"That's good. I also hope you can be happy." Qin Xiaoyu sincerely wished them well.
"I also hope you can be happy."
"Me and who?" Qin Xiaoyu looked at Wang Lei in surprise. This guy was really something. He already knew she and Zhou Xing had broken up, yet he still kept talking nonsense.
"Sigh, there are some things I can't say. Someone as smart as you, why don't you use your brain? Or is it that Zhou Xing has hurt you deeply, and you won't put any effort into him..."
"Stop talking about this, I have nothing to do with him." Qin Xiaoyu opened the car door, jumped out, and walked away without looking back.
On the day of the exam, Qin Xiaoyu designed the outfit for Tang Fengqin. Instead of a formal gown or a long skirt, she had Zhou Yue design a cream-colored two-piece suit. The princess-lined waist accentuated Tang Fengqin's perfect figure, and the hemline fell exactly half an inch above the knee. Don't underestimate that half inch; back then, most skirts were slightly longer, making the torso appear longer and the legs shorter. Now, it perfectly showcased her two beautiful calves. The shoes were cream-colored platform shoes, a bit early for the season, but they had to be worn with the skirt, and Qin Xiaoyu refused to compromise.
My hair was done at a hairdressing school. It was styled in a bun at the back of my head without any decorations, simple and elegant.
Being an announcer in a performing arts troupe is a lucrative job—easy work, good pay, and it's all done in front of the stage.
There are also many Cinderellas who want to use this position to marry into a wealthy family.
Commander Wang secretly leaked the information: there was only one spot available, yet over a hundred people had already applied, including many children of high-ranking officials. However, the judging panel she selected consisted of upright and incorruptible veterans who couldn't be easily swayed; this was the only thing she could do for Tang Fengqin.
Tang Fengqin didn't get a good number; it was right in the middle of the day, either in the morning or afternoon, depending on how the people in front of her behaved.
Noon is when people are most tired, and Qin Xiaoyu has been waiting with her since morning, so the mental battle line is stretched too long, and people will also lack energy.
The process went relatively smoothly so far. After passing through more than a dozen girls, Qin Xiaoyu silently gave them scores in her mind. The highest score was only eight points, and there were even those who failed.
Most of them wore heavy makeup and came on stage acting affectedly. The judges' faces grew increasingly unpleasant.
Qin Xiaoyu was afraid that Tang Fengqin would be nervous, so she didn't keep her sitting in the audience and went out for some fresh air.
"Auntie, I feel like I can't breathe." When Qin Xiaoyu walked into the front hall, the light was brighter, and she noticed that Tang Fengqin's face was covered in sweat. Fortunately, she hadn't put on too much makeup, otherwise she would have looked like a cat with a face full of sweat.
"Don't be too nervous. Actually, it's not a big deal. If you don't pass the exam, just keep trying to get into university. It's that simple." Qin Xiaoyu took out a handkerchief and gently dabbed it on her forehead to encourage her.
"Won't Aunt Wang be disappointed if I don't pass the exam?" Tang Fengqin lives too humbly and cares too much about what others think.
"Fengqin, you can't do this. You need to be confident. It's not you who's pursuing Wang Lei now; it's his family who's eager to marry you."
"I don't like hearing that," Wang Lei said, appearing out of nowhere. It had been agreed that he wouldn't be watching from the audience, fearing Tang Fengqin would be nervous.
"Why are you here?" Tang Fengqin complained softly.
"If you don't like what I'm saying, you don't have to listen. My niece isn't obligated to marry you." Qin Xiaoyu deliberately teased him, and the atmosphere finally eased a bit.
"Tang Fengqin!" came a staff member's voice from behind. Tang Fengqin's body stiffened, and she took off running backstage.
"Don't be nervous, don't fall!" Qin Xiaoyu cried out in distress, fearing she would embarrass herself by rushing onto the stage in such a panic.
The judges were left idle for a while, and some of them were whispering among themselves.
When Tang Fengqin appeared in a corner of the stage, a spotlight shone on her.
She took a deep breath and walked steadily toward the microphone in the center.
"Distinguished leaders, dear audience members, good evening..." Tang Fengqin's full and clear voice rang out, and the judges were all startled.
Team Leader Wang devised a trick: he assigned a male judge to each of the judges to prevent any female judge from becoming jealous and thus ensuring fairness.
Qin Xiaoyu discovered that some people's positions are predetermined. Just like Tang Fengqin, she was poised and elegant, without a trace of pettiness. Her breathtakingly beautiful eyes swept around the audience, captivating them. Isn't admiring a beautiful woman part of appreciating a performance?
"Bravo!" A male audience member in the audience, who was watching the excitement, lost control and shouted "Bravo!" while clapping, which drew laughter from the audience. The judges all turned around to look.
When Tang Fengqin's performance time was over, she walked off the stage with the same lightness she had shown when she arrived.
"Auntie, my hands are shaking, how are you?" Tang Fengqin's eyes were filled with tears, and her palms were sweaty.
"I feel it's perfect, a hundred points. Let's see what the judges say." Qin Xiaoyu pulled her to find a place to sit down offstage.
Some eyes were already glued to her, including many on the judging panel.
The list of candidates for the second round of exams will be announced the day after the first day of exams. Tang Fengqin asked to go home, so Qin Xiaoyu took her home.
Her cousin-in-law kept pressing for details, not letting go of even the slightest clue, until Qin Xiaoyu's ears were calloused from hearing it all.
She got up and went to the second floor. To her surprise, she found that some of the booths had already been decorated with fashion items. It seemed that Zhou Yue was quite efficient.
"This dress is really beautiful. Zhou Yue is quite capable." My cousin-in-law also came up.
"I have another idea. I need to discuss this with Fourth Brother." Qin Xiaoyu suddenly had a whim and turned to run downstairs.
My cousin's wife wanted to hear her explain in more detail, but she couldn't stop her and could only watch helplessly as she ran away.
Qi Si was still at the Cantonese teahouse, but Cheng Fuxing had already returned to work, leaving him with nothing to do again.
"The dinner is scheduled for tomorrow. Go and invite them," Qi Si said with a smile as she saw her come in.
"Okay, that's easy. Let's talk about other things first." Qin Xiaoyu went to the bar and ordered a bottle of Da Bai Li (a type of Chinese liquor), asked the waiter to open it, and took a couple of sips.
"What new money-making opportunity have you found? Let me tell you, those two little rascals are really bringing me good fortune. Lately, I've been so busy counting money that I don't even feel tired," Qi Si said with a chuckle.
"Brother, you're being reckless again! What do you mean 'little brat'? Are you a rabbit?"
"What are you talking about? How is your brother a rabbit?"
"If you're not a rabbit, how come they're bastards?"
"Okay, okay, I won't say it anymore, I won't say it again." Qi Si felt very pleased after Qin Xiaoyu teased him a few times.
“Find a few experienced waiters and open a shop in Hengchang. I will set aside a separate area for them.”
"Restaurant?"
"No, we only serve snacks, milk, coffee, and drinks. You could call it a tea house."
"That stuff is too expensive to sell on its own, isn't it? Who would eat it?"
"Just listen to me." Qin Xiaoyu was too lazy to explain. Qi Si was used to obeying her. Although she had some doubts, she quickly organized the people.
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