Reincarnation: Multi-skilled Goddess Is So Beautiful!

361-370

Chapter 361: Mrs. Lu Taking Care of Zi Yi's Love Rival on Her Behalf 2

At dinner, the three of them were seated at the same table.

Mr. Lu's aura was on full blast and cold air continuously radiated from him. Aisha felt like she had even forgotten how to use chopsticks.

Mrs. Lu even purposely advised her. "Aisha, eat more. We don't have the habit of eating supper here. You will get hungry if you eat so little."

How could Aisha possibly eat more?

Throughout the whole meal, she only managed to eat a little.

Mrs. Lu even advised her after seeing she had eaten so little. "It's not good for your health to eat so little."

After dinner, Mrs. Lu and Aisha went out for a walk and drank some tea, before they returned to their rooms.

In the middle of the night, Aisha woke up due to hunger. For someone who had never been hungry before in her whole life, she somehow felt aggrieved.

However, she decided to put up with it just so that she could obtain the favor of her future parents-in-law.

Early in the morning the next day, Lu Jianlin still had that stern look on his face. Aisha was too famished and she ate more for breakfast.

It immediately attracted a side glance from Mrs. Lu.

Aisha instantly felt her face turn red.

After they finished the breakfast, Mrs. Lu said to Aisha, "I'm heading to a jadeite warehouse located in the suburbs today. Do you want to tag along?"

Aisha would definitely follow her.

When they arrived at the warehouse in the suburbs, which was filled with unprocessed jadeite. The two of them followed the manager and took a tour around the warehouse.

When Mrs. Lu asked about the progress of the recent orders, the manager said awkwardly, "Madam, several professional cutters have asked for a leave recently and we are somewhat unable to meet the demand."

Mrs. Lu furrowed her brows. "Now is the peak season for selling jadeite. Why have they all asked for a leave?"

"Several of the professionals are all from a family and something happened in their hometown. Therefore, they had no choice."

Mrs. Lu thought for a moment and said, "I happen to be free today. I'll do some cutting."

"Madam, this... how can I possibly let you do the work?"

"What does it matter? I've been dealing with jade since a young age. It's merely cutting and besides, we can't possibly do nothing as we see customers disappointed due to the lack of supply."

The manager did not continue to persuade her and led the two of them to the respective work station.

There were several cutting machines inside and only three professionals who were working right now. Around four to five of the workstations were empty.

Mrs. Lu pulled up her sleeves and walked towards the cutting machine as she said to Aisha. "You can go around and stroll by yourself. I won't have time to accompany you around."

Aisha looked at Mrs. Lu who had walked to the machine. She honestly wanted to say that she could help, but she did not know a single thing.

At that moment, Mrs. Lu said in a joking manner, "My two sons are all busy. I will pass down my jade business to my daughter-in-law to manage in the future.

I'm not asking for much. At least she should know everything about this industry so that she can manage it well."

Aisha heard what she said. She was thinking that if she started to learn now, she did not know how long it would take before she was capable enough of managing the business.

If she truly intends to learn about the jade business, does it mean that she has to give up her favorite dance?

However, at the thought that she could become Lu Jingye's wife as long as she learned about jade, she tightened her fists and asked, "Auntie Lu, is there anything I can help with?"

Mrs. Lu glanced at her and revealed an extremely polite smile. "No need for that. You're our guest and how can I possibly get you to help you?"

"I will be upset if Auntie Lu is so polite."

Mrs. Lu revealed an expression as if she compromised as she could not help it. "Alright then... Do you know how to draw a straight line?"

Aisha did not expect Mrs. Lu to give her such a simple task. She hastily nodded. "I know!"

"Got it."

Mrs. Lu got the manager to send over a piece of unprocessed jade. She then took a drawing pen and drew several dots on the jade before she said to Aisha. "Connect these dots together. I'll know how to cut the jade then."

"Got it."

Aisha began to draw with great interest.

After she started drawing for some time, she realized that she was too naive. The unprocessed jade weighs around a ton and it was extremely large. It was a difficult task to draw a straight line on the stone.

Following that, Mrs. Lu cut several pieces of jade.

At the end of the day, Aisha felt so tired that she was about to collapse. Moreover, she received a harsh setback. Because she had drawn the line wrongly several times, quite a few good jades had been wasted.

The moment Aisha returned to the Lu Family, she used an excuse that she wanted to wash up to give Rick a call. "Brother, I wish to learn about jade-related information."

Aisha was not the only one who was tired. Mrs. Lu, who had not worked for a long time, was also in the same situation. The moment she saw that Aisha returned to the guest room, she pulled Lu Jianling and returned to her bedroom on the third floor.

The moment they entered their bedroom, she immediately laid on the bed and complained about her sore and aching back.

Lu Jianlin felt heartache at the sight. He educated her with a black face while massaging her back. "You didn't have to get yourself involved to let her back down on her own accord. Is such a menial task like cutting unprocessed jade something you should be doing?"

Mrs. Lu knew that he was concerned about her and coupled with how comfortable she felt from the massage, she said, "If I didn't do this. How can I get her to follow suit? I'm telling you, today's performance is definitely effective. Just you wait, perhaps she might leave tomorrow morning."

Lu Jianlin was silent for a while before he asked, "Do you really like that girl from the Zi Family?"

"Of course I like her. You don't know how smart and amazing she is."

Speaking of this, she smiled. "When she returns from abroad, I'll bring her around my shop to play. At that time, she would definitely give me surprises. If she is capable of managing the business then, I'll pass the store to her at once."

"You're not worried that she might get greedy?"

Mrs. Lu turned around and looked at him as she said in displeasure, "You are not to say that about Little Zi. Any single cutting-edge technology she brings out is more superior than my company. What could she possibly be greedy for?"

She then turned her head around and continued to order him around. "Use more strength on my waist... Ahh~ it hurts... Can't you be gentler?"

Lu Jianlin: "..."

That evening, Rick came over to visit Aisha. The moment he saw her tired appearance, he felt so worried that he ignored her opposition and took her back to the Lu Family's main house.

"Brother, I don't want to go." Aisha was still protesting after getting in the car.

"You're being toyed around like that and why do you want to stay here for?" Rick felt that Mrs. Lu was deliberately making things difficult for her.

His sister was someone that had been spoiled like a princess by everyone and when has she ever been so tired before?

"That's not true. I was the one who volunteered to help." Aisha knew that Rick had misunderstood and tried to explain. "Auntie Lu said that she would hand over her jade business to her future daughter-in-law. Since she had said this to me, it means that she is fond of me. How could I possibly disappoint her?"

Rick furrowed his brows at her words. "You've never been involved in business, let alone jade that is of Oriental tradition. Even if Mrs. Li intends to hand over the business to you, you don't have to be the one that does the hard work. As long as you have money, you can hire the best managers and workers."

Chapter 362: I Have a Method to Make Lu Jingye Obediently Marry Your Younger Sister, Do You Want to Know About It?

"Even Auntie Lu had personally done the work, why can't I do the same?" Aisha's stubborn temper flared up. "I don't care. No matter what, I have to learn about the jade business."

"If you learn this, then what about your favorite dance?"

"I... I can give up on dancing."

"No way!"

Rick's voice rose several pitches higher out of agitation and he said, "You can't give up on your favorite dancing!"

Aisha remained silent, but she still had a determined expression on her face.

Rick was angry and yet anxious at the same time. Even when he slept at night, he had been tossing and turning around.

Just when he was thinking hard about how to dissuade Aisha from having such thoughts, his phone suddenly rang.

He grabbed his phone to check the caller ID and what he saw was an unknown number.

He immediately ended the call.

Unexpectedly, it started ringing again.

His phone rang several times and Rick had quickly been enraged by it. He answered the call with the intention of cursing out loud, but before he could speak, the other party immediately said, "I have a method to make Lu Jingye obediently marry your younger sister. Do you want to know about it?"

The moment he heard that, Rick's heartbeat sped up. He calmed down the next second, as he felt that someone was deliberately trying to play a prank. He then said with a solemn voice, "Who are you? Why should I believe what you say?"

"There's no need for you to know of my identity. You only have to tell me if you want to make Lu Jingye marry your younger sister or not."

"Why should I trust what you say?" Rick repeated himself.

The other party said, "Lu Jingye's younger brother is brain dead, but he has been keeping it a secret. You can use this to threaten him."

"Why should I trust you!"

"If you don't believe what I said, you can try to sound out Lu Jingye."

