After Bankruptcy, the Billionaire Asked Me to Marry Him!
Chapter 332: Walking Hormone

Chapter 332: Chapter 332: Walking Hormone

The topic for the semifinals was simple and straightforward.

Ye Li chose black—pure ink black, as if a calligrapher was preparing to write, and the moment the brush touched the paper, a drop of ink fell onto the rice paper.

Wan Mingyi chose white—the image flipped, and a character for "mist" emerged.

Ambiguous.

Oddly intriguing.

Each noted their respective topics before heading out together, returning to the studio.

A week flew by in the blink of an eye.

On Thursday night, submissions closed at precisely 24:00.

All day Friday, Wan Mingyi had been unable to calm her restless mind.

If the preliminary round left her anxious about being eliminated, then for the semifinals, there was just one word in Wan Mingyi’s mind: Hustle!

Even though she was merely a rookie with no professional experience.

Even though she was surrounded by designers who shone brightly in the industry.

On this stage, she still wanted to give her all to seize a spot for herself.

The semifinals on Saturday would once again start at ten in the morning.

Setting the alarm for seven, Ye Li opened her eyes at the sound of her phone ringing, her mind momentarily blank.

Recalling last night’s chaos, she immediately covered her face with her hand.

Fu Yanci had told her she needed to wake up early, so she should go to bed early the night before.

She thought he made sense.

Then Fu Yanci said, since she usually went to bed late, she might not fall asleep easily even if she went to bed early. A glass of red wine might help.

She also thought he made sense.

She took a bath, applied a face mask, and drank that glass of red wine.

But when she realized she was pinned down on the bed by the man, Ye Li knew something was amiss—it was already too late.

The scent of wine mixed with sandalwood.

And the faint aroma of mint on his lips.

As fireworks exploded in her mind again and again, the moment before she drifted off, she glanced at the alarm screen showing 01:09 and thought to herself: I fell for his nonsense!

But now, Ye Li was uncertain.

By all logic, going to bed late and waking up early should leave her exhausted and irritable.

Yet oddly enough, she didn’t feel sleepy at all—her entire body felt refreshed, as if she had just enjoyed a cold, sweet glass of honey water.

Glancing back at Fu Yanci still sleeping soundly, Ye Li couldn’t help but curl her lips.

She turned over, rolling into his arms, her hair brushing against his neck, her lips grazing his chest.

Even her knee "accidentally" slid across his waist.

In that instant, danger seemed to escalate from dormancy to intensity, and just as Ye Li tried to turn away, the man deftly pulled her back and pinned her beneath him.

"Ah Li..."

His voice carried the faint scent of mint, revealing he wasn’t groggy from sleep but had actually washed up early and returned to sleep beside her.

He might have even gone for a morning run or worked out in the gym upstairs.

With laughter in his eyes, Fu Yanci said, "I must say, I really enjoy your unique wake-up method! Lady, do keep up the good work!"

"I didn’t—I swear I didn’t—you stop making things up!"

Deny it to the bitter end—Ye Li reached out to push him away.

But Fu Yanci wasn’t about to squander his good fortune.

When luck comes knocking, why not embrace it?

"Ah Li, I promise—I won’t let you be late!"

His voice, husky and alluring, was accompanied by lingering kisses, and despite herself, Ye Li fell far faster under his spell than she could have expected.

By the time it was all over, Ye Li, flushed with both embarrassment and fury, was rushing through her morning routine and out the door.

Thankfully, Saturday’s traffic was shockingly smooth.

When she arrived at the venue, the timing was just right!

Stepping out of the car, she spotted Wan Mingyi waiting anxiously at the entrance. Tossing an indignant glare at Fu Yanci, Ye Li turned on her heel and dashed up the steps.

At exactly ten o’clock, the semifinals officially began.

Compared to the preliminaries, the semifinals were far more riveting.

Whenever a standout design appeared, someone on the judging panel would signal the host, followed by an evaluation of the work displayed on the big screen.

Even for pieces eliminated, designers wore expressions of pride, treating critiques from the judges as an immense honor.

