RITM - 30

And so, each busy day passed in a rush, and most of June had already slipped away.

On the evening of the 21st, the Cici Designer Selection officially began. Luo Wei tied up her hair, wearing a simple strapless knee-length pure white evening dress, holding a classical beaded floral evening bag, with the only jewelry being the necklace she designed herself. Originally thinking simplicity was the designer’s style, but upon arriving at the event hall on the 20th floor of the Zhenji Royal City, she realized how foolish she was: over 80% of the female participants present could be described as “dazzling with jewels,” without exaggeration. Within five minutes of entering, she had already seen a Lorenz Baumer gold necklace, a sapphire and diamond platinum ring exceeding five carats, and a Van Cleef & Arpels diamond bracelet sold by Bonhams London for three hundred and sixty thousand pounds... Beautiful women adorned with these, holding crystal wine glasses, made the scene as luxurious as a castle ball. For someone who loved jewelry like her, this place was heaven on earth. However, as a modest contestant, it felt like hellfire. She stood at the entrance for a few seconds, mustering the courage to walk in. Fortunately, she didn’t draw much attention. As soon as she entered, she saw several contestants gathered together, their faces complex as they discussed others:

“It’s so funny, we’re designing jewelry, not oil paintings. I don’t know why Miss High-and-Mighty came here to join in the fun.”

“Yeah, she hasn’t studied any jewelry-related majors, nor has she worked in the industry. Using her family’s reputation to gain entry is one thing, but seriously coming to compete is just asking for trouble and making a fool of herself.”

“She probably thinks knowing oil painting means knowing art design.”

“But her painting isn’t that great either. A friend of mine graduated from an art school and deals with people from the Italian art circle every day. They said her level compared to those who spend all their time in studios is just beginner-level. Apart from her background and decent looks, I don’t see any merits in Xie Xinqi.”

“Her looks are just average too, all propped up by branded items. In the end, it’s all about money.”

Luo Wei’s ears perked up—Xie Xinqi actually participated in the competition? She looked around curiously, and unexpectedly, the first person she saw among so many glamorous beauties was a man. He had chocolate brown short hair, a tall and slim figure, dressed in a three-piece evening suit: a white suit on the outside, a white shirt inside, but the jacket and cravat in between were royal blue. He held the champagne flute with a standard posture, and his breast pocket square was embroidered with the initials of his name. His facial expression was as gentle as water, exuding the calmness of someone whose desires are often fulfilled. There was a sense of familiarity about him. At this thought, their eyes unexpectedly met, and he actually walked straight towards her. He stared at her face for a long time, puzzled: “Have I seen you somewhere before?”

She honestly shook her head.

“You must be thinking that this man’s pickup line is very cliché.” He had slender clear eyes, but when he smiled, they were full of peach blossoms, possessing an exceptionally rare beauty. “Let me reintroduce myself, my name is Xie Xiuchen. May I ask for the lady’s name?”

So, this was the legendary Master Xie. She shook hands with him and smiled: “I’m Luo Wei. Nice to meet you.”

“Luo Wei?”

The person speaking wasn’t Xie Xiuchen, but Su Jiannian, who had appeared by his side. Su Jiannian was also dressed formally, his smile as refreshing as a spring breeze, seemingly having already forgotten their previous unpleasant conversation: “Luo Wei, you’re here too.”

The situation seemed somewhat awkward. She nodded, trying her best to appear poised and composed: “Good evening.”

“You’re also here for the selection?”

“Yes. And you, Brother Jiannian?”

Before Su Jiannian could answer, another voice interrupted: “Brother Jiannian, how do you have so many sisters outside? Master Su the pianist, if this keeps up, I might have to put you under house arrest.”

The speaker placed one hand on Su Jiannian’s chest. This was probably the most expensive hand Luo Wei had seen all night: soft and slender, with deep red nails, an opal and diamond ring on the index finger, and a bracelet on the wrist adorned with sixteen colored diamonds in shades of pink, rose, light purple, goldfish yellow, white, crimson, and more, totaling about fourteen or fifteen carats, costing at least six hundred thousand dollars just for the materials. One of the diamonds was D color, IF clarity, sold last month at Sotheby’s New York. At one end of the bracelet, there was a rose representing the designer’s signature style. Then, a woman in a red dress appeared between them, confidently flicking her hair, turning her head to look provocatively at Luo Wei, her eyes both charming and domineering, as if trying to overpower Luo Wei with her presence. But Luo Wei had the strange sensation of looking into a mirror.

