan walking two steps away without stopping. Only then did Helian Xin smile, stand up, and move aside to make way for the middle position.
"Sister Yuan, come on, this seat was saved for you."
Zhou Yuan didn't stand on ceremony. "Come on," she said, taking Mu Yiran's hand, and the two of them sat down in the middle.
Wen Qingyu stumbled from the jostling and said, trying to cover her embarrassment, "As expected, it's more stable for you to stand in the middle, sister."
Zhou Yuan: "Ha, nonsense."
“…”
On stage, some fans could vaguely sense the undercurrent between the group, and their cheers grew louder.
Live stream chat:
What's going on? That old woman came up and took someone else's seat right away!
[Is this blatant blatant competition for the center position?]
That's Zhou Yuan.
So what? Everyone stood in the order they appeared on stage!
[Have some manners. When CEO Zhou debuted, your idol wasn't even born yet. What do you mean by "stealing"? Based on seniority and fame, her seat is rightfully hers.]
[Zhou Yuan was speechless. That designer doesn't even know how to read colors. Who is she anyway? Now that Xin Xin has been replaced, she's dragging Zhou Yuan into this mess. She used to be called the "Shenzhen-Hong Kong University's Campus Belle," and now she's accused of plagiarism and diva-like behavior. Is this a deliberate attempt to whitewash her image? It's become a one-woman show for her.]
[Can we stop with the conspiracy theories? The host said that Zhou Yuan was invited first, but they didn't issue a notice at the time because they weren't sure if she could come.]
[Besides, the preview episode was already released, right? It showed that both sides had issues that prevented them from teaming up, and it was Helian Xin's private matter! Private matter! Some fans shouldn't act like only their idol is innocent!]
[...]
Inside the live stream, fans from each group had already held their ground, spamming the chat as soon as their idol appeared. A few arguments were drowned out by the sea of supportive comments, with only a few popping up occasionally. But gradually, more and more people started watching the spectacle from below the official Weibo account.
The camera was deliberately pointed at the center, and only moved away after a while.
"Alright everyone! Next, I would like to invite the four judges to officiate this show."
"They are Dean Yang Zhenghua from the Beijing Academy of Art and Design!"
"Dean Liu Bin of the Jewelry Design Department at the China University of Geosciences!"
"And one more..." Director Chen drawled, "You all already know, right? Haha, it's our country's fashion queen, Sharon!"
Qi Qiulin wore a stylish fitted fringed dress with her hair half-up, and the cool-toned outfit made her look aloof and elegant.
Mu Yiran stared intently at her.
Qi Qiulin always appears to wear light makeup on screen, which is completely different from her private preference for a luxurious, old-fashioned style.
Qi Qiulin is now incredibly gentle in every move she makes.
Because it had already been publicized, no one was surprised by Qi Qiulin's appearance, and there was continuous enthusiastic applause and screams.
"I feel very honored to be invited to this program, and I am especially looking forward to what kind of visual feast the goddesses and designers will bring me tonight."
"Sharon, now that you know who the team members are, is there anyone you're particularly looking forward to, or any group you're optimistic about?"
"Actually, I'm really looking forward to every group! They're all friends I've met on the runway before! But if you ask me which group I'm most excited about..."
Qi Qiulin smiled and said, "I'll definitely choose our CEO Zhou's group!"
"I really didn't expect to see our CEO Zhou here, and also Aorsa! To be honest, Aorsa is more famous abroad than in China. I've run into you at fashion shows several times before and I've been wondering when we'd have a chance to collaborate. I didn't expect this opportunity to come so soon."
"Because I had actually collaborated with Xinxin and Qingyu's group before, and Qingyu told me that Aorsa always won the gold medal for the theme at school. I thought, Aorsa and President Zhou's combined work will definitely be a real eye-opener!"
Qi Qiulin provided ample emotional value, coordinating with the host and other designers to instantly shift the focus to Mu Yiran and Zhou Yuan, with some fans already making comparisons.
"Looks like tonight's going to be really exciting! After hearing Sharon's words, do any of you in the audience have a group you'd like to vote for? You can all look forward to it!"
The host, keeping track of the time, said, "So we have one last referee left. Oh? Has anyone guessed who it is?"
"Let me give you a hint first: some of what was said online before was correct!"
Besides fans who came to support their idols, there were also professionals and students in the fashion industry who couldn't help but scream when they heard this.
Bullet comments:
[Holy crap! Can it really be?!]
[That's impossible. Lack has been hiding for so long, always disdaining to appear on camera. He was invited to a party hosted by the British royal family's young prince, but he didn't come. This show is just a red carpet appearance, not some kind of banquet.]
[It wasn't explicitly stated that it must be Lack. There are so many design directors at Lacuna; it could be Xing Jie.]
[And... never mind, Lack has absolutely no chance of showing up here! Unless you're saying he's Wenxin's boss sent to sabotage his own show's ratings, then I'd believe him. But the thing is, ten Wenxins can't make as much money as half of Lacuna.]
[But Wenxin even hired Zhou Yuan, so maybe she really is lax. After all, who would complain about having too much money!]
Amidst the constant whispers and anticipation, Wen Qingyu couldn't help but ask Helian Xin, "Do you know who it is? It can't really be that Lacy, can it?"
They can't even pronounce the name correctly.
Helian Xin rolled her eyes, avoiding the camera, "How should I know!"
Seeing that she had a haughty attitude and was reluctant to talk to her, Wen Qingyu's face also fell. "What's with the arrogance?"
Zhou Yuan couldn't stand it anymore. Regardless of the camera, she started chatting, "I also think it's Xing Jie, but hey, I ran into him in London last time and he didn't say he was going back to China."
What do you think, baby?
Mu Yiran stammered, scratching her head:
"Um... well, I think..."
But Zhou Yuan ran out of patience and slapped the host.
"Hurry up! Stop dawdling! My legs are killing me! They're insured!"
"…………"
The host was flustered and completely innocent when Zhou Yuan scolded him, because Director Chen had told him to lay the groundwork!
"Hey, I think whoever it is, they shouldn't be able to get in our way, right?" Wen Qingyu looked at Mu Yiran, who was talking to Zhou Yuan, and leaned over to whisper.
"Hurry up and tell Sister Mai to buy you more online trolls. Don't let your work drag me down when it's released later."
host:
"Alright, alright, time is of the essence and our other referee can't wait any longer, so I won't hold back anymore!"
Helian Xin sneered:
"Unless you are caught plagiarizing on the spot again, we won't be the ones trending on social media tonight."
"Let me give a warm round of applause to our last guest, who is also the judge for this event—"
Wen Qingyu knew that Helian Xin was mocking her graduation project, but because she was on stage, she didn't dare to shout, and only said:
"Don't worry, so what if there's Zhou Yuan? Even if this referee is Mu Yiran's man, even if he's one of the Four Heavenly Kings or Little Li or the Empress Dowager—"
"A design master from Italy!"
Wen Qingyu: "I can make him and Mu Yiran fall flat on their faces! They'll either die or be crippled!"
"...either death or maiming?"
"Oh...is that so?"
"!"
A low, husky male voice suddenly came from behind them, and Wen Qingyu and Helian Xin, who were standing by the steps, were both startled.
The host, brimming with enthusiasm, waved to the rising platform behind them!
"Wele the heart of Lacuna, Lack!"
"..."
Both the scene on stage and the live stream froze at the same moment, the chat screen even went blank, followed by a swarm of "Holy crap!"
The stadium was filled with screams.
The hidden door slowly descended from behind the crowd.
Almost the instant the man's forehead was revealed, Mu Yiran and Helian Xin's expressions changed simultaneously.
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