Chapter Sixty-Five: The Finals

"Xu Jiaojiao, can you draw me a picture?"

Ye Fan said to Sheng Jiaoyang as he got out of the car.

Sheng Jiaoyang remained indifferent.

"Draw me a picture similar to the angel you drew before, and I'll ask you to be the female lead in my new song's music video, how about it?" Ye Fan said in a seductive tone.

The two people next to them gasped.

Xiao Yang might not have felt much, but Luo Yi's feelings were extremely complicated. Some people's good fortune is truly enviable; they don't even need to beckon, the opportunity just comes to them.

Who is Ye Fan? One of the most popular male singers right now, with a huge fan base and abundant resources.

Even a little scandal with him would make headlines. What did Xu Jiaojiao do to deserve Ye Fan's offer to be the female lead in his music video, just for a painting?

However, what he said next completely surprised everyone.

"You've got a good plan, wanting me to paint for you while also doing your hard labor for free. What if I said I'd paint you in the picture and then sell it if you wrote me a song?" Sheng Jiaoyang looked at Ye Fan with a "Are you out of your mind?" expression.

Ye Fan was speechless.

Gu Zhou, sitting in front, chuckled softly. This girl was definitely not one to suffer even the slightest loss.

Qi An, sitting next to Gu Zhou, whispered to him, "This is the first time I've seen Ye Fan get rejected by a girl. It's a bit unusual to meet a girl who isn't infatuated with men like this."

"I guess artists all have unique personalities," Gu Zhou said with a smile.

Qi An nodded in agreement.

Speechless, Ye Fan finally understood why he couldn't even get a painting from Gu Zhou; all his previous attempts to get close to him had been for nothing.

"Aren't you going to work in the entertainment industry? You know, the actresses who starred in my music videos before are all quite famous now. Aren't you going to consider it?"

Sheng Jiaoyang raised her eyelids, glanced at Ye Fan, and mercilessly exposed the flaw in his words: "Are you sure they became famous because of your music videos, and not because of their own hard work?" "

..." Ye Fan was defeated.

"It's just a painting! Why don't you paint it for him? Being the female lead in his music video is a dream come true!" Luo Yi was exasperated.

"Whatever."

Luo Yi sighed. This was truly a waste. Such a good opportunity, not seizing it; such great talent, not utilizing it. How could God give all the benefits to someone who doesn't know how lucky they are?

When getting out of the car, Ye Fan gave Sheng Jiaoyang a resentful look. He decided to remember this girl who didn't even acknowledge his authority.

At the TV station, the two program teams parted ways.

To finish recording the finals as quickly as possible, the three contestants were immediately taken to get their makeup done upon their return, preparing for a magazine cover shoot.

Sheng Jiaoyang's hair was already quite short, so the stylist styled it all up, adding sharp, heroic eyebrows, delicate yet alluring eye makeup, fiery red lips, and a quirky, avant-garde mid-length top that covered her heels, paired with knee-high boots studded with irregular spiky details.

Xiao Yang's hair wasn't long, but it was at least shoulder-length, giving her more styling options. Luo Yi, with her naturally long hair, went without saying. The two of them spent more time on styling, so Sheng Jiaoyang, who finished first, became the first to shoot the fashion spread.

The shoot took place in a studio, and Dawei provided Sheng Jiaoyang with a chair to use for the cover shoot.

After the competition, Sheng Jiaoyang was quite adept at posing, and her good imagination allowed her to rehearse in her mind, allowing her to optimize her performance during the actual shoot.

Therefore, the shoot was completed in just a few takes.

After the other two finished filming, the three of them received a new bonus task: to shoot an advertisement for the same product. The one approved by the manufacturer would receive an extra 10 points, which would be added to their total score. The total score was based on the cover shoot and runway show performance, combined with their previous performance.

Each of them was given a bag of potato chips. Their goal was to shoot an advertisement that would make viewers want to buy the product, so that the manufacturer would choose the most suitable advertisement.

Sheng Jiaoyang wasn't good at shooting food advertisements. She shot several clips repeatedly, but eventually gave up and could only choose one set that she was satisfied with from the already shot clips.

After shooting the advertisement, they started to work on their styling. After the

styling was redone, someone pushed the door open and came in.

"Girls, come and see who's here." Zhuo Yiyan appeared.

The three of them looked towards the door, and familiar faces came into view.

"Jiaojiao, I've missed you so much!" Wang Wei's voice rang out, and she rushed over.

"It's only been a few days," Sheng Jiaoyang said.

“But it feels like ages have passed.”

Sheng Jiaoyang chuckled and asked, “Are you here to watch, or will you be participating in the show?”

“We were invited by the production team to walk in this closing show.”

Time always flies when you're chatting, and staff members were already urging them to go backstage.

Backstage was bustling again.

Everyone on the runway had changed into their costumes and were lining up to go on stage. The final three contestants had also changed into even more glamorous gowns and stood at the very end as the grand finale.

As upbeat music filled the air, the contestants, having weathered the fierce competition, took to the stage. For those already eliminated, this was probably the most relaxed runway show they'd ever walked since the start of the competition. Having been eliminated, they felt no pressure, and their movements were unconstrained, resulting in a significantly better performance than before.

The guests in the audience who had attended the opening show felt this most keenly. If the contestants in the opening show were like a flock of fledglings eagerly awaiting food, now they were ready to spread their wings and hunt for themselves.

Pressure breeds resistance, and motivation drives progress; those who endured the high pressure undoubtedly made significant strides.

When the music changed and the final three contestants appeared, the audience rallied.

As expected of those who had fought their way into the top three nationwide, their stage presence was impeccable. Even if they appeared slightly inexperienced, their skill level was on par with international supermodels.

The gorgeous long dress clung to her body, its hem trailing behind her, swaying with each step, exuding an undeniable aura of style.

Sheng Jiaoyang, confident in her abilities, had never been intimidated, walking with a grand and imposing presence, giving the impression that this was her party, her home turf, and she was in charge.

"Is that Xu Jiaojiao?" Che Yang Erna asked Zhuo Yiyan beside her.

"Yes, surprised, right?"

"She's changed the most, she's practically a different person!"

"Of all the contestants, Xu Jiaojiao is my favorite," the sharp-tongued judge Mike said without reservation.

"I remember in the opening show, Xu Jiaojiao's catwalk was imitating Lina's, but now you can't see any trace of anyone else in her; it's her own style, Xu Jiaojiao's own. It's truly astonishing how she's transformed in such a short time," Che Yang Erna exclaimed.

Lin Na, who had taken time out of her busy schedule to attend the closing show, sat to the side, a smile playing on her lips as she watched the radiant figures on stage. Listening to the comments about Jiao Jiao from those around her, she felt a sense of comfort, even

happier than if she had heard praise for herself. Life is unpredictable; Jiao Jiao used to be the one sitting in the audience, but now it was her turn to watch. At the beginning, when she was struggling alone on the runway, she had thought how wonderful it would be to walk the runway with her friends, but she knew it was impossible. Who would have thought that one day this idea would no longer be a pipe dream? Now, with Jiao Jiao's physical condition, walking the runway with her was easily possible.

After the show, most of the audience had left, leaving only the judges, guests, previously eliminated contestants, and staff.

The top three contestants came out again and stood in a row, awaiting the judges' comments and scores.

Most importantly, it was time to determine the champion, runner-up, and third place.