After twenty-two people departed, only thirty-nine remained in the four villas.
The villas were spacious, and now, sparsely populated.
By this day, the competition had been underway for eight days.
Seven more days remained until the top ten, top three, and the final championship.
Qin He knew the villas would continue to empty, and a sudden sense of melancholy washed over her.
The eleven people who had left before their departure gave their remaining gold coins to Qin He. Now, she possessed five thousand gold coins, enough for her and Li Ai to live very comfortably for the remaining seven days.
The next day, the competition advanced to the top ten round.
Qin He remained the champion.
However, the remaining twenty contestants were reduced to ten. Li Ai successfully entered the top ten, securing the eighth position.
Two more days passed, and the ten contestants dwindled to three. Li Ai, however, did not leave. She was eliminated in the top three but remained as Qin He's assistant.
Now, even the second villa was empty. The pink beach appeared desolate. Qin He and Li Ai spent their days blending perfumes and strolling leisurely.
The audience watching the live stream, having followed the contestants for so long, felt a deep emotional connection, as if they had journeyed with them.
In the blink of an eye, it was the final.
The theme for the final was 'Broken'.
All three finalists had a vague premonition. They each spent five days in their villas, designing their final perfumes.
Upon seeing the two words, Qin He was reminded of the broken relationship between her and Gu Qichen.
Though broken, there was a lingering connection, as if something still bound them.
The perfume she designed over five days was her impression of Gu Qichen's scent – a consistently crisp and cold aroma clung to him.
A small amount of mint was added to the fragrance, with ice grass used to temper the mint's intensity, leaving only a subtle coolness.
When the fragrance finally diffused, it lacked any extraneous sweetness, instead evoking a sensation of standing atop a snowy mountain peak.
The judges offered the highest praise.
Qin He clinched the championship title. Li Ai, standing beside her, beamed with joy, her cheeks flushed, on the verge of tears.
Gu Qichen presented the awards. Qin He had never expected it to be him.
"The perfume you blended this time smells very good," Gu Qichen remarked meaningfully.
Qin He pursed her lips, catching the crisp scent emanating from him. She couldn't discern if it was the perfume diffused in the air or his own fragrance.
She felt as though she had inadvertently revealed something.
The competition concluded, but its popularity on the internet remained unabated.
This year's competition had transcended its niche, becoming a widespread phenomenon. The intense rivalries between contestants and the subsequent captivating perfume-blending process fueled soaring topic discussions, while also providing immense viewing and learning value.
Every time Qin He demonstrated her perfume-blending skills, she would share knowledge about ancient perfumery techniques, sparking a strong interest in the craft among many.
Villa Number Four.
Qin He and Li Ai packed their belongings. Li Ai, while packing, expressed her sentiment, "We've only stayed here for half a month, yet it feels like so much longer. I'm actually a little reluctant to leave."
Qin He placed the 'Wan Fang Lun' at the bottom of her suitcase. As she had anticipated, those individuals hadn't dared to openly steal under the omnipresent gaze of the live-stream cameras.
This was, in a way, a relief.
Qin He smiled and echoed Li Ai's sentiment, "If we come back in the future, it will probably be for tourism."
"Sister Qin He, don't you feel any reluctance?" Li Ai asked, blinking her eyes.
Without Zhang Caiyu, their interactions were harmonious, and Li Ai seemed much more cheerful than before.
Qin He shook her head. "You feel reluctant because you're a free spirit. I'm different. I have ties that bind me, so I've been eager to return home."
"Ties that bind?"
Qin He smiled sweetly. "I miss my son."
Li Ai's eyes widened. After a few seconds, she exclaimed, "Sister Qin He, you have a child?!"
"Yes, his name is Qin Wanchuan, nicknamed Lele," Qin He replied with a smile.
On the live-streaming platform, many viewers were posting comments.
【I know, when Qin He was streaming under the account 'Diligent Little He', she was pregnant.】
【Speaking of which, no one knows who the child's father is. I've never even seen Qin He's son. Qin He is so beautiful; genetically speaking, her son must be very handsome!】
【That's not necessarily true; what if Qin He's son resembles his father? PS: Does anyone know who Qin He's son's father is?】
【Isn't it Lu Mingxi?】
【Rumor has it, it's Gu Qichen!】
【How come I heard Qin He artificially had her son?】
A lively discussion ensued online.
While Qin He packed, in the villa at the northern edge of the pink beach, Yu Jing finished packing and walked into the living room.
"President Gu, everything is packed."
Gu Qichen, gazing at the comments on the screen, his eyes thoughtful, asked, "What's the progress on the investigation I asked you to conduct last time?"
"There's still no result," Yu Jing replied with a hint of guilt.
"Continue the investigation. Change the direction this time."
...
The competition concluded. After a brief gathering with Qian Zimo, Qin He immediately took Li Ai back to Qingcheng.
She entrusted the matter of Li Ai's mother to Qin Yun, arranging for Li Ai's mother to be transferred to Qingcheng First Hospital.
Qin He had already studied Li Ai's mother's condition. It was indeed not a curable illness, but neither was it terminal. It merely required long-term maintenance with medication.
In essence, it was a matter of spending money to prolong life.
Having Li Ai's mother transferred was also a way to ensure Li Ai could work with peace of mind.
The Qin family residence, on the weekend.
At one o'clock in the afternoon, Qin He leaned on the sofa, yawning while holding Lele.
Little Lele, as if infected by his mother's yawn, opened his mouth wide and yawned too.
Their languid postures earned a look of mild disapproval from Ming Yuzhu.
"Give Lele to me. You're making him too listless."
Qin He chuckled softly. "It's simply naptime."
Saying so, she obediently handed the child over.
It had been a week since they returned to Qingcheng. Qin He hadn't gone anywhere, nor had she paid heed to the online uproar. She spent her days at home, accompanying Lele.
Yan Chen and Xiao Liyan had invited her out twice. Qin He knew that if she went, she would inevitably encounter Gu Qichen, so she politely declined.
Ming Yuzhu took Lele for his nap. Qin He nestled on the sofa, a blanket over her legs, chatting in a group chat.
The group chat titled 【Striving for Human Procreation】 had been particularly lively lately.
The remaining three medical researchers would occasionally chime in, inquiring about the progress of the drug application's approval.
Everyone was highly invested in this particular drug, as its public release would signify a leap forward in progress for all four individuals.
Gao Lang posted cheerfully in the group: 【Professor Harlana, I heard from someone working there that the approval process is being given significant importance, which is why it's taking so long. The results should be released soon.】
Qin He also eagerly anticipated the approval, as it would allow her to prepare for her brother's surgery.
She typed: 【That's good news.】
She spent her days at home recuperating. Her current state was exceptionally robust, making it an ideal condition for surgery.
After chatting with the group for a while, in the evening, Xu Wanwan arrived at the Qin residence.
She whispered, "Did you know? Fang Ruonan, the one who bullied you, has been kicked out by her family! I heard that the Fang Group's situation is dire, and they're being targeted from all sides!"