Perhaps I should help you take it off?

Ah Chen looked heartbroken, but he could only hold it in. Everyone who knew Li Lanni months ago said that she had changed. She had become much less friendly, and he could understand why...

He just needed to give her some time. Perhaps Lanni would soon be moved by his sincerity and fall in love with him. 

But unfortunately, even in his dreams, he might not have imagined that the number of suitors wooing Lianni was beyond his imaginations. Some of them were even willing to go out of their way to protect her.

Soon after that brief interlude, the competition began. 

Li Lanni had initially thought that the new rules were useless because people could buy votes if they wanted to. 

However, when they reached the venue, she realized that her worries were groundless.  The contestants were asked to randomly pick a tiny ball from the pile in a jar at the entrance. Just before the start of the competition, the contestants were allowed to open the ball. Each ball had a number in them, which they had to use to label their paintings. Anyone who ignored the rule and wrote their name would be disqualified immediately. The seating arrangement also made it impossible for plagiarism to happen. 

Li Lanni was impressed. She then recalled what that pervert had mentioned about Star Art International deciding on the winner even before the competition started. But since the rules were this strict and the venue was even in B City university, there wouldn't be a loophole. Right? 

A soft smile escaped her lips. If the contest was this fair, Cheng Yu might really win. Heavens knew how determined that girl was!

Her sweet smile was infectious, and soon, everyone near her smiled too. 

Yet, precisely at that moment, a sudden arrogant voice interrupted her musings

"Move it! Don't block the way!" A tall young man arrogantly walked in, an entourage of girls following behind him. All of them behaved arrogantly with their noses in the air.

Cheng Yu's face sank as she watched the entourage take their seats, and unconsciously the words slipped from her mouth, "Hun He Art School." 

"Hun He?" Li Lanni looked at her dazed expression. 

"The man at the front is the Legend of Hun He." 

Li Lanni was caught between laughter and tears. "Is he that good?" Just how good was he to make Cheng Yu have that kind of expression? 

Cheng Yu looked like she had just given up on the whole contest. "You haven't heard of him yet? Legend has it that he came from a lineage of several art grandmasters." 

Li Lanni was still wondering if Cheng Yu was exaggerating when a petite girl came out of nowhere and joined their conversation. "Are you talking about Cedric? I thought those were just rumors." 

Cheng Yu didn't mind the newcomer and enlightened both of them.  The more she spoke, the more excited she became "They are not fake. I have done a lot of research about all art grandmasters, and he is indeed a descendant of the Great Master Qin." 

"Who is that?" Li Lanni and the petite girl asked in unison. 

"Story for another day. Legend has it that Cedric was terrifyingly talented in painting since he was just a toddler. It's just that he wasn't interested in art. But in recent years, something has happened, and Cedric suddenly got a surge of inspiration. He began painting like crazy, breaking countless records, winning contests after contest, and creating masterpieces, making various art admirers fall in love with them. One of his paintings, The Cry, was auctioned in America for an insane price of 500 million dollars! 

Soon after that, several companies wanted to scout him, but be rejected all of them and preferred to act solo. Apparently, none of the terms they offered interested him. 

It was only recently that he found something that caught his eye, so he went to Hun He Art School. I heard they are now grooming him to be a second Li Yuming." 

When Cheng Yu was done, Li Lanni and the petite girl were speechless. 

Sis, are you sure you're not describing some hero from a television drama? 

She made him sound so grand and mysterious! 

Also... Li Lanni raised an eyebrow.... why was her mother being dragged into this topic again? 

Nevermind, she will just let it be. As they were chatting, they realized it was already time for the start of the competition. The three of them rushed to take their seats.

Of course, they earned scoffs from the students from Hun He Art School in passing. It was as though they were mocking all the other contestants for wasting their time participating in a competition they were bound to lose.

Li Lanni shot a glance right back at them, murmuring in her heart, "Wait until my Cheng Yu kicks your butt. Let's see if you will still be this arrogant." 

In a moment, the organizers explained the requirements and they officially started. 

____

Meanwhile, in Feng Ji International, Ji Xiehan's office. 

"Boss, I've already taken care of the task." Qiao Luna reported. 

"Mm." Ji Xiehan was busy typing in his laptop, and he casually let her leave. 

Moments later, however, he felt something wasn't right. He lifted his head to look at the woman still standing in front of him. 

"Boss..." 

Qiao Luna had her head down, and when she lifted it, her eyes were blazing with a passionate gaze. 

Then she sashayed to him, a step at a time... until she was right in front of him. 

"You..." 

"What are you doing?" Ji Xiehan looked at her sternly. His eyes became cold and stared daggers at her.

Qiao Luna closed in on him, took a deep breath, and tried to sound as normal as possible. "Boss, we are in the middle of the freaking scorching summer. Don't you feel too hot wearing your tie?" She inched even closer, successfully removing the distance between them. "Perhaps... I should help you take it off?"