Though she had already decided to leave He Yining, love couldn't be taken back just like that. If love could be easily withdrawn, it meant it had never truly existed. She had truly loved, so she couldn't take it back.
Shen Qi hesitated for a moment, then still ran to the window to glance down. That spot was empty now. The car was gone too. Shen Qi couldn't quite describe what she felt inside. She just felt like something was missing.
Shen Qi turned around with a sense of loss, meeting Liu Yi's puzzled gaze, and explained with a hint of cover-up, "I was just checking how the rain was doing." Liu Yi just smiled and said nothing.
Shen Qi came back, finished the instant noodles, and started tidying up the bed. Just then, someone knocked on the door: "Hello, I'm a hotel attendant." Hmm? At this hour, why would an attendant be knocking?
Liu Yi stood up: "Don't bother, I'll get it!" She walked straight to the door and opened it. Standing outside was indeed a hotel attendant. The attendant held out a box and said, "A guest asked me to deliver this, specifically for Miss Shen Qi." Liu Yi turned to look at Shen Qi: "It's for you."
Shen Qi had already walked over by then. She glanced at the box in the attendant's hand and asked, "What kind of guest asked you to bring this?" "I don't know either. The front desk told me to deliver it," the attendant replied. "The front desk said the person left it and went away."
Shen Qi hesitated for a moment but still took the box: "Thank you." After closing the door, even Liu Yi was curious: "What is it? Open it and see!" Unable to resist Liu Yi's urging, and also curious herself about who sent it, Shen Qi quickly unwrapped the packaging and opened the box.
Inside the box lay a delicate bouquet of roses, along with a card that had only three words written on it: "I'm sorry." For some reason, Shen Qi inexplicably felt certain that the flowers were from He Yining.
Shen Qi hurriedly said to Liu Yi, "I'll go downstairs and ask." As soon as the words left her mouth, Shen Qi dashed out like a gust of wind, not even bothering to close the door. Watching her retreating figure, Liu Yi muttered to herself, "Looks like the person who sent the flowers is the one who made you cry, huh?"
Shen Qi rushed to the front desk, anxious and impatient: "Excuse me, what did the person who sent the gift just now look like?" The front desk clerk replied with a professional smile: "That person was wearing a mask and a hat, so we didn't get a clear look at their features."
Shen Qi felt a slight pang of regret. He Yining was so proud; wherever he went, no matter what he did, he never wore a mask or hat to hide himself. So, it seemed the flower sender wasn't him. Since it wasn't him, then whoever it was didn't matter anymore, right?
Shen Qi politely thanked the clerk and turned to leave. After she was gone, He Yining stepped out from the side, placing his business card on the counter: "Well done." The front desk clerk was almost overwhelmed with flattery, clutching He Yining's card and bowing repeatedly to express gratitude. He Yining didn't linger and left.
Back in the room, Shen Qi looked at the bouquet of roses and lost all interest, casually tossing it into the trash bin. "Even if you hate the person who sent them, such expensive flowers—just throwing them away like that?" Liu Yi said with a mix of regret and pity. Shen Qi's eyes dimmed slightly: "If you like them, they're yours." Liu Yi shook her head: "Me? Forget it! I'll probably only ever love boxing gloves in this life."
Shen Qi couldn't help but curl her lips into a smile: "When you claim the boxing champion's throne, I'll definitely give you the best pair of boxing gloves!" Liu Yi's eyes lit up at that: "Deal!" "Deal," Shen Qi replied with a smile.
The two girls got into bed, turned off the lights, and started chatting. "Hey, Xiao Qi, can I call you Xiao Qi?" Liu Yi said a bit sheepishly. "I just somehow feel that Xiao Qi suits you better." "Of course you can. Xiao Qi is my name," Shen Qi replied with a smile. Liu Yi let out a sigh of relief and said, "Just call me Yi Ge." Shen Qi burst out laughing: "I'll end up thinking of you as a guy!" Liu Yi scratched her head and said, "Alright, call me whatever you want, just don't call me Xiao Yi." Shen Qi couldn't help but laugh again.
"By the way, do you know some of the rules for this competition?" Liu Yi asked Shen Qi. "I heard the judges are pretty complicated—starting with some no-name nobodies and ending with a few big company CEOs making the final call?" Hearing this, Shen Qi suddenly remembered a question. Wasn't the reason He Yining and Feng Manlun came here to scout designers for their own brands? So, even if she tried to avoid them, she'd still run into them at the final round? That would be trouble.