They stared at each other, both widening their eyes in surprise simultaneously.

Clearly, Xie Xinqi’s astonishment upon seeing Luo Wei far exceeded Luo Wei’s surprise at seeing her. She leaned closer, her eyes scanning Luo Wei’s face several times: “It’s natural. Incredible, how can you look so much like me?”

It was truly Xie Xinqi herself. She was even more beautiful than on TV, many times over. What were those gossiping girls thinking earlier, saying her looks were “just okay”? If that was “just okay,” then wouldn’t she herself be considered “ugly beyond belief”? Luo Wei smiled at her: “I’ve been told before, ‘You look so much like Xie Xinqi,’ but you’re much prettier.”

Xie Xinqi scrutinized her again, even offering a serious critique: “Other than your eyes not being as big as mine, your skin not as fair, and your waist not as slim, everything else is fine. It’s rare to meet someone who looks so much like me. We should get to know each other. You already know my name, so I won’t introduce myself again. What’s your name?”

Xie Xinqi’s Salome complex was indeed well-deserved. Strangely, words that would surely irritate if spoken by ordinary people sounded perfectly natural coming from her. Her dress, lips, and nails were all the same tone of bright red; her frosty white skin seemed to glow, her feet clad in black velvet high heels, her hands adorned with priceless jewels. She exuded charm, and Luo Wei felt as though she were looking at a super-rich, more tasteful version of herself—both familiar and involuntarily admirable. Therefore, when she extended her hand, Luo Wei felt honored to shake it: “I’m Luo Wei, Edward Conno’s assistant and a new designer.”

“You’re also here for the competition?”

“Yes.”

“What did you design?”

She took out a photo of her competition piece from her bag and showed it to her. Xie Xinqi squinted at the pendant on the necklace: “Is this… crystal?”

“Yes.”

“Oh, then your chances of winning are probably quite slim. More than half of the entries in this competition are diamond-studded. But it doesn’t matter, I like your design. If you don’t win, you can come work for my company. Come, let’s go sit over there and chat.” Xie Xinqi pulled her over to a VIP seat. They hadn’t walked more than ten steps before Luo Wei noticed her presence had completely changed. Countless gazes turned towards them, some sneering, waiting to see the young lady make a fool of herself in the competition. But Xie Xinqi didn’t care, or perhaps she was simply used to it. She handed Luo Wei a glass of red wine, propped her chin up, and looked at her earnestly: “Luo Wei, do you live in Gongzhou? Or did you come from another city specifically for the competition?”

“I live in Gongzhou, at a friend’s place.”

“At a friend’s place?” Xie Xinqi asked, puzzled, “Don’t you have your own house?”

“No, my parents were transferred away from Gongzhou due to work, and they sold the family home before leaving. The housing prices in Gongzhou are too high now; I can’t afford to buy one on my own.”

“What about your living expenses? Do your parents still support you?”

“No, they’re older now, and I don’t want to ask them for money anymore.”

“An independent girl is very charming. I like you more and more.” Xie Xinqi gave Luo Wei a thumbs-up, clinked glasses with her, took a sip, and suddenly asked, “I heard you call Su Jiannian ‘Brother Jiannian’ earlier. So, you’ve known each other for a long time?”

“Yes, we’ve known each other since we were kids, old friends from diaper days. I didn’t know you two knew each other…”

The more she talked with Xie Xinqi, the more Luo Wei felt she was stunningly beautiful yet distant. Later, when Xie Xiuchen came to find her, she nodded gracefully to Luo Wei and left with her brother. Thinking about the upcoming competition, Luo Wei couldn’t help but feel nervous. She opened WeChat on her phone to relieve some stress but saw a top entertainment headline: King makes his first public appearance with his girlfriend in Switzerland, showing affection during a snow mountain trip. She only heard a thunderous sound in her mind, followed by numbness in her nerves, losing consciousness. Like a computer running a program, she mechanically opened the news and saw a picture: a couple in ski gear appeared on the summit of the Alps. Although wearing goggles, the woman’s face was completely obscured, but she immediately recognized He Yingze’s figure and face. Feeling slightly anemic, she became dizzy and disoriented, struggling to stand.