Toward the back of the room, Chen Jiayuan deliberately chose seating behind Ye Li and Wan Mingyi, seemingly trying to guess which two designs belonged to them based on their reactions.

Yet, from start to finish, both of them maintained calm and composed expressions, occasionally clapping or nodding, giving away nothing.

When his own design appeared on the big screen, Chen Jiayuan immediately straightened in his seat with focused attention.

Judges nodded repeatedly, and after 15 seconds of display, his piece was swiftly stamped with green approval and moved on.

Listening closely, there wasn’t much discussion around him either.

When the crowd erupted into commotion, Chen Jiayuan snapped out of his concentration, looking around in confusion.

"Wh-what happened?"

"Semifinal results will be announced this afternoon, and the finals are tomorrow!"

A neighbor’s words sent a numbing jolt through Chen Jiayuan’s head.

First came shock.

Then, an overwhelming surge of joy!

Usually, "Shining with You" followed a month-long period from registration to the preliminary round.

After preliminary results were released, a week later came the semifinals, followed by a three-day gap before the finals.

Brimming with confidence, Chen Jiayuan had begun preparing his semifinal and final designs right after registering, even though the outcome was still uncertain.

Now, observing the shock, confusion, and bewilderment of the designers around him, it seemed none of them had expected the finals to be moved up to tomorrow.

Hahahaha...

Laughing mentally with abandon, the gloomy cloud over Chen Jiayuan’s mood dissipated, bursting forth into joyful exhilaration.

He knew it—opportunity never disappoints those who prepare meticulously!

If last year’s competition left him regretful in defeat, then this time, the championship was his to claim!

Hearing the finals would still be freestyle, no matter the fact that they hadn’t yet begun, Chen Jiayuan already envisioned himself holding the trophy and basking in the thrill of victory.

Just as the surge of happiness rose in his heart, Chen Jiayuan glanced back at the rankings displayed on the big screen.

Star Studio remained shrouded in mystery, perched at first place just as it had been during the preliminaries.

Soon, though, Chen Jiayuan spotted Ye Li’s Studio.

And between Shiny Studio and Ye Li’s Studio were several positions separating the two.

At the thought of the growing gap between them, Chen Jiayuan’s gaze darkened.

"Ye Li, Wan Mingyi..."

A voice called from behind just as Ye Li and Wan Mingyi stepped off the staircase.

Looking back, they saw Luo Changchuan striding toward them.

Wan Mingyi’s gaze instinctively fell to Luo Changchuan’s waist, only to quickly dart away.

She had looked up Luo Changchuan’s history as a model.

Sharp in suits.

Clean-cut and handsome in casual wear.

Even something as plain as a simple quick-dry outfit took on a raw masculinity when soaked with his sweat.

Then there was his denim ad for that major clothing brand.

An endless expanse of desert, a rugged man driving an off-road vehicle.

As the car door swung open, his combat boots landed heavily on the coarse sand.

The slow-motion shot followed the jeans upward, revealing his bare upper body.

Chiselled chest muscles, perfectly defined abs.

At a single glance, it was hard to say whether the radiant sunset was more captivating or his bronze-toned skin.

Because of that commercial, the jeans in question became the top-selling men’s denim in its category for an entire year.

Whether it was the massive influence of the ad or something else entirely was unknown.

In any case, Luo Changchuan transitioned to print ads thereafter and never shot another video.

Even now, photography forums were rife with posts from newbie photographers asking which agency represented the mysterious model.

Indeed, it was undeniable—Luo Changchuan was the embodiment of walking hormones.

So much so that at this moment, faced with him, Wan Mingyi’s mind was filled with the bronze-toned imagery from the advertisement.

"Hey..."

A flick to the forehead snapped her out of her reverie.

Wan Mingyi returned her attention to reality.

Right into Luo Changchuan’s amused gaze. "What’re you looking at?"

"Nothing."

Quick-witted, her comeback came instantly, though her ears flushed red.

Meeting his slightly squinted eyes, as if he had seen through everything, Wan Mingyi thought: ...I’m doomed!