Lin Fang gritted her teeth hard, her tears flowing uncontrollably. "I don't need your help."
Her own study methods were the most suitable for her.
She pulled her bed curtains shut and hid under the covers to cry in secret.
She just hated Ji Zhaoxi. She hated how Ji Zhaoxi was always asking others questions, hated how she always went to the teachers, hated how she practiced in the park every day, and most of all, she hated how she had spent every day in the language lab correcting her pronunciation during that time.
They were supposed to be exactly the same. They both came from the village. Her college entrance exam score was much higher than Ji Zhaoxi's, and her foundation was better. In the very beginning, Ji Zhaoxi couldn't even understand what the teachers were saying.
At first, she was clearly on better terms with Gao Lin and the others. Ji Zhaoxi had been a loner, always going off to study by herself.
Why couldn't they hate Ji Zhaoxi just like she did? Why did Su Manzhen take the initiative to talk to Ji Zhaoxi? Why did Gao Lin answer Ji Zhaoxi's questions? She hated absolutely everything about this!
At the time, Lin Fang had also signed up for the Canton Fair, and she had even passed the review.
But sitting in the dorm, listening to Qi Zhenzhen and Ji Zhaoxi talk about going out to have fun, buying clothes, and eating at those expensive restaurants, her heart ached terribly.
She understood Ji Zhaoxi better than anyone else. That time they went to buy clothes, Ji Zhaoxi's inferiority complex was real—only she had seen through it. When Ji Zhaoxi was criticized by the teacher in oral English class and cried in the grove, she had seen that too. And when she applied for those volunteer activities, she had personally seen Ji Zhaoxi get rejected.
But when exactly did Ji Zhaoxi suddenly change? Why on earth was she suddenly improving so quickly?
The moment Lin Fang thought of this, she felt so much agony she could barely breathe. Her tears soaked her pillow completely as she whimpered softly.
The competition was fast approaching. Qin Du suddenly asked Wang Jie to donate ten typewriters to the competition organizers.
Wang Jie looked utterly bewildered. "Master Qin, are you participating in this competition and trying to buy an award?"
Qin Du looked at him quietly.
Wang Jie realized how stupid his thought had just been. He caught on. "Oh, oh, it's to help Miss Ji win an award, right?"
Qin Du rubbed his temples, feeling a headache coming on. "Donate them in Boss Zhang's name. Just say these ten typewriters are meant to be prizes, and then get a guest pass back."
Buying a placement with prizes was such an insulting thing to do; he had no idea what was going through Wang Jie's head.
Wang Jie hurried off to get it done, though he still didn't quite understand.
If Master Qin wanted to make Miss Ji happy, why didn't he just spend a bit more money to rig the rankings directly? Miss Ji would definitely be thrilled to win first place.
The day of the competition finally arrived. It was held in a grand auditorium in Shanghai. A dark red velvet curtain hung in the background, and a silver-gray standing microphone was placed in the center.
The judges' seats were filled with top-tier figures, including white-haired professors who had studied in the UK and several foreign experts.
The audience was packed with students and teachers from various schools. The entire venue was incredibly quiet as everyone attentively watched the speakers on stage.
Qin Du sat in the VIP guest section, his expression calm as he watched the contestants deliver their speeches.
"Master Qin, I didn't expect you to be here as well," the person next to him said, unable to hide his delight.
The man hesitated for a moment. Why would Qin Du suddenly show up at an event like this? Could the rumors about him getting involved with the minister be true?
He grew even more cautious and probed, "Are you planning to head into foreign trade? If you are, I have..."
Qin Du looked at him with a half-smile. "Boss Li, you really are quite the businessman, trying to talk business even here."
Boss Li gave an awkward smile and fell silent.
A businessman ought to have a businessman's awareness, after all.
The students competing on stage went up one after another. Boss Li couldn't stop sighing. If it weren't for the photo that would be in tomorrow's newspaper, he wouldn't have wanted to come at all.
He couldn't understand much of the foreign language being spoken anyway. He only knew a few simple phrases, mostly revolving around money, goods, shipping schedules, and contracts.
Anything more than that was useless to him.
Boss Li couldn't take in a single word. He only wanted to ask Qin Du about his batch of hardware goods.
Finally, Ji Zhaoxi's name was called.
Ji Zhaoxi walked onto the stage. With hundreds of pairs of eyes staring at her from below, she felt her face instantly freeze.
The auditorium was filled with the scent of wood. Standing in the center, she looked out at the judges and the audience below.
At a glance, she spotted Qin Du sitting behind the judges' panel. Their eyes met, and his were full of smiles.
Ji Zhaoxi's eyes curved into a smile, and her heart instantly calmed. She adjusted the height of the microphone.
"Good morning, ladies and gentlemen..."
The whispering below immediately quieted down.
She had already practiced countless times offstage—the intonation, the pacing, and the smile.
Her mind was completely blank as she gave her speech; it was all entirely muscle memory now. She smiled as she looked into the eyes of the judges below, occasionally throwing in a dry joke or two.
She had told this joke hundreds of times and no longer felt its humor.
But when she heard the laughter from the judges and the audience, the joke truly proved its maximum worth.
Even the stern judges below couldn't help but chuckle. "This girl isn't bad. The students from Shanghai International Studies University really do have a high level of proficiency."
Although Wang Jie couldn't understand, he could feel the audience's positive reaction to Ji Zhaoxi. He was just about to turn his head to discuss it with Qin Du when he saw his eyes.
He didn't know how to describe it. Qin Du's gaze continuously followed Ji Zhaoxi. He stared at her intently, his eyes filled with an almost devout emotion.
Wang Jie was startled by this look. He didn't disturb Qin Du again and returned his attention to Ji Zhaoxi on stage.
She wore only a simple white blouse and a dark midi skirt. At some point, she had taken the microphone off its stand. Resting one hand on the edge of the podium, she looked incredibly relaxed.
Pacing from the front of the stage to the center, her every step matched her every word.
Qin Du had arranged for someone at the back of the auditorium to take photos of Ji Zhaoxi. He wanted to document her every competition. When the students in the back saw that someone had been specifically hired to photograph Ji Zhaoxi, their eyes filled with envy.
"People like her usually come from very good family backgrounds and have been practicing English since they were kids."
"That's for sure. Look at her, she's not nervous at all, and her accent is so authentic. She definitely has foreigners practicing with her."
"So let's not feel inferior. Everyone's family background is different."
Ji Zhaoxi finished her speech, and thunderous applause echoed through the hall.
After she stepped off the stage, someone immediately handed her a bouquet of white magnolias still covered in dew. She was just about to refuse when she saw the cloisonné brooch in the box.
Wasn't this the one she had mentioned before...?
She looked over at Qin Du not far away. Across the crowd, Qin Du met her gaze, his eyes curving into a smile.
Gao Lin was also in the hall. She cast a puzzled glance at Ji Zhaoxi, then followed her line of sight and saw Qin Du sitting in the VIP section.
Gao Lin's heart tightened. Could Ji Zhaoxi's boyfriend be Qin Du?
The thought was too terrifying, and she immediately banished it from her mind.
She had heard her family mention Qin Du. He had only arrived in Shanghai this year, but his methods were known to be incredibly ruthless. There was no way Zhaoxi would ever associate with a man like that.
However, after the competition, as she watched Ji Zhaoxi and Qin Du brush past one another, Qin Du suddenly squeezed Ji Zhaoxi's hand.
And Ji Zhaoxi showed no reaction at all.
Oh no.
