"Sorry to interrupt, but why did you cover him in band-aids?" Liu Yi asked curiously.
"Because the maid at home told me that if you're hurt, you put on a band-aid, and once you do, it won't hurt anymore!" Shen Qi replied with a matter-of-fact expression. "The thing is, I actually believed it! The next day, when I went to find that big brother, I really plastered him all over with them! Everywhere!"
Liu Yi burst out laughing, nearly doubling over!
The young Shen Qi had instantly gone from adorably naive to adorably silly!
It was just too cute!
"The day my dad passed away, I ran out crying, and that big brother comforted me, saying Dad hadn't abandoned me—he'd gone up to heaven to ask an angel to come down and take care of me." Shen Qi's eyes dimmed slightly. "Too bad I was crying so hard that I forgot to ask his name, and I forgot to tell him mine. I just promised him that when we met again, I'd tell him what I was called. But then my stepmother took me away, and I never went back."
Liu Yi reached out and patted Shen Qi's head, offering her some comfort.
Shen Qi sighed and continued, "Do you know why I ended up with Zhan Bo?"
"Zhan Bo?" Liu Yi asked back. "Who's that?"
"Yeah, my ex-boyfriend. He's... no longer with us. He went on an outdoor trip with some fellow travelers, slipped and fell off a cliff. By the time they found him, he was unrecognizable." Shen Qi's eyes dimmed again. "I agreed to be with Zhan Bo back then because he reminded me a lot of that big brother. That big brother was only a few years older than me, but he gave me such a strong sense of security. Zhan Bo was the same. He looked after me like an older brother."
Liu Yi stared at Shen Qi in surprise, then pulled her into a hug. "And you never heard from that big brother again?"
Shen Qi shook her head. "No. Not a single word."
"Do you like that big brother?" Liu Yi asked.
Shen Qi hugged her knees, thought for a moment, and said, "I think I do... He was really good to me."
"And if your big brother showed up again, what would you do?" Liu Yi couldn't help asking.
Shen Qi looked lost. "I don't know..."
Liu Yi patted her on the shoulder. "Alright, don't think about it! China's huge, the world's huge. Someone you parted ways with eighteen years ago—you might never run into them again in this lifetime. Let it go. Let's head back."
"Okay." Shen Qi nodded with a smile.
The two of them left the spot, and Cui Yuelan's figure immediately emerged from a corner.
"Big brother?" Cui Yuelan's eyes flickered. "I thought you two were rock-solid, but it doesn't seem that way now! He Yining, if you found out Shen Qi's been pining for another man all along, what would you do?"
Cui Yuelan chuckled softly. "Shen Qi, just you wait!"
Cui Yuelan turned and followed them. When she was sure no one was around, she slipped into a hotel room and gave low-voiced orders: "Spread the word. Tell my parents I need them to look into Shen Qi's childhood. She's been searching for that childhood playmate of hers, hasn't she? Even if there isn't one, we'll fabricate one. Got it?"
"Yes, the message will be passed along," came a vague reply.
Cui Yuelan smiled in satisfaction.
The next day of the finals, the competition venue changed.
This time, it moved to an open field on the outskirts of town.
Shen Qi, dressed in sportswear, got off the bus with the group and looked at the empty space, unable to help asking, "Is the competition going to be held here?"
Liu Yi was equally surprised. "Huh? Why here?"
The others got off too, looking just as confused.
Normally, the finals leading to the grand finale—such a serious competition!
It should be locked down tight as a drum to prevent cheating and the like.
Choosing a place like this—how were they supposed to guard against anything?
Just then, the finals judges and the organizing committee head appeared.
They gathered everyone together and announced, "Our finals challenge is quite unique. In the semifinals, we saw your brilliant creativity. But that's not enough. In the semifinals, there were no restrictions on materials or mediums. However, a true designer can produce their best work even with limited resources."
The head looked around at the remaining twenty contestants and continued, "So, this round is still a team competition. The twenty of you will draw lots to split into four groups, then draw again to decide on clothing, shoes, bags, accessories, and character styling. Your models will be today's top international brand designers, and their direct impressions will influence the judges' scores."
The crowd gasped!
What was out here? Nothing but trees and grass!
Even if they wanted to make paper on the spot, there was no time!
Three hours!
How was that even possible?
Shen Qi, along with the others, nervously began drawing lots.
She pulled out a slip and opened it. It had a "4" on it—so she was in Group 4.
Liu Yi showed hers; she was in Group 3.
Cui Yuelan shot Shen Qi a meaningful glance and revealed her own slip, which clearly read "4."
