C16 Chapter 16

Instead of directly spelling out her relationship with Saang Shijuan, she gave a vague answer, leaving plenty of room for speculation.

The reporters around them instantly lit up. With that one line alone, they already had fresh fuel for tomorrow’s headlines.

Saang Shijuan frowned slightly and cast Zhong Xinyi a cool glance.

Feeling the chill in his gaze, Zhong Xinyi turned to him with wide, sparkling eyes and an innocent look. “Did I say something wrong?”

Saang Shijuan let out a soft chuckle but said nothing.

He was long used to these little tricks and couldn’t be bothered to argue anymore.

The smile on Zhong Xinyi’s face stiffened. Even though Saang Shijuan had just smiled at her, she hadn’t felt a trace of warmth in it. If anything, it carried a biting cold that sent a chill straight through her.

She didn’t dare say another word. Even with several reporters still pressing for answers, Zhong Xinyi just kept her head down and hurried to keep up with Saang Shijuan.

Once they entered the competition venue, the inside was even more chaotic, though everything still ran in an organized way.

The reporters conducting interviews there were professionals, focused mainly on backstage operations, the competition itself, and details about the organizers. The whole process was orderly, completely different from the gossip media outside who had shown up uninvited.

In the crowded backstage area, Xia Bing was fully absorbed in applying makeup to the model she had recruited, carefully creating a look that matched her design.

The place was loud and packed, with people constantly rushing past, but to Xia Bing, it was as if none of it existed. Holding a makeup pencil, she worked with precise, delicate strokes, her dark eyes fixed on the model’s face, her expression intensely focused.

As soon as Zhong Xinyi entered the venue, she grabbed Saang Shijuan’s arm and said in a sweet, coaxing voice, “Can we go take a look backstage? I heard some of the top designers in the country are here. There have to be some really standout designs.”

Saang Shijuan paused, then nodded.

Zhong Xinyi immediately beamed.

The backstage area was noisy and bustling. The moment Zhong Xinyi stepped inside, her eyes began scanning the room.

The moment she spotted someone familiar, her eyes lit up. Grabbing Saang Shijuan’s arm, she hurried over.

When they reached a designer, Zhong Xinyi called out happily, “Du Yawei!”

The designer, Du Yawei, was adjusting the outfit on a model. At the sound of her name, she arched a brow and turned around. The instant she saw Zhong Xinyi, surprise lit up her face. “Xinyi, what are you doing here?”

Smiling, Zhong Xinyi pulled Saang Shijuan forward by the arm. “I came with my boss. I’m Lingchuang Clothing’s newest spokesperson. Shijuan,” she said, turning to introduce them, “this is my best friend, Du Yawei. She’s also competing this time. She’s amazing—she personally designed a lot of my costumes.”

Du Yawei turned to look at Saang Shijuan. The moment their eyes met, the chill in his gaze made her smile falter.

Then, when she realized who he was, her eyes widened slightly.

Wasn’t this Saang Shijuan, chairman of Rongxin Group—the kind of man women everywhere dreamed of marrying?

She’d thought the photos in magazines and on social media were stunning enough, but in person, he was even more handsome.

His features were sharply defined, his face all clean, chiseled lines and hard angles. His thin lips were pressed into a firm line, his jaw tight, and his narrow eyes were dark and unreadable, hiding depths no one could quite figure out. He was the kind of man who set imaginations racing—yet made people think twice before getting too close.

Zhong Xinyi really had hit the jackpot, landing a man this handsome and this rich.