Chapter 143: Plagiarism in Design?
"It's going very smoothly. I've already registered. The organizers have approved the design draft, and the venue has been confirmed. Now we're just rushing to make the sample garments. Time is tight, but we can manage."
The two continued chatting, taking turns speaking.
Zhou Hairong didn't quite understand these professional details.
But I listened attentively.
By the time they put down their chopsticks, the wall clock had already pointed to 7:30 p.m.
After the meal, Zhou Hairong was about to get up to clear the dishes when Zhou Shufen gently pressed him back down.
"Go and study, I'll take care of these things."
"Don't stay up late, get some rest, you have class tomorrow."
Zhou Hairong hesitated for a moment at the kitchen door, but ultimately did not insist.
He knew his mother's temper.
Once a decision is made, there's no point in trying to dissuade them.
He had no choice but to silently return to his room.
But her thoughts were still wandering back and forth between the living room and the kitchen.
At first, Zhou Hairong thought it was a good thing that her mother suddenly moved in to keep her company.
But after only two days, that feeling of being pampered in every way began to turn into an invisible pressure.
He used to live alone at home, and he was in complete control of his own life.
But things are different now. My mom lives in the next room, and I can see everything she does.
He even had to sneak into the bathroom to change his shorts, afraid of being seen and then being nagged about "mind your image".
What made it even more embarrassing for him was that Zhou Shufen took all of his dirty clothes away.
That morning he discovered that his sweatpants were missing from under the bed.
I thought I had lost them, but in the afternoon I saw the clean clothes hanging on the balcony.
In that instant, his face burned, and his heart was filled with mixed emotions.
I'm already twenty years old, and I still have to let my own mother wash my underwear and socks. That's just too much.
He wasn't unaware that his mother was acting out of concern.
But the more he did this, the more guilty he felt.
He is an adult and should live independently.
Instead of relying on parents like a child.
Especially when I think about how my mother is busy designing and rushing to finish drawings during the day.
When she came home in the evening, she still had to do his laundry and cook for him, which made him even more restless.
On the evening of the third day, Zhou Hairong finally made up his mind to speak.
"Mom... I'm actually quite fine on my own, but with you here... I always feel a little uncomfortable."
Zhou Shufen paused for a moment.
She looked up at her son, then sighed softly.
She wasn't angry, nor did she show any disappointment.
She had actually sensed it a couple of days ago.
When her son was home, he would always deliberately avoid her gaze and speak more cautiously.
Even eating is faster than usual.
She initially thought it was anxiety brought on by the approaching college entrance examination.
Only now do I realize that what truly makes my son uncomfortable is my own existence.
Seeing Zhou Shufen remain silent, Zhou Hairong became even more uneasy, fearing that she might misunderstand and think he disliked her.
“I’m not saying you’re a hassle, really. I just think I can take care of myself. Besides, aren’t you busy with fashion week designs? The samples aren’t finished yet, and the promotional materials need to be prepared. Don’t let me delay your important work.”
He tried to persuade her for a long time, but Zhou Shufen kept shaking her head.
She wanted to say something more.
But seeing his son's confident expression, he finally sighed.
"Alright, alright, I understand what you mean. I'm just worried that you'll get used to being lazy living alone at school, not eating on time, and staying up late. Your body won't be able to handle it."
"But now I see that you have everything arranged, your life is well-organized, and you have a plan for reviewing. If I stay, it will only make you feel constrained, afraid to say more, and unable to act freely."
Actually, she had planned to go back this afternoon, since there was still a lot of work to be done at home.
But she never mentioned it, because she wanted to spend one more day with her son.
Since the son has taken the initiative to say these words, let's just be frank and lay it all out.
I had dinner with Zhou Hairong that evening.
Zhou Hairong picked up a piece of green vegetable and put it into his mother's bowl.
"Mom, don't worry, I'll take good care of myself."
Zhou Shufen nodded.
After the meal, she didn't stay any longer. She hailed a taxi downstairs and left.
As soon as she left, Zhou Hairong felt much more relaxed.
That night, he buried himself in his books, focusing intently on reviewing for the college entrance examination.
Three days passed in the blink of an eye, and the first day of the college entrance examination finally arrived.
Zhou Hairong got up early to wash up and put on the white T-shirt and dark trousers that his mother had specially prepared for him.
Zhou Shufen was still worried.
I got up early in the morning and personally made hot white porridge, fried eggs, and side dishes.
I also warmed a glass of milk, carefully packed it into an insulated lunchbox, and hurriedly left.
Zhou Hairong opened the door and saw his mother standing there, holding a lunchbox in her hand, with slightly dark circles under her eyes.
He felt a pang of sadness and quickly took the lunchbox, inviting her inside.
He knew that Zhou Shufen was doing this out of genuine concern for him.
He secretly resolved that he must do his best in this exam and not let his mother down.
After he finished his meal, Zhou Shufen did not leave in a hurry.
She sat on the edge of the bed, helping him organize his exam admission ticket and stationery while giving him instructions.
"Did you bring enough pens? Is your watch set? Remember to go to the toilet, don't hold it in."
After saying that, she hailed a taxi and insisted on personally taking Zhou Hairong to the examination site.
"I'll give you a ride, and I can remind you a few things along the way, which will put my mind at ease."
Back then, drivers took special care of students taking the college entrance exam.
Upon hearing that he was going to take the college entrance examination, the middle-aged driver immediately became enthusiastic.
"Hey, are you a high school graduate taking the college entrance exam? Don't worry, the fare is waived!"
As he was getting off the bus, he patted Zhou Hairong on the shoulder.
"Young man, do your best on the exam, don't be nervous, just perform normally!"
Zhou Shufen breathed a sigh of relief when she saw Zhou Hairong carrying his schoolbag and holding his documents bag and successfully enter the examination room.
She had planned to wait outside the exam hall for a while until her child finished the exam so she could ask how he had performed.
But after standing there for only a few minutes, my phone rang in my bag.
She took it out and saw that the caller ID showed it was the official number of the International Fashion Week organizing committee.
"Teacher Zhou, I'm sorry to bother you, but there's a problem with your application materials. They didn't pass the system review and need to be dealt with immediately, otherwise it will affect your subsequent scheduling."
Zhou Shufen frowned and pressed for details.
The other party explained that there was an anonymous report involving a dispute over the originality of the design.
Her heart sank.
"I'll handle it right away. Please send me the relevant documents first."
After hanging up the phone, she had no choice but to turn around and leave the crowd outside the examination hall.
She's been working non-stop for the past few days preparing for this fashion week, barely getting any sleep.
She sincerely hopes to shine on this big stage and let her work speak for itself.
Let the industry see the talent and perseverance behind the name "Zhou Shufen".
Upon returning home, she immediately turned on her computer and logged into the organizing committee's email address.
Sure enough, I saw an email marked in red and sent urgently.
The subject line reads "Notice Regarding the Review of Originality of Entries".
After opening the document, she flipped through it page by page, finding it increasingly absurd and laughable.
The other party actually had the audacity to accuse her of plagiarism?
That's utter nonsense.
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