After Bankruptcy, the Billionaire Asked Me to Marry Him!
Chapter 331: Don’t Be So Fierce From The Start

Chapter 331: Chapter 331: Don’t Be So Fierce From The Start

"This is clearly the work of an experienced designer, perhaps even someone already famous—completely out of reach for us!"

"This is outrageous! Can’t they leave us newcomers a little breathing room? With designs like this, they should head to Paris or Milan and compete against those international designers instead!"

"This is just too intense, isn’t it? It’s only the preliminary round! Masters, we novices are already amazed by your talent, but could you tone it down just a tiny bit?"

"..."

The murmurs of discussion never ceased.

Wan Mingyi looked at Ye Li, her eyes filled with awe.

Ye Li and Wan Mingyi’s competition entry was the result of countless rounds of brainstorming and discussion between the two, from the initial spark of inspiration to the final decision on the concept.

Not only Ye Li—Wan Mingyi herself had several designs she deeply loved, but they struggled for ages before eventually deciding on one for submission.

Wan Mingyi knew Ye Li had chosen the design displayed on the big screen titled "Star River," but by the time the entry was submitted via the official website, Ye Li was already back in school and sometimes had to return home.

Thus, the finalized version had never been seen by Wan Mingyi before.

And now, the version glowing on the big screen was even more stunning than the one she had seen back in the studio.

Bang!

Wan Mingyi was about to exclaim "Ye Li, you’re incredible" from the bottom of her heart when a loud sound rang out. A green "Accepted" stamp appeared on their design.

The big screen flickered, and then another design was immediately displayed next.

Several hours later, the host reappeared on the stage as the preliminary round officially came to an end.

"I trust everyone has gained a deeper appreciation for the brilliance of the entries and the extraordinary talent of this year’s competing designers. Congratulations to the 328 entrants advancing to the next round."

The moment the host began speaking, murmurs rose again from below the stage.

Out of 981 entries, two-thirds had been eliminated in just one day.

And this was merely the preliminary round.

Among those advancing were many designers who had already made a name for themselves.

For newcomers, it was brutal!

"And now, congratulations to the following 116 studios—among them lie this year’s dark horse designers!"

If eliminating over half of the entrants was already shocking enough...

Then the fact that upwards of 200 studios had been knocked out—some submitting works from multiple designers yet still failing entirely—was even more astonishing.

"Jeweller is a powerhouse studio in this field, but even they were entirely eliminated? I can’t believe my eyes!"

"I felt pretty awful about being eliminated, but seeing so many big names missing from the list suddenly made me feel better! I’m going to work even harder the next couple of years and come back stronger!"

"This Ye Li’s Studio—I’ve never heard of it before, but it looks pretty impressive!"

"..."

Without even trying to eavesdrop, Ye Li’s Studio’s name could be heard in conversations everywhere.

Chen Jiayuan stared blankly at the big screen, his face full of disbelief.

How could this be?

How... could this be!!!

The ranking of the studios on the big screen was based on the number of designers advancing to the next round.

At the very top was Star Studio led by Luo Changchuan, with five designers’ works selected.

Next were several studios with three designers each.

Following came studios with two.

Shiny Studio, despite having eight participating designers, only had two advance.

This wasn’t particularly surprising.

Many studios had five or more entries, yet failed to advance even one designer’s work—it was a common occurrence. Two advancing was actually decent.

But Ye Li’s Studio, with two participants, had both of them advance—what kind of miracle was this?!

Others might not know, but Chen Jiayuan was fully aware of the story behind Ye Li’s Studio.

That studio hadn’t even existed for three months yet, and it consisted solely of Ye Li and Wan Mingyi.

Back when he filed a complaint against Wan Mingyi claiming she wasn’t qualified to compete, Chen Jiayuan had specifically investigated the details of Ye Li’s Studio.

Its registration date was just one week after Shiny Studio held a jewelry exhibit at Bishui Bay.

Whether it was to make a statement, prove a point, or simply to play savior and rescue Wan Mingyi, the fact was that Ye Li’s Studio was thrown together on a whim—a completely informal operation.

Yet this supposedly amateur studio managed to secure full advancement.

Looking back, Ye Li’s expression remained calm, as though everything was going as expected.

Beside her, Wan Mingyi’s bright, sparkling eyes made her look radiant and elegant in her light beige dress—a striking and graceful figure.

Then, catching sight of Luo Changchuan, who had swapped seats to sit next to Wan Mingyi, anger flared up in Chen Jiayuan’s eyes.

"Congratulations!"

On hearing someone offer congratulations, Wan Mingyi responded without looking back, "Thank you!"

It was only after a moment that she realized the voice sounded familiar. Turning around, she found Luo Changchuan had already seated himself beside her.

Glancing briefly at the big screen where Star Studio remained firmly at the top, Wan Mingyi smiled and said, "Congratulations, Mr. Luo!"

Luo Changchuan was Star Studio’s chief designer and operations director.

Whether it was due to the owner’s laid-back attitude or overwhelming confidence in Luo Changchuan’s capabilities, the fact remained that he was the public face for Star Studio’s jewelry exhibition affairs in recent years.

Within the industry, mentioning Star Studio invariably brought to mind Luo Changchuan—no one even knew who owned it.

"The second round is a week away. Got any ideas yet?"

The host invited the judges back on stage to announce the format and topics for the next round of competition.

Luo Changchuan turned to Wan Mingyi and asked, "If you need anything, let me know anytime!"

After casting a glance at Ye Li, Wan Mingyi said with a smile, "My boss is right here. Mr. Luo, isn’t your bold attempt to poach me a little inappropriate?"

Luo Changchuan smiled and looked at Ye Li. "Ye Li, I might be daring enough to poach—but would you dare to let her go?"

"Heh..."

Ye Li responded with a cold laugh, showing an air of calm confidence. "Why don’t you ask Sister Mingyi yourself? I might dare to let her go—would she be willing to leave?"

"Not willing!"

Wan Mingyi replied crisply and decisively.

Luo Changchuan raised his brows, his eyes filled with undisguised admiration.

As applause rang out, the three of them turned simultaneously to see the big screen on the stage displaying a vibrant palette of 24 colors.

"These 24 themes come from the ten judges below. Designers advancing to the next round will blindly select one topic and submit their work within five days."

In an instant, the venue became a flurry of motion, as the advancing designers made a beeline for the staff below the stage to draw their topics.

It was as though none of them wanted to waste a single second.

While the preliminary round was freestyle, allowing everyone to work on their designs for months leading up to the competition...

The second round coming in just one week gave them a mere five days total.

The atmosphere around the venue suddenly became tense and urgent.

Ye Li wasn’t in a rush.

Nor was Wan Mingyi.

For starters, they had several collections of work already prepared—surely one would align perfectly with the theme they drew.

And even if, by the slightest chance, none of them matched...

Five days would still be plenty!

Brilliant ideas? Exceptional creativity?

They had more than enough of those!

Sharing a knowing smile, the two leisurely waited in their seats until the crowd ahead collected their themes and dispersed, then finally rose and made their way forward.