After Bankruptcy, the Billionaire Asked Me to Marry Him!
Chapter 329: A Fine Person, If Only Without a Mouth

Chapter 329: Chapter 329: A Fine Person, If Only Without a Mouth

The sunlight outside was dazzling.

Inside the venue, the lights glimmered brilliantly.

Dark hues filled the field of vision, with a red carpet leading straight into the hall.

The Imperial Capital Art Museum, which could accommodate over a thousand people, had become the venue for the 19th "Shining with You" jewelry design competition.

On the high stage was a giant HD screen, displaying the competition name, official logo, and information about the organizers clearly.

Below the stage, the first row was reserved for judges.

All the seating from the second row onward was designated for participating studios and contestants.

The organizers were meticulous, even labeling the seat backs with the corresponding studio’s area.

At a glance, amidst the abundance of seats designated for other studios, the two lonely seats belonging to "Ye Li’s Studio" stood out starkly.

Turning back, Ye Li, dressed in a white cocktail dress, radiated an air of calm elegance, as poised as if she were there to accept an award rather than compete.

Wan Mingyi took a deep breath, squared her shoulders, and followed behind Ye Li to sit beside her.

A stunning beauty with exceptional posture and aura.

Yet, this was also the smallest studio among the hundreds participating this year.

As Ye Li and Wan Mingyi took their seats, they immediately felt a barrage of gazes coming from all directions.

Presence—confidence was everything!

Internally rooting for herself, Wan Mingyi silently cheered on as Ye Li whispered a complaint under her breath, "I should’ve brought along some random filler team for better optics... Ahhhh, I don’t want to be a monkey watched by the crowd! So frustrating!"

Wan Mingyi: ...

In the blink of an eye, the hall had filled up completely.

The soothing sound of music gradually faded, replaced by applause that accompanied the excited voice of the emcee as they made their grand entrance.

The emcee began by sharing the extensive history behind "Shining with You."

They highlighted industry leaders, those exceptional designers who had risen to fame through the competition and gained renown both domestically and globally.

Encouraging this year’s participants and aspiring designers, the emcee struck a motivational tone.

The hall roared with applause.

When the emcee introduced the ten judges for the competition, the applause thundered to the point that it almost shook the venue’s ceiling.

Being the largest jewelry design competition in the country, each year the panel of judges was a major publicity draw for the organizers.

This time, the organizers had invited international jewelry design master Pamir from Paris.

Ye Li’s sharp eyes caught sight of a bold red figure seated among the judges, causing her to pause in surprise as the emcee announced, "The final judge is Ms. Jyang Wanruo, Vice Chairwoman of the Imperial City Charity Association."

It’s really her!

Ye Li felt her heart sink slightly.

A striking and graceful beauty—also the chair of the Imperial Capital’s grand charity banquet.

It was clear to Wan Mingyi that the nearby designers were clapping more fervently now.

Turning back, she saw Ye Li clapping absentmindedly.

Wan Mingyi tilted her head and asked, "What’s wrong? Ran into someone you know?"

Although Jyang Wanruo was Fu Yanci’s college classmate,

and her mother’s prime example of an ideal daughter-in-law,

aside from exchanging a brief greeting at a Qin family banquet, Ye Li had no other interaction with her.

Someone familiar?

Not exactly.

Ye Li shook her head. "No."

Returning her focus, she noticed the competition had formally commenced.

"Every two years, we are immensely grateful for the participation of such talented designers in the 19th ’Shining with You’ Jewelry Design Competition. This year, we received 981 design entries from 372 studios across the country. Next, we will randomize the original order and display each designer’s work sequentially."

The emcee moved to one side of the stage, and the screen transitioned to reveal the first design.

Neither the studio name nor the designer name was displayed.

All design sketches were presented on competition-specific white templates.

Only the studio and the designer themselves could recognize their own work; everyone else was in the dark.

After each piece was displayed, a thrilling sound effect would follow as either a red elimination stamp or a green approval stamp appeared on the design.

Some cheered in excitement.

Others looked visibly crestfallen.

Though it was only the preliminary round, the tension in the hall was palpable.

When Wan Mingyi’s design was displayed, Ye Li immediately noticed her breathing had stopped.

The brief 15-second exhibition felt as long as an eternity.

Just as Wan Mingyi thought her eyes might cease to move altogether, the screen emitted a "boom" sound as a green approval stamp appeared on the screen.

"Ye Li!"

Unable to contain her elation, Wan Mingyi tightly gripped Ye Li’s hand.

Their eyes met. Wan Mingyi was ecstatic, while Ye Li remained composed, seemingly unsurprised.

From the forward angle, Chen Jiayuan, hearing Wan Mingyi’s exclamation, instantly guessed that the displayed design belonged to Ye Li’s Studio.

On one hand, he suspected it might be Ye Li’s work—after all, Wan Mingyi had called out Ye Li’s name, and Ye Li’s tranquil demeanor suggested that she had anticipated the outcome.

On the other hand, he thought the design might be Wan Mingyi’s own.

The mere possibility of the latter made Chen Jiayuan clench his fist.

After dating for three years, Chen Jiayuan knew exactly how talented Wan Mingyi was in design.

Yet in just a few months since their breakup, could she have improved this dramatically?

Or had she been withholding her full potential all along?

Unable to discern the truth, Chen Jiayuan, who had been lazily reclining in his seat, unconsciously sat up straight.

For over an hour afterward, neither Wan Mingyi nor Ye Li made a sound, leaving Chen Jiayuan no hints about which design from Ye Li’s Studio might be next—nor whether it would succeed or be eliminated.

When applause erupted once more, Chen Jiayuan snapped out of his thoughts to see the screen pause.

The emcee returned to the stage and announced, "The first half of the preliminary round has concluded successfully. The second half will begin at 2 PM this afternoon. Guests are invited to enjoy the buffet prepared by the organizers. Please feel free to explore and interact with the judges and other designers."

Some participants approached the judges to introduce themselves and ask for suggestions.

Others followed the crowd out of the venue to the dining area in a more orderly fashion.

Spotting Ye Li and Wan Mingyi heading toward the dining hall, Chen Jiayuan turned and followed.

Before he could think of a good way to break the ice and diffuse the awkwardness, someone else had already stepped ahead and appeared before Ye Li and Wan Mingyi.

Upon recognizing the person, Chen Jiayuan froze slightly.

Across the food station, Luo Changchuan glanced at Ye Li’s plate, then at Wan Mingyi’s, and couldn’t help but chuckle. "If one knows you two are competing designers, everything’s fine. If one doesn’t, they might think you’re here to freeload some food. Hey, take a look at your plates! Do they match your perfectly gorgeous faces or those ethereal dresses you’re wearing?"

A glance at Luo Changchuan’s plate revealed an impeccably balanced meal of roasted chicken breast and chilled broccoli—classic diet-friendly fare.

Looking back at their own plates loaded with spicy beef and braised ribs, Ye Li turned to Wan Mingyi and remarked, "It sounded like a compliment—so why does it feel so aggravating?"

Recalling the remarks Luo Changchuan had made to Chen Jiayuan previously, Wan Mingyi tried not to laugh as she nodded in agreement. "Definitely!"

"Sigh..."

Ye Li sighed. Her gaze fell from Luo Changchuan’s tailored suit to his handsome face, and she couldn’t resist mumbling under her breath, "Such a good-looking person—why of all things did he have to be blessed with a mouth like that?"

Luo Changchuan: ...???

Wan Mingyi: Hahahahahaha! I can’t handle this anymore, let me laugh first! That was way too accurate!