The other party had unexpectedly hung up the phone having said that. In the end, Rick was unable to fall asleep.

He knew of Lu Jingye's younger brother's existence. Moreover, he was very good at keeping himself hidden.

From his conversation with Lu Jingye, he could discern that the relationship between the two brothers was very good.

Moreover, during Elder Lu's birthday banquet, he had even specially brought up Lu Yunxiao. From this, he could more or less infer Lu Yunxiao's position in the family.

And yet, someone like that was actually brain dead? A person who was brain dead was equivalent to a dead person. However, Lu Jingye had managed to keep it hidden.

What did that mean?

"Lu Jingye, you're managing the Lu Family's business on the surface while your younger brother manages the secret forces of the Lu Family. You don't want to let others know that your younger brother is dead, I believe it's because you don't wish for the Lu Family's enemies to attack?"

Every single large family, especially those with authority and influence, had its own secret forces. As a child of a Count, Rick had managed to guess the reason behind it in a single try.

"If this is real, I'd like to see if you can reject marrying my younger sister." Thinking of this, Rick laughed. His laughter revealed his confidence.

...

X Country.

At 10 a.m in the morning, Zi Yi's airplane reached its destination.

The moment Zi Yi and Dou Xiangling walked out of the airport, a middle-aged man with Chinese facial features walked over and welcomed them.

"Hello, Miss Chu, Miss Dou. I am the housekeeper of the Second Young Master's villa in X Country. My surname is Ye. Welcome to X Country, please follow me."

Under numerous stunned gazes, the two of them walked out of the airport. There was already a car parked outside.

Lu Jingye's villa in X Country was located in the prime location in the city area, where the land prices were extremely expensive. There was a large villa located there.

When the housekeeper drove the car into the villa, he said to the two ladies. "It only takes ten minutes to get to the art gallery. In the eastern direction is the National Palace area, and in the southern direction are numerous famous tourist attractions. The west direction is the business district and the north is a university town."

The art gallery was located near the central business district.

After Housekeeper Ye's introduction, Dou Xiangling could not help but exclaim. "Staying here is much more convenient than the hotel I had booked previously."

The car soon drove into the villa.

The villa was a two story European style building, and there was a fountain carving outside, which was a popular style in the country. The stone steps outside were also made of white marble material.

Housekeeper Ye brought them in to tour around the villa before he led them to the room they would be staying in the following days.

It was obvious that Dou Xiangling's room was a guest room.

When the housekeeper led Zi Yi to a room, he said to her, "Miss Zi, this is the room that Second Young Master would stay in when he's here for business. He doesn't like being disturbed when others come over to visit, so there's only one master bedroom and guest room on this floor. If you don't mind, you can stay in the master bedroom."

There were indeed not many rooms here. Zi Yi nodded her head and said, "This will do."

The housekeeper smiled and said, "Miss Zi, please have a rest first. I'll be downstairs and you can inform me if you need anything."

"Okay."

The housekeeper left after he sent her to the door.

Zi Yi opened the door and walked inside.

Lu Jingye's room was very big and it had light blue walls, making the room look refreshing. Other than a large bed, there was a large study table near the windows, and to the opposite of it was a set of sofas along with a wall-embedded wardrobe.

Zi Yi looked around and thought of something. She took out her phone and took two photos before she sent them to Lu Jingye.

[Your room has been occupied by me. This shall be my territory in the future.]

After sending the message, she was about to take a shower.

She did not expect to receive a reply from Lu Jingye a few seconds later.

Lu Jingye: [You can take a look at the closet, there are clothes prepared for the female owner.]

Zi Yi walked to the closet out of curiosity and pulled the door open, only to see a whole row of female clothes inside.

The corner of her lips curled up and she swiftly replied to his message.

[When did you have these prepared?]

It was no wonder he had stopped her from bringing clothes along.

Lu Jingye: [When you boarded the plane.]

Zi Yi smiled and sent him a heart-shaped image before she threw her phone on the bed and grabbed a set of clothes to wash up.

When she came out from the shower, Lu Jingye had already sent her a reply ages ago.

Lu Jingye: [You're not allowed to stay up late over there. You must sleep before 11 p.m.]

Zi Yi: [What if I can't sleep because I miss you too much?]

After she sent the message, Lu Jingye did not immediately send her a reply. Zi Yi was not disheartened by it and instead, she left the room while in a great mood.

When she got to the stairs, she saw Dou Xiangling and the housekeeper having a conversation on the sofa.

They were casually chatting about the local customs of X Country.

Housekeeper Ye was very knowledgeable and he even knew about the international Painting and Calligraphy competition.

When they heard footsteps approaching them, they turned around at the same time.

Dou Xiangling smiled at her and said, "Yiyi, why don't you rest longer?"

"You're not resting too~"

"Haha... I can't fall asleep."

Zi Yi walked over to Dou Xiangling's side and sat down as she told them. "You two can continue chatting."

"Housekeeper Ye was telling me about the X country's art culture. Our competition starts tomorrow and we have to head over and register in the afternoon later. If we finish early, we can visit Master Anga who resides here."

Master Anga was a famous painter in X Country and was also a member of the International Painting and Calligraphy Association. Dou Xiangling was acquainted with him and she wanted to make use of the opportunity to introduce him to Zi Yi.

Zi Yi nodded and said, "Sure."

After the three of them chatted for a while, the Housekeeper went to the kitchen to have lunch prepared.

Chapter 363: Zi is Really Beautiful, She's so Beautiful to the Extent That I Had Fallen in Love at First Sight

After dinner, they rested for two hours before they headed to Country X's International Art Museum.

The exterior of the Art Museum was i a scroll shape, which looked extremely artistic.

There were many participants in these types of international painting competitions. After a round of competing, there were only 20 plus participants remaining.

The finals were split into three different rounds. Ten participants will be eliminated in the first round, five participants in the second round, and the finals will have three participants remaining.

There was no competition today and everyone who went had a casual attitude. Dou Xiangling was acquainted with many people there and had greeted quite a number of people on the journey from the parking lot to the entrance of the art museum.

Every single individual who greeted her would ask in shock, "Dou, who's that pretty lady beside you?"

Following that, Dou Xiangling would proudly introduce Zi Yi to them. "She's my cousin and just like me, she's here to participate in the finals."

Her words had immediately attracted waves of praises.

Of course, most of their praise was on Zi Yi's appearance.

From their point of view, Zi Yi's name sounded too unfamiliar and she should have managed to get into the finals due to luck. Therefore, compared to Zi Yi, they believed that their opponent was Dou Xiangling.

Everyone politely chatted and just then, a voice sounded from behind which called out to Dou Xiangling. "Dou Xiangling, long time no see."

Everyone subconsciously turned around to take a look.

The man who greeted Dou Xiangling was obviously also Chinese and he wore a long, dark-colored shirt with a wide belt, which accentuated his slender figure to the fullest.

He had his hair combed back, revealing his smooth and fleshy forehead. He had soft facial features and by right, he should be described as someone who looked feminine. However, due to the aggressiveness revealed from his confident gaze, it was easy for others to ignore his appearance.

Dou Xiangling furrowed her brows indiscernibly at the sight of the man and returned his greeting. "Meng He, long time no see."

When Meng He walked over towards her, people around them could not help but discuss in a low voice.

"Sure enough, Dou Xiangling and Meng He have entered the finals. I heard that when they were studying in M.Uni's School of Fine Arts, they would often compete for first place. Now that they have both advanced to the finals of the International Painting and Calligraphy Competition, I wonder whose skills are superior."

Individuals who are well-known in the industry were basically known by everyone.

It just so happens that Dou Xiangling and Meng He were both new and upcoming stars of the industry.

"Dou Xiangling's paintings would often reveal characteristics of China whereas Meng He had stayed abroad for several years. His painting style has changed."

"It's more interesting this way."

Zi Yi stood right beside Dou Xiangling and listened to their whispers. In the end, her gaze landed on Meng He's face.

Meng He just so happened to look towards Zi Yi at the same time and asked Dou Xiangling with a surprised expression, "This should be Zi Yi who had advanced to the finals with you?"

"That's right."

Meng He's eyes were just like X-rays as he sized her upside down and left to right before his gaze fixed on that pretty face of hers. He did not know of the young lady before him, but he knew that those who could advance to the finals were no easy opponents.

Meng He intended to do a deep investigation on Zi Yi when he returned.

He then shifted his gaze to Dou Xiangling and said, "By right, we should have gathered together as old classmates, but since we have both advanced to the finals, we would be opponents from now on. Classmate Dou, we shall each rely on our abilities and I hope that you will do your best."

