CHAPTER 579: CHAPTER 577: BITTERNESS

Wan Chu’er wrapped her arms around Jiang Kechu’s arm and asked excitedly, "How come you’re picking me up? Aren’t you busy?"

Jiang Kechu scanned the surroundings, huffed, and said, "If I didn’t come, you would’ve been snatched away by someone else!"

Wan Chu’er was startled, realizing that Jiang Kechu must have known about Yan Hui coming to support her, and couldn’t help but complain coyly, "You’re so annoying!"

Jiang Kechu held onto her hand tightly and headed towards the parked car, saying, "I really want to put you in my pocket so you won’t be on the minds of those idle people."

Wan Chu’er couldn’t help but laugh. However, Jiang Kechu glanced at her and asked, "Were you also this happy when you walked the red carpet with that Yan guy?"

"Ha ha... Jiang Kechu, stop being so jealous." Wan Chu’er laughed uncontrollably.

After getting in the car, Jiang Kechu said, "I don’t need to be jealous, eating you up should be fine, right?"

Suddenly, Wan Chu’er leaned over and pecked Jiang Kechu on the lips, giggling, "I’m very happy you came to pick me up."

Only then did Jiang Kechu feel placated, thinking to himself that he must find a woman for Yan Hui sooner or later to keep him from thinking about his Chuchu.

The day after the competition, Jiang Lingling and Third Aunt Jiang, mother and daughter, stormed into Lin Jiayi’s house, scolding Lin Jiayi and even revealing his past kind deeds in front of Simon.

Third Aunt Jiang said, "From now on, our family will cut ties with you completely! Without you, there’s us; without us, there’s no you!"

Facing the mess on the ground and Simon’s astonishment, Lin Jiayi took great effort to soothe Simon, held a grudge against Jiang Lingling, and secretly vowed to destroy Time Studio, leaving Jiang Lingling nowhere to cry!

Since the competition, Yu Zimu and Time Studio made a modest splash in the industry.

Wan Chu’er uploaded the video of Jiang Lingling from the competition day to several major websites and informed Xiao Bai to release it as headline news.

The ethereal fairy garb immediately sparked a fervent discussion among netizens.

"So beautiful, how can there be such gorgeous clothes!"

"As expected of our country’s top-tier competition, just look at this snippet of video, look at the high standards, I really want to see the full version."

"I love this set of the four seasons fairy clothes. I wonder where I can buy these clothes; I must get a set for myself."

"I heard it’s from a designer at the Time Flagship Store."

"Look, insiders say that the Time Flagship Store will open on the third floor of Jinhui Imperial Building A on the 28th. There will be lots of socialites and celebrities attending."

"Really? I really want to see what’s the difference between socialites and ordinary people like us."

"There will also be celebrities, I wonder who they are, we must go and see."

...

Time Flagship Store’s grand opening had already stirred up a buzz online.

28th.

Early in the morning, all staff of Time had assembled inside the Time Flagship Store to prepare for the grand opening ceremony among the top ten.

The two outfits Jiang Lingling and Yu Zimu competed in were placed in the most conspicuous spot in the store, catching the eye of everyone who entered. Besides that, many other garments were hung throughout the store.

The decoration of the flagship store was chic and classy, sparkling clean and bright, instantly informing visitors of the store’s high status.

By nine in the morning, guests gradually arrived. Naturally, Xiao Bai and his spouse were among the first, followed by Kong Zifeng and his fiancée. Su Xiaomei also came with two friends to show support, and soon after, the judges from the final competition arrived. In no time, the exterior of the flagship store was adorned with flower baskets celebrating the opening, and the store itself buzzed with excitement.

Many ordinary netizens who came to see what the fuss was about stood outside peering in at the elegantly dressed, extraordinary guests, too timid to enter. It was apparent that the patrons inside were out of reach; and needless to say, the garments inside must also be of high-quality and expensive. Without substantial money in their pockets, who would dare to step in? Yet they couldn’t bear to leave either. So, they gathered outside to watch the bustle, drawing even more onlookers, which added to the popularity and fame of the Time Flagship Store’s grand opening.

Mai Qiqi had specifically invited two journalists to take many photos and write several articles, published in top fashion magazines. With the attendance and support of second and third-generation celebrities like Kong Zifeng, Su Xiaomei, and recommendations from fashion moguls, the Time Flagship Store gained a certain level of fame, attracting many celebrities and wealthy individuals to make purchases. Time’s exclusivity and prestige were gradually established.

While Time was bustling, Zhi Mei didn’t seem to be in such harmony.

Beneath the flag of Rose, a distinguished foreign designer, Zhi Mei had also quietly launched its business to avoid clashing with Time’s opening buzz. However, their opening ceremony wasn’t as lively as Time’s. The guests were mostly friends of Lin Jiayi and Simon, with few heavyweights from the fashion industry, leaving Lin Jiayi feeling somewhat gasping for prestige.

After some contemplation, Lin Jiayi urged Rose to produce more design drafts in preparation for a fashion show to elevate the brand’s prestige and boost popularity.

Rose still had some drafts in hand, but she didn’t want to use all of them for one fashion show. Since the drafts included designs for all seasons, and a fashion show would naturally only feature seasonal clothing, picking and choosing left her stockpile rather thin.

Thus, Rose recruited two more designers and, after two months of hard work along with a few designs of her own and some from her existing drafts, finally put together a fashion show.

Meanwhile, Lin Jiayi had finally bribed a junior assistant from Time Studio, and after spending a substantial amount of money, she got her hands on several of Yu Zimu’s designs. She handed them over to Zhi Mei Studio to be produced and featured in their own fashion show.

Just as Lin Jiayi was sending out invitations to people in the fashion industry and potential clients for a big fashion show extravaganza, she suddenly received an invitation from Time Studio.

Time Studio was also going to host a fashion show! And what’s more, they were going to do it three days ahead of Zhi Mei!

Lin Jiayi, clenching the two invitations in her hand, had eyes darkened with anger – she hadn’t caught wind of this development at all! The junior assistant she bought off hadn’t briefed her in the slightest.

Lin Jiayi dismissed everyone else and locked herself in her office, attempting to call Time’s inside mole. However, after trying for a long time, no one picked up the phone.

The lack of response left her more confused and unable to figure out what was happening. Swallowing her annoyance, she decided to attend Time’s event with Rose to find out what exactly was going on.

On the day of Time’s fashion show, Lin Jiayi and Rose dressed to the nines, glittering with jewels and flamboyantly adorned, attending with a high and mighty attitude only to be casually greeted by a manager from Time’s flagship store who disappeared shortly after. Mai Qiqi, busy tending to other distinguished guests, didn’t have time to pay them any mind.

Jiang Lingling, backstage, was too busy to make an appearance. Lin Jiayi had intended to visit backstage but was barred from entering under the pretext of confidentiality.

Seeing the guests in the venue who were of even higher status, Lin Jiayi felt a sour envy. She couldn’t even begin to reach their level, let alone invite them to her own show.