Gu Qishen’s gaze was fixed on Qin He, his voice deep and mellow, “You want to keep her, don’t you?”
Qin He nodded, “Li Ai did this for me. If it weren’t for her, I would have been in a lot of trouble today.”
“I will talk to the organizing committee about this. The committee already slandered you and should compensate you. She didn’t intentionally do anything wrong,” Gu Qishen agreed. “I’ll convince the committee.”
“Also, the committee said they need to make an official statement,” Qin He looked at Gu Qishen. “The previous live broadcast has already aired. I hope there won’t be any negative online comments about Li Ai.”
“Okay,” Gu Qishen’s voice was gentle.
Qin He pursed her lips. Whether it was the silver-chain sea snake incident yesterday or today’s events, Gu Qishen had arrived just in time. He was here to help her.
A shell around Qin He’s heart was being pried open.
She stared at Gu Qishen for a long time.
In the end, she chose to avoid it, deciding to let it go for now. This was not the time to consider such matters; she had to finish this competition properly first.
Qin He took Li Ai back to Villa Number Four.
Today’s events were too shocking, and all the contestants needed time to process them. Everyone’s mood was subdued.
On the third floor, in Qin He’s room.
Li Ai sat on a chair, and under Qin He’s gentle questioning, she finally revealed the entanglement between herself and Zhang Caiyu.
The kinship was real, and it was also true that Zhang Caiyu treated Li Ai as less than human.
Qin He felt a pang of heartache listening to her. It could be said that Li Ai had spent years enduring Zhang Caiyu’s psychological abuse.
“I thought about it, she did get medical expenses for my mother, so I usually tolerated her, but—” Li Ai gritted her teeth. She really didn’t want to help Zhang Caiyu anymore, especially since Zhang Caiyu wanted to harm Qin He, whom she considered a good person and felt grateful towards.
Qin He poured Li Ai a glass of water and placed it in front of her.
“Now that you’ve offended Zhang Caiyu, have you thought about what you’ll do next?”
Li Ai cradled the warm cup, thinking of Zhang Caiyu’s torn face.
“She definitely won’t let me go—” Li Ai’s expression turned bitter. Her mother’s treatment expenses would also be cut off.
Qin He pursed her lips, “Li Ai, do you still want to be an assistant?”
“Huh? Whether I want to or not, I can’t go back now,” Li Ai’s eyes dimmed.
Although Zhang Caiyu’s company was not great and the salary was low, it was better than nothing.
“After this competition, I’m afraid not many companies will dare to hire me,” Li Ai said with a wry smile. “After all, I’m someone who can betray her own cousin, aren’t I?”
Qin He frowned and said softly, “Your thinking is too extreme. You didn’t betray Zhang Caiyu; she wronged you first. According to your logic, if she committed murder, would handing her the knife not be considered betrayal?”
Li Ai took a deep breath, “I don’t regret this.”
Qin He nodded, “I asked you to be an assistant, not to go back to Zhang Caiyu’s company. You know, I’m going to establish a fragrance brand with Gu’s. I want to ask if you’re willing to be my assistant?”
“What?” Li Ai suddenly looked up, staring at Qin He blankly, “Be your assistant?!”
“Yes,” Qin He smiled, “Do you think it would be beneath you?”
“No, no! But, but Qin He, is it because I helped you today that you’re taking me on as an assistant? When masters like you take assistants, don’t they usually recruit renowned and very skilled perfumers?”
Li Ai knew very well that this was different from being an assistant to a company president.
Masters like Ding Xiang took assistants in a manner similar to apprentices, where they would impart their skills.
She tightened her grip on the water cup. This was an excellent opportunity, but she felt she might not be able to do it well—yet, the desire was still there.
Li Ai’s expression made Qin He feel a little sympathetic, “You are a very skilled perfumer.”
Li Ai’s ability was among the top ten contestants in this competition. Qin He wondered how Zhang Caiyu had managed to crush her spirit to the point where she believed she was incapable of anything.
“Li Ai, it’s not just because you helped me today. The fragrance brand I want to create must be the best in the world. I believe you have the talent to help me.”
Qin He became serious, her eyes fixed on Li Ai. “Hiring you as an assistant is just a temporary idea, as I don’t know you very well yet. I’ve only smelled one or two of your perfumes. If you follow me and gain experience, and as long as you do well, your future will be promising. Are you willing?”
Qin He was very solemn. After a few seconds of silence, Li Ai’s eyes welled up with tears.
“I am willing.”
She knew this was her only chance, and perhaps this was the turning point of her destiny.
Qin He nodded, “Since that’s the case, you are the first employee of my brand. You can focus on finishing the competition with peace of mind, and I will take care of your mother’s medical treatment. As for Zhang Caiyu, if she bothers you again, you don’t need to pay attention to her.”
Li Ai nodded eagerly, looking very cute.
After finally coaxing Li Ai and sending her back to her room, Qin He also returned to her room and lay down on the bed.
She didn’t even have the strength to wash up.
She lay on the bed until evening. Due to the incident, the organizing committee knew that the contestants had been greatly affected and had postponed the competition results until tomorrow.
The internet and Weibo had already exploded. After all, everyone had witnessed Fang Ruonan’s tragic scene of tearing Zhang Caiyu apart, and the director team had cut off the live broadcast.
The entire incident was more dramatic than a television drama. Many people had already recorded short videos and were spreading them, while others typed out the events.
Netizens were in heated debate. The organizing committee officially issued a condemnation and industry boycott.
Fang Ruonan and Zhang Caiyu were now thoroughly infamous.
The next day.
The live broadcast resumed online, but the popularity of Fang Ruonan and Zhang Caiyu remained undiminished.
Many netizens stormed the official Weibo account of Fang Corporation, criticizing them.
The gist was that since the daughter had done such a shameful and insidious thing, the chairman of Fang Corporation had not come out to apologize, and they demanded a boycott of Ruofeng Garden.
What the netizens didn’t know was that Ruofeng Garden had already been boycotted.
In Hai City, where the Ming family was located, and in Qing City, where the Qin family resided.
Even Qian Zimo in Jiang City had obstructed the development of Ruofeng Garden.
Several corporate groups, along with Gu’s, simultaneously terminated some real estate contracts with Fang Corporation, dealing a significant blow to Fang Corporation.
On the pink beach, all the contestants, having rested for a night, gathered. Wang Qide of the organizing committee smiled and told them to forget the past.
Next, they announced the contestants who advanced to the top twenty.
As expected, Qin He once again took the first place.
After the announcement, Qin He and Li Ai returned to Villa Number Four.
In Villa Number Four, after the top 50 promotion match, half of the people had already left.
Now, nearly eleven more would leave, plus assistants, totaling twenty-two people.
Qin He watched everyone pack their luggage, looking dispirited, and felt a pang of sympathy. But a competition was a competition.
To her surprise, before the bus arrived, all the contestants gathered in the living room to say their goodbyes one by one.
This was a level of unity and camaraderie not seen in previous competitions.
“Although this year’s competition had many incidents, these events have also reduced the strong animosity between most people,” Li Ai whispered.