"So, you're Little Ya's biological mother?"
As they walked side by side toward the recording studio, Shi Yue quietly pried into the situation with the little girl. "Have you two... reunited?"
Zhou Leya's expression became complicated, and after a moment, she slowly shook her head.
"Why not?" Shi Yue asked, puzzled. "Wu Xuan is always busy and doesn't have time to personally care for Little Ya. The little one has always longed to be with you."
Zhou Leya bit her lower lip. "...Right now, I'm just a small, insignificant designer. How could I be qualified to return to their lives?"
Shi Yue blinked in confusion. "Huh?"
Zhou Leya paused for a moment before beginning to recount her past with Wu Xuan: "I came from a poor family, and my personality wasn't likable. During high school summer breaks, I worked part time at an art studio, but my coworkers ostracized me. I had to work late into the night just to finish my tasks. At that time, Wu Xuan was always the last teacher to leave the studio.
"As we got to know each other, our relationship quickly deepened. She knew about my financial struggles and started inviting me to be her model. She even treated me like a student, teaching me for free. Unfortunately, I had no talent for painting, but I did show a passion and talent for fashion design.
"A few years later, Wu Xuan's art exhibition was a huge success, and after the celebration party... we ended up crossing that line."
"But the difference between Wu Xuan and me was like heaven and earth. She looked down on me and treated that night as a mistake, avoiding me afterward," Zhou Leya's voice was filled with bitterness. "Fortunately, not long after, I found out I was pregnant. I went to her house, but I didn't dare ask for much. I used the child as leverage to negotiate for her to fund my studies abroad.
"Shortly after Little Ya was born, I took a large sum of money and flew to Europe."
"I... I see..." Shi Yue was stunned by what she heard.
Something about the story didn't feel quite right, but since she wasn't directly involved, she felt it wasn't her place to judge.
"The Design Competition is a perfect opportunity for me. As long as I succeed, Wu Xuan might be willing to accept me. Only then can I reveal my identity to Little Ya without shame," Zhou Leya turned to Shi Yue and asked, "What do you think?"
Shi Yue tilted her head, frowning slightly. "But... I don't really understand." She looked at Zhou Leya. "Is Wu Xuan and Little Ya accepting you based on whether you succeed in your career?
"I don't know Wu Xuan that well, but she seems like the type who cares more about art than money or fame. Are you sure..."
Before she could finish, a cameraman carrying his equipment walked toward them.
Shi Yue and Zhou Leya exchanged glances and, with mutual understanding, dropped the conversation, focusing their thoughts back on the competition.
Soon, under the gaze of the cameras, the two walked one after the other into the recording venue.
The host was leaning against the wall and waved to greet them. Shi Yue noticed that there was an extra chair at the usual judges' table and curiously asked the host about it.
The host playfully smiled and said, "That's for our special guest. You'll find out soon."
Shi Yue nodded.
About ten minutes later, everyone had arrived, and the recording officially began.
As usual, the host repeated the competition rules and reviewed the current standings, reminding everyone of the significance of the second scoring round. Once the three regular judges were seated, the host finally picked up her cue card and announced, "Now, let's warmly welcome our special guest for this round. She's the renowned Chinese artist—Ms. Shu Qingxi.
"Let's give her a big round of applause!"
Shu Qingxi?
The moment Shi Yue heard that name, it sounded extremely familiar. After two seconds, she recalled who it was—
If she wasn't mistaken, Shu Qingxi was the same young artist who had accompanied Leng Yanmi to an art auction in Europe and had nearly tricked Leng Yanmi into coming to her house with the line, 'My cat can do backflips'.
Leng Yanmi, the stoic CEO, wasn't great at reading people's intentions face-to-face, but Shi Yue had immediately sensed the danger. This Shu Qingxi definitely had more than just friendly feelings toward Leng Yanmi.
"Ms. Shu Qingxi is a very young artist who specializes in oil paintings, particularly still lifes. One of her pieces even sold for a record breaking 1.2 million at auction. Truly remarkable."
As the background music prepared by the production team played, a young woman with her hair styled in a traditional updo and wearing a deep green fitted gown gracefully entered the venue. Shu Qingxi looked every bit the part of a cultured young lady from a prestigious family, radiating a gentle, scholarly air. You wouldn't guess from her appearance that she had grown up abroad.
Their eyes met in midair, and Shi Yue could clearly feel that Shu Qingxi's gaze lingered on her much longer than it did on anyone else.
Even Zhou Leya noticed something was off. While the others were focused on Shu Qingxi, she quietly asked Shi Yue, "You know her?"
Shi Yue lowered her head and whispered back, "Not really."
After a round of praise and introductions, the host finally announced the second round's theme:
"This time, Ms. Shu Qingxi is back in China preparing for her second national tour exhibition. Shortly, we will have the honor of viewing one of her carefully selected paintings in advance. This painting is not ordinary; it will be one of the most important works featured in next year's exhibition.