Dou Xiangling met his gaze and revealed the same confidence. "Of course."

After they finished chatting, they headed to the Art Museum separately.

It was not surprising to others that they had not made their way inside together. After all, they were opponents now and it was not necessarily a good thing that they were close, especially when they were classmates from the same school.

"You don't seem to like this person very much?" Zi Yi glanced at Meng He who headed inside the Art Museum before them and suddenly said that.

"I won't say I dislike him nor do I like him." Dou Xiangling said, "He's too competitive and is always worried about other people stealing his inspirations. Even though we are classmates, we're merely acquaintances that would nod at each other even if we met."

Zi Yi nodded her head in response and did not continue this conversation.

After they made their way inside the Art Museum, everyone first toured around the museum that was arranged by the organizer. Following that, the Chairman of X Country's Painting and Calligraphy Association and the Chairman of the International Painting and Calligraphy Association explained the competition timing and rules for tomorrow.

After they were done with the explanation, it was free time for everyone to have conversations and mingle around.

However, many of them could not be bothered to converse with others and had directly left.

Dou Xiangling was also about to leave with Zi Yi to visit the people she had brought up previously. Yet, a blond-haired man with blue eyes called out to her. "Dou."

He then extended his arms with the intention to give Dou Xiangling a hug. However, she rejected him with a polite smile. "Mr. Abel, shaking hands will do."

Abel wore a flowered shirt and did not even bother to button the top two buttons as he revealed his bronzed skin. He had sideburns and his eyes looked extremely aggressive. Instead of looking like a painter, he looked more like a rogue artist.

Abel looked disappointed at her response. "Dou, you people from China are too reserved and shy."

"This isn't being shy. It's just that the way we greet others is different."

The two of them shook hands.

Abel turned to look at Zi Yi the next second and there was an undisguised surprise in his eyes. His tone of voice revealed naked teasing. "Beautiful lady, are you an angel sent by God? At the very first instance, when I saw you, I felt that my heart was shot by something."

Zi Yi looked at him with a cold expression.

Dou Xiangling said to Zi Yi, "Yiyi, Abel is someone from the circle."

She then said to Abel, "Mr. Abel, my cousin Zi Yi doesn't like jokes. Please refrain from joking with her."

Abel's expression was slightly exaggerated. "I'm not joking around. Zi is really very beautiful. She's so beautiful to the extent that I have fallen in love at first sight."

Abel's voice was pretty loud and everyone who had yet to leave the museum looked over in their direction.

Abel revealed a smug smile at that moment and pointed out. "I've never heard of Zi's name before. I've seen your preliminary and semi-final works. They are as amazing as your appearance. I hope that I can see your amazing performance in the finals."

He then used his thumb to wipe his lips and winked at Zi Yi. "I believe myself to know about all the various great painters from all around the world. Zi should be the strongest dark horse this year in the circle. I'm looking forward to Zi's competition tomorrow."

After Abel had said that, some of the gazes looking towards Zi Yi had changed.

The preliminary and semi-finals were assessed based on the artworks sent over and there was no need for the participant to be present. Someone whom they had never heard of before had unexpectedly advanced to the finals and received such high praises. No matter how they looked at it, it appeared to be somewhat strange.

Dou Xiangling noticed the strange gazes from the surroundings and was just about to flare up. Just then, Zi Yi pulled her hand, revealed a confident look, and said with a smirk, "Cousin, what Mr. Abel said is right. I'm a dark horse in the circle and since a casual painting of mine is capable of letting people feel amazed, he should indeed look forward to tomorrow's competition."

Dou Xiangling looked at Zi Yi's indifferent expression and felt that she had been too impulsive. She then put away her anger and nodded in agreement.

Chapter 364: Who is Backing You, for You to Dare to Threaten Me?

Dou Xiangling said in a tone that can still be considered polite, "Mr. Abel, my cousin, and I are about to leave. Please step aside."

Abel looked at Zi Yi and his eyes revealed a meaningful look. Following that, he took a step back and even did a gentlemanly posture.

Zi Yi and Dou Xiangling walked towards the exit together.

Zi Yi could not be bothered about how others were commenting on them. Just as they walked into the parking lot and were about to head for their car, Abel's voice sounded from behind them.

"Zi, wait a minute."

"What is he trying to do?" Dou Xiangling furrowed her eyebrows and wanted to give him a warning.

"Cousin, let me do it."

Zi Yi turned around and looked towards Abel who was headed in their direction as she asked with indifference, "What's the matter?"

"Beautiful Miss Zi, wouldn't mind having dinner with me tonight, right?"

"I mind."

Zi Yi's expression turned chillier as she spoke. "I'm here as a participant in the competition, why should I have dinner with you."

The more he looked at Zi Yi's face, the more he liked it. He felt that if this woman became his human model, he would certainly be able to complete a stunning painting. Thinking of this, Abel's voice sounded excited.

"Miss Zi, you shouldn't say that. The competition this time round is held in Country X and I am the Country X's Painting and Calligraphy Association's..."

Zi Yi interrupted him. "Scum?"

"What?" When Abel finally reacted to what Zi Yi had said, his expression sank. "Miss Zi, I'm sincerely inviting you to dinner. If you don't appreciate my invitation, do you know what will happen tomorrow?"

"Mr. Abel, who is backing you, for you to dare to threaten me?"

"I believe Miss Zi doesn't know of it yet. My Uncle is the curator of this art museum and...." Speaking of this, he deliberately leaned towards her. "If I do something to your painting tools tomorrow, what kind of effect would it have on your competition... Oww-"

Zi Yi looked at Abel who suddenly held his stomach and cried out in pain. She then said in a cold tone, "I'm not interested in knowing what will happen tomorrow, but you will definitely have a miserable ending today."

She took two steps back after she said her piece.

Immediately after, Abel's body seemed to be controlled by an invisible force and he got beaten up.

"Ow... owwwww~"

Looking at Abel who was beaten up like a rag doll, Dou Xiangling was first surprised before she thought of something and asked in a low voice, "Yiyi, did you get..."

She did not manage to finish her sentence when Zi Yi nodded her head.

Dou Xiangling looked at Abel without the slightest trace of sympathy.

Just then, sounds of people coming towards the car park could be heard. When everyone saw Abel who was lying on the ground while groaning in pain with his face beaten blue back, they all got a fright.

All of them looked at Zi Yi and Dou Xiangling standing right beside him.

They then proceeded to walk over to them.

"Dou, what happened? What's wrong with Mr. Abel?"

The members of the Country X's Painting and Calligraphy Association went over to help him up.

Zi Yi took out her phone and played a recording of what Abel had threatened them with just moments ago. At the same time, she let them watch a video of the entire process.

Everyone looked at Abel with an inconceivable gaze.

"No one had beaten up Mr. Abel, but why did he end up in such a miserable state?"

"Could it be that he is deliberately acting?"

Coupled with his earlier threat to Zi Yi, everyone felt that they had found out the truth.

It just so happened that the curator of the museum and a group of members from the association had come over.

"What's going on?" He looked at Abel who was unsteady on his feet, as if he had been ganged up on earlier and instantly flew into a rage. "Who beat up my nephew!"

Everyone looked at Abel with an odd expression.

Zi Yi showed her screen to the members of the association.

Dou Xiangling's tone carried traces of sternness. "Even though we are participating in this international competition under our own name, we also represent China. So this is the way people from Country X's Painting and Calligraphy Association treat the Chinese?"

The organizers of the competition looked towards Abel and the museum's curator.

The curator's expression had changed several times. He knew that his nephew likes to think up all sorts of methods to force others to become his human models whenever he sees a pretty person. However, he did not expect Abel to have tried his luck with a participant from China.

His originally furious expression instantly turned ashen. However, he still thought of trying to get Abel out of the trouble first. "Abel, is that what happened?"

"No!" Abel was inexplicably beaten up by some unknown force and his head was still buzzing at that time. Yet, he still managed to subconsciously deny it.

"Ha." Zi Yi sneered, took out her phone, and casually swiped around as she said, "Even though I'm not famous right now, I'm still a member of China's Painting and Calligraphy Association. Since Mr. Abel has said so, I shall directly send the video over to my country's association for them to resolve this."

Zi Yi's words caused the curator's heart to sink.

Even the others were surprised.

"You're a member of China's Painting and Calligraphy Association?"

"Why didn't we know of this?"