Shen Qi's heart sank with an inexplicable dread.
She had a feeling that being in the same group as Cui Yuelan would spell trouble.
After the draw, everyone quickly lined up by team.
Cui Yuelan walked straight over to Shen Qi and stood beside her without a word.
Shen Qi's back stiffened, and her fingers instinctively clenched the slip, the number digging into her palm.
That look from Cui Yuelan just now was far too ominous.
Liu Yi, standing in Group 3, watched Shen Qi with concern.
She, too, felt that Cui Yuelan being in Shen Qi's group was a recipe for disaster.
Each team sent someone to draw for their category. At that moment, Cui Yuelan suddenly leaned close to Shen Qi's ear and whispered rapidly, "Do you know I deliberately ended up in your group?"
Shen Qi's pupils contracted sharply.
What did she mean by that?
Was she planning to sabotage things?
To make Shen Qi crash and burn here?
But if they were on the same team, their fortunes were tied together. If Cui Yuelan pulled something, she'd lose too.
Cui Yuelan seemed to read Shen Qi's thoughts and sneered, whispering again, "No, I'll destroy you, but I might not lose!"
Shen Qi whipped her head around, staring at Cui Yuelan in shock, not understanding her meaning.
Cui Yuelan gave her a cold smile, narrowed her eyes sharply, and suddenly raised her hand, shouting loudly, "Committee, I want to report Shen Qi!"
Swish, swish, swish—countless eyes turned to Shen Qi!
The committee head immediately responded, "What's going on?"
Cui Yuelan shot Shen Qi a triumphant look and said to the head, "I'm reporting Shen Qi for secretly bringing a phone, failing to surrender all communication devices as per the rules."
"What!" Shen Qi was stunned herself.
How could Cui Yuelan think such a baseless accusation would hold up?
She had handed over all her communication devices at the start of the competition!
And it had been done under the committee head's supervision, sealed away personally!
Was Cui Yuelan crazy?
Cui Yuelan suddenly snatched Shen Qi's bag, opened it, and dumped everything on the ground.
A clatter of items spilled out—sunscreen, a small mirror, tissues, lip gloss, sunglasses, and more—all laid bare.
A little red phone lay quietly among them.
Shen Qi's face flushed bright red!
A wave of heat washed over her!
How did that happen?
How could there be a phone in her bag?
And it wasn't even hers!
The others were stunned too.
No one expected a confrontation before the competition even began!
Cui Yuelan's smugness was barely concealed as she said to the committee head, "Shen Qi only started learning design a few months ago, yet she's managed to cut through the competition and reach the finals alongside everyone else. Don't you all find that curious? If someone's talent were that extraordinary, why would they need to be in such a basic competition? They'd already be a world-class designer, wouldn't they?"
The crowd began murmuring among themselves.
Shen Qi stood there, disbelief written all over her face.
She had already been falsely accused by Jiang Xiaojiang once.
She thought she had been so careful!
But how had this phone ended up in her bag?
Liu Yi immediately stepped forward to defend her. "Whose phone this is hasn't been proven yet! We all undergo checks during the competition. Xiao Qi earned her results through hard work. Are you so jealous that you have to smear her like this? This phone shows up here, and you claim she broke the rules? You teamed up with Jiang Xiaojiang to frame Xiao Qi before—are you pulling the same trick again?"
"Me, team up with Jiang Xiaojiang? You've got it wrong," Cui Yuelan said with a venomous smile. "Jiang Xiaojiang made her own mistakes. What does that have to do with me? Ah, I see. Because Jiang Xiaojiang falsely accused Shen Qi before, Shen Qi thought no one would suspect her again, so she smuggled in a phone. Committee, the facts are clear. Are you going to let someone like Shen Qi ruin our competition?"
Liu Yi was about to retort, but Shen Qi grabbed her arm and said, word by word, "That phone isn't mine! I've never used that brand! If you don't believe me, check the SIM card—see whose it is!"
Cui Yuelan curled her lip. "Everyone knows a smartphone can connect to the outside world via hotel WiFi without a SIM card. Now that we're away from the hotel, it's just a prop!"
"You're lying!" Shen Qi's hands trembled with anger. "That phone is clearly not mine!"
"Oh, really? Then explain this: if it's not yours, why is it in your bag?" Cui Yuelan looked at Shen Qi with a smug expression. "If you can't give a reasonable explanation, shouldn't the committee disqualify Shen Qi and ban her for life?"
The committee head immediately replied, "That's right. If Shen Qi can't provide solid evidence, we will follow the rules."