The next day, Sunday, when Shi Yue entered the conference room again, she could immediately feel that the atmosphere had completely changed.
As soon as she walked in, everyone turned to look at her and quickly stood up to bow and greet her respectfully. Before she even reached her seat, someone had already pulled out her chair for her, "Chairwoman Shi, please have a seat."
Shi Yue could guess what had happened. She glanced around the room but couldn't find the man who had caused trouble in her office the previous day.
"Are you looking for Manager Fan?" Wu Quan leaned in to whisper. After Shi Yue nodded, he explained, "Manager Fan called in sick today. He gave me a call and said he's following your instructions to the letter and requested that you and, uh... the big figure behind you, not hold yesterday's incident against him.
"He said he didn't realize who she was at the time and meant no offense."
Shi Yue gave a mocking smile but didn't dwell on it. She simply hummed softly to let the matter drop.
As she looked around the room at the nervous participants, she placed a new file on the table and got straight to the point, "Let's begin today's meeting. Regarding the online promotion plan for Shin Nuo that we discussed yesterday..."
She had barely begun speaking when one of the regional managers eagerly interrupted, "No need for further discussion. We'll implement the plan as you and President Wu decided yesterday. We fully support it!"
The others, not wanting to seem less loyal, quickly chimed in, "Yes, yes, absolutely!"
"Just follow Chairwoman Shi's instructions."
"No objections, there's no need to debate."
"…"
Thud, thud.
Shi Yue knocked on the table lightly twice, and the overly eager men and women immediately quieted down.
Ignoring their flattery, she gestured for the secretary to distribute the new documents. As the papers were handed out, she explained, "Yesterday's proposal lacked solid data, which made it difficult for many to accept. That's why I've brought in a case study from another fashion company, feather design, detailing their online promotion strategy from last year. The data has been compiled into these documents for you to review.
"Shin Nuo is navigating uncharted waters, and each step is challenging. However, I believe that as long as we move in the right direction, we'll make it to the shore."
Soon, the room was filled with the sound of papers rustling as everyone began reviewing the new data reports.
Wu Quan's frown slowly relaxed until he broke into a smile, "Chairwoman, the data you've provided is incredibly detailed and timely, much more thorough than what I had prepared."
He excitedly held up the file, "With this data as our guide, I'm confident we'll avoid more missteps."
Shi Yue gave a faint smile in response.
She wasn't one for grand statements, but sometimes, to deal with certain people, she had to put on a show. "The company's growth depends on the support of everyone here. I trust that with our collective efforts, Shin Nuo will deliver a satisfying performance this year.
"Next, I'll assign some tasks. Wu Quan, for the sales layout in the South China region..."
This meeting lasted even longer than the one the day before. By the time Shi Yue finished speaking, three hours had passed. Yet, she found today's meeting much easier and more productive.
As she stood up, everyone followed suit, and the room erupted in applause.
Shi Yue hadn't expected this. She looked up and saw genuine respect and admiration from the managers.
A warm sense of fulfillment swelled in her chest. Smiling, she nodded at everyone and quickly left the conference room, her face slightly flushed. Wu Quan could handle the remaining tasks, so she didn't need to worry.
As soon as she stepped into the hallway, she spotted a tall figure turning to look in her direction.
Recognizing who it was, Shi Yue ran over without hesitation, ignoring the temporary assistant Wu Quan had assigned her, and threw herself into Leng Yanmi's arms, holding her tightly.
Leng Yanmi could feel Shi Yue's rapid heartbeat.
She gently cradled Shi Yue in her arms and whispered into her ear, "Did someone bully you?"
Shi Yue shook her head, exhaling a warm breath.
She felt like she should say something, but all that came out was a playful complaint, "I missed you."
Leng Yanmi placed her right hand on the back of Shi Yue's neck, gently pinching her earlobe, hidden by her long hair.
"Clingy." She muttered softly, "We've only been apart for three hours."
"Even an hour is too much, even a minute, even a second is unbearable." Shi Yue pouted.
She looked up at Leng Yanmi's eyes and asked, "Why did you come up here?"
"Well..." Leng Yanmi averted her gaze, "I just had a feeling. I figured you'd be missing me by now."
Hearing this, the curve of Shi Yue's smile grew even wider. She didn't call her out on the excuse but instead urged her, "And then?"
Leng Yanmi sighed, releasing her but taking Shi Yue's left hand, leading her slowly down the stairs.
As they walked, Leng Yanmi's cool voice, filled with subtle affection, echoed through the stairwell, lingering for a long time, "So I came up to get you, wanting to be a little closer, so you'd see me right when you came out."
Shi Yue walked a step behind her, unable to suppress the smile tugging at her lips the entire way.
The two spent the afternoon together at home, and Leng Yanmi personally drove Shi Yue back to the competition villa later that evening. That night, Leng Yanmi video-called Shi Yue, appearing on screen with their cat, Pi Qiu.