Members of Country X along with the members of the international Painting and Calligraphy Association were all surprised.

The corner of her lips curled up, but Zi Yi was not in a hurry to explain.

The curator gave Abel a push. No matter if Zi Yi was really a member of the association, he wanted Abel to immediately apologize first.

When this nephew of his caused trouble in the past, he would often help him wipe his ass. However, he had even dared to have designs on the participants. Regardless of whether Zi Yi was an association member or not, as the International Painting and Calligraphy Association had already learned of this matter, it should be resolved at once.

Just then, the Chairman of Country X's association arrived late and when he saw such a big group of people standing together, he hastily asked, "What's going on?"

This time around, Dou Xiangling stood out and explained what had happened.

The Chairman definitely would now allow this matter to worsen and he said to Zi Yi and Dou Xiangling with a cheery smile, "Miss Zi, Miss Dou, there must have been some misunderstanding in this matter."

"Misunderstanding?" Dou Xiangling questioned. "Could it be that when Mr. Abel said that if my cousin refuses to dine with him, he would make her suffer, it is a misunderstanding? Or perhaps Country X's Painting and Calligraphy Association is fond of secretly doing things behind others' backs?"

"No, no, no..." The Chairman was startled by her words. He could not possibly dare to accept such an accusation.

Just then, the phone of the International Association's Chairman suddenly rang and he headed to a corner to answer the call.

Country X's Chairman continued to explain. "No matter what rules and regulations the competition has, Country X's Painting and Calligraphy Association adheres to the principle of fairness and justice. How could it possibly secretly do anything in the dark! What Mr. Abel said cannot represent our association."

After he said that, he took a look at Abel whose face was bruised and swollen. He wished that he could go up to him and give him another two tight slaps. Why did this fella cause such trouble for him right at this conjecture?

Right now, the Chairman of Country's X Association could only hope that Zi Yi was not a member of the Imperial's Painting and Calligraphy Association.

Chapter 365: The Dou Family are Not People You Can Afford to Offend

The International Painting and Calligraphy Association's Chairman came back after he ended the call. First, he looked at Zi Yi with a surprised gaze before he said to everyone, "The Chairman of China's Painting and Calligraphy Association had personally given me a call. Miss Zi is indeed a member of the association."

His words had shocked everyone at present and all of them turned mute.

The curator started to panic. He wanted to make Abel apologize to Zi Yi at once.

However, when Abel thought of how he had been randomly beaten up, the raging flames in his heart could not be suppressed. "I was only joking around with Miss Zi, and now that I have ended up like this, shouldn't Miss Zi be responsible?!"

"Responsible?" Zi Yi asked, "Did I hit you?"

Everyone shifted their gazes towards Abel.

He very much wanted to say that Zi Yi was the one who beat him up, but it was true that she had been standing there without moving.

Zi Yi looked at Abel and sneered, "There's a saying in our country. If we commit wrongdoings, we would not be afraid of ghosts knocking at our door in the middle of the night. There aren't ghosts in your country, but there are resentful spirits. I think it's because you've committed too many wrongdoings and those resentful spirits are latched onto you."

The average person would only feel that Zi Yi was talking nonsense. However, Abel, who had committed numerous wrongdoings, was feeling afraid. His body trembled for no reason and coupled with the fact that his body was already in pain, cold sweat trickled down and his eyes rolled back before he lost consciousness.

Soon, Abel was sent to the hospital by the staff. Through this incident, it had caused everyone to view Zi Yi in a new light as they re-examined her.

Just moments before, they thought of her as an unknown individual who suddenly made her way into the finals. Perhaps it was due to luck, or that she was merely a pretty lady who wanted to reveal herself and gain popularity during the finals. Right now, all of them decided to go back and check on her information.

The International Association's Chairman looked at Zi Yi with a surprised gaze. "I did hear about you from China's Association Chairman, but I didn't expect you to be so young, and also so... beautiful."

Zi Yi pursed her lips and gave him a nod, without the intention to converse with him.

Dou Xiangling spoke on her behalf. "My cousin just joined the association and it's normal for others not to know of her. However..."

Having said that, she glanced at the curator and the Chairman of Country X's Association and said, "Even if my cousin isn't a member of the association, she relied on her capabilities to enter the finals. The members of Country X's Painting and Calligraphy Association have truly opened my eyes."

The two culprits who were mentioned had ugly expressions on their faces. However, Abel was indeed the one at fault, and no matter how he had gotten injured, or perhaps he had truly encountered a spiritual affair, they could only bring him to apologize to Zi Yi.

Since the curator and Chairman had apologized to Zi Yi on behalf of Abel, Zi Yi did not intend to do anything else and she left with Dou Xiangling.

After they left, the others continued to discuss for a while before they left separately.

After the parking lot returned to its silence, Meng He and a woman wearing a famous branded suit, with her hair were meticulously combed, walked out. It was obvious at first glance that she was a successful career woman.

The woman said expressionlessly, "See? The Dou Family are not people you can afford to offend."

Meng He snorted and refused to admit it. "I've never thought of offending the Dou Family. Besides... I only wish to compete with her fairly."

"Fair competition?" The woman snorted. "Weren't you the one who got people to tell Abel that the lady beside Miss Dou has no background and that Miss Dou is merely bringing her out to expand her outlook? I think your real intention is for Abel to flirt with them and cause trouble, so that you can make use of this opportunity to reveal yourself like a hero saving a beauty?"

After she said that, she turned over to Meng He whose expression had sunk. She then warned him. "Your objective should be to get the first prize in the International Painting and Calligraphy Competition so that you can increase your chances of being chosen as a professor of N's School of Fine Arts. This way, my father would approve of our marriage.

If you have any other random thoughts, it's best that you curb yourself. After we get married, I won't interfere in your private affairs. You can look for whatever kind of woman you want."

Meng He clenched his fists and looked at her with an aggressive gaze as he said with a deep voice, "What nonsense are you sprouting? I've said that I will only compete with her fairly and the first prize is definitely mine. I can't be bothered to do those things."

He then turned and left with a sullen expression.

The woman looked at Meng He's departing back view and a glint surfaced in her eyes.

She snapped her fingers in the air.

A bodyguard soundlessly appeared and respectfully called out to her. "Miss."

The woman said expressionlessly, "Go and kidnap those two women and let them out after the competition tomorrow."

"I understand."

After the bodyguard left, the corner of her lips curled up and she soon suppressed it. With a soft whisper, she said, "Since you're a man I found, you must pass my father's trial."

She took a step forward and headed towards the direction where Meng He had left.

...

After Zi Yi and Dou Xiangling got in the car, Dou Xiangling was still somewhat angry at the thought of the incident.

"I didn't expect to meet such a person like him. It's so disgusting."

Zi Yi took out her mobile phone to check which hospital Abel had been sent to. "This type of person should be taught several lessons so that he no longer dares to come out and harm others."

In their circle, there were some who harmed beautiful men or women under the guise of art. To put it bluntly, they simply acted on their own selfish desires and Zi Yi intended to eliminate these types of pests for the common good.

Before long, the hidden and hateful things Abel had done in the past appeared on the internet and soon, he became a public enemy. Country X's Painting and Calligraphy circles were the first to stand out and remove him from their list.

Of course, that was for another story.

Dou Xiangling brought Zi Yi to visit Master Anga who she had mentioned in the past.

The three of them chatted about painting and calligraphy the entire afternoon and it could be said that they had a good talk. In the end, Master Anga even enthusiastically asked them to stay back for dinner.

Country X was close to Country F and it had a strong artistic atmosphere. Especially when night fell, there were plenty of street performers on the roads.

While seated in the car, Dou Xiangling said to Zi Yi in excitement, "Yiyi, Let's head south and stay there awhile to enjoy ourselves. There's a river there and there would be many artists performing on both banks of the river and on the bridge at night. Perhaps if we're lucky, we could even meet a master performing there!"

Zi Yi looked at Dou Xiangling's sparkling gaze and said, "Ok."

Dou Xiangling then told her about the experience of her previous visit. "It was two years ago the last time I came here. The scenery here at night is really beautiful."

The car soon arrived at the street Dou Xiangling had mentioned.

Searchlights illuminated the area so that it would be as bright as the day, and the riverside was filled with colorful lighting. There were sculptures of all sorts of shapes on the fences near the river, while handicraft stalls were set up on the street. Some distance away from the stalls were different types of artists.

These artists include painters, musicians, and even performers.

Zi Yi and Dou Xiangling walked hand in hand in the crowd and stopped from time to time to check out the stalls.

