He Yining nodded and said, "Go ahead. I said earlier that today, there will be no leniency!"
The organizing committee head finally replied, "The necklace was found in the rooms of both Jiang Xiaojiang and Cui Yuelan."
As soon as the words fell, Jiang Xiaojiang jumped up in agitation: "Impossible! Absolutely impossible! At the restaurant today, I personally stuffed that necklace into Shen Qi's coat pocket! There's no way it could be in my room!"
The moment Jiang Xiaojiang finished speaking, Cui Yuelan let out a cold snort.
This pawn was done for.
And Jiang Xiaojiang's words instantly caused an uproar at the scene.
What?
It was Jiang Xiaojiang who deliberately stuffed the necklace into Shen Qi's pocket?
Jiang Xiaojiang was the one framing Shen Qi?
Oh my god!
This kind of thing had only been seen on TV before, and now it was happening right before their eyes!
How could there be so many shameless people in the world?
Framing someone and then crying like a pear blossom in the rain while accusing others with such righteous indignation?
How thick-skinned could one be?
After saying this, Jiang Xiaojiang suddenly covered her mouth.
Her face turned deathly pale in an instant.
Cui Yuelan stood up and said lightly, "Jiang Xiaojiang, since you've admitted to framing Shen Qi, shouldn't you apologize to her?"
Jiang Xiaojiang looked at Cui Yuelan in terror.
Cui Yuelan only stared deeply at Jiang Xiaojiang, not saying a word, yet her eyes conveyed a thousand messages.
Shen Qi saw this and understood instantly.
Indeed, Jiang Xiaojiang had something on her that Cui Yuelan held against her. So, what was it?
What could make Jiang Xiaojiang so desperate as to frame her?
Jiang Xiaojiang suddenly seemed to collapse entirely, slumping into a chair, looking at Cui Yuelan with a pleading gaze.
But Cui Yuelan had already abandoned Jiang Xiaojiang, pressing a single finger lightly on the dining table.
Seeing this gesture, Jiang Xiaojiang's soul seemed to be drained away, leaving her completely stunned.
Throughout this whole affair, Cui Yuelan had said nothing.
Even when Jiang Xiaojiang was exposed, she could still walk away unscathed.
Shen Qi instinctively turned her head to glance at He Yining. When she saw his gaze fixed on Cui Yuelan, her eyes dimmed.
So he still cared more about Cui Yuelan, didn't he?
Forget it, forget it.
As long as the truth was clear and her innocence was restored, that was enough.
There was no need to dwell on other things.
Even if she did, what could she do?
Shen Qi withdrew her gaze and said, "Now that everything is clear, can we leave?"
The organizing committee head looked at Shen Qi with slight embarrassment and said, "Actually, that statement just now was false. The necklace was found in the clothes in your trash bin. But someone told me to say it was found in Jiang Xiaojiang's room..."
The rest was obvious.
Jiang Xiaojiang's mental fortitude wasn't strong enough, and the committee head's false statement completely shattered her psychological defenses, making her blurt out the truth.
If the committee head hadn't made that false statement, Shen Qi would have been hard-pressed to escape the slander today.
Shen Qi gave the committee head a long, meaningful look and said, "Thank that person for me. Thank them for saving my reputation."
The committee head coughed awkwardly and announced loudly, "All the facts are now clear. Due to Jiang Xiaojiang's malicious framing, which led to unfair treatment of Shen Qi and Liu Yi, the organizing committee has officially decided to disqualify Jiang Xiaojiang from the competition."
Upon hearing this, Jiang Xiaojiang suddenly collapsed onto the table, burying her head in her arms and sobbing loudly.
Shen Qi glanced at Jiang Xiaojiang. She felt a bit sorry for her, being used as a scapegoat.
But Shen Qi didn't intend to sympathize with her.
Just moments ago, Jiang Xiaojiang had been trying to destroy her.
Though she was kind to others, that didn't mean she was a pushover that any dog could bite!
"Those who joined forces with Jiang Xiaojiang to attack Shen Qi earlier will also be disqualified!" the committee head continued. "Don't think that just because the restaurant's cameras were broken, you could twist right and wrong. Just now, the security department informed me that the restaurant's surveillance lines have been repaired, and your earlier statements have all been recorded."
In an instant, countless faces turned pale.
They didn't dare to confront the committee, so they all turned their angry gazes toward Jiang Xiaojiang.
If it weren't for her, they wouldn't have been implicated!
He Yining's gaze softened slightly. At least the committee members knew how to handle things properly!
The CEOs and head designers of other brands remained silent.
Since He Yining hadn't spoken, there was no need for anyone else to chime in.
