Stop There, Daddy

Since Wen Shuyue had been disqualified once halfway through the contest, she had less time than other contestants did. She had only three days to finish her design.

But she was still very excited, for at least she had a chance to prove herself and prove MK.

On entering the venue for the contest, Wen Shuyue saw Chang Ning. She was just about to greet Chang Ning when the latter bumped against her shoulder. “Chang Ning, you…”

“What about me?” Chang Ning turned around to look at her coldly.

“You bumped into me.” Wen Shuyue felt that Chang Ning’s behavior was faintly abnormal, and her tone of voice was not as mild as before.

“Oh, I’m sorry.”

Chang Ning pivoted around and walked off after apologizing with a poker face.

Wen Shuyue was confused as to why Chang Ning was being so mean to her, but she did not give it much thought. She found a seat.

Once again, when she was about to sit down, Chang Ning walked over and said, “This is my seat.”

She raised her eyebrows and signaled for Wen Shuyue to step aside.

Wen Shuyue was surprised for a moment. Having noticed that everybody in the vicinity was looking at her, she hurriedly stood up and said blandly, “I’m sorry.”

She walked to another seat and sat down. Looking at Chang Ning’s mutinous face, she frowned. She couldn’t shake the feelings that Chang Ning was working against her.

The competition soon started and Wen Shuyue looked at Chang Ning who was sitting in a nearby seat.

Chang Ning, seemingly having sensed Wen Shuyue’s gaze, looked at her. Their eyes met.

Chang Ning gave a cold snort and averted her face.

Wen Shuyue did not know why Chang Ning was so hostile toward her, but soon it would be her turn to display her piece of work. Wen Shuyue did not dare take it lightly, so she had no choice but to focus on the contest.Content © NôvelDrama.Org 2024.

On the stage, the emcee finally finished the cliched opening speech. The first contestant’s design was displayed.

The first design was Chang Ning’s. When the emcee removed the cover, everybody present exclaimed in amazement. Wen Shuyue was also awed at the sight of the garment designed by Chang Ning.

Wen Shuyue had to admit that Chang Ning was very competent. The elegant off-the-shoulder long skirt was decorated with rivets, which made the skirt more punky. The dark-elf color, blackish blue, was the dominant color of the skirt which was adorned with shiny silvery little plates. It was like a pixie flying and dancing in an enchanted forest.

Though they were opponents, Wen Shuyue still could not help but cast Chang Ning an approving look. Standing on the stage, Chang Ning met Wen Shuyue’s eyes again, but there was a sneer on her lips, her eyes full of contempt.

“That skirt is amazing! The designer must’ve put a lot of efforts into it!”

“Tell me about it. If it’s for sale, I’ll definitely buy it!”

“This designer is so talented! Chang Ning is well worthy of her reputation!”

Those in the vicinity kept praising the skirt. They were awed by Chang Ning’s design.

After hearing their remarks, Wen Shuyue was faintly worried. If all other opponents were so outstanding, then she would probably be weeded out.

But Chang Ning’s “Elf Dance Skirt” was the only awe-inspiring design. It overshadowed all other skirts.

When it was Wen Shuyue’s turn to go onto the stage, she was momentarily nervous. Trying hard to maintain her smile, she introduced her design.

Though her design could not hold a candle to Chang Ning’s, it was fairly characteristic and novel, and the judges got a favorable impression of it.

At the end of the competition, the judges announced the names of the four contestants who entered the finals. Chang Ning, unsurprisingly, was the first one. Wen Shuyue was the last passer. It seemed she squeaked into the final, but when hearing her name, Wen Shuyue felt a jolt of excitement. However, when she met Chang Ning’s apathetic eyes, the twinkle in her eyes disappeared.

The emcee told the four passers to go onto the stage, Wen Shuyue subdued her upset and obeyed.

After the date and the theme for the final were announced, the second stage of the contest was rounded off.

After going off the stage, Wen Shuyue intended to ask Chang Ning what was going on, but Chang Ning was besieged by reporters.

The reporters were jostling to get closer to Chang Ning and hurling questions at her about her inspiration for fashion design and her opinions about the contest.

“Hello, Chang Ning, your work awed everybody present. Do you have anything to say about that?” asked the reporter nearest to Chang Ning after seizing the chance.

“May I ask how you achieve such prowess? How did you get the inspiration for this piece of clothing?”

“Do you think a contest of this level downgraded you?”

…

Chang Ning furrowed her dashing eyebrows a little, but then she gave a smile and answered the reporters’ questions.

Wen Shuyue, standing on the side and looking at Chang Ning, decided to wait until the reporters were gone to talk to her.

Besieged by reporters asking her frivolous questions, Chang Ning became even more impatient, and her tone of voice was no longer mild. She said lukewarmly, “All contestants performed well in this contest. I just got lucky. Finishing first place doesn’t matter much to me. I don’t think it’s something worth feeling proud of.”

But the reporters kept taking pictures of her non-stop.

“Ms. Chang Ning, who do you think will be your ultimate opponent?”

After thinking for a moment, Chang Ning said, “I think it’ll be Wen Shuyue, the fourth one to enter the final.”

The reporters were puzzled. “You must be kidding. She’s the least competitive one making it into the final. Why do you think she’s your biggest opponent?”

Chang Ning tossed a glance at Wen Shuyue who was passing by. Then she pointedly raised her voice and said to the reporters, “Sometimes your competence is not all it takes to succeed. Your backers might prove more helpful than your competence. Likewise, not all losers deserve to be deemed incompetent.”

With that Chang Ning inclined her head at the reporters and said, “Goodbye.”

The reporters had more questions to ask, but the security guards held them back at the roadside, so they could only watched anxiously as Chang Ning left.

At the same time, they spotted Wen Shuyue, so they clustered around her.

“Ms. Wen, Chang Ning sees you as her most competitive opponent standing in her way to championship. Do you have anything to say about that?”

“And, which part of your design do you think is the most decisive factor that makes it stand out?”

…

Wen Shuyue was in no mood to answer any of the reporters’ questions. Although she had designed the skirt in great haste, she could not use that as an excuse. Right now all she wanted to do was design something that could defeat Chang Ning’s design, because Chang Ning seeing her as an opponent put her under great pressure.

But out of courtesy, Wen Shuyue still answered the reporters’ questions. “It’s a great honor to be regarded as an opponent by a contestant like Chang Ning. I won’t disappoint her.”

The reporters then asked her about her previous disqualification, and how she had re-entered the second stage of the competition and advanced into the final. They also suspected that she had had someone pull strings for her.

Wen Shuyue’s face darkened at those questions. It had never crossed her mind that she would be misunderstood this way. She did not want to answer those rude questions.