Soon, there were several snacks in Zi Yi's hands.

She did not bother about the gazes from the surroundings. She ate whatever Dou Xiangling had bought for her and when she ate something delicious, she would even point it out. "This is yummy. Try it."

Dou Xiangling would then turn around and take a bite.

Chapter 366: Zi Yi: He's Not as Charming as My Ah Jing
They did not manage to walk around for long before many enthusiastic foreigners came forward to hit on them.

Zi Yi's appearance had basically overpowered all the females present. Some of the foreigners had even leaned over the fences just to take a look at her, and there were even one or two who nearly fell into the river.

Dou Xiangling smiled and bought two hats for each of them. Only then did they attract less gazes.

Dou Xiangling said, "I feel that if we go to crowded places in the future, I have to make sure you're fully armed."

The corner of Zi Yi's lips curled up at her words. "There are many who are looking at you too."

Dou Xiangling smiled in response.

The two of them continued to walk forward and they soon arrived at a wide and long bridge.

The bridge was made of white marble with many sculptures on it, making the bridge appear exceptionally beautiful. There were artists on both sides of the bridge while the middle area was for pedestrians.

They headed towards an artist who painted portraits and stayed there for a while before they continued to walk around.

They did not walk for long before Shadow's voice sounded in Zi Yi's ears. "Master, someone is following you."

Ziyi merely responded with a hum and did not check her surroundings. She then took out her phone and sent Shadow an order: Keep a close eye on them.

She then put away her phone and looked up to see a violinist who was surrounded by numerous women screaming at the top of their lungs.

The violinist was wearing a golden mask, revealing his sharp nose and sexy lips. He wore a slim-fit tuxedo, which accentuated his charming waistline. He had shoulder-length blond curly hair and due to the strong wind blowing on the bridge, he simply tied up his hair with a rubber band, adding to his mysterious charm.

Dou Xiangling always felt that she was not someone who judged people by their appearances, but she could not help but sigh when she saw the man. "That violinist is very charming."

Zi Yi simply said, "He's not as charming as my Ah Jing."

Dou Xiangling could not resist as she released a peal of soft laughter at her words.

Zi Yi tilted her head and looked at her, as she revealed an expression that seemed to say: I didn't say anything wrong.

Dou Xiangling pulled her hand and said, "Let's go over and listen."

Soon, they walked over to the violinist who had been surrounded by a group of women. After they listened for some time, Dou Xiangling sincerely praised him. "This man plays really well."

Zi Yi nodded and said, "It's pretty good."

After they continued listening for a while more, they could not stand those women who would scream from time to time and decided to continue walking around.

Before they left, the violinist who was playing the instrument in all seriousness had inadvertently looked up, just to see their back views.

The man moved his gaze away and continued to play his violin, as if the surrounding screams did not exist.

Zi Yi and Dou Xiangling continued to walk around the bridge for some time and Dou Xiangling felt somewhat tired. "Yiyi, why don't we take a rest at a cafe?"

Zi Yi thought about it for a moment and decided to tell her of their current situation. "We have been followed since earlier."

Dou Xiangling's expression was about to change, but Zi Yi held her hand to comfort her. "Don't worry, Shadow has been keeping an eye on them and they won't dare to do anything to us."

Only then did Dou Xiangling breathe a sigh of relief. However, her mood to tour around the night market had been dampened by the situation. "Why don't we go back now?"

Zi Yi nodded in agreement and they turned to retrace their footsteps.

However, they did not walk for long before they saw a large crowd of people and large festooned vehicles.

Just then, someone near them was pleasantly surprised as they said, "To think there are festooned vehicles today, we're quite lucky."

There were many others who were excited at the sight of those festooned vehicles.

However, Zi Yi and Dou Xiangling furrowed their brows concurrently.

Zi Yi was worried that Dou Xiangling would lose her way in the midst of the chaos.

She thought for a moment and pulled Dou Xiangling as they turned around. While walking, Zi Yi said, "I'll pass you Shadow later. If we were to accidentally separate, make your way back first."

"Then what about you?" Dou Xiangling was worried about her and tightly grabbed her hands.

"I'm fine." Zi Yi said, "I've brought plenty of good items along and no one will be able to do anything to me."

She then continued to assure her. "Rest assured. Perhaps I might return earlier than you when the time comes."

Dou Xiangling wanted to say something else, but the people in their surroundings had joined the crowd in excitement and there were also many who walked towards the bridge from the shores.

For a moment, both of them had difficulty walking.

Sure enough, they were separated by the crowd.

Zi Yi swiftly gave Shadow an order: Protect my cousin well. Send her back at once.

Shadow's response came soon after: I understand, Master.

Zi Yi then put away her phone and she quickly headed towards the bridge.

After she left the bridge, there was a smaller crowd. She then glanced in two directions before she headed towards one of the routes.

There were many people on the shores climbing onto the fence to check out the festooned vehicles and the parade had set off fireworks too.

Fireworks exploded in the night skies, and all kinds of colors covered the skies.

When Zi Yi sensed that the people following her were approaching at fast speeds, she started to run forward.

She would often take care of people in places where there was no crowd.

She continued running for some time until there were no longer any sounds from her surroundings.

The streetlights shone on her, elongating her shadow.

This was a residential area and there were many trees along the river. Everyone in the vicinity should have gone to join in the fun and it was currently extremely silent in that area. It was to the extent that her footsteps were amplified.

Zi Yi slowed down just then and stopped when she ran past a corner. At the same time, she turned around to look at those people coming towards her and asked in a cold voice, "Who sent you?"

The men merely looked at each other before they headed in her direction.

"You're not going to speak?" Zi Yi took out a circular ball and threw it towards them.

The ball turned into a lethal frisbee with sharp knives around it and headed in their direction.

At first, they did not think of it as a threat. When the frisbee flew in their direction, all of them quickly dodged.

Zi Yi's lips curled up as she saw them dodging and coldly snorted. "I'll give you another chance. Are you going to speak or not?"

The group of men remained silent.

"Very well."

After she said that, the frisbee spun even faster and in the blink of an eye, it had sliced their clothing into pieces.

They were momentarily stunned before they hastily grabbed onto their pants that dropped to the ground.

"Are you going to speak or not?" Zi Yi's voice sounded even colder. "If you don't speak at once, it'll be your skin the next time."

The men had also experienced how lethal the frisbee was. Their expressions turned solemn and they quickly separated.

However, how could their speed be as fast as the frisbee?

Soon, waves of screams sounded in the air.

"AHHH~"

"Oww~!"

Zi Yi coldly looked at those people rolling around on the ground and screaming out in pain after having their skin skinned off and retrieved her circular ball. Just as she was about to leave, a powerful killing aura engulfed her from behind.

Before she had time to respond, a gun was pointed at her back and a threatening voice sounded, "Don't move, or I'll shoot."

Zi Yi pursed her lips and remained still as she asked, "I doubt you're with them, so who sent you?"

"You don't need to know."

The gun behind her, had pressed against her back tighter. "Walk."

Chapter 367: Lu Jingye Calling at 11 p.m

"What if I refuse to leave?" Zi Yi casually asked and her fingers were prepared to move.

The man standing behind her seemed to have guessed her intention and threatened, "If you dare to move, I'll kill you immediately."

Following that were sounds of the safety being released.

Zi Yi clicked her tongue. It was merely an antique gun and it was yet capable of causing her any threat.

However, she sensed another strong aura approaching and remained motionless.

"Walk."

The man behind her urged her again.

Just then, a mocking voice of an elegant young man could be heard from the vicinity. "What use is there in bullying a young lady?"

Zi Yi felt the breathing of the man tighten.

She turned to look at the man standing in front of the light. The first thing she noticed was the violin he was carrying on his back and she was slightly surprised.

The man behind her said to the masked man as he released a powerful killing aura, "I'd advise you to mind your own business."

"What if I insist on interfering?"

"Then I'll kill her."

His words caused the masked man to remain silent for two seconds, before he casually said, "Then kill her."

He then walked towards the two of them. His footsteps did not appear as if he was facing a gangster. Instead, it seemed as if he was walking on the red carpet of an event.

Zi Yi clicked her tongue and lowered her body at the same time the man had moved. She then quickly threw a circular ball towards the man standing behind her.

The ball formed a barrier between them and the man subconsciously shot in her direction.

Seeing that the bullet was about to hit Zi Yi, the masked man strode over and attacked the man.

The two of them instantly got into a fight.

