Surely Involved With Something Scandalous

"What questions do you still have?" asked the man with the small mustache named Andy. 

Zuo Xiaoqing pointed to Luo Chenxi and said aloud, "Is there a mistake in the audition results? I'm acquainted with participant Number 12. She's a graduate from a tier-3 university. She doesn't have the slightest idea about fashion design, so how can a person like her possibly pass the audition?"

Andy could not help being stunned for a moment when he realized that Zuo Xiaoqing was pointing at Luo Chenxi. He did not expect that the person she was complaining about would actually be participant Number 12 whose work was the most astonishing out of all!

He swept his gaze across her. "Miss Zuo, are you doubting the foresight of our SL Holdings' designers? In reality, participant Number 12, Miss Xing Chen's work is the most outstanding out of all the participants in this contest!" 

"Wha-what?"

Upon listening to his comment, all the participants on the scene were surprised. 

No one expected Luo Chenxi to receive such a raving review despite her poor education background. 

Zuo Xiaoqing's face was flushing scarlet. She recalled how she had still taunted Luo Chenxi earlier and claimed that she would never pass the audition. Andy's words were akin to a ferocious slap on her cheek!

'Participant Number 12's work is the most outstanding…' What does that mean?

Could Luo Chenxi's work be even better than hers?

Her portfolio had actually been amended by a reputable international designer through her commission!

Zuo Xiaoqing grew more recalcitrant the more she thought about it. "Teacher Andy, there must be something wrong with Number 12's work. It is absolutely impossible that it's her own original work!" 

Upon listening to her words, Andy frowned. "Miss Zuo, are you saying that…Participant Number 12 has used someone else's work as submission in the competition? Do you have any evidence?"

It would be a grievous matter if participant Number 12's design sketches had not been drawn by herself. After all, it involved the reputation of the Chinese Style Competition. Andy's expression turned solemn. 

Zuo Xiaoqing was tongue-tied at once.

Evidence? How could she have any evidence?

She was only saying that because she could not stand seeing Luo Chenxi being accepted into the semifinals. She had been impulsive…

She choked on her words for a long while before she managed to come up with something. "Her…her educational background is precisely the evidence! She graduated from a trash university, so how can she possibly produce a decent design?"

Luo Chenxi stepped forward as well. She walked to Zuo Xiaoqing's side and said in a slow and steady manner, "Zuo Xiaoqing, how is that considered evidence? How is one's design skills related to one's education? If that's the case, there's no need to organize the Chinese Style Competition anymore. They might as well take out the participants' academic certificates and arrange them from top to bottom. What's the purpose of the competition then?"

Andy found Zuo Xiaoqing's accusation to be absurd as well. 

"This is completely out of your wild conjecture. It isn't considered evidence. Miss Zuo, please mind your language and manners. It is an extremely appalling behavior to defame your fellow competitor. If this continues, I'm going to have to disqualify you." His comment sounded extremely serious. 

Zuo Xiaoqing's expression alternated between being red with rage and pale with fear. She felt extremely wronged in her heart. She felt that she was right in every way. Luo Chenxi was obviously a good-for-nothing, so how could she have possibly produced work that was better than hers?

Were the designers of SL Holdings blind?

Andy lectured her for a short while before he turned around and was about to leave again. 

Zuo Xiaoqing clenched her teeth then she called out once again, "Please wait, Teacher Andy! I have evidence! I was participant Number 12's schoolmate. I know that she was accepted into the Royal Academy of Fine Arts in Country Y in the past. However, she was expelled by the academy afterward due to inappropriate behavior!"

"What? Is that true?" Andy widened his eyes in surprise. 

Zuo Xiaoqing recognized his interest, so she hastily continued to speak, "Teacher Andy, you are aware of this, aren't you? All the top academies of fine arts in this world set a high bar for entry requirements, but they don't expel students easily. Moreover, the incident happened due to inappropriate behavior. I bet participant Number 12 was surely involved in something scandalous!"