Sometimes, even Qiao Xi herself found it unbelievable.
What kind of perseverance did a person need to keep shamelessly forcing themselves forward after being insulted over and over again?
With skin this thick, even an alchemy furnace probably couldn’t melt it.
Leaning lazily against her chair, Qiao Xi lifted her chin and looked down at Qiao Ying’er arrogantly.
“The most important thing about art is speaking to people who understand it. If I explained it to you, wouldn’t that just be casting pearls before swine?”
Qiao Ying’er lowered her long lashes, her face turning slightly pale as she concealed the flash of hatred that crossed her eyes.
Someone nearby couldn’t stand it anymore and immediately spoke up for her.
“Miss Qiao Xi, this is already the second time. You’re really going too far.”
“What exactly has Qiao Ying’er done that’s so unforgivable for you to humiliate her in front of everyone like this? No wonder the Qiao family can’t tolerate you. Looking at you now, it makes perfect sense!”
Qiao Ying’er quickly tugged at the sleeve of the person defending her, signaling for them not to continue.
Just then, someone suddenly walked in.
“Alright, alright, everyone quiet down!”
“The producers and chief judge will be arriving shortly. Please maintain proper conduct, or you may be disqualified from the competition.”
The room instantly fell silent, and everyone turned toward the entrance in unison.
Two older men walked in, one of them being the chief judge Qiao Xi had met before.
The moment he entered, his gaze landed on Qiao Xi, and he nodded at her from afar.
After all, they had crossed paths before, so Qiao Xi politely responded,
“Hello, Chief Judge.”
The chief judge waved at everyone and said calmly,
“Thank you all for coming. Tonight is simply an informal gathering—a chance to hear everyone’s understanding of the competition.”
Everyone obediently sat down like students attending a lecture.
Although the chief judge looked strict, he was surprisingly humorous and easygoing in conversation, and the atmosphere quickly relaxed.
Soon afterward, the door opened again as waiters began serving dishes.
Someone sharp-eyed immediately noticed something was off.
“These aren’t the dishes we ordered!”
Before the waiter could answer, Qiao Ying’er shyly stood up and spoke softly,
“Sorry, my fiancé ordered these for everyone. Since meeting together is fate, I hope everyone will enjoy them.”
“It’s wonderful that everyone gets along so well. This competition was always meant to put friendship first and competition second,” the chief judge said with a smile.
Then he turned toward Qiao Xi.
“Qiao Xi, as a contestant who’s experienced quite a few twists and turns, would you like to say a few words?”
Qiao Xi had absolutely no interest in doing so.
But since she had already been called out by name, she had no choice but to stand up.
Before she could even speak, the chief judge’s phone suddenly rang with a notification.
He lowered his eyes to read it.
As he read, his expression gradually darkened, becoming colder and colder.
“Miss Qiao Xi, perhaps you should first explain the matter regarding your illegal theft of design work.”
The entire room instantly went silent.
Then whispers erupted everywhere.
Standing there, Qiao Xi immediately became the center of attention.
“What do you mean?” she asked calmly, neither humble nor arrogant.
“Your father, Mr. Qiao Qilin, has posted an official statement on the company’s Weibo account.”
The chief judge pushed his phone toward her and said coldly,
“He claims your competition entry was stolen from the company. It was supposedly one of the company’s most valued recent works. Using such a piece to enter the competition—doesn’t your conscience hurt at all?”
“My conscience not only doesn’t hurt,” Qiao Xi replied coldly while frowning, “it’s alive and kicking.”
“People like him who lie through their teeth are the ones who deserve to be stabbed with a thousand needles!”
She never expected Qiao Qilin to be exactly the same as Qiao Ying’er—both refusing to give up until absolute ruin.
Qiao Ying’er immediately stood up.
“Big sister, you can’t speak about Dad like that!”
She looked frightened yet determined, as though she feared Qiao Xi but still had no choice except to defend her father.
“I truly misjudged you. I thought you would be the contestant with the greatest potential, but I never expected…”
The chief judge shook his head.
“You really disappoint me.”
Qiao Xi took a deep breath and said word by word,
“I never took a single design from their company. In fact, many of the works that made their company famous were created by me.”
“I can face heaven and earth with a clear conscience!”
Her words rang with conviction.
But Qiao Qilin had clearly come fully prepared.
The company’s official account had already released unfinished draft sketches and timelines proving that Qiao Xi had indeed been working at the Qiao Group when those drafts were created.
Moreover, many of the company’s previously exhibited works shared almost exactly the same artistic style as the draft.
Combined with the fact that Qiao Xi had been completely unknown before suddenly producing such mature, polished designs, it all looked highly suspicious.
“Words alone prove nothing. Since they’ve already shown evidence, where’s your evidence?” someone in the crowd called out.
Others quickly echoed the sentiment.
“Exactly. Anyone can talk.”
Qiao Ying’er looked at Qiao Xi with a pitiful expression and spoke softly,
“Big sister, I really want to defend you, but after the way you just spoke about Dad, I’m in a difficult position too.”
“Ever since you came back, Dad split the love he gave me and shared half of it with you. But I never expected you to still resent him this much.”
Qiao Xi was already thoroughly familiar with this routine.
First act pitiful, then stand on the moral high ground and criticize others.
At the same time, use public opinion to crush the other party.
That way, Qiao Ying’er would already be halfway to victory.
“I can testify that the design draft really did belong to the Qiao Group.”
A male voice suddenly sounded out as Lu Jinghao stepped into view.
After arranging the meal and escorting Qiao Ying’er around all day, he had already made his presence known to everyone.
“When I visited the company before, I personally heard Qiao Xi express interest in that design.”
His words instantly confirmed Qiao Qilin’s accusations, immediately pushing Qiao Xi into the center of the storm.
When the chief judge entered earlier, several media reporters had followed behind him.
Now they looked as though they had struck gold, frantically snapping photos of Qiao Xi.
Qiao Xi’s body trembled slightly.
She was utterly disgusted by this entire family.
“I originally thought your family had simply lost your minds for a moment,” she said coldly. “Now I understand that your filth runs deep in your bones.”
“You keep throwing dirt at me nonstop. Aren’t you at least worried about accumulating karma for the child in your stomach?”
Qiao Ying’er covered her stomach and took a step back, tears instantly filling her eyes as she spoke in a trembling voice,
“Big sister, we’re discussing the issue itself. How could you use the child in my stomach as a curse?!”