Zi Yi stood there and looked at the barrier blocking the bullet. She opened her palm and the ball returned to her hand while the bullet fell to the ground.

Only then did she look at the two who were in a fierce fight.

The masked man's skills were obviously better. Soon, the other man noticed this and decided to escape as he could not win.

Zi Yi narrowed her eyes and looked at his departing back view. She played around with the circular ball in her lands with her eyes lowered as she thought about the masked man's identity.

Just then, the masked man used his same elegant voice and spoke up. "When you discover someone following you in the future, it's best that you avoid coming to secluded places like this. Perhaps people who you are unable to deal with are hidden in the dark."

Zi Yi looked up at him and said affirmatively, "You saw that someone was following us."

The man pressed his lips together tightly and did not answer. Instead. He turned around to leave.

She looked at his back view and said with a smirk, "For you to be so kind, you definitely have some hidden intentions. Why don't you just say it out now?"

The masked man suddenly appeared to help and was about to leave without asking for anything. No matter how she looked at it, she felt that he had deliberately done this.

The masked man did not bother to turn around as he said, "Just think of it that I'm suddenly being kind."

Having said that, he walked towards a dark corner and his figure soon disappeared.

Zi Yi stood rooted to the spot and looked in that direction. She then took out two circular balls and threw them into the air.

The balls transformed into mechanical dragonflies and flew in two different directions.

After she was done with that, she turned around to look at the several figures who were still rolling on the ground and wailing in pain.

When they noticed her gaze, their bodies trembled.

Zi Yi walked over and looked at them with an indifferent expression. "Who sent you here?"

She took out a circular ball after having said that.

When they saw the circular ball appearing once again, they felt their wounds hurting even more. One of them trembled as he said, "I.. It's... Miss Feiya."

"Who's that?"

"Miss Feiya of the Andelu Family."

Zi Yi threw a ball towards them after he said that.

They did not expect Zi Yi to go back on her words. First, they widened their eyes in horror, and following that, they directly lost consciousness due to fright.

Zi Yi revealed a crafty grin. She merely wanted to scare them and she didn't expect them to be such wimps.

In the end, she put away the circular ball in her hand and headed to a place where she could flag down a car.

By the time she returned to Lu Jingye's villa, Dou Xiangling and Housekeeper Ye were standing in the courtyard as they anxiously waited for her return.

The moment they saw her alighting from the cab, they greeted her at the same time.

"Yiyi, you're finally back."

"Miss Zi, are you alright?"

Zi Yi walked in through the iron gates and said, "I'm fine."

She then added, "It took me some time to flag a cab."

Dou Xiangling breathed out a sigh of relief.

The three of them headed towards the interior of the villa.

It was already 9 p.m at night and after they came in, Zi Yi planned to investigate more about the Andelu family and so, she said, "Cousin, Housekeeper Ye, I'll go in and rest first."

Dou Xiangling was also a little tired. "I'll go up with you."

Housekeeper Ye then stood there and informed them. "Ladies, the kitchen has prepared some desserts and I'll get the helpers to prepare some soothing tea and send them up shortly."

Zi Yi and Dou Xiangling were okay with that.

While they headed upstairs, Zi Yi asked, "Cousin, did you encounter anyone on your way back?"

"I didn't." Dou Xiangling then recounted the situation. "There were many masked people in the festooned car. Your robot had directly revealed itself and carried me away."

Everyone's focus was on the festooned car and how would they have the spare energy to notice a robot mixed in the crowd?

Zi Yi nodded her head.

Dou Xiangling had also asked," Yiyi, what about you?"

"After I got rid of those people following behind him, I headed towards somewhere with a smaller crowd.

"That's good."

Zi Yi returned to the master bedroom and took out her laptop as she quickly did a search, while seated on the sofa.

She soon managed to investigate the Angelu Family upside down and carefully checked the woman named Miss Feiya.

Feiya was a young lady of Country X's Andelu Group. She was a strong woman and had great business skills. However, the family treated females unfairly and felt that she should not take over an important position in the group as she would ultimately get married to another. Feiya used two years to let them witness her capabilities.

After a group of people had been cleaned up by her, her family joined forces to deal with her. As a result of her resistance, she had to give birth to a boy for the Andelu Family and sign an agreement to pass everything under her to the boy.

Therefore, Feiya had chosen Meng He.

It just so happened that Meng He was an ambitious person and wanted to go higher in the Painting and Calligraphy circle. Thus, they hit off well with each other.

However, people from the Andelu Family felt that Meng He was not worthy of her and she planned to make him a professor at N's School of Fine Arts.

In order to be employed as a professor, he first had to have impressive achievements. Therefore, the International Painting and Calligraphy Competition was part of their plans.

After she had done a thorough investigation, Zi Yi coldly snorted, "No matter what you plan to do, now that you're provoked me and my cousin, just wait to regret your actions!"

Zi Yi continued to check on the other man and the masked man.

Unknowingly, it was already 11 p.m and her phone placed beside her suddenly rang.

Zi Yi took her phone and checked the caller ID. The corner of her lips curled up when she saw who the caller was.

She swiped to answer and joyfully called out, "Ah Jing."

Lu Jingye's calm and restrained voice sounded. "Yiyi, it's time to sleep."

The smile on Zi Yi's face deepened and she deliberately said, "I'm already asleep."

The man on the other side of the phone remained silent, obviously not trusting what she said.

Chapter 368: Yiyi, Pull Up Your Quilt And Cover Yourself

Just as Zi Yi was about to speak, the call was disconnected.

Before she had the time to let her thoughts wander, a video call soon came through.

Zi Yi closed her laptop and ran towards the bed with her phone in hand. Upon reaching the bed, she grabbed the quilt and covered herself, only revealing her head, before she answered the video call.

When facing the man who had a stern expression on his face, Zi Yi revealed an exceptionally innocent gaze as she blinked her beautiful eyes. "I went to the toilet earlier."

Lu Jingye looked at her messy hair and reddish cheeks. How could he not know that she was lying? However, he did not expose her as he said, "Put your phone on the bedside table. I'll watch you fall asleep. I'll hang up when you're asleep."

Zi Yi: "..."

Lu Jingye had a gentle gaze as he looked in her direction. His cello-like magnetic voice sounded. "Why? Don't want me to? Could it be that you were lying earlier?"

"How is that possible?" Zi Yi would never admit to her lies. In order to prove that she had not lied, she immediately flipped the quilt away and revealed her pajamas. "Look, I'm wearing pajamas."

Never had he imagined that the young lady would suddenly flip the quilt away. Moreover, she must have been in a rush earlier and had made large movements as she ran to the bed. Several of the buttons on her pajamas were loosened and it revealed a large area of her snow-white skin. It made him...

It made his heart beat uncontrollably like galloping horses, as blood coursed through his body madly.

Lu Jingye's gaze darkened and his Adam's apple rolled up and down. His voice became hoarse as he said, "Yiyi, pull up your quilt and cover yourself."

Zi Yi noticed Lu Jingye's strange reaction. She lowered her head and took a look, before she then laughed.

She looked in his direction and quirked an eyebrow. "You'll be seeing it in the future, so what's the difference between seeing it now and later?"

We

Lu Jingye looked at the young lady with his deep-set eyes as he tried his hardest to suppress the inexplicable reactions surging forth from his body. "Pull up the quilt. Don't catch a cold."

"Hehe..."

Only then did Zi Yi pull up the quilt and reveal her head.

Lu Jingye cajoled her. "Close your eyes and sleep."

Zi Yi obediently closed her eyes, only to open them several seconds later. She turned her head to look at Lu Jingye reflected on her screen. "I can't fall asleep."

Lu Jingye thought for a moment and grabbed his phone as he walked elsewhere. "What did you do today?"

Zi Yi raised her eyebrows and recounted the events she experienced today.

When Lu Jingye heard that Abel wanted to hit on her, his eyebrows furrowed together, and he asked, "Which hospital is he in?"

Zi Yi knew that he was angry. "I've already posted all the deeds he has done in the past on the internet. His situation is similar to a rat crossing the street right now and Shadow did not hold back its punches against him."

She then added, "You're pretty busy, so don't bother yourself in this matter hmm~."

Lu Jingye tightly closed his lips.

Zi Yi then recounted what had happened afterwards.

Lu Jingye no longer said anything as he listened to her seriously.

When Zi Yi was done explaining, she felt tired and said, "Ah Jing, I'm going to sleep."

"Go ahead." Lu Jingye's voice was very soft. "I'll end the video call later."

