After listening, Ye Tiancheng's emotions suddenly surged. Otherwise, he would have fallen asleep. He thought it was just a casual painting competition with no prize money, perhaps only a certificate to appease them. He never expected it to be such a large-scale event. Seeing that not many people were participating made him feel quite strange.
"It would be good enough to get an honorable mention, after all, many art majors are participating. I'm not an art major; I study agricultural management."
No wonder he became a village official; it turned out to be agricultural management. However, becoming a village official requires passing a series of exams, which is not easy. This painting is clearly just a hobby for Liu Lanying, and Ye Tiancheng had nothing more to say.
"I believe you can win an award."
Ye Tiancheng even wanted to use his true qi to help, but he realized that his true qi was very precious and couldn't be used casually. Realizing this, Ye Tiancheng no longer dared to be presumptuous and obediently waited for the host to present the awards.
When the last names were called, Liu Lanying's painting was not among the five, meaning Liu Lanying didn't even receive an honorable mention.
"I'm sorry, Mr. Ye, for bringing you here only to disappoint you. I didn't win anything. I was hoping I might get an honorable mention or something, and win five thousand yuan, so we could go have a big meal."
"It's nothing. It's not a major competition, and you're not an art major; it's just a hobby. You were hoping not to win, so there's no need to be so sad or upset. This is all very normal. As long as you're happy, why worry about so much?"
Ye Tiancheng's consolation did have some effect. Everyone soon dispersed, and Ye Tiancheng was preparing to leave the venue with Liu Lanying. However, at a turn in the stairs, they suddenly encountered a familiar face.
This person was the one who had mocked Ye Tiancheng at the pig farm press conference. He was a former colleague from the Hou family company. Having such a colleague was truly a misfortune for eight hundred lifetimes.
"Why is it you again? Good dogs don't block the way. What bad luck have I encountered recently? Why do I keep seeing annoying people like you? It seems I need to burn some incense. If this continues, I'll eventually be blinded by looking at you. You're too much of an eyesore."
"Perhaps you don't know yet, but the person by your side was actually supposed to win third prize, with a bonus of ten thousand yuan. It vanished into thin air because I have connections with the organizers. With just a word from me, your plans went up in smoke. Do you know my capabilities now?"
"Do you believe I'll beat you up? Even if you're arrogant, there should be a limit. This is a bit too much. I'm not someone to be trifled with."
The guy grinned sinisterly at Ye Tiancheng, his expression extremely contorted, as if only a few hard punches could make him rein in a little.
"Don't pretend here. Don't you think I know you? You just like to act like a big shot here. What can you do to me? Don't think you're so great just because you rely on women. Unfortunately, you can't rely on any woman now."
At this moment, Liu Lanying suddenly stood in front of Ye Tiancheng and directly slapped the guy. His glasses flew off. Ye Tiancheng was stunned. Of course, he felt great inside, but he hadn't expected that a woman like Liu Lanying, who seemed to have no strength to even tie a chicken, could fight so fiercely.
"Didn't you say he can't rely on women? Now Mr. Ye relies on me. I am Mr. Ye's backing. If you don't want to be hit by me again, get lost quickly."
"How can you be like this, woman? You're like a shrew, hitting people! I don't want to argue with you because you're young. Don't think I'm afraid of you. If I hit a woman, my reputation will be ruined."
The guy naturally wanted to retaliate, but he didn't dare to lay hands on a woman in public. Regardless of the reason, for someone with a certain status, a bad reputation could have a significant impact, especially for businessmen who valued their reputation. Without a good reputation, no one would trust them or be willing to engage in any financial dealings.
"It's good that you know that. I'd still hit you, specifically your foul mouth, so you won't talk nonsense and anger people in the future."
After speaking, Liu Lanying took half a step forward. The man had already retreated several steps. Liu Lanying aggressively lunged forward and slapped him again, this time pulling his ear as she did. His glasses were already gone, but the man was still hit so hard that he almost fell over, and his wig came off.
"Quite interesting. You must be in your early forties. To be bald so soon, that's terrifying."
That man was extremely concerned about his image. Having his baldness exposed now had a huge impact on him. For a moment, he wished he could find a hole to crawl into. Being able to commit suicide would have felt good. He was too embarrassed.
"How could this happen? You're just a shrew. Are you deliberately trying to embarrass me?"
"More and more people are gathering around. I believe no one has seen your embarrassing state yet. If you don't want to continue to lose face, I suggest you move a bit further away. Otherwise, I'm afraid someone will take a picture of you and spread it, and everyone who knows you will know that you're bald at such a young age. I think that's quite embarrassing. Think about whether you want to run now or continue arguing with me here."
