Chapter 1524 - 1513: Avenging My Sister

Chapter 1524: Chapter 1513: Avenging My Sister

As the ethereal music began to play, Ye Qiu’s model slowly appeared, presenting everyone with a pure white gauzy dress. Nowadays, gauzy dresses are particularly common, with almost every major brand producing them, but Ye Qiu’s piece had its own unique features.

This gauze is specially made, layered without appearing bulky but instead exceptionally ethereal. The upper portion is shaped like a flower—exquisite but not vulgar. Upon closer inspection, one can see that this large flower shape is composed of countless small flowers piled together, and they are real flowers, treated specially so that they never wither.

Following closely behind was the second exhibit, still appearing ethereal and otherworldly, featuring not only white but also a large pink. The flowers embroidered on it were peach blossoms. As the saying goes, peach color intoxicates people, and the audience felt like they were intoxicated by this ultimate beauty.

The murmur of discussion gradually ceased, as if the audience feared their voices would disturb the celestial being who had descended to earth.

After two loose gauzy dresses, the third piece transformed into a tight-fitting mermaid gown. Blue embroidered Xiuqiu flowers covered the entire hem, and the embroidery was treated with a gradient. As the model walked out, it seemed as if the tail fin truly swayed, and the flowers appeared to slowly bloom; it was truly magnificent.

"This embroidery is incredible," a female judge exclaimed, her voice echoing through the microphone. The audience nodded in agreement, clearly resonating with her admiration.

By the fourth piece, the material of the dress had become stiffer. Not only were flowers embroidered on it, but also two yellow orioles perched among real flower branches, brimming with charm.

At this moment, Li Zhihua could no longer maintain her composure. She had thought that Ye Qiu couldn’t produce something good in such a short time, but she hadn’t expected something so stunning, even more appealing than the series she had displayed.

How did Ye Qiu manage it? Had she known, she would not have exposed her work so early; she should have waited for Ye Qiu to design more pieces.

At this moment, the music changed abruptly, drawing everyone’s attention. They held their breath, looking toward the model entrance, only to be astonished by a dress that could only be described with one word: magnificent.

The sleek fabric was embroidered with an entire nine-tailed Phoenix, shimmering with a flowing luster. What amazed people the most was that each tail feather was embroidered with gemstones, and according to the large screen, these gemstones were real.

The model wore a crown atop her head, walking with the composure of a queen, enchanting everyone.

If Li Zhihua’s face could only be described as unpleasant earlier, it was now ashen. Her last piece was a peacock, and Ye Qiu’s was a Phoenix. Moreover, their seats would soon be adjacent, making comparisons all the more convenient for others.

As the series of dresses concluded, people realized that Ye Qiu’s models seemed familiar. Those familiar with the fashion industry exclaimed in surprise: they were all international supermodels. How could they appear in a domestic competition? Though Hua Country’s status in international fashion has been rising in recent years, Ye Qiu is merely an obscure new designer. How did she manage to invite them?

Some eyes turned to Jian Lifan, who unapologetically gave Ye Qiu the highest score at the venue. The other judges also scored, with one giving a moderate evaluation, while the other four also gave the highest scores from start to finish.

One didn’t need to be a professional designer; even ordinary people could see that Ye Qiu’s series was much more visually appealing than previous ones. Why did this judge give a lower score than several previous groups?

Gazes turned toward him, and the judge’s face showed a hint of embarrassment and regret. Had he known earlier, he wouldn’t have taken Li Zhihua’s bribe, leaving him in a bind now.

Because Li Zhihua’s previous score was particularly high, even though all five judges, including Jian Lifan, gave Ye Qiu a higher score than Li Zhihua, this judge’s extremely low score meant Ye Qiu’s total score was still behind Li Zhihua’s, causing the audience to sigh out loud.

Even the show’s producers couldn’t help but darken their expressions. Wasn’t this blatantly indicating that there was corruption in the competition? What matters most in a competition? It’s fairness. If fairness can’t be assured, is there any point in continuing to hold this competition in the future?

Feeling the committee’s dark looks and Jian Lifan’s cold aura, this judge became increasingly regretful. For a little money, he risked his entire life; Li Zhihua had really led him astray.

But the money was taken, and the deed was done. Regret was useless now. At worst, he could claim that Ye Qiu’s design style didn’t suit his taste. When it comes to taste, no one can argue. But from now on, the story would spread that his fashion taste differed from Jian Lifan’s and the other four masters, inevitably affecting him.

Finally, it was Zhan Yao’s work, who had already passed away. The audience looked closely and found that it was once again international supermodels. Jian Lifan truly valued these two.

Zhan Yao’s series had a darker theme, with stiffer clothing materials. Unlike the mostly gown-themed outfits of today, three out of her five pieces worn by Li Man were pantsuits, and the two dresses also had a cool style, giving a feeling of resilience rising from darkness.

Offstage, Wang Chengyang’s face turned white, even recognizing the spirit Zhan Yao wanted to convey. How could others not see it? This was undoubtedly Zhan Yao’s work under pressure from public opinion; she clearly expressed a desire to break out of this situation in her works. Why would she choose to commit suicide?

On stage, Li Zhihua remained calm, but this was merely because she was on stage, under constant surveillance by cameras. She dared not show any abnormality. However, in her heart, she was chaotic and unfocused, even beginning to wonder how Jian Lifan had obtained Zhan Yao’s works. Did he know anything else?

Only Li Si Yue was shocked but not worried, as she had no idea about what her cousin had done and was still waiting for Li Zhihua to expose Ye Qiu!

At this moment, the students from the fashion design department of University A were all focused on this competition. Not only were they watching the TV broadcast, but they were also constantly refreshing that post on their phones.

They couldn’t help but start to waver in their hearts; why was it such a coincidence that both Zhan Yao and Ye Qiu’s alleged plagiarism involved Li Zhihua? Is Li Zhihua truly innocent, or have they been blinded from the truth all along?

Remembering how Zhan Yao’s case was handled rashly and swiftly, these students couldn’t help but shudder. If the plagiarism case reversed, wouldn’t Li Zhihua be terrifying? Who’s backing her?