Chapter 90 The Best in the Academy (1/2)

Xin Qing crept back to the design table, keeping her disgust at bay. She sat there for a long time, and yet she still could not get her emotions to return to a normal state. She rubbed her eyes, but regretted instantly when she thought of the styes that no doubt awaited her. She should have stayed until the end and listen to all the schemes they had plotted against her.

Randa and Eva returned shortly. Xin Qing looked at Eva and deliberately asked, ”Why's your face so red?”

”Ah!” Eva came up with an excuse instantly. ”I was helping Kay carry some stuff just now. I feel a little warm.”

Randa interrupted their exchange by tossing a stack of information on the desk. ”These are the detailed designs. Each of you goes through it and produce a rendering by the end of the month.”

When they were leaving the studio at night, Kay told them that they would not have to come to the studio starting from tomorrow; they were allowed to work from home. Xin Qing glanced at Eva. ”I bet this is good for them,” she thought. ”They could screw each other whenever and wherever they want if I'm not here.”

Every day for the following half month, Xin Qing would go home after class and get to work. She even had a professional design table installed at home. She complained about it one night, when she was chatting with Zhang Mi.

”Do you know how expensive it is? You could already buy a car with that kind of money.”

”Look who's talking?” Zhang Mi mocked contemptuously. ”Name me one piece of clothing you're wearing or one day-to-day item you're using that doesn't spell luxury? Now you're worried about money?”

”That isn't the same. I didn't buy all those things. Plus, it wasn't about the money in the first place. But right now, it really feels like I'm giving away my money to someone else just like that!”

”Well, it's not like you're poor. Right now, your net worth is at least tens of millions. Why are you still acting like some kind of bourgeois, small-town citizen?” Zhang Mi asked, puzzled.

”What tens of millions?! Since when am I not a small-town girl?” Xin Qing grumbled. ”I only run a small business.”

Zhang Mi chuckled. ”Hehe. But you have a diamond mine. I'm telling you, that thing is impressive!”

”Don't. That doesn't belong to me,” Xin Qing said, feeling annoyed all of a sudden. She did not feel like hearing Ying Qingcang's name ever again, so she changed the subject. ”Where's Qianqian?” The three of them had promised each other to chat online every weekend. But today, Qianqian was absent.

”Seems like something's happened in Ding Lei's family again,” Zhang Mi said in disdain. ”You didn't know, but Ding Lei's mother had tried to separate them by publicly announcing some kind of engagement between Ding Lei and the daughter of some financial group. Ding Lei and Shi Qianqian had made a public appearance to deny the announcement but his mother appeared in front of everyone with a knife and gave Ding Lei an ultimatum. She asked Ding Lei to choose between his mother and his wife.”

Xin Qing was starting to feel a little worried. ”Then what about Qianqian? Is she okay?”

Zhang Mi snorted. ”Yeah. You can be 120% assured that she's fine!” Zhang Mi went on casually, ”Come on, it's Shi Qianqian we're talking about here. Throw her into the ranks of the ancient concubines, and then she would end up becoming the Empress. You put her in a wealthy family? She would not only end up as the official wife, but also the only wife. She would make all the other mistresses vanish and then have her husband on a leash like a dog. Dealing with the crying and suicidal shenanigans by Ding Lei's mother was child's play to her!”

Xin Qing chuckled gleefully. Zhang Mi's words had no doubt cheered her up. ”But even then, it's still important for Ding Lei to stand by her side,” Xin Qing said. ”Otherwise, it wouldn't have meant anything.”

On the other end, Zhang Mi made two sounds of agreement. The two of them gloated for another short while before they bid each other goodnight and went to bed.

Xin Qing had completed her design drawings smoothly. It was nearing the end of the month. As expected, Eva had been visiting the studio every afternoon. When Xin Qing went to see Randa and saw that big design table of his, a bitter thought suddenly came to her mind. She imagined Randa and Eva screwing each others' brains out on that table. She swore not to go near that table again after this.

There was a blank expression on Randa's face when he saw her designs. He told her to leave her design at the studio before she left.

”Mr. Randa, can I have my designs back if they didn't make it through the selections?” Xin Qing did not want her hard work to end up in the trash can. Plus, she thought her designs were perfect. If CK did not want them, she would try to produce it on her own.

Randa glanced at her and shrugged. ”No problem! You can even sell it to the company.”

”Thank you!” Xin Qing turned around to leave. The look Randa was giving her was growing more and more inappropriate, like he was stripping her naked with just his eyes.

After that, Xin Qing threw herself into exam preparations. The academy's summer holidays would begin at the end of June, after which all students of the academy would go on a trip to either manufacturing factories or diamond mines. The trips would be arranged based on the students' examination grades. Those which better grades would be arranged to visit better mines or factories.

”Xin Qing!” Kass approached her secretively. ”Dianne will begin her classes tomorrow.”

”Ah!” Xin Qing suddenly remembered. In truth, she had forgotten all about Dianne's existence. ”It's nearly the summer holidays. Why is she coming only now?”

Kass sighed. ”Because she's a friggin genius, that's why! She's here to take the exams.”

All that had made Xin Qing pretty fired up for the whole day. She was dying to finally meet Dianne in person. She wanted to find out who was better between the two of them. She had seen Dianne's design before at the academy's exhibition corridor, where the brilliant work top students were displayed. Dianne's design was a beautiful tiara. Dianne's style was completely different from Xin Qing's own. Dianne's style leaned towards grandeur and splendor. All her designs pretty much involved diamonds. Xin Qing had seen Meyer's work too. Even though she knew nothing about buildings, she could tell that it was a brilliant design.

”You'll definitely become a successful designer in the future!” Xin Qing told Meyer. They were both sitting beside the artificial lake outside the academy, chatting.

Meyer smiled humbly. ”That's something that I should be telling you. You'll become an awesome designer in the future!”

Xin Qing chuckled. ”Let's hope we'll both turn out successful, then!”

”By the way, there's something I've been meaning to ask you.” All of a sudden, Meyer looked sheepish.

At the sight of Meyer's behavior, Xin Qing teased. ”What is it? Why are you acting shy all of a sudden?”

”It isn't me...” Meyer said, running a hand through his hair. ”It's Ailey!”

Xin Qing shuddered at the mention of Ailey's name. ”Ugh, please don't tell me she wants to see me! Your sister is too crazy. I can't handle her.”