"The program hopes that the contestants will use this painting as inspiration for their fashion designs. You will have three days to submit your final pieces. The three professional judges, along with Ms. Shu Qingxi, will score your designs. The total score will determine your results for this round."
Zhou Leya asked, "Excuse me, what percentage of the score will be from Ms. Shu Qingxi?"
"One quarter," the host replied with a smile. "In this round, the scores from all four judges will carry equal weight."
Upon hearing this, Shen Lingling's expression remained calm, as if she had anticipated it, while both Shi Yue and Zhou Leya widened their eyes in surprise.
One-quarter.
That was a very high proportion.
The program had collaborated with other third parties before, like the M.Crush group in the first round and the 'White Dove' charity organization in another. But this time, the third party—Shu Qingxi—was given an equal share of the score with the three professional judges. Shu Qingxi wasn't even a fashion designer, yet her score carried such weight. It was no wonder Shi Yue and Zhou Leya were shocked.
The host, noticing their confusion, quickly clarified, "The reason the scoring weight has been adjusted is that Ms. Shu Qingxi will be participating in the entire design process of the contestants. She will be involved 'deeply' and 'throughout' the next three days."
She emphasized the words deeply and throughout, adding, "During these three days, Ms. Shu Qingxi will be staying with you in the studio, and you can discuss your ideas with her at any time."
Shi Yue and Zhou Leya exchanged another glance but remained silent.
The host had already made it clear—complaining now wouldn't change anything.
With that, everyone moved to a different studio. In the center of the room's back wall hung a large oil painting, covered by a red cloth.
At the host's invitation, Shu Qingxi stepped forward and pulled away the cloth, revealing the painting.
At that moment, Shi Yue clearly heard the gasps of amazement from the surrounding staff.
The host had mentioned that Shu Qingxi specialized in still life, but this painting was clearly a departure from her comfort zone—a breakthrough. The image depicted a graceful woman reclining on a carpet, with a cute little black cat playing on her lap. The cat's two front paws were raised in play, obscuring the woman's face, leaving her identity a mystery and sparking the viewer's imagination.
Even someone with no knowledge of art could tell that this was an impressive piece.
The host began to interview Shu Qingxi about her inspiration for the painting. "I've heard that the cat in the painting is real, and it's your pet, right?"
Shu Qingxi smiled softly, tucking a stray lock of hair behind her ear. "Yes, that's right."
"And its name is?"
"It's called Xuan."
The host nodded knowingly. "So, I guess the elegant lady playing with Xuan is you?"
This time, the host guessed wrong. Shu Qingxi shook her head with a laugh. "No."
The host's eyes widened in surprise. "Then who is she?"
Shu Qingxi's smile turned playful. "That's a secret."
"Ms. Shu doesn't want to reveal it," the host teased, "but I bet the person must be very important to you, or they wouldn't have made it into such a carefully crafted piece of art."
"Let me guess—is she a friend?"
"Hmm..." Shu Qingxi seemed a bit shy.
The host's eyes lit up. "A lover, then?!"
This question set the atmosphere on fire, with almost everyone joining in the speculation.
Shu Qingxi blushed, trying to stop them. "No, no, it's not like that."
She turned to gaze at the woman in the painting with deep affection, playfully scolding, "You're all making wild guesses."
With that, the host skillfully guided the conversation back to the competition.
"Now, I'll leave you with Ms. Shu and the contestants. Feel free to consult her about anything. We're looking forward to seeing designs as stunning as this painting."
Afterward, the host left with the extra staff, leaving only the two cameramen, Shu Qingxi, and the contestants in the room.
Shu Qingxi warmly said, "If you have any questions, feel free to ask. I'll do my best to assist you in your designs."
Shen Lingling was the first to approach, eagerly engaging with Shu Qingxi. "Ms. Shu, what kind of clothing style do you usually prefer? Do you have any specific preferences...?"
Zhou Leya was also quick to join in, opening her notebook to jot down notes while preparing her questions.
Among the three, only Shi Yue quietly stepped away and returned to her workspace.
She sat down in her chair, opening a new blank sheet of paper.
One of the cameramen, thinking she was about to start working without consulting anyone, followed her closely with his camera. But instead, he captured Shi Yue staring blankly into space for ten minutes, doing absolutely nothing.
Eventually, even the cameraman got bored and left her alone.
Shi Yue ruffled her hair in frustration.
Since the start of the competition, this was the first time she had faced a challenge with no inspiration at all. Her mind was completely blank. However, she also didn't feel like approaching Shu Qingxi, nor did she know what to ask.
After spacing out for a while longer, she turned her attention to the painting, studying it closely.
It wasn't just her imagination.
Squinting her eyes, Shi Yue was 99% sure that the woman playing with the cat in the painting was none other than Leng Yanmi.