The thought only flickered through her mind. Shen Qi immediately replied, "Yeah, it's divided into several sections: clothing, shoes and bags, jewelry, character styling, and men's accessories." "That doesn't make sense," Liu Yi said, sitting up straight. "Those sections are clearly independent—why lump them all into one competition?" Indeed, someone who designs clothes might not do styling, and someone who designs bags might not design wedding gowns.
"It's easy to understand," Shen Qi explained with a smile. "The designers being selected here are all basic-level, not top-tier. In simple terms, these big companies are stockpiling talent for their own design teams." "What do you mean?" Liu Yi looked at her, confused. "In other words, they're picking promising apprentices," Shen Qi continued. "Think about it—would a truly top-level designer need to compete in something like this to prove their worth?" Liu Yi shook her head. "Exactly. This competition attracts beginners or those who haven't been in the field long and need a break. After passing through the rounds, if they catch the eye of a big company, they become a signed designer, and the company provides systematic training and development. In return, the designer serves the company for a set number of years."
This had all been explained to her before, so she understood it well. It was also why Mr. Charles had sent her to compete—competition was the best way to hone her skills. "So, this competition will have a lot of designers who are talented but haven't had their big break yet," Liu Yi concluded. "Yes," Shen Qi nodded. "Looks like it's going to be a tough battle," Liu Yi said, resting her hands behind her head, deep in thought. "Xiao Qi, how confident are you?" "Me? I'm fine. I just need to be my best self," Shen Qi replied with a smile. "I'll go as far as I can. I'm not just here to compete; more importantly, my teacher sent me to gain experience and to discuss my design concepts with a company."
"Who's your teacher?" Liu Yi asked instinctively. "Mr. Charles," Shen Qi answered with a smile. Liu Yi sat up straight, stunned: "Mr. Charles? The in-house designer for He's Group's top international brands?" Shen Qi nodded. This time, Liu Yi's mouth fell wide open. No wonder Shen Qi was so calm and collected—she had serious backing.
Shen Qi continued, "But I've only just started learning. I used to be a stylist, doing makeup and styling for wealthy young ladies and gentlemen. I dabbled in design a bit, but compared to real professional design, I'm still far off." Liu Yi sighed with admiration: "That's nothing. Your starting point is already high. Cherish it, work hard, and you'll definitely make something of yourself."
Seeing that Liu Yi showed no trace of jealousy or any negative emotion, Shen Qi felt reassured. She became even more certain that Liu Yi was a friend worth keeping. When someone meets someone better off, it's fine to sigh or envy, but never to go mad with jealousy. If that happens, that person's potential is limited. Liu Yi clearly wasn't that type. Her personality leaned toward being boyish—carefree yet also sharp and observant. She was straightforward, but that didn't mean she was naive. So, Shen Qi hadn't lied to her.
The two chatted for a long time before finally drifting off to sleep.
Early the next morning, both got up to prepare. Today was the day all contestants gathered as a group. Everyone would check into their assigned rooms and surrender phones, computers, and all other communication devices to ensure isolation from the outside world.
Shen Qi and Liu Yi stood among the crowd, waiting. From a distance, they saw Cui Yuelan strutting over like a proud peacock, followed by several servants pushing suitcases. Coming to a competition, she had as much luggage as if she were on vacation. Liu Yi couldn't help but say to Shen Qi, "Xiao Qi, look at that person. She's so weird. I thought this was a designer competition—why is she dressed like she's auditioning for a role?"
Several others around them also glanced at Cui Yuelan, barely suppressing smirks. Even those who dressed elegantly among the crowd didn't go as over the top as Cui Yuelan. Shen Qi took a closer look—Cui Yuelan was decked out in international luxury brands, as if afraid no one would know how rich she was. For a designer, true luxury was the ultimate pursuit of art, not a display of commercialism. So, aside from Shen Qi, most people present looked at Cui Yuelan with some disdain.
Cui Yuelan didn't notice the contempt in others' eyes, but she did see Shen Qi's indifference. A flicker of anger stirred in her heart. How dare Shen Qi ignore her? Wasn't she just a loser? Cui Yuelan headed straight for Shen Qi. Seeing her approach, Shen Qi wanted nothing to do with her. She grabbed Liu Yi's hand and said, "Let's wait over there."
Cui Yuelan saw Shen Qi holding hands with a 'man' and her eyes widened in shock!