"Okay."

Zi Yi closed her eyes after that.

Lu Jingye looked at the young lady's sleeping appearance for some time, before he reluctantly disconnected the video call.

After he put away his phone, his expression instantly turned chilly.

He then turned around and headed somewhere. While walking, he took out a mask and wore it. Instantly, a powerful aura quickly spread out. When his subordinate approached him, he said, "Move out ahead of the planned timing."

"Yes."

...

On the other side.

When Feiya received a phone call from her bodyguard, she learned that all the people she sent had the skin of their chests peeled off and were already sent to the hospital. She then asked with a cold expression, "Who did this?"

"It's that woman who has an exceptionally stunning appearance."

A trace of killing intent streaked across her eyes. "Immediately investigate which hotel they are staying at and get rid of them at once."

The other party responded and she hung up the phone call.

Feiya walked out the study room following that and headed towards another room.

This was her private villa. It was not particularly big, but it was decorated luxuriously. There were numerous paintings hanging on the corridors. If one looked carefully, they would discover that the paintings were all completed by a single person and. There was a signature at the bottom, with the word 'He' signed there.

Feiya stopped at one of the doors and knocked out of politeness before she stepped inside.

The inside of the room was a studio. The studio was very wide and bright, and Meng He was currently looking at a stone statue as he painted.

Neither did he stop his brush nor look back when he heard the sound of her footsteps.

Feiya walked over and hugged his waist from behind. "He, you still have a competition tomorrow. It's time to rest."

Meng He looked at the additional stroke on the canvas and groaned unhappily. "Let go."

Feiya did not release her hands. Instead, her hands wandered upwards as she whispered in his ears, "Your nerves are stretched taut, it's not beneficial for your competition tomorrow. Why don't I help you to relax instead?"

Speaking of this, her hands reached the buttons of his clothes.

Meng He's nerves were indeed stretched taut these past two days. After being teased, he simply turned around and pulled her to the front of the table, where the stone statue was placed.

After some time had passed, Feiya who was lying on the bed stared at Meng He who had fallen asleep. She softly whispered in his ears as she guaranteed to him, "He, I will definitely let you emerge victoriously."

However, the next second, her phone placed on the bedside table suddenly rang.

Feiya picked up her phone and answered it, "Speak."

A panicked voice sounded from the other end. "Miss Feiya, all the confidential information of the projects we worked on have been hacked."

Feiya's expression turned stern and she suddenly sat up from the bed without a care if she was wearing anything. She then wrapped herself in a robe before she headed towards the study, while giving commands as she radiated flames of fury.

...

The next day.

The first thing Zi Yi did when she woke up was to check the phone placed right beside her.

The screen was off and she picked it up to take a look. Upon unlocking it, the screen was still on the video call with Lu Jingye last night.

The corner of her lips could not help but curl up. She put down her phone, swept the quilt away, and headed to the bathroom to wash up.

When Zi Yi made her way downstairs, Dou Xiangling was already there.

She was currently preparing the tools needed for the competition. The moment she heard the sound of her footsteps coming down, she turned around and smiled as she said to Zi Yi, "Yiyi, good morning."

"Good morning."

Zi Yi walked over to Dou Xiangling's side and saw that she had everything prepared. "What time did you wake up and how come you have gotten everything prepared already?"

Dou Xiangling smiled and said, "I woke up half an hour earlier than you. These things were already prepared for us when I came downstairs and I was only checking if there was any damage."

Dou Xiangling had already checked everything and Zi Yi did not have to do anything at all. And so, she said, "Cousin, let's go out for a morning jog."

Dou Xiangling nodded.

Thus the two of them headed out of the villa.

It just so happened that Housekeeper Ye walked in from the other side. When he saw that they were going out for a jog, he said, "Ladies, there's a large area behind the villa where it's suitable for jogging."

Following that, they headed towards the back of the villa.

Chapter 369: Questioned By Reporters

The International Painting and Calligraphy Competition was a huge event.

There were no reporters or fans at the museum yesterday, when the participants arrived to register, and that was because secrecy measures had been put in place.

Today, when Zi Yi and Dou Xiangling's car drove into the street to enter the museum, they discovered that the area had been blocked off. Due to the guards blocking the way, there were many who were standing on the streets.

Outside the art museum was a large group of local and international reporters, all of whom had interviewed the contestants who entered the competition venue.

Dou Xiangling looked at those reporters and gave Zi Yi a pre-emptive warning. "Yiyi, the reports here today are mostly gossip reporters. They will most likely try their best to dig out your private information to publicize it. Just follow behind me later, I'll do the talking."

Zi Yi responded with a hum and saw that the moment a car reached the entrance, there were bodyguards who went over to protect the contestants as they made their way inside.

Soon, their car arrived outside the entrance.

The group of reporters stared at the car and acted as if they were ready to pounce over towards them.

The first one to alight was Dou Xiangling.

She wore a water-blue cheongsam today and with the aura of a young lady who originated from an educated family, it made others find it even harder to shift their gaze away.

Dou Xiangling had a rather well-known reputation, and when the reporters saw her alighting, they all became excited.

"Miss Dou, did you already anticipate that you would be able to enter the finals this time?"

"Miss Dou, do you think you will be able to win first place in the competition?"

"Miss Dou, it is rumored that your university classmate has also entered the finals. Before your competition, will you two communicate in private?"

"Miss Dou..."

Dou Xiangling smiled and politely answered with a few social niceties, and cleverly avoided everyone's questions.

The reporters were unsatisfied with her response.

Just then, Zi Yi alighted from the car.

Her outfit was casual as per normal, a white T-shirt coupled with jeans. However, it made everyone so surprised, to the extent that they could not shift their gazes away.

After they were momentarily stunned, all of them got excited.

The cameramen then directed their camera lenses in her direction.

"Excuse me, are you Miss Zi Yi who managed to enter the finals?"

"Miss Zi is really beautiful. I wonder how long you have been studying painting and who is your teacher? Why haven't we heard of you before?"

"Miss Zi seems so young and since you could enter the finals, it means that your skills must be very strong. I wonder if you have the confidence to defeat all the contestants today and win first place?"

...

No matter how everyone asked, Zi Yi did not answer a single question.

Just then, a sharp voice sounded. "Miss Zi, why aren't you answering our questions? Could it be that you look down on us reporters?"

Soon, another sharp voice sounded. "Miss Zi, it's said that you are related to Miss Dou and you entered the finals together this time around. Were you really the one who completed the paintings for the previous two rounds?"

The moment that particular reporter asked this question, everyone turned silent and they looked at Zi Yi with an excited gaze.

"This reporter here, there are some words that..."

"Cousin." Zi Yi motioned to Dou Xiangling that there was no need to bother talking with them.

She looked at the reporter and coldly answered, "You'll be able to see if it's indeed my painting in the finals. If you think it isn't, then you'd better keep your eyes wide open."

Having said that, she was about to pull Dou Xiangling towards the art museum... However, just then a voice sounded from behind the reporter.

"Miss Dou, I'm your fan. Can I hug you?"

The one speaking was a young lady that appeared to be around her twenties. She had a tall and robust physique and after she said that, she rudely pushed the reporters aside and rushed towards Dou Xiangling.

When she was dashing towards Dou Xiangling, due to how rough she had just been, she knocked one of the cameras from a cameraman's hands.

"Ah! My camera!"

The cameraman subconsciously fell to the front, and bumped against a few other people. Moreover, the woman who was dashing over did not have the intention to stop.

For a moment, there were many reporters and cameramen who were pushed, and they were about to fall in the direction of Zi Yi and Dou Xiangling.

At this moment, the few bodyguards who were supposed to be protecting them had quietly taken a step back.

Dou Xiangling froze when she saw the situation.

Zi Yi immediately got the gist of the situation and pulled Dou Xiangling's hand as they retreated until they reached the staircase.

Those who were pushed and shoved over in their direction, seemed to have been kicked by someone or something in their knees and they all knelt down at the same time, at around a meter's distance away.

From the side, it seemed like they were kneeling and worshipping the two women.

"Ahhh... my hand..."

"My microphone!"

"My knee..."

The scene fell into chaos in an instant and those who were crushed below either had their hands broken or their legs dislocated. Based on the screams that they released, it could be seen how bad the situation was.

Dou Xiangling was frightened by the scene before her. The next second, she seemed to have thought of something and her face paled. She was just about to turn to look at Zi Yi.