At critical moments, one could truly appreciate a person's wisdom. Liu Lanying was very calm, her gaze intense, as if she wished she could kill the man. In fact, the man was scared. He could see that Liu Lanying had some skills, but he didn't dare to provoke her further.
The guy quickly picked up his wig and tidied it up. Hair was a man's pride, so he was exceptionally careful now. This wig was custom-made for tens of thousands of yuan, very expensive, so naturally, he couldn't leave it there; he had to take it away quickly.
The guy fled in utter panic. Liu Lanying clapped her hands and then turned to look at Ye Tiancheng with a calm expression.
"Why did you encounter such an annoying person? But don't worry, after being dealt with this time, he'll probably be more restrained. And it's unlikely you'll be so unlucky to meet such a person every time. What kind of half-human, half-ghost thing is that? Otherwise, you must have committed a great sin in your past life?"
Ye Tiancheng almost couldn't hold back. Although he knew his true qi was reserved for his wife and children, that person was just too annoying. He really wanted to use his true qi to drive him mad, to make him lose face in public, preferably in a way that involved him urinating and defecating, anything to make him as embarrassed as possible. Ye Tiancheng had already planned his counterattack, but Liu Lanying suddenly rushed forward, first with a barrage of physical attacks, and then exposing the man's flaws, clearly intending to utterly humiliate him.
"Miss Liu, I really didn't expect you to be so fierce. I thought you were very delicate and easily bullied. It seems one cannot judge a book by its cover. Although you look thin, you possess immense energy within your body. When it erupts, it's truly not to be underestimated. I am shocked."
Liu Lanying wasn't unhappy that Ye Tiancheng called her fierce; instead, she was particularly pleased.
"Isn't that normal? If girls aren't strong, they'll be bullied. You have no idea how low society's tolerance is for women. I once wore a skirt, and I was harassed by a pervert. In the end, everyone thought it was because I wore a skirt, that I was too indecent, which is why I was targeted."
When she spoke of this, Liu Lanying felt particularly helpless. She had suffered a lot of grievances back then. Her current growth into this person was not easy; it was all because she had endured much hardship. If she hadn't been looked down upon all the time, how could Liu Lanying have trained herself to be so strong?
"What you say makes sense. It's good that you're strong. Otherwise, those people would think you're easy to bully. I also think you're great like this now. You won't be bullied, and you'll strike back hard against scoundrels. You not only protected yourself but also protected me. I really should thank you. How about I treat you to a meal?"
Liu Lanying's expression was a little displeased. "I didn't know my prize could even get prize money. It's a shame it was ruined, or I could have treated you to a meal. Once the prize money is in hand, we could have anything, we could eat lobster and seafood."
Ye Tiancheng smiled gently. "That's not important. Don't forget, I'm an entrepreneur, after all. I have money, so don't worry. I can handle it. If you want to eat lobster, let's go eat lobster."
Liu Lanying had just spoken casually and now realized she had indeed said something inappropriate.
"I really didn't mean that. I'm not a materialistic person, nor do I want to trick you into eating lobster. I just thought that lobster is the most expensive food, and I've never eaten it before, so I was quite curious."
Ye Tiancheng really liked people who were this straightforward; at least, they didn't seem calculating. Such people were the most admirable.
"Then let's eat lobster today. I'll take you to a good seafood restaurant. All the lobsters in this restaurant are especially fresh, and the meat is very plump and tender. I believe you will like it."
Regardless, he felt she was a person with potential. Ye Tiancheng also wanted to befriend a generous woman like Liu Lanying, who was like a female knight, occasionally reminding him of Lin Xue.
However, just as they were about to leave, Liu Lanying grabbed his arm. "Boss Ye, I was really just speaking casually. I heard a single lobster costs thousands of yuan, which is too expensive. I'm an adult, and eating it won't make me grow taller. It's not really useful. You don't need to invest so much in me."
Mainly, Liu Lanying felt very embarrassed. Her relationship with Ye Tiancheng wasn't that deep, and yet she was about to eat his lobster, which could cost thousands or tens of thousands of yuan. Thinking about it made her feel quite awkward.
Liu Lanying thought she could stop Ye Tiancheng, but she didn't expect Ye Tiancheng to laugh heartily. "It's okay. Don't forget, you also made me scrambled egg tomato noodles. If it weren't for that bowl of noodles you cooked for me, I might have starved to death. You provided me with significant help at a critical moment, so of course, I must repay you. I dislike owing favors the most. I hope you can understand me."