Especially given the current situation.
"Alright, since the matter is resolved, let's handle it this way." He Yining stood up and led his team away.
As he passed Shen Qi, he paused briefly—only for two seconds—before turning and leaving.
Wen Yibo reached out and tousled Shen Qi's hair, giving her a smile before following.
Feng Manlun walked up to Shen Qi, patted her shoulder, and said softly, "Well done."
The other brand CEOs smiled warmly at Shen Qi, nodded, and left.
If they still didn't understand the relationship between He Yining and Shen Qi by now, they'd be hopelessly blind.
The other head designers also came over to nod and greet Shen Qi.
Shen Qi was a bit confused. What was going on?
She had clearly been framed tonight, so why was everyone smiling at her?
Why did the atmosphere feel so off?
After they all left, the people who had come to their senses finally crowded around Shen Qi: "Miss Shen, we didn't know! We had no idea! We were just going along with it. Please, go talk to the committee and put in a good word for us, okay?"
Before Shen Qi could respond, Liu Yi coldly cut them off: "Not knowing is an excuse to slander and spread rumors? Can 'not knowing' erase your guilt? This is the committee's decision, not something Xiao Qi decided on her own. Why are you begging her? Go beg Jiang Xiaojiang! She's the one who dragged you into this! Go find her, don't bother the innocent victim! Your faces are too ugly!"
With that, Liu Yi gave them no chance to respond, dragging Shen Qi away from the spot.
And so, this farce came to an end.
In the aftermath, over forty people, including Jiang Xiaojiang, were stripped of their competition qualifications.
They were banned for life.
A designer could lack skill, but they couldn't lack character.
Though designs were inanimate objects,
a designer's soul would inevitably seep into their work.
If a person was kind-hearted and beautiful at their core, their work would be full of vitality and sunshine.
Conversely, if a person was despicable, their worldview would be inherently limited, and their achievements in life would likely stop there.
Shen Qi and Liu Yi returned to their room.
Though their room had been searched,
the searchers had been careful to restore everything to its original state, leaving no trace.
Shen Qi sighed and said, "I knew Cui Yuelan would make a move on me, but I didn't expect her to use Jiang Xiaojiang as a pawn to frame me."
Liu Yi comforted her, "Today's events are a warning. We need to be more careful around that Cui Yuelan from now on. She's grown a lot in just a few days since last time. We have to watch out for her."
Shen Qi nodded.
Yes, who was secretly coaching Cui Yuelan?
What Shen Qi might not realize is that this framing was far more complicated than she thought.
It was a game of power among several forces.
Cui Yuelan's sudden change, Jiang Xiaojiang's proactive attack, the committee's shifting stance, He Yining and the others' timely arrival...
All of it had its traces.
After everyone dispersed from the restaurant, He Yining called He's grandmother: "Grandma, thank you for today."
He's grandmother snorted lightly and said, "No need to thank me. Now, do you finally believe what I said?"
He Yining didn't answer.
"Your mother went too far this time." He's grandmother emphasized, "She secretly manipulated this whole affair, breaking our agreement. It seems the He family can't keep a woman like her."
"Grandma..." He Yining said helplessly, "Mom this time... she just... she just doesn't know Xiao Qi's good qualities yet, so she acted this way! Grandma, you promised me! As long as I fulfill your wish, you'd let Mom come home! Besides, don't you miss Dad too? But if Mom doesn't come home, Dad won't return!"
"So, she plans to use this to threaten me, an old woman? I've lived this long, do you think I'll bow to her easily?" He's grandmother's tone grew heavier. "Yining, you also promised me that you'd live well with Shen Qi. So what's going on now?"
"Grandma, rest assured. I will definitely do what I promised you!" He Yining said firmly. "It's not just your request; it's my ultimate goal."
"Good, I'll be watching your performance." He's grandmother's voice softened. "Though your useless father always makes me angry, at least you're good and know how to be filial. Let's end this here."
"Thank you, Grandma." He Yining breathed a sigh of relief.
After hanging up, his phone rang again.
He didn't even need to look to know who was calling.
"Mom, haven't you caused enough trouble?" He Yining answered, exasperated. "Why did you have to get involved in this?"
Mrs. He snorted coldly: "What, feeling sorry for her? When Yuelan was hit, where was your pity? She's your sister! And you just stood by and let others bully her?"
He Yining's head throbbed.
"That Shen Qi sure has skills. She's only been married to you for a few days, and she's already latched onto your grandmother's leg!" Mrs. He said sternly. "Out of filial piety, I can't say much. But does my son's marriage mean I have no say at all? What's so good about that Shen Qi that you can't let her go?"