A large group of security guards came out from the art museum and they all quickly went over to lift up the reporters and separate them from each other in front of Zi Yi and Dou Xiangling.

At the same time, the Chairman of Country X and the International Painting and Calligraphy Association both strode out at the same time.

"What happened?"

"Miss Dou, Miss Zi, are you alright?"

The both of them came over and asked concurrently.

Zi Yi knew that someone would definitely purposely upload the previous incident online and say some ambiguous words to discredit her and her cousin. She took out her phone and quickly swiped on it and did not answer their questions.

Dou Xiangling suppressed her internal rage and pointed at the young lady who claimed to be her fan as she said to the both of them, "That girl rushed over and knocked everyone down, she claimed that she was a fan of mine."

The two Chairman looked at the tall and robust woman with a weird expression.

Everyone knew that Dou Xiangling's fans, like herself, were very amiable people. How could there be such an impetuous fan?

However, it was not a good time for them to question that woman too, as she had also been badly injured.

Country X's Association Chairman said to the security, "First and foremost, send the injured to the hospital."

The International Association's Chairman then motioned for them to enter first. "Miss Dou, Miss Zi, you two can go in first and we'll take care of the situation here."

Dou Xiangling wanted to say something else, but Zi Yi called out to her. "Cousin, the competition is about to start."

Dou Xiangling ended up not talking and nodded towards the chairman, before she headed inside with Zi Yi.

There were other people along the way. Dou Xiangling initially wanted to ask Zi Yi about what had happened earlier, but she thought better of it and decided to forget it.

Zi Yi then said to her, "Don't worry, what happened earlier won't be posted online."

Dou Xiangling breathed a sigh of relief.

Other than the reporters outside, there was photography equipment set up all around the competition venue in the art museum.

The judges invited here today were all internationally renowned master-level painters and members of the International Painting and Calligraphy Association. There were also many sponsors of large corporations.

The competition venue was a very large space and there were twenty easels set up. The easels were spaced far apart and there was an omnidirectional camera set up on every easel.

The moment they walked in together, everyone turned to look in their direction.

Chapter 370: All the Best, Don't Lose too Badly When the Time Comes

Zi Yi just happened to turn her head and she saw Meng He standing at one of the easels while he organized his painting tools.

Coincidentally, Meng He had turned to look in their direction.

They made eye contact and Zi Yi suddenly gave him a smirk.

Meng He somehow felt that Zi Yi's smirk was ridiculing him and his expression instantly sank. He put down his painting tools and walked in their direction.

"Dou Xiangling."

Dou Xiangling originally had her back facing him. She turned around and looked at him upon hearing him call out to her.

Meng He looked at her, who was wearing a cheongsam, and his eyes shrank ever so slightly. He then lowered his eyes before looking into hers and said, "All the best for the competition. Don't lose too badly when the time comes."

He turned around and returned to his position after having said that.

Dou Xiangling was not angered by his words. Instead, she calmly located the position of her easel.

Zi Yi looked at her and said, "Cousin, let's torture him later."

Dou Xiangling finally revealed a smile. Her smile was gentle and full of confidence. "Okay."

On the other side.

Andelu Corporation headquarters.

Feiya suddenly received a call from the board of directors and she knew that the incident of leaked documents was known by others. She dressed herself well and expressionlessly went up to the highest floor of the company, the board meeting room.

While Feiya stepped into the room, the gazes from everyone were filled with ill intentions, as if they wished they could skin her alive.

Her father had even walked up to her and gave her a tight slap across her face.

PA!

Edward gnashed his teeth in anger and shouted at her in fury, "To think you leaked out the information of projects that are worth tens of billions!"

What followed was another tight slap.

PA!

"Take a look at what you have done. How dare you touch the woman of the CEO of Lu Group? Do you know that they have just unilaterally terminated all cooperation with us just moments ago?"

After getting hit twice in a row, even though her cheeks were stinging in pain, Feiya merely tilted her head and was still expressionless.

However, after she heard what he said, after giving her the second slap, her heart suddenly tightened due to shock.

Edward was infuriated when he saw Feiya's indifference.

Everyone among the board of directors had launched a crusade on her.

In the end everyone unanimously decided:

"Since you're incapable of managing the company, let someone competent take over your position."

Feiya's emotions finally collapsed when she heard that. She shouted hysterically at everyone, "No way! The achievements of the company today are all created by me!"

Someone immediately snapped at her. "The company is about to go bankrupt due to your ignorance! How dare you have the cheek to say that? Feiya, the finance department is currently calculating how much the company has suffered due to your wildfulness. You can just wait to pay the compensation. If you are unable to afford the compensation, you can go and die."

Many of them had all asked Feiya to meet her maker.

Feiya was already accustomed to these cold words that hurt her. Her face was expressionless once again as she said, "I will think of a way to resolve this problem."

"Think of a way? What can you possibly do!" One of Feiya's aunts spoke in a shrill voice. "Are you preparing to beg President Lu or his woman? Are you worthy of even showing yourself before the two of them?"

Feiya's sharp gaze swept across her.

The middle-aged woman felt her heart palpitating and when she finally recovered her senses, she became flustered. "Edward, take a look at the daughter you've brought up. How dare she look at me with such a gaze? If we hand over the Andelu Corporation to her, does it mean that all of us will have to wait and be prepared to be dealt with by her?"

All of their expressions were ugly to the extreme.

Edward pointed at the exit of the room and said with a livid expression, "Get lost. You're not allowed to interfere with the affairs of the company in the future."

"Dad, you can't..."

"Get lost! If you don't leave right now, I'll get the security to throw you out."

Feiya looked at the man opposite her who gave her a cold gaze. A few seconds later, she turned around and left.

She was someone who could bow and submit, or stand tall in different situations. As long as she could obtain control of the Andelu Corporation, she could do anything, even if she had to apologize to President Lu and his woman.

...

Art Museum.

The competition starts at 9 a.m and it is divided into three different rounds. The first two rounds would happen today and the last round would happen tomorrow.

"The first round, Still Life Painting."

The Chairman of the International Painting and Calligraphy Association pointed towards all kinds of antiques placed on the table before the participants and announced the rules. "These are antiques we borrowed from museums and many of the antiques are from abroad. Each and every one of them has its own historical background. The first requirement of the competition is that you have to draw out the charm of one of the antiques within four hours. Everyone will have half an hour of observation time."

After the announcement, the Chairman left the stage and left the space to the contestants.

Zi Yi followed everyone and headed to the other side.

Many of these antiques had a history of thousands of years. If one did not know the historical background and cultural traditions of the antiques of its era, it was useless even if they observed it.

Everyone held onto magnifying glasses as they observed the antiques. Zi Yi was the only one who stood further away. She had used her mental energy to observe all the antiques and the country, the historical background and cultural traditions of these antiques had surfaced in her mind all at the same time.

The contestants never expected such a difficult topic as the first round of competition.

The expressions of many looked bad after they observed it.

"Why should we draw these antiques for the first round of the competition? We are ignorant of their historical backgrounds and even if we did paint them, they would be soulless!"

The contestants were not the only ones who revealed a troubled expression. Even the people who had been watching the live broadcast had expressed sympathy for them.

"I wonder who was the one to have thought up this topic. To think they would get the contestants to draw antiques."

"Is that vase that is decorated with precious stones real? If it's real, how much is it worth!"

"Sure enough, the International Painting and Calligraphy Competition never fails to deliver. Have you all noticed that other than that extremely pretty sister from the Dou Family in China, there is an even prettier sister."

"Oh heavens, she must be an angel. She is too beautiful and also quite young. It's so unexpected that she could get into the finals of the International Painting and Calligraphy Competition at such a young age!"

"With such a girl participating in the competition, even if her painting is mediocre, I am willing to buy her work!"

"+1"

...

In the end, there was a group of people who were willing to purchase her work regardless of if her painting was good or bad.

Competition venue.

Zi Yi soon checked out all the antiques and she partially tilted her head to look at Dou Xiangling who was keenly observing a piece of jade instrument from China.

She walked over to Dou Xiangling's side and whispered to her about the background of the jade instrument and who had used it in that era.

A trace of surprise streaked across Dou Xiangling's eyes and she quickly suppressed it.

Shortly after, Zi Yi told her the information about the several antiques beside her.

She had done it swiftly and the movement of her lips was also very slight. Coupled with the fact that she knew how to avoid the cameras, everyone merely saw that she stood behind Dou Xiangling for a few moments and left.

Zi Yi returned to her easel and took up the brush as she started to trace the lines.