The poor, chubby Ragdoll cat hadn't even had time to celebrate the departure of the 'bad woman' when it saw her face on the computer screen again. Furious, it meowed loudly, even swiping its paw at the screen to show its displeasure.
Shi Yue sat on her bed, laughing uncontrollably as she looked past the white cat at its owner, "Why did you bring it here?"
Don't they know the two of them don't get along?
Leng Yanmi grabbed Pi Qiu's front paws, posing the cat in an adorable stance.
"The cat missed you."
Shi Yue was taken aback, then rubbed her eyes—she leaned closer to the screen and saw the clear expression of disdain on the cat's face.
Unable to hold back, she burst out laughing, "Pfft."
Leng Yanmi looked up, "Hm?"
Shi Yue mimicked the shape of cat ears with her hands, "Pi Qiu says, 'Master, you can insult my weight, but don't slander my character. How could I possibly miss that bad woman?'"
Leng Yanmi blinked, speechless.
Shi Yue thought for a moment and added, "'I wish that bad woman would never come back.'"
On the other side of the screen, Leng Yanmi released Pi Qiu, letting the cat land gracefully on the carpet.
As expected, Pi Qiu didn't cling to Leng Yanmi as it usually did. Instead, it flicked its tail and returned to its cat bed by the wall, delivering another symbolic slap to Leng Yanmi's face with its actions.
Leng Yanmi: "..."
"Auntie," Shi Yue called out, drawing her attention back, "Next time, don't use something else as an excuse. Let me teach you how to say it."
Seeing Leng Yanmi staring intently at her, Shi Yue cleared her throat, speaking slowly and firmly, "I miss you.
"It's not about anything else, and it's not about the cat. It's just me, missing you."
"I..." Leng Yanmi began to speak but immediately turned her face away, coughing.
Her exposed ear turned a soft shade of red, and seeing that made Shi Yue swallow hard. If she had been there in person, she would've definitely leaned in for a bite.
At that moment, Shi Yue felt a clear and specific longing stir in her heart.
And yet, they had only been apart for less than two hours.
Fortunately, as the night passed, they both immersed themselves in their respective work and competitions. The busy schedule helped ease the aching longing, if only slightly.
In the following week, the pace of the competition accelerated, and the second and third rounds were completed in just one week.
Of the original seven contestants, only four remained: Shi Yue, Shi Fang, Shen Lingling, and the talented Zhou Leya.
The fourth round would be the last elimination round. Those who made it to the top three would advance to the next stage, a series of point-based competitions spanning three rounds. There was no time to rest, as the host immediately began announcing the rules for the fourth round after revealing the results of the third.
"For the fourth round, we are honored to partner with the 'White Dove' charity organization.
"Love knows no bounds, and we are all in this together! We hope the contestants will design a unique charity gown for 'White Dove,' one that embodies the beauty of fashion while also conveying the spirit of charity."
A video introducing 'White Dove' began playing on the big screen. Once it ended, the host turned to the four contestants with a serious expression, "The most challenging part of this round is that all of you have only 24 hours to complete your designs."
Shi Fang was the first to shout, "24 hours?!"
"Yes!" The host nodded, raising both hands to show the contestants, "There are over 3000 types of fabrics, threads, and decorative materials available in the venue. You will begin in thirty minutes, and you must complete all steps of your design within the 24-hour time limit. After exactly one day, you will submit your finished garments."
Shi Fang's face turned pale, "This... This is way too harsh!"
The host smiled sympathetically but could only offer encouragement, "Good luck!"
While Shi Fang was still in shock, the other three contestants, including Shi Yue, had already started sketching ideas as they watched the promotional video on loop, searching for inspiration.
Realizing she had fallen behind, Shi Fang finally started scribbling on her drawing pad, only to find a camera focused directly on her. She looked to the host, confused, "What's with this camera?"
The host explained with a smile, "For the remainder of the round, each contestant will be followed by a dedicated camera, documenting every detail of their design process."
In the previous three rounds, cameras had followed the contestants, but they usually had some privacy in the evenings. However, with only 24 hours to complete the task this time, there was no need to consider rest, and the cameras would likely keep rolling the entire time.
Realizing this, Shi Fang's face turned as white as a sheet. She returned to her station, fumbling with her sketchpad but unable to draw a single decent line.
Before she knew it, the thirty-minute preparation period had ended. The host pressed the timer in the center of the venue—24 hours officially began.
While Shen Lingling remained at her desk, continuing to sketch, Shi Yue and Zhou Leya moved in opposite directions, heading out to find the materials they needed. Shi Fang, however, stood there with a blank expression, still not fully in the zone, under the relentless gaze of the camera.
The host approached her and gently reminded her, "Shi Fang, please keep an eye on the time. This round is very time-sensitive!"
Startled out of her daze, Shi Fang forced an awkward smile, "Uh, I... I need to go to the bathroom."
With that, she staggered toward the restrooms.
The cameraman followed her to the entrance of the women's restroom, capturing her disappearing figure around the corner.